Work piece processing by pulsed electric discharges in solid-gas plasma
US8262869B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 9, 2004 |
| Grant date | Sep 11, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J37/32697
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Work piece processing is performed by pulsed discharges between an anode (2) and a magnetron sputtering cathode (1) in solid-gas plasmas using a chamber (2) containing the work piece (7). A system (12) maintains a vacuum in the chamber and another system (14) provides sputtering and reactive gases. The pulses are produced in a plasma pulser circuit including the anode and the cathode, the discharges creating gas and partially ionized solid plasma blobs (3) moving or spreading from a region at a surface of the cathode towards the work piece and the anode. A potential is applied to the work piece so that a pulsed current comprising biasing pulses arises between the second electrodes. In particular biasing discharges are produced between the anode and the work piece when said plasma blobs have spread to regions at the anode and at the work piece so that the pulsed current is the current of these biasing discharges. The method is efficient for processing or modifying surface regions of work pieces of various kinds and configurations and can be employed for achieving efficient work piece etching, interface mixing, surface and balk diffusion, gas absorption and desorption, initial and fu…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.