EP1905057B1 - Reseaux de dispositifs a plasma a microcavites comprenant des electrodes encapsulees dans un dielectrique - Google Patents

Reseaux de dispositifs a plasma a microcavites comprenant des electrodes encapsulees dans un dielectrique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1905057B1
EP1905057B1 EP06787559.1A EP06787559A EP1905057B1 EP 1905057 B1 EP1905057 B1 EP 1905057B1 EP 06787559 A EP06787559 A EP 06787559A EP 1905057 B1 EP1905057 B1 EP 1905057B1
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Prior art keywords
array
electrode
oxide
microcavities
foils
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP1905057A4 (fr
EP1905057A2 (fr
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Gary J. Eden
Sung-Jin Park
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University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
University of Illinois System
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University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
University of Illinois System
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J65/00—Lamps without any electrode inside the vessel; Lamps with at least one main electrode outside the vessel
    • H01J65/04—Lamps in which a gas filling is excited to luminesce by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation, e.g. for indicating plasma display panels
    • H01J65/042—Lamps in which a gas filling is excited to luminesce by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation, e.g. for indicating plasma display panels by an external electromagnetic field
    • H01J65/046—Lamps in which a gas filling is excited to luminesce by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation, e.g. for indicating plasma display panels by an external electromagnetic field the field being produced by using capacitive means around the vessel
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J11/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with alternating current induction of the discharge, e.g. alternating current plasma display panels [AC-PDP]; Gas-filled discharge tubes without any main electrode inside the vessel; Gas-filled discharge tubes with at least one main electrode outside the vessel
    • H01J11/20—Constructional details
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J11/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with alternating current induction of the discharge, e.g. alternating current plasma display panels [AC-PDP]; Gas-filled discharge tubes without any main electrode inside the vessel; Gas-filled discharge tubes with at least one main electrode outside the vessel
    • H01J11/10—AC-PDPs with at least one main electrode being out of contact with the plasma
    • H01J11/18—AC-PDPs with at least one main electrode being out of contact with the plasma containing a plurality of independent closed structures for containing the gas, e.g. plasma tube array [PTA] display panels
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/04—Electrodes; Screens; Shields
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05H—PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
    • H05H1/00—Generating plasma; Handling plasma
    • H05H1/24—Generating plasma
    • H05H1/2406—Generating plasma using dielectric barrier discharges, i.e. with a dielectric interposed between the electrodes
    • H05H1/2437—Multilayer systems

Definitions

  • microcavity plasma devices also known as microdischarge devices or microplasma devices.
  • Microcavity plasma devices have several distinct advantages over conventional discharges.
  • the small physical dimensions of microcavity plasma devices allows them to operate at pressures much higher than those accessible to conventional, macroscopic discharges.
  • the diameter of a cylindrical microcavity plasma device is, for example, on the order of 200-300 ⁇ m or less, the device will operate at pressures as high as atmospheric pressure and beyond.
  • standard fluorescent lamps for example, operate at pressures typically less than 1% of atmospheric pressure.
  • Microcavity plasma devices may be operated with different discharge media (gases or vapors or a mixture thereof) to offer output in the visible and nonvisible (ultraviolet, vacuum ultraviolet, and infrared, for example) wavelength ranges. Microcavity plasma devices are able to produce light more efficiently than other conventional discharge systems and do so on the microscopic scale.
  • Microcavity plasma devices developed over the past decade have been demonstrated to be well-suited for a wide variety of applications.
  • An exemplary application for a microcavity plasma device array is to a display. Since the diameter of single cylindrical microcavity plasma devices, for example, is typically less than 400-500 ⁇ m, devices or groups of devices offer a spatial resolution that is desirable for a pixel in a display. In addition, the efficiency of a microcavity plasma device exceeds that of a conventional plasma display panel, such as those used in high definition televisions.
  • microcavity plasma devices can be operated continuously at gas pressures beyond one atmosphere at power loadings exceeding 100 kW/cm 3 .
  • the ability to interface plasma in the gas or vapor phase with an e-h+ plasma in semiconductor devices has been demonstrated.
  • MEMs and semiconductor processes have been applied to the fabrication of devices and arrays.
