Materials Studies of GHZ Split-Ring Resonator Plasma Generators

Microwave-driven microplasmas have generated interest since they offer many favorable qualities such as the ability to produce high-electron densities while causing little sputtering damage1. Such interest has led to studies of breakdown mechanisms at high-frequencies and small gap sizes
^2-3
. Of particular interest for our work is the generation of microplasmas using microwave resonators since they allow high-electric fields with low power input. A missing aspect of the current literature is the comparative study of the influence of different materials on breakdown and resonator performance. By using different materials it may be possible, for instance, to help elucidate the importance of various breakdown mechanisms. For our materials studies we utilize screen-printed, split-ring resonators (SRRs) for the generation of plasma. The SRRs are fabricated out of both gold and silver. These materials differ in conductivity, work function, and chemical reactivity.