High-speed low-cost surface treatments using a novel atmospheric-pressure plasma source

The surface properties of materials used commercially are often more important to their function and marketability than their bulk properties and are determined by an extremely thin region that can be as small as a few atomic diameters. Plasma surface treatment is usually fast, affects about 10 nanometers of the very surface layer, and have many potential benefits including minimal waste and control of surface functionality. New plasma applications are continuously emerging in the vastly growing area of nanotechnology. In a contrast to common plasma applications for surface modifications of high-added value materials for microelectronics, medicine, etc. a novel type of atmospheric plasma source developed at CEPLANT research centre (www.ceplant.cz) makes possible low-cost inline treatment of a wide scale of standard flat and web materials. Advantageously in comparison to competitive plasma techniques this plasma source is capable of generating visually uniform “cold” high power-density diffuse plasmas in any working gas, including ambient air, pure atmospheric-pressure oxygen and hydrogen, without the use of expensive He or Ar. Very high plasma power densities achieved (~100 W/cm³) allows for short plasma exposure times on the order of 0.1 s and, consequently, high treatment speeds [1, 2]. The plasma source is technically simple, safe at the contact with human body and can be operated in humid and dusty environment.atomic diameters.