  • U.S. Patent 6,541,915 discloses arrays of microcavity plasma devices in which the individual devices are fabricated in an assembly that is machined from materials including ceramics. Metallic electrodes are exposed to the plasma medium which is generated within a microcavity and between the electrodes.
  • U.S. Patent 6,194,833 also discloses arrays of microcavity plasma devices, including arrays for which the substrate is ceramic and a silicon or metal film is formed on it. Electrodes formed at the tops and bottoms of cavities, as well as the silicon, ceramic or glass microcavities themselves, contact the plasma medium.
  • U.S. Published Patent Application 2003/0230983 discloses microcavity plasma devices produced in low temperature ceramic structures.
  • microcavity plasma devices are disclosed in U.S. Published Patent Application 2005/0269953 , entitled “Phase Locked Microdischarge Array and AC, RF, or Pulse Excited Microdischarge”; U.S. Published Patent Application no. 2006/0038490 , entitled “Microplasma Devices Excited by Interdigitated Electrodes;” U.S. patent application no, 10/958,174, filed on October 4, 2004 , entitled “Microdischarge Devices with Encapsulated Electrodes,”; U.S. patent application no. 10/958,175, filed on October 4, 2004 , entitled “Metal/Dielectric Multilayer Microdischarge Devices and Arrays"; and U.S. patent application no. 11/042,228 , entitled “AC-Excited Microcavity Discharge Device and Method.”
  • WO 2007/011388 A2 which is relevant under Article 54(3) EPC only describes a microdischarge device having two electrodes one of which is encapsulated with a dielectric and comprises a conductor and a microcavity. The electrodes are configured to ignite a discharge in the microcavity when a potential is applied between them.
  • the invention concerns microcavity plasma devices and arrays with thin conductive foil electrodes protected by metal oxide dielectric according to claim 1 and a method of manufacturing microcavity plasma device arrays according to claim 15.
  • Devices of the invention are amenable to mass production techniques, and may, for example, be fabricated by roll to roll processing. Exemplary devices of the invention are flexible. Embodiments of the invention provide for large arrays of microcavity plasma devices that can be made inexpensively.
  • microcavity plasma devices of the invention allow for arrays of arbitrary large size to be realized.
  • Devices of the invention are based upon thin foils of metal that are available or can be produced in arbitrary lengths, such as on rolls.
  • a metal foil with a pattern of microcavities defines an electrode pattern.
  • Oxide on the surface of the foil and within the microcavities encapsulates the foil. The oxide protects the foil from the plasma during device operation and largely confines the plasma to the microcavities.
  • a second metal foil is also encapsulated with oxide and is bonded to the first encapsulated foil.
  • a thin glass layer for example, is able to vacuum seal the array.
  • a pattern of microcavities is produced in a first metal foil.
  • Oxide is subsequently grown on the foil, including on the inside walls of the microcavities (where plasma is to be produced). The oxide protects the microcavity and electrically isolates the foil.
  • a second encapsulated metal foil is then bonded to the second metal foil and the entire array can be produced by roll-to-roll processing.
  • the invention concerns microcavity plasma devices and arrays of devices in which thin conductive foil electrodes are protected by a metal oxide dielectric.
  • Devices of the invention are amenable to mass production techniques, and may, for example, be fabricated by roll to roll processing. Exemplary devices of the invention are flexible. Embodiments of the invention provide for large arrays of microcavity plasma devices that can be made inexpensively.
  • microcavity plasma devices of the invention is based upon thin foils of metal that are available or can be produced in arbitrary lengths, such as on rolls.
  • a pattern of microcavities is produced in a metal foil.
  • Oxide is subsequently grown on the foil, including within the microcavities, to define oxide encapsulated microcavities (in which the plasma is to be produced). The oxide protects the microcavity and electrically isolates the foil, which forms a first electrode.
  • a second metal foil without microcavities is also encapsulated with oxide and is bonded to the first encapsulated foil.
  • the second metal foil forms a second electrode.
  • no particular alignment is necessary during bonding of the two encapsulated foils.
  • a thin glass layer for example, is able to seal the completed array.
