What is plasma used for?

Here are some uses of plasma:

- Lighting: Plasma is used in various lighting applications, such as fluorescent lamps, plasma lamps, and plasma displays. In fluorescent lamps, plasma is created by passing an electric current through a tube filled with mercury vapor. The plasma emits ultraviolet (UV) light, which is then converted into visible light by the phosphor coating on the inside of the tube. Plasma lamps are similar to fluorescent lamps, but they use a higher-frequency electrical current to create a more intense plasma. Plasma displays use plasma to create images on a screen. The plasma is created between two glass plates, and the pixels are controlled by the amount of voltage applied to the plates.

- Welding and cutting: Plasma is used in welding and cutting processes, such as plasma arc welding (PAW) and plasma arc cutting (PAC). In PAW, a plasma torch is used to create a high-temperature plasma arc that melts the metal being welded. In PAC, the plasma arc is used to cut through the metal.

- Sputtering: Sputtering is a thin-film deposition process that uses plasma to eject material from a target onto a substrate. The plasma is created by applying an electrical current to a gas, such as argon or krypton. The ionized gas atoms then collide with the target, knocking off atoms or molecules that can be deposited on the substrate.

- Plasma etching: Plasma etching is a process used to remove material from a substrate using plasma. The plasma is created by applying an electrical current to a gas, such as oxygen or argon. The ionized gas atoms then react with the material on the substrate, causing it to be etched away.

- Plasma nitriding: Plasma nitriding is a process used to harden the surface of metal parts. The process involves exposing the metal to a plasma containing nitrogen gas. The nitrogen atoms diffuse into the metal, forming a hard and wear-resistant layer.

- Plasma medicine: Plasma medicine is a field of research that investigates the use of plasma for medical applications. Some potential applications of plasma medicine include wound healing, sterilization, and cancer treatment.