Measurement of breakdown voltage of ArCH₄ gas for surface treatment application using technology of plasma glow discharge

Surface treatment activity for material using technology of plasma glow discharge can be realization through of breakdown voltage condition. Breakdown voltage it self mean as a condition when characteristic gas turn into conductor from isolator. It means with continuously increasing voltage then phenomenon of plasma will occur marked by the glow. Paschen curve for ArCH₄ gas become important to be known because can be a reference when operating plasma glow discharge machine for surface treatment activity. This is due to the breakdown voltage value for each gas is different. Determination of Paschen curve was carried out using Matlab program. The experiment was done with ArCH₄ gas to gather information of breakdown voltage gas at gas pressure and sure distance between the electrode. This data is used as an input on Matlab program, then the output is Paschen curve with more variable range than the data from experiment and it also can be used become a reference for doing surface treatment activity into some material using ArCH₄ gas. (author)