AC, RF or pulse excited microdischarge device and array
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsJ. Gary Eden, Ju Gao, Sung-o Kim
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Abstract
An AC, rf, or pulse-excited microdischarge device and array are provide by the invention. A preferred array includes a substrate. A plurality of microdischarge cavities that contain discharge medium are in the substrate. A transparent layer seals the discharge medium in the microdischarge cavites. Electrodes stimulate the discharge medium. The microdischarge cavities are physically isolated from the electrodes by dielectric and arranged relative to the electrodes such that ac, rf, or pulsed excitation applied to the electrodes stimulates plasma excitation of the discharge medium. The microdischarge cavities are sized to produce plasma within the microdischarge cavities.
Claims10
A microdischarge device, comprising:
- a substrate;
- at least one pair of electrodes;
- a microdischarge cavity in said substrate, said microdischarge cavity containing discharge medium and being physically isolated from said at least one pair of electrodes by dielectric and arranged relative to said at least one pair of electrodes such that ac, rf, or pulsed excitation applied to said pair of electrodes stimulates plasma excitation of said discharge medium, said microdischarge cavity being sized to produce plasma within the microdischarge cavity;
- and
- a transparent layer sealing the discharge medium in said microdischarge cavity.
A microdischarge array, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of microdischarge cavities in said substrate, said microdischarge cavities containing discharge medium;
- a transparent layer sealing the discharge medium in said microdischarge cavites;
- and
- electrodes for stimulating said discharge medium, wherein said microdischarge cavities are physically isolated from said electrodes by dielectric and arranged relative to said electrodes such that ac, rf, or pulsed excitation applied to said electrodes stimulates plasma excitation of said discharge medium, said microdischarge cavities being sized to produce plasma within the microdischarge cavities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.