  • two foils of Al both of which are encapsulated with Al 2 O 3 , are bonded to one another. Only one of the two encapsulated foils has microcavities (with a characteristic dimension d on the micron scale). For a cylindrical microcavity, for example, the characteristic dimension would be its diameter. These microcavities can assume a wide variety of shapes and may or may not extend completely through the encapsulated metal foil. Experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the invention with diamond-shaped and cylindrical microcavities.
  • microcavity plasma devices High densities of microcavity plasma devices are possible, and an exemplary experimental "filling factor" (ratio of the array's radiating area to the overall area) of extraordinary levels (>80%) have been achieved.
  • Overall thickness of exemplary microplasma array structures of the invention can be, for example, 200 ⁇ m or less, making it very flexible and inexpensive.
  • microcavity plasma device arrays of the invention two electrodes simultaneously excite all microcavity plasma devices in the array.
  • the second electrode can be a simple foil electrode, and there is no need to precisely align this electrode with the first electrode during fabrication.
  • a plurality of second electrode foils are matched with different sections of a larger first electrode having a plurality of microcavities. In this way, excitation of separate sections of the microplasma device array is realized.
  • alignment considerations during manufacturing can also be permissive.
  • electrode lines can be formed in both a first screen electrode and a second foil electrode by selective oxidation with simple masking or photolithographic methods. After the selective oxidation, a second oxidation to encapsulate the electrode is performed, thereby sealing the electrode.
  • FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional diagram of an example embodiment microcavity plasma device array 10.
  • Microcavities 12 are defined in a metal foil that constitutes a first electrode 16.
  • Oxide 15 encapsulates the metal foil including the walls of the microcavities 12.
  • the first electrode 16 in the microcavity plasma device array 10 is a thin conductive foil into which a pattern of microcavities has been formed by any of a variety of techniques, including, for example, microdrilling, mechanical punching, laser ablation, or chemical etching.
  • Encapsulation of the thin conductive foil and its microcavities 12 (which may or may not extend completely through the foil) protects the metal 16 because the walls of the microcavities and the surface of the conductive foil are coated with oxide 15.
  • the oxide 15 protects the first electrode 16 from sputtering during operation, thereby promoting the lifetime of the array 10, and electrically insulating electrode 16 as well.
  • the nominal depth of the microcavities 12 approximates the thickness of the first electrode 16, although it is not necessary for the microcavities to extend through the metal foil 16.
  • a second electrode 18 can be a solid thin conductive foil. The second electrode 18 is also encapsulated in oxide 19.
  • a discharge medium gas, vapor, or a combination thereof is contained in the microcavities.
  • the array 10 can be sealed by any suitable material, which can be completely transparent to emission wavelengths produced by the microplasmas or can, for example, filter the output wavelengths of the microcavity plasma device array 10 so as to transmit radiation only in specific spectral regions.
  • each microcavity 12 It is within each microcavity 12 that a plasma (discharge) will be formed.
  • the first and second electrodes 16, 18 are spaced apart a distance from the microcavities 12 by at least the respective thicknesses of their oxide layers. The oxide thereby isolates the first and second electrodes 16, 18 from the discharge medium (plasma) contained in the microcavities 12.
  • This arrangement permits the application of a time-varying (AC, RF, bipolar or pulsed DC, etc.) potential between the electrodes 16, 18 to excite the gaseous or vapor medium to create a microplasma in each microcavity 12.
  • Representative conductive materials for the electrodes 16, 18 and the oxides 15, 19 include metal/metal oxide materials, e.g., Al/Al 2 O 3 .
  • Another exemplary metal/metal oxide material system is Ti/TiO 2 .
  • Other conductive material/oxide material systems will be apparent to artisans. Preferred materials systems permit the formation of microcavity plasma device arrays of the invention by inexpensive, mass production techniques, such as roll to roll processing.
  • a method of manufacturing is roll-to-roll processing.
  • the first electrode 16 is pre-formed with microcavities having the desired cross-sectional geometry.
  • Suitable metal foils e.g. Al foils, with microcavities in the form of through holes of various cross-sectional geometries are also available commercially, as they find use, for example, in the battery industry.
  • a pre-formed screen-like metal foil, e.g. Al, with microcavities and encapsulated with oxide defines an electrode pattern, and can be bonded to another oxide encapsulated metal foil, e.g. Al.
