SBIR Phase I: Atmospheric Pressure Microplasma Emission Spectrometer

该SBIR第一阶段提案将开发一种微型大气压等离子体光谱仪，该光谱仪使用产生高度受限的高密度放电（kW/cm 3）的源。该源将基于高频环形谐振器结构，并将利用低成本的广泛可用的IC功率放大器和驱动器，在中等批量生产（$50）中将具有极低的成本，并将消耗2 W的射频功率，从而允许便携式操作。这种放电的紧凑尺寸应该允许直接耦合到光纤光谱仪，并产生强烈的光发射。这种创新的光源将被整合，形成新一代高度便携和低成本的等离子体发射光谱仪，其工作原理类似于10万美元的3- 5 kW功耗台式装置，但成本、尺寸和便携性要低得多。该计划将大大增加科学知识基础，并导致对这些高功率密度，小型和高度非平衡等离子体的物理和工程的基本理解。这里开发的源技术将使各种化学和气体分析技术小型化。该技术通过大幅降低分析设备的成本（10- 100倍）、外形尺寸（100倍）和便携性，将为工业环境中的客户提供经济效益，提高工人和工作场所的安全性，并允许更广泛的环境监测。

This SBIR Phase I proposal will develop a miniature atmospheric pressure plasma spectrometer using a source which generates a highly confined, high-density discharge (kW/cm3). The source would be based on a high frequency ring resonator structure and would utilize low cost widely available IC power amplifiers and drivers, would have extremely low cost in moderate volume production ($50), and would consume 2 W rf power, allowing for portable operation. The compact size of this discharge should allow straightforward coupling to fiber optic spectrometers, and intense optical emission. This innovative source will integrated to form new generation of highly portable and low cost plasma emission spectrometers, similar in operational principle to $100,000, 3-5kW power consumption benchtop units at orders of magnitude lower cost, size and portability. This program will add substantially to the scientific knowledge base and lead to fundamental understanding of the physics and engineering of these high-power-density, small and highly non-equilibrium plasmas. The source technology to be developed here will enable the miniaturization of a variety of chemical and gas analysis technology. This technology, by dramatically lowering the cost (10-100x), form factor (100x), and portability of the analytical equipment will provide economic benefits to customers in industrial settings, enhance worker and workplace safety, and allow for wider environmental monitoring.