Fundamental properties of 4-in-1 Plasma ENergized-Jet at atmospheric pressure

• Published in: Vacuum 2008-09, Vol.83 (1), p.29-33
• Main Authors: Shiki, Hajime, Ito, Yukikazu, Takikawa, Hirofumi, Usuki, Eiji, Okawa, Takashi, Yamanaka, Shigenobu, Nishimura, Yoshimi, Hishida, Shigeji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 4-in-1 PEN-Jet; Activation; Air plasma; Atmospheric pressure plasma; Barometric pressure; Electrodes; Emission spectroscopy; Gas temperature; Nozzles; Outlets; Plasma temperature; Radicals; Surface modification
• ISSN: 0042-207X; 1879-2715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vacuum.2008.03.033

The treatment performance of the PEN-Jet (Plasma ENergized-Jet), one of the atmospheric-plasmas, is considered to be enhanced by increasing input power. However, the input power of a PEN-Jet with a single rod electrode is limited to 200 W due to electrode wear at higher power. The 4-in-1 PEN-Jet, which has four rod electrodes in the PEN-Jet body, was developed to generate a plasma jet with higher power. In the present study, the gas temperature of the plasma jet, emission spectra radiated from the plasma and contact angle of treated substrate (AlN), were measured when air or N 2 was used as the working-gas. From air plasma spectrum, the N 2 radical was observed near the nozzle outlet. In contrast, the NO radical was observed to be relatively stronger when N 2 plasma was used. The treatment performance of the 4-in-1 PEN-Jet using air was found to be four times higher than that of the single-electrode PEN-Jet. When N 2 was used, the performance was increased another four times with air.