The invention is in the field of microcavity plasma devices, also known as microdischarge devices or microplasma devices.
Microcavity plasma devices have several distinct advantages over conventional discharges. The small physical dimensions of microcavity plasma devices allows them to operate at pressures much higher than those accessible to conventional, macroscopic discharges. When the diameter of a cylindrical microcavity plasma device is, for example, on the order of 200-300 μm or less, the device will operate at pressures as high as atmospheric pressure and beyond. In contrast, standard fluorescent lamps, for example, operate at pressures typically less than 1% of atmospheric pressure. Microcavity plasma devices may be operated with different discharge media (gases or vapors or a mixture thereof) to offer output in the visible and nonvisible (ultraviolet, vacuum ultraviolet, and infrared, for example) wavelength ranges. Microcavity plasma devices are able to produce light more efficiently than other conventional discharge systems and do so on the microscopic scale.
Microcavity plasma devices developed over the past decade have been demonstrated to be well-suited for a wide variety of applications. An exemplary application for a microcavity plasma device array is to a display. Since the diameter of single cylindrical microcavity plasma devices, for example, is typically less than 400-500 μm, devices or groups of devices offer a spatial resolution that is desirable for a pixel in a display. In addition, the efficiency of a microcavity plasma device exceeds that of a conventional plasma display panel, such as those used in high definition televisions.
Early microcavity plasma devices exhibited short lifetimes because of sputtering that damaged metal electrodes used in the early, DC-driven devices. Polycrystalline silicon and tungsten electrodes extend lifetime but are higher cost materials and difficult to fabricate with present techniques.
Research by the present inventors and colleagues at the University of Illinois has pioneered and advanced the state of microdischarge devices. This development has led to practical devices including one or more important features and structures. For example, microcavity plasma devices can be operated continuously at gas pressures beyond one atmosphere at power loadings exceeding 100 kW/cm3. The ability to interface plasma in the gas or vapor phase with an e-h+ plasma in semiconductor devices has been demonstrated. MEMs and semiconductor processes have been applied to the fabrication of devices and arrays.
This research by present inventors and colleagues at the University of Illinois has resulted in exemplary practical devices. For example, semiconductor fabrication processes have produced exemplary densely-packed arrays of uniform microcavity plasma devices. An example array fabricated in silicon has demonstrated 250,000 discharge devices in a 25 cm2 active area. It has been demonstrated that the arrays can be used to excite phosphors in a manner analogous to plasma display panels, but at luminous efficacy levels that are not achievable with conventional plasma display panels. Another important device is a microcavity plasma photodetector that exhibits high sensitivity. Phase locking of microcavity plasma devices has also been demonstrated. Devices have been fabricated in ceramic material systems.
The following U.S. patents and patent applications describe microcavity plasma devices resulting from these research efforts. Published Applications: 20050148270—Microdischarge devices and arrays; 20040160162—Microdischarge devices and arrays; 20040100194—Microdischarge photodetectors; 20030132693—Microdischarge devices and arrays having tapered microcavities; U.S. Pat. No. 6,867,548—Microdischarge devices and arrays; U.S. Pat. No. 6,828,730—Microdischarge photodetectors; U.S. Pat. No. 6,815,891—Method and apparatus for exciting a microdischarge; U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,664—Microdischarge devices and arrays; U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,257—Multilayer ceramic microdischarge device; U.S. Pat. No. 6,541,915—High pressure arc lamp assisted start up device and method; U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,833—Microdischarge lamp and array; U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,384—Microdischarge lamp formation process; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,027—Microdischarge lamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,541,915 discloses arrays of microcavity plasma devices in which the individual devices are fabricated in an assembly that is machined from materials including ceramics. Metallic electrodes are exposed to the plasma medium which is generated within a microcavity and between the electrodes. U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,833 also discloses arrays of microcavity plasma devices, including arrays for which the substrate is ceramic and a silicon or metal film is formed on it. Electrodes formed at the tops and bottoms of cavities, as well as the silicon, ceramic or glass microcavities themselves, contact the plasma medium. U.S. Published Patent Application 2003/0230983 discloses microcavity plasma devices produced in low temperature ceramic structures. The stacked ceramic layers are arranged and micromachined so as to form cavities and intervening conductor layers excite the plasma medium. U.S. Published Patent Application 2002/0036461 discloses hollow cathode plasma devices in which electrodes contact the plasma/discharge medium.
Additional exemplary microcavity plasma devices are disclosed in U.S. Published Patent Application 2005/0269953, entitled “Phase Locked Microdischarge Array and AC, RF, or Pulse Excited Microdischarge”; U.S. Published Patent Application no. 2006/0038490, entitled “Microplasma Devices Excited by Interdigitated Electrodes;” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/958,174, filed on Oct. 4, 2004, entitled “Microdischarge Devices with Encapsulated Electrodes,”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/958,175, filed on Oct. 4, 2004, entitled “Metal/Dielectric Multilayer Microdischarge Devices and Arrays”; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/042,228, entitled “AC-Excited Microcavity Discharge Device and Method.”
