Trapping and processing of dust particles in a low-pressure discharge

Formation, behaviour and modification of dust particles in a low-pressure plasma are discussed. Coulomb interactions of negatively charged particles together with other forces in the plasma result in efficient trapping. A single particle can be kept motionless in the plasma, and fully controlled by the experimentalist. We are able to accurately determine the particle properties by angle-resolved Mie scattering, and modify them by etching or deposition in the plasma. This research is related to the industrial demand for particles with specially tailored properties. We show that a low-pressure discharge is well suitable for production or surface modification of special dust particles.