Some Recent Topics of Non-equilibrium Discharge Plasma Technologies - Their Widespread Use from Low Pressure to Atmospheric Pressure

Non-equilibrium discharge plasmas have been utilized in a variety of fields and are indispensable to material processing, nanotechnologies and biotechnologies besides conventional applications such as light sources. In this review, neutral beam etching, advanced oxidation, protein removal, combustion control and volume, non-equilibrium discharge generation at atmospheric pressure are chosen and summarized as the recent, typical applications of the non-equilibrium discharge plasmas generated from low pressure to atmospheric pressure. A brief introduction of non-equilibrium discharge plasmas is also given, which serves comprehensive understanding of the physics and chemistry behind the technology.