Integrated plasma chamber and inductively-coupled toroidal plasma source
US6924455B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 26, 2001 |
| Grant date | Aug 2, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 30, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/32862
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A material processing apparatus having an integrated toroidal plasma source is described. The material processing apparatus includes a plasma chamber that comprises a portion of an outer surface of a process chamber. A transformer having a magnetic core surrounds a portion of the plasma chamber. The transformer has a primary winding. A solid state AC switching power supply comprising one or more switching semiconductor devices is coupled to a voltage supply and has an output that is coupled to the primary winding. The solid state AC switching power supply drives an AC current in the primary winding that induces an AC potential inside the chamber that directly forms a toroidal plasma that completes a secondary circuit of the transformer and dissociates the gas.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.