RF loaded line type capacitive plasma source for broad range of operating gas pressure

• US 6,707,051 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wintek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wintek Corporation
• Inventors: Shunʼko, Evgeny V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells, Nikita
• Application Number:
  US10/192,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20040012319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 250/492.1, 250/492.2, 250/423.R, 250/425, 313/359.1, 313/362.1, 315/111.21, 315/111.81
• US Class Current: 250/492.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32357 Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/466 using capacitive coupling means, e.g. electrodes

Abstract

An RF loaded line type CCP source-having two collar type electrodes with an operating tube passing through these electrodes. One of the electrodes (high voltage electrode) is connected with the core of a feeding coaxial cable leading to a power supply, and another one is grounded by connection to a braid of the feeding coaxial cable, and the grounded electrode is further extended to form an outer cylindrical shield enveloping the operating tube with the high voltage electrode to provide a termination of an RF loaded line wherein the high voltage electrode with a plasma beam excited within the operating tube by action of an electric field between the electrodes form a core of this RF line. To provide effective contribution of RF energy in the plasma beam, the impedance of this line can be matched to the impedance of the plasma beam and matched also to the impedance of the feeding cable.

Claims

1. A radio frequency capacitive coupled plasma source comprising:

a high voltage collar type electrode connected to a core of a feeding coaxial cable leading to a power supply;

a grounded collar type electrode spaced from said high voltage collar type electrode and connected to a shield of said coaxial cable;

an operating tube passing through both said collar type electrodes for containing a plasma beam excited by an electric field acting between said collar type electrodes when fed from said power supply;

said grounded collar type electrode extended to provide an outer shield formed to symmetrically envelope said operating tube with said high voltage collar type electrode and arranged to provide a termination for a loaded radio frequency line wherein said high voltage collar type electrode with said plasma beam excited inside said operating tube forms a core of said radio frequency line;

said outer shield forming a housing with an interior cavity between its inner surface and outer surfaces of said high voltage electrode and said operating tube; and

means for supplying a gaseous working medium into said operating tube at an end thereof adjacent the high voltage electrode to provide a plasma beam discharge from an opposite end of said operating tube.

2. The plasma source of claim 1 wherein said electrodes, operating tube and shield have a symmetrical circular cylindrical shape.

3. The plasma source of claim 1 wherein said electrodes, operating tube and shield have a flattened cylindrical symmetry.

4. The plasma source of claim 3 wherein said operating tube has partitions dividing an interior of said operating tube to provide a plurality of parallel tubes.

5. The plasma source of claim 3 wherein said operating tube is comprised of an aligned series of parallel tubes.

6. The plasma source of claim 1, wherein said electrodes, operating tube and shield are dimensioned and arranged as said radio frequency line which is impedance matched with an impedance of said feeding coaxial cable.

7. The plasma source of claim 6 wherein said electrodes, operating tube and shield are dimensioned and arranged to provide impedance matching for the excited plasma beam with the impedance of said radio frequency line.

8. The plasma source of claim 1, wherein said outer shield is provided with openings having linear sizes significantly less than the wave length of a radio frequency of said power supply to provide outside forced air cooling ventilation of said housing without any destruction of shielding features of said outer cylindrical shield.

9. The plasma source of claim 1, wherein said outer shield is solid, said interior cavity is closed, sealed, and filled with a high pressure gaseous medium to set a required value of a breakdown voltage between said high voltage and said grounded collar type electrodes.

10. The plasma source of claim 1, wherein said outer shield is solid, said interior cavity is closed, sealed, and filled with a liquid insulating and cooling medium to set a required value of a breakdown voltage between said high voltage and said grounded collar type electrodes and to provide an intensive cooling for said high voltage electrode and said operating tube.

11. The plasma source of claim 10, wherein said interior cavity is connected with an outer circulation conduit for cooling.

12. The plasma source of claim 1, wherein said high voltage and said grounded collar type electrodes have separated cooling conduits provided in said electrodes.

13. The plasma source of claim 1, wherein said high voltage and said grounded collar type electrodes have end portions faced to one another with annular collar spaces between said facing end portions and said tube, said annular collar spaces being greater in radial cross section at intermediate portions thereof between said facing end portions and terminating interior portions where the electrodes engage said tube for decreasing the probability of an electric breakdown along said operating tube surface between said electrodes.

14. The plasma source of claim 13, wherein said high voltage and said grounded collar type electrodes comprise a soft conductive water cooling pipe wound tightly around said operating tube which is dressed preliminarily with a soft metallic braid, and said wound water cooling pipe is housed in a cylindrical cartridge having two end caps securing edges of said braid with said cartridge and thereby also forming said annular spaces.