  • the second foil can be a solid foil. In the preferred method of manufacturing, no precise alignment is necessary between the two metal foils during the bonding process.
  • the oxide encapsulated foils that form the first electrode 16 and the second electrode 18 in the completed device can be bonded together without any alignment concerns.
  • Roll-to-roll processing can be used.
  • it is possible to fabricate microcavities in Al 2 O 3 covered Al foil see, e.g., US Application Serial number 10/958,174, filed October 4, 2004 entitled “Microdischarge Devices with Encapsulated Electrodes,” and U.S.
  • Prototype devices in accordance with the array 10 of FIG. 1A have been fabricated.
  • An example experimental prototype array had a first electrode that was formed from a thin metal Al foil with generally diamond-shaped microcavities extending through the foil. Growth of a porous Al 2 O 3 film onto the first metal foil having the microcavities was accomplished by a multi-step wet chemical process in which the Al is first anodized in a 0.1-0.3 M oxalic acid solution at nominally 15°C. After removing most of the oxide in a chromic acid/ phosphoric acid solution, a second anodization process grows the highly-ordered nanoporous Al 2 O 3 film in which the nanopore dimensions and spacing can be controlled.
  • the final thickness of the Al 2 O 3 nanoporous film was typically in the 5-30 ⁇ m range. Generally, the Al 2 O 3 film thickness within the microcavities was maintained at 5-20 ⁇ m thinner than the oxide film covering the surface of the foil.
  • the first electrode (having the microcavity array) is subsequently bonded to a second encapsulated electrode.
  • the second electrode was another thin metal foil with no cavities, onto which an anodic Al 2 O 3 film was grown. Since the second electrode has no microcavities, precise alignment of the first and second electrodes during the bonding process is not necessary, thereby simplifying the overall fabrication process.
  • the example experimental array was operated with Ne gas, at pressures ranging from 400 Torr to 800 Torr, as well as with Ne/Xe gas mixtures.
  • the array can be sealed between two thin sheets of glass, if array rigidity is acceptable for the envisioned application, by one of several processes such as anodic bonding or glass frit. If array flexibility is desired, the array can be sealed between thin sheets of plastic such as those commonly used to seal food.
  • a thin film of a material such as SiO 2 can be deposited onto the inner surface of the polymer sealing film in order to minimize outgassing of the polymer into the plasma which reduces gas lifetime.
  • sealing method it is possible to seal the array in the presence of the desired gas or gas/vapor mixture (thereby sealing the gas in the array) or to fill the array with gas after the entire device is fabricated and evacuated.
  • the latter technique can be accomplished with a small diameter tube connecting the array with a gas handling/vacuum system, which enables the array to be evacuated and then back-filled with the desired gas.
  • Optical micrographs of an exemplary array operating in Ne gas at a pressure of 400 Torr showed the thickness of the Al 2 O 3 film on the first electrode 16 was 10 ⁇ m and that on the second electrode 18 was also 10 ⁇ m.
  • the micrograph was obtained with a CCD camera and an optical telescope looking down onto the array with electrode one on top.
  • the diamond shaped microcavities have a length (tip to tip) of 500 ⁇ m and a width of 250 ⁇ m and, for these operating conditions, the plasma is observed to reside near the center of each microcavity.
  • the structure of the microplasma arrays of this embodiment lead to a strong axial electric field (axial denotes the direction orthogonal to the plane of the microcavity "diamond" opening, and at the center of the "diamond”).
  • FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional diagram of another example embodiment microcavity plasma device, representing a device in an array. Reference numerals from FIG. 1A are used to identify comparable parts in the FIG. 1B device.
  • the FIG. 1B device is similar to the devices forming the FIG. 1A array, but the second electrode has a modified structure. Having a basic concept of capacitor, the second electrode 18 includes three layers, two conductive layers 18a and 18b surrounding a dielectric layer 18c.
  • the dielectric layer 18c can be Al 2 O 3 , for example, and the conductive layers Al, for example.
  • the thickness of dielectric layer 18c can be selected according to the capacitance required for the particular application.
  • the dielectric layer 18c can be few to hundreds of ⁇ m thick.
