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A capacitive coupled radio frequency double-pipe atmospheric-pressure plasma jet is used for the etching process in fabricating Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. Etchings were carried out on a crystalline silicon substrate. The etching rates can be controlled by the etch gas composition and the plasma conditions.

Atmospheric-pressure plasma cyclone with argon as the carrier gas was employed to modify the polysulfone membrane to increase its surface hydrophilicity. The variation of the polysulfone surface hydrophilicity was evaluated by static contact angle measurement and it converted highly hydrophilic when exposed in cyclonic plasma. The substantial rise in the surface energy of the treated polysulfone membranes by reason of surface etching and bond cleavage effect in the plasma surface modification was also observed. The chemical composition and the surface morphological alterations of cyclonic plasma treated polysulfone membranes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The major findings in this study considerably showed higher surface concentrations of polar functional groups for cyclonic plasma-activated polysulfone membrane surfaces more than originally pristine polysulfone membrane surfaces.