Microcavity Plasma Devices and Arrays Fabricated by Plastic-Based Replica Molding

The fabrication of lightweight and optically transparent arrays of microplasma devices having microcavities fabricated by a polymer-based replica molding process is reported. This process enables arrays of microcavity plasma devices and connecting channels with feature sizes as small as 20 mum to be produced inexpensively and precisely over surface areas of at least tens of square centimeters. Devices having transparent electrodes and substrates (including glass and flexible plastic) have been operated successfully at rare gas pressures up to 700 torr. Individual microplasma pixels with cross-sectional dimensions of 200times200 mum² and 50times50 mum², as well as plasma channels having widths of 20 and 150 and aspect ratios (channel length:width) as large as 10⁴:1, have been fabricated and tested. Representative voltage-current data for these structures and lifetime measurements for a 20times20 pixel array are presented.