STTR Phase I: Fabrication of Large-Area, High-Density Microdischarge Arrays on Flexible Substrates

这个小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目建议开发一种在柔性基板上制造大面积、高密度微放电阵列的技术。微放电装置是一种光子发射器和探测器，其中弱电离等离子体被限制在通常小于200微米的空间尺寸内。微放电装置和阵列能够在大气压下连续工作，等离子体的特定功率负载为每立方厘米几十千瓦。在拟议的项目中，为了评估微充电器件在这些应用中的全部潜力，它们将以更高的密度在大型柔性基板上制造（与之前在实验室中演示的小型阵列相比）。大面积的沉积、图案化、气体填充和层压加工技术将得到发展。此外，将探讨上述步骤的卷对卷加工技术，这对批量应用特别有吸引力。在商业上，一项新技术的发展，使制造大面积、高密度微放电阵列成为可能，这将使各种各样的设备，包括用于许多商业应用的柔性片光源，包括化学传感器、微显示器和大面积发射源。此外，如果微放电像素是可单独寻址的，将有可能开发出柔性等离子显示面板（PDP）。最后，通过使用卷对卷加工，这种装置可以经济地大批量生产。这种设备将是理想的照明应用，便携性，一致性，坚固性和低成本的要求。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project proposes to develop atechnique for the fabrication of large-area, high-density microdischarge arrays on flexible substrates. Microdischarge devices are a type of photonic emitter and detector in which a weakly ionized plasma is confined to spatial dimensions typically less than 200 microns. Microdischarge devices and arrays have the ability to operate continuously at atmospheric pressures with specific power loadings of the plasma of several tens of kW per cubic centimeter. In the proposed project, in order to evaluate the full potential of microdicharge devices for these applications they will be fabricated in higher densities on large, flexible substrates (as compared to the small arrays that have been previously demonstrated in the laboratory). Large-area processing techniques for deposition, patterning, gas filling, and lamination will be developed. In addition roll-to-roll processing techniques for the above mentioned steps, which is especially attractive for volume applications will be explored.Commercially, the development of a new technology to enable the fabrication of large-area, highdensity microdischarge arrays would enable the construction of a wide variety of devices, including flexible sheet light sources for numerous commercial applications including chemical sensors, microdisplays, and large area emission sources. Further, if the microdischarge pixels are made to be individually addressable, it will be possible to develop a flexible plasma display panel (PDP). Finally, through the use of roll-to-roll processing, such devices could be manufactured economically in high volumes. Such devices would be ideal for lighting applications where portability, conformability, ruggedness, and low cost are required.