  • FIG. 2 plots luminance as a function of excitation voltage for an example experimental prototype microcavity plasma device array operated in neon at pressures of 400 Torr, 500 Torr, 600 Torr and 700 Torr. At all of the pressures, luminance generally increased as a function of voltage and emission was strongest at 400 Torr because of the size of the diamond-shaped microcavities. For smaller microcavities the peak emission will be observed at higher gas pressures.
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional diagram of a portion of a comparative microcavity plasma device array 22 not according to the invention.
  • the device array 22 is similar to the array 10 of FIG. 1A . Reference numbers from FIG. 1A are used to label comparable parts of the microcavity plasma device array.
  • the second electrode(s) 18 is patterned with microcavities having the same or different cavity dimensions as those in the first electrode(s) 16.
  • the array 22 is sealed with a thin glass or plastic layer 24. Whether glass or plastic is used, the total thickness of the array can be small enough to permit the array to be flexible. In example embodiments, the total thickness of an array in accordance with the array 22 of FIG. 3 or the array 10 of FIG.
  • FIG. 3 also illustrates an additional thin film of dielectric 25 deposited upon the oxide 15 and 19.
  • the additional dielectric thin film 25 is glass. It has been found that, after the nanoporous oxide films 15, 19 are grown, a final film of glass deposited onto the screen improves the lifetime and performance of an electrode. This glass layer can be deposited from solution by a standard dipping process.
  • FIG. 4 shows the discharge spectrum in the visible of an example experimental prototype 10 x 10 microcavity plasma device array operated in neon at 700 Torr. Emission in the 500-800 nm wavelength interval is shown because this is the region in which the most intense emission is observed. However, emission at a wide variety of other wavelengths is obtainable by introducing other gases and gas mixtures into the array.
  • FIG. 5 shows the emission spectrum produced in the near-ultraviolet by an example experimental prototype 5 x 5 microcavity plasma device array operated in an argon/nitrogen gas mixture at a total pressure of 400 Torr. The driving voltage for the array was a 10 kHz sinusoidal AC waveform having a voltage of 440 V RMS.
  • the current drawn by the array was ⁇ 68 mA.
  • Other examples of wavelengths available from these arrays include 308 nm (from the OH radical), 193, 248, 308, 351, 222, and 282 nm from various rare gas-halide molecules, continua in the 250-400 nm region from H 2 or D 2 , and 206 nm from atomic iodine. Numerous other radiation wavelengths are available from other species.
  • FIG. 6 shows the voltage and current waveforms for an example experimental prototype large scale, Al 2 O 3 /Al microcavity plasma device array.
  • the array comprised ⁇ 4,800 devices with microcavities having the 500 ⁇ m long, 250 ⁇ m wide diamond cross-section and these waveforms were obtained for operation in 700 Torr of Ne.
  • the I-V characteristics associated with the waveforms of FIG. 6 are those typical of a dielectric barrier discharge in which the plasma is generated by the capacitive mode.
  • FIG. 7 shows an example of a vacuum sealed flat lamp embodiment 26 of the invention.
  • the device 26 is similar to the FIG. 1 device and reference numbers from FIG. 1 are used to label comparable parts in FIG. 7 .
  • the lamp 26 uses a window 28 of glass or plastic and an unpatterned second electrode 18.
  • the device 26 is generally not flexible but only because of the normal thickness of the quartz window ( ⁇ 1 mm). However the thickness of the lamp (minus the window thickness) is only 170 ⁇ m and therefore the lamp will be flexible if the window 28 itself is flexible.
  • Sealing material 30 ensures that the device is vacuum tight, and a evacuation tube 32 is shown, but can be removed or sealed as part of the manufacturing process. Different materials can be used for the window 28 to achieve the desired spectral transmission or filtering and provide a specific desired wavelength of emission. As discussed earlier, it may be advantageous for array lifetime to, in addition to the Al 2 O 3 layers 15 and 19, encapsulate the Al electrodes 16 and 18 with a thin layer of glass (additional layer not shown in FIG.
  • FIG. 7 An experimental device in accordance with FIG. 7 was constructed with aluminum encapsulated in 10 ⁇ m of Al 2 O 3 and 5 ⁇ m of glass encapsulation.
