Patent · US Expired

Process and device for producing a homogeneous large-volume plasma of high density and of low electronic temperature

US4534842A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
3References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 13, 1984
Grant dateAug 13, 1985
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 13, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05H1/11
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to the production of plasma. The process according to the invention comprises the steps of: maintaining a gaseous medium in an enclosure at a pressure in the range of 10.sup.-5 to 10.sup.-1 Torr; exciting this gaseous medium in the enclosure by means of UHF waves in the range of one to ten gigahertz, producing a plasma; and maintaining this plasma in the enclosure by means of a magnetic confinement shell comprising many elongated magnetic elements arranged parallel to each other inside the enclosure near the respective interior surfaces, the faces of the magnetic elements which face the interior of the enclosure having alternating polarities. It is more particularly applicable to the microelectronics industry.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.