Plasma processing has provided impressive capabilities for converting either inert or weakly reactive materials into activated species which produce light, modify or create materials or activate other processes. The impact of plasma processing for modification of high technology materials owes its success, in part, to a legacy of research on what at first look seems like unrelated topics, such as lighting, lasers and upper atmospheric physics. These projects created a continuity of knowledgebases of experimental and computational techniques and fundametal data which have provided the foundation for today's advances in plasma based technologies. For example, advanced microdischarge plasma sources such as plasma display panels can trace their origins to dielectric barrier discharges for ozonizers. This legacy of "continuity," leveraging knowledge bases to move forward plasma based technologies, provides insights to how plasmas will impact future high technology applications in microelectronics fabrication, sensors, biotechnology, lighting, and materials processing. That continuity and expectations for future developments in the field will be discussed.
@FootnoteText@
@footnote 1@ Work supported by the National Science Foundation, Semiconductor Research Corporation, 3M Inc. and AFOSR.