Microplasma devices excited by interdigitated electrodes
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsJ. Eden, Sung-O Kim
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Abstract
A method for fabricating microplasma discharge devices and arrays. The method employs techniques drawn from semiconductor device fabrication, such as chemical processing and photolithography, to produce arrays of devices inexpensively. An interdigitated electrode array is deposited on a first substrate. Cavities are formed in a second substrate by laser micromachining, etching, or by chemical (wet or dry) etching and the second substrate is overlaid on the electrode array. The inter-electrode spacing and electrode width are set so that each cavity has at least one pair of electrodes underneath it to excite a microplasma discharge in the cavity. The need to precisely register the two substrates is thus avoided.
Claims14
A device comprising:
- a. a first substrate;
- b. a plurality of electrodes formed on the first substrate;
- and
- c. a second substrate including a plurality of cavities, the second substrate situated above the electrodes,
- such that the electrodes are configured to excite a microplasma discharge in each cavity.
A method for manufacturing a microplasma device comprising:
- a. providing a first substrate;
- b. forming a plurality of electrodes on the first substrate and
- c. forming a plurality of cavities in a second substrate and placing the second substrate on the plurality of electrodes,
- such that the electrodes are configured to excite a microplasma discharge in each cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.