System and method for surface decontamination using electromagnetic surface waves

A method of decontaminating a surface, comprising:

• providing the surface to propagate electromagnetic surface waves having a frequency in the microwave spectrum between 1 GHz and 1000 GHz;
• wherein the surface includes a surface-wave medium for confining the electromagnetic surface waves to the surface, the surface-wave medium including a conductive ground plane, a dielectric on the ground plane, and a metallic pattern on the dielectric for increasing an inductive reactance of the surface-wave medium;
• transmitting electromagnetic surface waves onto the surface from a surface-wave coupler coupled to the surface for destroying, removing, or neutralizing chemical or biological surface contaminants;
• and
• destroying, removing, or neutralizing the surface contaminants using a plasma created by the electromagnetic surface waves or through absorption of the electromagnetic surface waves.

A process for decontaminating a surface comprising:

• modifying the surface prior to contamination by laminating a surface-wave medium to the surface, the surface-wave medium including a conductive ground plane, a dielectric on the ground plane, and a metallic pattern on the dielectric for increasing an inductive reactance of the surface-wave medium;
• coupling a surface-wave coupler to the surface;
• and
• transmitting electromagnetic surface waves from the surface-wave coupler to the surface to decontaminate the surface.