A system for plasma ignition and maintenance of an atmospheric pressure plasma. The system has a variable frequency alternating current (AC) power source, a transformer, a cable connected to a secondary winding of the transformer, a programmed microprocessor for control of power to the atmospheric pressure plasma. The microprocessor is configured to a) at pre-ignition, power the AC power source at an operational frequency f.sub.op higher than the resonant frequency f.sub.r, b) decrease the operational frequency f.sub.op of the AC power source until there is plasma ignition, and c) after the plasma ignition, further decrease the operational frequency f.sub.op of the AC power source to a frequency lower than the resonant frequency f.sub.r.

The invention relates to a method for testing an electrode arrangement (1) for generating a non-thermal plasma, having the following steps: determining at least one power parameter which characterizes a plasma power of the electrode arrangement (1); comparing the at least one power parameter with at least one predetermined target parameter value, and obtaining a comparison result; assessing the functionality of the electrode arrangement (1) on the basis of the comparison result, and preferably selecting at least one action according to the comparison result.

Disclosed is a plasma device which includes: a base including a power supply unit configured to receive electric power and form an AC signal, a gas flow rate adjustment unit configured to receive gas and control a flow rate of output gas, an input unit configured to receive an input of a user, and a controller configured to control the power supply unit and the gas flow rate adjustment unit according to the input; and a handpiece including a boosting transformer configured to boost the AC signal, an electrode structure configured to receive the boosted AC signal and the gas and form plasma, a switch configured to receive a plasma discharge signal of the user, and a nozzle configured to discharge the formed plasma, wherein the handpiece is connected to the base via a connector and is exchangeable.

A plasma generator capable of detecting whether a connector of a head is electrically connected to a power cable. When the connector of the plasma head is electrically connected to the cable harness, a signal current flows in a path from the controller to the ground via a photocoupler, a relay, a cable, a terminal, another terminal, and a first ground cable in response to a pulse signal outputted from the controller. Accordingly, the plasma generator is able to detect whether the connector of the head is electrically connected to the first power cable and the second power cable, based on whether the photocoupler detects a signal current.

A plasma power supply device includes an AC power supply configured to generate an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency for application to a pair of electrodes by way of a power supply harness which is replaceable partially or wholly to change a wiring length and which is flexible, and a control section configured to set the predetermined frequency of the AC power supply so that the frequency becomes lower as the power supply harness becomes longer.

Various disclosed embodiments include thermionic energy converters and electronic circuitry for generating pulses for igniting plasma in a hermetic package of a thermionic energy converter. In various embodiments, an illustrative thermionic energy converter includes a hermetic package charged with a non-cesium gas additive. The hermetic package is configured to route into the hermetic package pulses for igniting plasma in the hermetic package. A cesium reservoir is disposed in the hermetic package. A cathode is disposed in the hermetic package and an anode is disposed in the hermetic package.

Vacuum-treating a substrate or manufacturing a vacuum-treated substrate, including the steps: exposing a substrate in a vacuum chamber to a plasma environment, the plasma environment including a first plasma of a material deposition source and a second plasma of a non-deposition source; operating the plasma environment repeatedly between a first and a second state, the first state being defined by: a higher plasma supply power to the first plasma causing a higher material deposition rate and a lower plasma supply power delivered to the second plasma, the second state being defined by: a lower plasma supply power to the first plasma, compared with the higher plasma supply power to the first plasma and causing a lower material deposition rate and a higher plasma supply power to the second plasma, compared with the lower plasma supply power to the second plasma. Also, a vacuum deposition apparatus adapted to perform the method.

A system for plasma ignition and maintenance of an atmospheric pressure plasma. The system has a variable frequency alternating current (AC) power source, a transformer, a cable connected to a secondary winding of the transformer, a programmed microprocessor for control of power to the atmospheric pressure plasma. The microprocessor is configured to a) at pre-ignition, power the AC power source at an operational frequency f.sub.op higher than the resonant frequency f.sub.r, b) decrease the operational frequency f.sub.op of the AC power source until there is plasma ignition, and c) after the plasma ignition, further decrease the operational frequency f.sub.op of the AC power source to a frequency lower than the resonant frequency f.sub.r.

A control device includes an acquiring unit and a processing unit. The acquiring unit acquires a voltage course and a current course of a determinable number of periods of a frequency generator and transmits these to the processing unit. The processing unit determines a temporal offset t.sub.1 between a rising edge of the current course and a rising edge of the voltage course for each period of the determinable number of periods, and further determines if this temporal offset t.sub.1 is positive or negative. The processing unit determines a difference between the number of periods with positive temporal offset and the number of periods with negative temporal offset within the determinable number of periods, and generates and adapts a switching signal for a switch-on time of the voltage course if the number of periods with positive temporal offset differs from the number of periods with negative temporal offset.

A device for the electrical discharge processing of a non-conducting liquid including at least one alternating succession of essentially rectangular, parallel, and spaced-apart n electrode plates and n+1 dielectric plates, with n2, the electrode plates being numbered from 1 to n; the device includes a series of first electrical connectors electrically connected to all even numbered electrode plates in proximity to a first pair of diametrically opposite corners; and the device includes a series of second electrical connectors electrically connected to all odd numbered electrode plates in proximity to a second pair of diametrically opposite corners. Further, a method for electrical discharge processing of a non-conducting liquid using the device is disclosed.