The present work provides an experimental investigation of a novel surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator consisting of a 0.3 mm-thick alkali-free quartz substrate as dielectric barrier material and titanium-tungsten electrodes. The device is manufactured using ultraviolet lithography and CMOS processes, and experiments are conducted under sinusoidal plasma actuation in a vacuum chamber with pressure ranging from 20 kPa to 0.01 Pa. Intensified high-speed visualizations of the plasma discharge and electrical signals (current/voltage/power) define the diagnostic toolbox. Results highlight that at 20 kPa the plasma discharge is driven by the formation of micro sparks on the inner edge of the exposed electrode, propagating downstream in larger current structures. At 1 kPa, the plasma discharge becomes more glow-type with negative current regimes longer than the positive ones, while the voltage …