Arrays of microplasma devices fabricated in photodefinable glass and excited AC or DC by interdigitated electrodes

Arrays of microplasma devices, fabricated in a photodefinable glass and driven ac or dc by interdigitated electrodes outside the microcavities, have been fabricated and characterized. Operating in the abnormal glow mode for Ne pressures between 200 and 700 Torr and having characteristic cross-sectional dimensions of 75-100 μm, the devices are well behaved and arrays as large as 25×25 pixels have been tested to date. Focused on ease of assembly and minimizing cost, the design of these arrays makes them attractive for structures having emitting areas of hundreds of square centimeters.