Spectroscopic Characterization of Microplasmas

We have developed a new type of microplasma integrated device with a fabric structure of insulator-coated thin metal wires. It has been proved that the device can be operated at relatively low voltage of a few kV in air and even under water with the help of hydrogen bubbles produced by electrolysis of water. We have performed spectroscopic measurements for characterizing the properties of microplasmas in a single jet and in an assembly of two-dimensional array for estimating the electron density as well as the reactive species compositions. Although it is clear that more comprehensive research should be continued to grasp the whole image of microplasmas for deriving general scaling laws, we have clarified those high potentiality for the applications to material processing tools and microwave controlling devices.