Microplasma
Abstract
A new transistor is being developed to endure harsh temperatures(500C) and radiation. This device operates by generating plasma in low pressure using argon gas. A spiral antenna(2cm) is embedded in 2mm of Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic(LTCC) with a 1mm slit with two exposed electrodes called source and drain; these electrodes are biased with respect to the antenna which oscillates about ground potential. A radio-frequency(RF) wave(800-1000MHz) is applied to the antenna to generate plasma. When the voltage on the source is raised high enough a DC glow discharge occurs within the slit. The goal of the project is to observe the nature of plasma when the voltage from the drain is varied while measuring the current from electrodes and observing the point at which the drain voltage dominates the DC discharge.