Plasma excitation coil
US6441555B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 2000 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/321
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A spiral-like multi-turn coil excites a plasma for treating a workpiece in a vacuum plasma processor. In one embodiment two of the turns have a discontinuity. Each discontinuity has a capacitor connected across it. An RF source drives the coil via a matching network, an inductor connected to one coil excitation terminal and a capacitor connected to another coil excitation terminal. The impedances of the inductors and the capacitors at the RF source frequency and the discontinuity locations are such as to cause a standing wave voltage of the coil to have (1) equal and opposite values at the coil terminals, (2) sudden amplitude and slope changes, slope reversals and polarity reversals at each of the discontinuities, and (3) three gradual standing wave voltage polarity reversals, spaced from each other by 120°. Two of the gradual polarity reversals are azimuthally aligned with the discontinuities. In a second embodiment, one turn has a discontinuity having a series capacitor connected across it. A shunt capacitor is connected between the discontinuity and ground.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.