Plasma generation by household microwave oven for surface modification and other emerging applications

Benjamin K. Barnes; Habilou Ouro-Koura; Justin Derickson; Samuel Lebarty; Jesudara Omidokun; Nathan Bane; Othman Suleiman; Eguono Omagamre; Mahdi J. Fotouhi; Ayobami Ogunmolasuyi; Arturo Dominguez; Larry Gonick; Kausik S. Das

doi:10.1119/10.0002706

Plasma generation by household microwave oven for surface modification and other emerging applications

Benjamin K. Barnes
, Habilou Ouro-Koura
, Justin Derickson
, Samuel Lebarty
, Jesudara Omidokun
, Nathan Bane
, Othman Suleiman
, Eguono Omagamre
, Mahdi J. Fotouhi
, Ayobami Ogunmolasuyi
, Arturo Dominguez
, Larry Gonick
, Kausik S. Das

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

A simple and inexpensive method to generate plasma using a kitchen microwave oven is described in this paper. The microwave-generated plasma is characterized by spectroscopic analysis and compared with the absorption spectra of a gas discharge tube. A Paschen-like curve is observed as the microwave plasma initiation time is plotted as a function of the pressure of the plasma chamber. We have also demonstrated that this microwave-generated air plasma can be used in a multitude of applications such as: (a) surface modification of a substrate to change its wettability; (b) surface modification to change electrical/optical properties of a substrate; and (c) enhancement of adhesive forces for improved bonding of polymeric microfluidic molds, such as bonding polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips to glass covers. These simple techniques of plasma generation and subsequent surface treatment and modification applications may bring new opportunities leading to new innovations not only in advanced labs, but also in undergraduate and even high school research labs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	372-382
Number of pages	11
Journal	American Journal of Physics
Volume	89
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1119/10.0002706
State	Published - Apr 1 2021
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This work was partially supported by the National Science Foundation (HBCU-UP Award # 1719425), the Department of Education (MSEIP Award # P120A70068) with MSEIP CCEM Supplemental award, and Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute through MIPS grant. K.D. would like to thank Dr. Jim Marty of Minnesota Nano-Science Center and NanoLink for providing support and materials for the photolithography process in microchannel fabrication and Dr. Aaron Persad of MIT for many helpful discussions and suggestions. The authors also thank MIT Technology Review for featuring this work.45

Access to Document

10.1119/10.0002706

Cite this

Barnes, B. K., Ouro-Koura, H., Derickson, J., Lebarty, S., Omidokun, J., Bane, N., Suleiman, O., Omagamre, E., Fotouhi, M. J., Ogunmolasuyi, A., Dominguez, A., Gonick, L., & Das, K. S. (2021). Plasma generation by household microwave oven for surface modification and other emerging applications. American Journal of Physics, 89(4), 372-382. https://doi.org/10.1119/10.0002706

@article{d8d78dcd99fe41dda09a004b390e8054,

title = "Plasma generation by household microwave oven for surface modification and other emerging applications",

abstract = "A simple and inexpensive method to generate plasma using a kitchen microwave oven is described in this paper. The microwave-generated plasma is characterized by spectroscopic analysis and compared with the absorption spectra of a gas discharge tube. A Paschen-like curve is observed as the microwave plasma initiation time is plotted as a function of the pressure of the plasma chamber. We have also demonstrated that this microwave-generated air plasma can be used in a multitude of applications such as: (a) surface modification of a substrate to change its wettability; (b) surface modification to change electrical/optical properties of a substrate; and (c) enhancement of adhesive forces for improved bonding of polymeric microfluidic molds, such as bonding polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips to glass covers. These simple techniques of plasma generation and subsequent surface treatment and modification applications may bring new opportunities leading to new innovations not only in advanced labs, but also in undergraduate and even high school research labs.",

author = "Barnes, \{Benjamin K.\} and Habilou Ouro-Koura and Justin Derickson and Samuel Lebarty and Jesudara Omidokun and Nathan Bane and Othman Suleiman and Eguono Omagamre and Fotouhi, \{Mahdi J.\} and Ayobami Ogunmolasuyi and Arturo Dominguez and Larry Gonick and Das, \{Kausik S.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Author(s).",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1119/10.0002706",

language = "English",

volume = "89",

pages = "372--382",

journal = "American Journal of Physics",

issn = "0002-9505",

publisher = "American Association of Physics Teachers",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Plasma generation by household microwave oven for surface modification and other emerging applications

AU - Barnes, Benjamin K.

AU - Ouro-Koura, Habilou

AU - Derickson, Justin

AU - Lebarty, Samuel

AU - Omidokun, Jesudara

AU - Bane, Nathan

AU - Suleiman, Othman

AU - Omagamre, Eguono

AU - Fotouhi, Mahdi J.

AU - Ogunmolasuyi, Ayobami

AU - Dominguez, Arturo

AU - Gonick, Larry

AU - Das, Kausik S.

PY - 2021/4/1

Y1 - 2021/4/1

N2 - A simple and inexpensive method to generate plasma using a kitchen microwave oven is described in this paper. The microwave-generated plasma is characterized by spectroscopic analysis and compared with the absorption spectra of a gas discharge tube. A Paschen-like curve is observed as the microwave plasma initiation time is plotted as a function of the pressure of the plasma chamber. We have also demonstrated that this microwave-generated air plasma can be used in a multitude of applications such as: (a) surface modification of a substrate to change its wettability; (b) surface modification to change electrical/optical properties of a substrate; and (c) enhancement of adhesive forces for improved bonding of polymeric microfluidic molds, such as bonding polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips to glass covers. These simple techniques of plasma generation and subsequent surface treatment and modification applications may bring new opportunities leading to new innovations not only in advanced labs, but also in undergraduate and even high school research labs.

AB - A simple and inexpensive method to generate plasma using a kitchen microwave oven is described in this paper. The microwave-generated plasma is characterized by spectroscopic analysis and compared with the absorption spectra of a gas discharge tube. A Paschen-like curve is observed as the microwave plasma initiation time is plotted as a function of the pressure of the plasma chamber. We have also demonstrated that this microwave-generated air plasma can be used in a multitude of applications such as: (a) surface modification of a substrate to change its wettability; (b) surface modification to change electrical/optical properties of a substrate; and (c) enhancement of adhesive forces for improved bonding of polymeric microfluidic molds, such as bonding polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips to glass covers. These simple techniques of plasma generation and subsequent surface treatment and modification applications may bring new opportunities leading to new innovations not only in advanced labs, but also in undergraduate and even high school research labs.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85103158977

U2 - 10.1119/10.0002706

DO - 10.1119/10.0002706

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85103158977

SN - 0002-9505

VL - 89

SP - 372

EP - 382

JO - American Journal of Physics

JF - American Journal of Physics

IS - 4

ER -

Plasma generation by household microwave oven for surface modification and other emerging applications

Abstract

Funding

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this