Modeling Of Energy-Band Diagram for Plasma-Metal Junction

Plasma based technologies find wide technological applications. The theory for electrical properties of plasma is well established, for different systems including simple dc discharges to complex fusion machines, using fluid model and statistical model. However, there are still several areas that are unexplored and one of such topics is plasma-material interaction. In present investigation we propose the concept of energy band diagram for plasma-metal junction analogous to the energy band diagram of P-N junction. The I-V characteristics of P-N junction diode and Schottky barrier diode are explained using well established energy band theory. In this work the concept of energy-band diagram for plasma-metal junction has been introduced and concentrates on how the I-V characteristics of plasma-metal junction vary for metals with different work functions. Using the proposed energy band diagram, I-V characteristics of plasma-metal junction obtained numerically. The I-V characteristics obtained using this concept of energy-band diagram of plasma-metal junction is consistent with theory and therefore this concept may have wide impact on laboratory plasmas and may provide a new method for higher accuracy for experimental measurements.