Arrays of Addressable Microcavity Plasma Devices

Addressable microcavity plasma devices with two- or three-electrode, dielectric barrier designs have been fabricated in 20 $\times$ 20 or 50 $\times$ 50 device arrays in Si(100) and characterized in the rare gases. Each device comprises a metal/Si electrode structure, a dielectric stack, and an inverted square pyramid microcavity having an emitting aperture of $50 \times 50\ \mu\hbox{m}^{2}$ or $100 \times 100\ \mu\hbox{m}^{2}$. Arrays with filling factors of 11% and 25% [for $(100\ \mu\hbox{m})^{2}$ and $(50\ \mu\hbox{m})^{2}$ device arrays, respectively] and a crossed electrode (passive matrix) geometry exhibit operating voltages in Ne of $ \sim$220–300 V (RMS) when driven by a 20-kHz sinusoidal driving voltage. Displacement currents are $\sim$50% of those for previous Si microplasma device arrays, and when exciting the array with 100–140-V pulses, the rise time of the wavelength-integrated fluorescence is observed to be $<$ 600 ns for pure Ne or Ne/5%Xe gas mixtures at a pressure of 700 torr. A full address and sustain pulse sequence has also been demonstrated with a symmetrical three-electrode device structure.