The generation and application of micro discharge plasmas

Summary form only given. The dielectric barrier discharge lamp has been developed and commercially supplied as a tunable UV light source. However, a high-voltage (over several tens of kilovolts) is required to drive the device. We have attempted to reduce the driving voltages without reducing the light intensity by using new types of micro discharge plasmas, such as, micro-hollow cathode discharge (MHCD) and surface plasma produced by a ferroelectric electron emission (FEE). These plasmas can be driven with a relatively low voltage pulses at atmospheric pressure. We have studied how to generate and operate these micro discharge plasmas as UV excimer light sources.