Lighting from thin (<1 mm) sheets of microcavity plasma arrays fabricated in Al/Al₂O₃/glass structures: planar, mercury-free lamps with radiating areas beyond 200 cm²

Abstract

Flat lamps, having radiating areas as large as 15 × 15 cm2 and comprising arrays of Al/Al2O3 microcavity plasma devices, have been fabricated and characterized in the rare gases. Sealed arrays of devices with microcavities having diamond-shaped cross-sections yield lamps with an overall thickness of ∼800 µm (of which ∼500 µm is the quartz output window) and luminance and luminous efficacy values greater than 1600 cd m−2 and 10 lm W−1, respectively, are observed in preliminary experiments in which microplasmas in a Ne/20%Xe mixture illuminate a commercial green phosphor in a transmission arrangement with the ∼10 µm thick phosphor film situated immediately above the array. Efficacy values well in excess of 20 lm W−1 are expected when the array design and microcavity-phosphor geometry are optimized. Fully flexible arrays sealed in polymeric packaging have also been demonstrated, thereby providing access to new opportunities for lighting in which lightweight arrays are mounted onto curved surfaces.

Electric Charging in Dielectric Barrier Discharges with Asymmetric Gamma‐Coefficients

“…Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) are frequently used for plasma application, as e. g. for surface treatment, chemical reactors, light sources and plasma display panels [1][2][3]. Many of these applications operate in the parameter regime of the Townsend ignition mechanism.…”

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

“…[11] From the outset, efforts focused on the development of flat lamps, and the "engine" of the first lamps was an array of dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) generated within cavities in aluminum screen, any pattern woven with Al wire, or aluminum foil, for example, which was chemically treated to yield a surface layer of nanoporous alumina. [12][13][14] Serving as a dielectric having exceptional breakdown strength, the adoption of nanoporous Al 2 O 3 allowed for the driving voltage to be decreased relative to existing DBD lamps. [15] Figure 1 is a 2008 photograph of a newspaper illuminated by the green output of a secondgeneration lamp having 16 cm 2 of surface area and the phosphor coating applied to the front window.…”

Enhancing the stability of microplasma device utilizing diamond coated carbon nanotubes as cathode materials

“…Microplasma has attracted much attention owing to several advantageous characteristics, including low power consumption, relatively high electron density, and high electron temperature. 1 Microplasma has found potential applications in many areas such as environmental remediation, 2 biology and biomedicine, 3 intense light source in the vacuum ultraviolet, [4][5][6] gas surface analysis, ion source for spectrometry, and mass spectrometry. [7][8][9] In a conventional gas discharge, the natural radiation background, such as cosmic rays, can initiate efficiently the breakdown process for the plasma.…”