Development and characterization of a low-cost Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet (APPJ)*

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jets (APPJs) are an example of non-equilibrium plasma at

atmospheric pressures and relatively low temperatures (preferably, room temperature) that have

a large range of practical biological applications. They can be produced using high-frequency

pulses of high DC voltages (of several kV). This forms a plasma with highly reactive

components while keeping an overall low temperature. These properties make it very useful in

biological applications where large amounts of thermal energy would harm the target.

Traditionally, the production of APPJ plasma uses expensive electrical apparatus that is difficult

to replicate or scale up. Therefore, this project aims to find a way to cheaply and easily produce

APPJs. We plan to try several APPJ designs using high frequency pulsed DC, AC, and/or RF

power under variable electrode spacings, neutral gas flow rates and ionization voltages to

determine the best combinations with the aim of producing a relatively inexpensive way of

delivering room temperature, atmospheric pressure plasmas.