Induction plasma system
First Claim
1. An induction plasma system comprisingmeans defining a plasma chamber,a high frequency electrical coil surrounding said chamber,an oscillator for energizing said coil to establish a plasma maintaining condition in said chamber,said oscillator including a tank circuit tuned essentially to resonance with a plasma condition in said chamber,means for flowing gas through said chamber, andignition means for disposition in said chamber to initiate a plasma condition,said ignition means being constructed such that insertion of said ignition means into said chamber in the absence of a plasma condition shifts the impedance condition in said chamber to essentially the resonance condition that is established with said plasma condition without retuning said tank circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An induction plasma system includes a plasma chamber, a high frequency electrical coil that surrounds the chamber, and an oscillator for energizing the coil to establish a plasma maintaining condition in the chamber. The oscillator tank circuit includes the coil, and is tuned so that it is essentially at resonance when a plasma condition is established in the chamber. Ignition means is arranged for initiating a plasma condition, and is constructed such that insertion of the ignition means into the chamber in the absence of a plasma condition shifts the impedance condition in the chamber to essentially the same tuned condition that exists when a plasma condition is established in the plasma chamber, but without need to adjust any component of the tank circuit.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An induction plasma system comprising
means defining a plasma chamber, a high frequency electrical coil surrounding said chamber, an oscillator for energizing said coil to establish a plasma maintaining condition in said chamber, said oscillator including a tank circuit tuned essentially to resonance with a plasma condition in said chamber, means for flowing gas through said chamber, and ignition means for disposition in said chamber to initiate a plasma condition, said ignition means being constructed such that insertion of said ignition means into said chamber in the absence of a plasma condition shifts the impedance condition in said chamber to essentially the resonance condition that is established with said plasma condition without retuning said tank circuit.
Specification