Plasma Innovation Lab., led by Distinguished Prof. YU-LIN KUO, primarily focuses on key technology—Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (APP) technology. Traditional plasma processes typically operate in low-pressure environments, requiring expensive vacuum chambers and pumps to maintain them. This not only increases costs but also significantly reduces processing capacity per unit time and raises equipment maintenance expenses. However, APP technology can generate stable plasma without vacuum equipment, simplifying device structures and reducing operating and maintenance costs. Additionally, workpieces are no longer limited by vacuum chamber size, enabling continuous operation and greatly enhancing processing efficiency. Compared to traditional low-pressure plasma, APP technology significantly expands the range of plasma applications.

APP technology is currently used across various industries, particularly in jet plasma systems, which have gained attention for their non-thermal plasma characteristics and ease of integration into production lines. Typical atmospheric-pressure plasma systems include arc plasma torches, corona discharges, dielectric barrier discharges (DBD), atmospheric-pressure plasma jets (APPJ), and microplasma. The PI Lab. is actively developing APP technology to replace traditional methods. At this stage, we have developed various plasma nozzles and spray heads, including fixed and rotating atmospheric pressure plasma nozzles, to meet the needs of different processing technologies. Additionally, various working gases, such as air, nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), ethylene (C2H2) etc., can be used for specific applications. The concept of utilizing APP technology is to elucidate the "Plasma-Substrate Interaction", which refers to the processes that occur when a plasma (a partially ionized gas containing ions, electrons, and neutral particles) comes into contact with a material surface (the substrate). The plasma species can be detected via an optical emission spectrometer (OES). This interaction is crucial in materials processing, surface treatment, and thin-film deposition. 

PI lab. assists partner companies in the research and development of equipment components related to APP technology and provides application technology improvement solutions and optimization settings for equipment parameters. Research results show that different plasma nozzles produce significantly different working temperatures. A fixed plasma nozzle generates a higher working temperature, which may enable surface modification of metal materials, while a rotating plasma nozzle can produce working temperatures below 100°C, making it suitable for surface treatment of polymer materials without causing thermal damage. To expand plasma applications, the APP system can also integrate with robotic arms through plasma nozzle adapters, enabling surface treatment of multidimensional products.