Modes of longitudinal combined discharge in low pressure nitrogen

This paper reports the modes of a low pressure discharge in the combined (rf + dc) electric field. We propose to distinguish three modes of a longitudinal combined discharge (rf and dc voltages were applied to the same electrodes): (1) a non-self-sustained rf discharge perturbed by a dc electric field, (2) a combined discharge and (3) a non-self-sustained dc discharge perturbed by an rf electric field. The existence conditions of these modes are determined. The parameter range in which the first mode of the combined discharge may be extinguished via increasing dc voltage is shown to be limited with an rf discharge extinction curve from the low pressure side as well as with a curve of the least rf voltage corresponding to the transition of the combined discharge from the first mode to the second one. The relation between the thicknesses of the 'cathode' and 'anode' near-electrode sheaths is derived analytically for the first mode, which is in good agreement with experimental data.