A DBD-Integrated Discharge Device for Low-Voltage Atmospheric Plasma Generation

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD)-integrated plasma device for low-voltage atmospheric plasma generation is presented. By utilizing DBD afterglows as initiation carriers, a significant reduction in the breakdown voltage across a gap of 1 mm was achieved. The use of integrated DBD offers a precise control of initiation carrier injection and suppresses sputtering-induced electrode wear. The proposed integration scheme enables a highly reliable atmospheric plasma generation on a substrate at a very low voltage. This study also reveals that the injection location and the amount of initiation carriers play a key role in triggering avalanche breakdown process in the discharge. An optimized device structure has demonstrated atmospheric plasma across a gap of 1 mm at 700 V, which is only one-third of the breakdown voltage using a conventional two-electrode structure.