Discharge physics and chemistry of a novel atmospheric pressure plasma source

Summary form only given, as follows. The atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is a unique plasma source operating at atmospheric pressure. The APPJ operates with RF power and produces a stable non-thermal discharge in capacitively-coupled configuration. The discharge is spatially and temporally homogeneous and provides a unique gas phase chemistry that is well suited for various applications including etching, film deposition, surface treatment and decontamination of chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents. A theoretical model shows electron densities of 0.2-2/spl times/10/sup 11/ cm/sup -3/ for a helium discharge at a power level of 3-30 W cm/sup -3/. The APPJ also produces a large flux, equivalent of up to 10000 monolayer s/sup -1/, of chemically-active, atomic and metastable molecular species which can impinge surfaces several cm downstream of the confined source. In addition, the efforts are in progress to measure the electron density using microwave diagnostics and to benchmark the gas phase chemical model by using LIF and titration.