Debye size microprobes for electric field measurements in laboratory plasmas

Microelectromechanical systems MEMS have led to the development of a host of tiny machines and sensors over the past decade. Plasma physics is in great need of small detectors for several reasons. First of all, very small detectors do not disturb a plasma, and secondly some detectors can only work because they are very small. We report on the first of a series of small sub-Debye length probes for laboratory plasmas undertaken at the basic Plasma Science Facility at UCLA. The goal of the work is to develop robust and sensitive diagnostic probes that can survive in a plasma. The probes must have electronics packages in close proximity. We report on the construction and testing of probes that measure the electric field. © 2006 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2198730