# US 8,541,946 B2 · Variable electric field strength metal and metal oxide microplasma lamps and fabrication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,541,946 B2 - Document ID: US8541946B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/640,884 - Filed: 2009-12-17 - Published: 2011-06-23 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2009-12-17 - Assignees: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois - Applicants: J. Gary Eden; Sung-Jin Park; Jason D. Readle; Jekwon Yoon; Andrew Price; Jeffrey Putney - Inventors: J. Gary Eden; Sung-Jin Park; Jason D. Readle; Jekwon Yoon; Andrew Price; Jeffrey Putney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541946B2 ## CPC - H01J 17/49: Display panels, e.g. with crossed electrodes {, e.g. making use of direct current (display panels making use of alternating current H01J11/00)} - H01J 17/16: Vessels; Containers - H01J 65/046: {the field being produced by using capacitive means around the vessel} - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract Preferred embodiments of the invention provide microcavity plasma lamps having a plurality of metal and metal oxide layers defining a plurality of arrays of microcavities and encapsulated thin metal electrodes. Packaging encloses the plurality of metal and metal oxide layers in plasma medium. The metal and metal oxide layers are configured and arranged to vary the electric field strength and total gas pressure (E/p) in the lamp. The invention also provides methods of manufacturing a microcavity plasma lamp that simultaneously evacuate the volume within the packaging and a volume surrounding the packaging to maintain an insignificant or zero pressure differential across the packaging. The packaging is backfilled with a plasma medium while also maintaining an insignificant or zero pressure differential across the packaging. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microcavity plasma lamp, comprising: a first metal and metal oxide layer defining a first array of microcavities and an oxide encapsulated first thin metal electrode; a second metal and metal oxide layer defining a second array of microcavities and an oxide encapsulated second thin metal electrode, said second metal and metal oxide layer being separated from said first metal and metal oxide layer such that there is no direct physical contact between first and second metal and metal oxide layers; a packaging containing said first and second metal and metal oxide layers; and plasma medium contained within said packaging; wherein said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are configured and arranged to create a varying ratio of electric field strength and total gas pressure (E/p) between the first and second metal and metal oxide layers (where E is the electric field strength and p is the total gas pressure). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, wherein said first array of microcavities and said second array of microcavities are aligned. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, wherein said first array of microcavities and said second array of microcavities are offset. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, further comprising a transparent electrode on an external surface of said packaging. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, further comprising a encapsulated metal electrode formed as part of said packaging layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, further comprising phosphor on an internal surface of said packaging. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, wherein said packaging is transparent on front and back sides of said array and said array produces emissions from the front and back sides. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, wherein said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are suspended with a gap between them and said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are arranged such that said first array of microcavities and said second array of microcavities are offset. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, wherein said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are encapsulated with additional dielectric. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, wherein said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are extruded. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The lamp of claim 1, wherein said first array of microcavities has a different spacing than said second array of microcavities. ### Claim 12 A microcavity plasma lamp, comprising: a first metal and metal oxide layer defining a first array of microcavities and an oxide encapsulated first thin metal electrode; a second metal and metal oxide layer defining a second array of microcavities and an oxide encapsulated second thin metal electrode, said second metal and metal oxide layer being separated from said first metal and metal oxide layer; a packaging containing said first and second metal and metal oxide layers; and plasma medium contained within said packaging; wherein said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are configured and arranged to create a varying ratio of electric field strength and total gas pressure (E/p) between the first and second metal and metal oxide layers (where E is the electric field strength and p is the total gas pressure), further comprising a power source, wherein said first and second metal electrodes are driven by said power source, and further comprising a non-driven spacer layer of metal and metal oxide not electrically connected to any power source and containing a third array of microcavities between said first and second thin metal oxide layers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The lamp of claim 12, comprising additional non-driven spacer layers of metal and metal oxide containing additional pluralities of microcavities between said packaging layer and said first and second thin metal oxide layers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The lamp of claim 13, wherein said first, second, third and additional array of microcavities are aligned. