Method and apparatus for glow discharges with liquid microelectrodes

Glow discharge apparatus having a liquid microelectrode comprising:

• (a) a substrate having a top surface, a cathode reservoir and an anode reservoir formed therein, a cathode channel extending from the cathode reservoir to a cathode terminal port for holding a liquid therein and an anode channel extending from the anode reservoir to an anode terminal port for holding a liquid therein that is spaced from the cathode terminal port by an inter-electrode gap, the substrate being electrically insulating between the anode reservoir, channel and terminal port and the cathode reservoir, channel and terminal port;
• and
• (b) an anode electrical conductor extending into the anode channel to make electrical contact with liquid held therein and a cathode electrical conductor extending into the cathode channel to make electrical contact with liquid held therein.

Glow discharge apparatus having a liquid microelectrode comprising:

• (a) a substrate, a cathode electrode and an anode electrode formed thereon, the cathode electrode including a cathode reservoir and a cathode channel extending from the cathode reservoir to a cathode terminal port for holding a liquid therein that is spaced from the anode electrode by an inter-electrode gap, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode being electrically insulated from each other;
• and
• (b) an anode electrical conductor electrically connected to the anode electrode and a cathode electrical conductor electrically connected to the cathode electrode.

A method of generating glow discharges with a liquid microelectrode comprising:

• (a) providing a substrate with a cathode electrode and an anode electrode formed thereon, the cathode electrode including a cathode terminal port that is spaced from the anode electrode by an inter-electrode gap, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode being electrically insulated from each other, and providing a liquid in the cathode terminal port;
• and
• (b) applying a voltage between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode sufficient to generate a glow discharge in the inter-electrode gap and to sputter liquid contained in the cathode terminal port into the glow discharge to excite the liquid and any constituents therein to provide light emissions indicative of the liquid and its constituents.