  • FIG. 8 shows the dependence of emission intensity on the RMS driving voltage for the Al 2 O 3 /Al microcavity plasma array operating in 400-600 Torr of Ne. Emission intensity increased steeply as applied voltage increased.
  • FIG. 9 shows the ultraviolet (UV) emission intensity from a 2" square experimental vacuum sealed flat lamp in accordance with FIG. 7 , and operating with a gas mixture of 1% D 2 in Ar.
  • the emission rises as the voltage is increased and intensities up to 1 mW/cm 2 are achieved.
  • 1 mW/cm 2 does not represent the maximum value of output of the experimental embodiment lamp according to FIG. 7 . Instead, this output is the highest value obtained to date in the test voltage range.
  • the FIG. 9 data were obtained with Ar/1% D 2 gas mixtures pressures between 300 and 600 Torr and the resulting emission from the microplasma lies in the 250-400 nm range.
  • FIG. 10 shows another embodiment lamp incorporating a microcavity plasma device array.
  • FIG. 10 also illustrates an experimental arrangement for testing the lamp.
  • first and second electrodes 16, 18 are pre-formed metal foil screens that are then encapsulated in oxide to form a microcavity plasma device array 10, which can be sufficiently thin (less than or on the order of a few hundred micrometers) to be flexible.
  • the two encapsulated electrodes 16, 18 are generally bonded to each other with a polymeric adhesive although bonding is not necessary.
  • the array 10 is packaged in polymeric vacuum packaging 34.
  • Vacuum sealing in polymeric packaging is possible because the microcavity plasma device array 10 can be operated at atmospheric pressures (or near-atmospheric pressure) such that there is only a small (if any) pressure differential between the inside and outside of the lamp.
  • An experimental embodiment vacuum sealed lamp was operated in 745 Torr He. The radiating area of the device was 5 cm 2 , and it had an overall thickness (including the packaging 34) of approximately 35 ⁇ m. The experimental device could be bent at an angle of more than 40° (with respect to the plane of a flat lamp) without damage the lamp.
  • Arrays of the invention have many applications.
  • One application for an array for example, is as the light source (backlight unit) for a liquid crystal display panel.
  • Embodiments of the invention provide a lightweight, thin and distributed source of light that is preferable to the current practice of using a fluorescent lamp. Distributing the light from the lamp in a uniform manner over the entire display requires sophisticated optics.
  • Arrays of the invention also have application, for example, in sensing and detection equipment, such as chromatography devices, and phototherapeutic treatments (including photodynamic therapy). The latter include the treatment of psoriasis which requires ultraviolet light at -308 nm, actinic keratosis and Bowen's disease or basal cell carcinoma.
  • Inexpensive arrays sealed in glass or plastic now provide the opportunity for patients to be treated in a nonclinical setting (i.e., at home) and for disposal of the array following the completion of treatment. These arrays are also well-suited for the photocuring of polymers which requires ultraviolet radiation.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • Gas-Filled Discharge Tubes (AREA)

Claims (20)

  1. Matrice de dispositif à plasma à microcavités, comprenant:
    une première électrode (6), la première électrode étant un mince film de métal conducteur comprenant une pluralité de microcavités (12) à l'intérieur et étant encapsulée dans le premier oxyde (15) ; une seconde électrode (18), la seconde électrode étant un mince film de métal conducteur encapsulé dans le second oxyde (19) ;
    caractérisée en ce que la seconde électrode est un film de métal sans microcavités ;
    ladite première électrode et ladite seconde électrode sont interconnectées, tandis que le premier oxyde et le second oxyde empêchent tout contact entre eux ; et en ce que le dispositif comprend en outre une couche de confinement (24, 28, 34) contenant le milieu de décharge dans les microcavités (12).
  2. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite première électrode et ladite seconde électrode (16, 18), ledit premier oxyde et ledit second oxyde (15, 19) et la couche de confinement (24, 28, 34) sont suffisamment mince pour assurer la flexibilité de la matrice.
  3. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en outre en ce que ladite première électrode et ladite seconde électrode (16, 18) contiennent des films d'aluminium et que ledit oxyde comprend de l'oxyde d'aluminium.
