Cathode Sputtering in Hollow Cathode Discharges

Abstract

In order to investigate the processes responsible for a negative resistance of the hollow cathode discharge, several discharge parameters are measured with a Langmuir probe. The vapor density distributions of the sputtered cathode metal are measured by the absorption method of the resonance radiation of the metal atom. Almost all the metal atoms in the central part of the cathode space are found to be ionized or excited.