Output details
13 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials
Open University
Generation of microdischarges in diamond substrates
This fast-track communication is one of 10 papers highlighted by this Journal for 2012. It reports the implementation of an all-diamond device for making plasmas in small hollow cavities close to process substrates. Microplasma device structures offer optical and electrical characteristics well suited for applications in medical diagnostics, displays and environmental sensing. The high heat conductivity of diamond surrounding the plasma enhances micro-discharge device lifetime from tens of seconds in alternative material combinations to several hours for diamond. Applications are being explored for a wide variety of chemically active, hot gas environments (ref: Dr Leslie Lea, R&D Manager, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology).