Surface processes of dust particles in low pressure plasmas

This paper presents several aspects of applied dusty plasma research. New a pplications of dust particles are emerging; there is growing demand for par ticles with special properties, and for particle-seeded composite materials . Low-pressure plasmas offer a unique possibility of confinement, control a nd fine tailoring of particle properties. The role of low-pressure technolo gy in surface modification (coating) of dust grains is discussed and illust rated with examples. Fundamental research related to industrial particle tr eatment aims at the understanding the surface chemistry of processing. More specifically, the nature of plasma-particle interactions must be resolved. Heat exchange and particle temperature, discussed in this paper, are of ma jor interest in the applied dusty plasma studies.