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The lamp of claim 12, wherein said first, second, and third array of microcavities are aligned. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The lamp of claim 15, further comprising separate phosphors on an internal surface of said packaging and aligned with separate columns of microcavities of said first, second and third array of microcavities. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The lamp of claim 16, wherein said separate phosphors are screen printed on the internal surface of said packaging. ### Claim 18 A microcavity plasma lamp, comprising: a first metal and metal oxide layer defining an array of microcavities and an oxide encapsulated first thin metal electrode; a second metal and metal oxide layer defining an array of microcavities and an oxide encapsulated second thin metal electrode; a packaging containing said first and second metal and metal oxide layers; and plasma medium contained within said packaging; wherein said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are configured and arranged to create a varying ratio of electric field strength and total gas pressure (E/p) in the lamp (where E is the electric field strength and p is the total gas pressure), wherein said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are suspended with a gap between at least one of said first and second metal oxide layers and said packaging. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The lamp of claim 18, wherein said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are suspended from ends of said first and second metal oxide layers. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The lamp of claim 9, wherein said additional dielectric comprises glass. ### Claim 21 A microcavity plasma lamp, comprising: a first metal and metal oxide layer defining a first array of microcavities and an oxide encapsulated first thin metal electrode; a second metal and metal oxide layer defining a second array of microcavities and an oxide encapsulated second thin metal electrode, said second metal and metal oxide layer being separated from said first metal and metal oxide layer; a packaging containing said first and second metal and metal oxide layers; and plasma medium contained within said packaging; wherein said first and second metal and metal oxide layers are configured and arranged to create a varying ratio of electric field strength and total gas pressure (E/p) between the first and second metal and metal oxide layers (where E is the electric field strength and p is the total gas pressure), further comprising a power source and a non-driven spacer metal and metal oxide layer separating said first and second metal and metal oxide layers, wherein said first and second metal electrodes are driven by said power source and said non-driven spacer metal and metal oxide layer is not electrically connected to any power source. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The lamp of claim 21, wherein said non-driven spacer metal and metal oxide layer defines a third array of microcavities. ### Claim 23 A microcavity plasma lamp comprising a plurality of metal and metal oxide layers defining a plurality of arrays of microcavities and encapsulated thin metal electrodes contained within packaging enclosing a plasma medium and being separated from each other such that there is no direct physical contact between each other and configured and arranged with respect to each other and said packaging medium to create areas having different ratios of electric field strength and total gas pressure (E/p) between adjacent ones of said plurality of metal and metal oxide layers when said thin metal electrodes are driven with a time varying voltage. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The lamp of claim 23, comprising gaps between said plurality of metal and metal oxide layers. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The lamp of claim 23, comprising additional non-driven space metal and metal oxide layers between said plurality of metal and metal oxide layers. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The lamp of claim 23, wherein said plurality of metal and metal oxide layers are extruded. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The lamp of claim 23, wherein said plurality of metal and metal oxide layers are encapsulated with additional dielectric. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The lamp of claim 27, wherein said additional dielectric comprises glass. ### Claim 29 A microcavity plasma lamp comprising: a plurality of metal and metal oxide layers defining a plurality of arrays of microcavities and encapsulated thin metal electrodes and being separated from each other such that there is no direct physical contact between each other; packaging that packages said plurality of metal and metal oxide layers; and means for varying a ratio of electric field strength and total gas pressure (E/p) between adjacent ones of said plurality of metal and metal oxide layers. ### Claim 30 A method for manufacturing a microcavity plasma lamp, the method comprising: providing a plurality of metal and metal oxide layers defining a plurality of arrays of microcavities and encapsulated thin metal electrodes in packaging; enclosing the packaging between sealed plates; simultaneously evacuating the volume within the packaging and a volume surrounding the packaging to maintain an insignificant or zero pressure differential across the packaging; and backfilling the packaging with a plasma medium while maintaining an insignificant or zero pressure differential across the packaging.