An experimental study for application of a gas-stream atmospheric pressure plasma device to surface modifications

In this work, an atmospheric pressure plasma device, which was constructed as a coaxial arrangement with a discharge electrode and a quartz tube of 6 mm in an inner diameter, was experimentally investigated. The plasma under the atmospheric pressure condition was formed into a noble gas (Ar) stream exposed to dielectric barrier discharges controlled by pulse high-voltage applications. The atmospheric pressure plasma streamed from the nozzle of the dielectric barrier discharge tube to room air. The plasma stream was evaluated by optical emission spectroscopic method and high-speed photographs. The plasma was analyzed as a plasma ballet travelling. In addition, the plasma was irradiated to a silicon substrate surface. From scanning electron microscope, the silicon substrate etching was observed as the asperity of a surface. Analysis of the results from an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and an electron probe micro analyzer indicates the structure-property modifications of silicon substrate surface. For analyzing the plasma generation and the plasma impact, this paper presents the electrical discharge characteristics, emission photographs of plasma bullets and the component distribution of silicon surface modification.