Apparatus for producing planar plasma using varying magnetic poles
First Claim
1. An apparatus for generating a low pressure plasma, comprising:
- a chamber for enclosing process gases at reduced pressures and including means for controlling gas pressure and flow;
an approximately planar insulating window for passing varying magnetic fields at radio frequencies from outside the chamber into said process gases; and
means for four or more radio frequency varying magnetic poles in proximity to said insulated window, with adjacent varying magnetic poles of opposite polarity and approximately equally spaced for connection to an alternating current radio frequency power source, wherein a radio frequency varying magnetic field from said varying magnetic poles is coupled through said planar insulating window to create a plasma within said chamber.
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Abstract
A plasma generation system comprises a two-by-two or larger array of alternating magnetic poles set proximate to an insulating window in a chamber containing a process gas. The magnetic poles are ferromagnetic core coils driven by a radio frequency power source at sufficient energies to generate a plasma within the process gas chamber. The magnetic poles are included in ferromagnetic core coils that are wired to the radio frequency power source such that each magnetic pole is surrounded equally in the plane of the insulating window by adjacent magnetic poles of opposite magnetic polarity and uniform magnitudes. In a two-by-two array, the two sets of opposite corners have opposite magnetic polarities.
163 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus for generating a low pressure plasma, comprising:
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a chamber for enclosing process gases at reduced pressures and including means for controlling gas pressure and flow; an approximately planar insulating window for passing varying magnetic fields at radio frequencies from outside the chamber into said process gases; and means for four or more radio frequency varying magnetic poles in proximity to said insulated window, with adjacent varying magnetic poles of opposite polarity and approximately equally spaced for connection to an alternating current radio frequency power source, wherein a radio frequency varying magnetic field from said varying magnetic poles is coupled through said planar insulating window to create a plasma within said chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An apparatus for generating a low pressure plasma, comprising:
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a chamber for enclosing process gases at reduced pressures and including means for controlling gas pressure and flow; an approximately planar insulating window for passing varying magnetic fields from outside the chamber into said process gases; and means for four or more varying magnetic poles in proximity to said insulated window, with adjacent varying magnetic poles of opposite polarity and approximately equally spaced, wherein each of the poles is elongated in one dimension with said approximately equal spacing in a dimension perpendicular to said magnetic pole elongation and parallel to said insulating window. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for generating a low pressure plasma, comprising:
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a chamber for enclosing process gases at reduced pressures and including means for controlling gas pressure and flow; an approximately planar insulating window for passing varying magnetic fields from outside the chamber into said process gases; and means for four or more varying magnetic poles in proximity to said insulated window, with adjacent varying magnetic poles of opposite polarity and approximately equally spaced, wherein said adjacent opposite polarity magnetic poles are approximately equally spaced in two dimensions. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for generating a low-pressure plasma in a chamber containing-a process gas through an insulating window in the chamber, comprising:
a plurality of ferromagnetic core coils having respective magnetic poles placed proximate to said insulating window in at least a two-by-two array in a plane and connected with each magnetic pole surrounded by adjacent magnetic poles of opposite magnetic polarity, wherein in each two-by-two array, the two sets of opposite corners instantaneously have opposite magnetic polarities. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for generating a low-pressure plasma in a chamber containing a process gas through an insulating window in the chamber, comprising:
a plurality of ferromagnetic core coils in a row having respective elongated magnetic poles placed proximate to said insulating window in at least a one-by-four array in a plane and connected with each magnetic pole surrounded on either side by adjacent magnetic poles of opposite magnetic polarity, wherein said magnetic poles are elongated in a direction orthogonal to said row. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
Specification