Commercialization of microcavity plasma devices and arrays: Systems for VUV photolithography and nanopatterning, disinfection of drinking water and air, and biofilm deactivation for medical therapeutics

Abstract

A little more than two decades after the introduction of the first microcavity plasma devices, a growing body of commercial products based on the remarkable properties of these low-temperature, atmospheric plasmas is now available. Following a brief review of early microplasma lamp development, this article describes microplasma-based devices and systems currently being manufactured for applications in photolithography, photopatterning, and other nanofabrication Plasma Process Polym. 2022;e2200075 www.plasma-polymers.com

Industrial plasma applications

“…Another overlap with earlier‐mentioned plasma technology exists in the field of roll‐to‐roll surface treatment of flexible synthetic polymer webs, where the article by Borek‐Donten et al [ 14 ] presents antiviral mask textiles that constitute a special case of the (“corona”) theme of item (2) above. But health‐related examples are also found in that of Kim et al, [ 5 ] where disinfection of air and surfaces in public spaces by UV‐C radiation from highly efficient KrCl lamps is described, along with several other more specialized medical applications. A final area being addressed is that of advanced functional thin film coatings for various “high‐tech” industries. An excellent example is the automotive sector, where plasma processing has also become ubiquitous: The article by Hosenfeldt [ 15 ] describes hard coatings that systematically reduce frictional losses in engines and powertrains to improve energy efficiency and thus cut CO 2 emissions.…”

“…Another overlap with earlier‐mentioned plasma technology exists in the field of roll‐to‐roll surface treatment of flexible synthetic polymer webs, where the article by Borek‐Donten et al [ 14 ] presents antiviral mask textiles that constitute a special case of the (“corona”) theme of item (2) above. But health‐related examples are also found in that of Kim et al, [ 5 ] where disinfection of air and surfaces in public spaces by UV‐C radiation from highly efficient KrCl lamps is described, along with several other more specialized medical applications.…”

“… Probably, the earliest large‐scale use of plasma chemistry was ozone generation, starting with the ozonizer patent to Werner von Siemens in 1857, [ 2 ] an invention that was implemented for municipal drinking water treatment in 1906, with the first full‐scale ozone plant in Nice, France. [ 3 ] In this S.I., the article by Nau‐Hix et al [ 4 ] presents a modern adaptation of water treatment relating to specific types of present‐day organic contaminants, while that of Kim et al [ 5 ] illustrates, among numerous other examples, how drinking water in remote locations can be purified by small‐scale, solar‐powered atmospheric pressure plasma devices. With the advent of large‐scale commercial use of synthetic and natural polymers (plastics) during and after World War II, the low surface energy of these materials rapidly became apparent as a limitation for many applications. This led the Danish engineer Verner Eisby to invent the corona treatment process in 1951, after being challenged to find a way to print on plastic.…”

“…It also analyses cost‐breakdowns of various factors that contribute to production (and therefore single‐device) pricing, analyses that yield some surprising conclusions. The article by Kim et al, [ 5 ] too, describes microplasma‐based devices and systems currently being manufactured for applications in photolithography, photopatterning, and other nanofabrication processes such as atomic layer deposition (ALD). Finally, in PPaP 16(9), 2019, two review papers dealt with the topic of MEMS fabrication (micro electro mechanical systems), [ 10,11 ] now ubiquitous in many devices for daily use. An area of practical use for low‐temperature plasmas that is growing rapidly after emerging from modest beginnings is their application in health sciences [ 12 ] ; more generally, this now includes biology, agriculture, and the environment.…”

“…Probably, the earliest large‐scale use of plasma chemistry was ozone generation, starting with the ozonizer patent to Werner von Siemens in 1857, [ 2 ] an invention that was implemented for municipal drinking water treatment in 1906, with the first full‐scale ozone plant in Nice, France. [ 3 ] In this S.I., the article by Nau‐Hix et al [ 4 ] presents a modern adaptation of water treatment relating to specific types of present‐day organic contaminants, while that of Kim et al [ 5 ] illustrates, among numerous other examples, how drinking water in remote locations can be purified by small‐scale, solar‐powered atmospheric pressure plasma devices.…”