A Simplified Numerical Study of the Kr/Cl₂Plasma Chemistry in Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Abstract

In this paper, the generation of excimers and exciplexe radiation in mixtures of rare gas with halogen by homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is investigated. The typical characteristics of an excilamp based on KrCl* exciplexe molecules and the kinetic processes for the formation and the decay of this molecules in the Kr/Cl2 mixture are studied. The computer model developed is based on the Kr/Cl2 mixture chemistry, the equivalent electric circuit and the Boltzmann equations. The importance in the kinetic processes of some species such as the metastable state of Krypton (Kr*(3P0,2)) and the negative ion of chloride (Cl−) is considered. The results illustrate the time variations of charged species (ne, Kr+, Cl−, Cl+, Cl+2, Kr+2), excited atoms and molecules (Kr*(3P0,2), Kr*(3P1), Cl*, Cl*2), the excimers (Kr*2, KrCl*(B), KrCl*(C), Kr2Cl*) and the UV photon concentrations (in 222 nm, 235 nm, 258 nm and 325 nm range). The effects of chlorine concentration and the total gas pressure in the Kr-Cl2 discharge on the electric parameters and radiation emissions are investigated.