The invention concerns microcavity plasma devices and arrays with thin foil metal electrodes protected by metal oxide dielectric. Devices of the invention are amenable to mass production techniques, and may, for example, be fabricated by roll to roll processing. Exemplary devices of the invention are flexible. Embodiments of the invention provide for large arrays of microcavity plasma devices that can be made inexpensively.
The structure and materials of preferred embodiment microcavity plasma devices of the invention allow for arrays of arbitrary large size to be realized. Devices of the invention are based upon thin foils of metal that are available or can be produced in arbitrary lengths, such as on rolls. In a device of the invention, a metal foil with a pattern of microcavities defines an electrode pattern. Oxide on the surface of the foil and within the microcavities encapsulates the foil. The oxide protects the foil from the plasma during device operation and largely confines the plasma to the microcavities.
A second metal foil is also encapsulated with oxide and is bonded to the first encapsulated foil. For preferred embodiment microcavity plasma device arrays of the invention, no particular alignment is necessary during bonding of the two encapsulated foils. A thin glass layer, for example, is able to vacuum seal the array.
In a formation method of the invention, a pattern of microcavities is produced in a first metal foil. Oxide is subsequently grown on the foil, including on the inside walls of the microcavities (where plasma is to be produced). The oxide protects the microcavity and electrically isolates the foil. A second encapsulated metal foil is then bonded to the second metal foil and the entire array can be produced by roll-to-roll processing.
The invention concerns microcavity plasma devices and arrays of devices in which thin foil metal electrodes are protected by a metal oxide dielectric. Devices of the invention are amenable to mass production techniques, and may, for example, be fabricated by roll to roll processing. Exemplary devices of the invention are flexible. Embodiments of the invention provide for large arrays of microcavity plasma devices that can be made inexpensively.
The structure of preferred embodiment microcavity plasma devices of the invention is based upon thin foils of metal that are available or can be produced in arbitrary lengths, such as on rolls. In a device of the invention, a pattern of microcavities is produced in a metal foil. Oxide is subsequently grown on the foil, including within the microcavities, to define oxide encapsulated microcavities (in which the plasma is to be produced). The oxide protects the microcavity and electrically isolates the foil, which forms a first electrode.
A second metal foil, without microcavities in a preferred embodiment, is also encapsulated with oxide and is bonded to the first encapsulated foil. The second metal foil forms a second electrode. For preferred embodiment microcavity plasma device arrays of the invention, no particular alignment is necessary during bonding of the two encapsulated foils. A thin glass layer, for example, is able to seal the completed array.
In a preferred embodiment method of making a microcavity plasma array, two foils of Al, both of which are encapsulated with Al2O3, are bonded to one another. Only one of the two encapsulated foils has microcavities (with a characteristic dimension d on the micron scale). For a cylindrical microcavity, for example, the characteristic dimension would be its diameter. These microcavities can assume a wide variety of shapes and may or may not extend completely through the encapsulated metal foil. Experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the invention with diamond-shaped and cylindrical microcavities. High densities of microcavity plasma devices are possible, and an exemplary experimental “filling factor” (ratio of the array's radiating area to the overall area) of extraordinary levels (>80%) have been achieved. The shape (cross-sectional geometry and depth) of the microcavity, as well as the identity of the gas or vapor in the microcavity, determine the plasma configuration and the radiative efficiency for a specific atomic or molecular emitter. Overall thickness of exemplary microplasma array structures of the invention can be, for example, 200 μm or less, making it very flexible and inexpensive.
In example embodiment microcavity plasma device arrays of the invention, two electrodes simultaneously excite all microcavity plasma devices in the array. The second electrode can be a simple foil electrode, and there is no need to precisely align this electrode with the first electrode during fabrication. In other example embodiment microcavity plasma device arrays of the invention, a plurality of second electrode foils are matched with different sections of a larger first electrode having a plurality of microcavities. In this way, excitation of separate sections of the microplasma device array is realized. Depending upon the size of the second electrode foils and the spacing between the second electrode foils, alignment considerations during manufacturing can also be permissive.
Other embodiments of the invention provide independent addressing of microcavity plasma devices in an array. For example, electrode lines can be formed in both a first screen electrode and a second foil electrode by selective oxidation with simple masking or photolithographic methods. After the selective oxidation, a second oxidation to encapsulate the electrode is performed, thereby sealing the electrode.
Preferred embodiments will now be discussed with respect to the drawings. The drawings include schematic figures that are not to scale, which will be fully understood by skilled artisans with reference to the accompanying description. Features may be exaggerated for purposes of illustration. From the preferred embodiments, artisans will recognize broader aspects of the invention.
The nominal depth of the microcavities 12 approximates the thickness of the first electrode 16, although it is not necessary for the microcavities to extend through the metal foil 16. A second electrode 18 can be a solid thin conductive foil. The second electrode 18 is also encapsulated in oxide 19. A discharge medium (gas, vapor, or a combination thereof) is contained in the microcavities. The array 10 can be sealed by any suitable material, which can be completely transparent to emission wavelengths produced by the microplasmas or can, for example, filter the output wavelengths of the microcavity plasma device array 10 so as to transmit radiation only in specific spectral regions.
