Plasma Printing and Related Techniques – Patterning of Surfaces Using Microplasmas at Atmospheric Pressure

Abstract

The interest in applications of atmospheric‐pressure plasmas to solve surface‐technological tasks was originally motivated primarily by the expectation that major cost savings could be achieved if plasma‐based processes, conventionally run below 1 mbar, could now be performed at ambient pressure. However, it was soon recognized that, working at 1 bar, also completely new techniques are made feasible by the utilization of microdischarges, thanks to strongly reduced mean free paths of plasma constituents. The present contribution gives an overview of a number of possibilities, studied in the recent years, to apply atmospheric‐pressure microplasmas for the patterned coating or surface modification of two‐ and three‐dimensional substrates.

The future for plasma science and technology

“…One of the most attractive applications taking advantage of the unique aspects of plasma is the development of new coating materials or materials with new properties . The complex, but controllable plasma chemistry has already been exploited for nano‐material generation, eg, graphene or gold nanoparticles, often providing either higher quality or higher yields, or both compared to competing technologies.…”

Plasma nitrogenation of polymer surfaces with a new type of combinatorial plasma‐printing reactor

“…In that case, the rate of generation of nucleophilic functional groups would be limited by transport of H 2 into the cavity which is enhanced by higher gas flow in the new reactor. Although a definite explanation of the different performances of the two reactor types cannot be given at present, consideration of the model is interesting when plasma‐printing with enclosed cavities is applied as it was shown in a previous paper . In that case, there is no diffusion out of the cavity and thus the resulting amount of etching product accumulating in the cavity during a plasma process with duration t is: …”

“…Gas discharges sustained at atmospheric pressure in sub‐cubic‐millimeter volumes can be utilized as highly versatile tools for surface‐technological applications. Area‐selective surface modification or film deposition based on DBD‐type microplasma running in cavities with dimensions in the range of 10 to a few 100 μm, so‐called plasma printing, is of interest in the production of biosensors, printed circuits, or RFID antennas, to name a few examples . In an earlier paper, it was already described by our group how plasma‐printing can be applied in a combinatorial way, using concentration gradients in the feed gas .…”

White paper on the future of plasma science for optics and glass

“…Recent advances in low‐temperature plasma science and technology can potentially contribute to the resolution of some of these glass‐industry‐related challenges through novel/optimized/advanced/enabling technologies, for example, high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), gas injection magnetron sputtering (GIMS), plasma‐enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), cryogenic deep reactive‐ion etching (DRIE), laser‐induced plasma‐assisted ablation (LIPAA), plasma‐assisted milling, aerosol‐assisted deposition at atmospheric pressure, plasma printing, plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), atmospheric‐pressure plasma liquid deposition (APPLD), atmospheric‐pressure thermal plasma chemical vapor deposition (TPCVD), plasma‐assisted vapor phase deposition (PAVPD), plasma‐assisted atomic layer deposition (PAALD), and plasma‐assisted pulsed laser/electron deposition (PAPLD/PAPED) …”