Plasmas for lab-on-the-chip applications

Two small-size plasmas used as detectors of halogenated hydrocarbons and suitable for miniaturized instrumentation are discussed. A reduced pressure dielectric barrier discharge was integrated in a diode laser atomic absorption spectrometer and the already reported chlorine detection limits of 5 ppm (v/v) can be improved with one order of magnitude by spatially resolved measurements. A microstructured electrode discharge at atmospheric pressure was coupled with a miniaturized Echelle spectrometer and detection limits were found to be 20 ppb for chlorine as well as for fluorine. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.