A high resolution ion print head architecture which utilizes micro-dielectric barrier discharges (mDBD's) has been developed for charging of surfaces in electrophotographic (EP) printing. The mDBDs consist of arrays of micro-plasma devices (10-100 μm diameter) fabricated using MEMS techniques. A radio frequency (rf) voltage waveform biases an electrode which is buried in a dielectric substrate. A third biasing electrode separated by hundreds of microns from the dielectric surface is used to extract electron charges. To aid in the development and improve the performance of ion-head charging systems, a first principles, multi-dimensional computer modeling investigation has been conducted. The dynamics of the plasma and charging of the top surface as a function of rf frequency, voltage waveform and material properties will be discussed, with comparison of our results to experiments.
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