It is within each microcavity 12 that a plasma (discharge) will be formed. The first and second electrodes 16, 18 are spaced apart a distance from the microcavities 12 by at least the respective thicknesses of their oxide layers. The oxide thereby isolates the first and second electrodes 16, 18 from the discharge medium (plasma) contained in the microcavities 12. This arrangement permits the application of a time-varying (AC, RF, bipolar or pulsed DC, etc.) potential between the electrodes 16, 18 to excite the gaseous or vapor medium to create a microplasma in each microcavity 12.
Representative conductive materials for the electrodes 16, 18 and the oxides 15, 19 include metal/metal oxide materials, e.g., Al/Al2O3. Another exemplary metal/metal oxide material system is Ti/TiO2. Other conductive material/oxide material systems will be apparent to artisans. Preferred materials systems permit the formation of microcavity plasma device arrays of the invention by inexpensive, mass production techniques, such as roll to roll processing.
A preferred method of manufacturing is roll-to-roll processing. In the preferred method, the first electrode 16 is pre-formed with microcavities having the desired cross-sectional geometry. Suitable metal foils, e.g. Al foils, with microcavities in the form of through holes of various cross-sectional geometries are also available commercially, as they find use, for example, in the battery industry. A pre-formed screen-like metal foil, e.g. Al, with microcavities and encapsulated with oxide defines an electrode pattern, and can be bonded to another oxide encapsulated metal foil, e.g. Al. The second foil can be a solid foil. In the preferred method of manufacturing, no precise alignment is necessary between the two metal foils during the bonding process. Accordingly, the oxide encapsulated foils that form the first electrode 16 and the second electrode 18 in the completed device can be bonded together without any alignment concerns. Roll-to-roll processing can be used. Although it is possible to fabricate microcavities in Al2O3 covered Al foil (see, e.g., U.S. application Ser. No. 10/958,174, filed Oct. 4, 2004 entitled “Microdischarge Devices with Encapsulated Electrodes,” and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/958,175, filed Oct. 4, 2004 entitled “Metal/Dielectric Multilayer Microdischarge Devices and Arrays,” both of which are incorporated by reference herein), it is preferable to provide Al (or other conductive thin foil material) with microcavities already present and then encapsulate the conductive thin foil with oxide to form an oxide encapsulated electrode with an array of encapsulated microcavities. Providing a conductive thin foil with microcavities includes either fabricating the cavities in conductive foil by any of a variety of processes (laser ablation, chemical etching, etc.) or obtaining a conductive thin foil with pre-fabricated microcavities from a supplier. A wide variety of microcavity shapes (cross-sectional geometries) can be formed in conductive foils.
Prototype devices in accordance with the array 10 of
Optical micrographs of an exemplary array operating in Ne gas at a pressure of 400 Torr showed the thickness of the Al2O3 film on the first electrode 16 was 10 μm and that on the second electrode 18 was also 10 μm. The micrograph was obtained with a CCD camera and an optical telescope looking down onto the array with electrode one on top. As observed in the microphotograph, the diamond shaped microcavities have a length (tip to tip) of 500 μm and a width of 250 μm and, for these operating conditions, the plasma is observed to reside near the center of each microcavity. The structure of the microplasma arrays of this embodiment lead to a strong axial electric field (axial denotes the direction orthogonal to the plane of the microcavity “diamond” opening, and at the center of the “diamond”).
An experimental device in accordance with
Arrays of the invention have many applications. One application for an array, for example, is as the light source (backlight unit) for a liquid crystal display panel. Embodiments of the invention provide a lightweight, thin and distributed source of light that is preferable to the current practice of using a fluorescent lamp. Distributing the light from the lamp in a uniform manner over the entire display requires sophisticated optics. Arrays of the invention also have application, for example, in sensing and detection equipment, such as chromatography devices, and phototherapeutic treatments (including photodynamic therapy). The latter include the treatment of psoriasis which requires ultraviolet light at ˜308 nm, actinic keratosis and Bowen's disease or basal cell carcinoma. Inexpensive arrays sealed in glass or plastic now provide the opportunity for patients to be treated in a nonclinical setting (i.e., at home) and for disposal of the array following the completion of treatment. These arrays are also well-suited for the photocuring of polymers which requires ultraviolet radiation.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that other modifications, substitutions and alternatives are apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such modifications, substitutions and alternatives can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which should be determined from the appended claims.
Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from provisional application Ser. 60/699,475, filed Jul. 15, 2005, is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 from U.S. application Ser. No. 10/958,174, filed Oct. 4, 2004, and is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority under U.S.C. §120 of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/958,175, filed Oct. 4, 2004 entitled “Metal/Dielectric Multilayer Microdischarge Devices and Arrays”.
This invention was made with Government assistance under U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research grant No. F49620-03-1-0391. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60699475 | Jul 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 10958174 | Oct 2004 | US |
Child | 11487949 | Jul 2006 | US |
Parent | 10958175 | Oct 2004 | US |
Child | 11487949 | Jul 2006 | US |