Characterization of Ionic Wind induced by Electromagnetic Plasma Device

Ionic wind, generated by electrohydrodynamic phenomenon, enables airflow without mechanical movements and it draws considerable interest for potential applications, such as chip cooling and microfluidics. In this study, a novel electromagnetic plasma device was proposed, where initiation carriers were injected via dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and it allows plasma generation at a significantly reduced voltage compared to two-electrode discharges. The electromagnetic device successfully induces airflow near the device surface, but the detailed profile of the ionic wind has yet to be reported. Here, we present the measurements of ionic wind generated by the proposed plasma device using a micro hot-wired anemometer. Since the ionic wind is usually generated in a confined volume near the surface of a substrate, the commercial anemometers are found to too bulky to effectively detect the ionic wind. To enhance the sensitivity, we have constructed a tungsten wire air-bridge, 120 µm in diameter, supported on copper bonding pads. The micro anemometer successfully detected airflow-induced cooling, revealing a temperature drop over 7 ^oC during a 1 W plasma pulse. Infrared images were used to quantify the temperature change of the wire and map the ionic wind profile obtained from the device as a function of power and distance. This study demonstrates the feasibility of detecting surface-confined airflows and highlights the device’s potential in microfluidics and aerospace applications.