Influence of the electrode-size effects on plasma sheath expansion is investigated for a negative voltage at the cathode with maximum amplitude of V0, assuming that the cathode is a thin, flat, conducting, circular disk of radius R. It is shown that propagation of the sheath front is proportional to the one-third power of the combination, 2V0R/π. Experimental measurements have been carried out to verify theoretical predictions. The experimental data agree remarkably well with theoretical results in every aspect. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

ttp://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1311318