  4. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en outre en ce que ladite première électrode et ladite seconde électrode (16, 18) contiennent des films de titane et que ledit oxyde comprend de l'oxyde de titane.
  5. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite couche de confinement (24, 28, 34) est sensiblement transparente dans le spectre visible.
  6. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite couche de confinement (24, 28, 34) comprend un filtre optique.
  7. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite couche de confinement (24, 28, 34) comprend du verre.
  8. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite couche de confinement (24, 28, 34) comprend un conditionnement sous vide polymère et que ledit milieu de décharge est contenu dans la matrice sensiblement à la pression atmosphérique.
  9. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend en outre un premier film mince diélectrique recouvrant l'oxyde (15) de ladite première électrode (16).
  10. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce qu'il n'y a pas d'alignement particulier entre la première électrode et la seconde électrode (16, 18).
  11. Matrice selon la revendication 10, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend en outre un second film diélectrique (25) recouvrant l'oxyde (19) de ladite seconde électrode (18).
  12. Matrice selon la revendication 11, caractérisée en ce que ledit premier film mince diélectrique et ledit second film mince diélectrique comprennent du verre.
  13. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite seconde électrode (18) comprend un condensateur (18a, 18b, 18c).
  14. Matrice selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend une pluralité de seconds films d'électrode correspondant à différentes sections de la plus grande première électrode (16).
  15. Procédé de fabrication d'une matrice de dispositif à plasma à microcavités, le procédé comprenant les phases suivantes :
    encapsulation d'un premier film de métal conducteur ayant une pluralité de microcavités (12) dans l'oxyde (15) pour constituer une première électrode (16) ;
    encapsulation d'un second film de métal conducteur sans microcavités (19) dans l'oxyde (15) pour constituer une seconde électrode (18) ;
    interconnexion de ladite première électrode et de ladite seconde électrode (16, 18) ; confinement du milieu de décharge dans la matrice,
    caractérisé en ce que le procédé est un procédé de rouleau à rouleau.
  16. Matrice selon la revendication 15, caractérisée en outre en ce que ledit premier film de métal et ledit second film de métal contiennent des films d'aluminium et que ledit oxyde comprend de l'oxyde d'aluminium.
  17. Matrice selon la revendication 15, caractérisée en outre en ce que ledit premier film de métal et ledit second film de métal contiennent des films de titane et que ledit oxyde comprend de l'oxyde de titane.
  18. Procédé selon la revendication 15, caractérisé en ce que l'oxyde (15, 19) dudit premier film de métal conducteur et dudit second film de métal conducteur est en outre revêtu d'un mince film diélectrique.
  19. Procédé selon la revendication 18, caractérisé en ce que ledit film mince diélectrique comprend du verre.
  20. Procédé selon la revendication 15, caractérisé en ce que ladite phase de confinement comprend un conditionnement sous vide de ladite première électrode et de ladite seconde électrode (16, 18) pour confiner le milieu de décharge dans la matrice.
EP06787559.1A 2005-07-15 2006-07-17 Reseaux de dispositifs a plasma a microcavites comprenant des electrodes encapsulees dans un dielectrique Not-in-force EP1905057B1 (fr)

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US69947505P 2005-07-15 2005-07-15
PCT/US2006/027667 WO2007011865A2 (fr) 2005-07-15 2006-07-17 Reseaux de dispositifs a plasma a microcavites comprenant des electrodes encapsulees dans un dielectrique

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EP1905057A2 EP1905057A2 (fr) 2008-04-02
EP1905057A4 EP1905057A4 (fr) 2012-06-27
EP1905057B1 true EP1905057B1 (fr) 2016-03-09

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WO2009140509A1 (fr) 2008-05-14 2009-11-19 The Board Of Trustees Of The University Of Illinois Réseaux de dispositifs au plasma à microcavités et microcanaux dans une seule feuille unitaire
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Publication number Publication date
EP1905057A4 (fr) 2012-06-27
JP5271080B2 (ja) 2013-08-21
WO2007011865A3 (fr) 2009-04-02
JP2009502010A (ja) 2009-01-22
WO2007011865A2 (fr) 2007-01-25
KR20080031957A (ko) 2008-04-11
EP1905057A2 (fr) 2008-04-02

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