Cold plasma generator in Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics

Plasmas are a unique form of matter, typically consisting of very hot, ionized gases interacting in a magnetic field. The unique properties of plasmas make them attractive for many different applications ranging from sterilization of equipment to plasma displays. Practical plasma devices need to be cost-effective, efficient, and not overly-bulky. Because of the typically high temperatures and low pressures requisite for the formation of most plasmas, to date, their widespread usage has been limited. Cold plasmas offer a potential solution to this problem. A cold-plasma generator is being developed in Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) to demonstrate the potential uses for such a device in miniature-sized applications. Such a device, using LTCC, can be made very small and integrated directly into other systems potentially on the same substrate. This project has attempted to design both an electronic driver system and a device geometry that could ring an internal channel with plasma. The base systems of both the driver and plasma device have been successfully prototyped, however further testing and research of both these projects is still ongoing.