Flexible microdischarge arrays: Metal/polymer devices

Flexible microdischarge arrays have been fabricated in metal-polymer-metal structures having a total thickness of similar to 30 mu m (similar to 1.2 mils). Composed of individual cylindrical devices having a diameter of 150 mu m, positive differential resistance (30-120 k Ohm), and operating voltages as low as 114 V for a 5 mu m thick dielectric layer, the arrays operate at pressures beyond 700 Torr of Ne and in 1 atm of air. For Ne pressures less than or equal to 200 Torr, emission is produced from Ne ion excited states lying more than 55 eV above the neutral ground state (2p(6)). The structures reported here are inexpensive to fabricate and have lifetimes beyond 50 h. Arrays that have been sealed by conventional lamination have also been operated successfully. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)02728-5].