Power coupling and electrical characterization of a radio-frequency micro atmospheric pressure plasma jet

We propose an efficient RF power coupling scheme for a micro atmospheric pressure plasma jet operating in helium. The discharge gap is used as a resonant element in a series LC circuit. In resonance, the voltage across the discharge gap is amplified and the ignition of the plasma is enabled with the input RF power as low as 0.5 W. High power coupling efficiency and simplicity of the circuit allow accurate electrical characterization of the discharge. Systematic measurements of the dissipated power as a function of the applied voltage are reported for the discharge operating in helium with molecular admixtures of N 2 and O 2 .