Toroidal low-field reactive gas source
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for dissociating gases, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a plasma chamber comprising a gas;
b. a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and a primary winding; and
c. a solid state AC switching power supply comprising one or more switching semiconductor devices coupled to a voltage supply and having an output coupled to the primary winding, the solid state AC switching power supply driving an AC current in the primary winding, the current inducing an AC potential inside the chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the gas.
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Abstract
An apparatus for dissociating gases includes a plasma chamber that may be formed from a metallic material and a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and having a primary winding. The apparatus also includes one or more switching semiconductor devices that are directly coupled to a voltage supply and that have an output coupled to the primary winding of the transformer. The one or more switching semiconductor devices drive current in the primary winding that induces a potential inside the chamber that forms a plasma which completes a secondary circuit of the transformer.
155 Citations
51 Claims
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1. An apparatus for dissociating gases, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a plasma chamber comprising a gas;
b. a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and a primary winding; and
c. a solid state AC switching power supply comprising one or more switching semiconductor devices coupled to a voltage supply and having an output coupled to the primary winding, the solid state AC switching power supply driving an AC current in the primary winding, the current inducing an AC potential inside the chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for material processing, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a plasma chamber comprising a gas;
b. a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and a primary winding;
c. a solid state AC switching power supply comprising one or more switching semiconductor devices coupled to a voltage supply and having an output coupled to the primary winding, the solid state AC switching power supply driving current in the primary winding, the current inducing an AC potential inside the chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the gas; and
d. a sample holder located relative to the plasma chamber and exposed to the dissociated gas. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for dissociating gases, the method comprising:
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a. confining a gas in a chamber at a pressure;
b. generating a current with a solid state AC switching power supply; and
c. inducing an AC potential inside the chamber by passing the current though a primary winding of a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the chamber, the induced AC potential directly forming a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the gas. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for cleaning a process chamber, the method comprising:
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a. flowing a gas in a chamber at a pressure;
b. generating a current with a solid state AC switching power supply;
c. inducing an AC potential inside the chamber by passing the current though a primary winding of a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the chamber, the induced AC potential directly forming a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the gas forming chemically active species; and
d. directing the chemically active species generated by the plasma from the plasma chamber into the process chamber, thereby cleaning the process chamber. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A method for processing materials, the method comprising:
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a. flowing a gas in a chamber at a pressure;
b. generating a current with a solid state AC switching power supply;
c. inducing an AC potential inside the chamber by passing the current though a primary winding of a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the chamber, the induced AC potential directly forming a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the gas; and
d. exposing material to be processed to the dissociated gas. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. An apparatus for dissociating gases comprising:
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a) a plasma chamber comprising an electrically conductive material and at least one dielectric region that forms an electrical discontinuity that substantially prevents induced current flow from forming in the plasma chamber itself, the plasma chamber further comprising an inlet for providing a gas;
b) a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and a primary winding; and
c) an AC power supply having an output electrically connected to the primary winding, the AC power supply driving current in the primary winding, the current inducing an AC potential inside the plasma chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma which completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the gas. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An apparatus for dissociating gases, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a plasma chamber comprising a gas;
b. a primary winding of a transformer magnetically coupled to a portion of the plasma chamber; and
c. a solid state AC switching power supply comprising one or more switching semiconductor devices coupled to a voltage supply and having an output coupled to the primary winding of the transformer, the solid state AC switching power supply driving an AC current in the primary winding, the current inducing an AC potential inside the chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the gas. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. An apparatus for activating gases, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a plasma chamber comprising a gas;
b. a primary winding of a transformer magnetically coupled to a portion of the plasma chamber; and
c. a solid state AC switching power supply comprising one or more switching semiconductor devices coupled to a voltage supply and having an output coupled to the primary winding of the transformer, the solid state AC switching power supply driving an AC current in the primary winding, the current inducing an AC potential inside the chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and activates the gas. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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48. A downstream plasma source comprising:
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a) a metallic plasma chamber coupled to a process chamber having a material disposed therein;
b) at least one dielectric region that forms an electrical discontinuity that substantially prevents induced current flow from forming in the plasma chamber itself;
c) a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and a primary winding;
d) a gas inlet for providing a feed gas to the plasma chamber; and
e) an AC power supply having an output connected to the primary winding, the AC power supply driving an AC current in the primary winding, the AC current inducing an AC potential inside the plasma chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the feed gas, the dissociated feed gas flowing downstream into the process chamber for processing the material disposed therein.
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49. A downstream plasma source for cleaning a process chambers the downstream plasma source comprising:
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a) a metallic plasma chamber coupled to a process chamber;
b) at least one dielectric region that forms an electrical discontinuity that substantially prevents induced current flow from forming in the plasma chamber itself;
c) a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and a primary winding;
d) a gas inlet for providing a feed gas to the plasma chamber; and
e) an AC power supply having an output connected to the primary winding, the AC power supply driving an AC current in the primary winding, the AC current inducing an AC potential inside the plasma chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the feed gas, the dissociated feed gas flowing into the process chamber for cleaning the process chamber.
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50. A downstream plasma source for cleaning a process chamber, the downstream plasma source comprising:
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a) a plasma chamber coupled to a process chamber;
b) a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and a primary winding;
c) a gas inlet for providing a feed gas to the plasma chamber; and
d) an AC switching power supply having an output coupled to the primary winding, the AC switching power supply driving an AC current in the primary winding with a sinusoidal waveform, the AC current inducing an AC potential inside the plasma chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the feed gas, the dissociated feed gas flowing into the process chamber for cleaning the process chamber.
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51. A downstream plasma source comprising:
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a) a plasma chamber having at least one side exposed to a process chamber having a material disposed therein;
b) a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and a primary winding;
c) a gas inlet for providing a feed gas to the plasma chamber; and
d) an AC switching power supply having an output connected to the primary winding, the AC switching power supply driving an AC current in the primary winding, the AC current inducing an AC potential inside the plasma chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the feed gas, the dissociated feed gas and charged particles generated by the plasma flowing into the process chamber for processing the material disposed therein.
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Specification