Proof of operation of a micro-hollow cathode discharge driven by a true ns–pulsed high voltage: emission properties and atomic nitrogen production

The implementation of Micro-Hollow Cathode Discharges (MHCDs) for the efficient and controlled dissociation of molecular nitrogen into reactive N-atoms remains a central challenge in the synthesis of strategic materials such as hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Traditional MHCDs driven with DC high voltages (HV) can generate N-atoms under low-to-moderate gas pressures. However, they are prone to intrinsic instabilities that eventually induce arcing, increase thermal load and limit significantly their lifetimes. In this work we aim to enhance N2 dissociation efficiency in an Ar/N2 MHCD driven by a true nanosecond (ns) pulsed positive HV which has not been yet considered in MHCDs. A testbed reactor is employed to investigate microplasma behavior under ns-pulsed operation, which is then compared to a conventional DC MHCD. Specifically, we combined optical emission and ns-TALIF diagnostics under suitable operating conditions of each HV regime comprising different gas mixtures, pressures, and electrical parameters. These measurements allowed for the identification of key excited species and mapping of ground-state N-atoms absolute density in the low-pressure chamber of the MHCD reactor. It is demonstrated that ns-pulsed excitation produces a more symmetric discharge expansion on the cathodic surface compared to a standard DC excitation, while generating similar nature of emissive species and consuming up to 2 orders of magnitude lower average power depending on the operating frequency and voltage. Importantly, up to 6-fold enhancement in absolute N-atoms density (maximum value measured: 1.14×10 15 cm -3 ) is achieved with the ns-pulsed MHCD making it very promising for h-BN synthesis.