Generation of uniform low-temperature plasma in a pulsed non-self-sustained glow discharge with a large-area hollow cathode

Generation of plasma in a pulsed non-self-sustained glow discharge with a hollow cathode with an area of >= 2 m(2) at gas pressures of 0.4-1 Pa was studied experimentally. At an auxiliary arc-discharge current of 100 A and a main discharge voltage of 240 V, a pulse-periodic glow discharge with a current amplitude of 370 A, pulse duration of 340 mu s, and repetition rate of 1 kHz was obtained. The possibility of creating a uniform gas-discharge plasma with a density of up to 10(12) cm(-3) and an electron temperature of 1 eV in a volume of > 0.2 m(3) was demonstrated. Such plasma can be efficiently used to treat material surfaces and generate pulsed ion beams with a current density of up to 15 mA/cm(2).