Low-Voltage Switchable Microplasma Arrays Generated Using Microwave Resonators

Microplasmas are generated at atmospheric pressure using an array of microstrip resonators and controlled by diode switches. These microplasmas are sustained by continuous microwave power, but can be individually switched on and off by applying ${+}2/{-}5$ VDC to the diodes. Each diode allows the capacitance between the resonator and reference electrode to be switched in or out of the circuit, shifting the resonant frequency and modulating power delivered to the microplasma. We present models of the resonator circuit including plasma loading and demonstrate the circuit\´s efficacy for the addressable control of microplasmas in a five-resonator array.