Nordson Corporation

Louis Fierro

James Donald Getty

Thomas V Bolden

Robert Sergei Condrashoff

Elmer M Calica

William J Brass

Apparatus for treating products with plasma generated from a source gas. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a plurality of juxtaposed electrodes arranged in adjacent pairs inside the vacuum chamber, and a plasma excitation source electrically coupled with the electrodes. The apparatus may include conductive members extending into the interior of each electrode to establish a respective electrical connection with the plasma excitation source. The apparatus may include a gas distribution manifold and multiple gas delivery tubes coupled with the gas distribution manifold. Each gas delivery tube has an injection port configured to inject the source gas between each adjacent pair of electrodes. The apparatus may further include flow restricting members that operate to partially obstruct a peripheral gap between each adjacent pair of electrodes, which restricts the escape of the source gas from the process chamber between each adjacent pair of electrodes.

Multiple-electrode plasma processing systems with confined process chambers and interior-bussed electrical connections with the electrodes

Plasma treatment systems and methods for distributing RF energy to electrodes in a plasma treatment system. The plasma treatment system includes power and ground busses, positive and negative phase primary electrode busses, and positive and negative phase secondary electrode busses. The power and ground busses are coupled to the secondary electrode busses by isolation transformers so that the negative phase secondary electrode buss is provided with an RF signal that is 180 degrees out of phase with the RF signal supplied to the positive phase secondary electrode buss. The secondary electrode busses are coupled to respective positive and negative phase primary electrode busses by capacitors. The primary electrode busses are each coupled to electrodes in the vacuum chamber. Load coils coupling the primary electrode busses to an RF ground may cooperative with the capacitors to adjust the input impedance at the power buss.

Plasma treatment systems and methods for uniformly distributing radiofrequency power between multiple electrodes

Magnetic clips for use with a substrate holder for holding a substrate in a processing chamber of a plasma treatment system. The clip includes first and second body members each having a clamping surface and a magnet. The first body member is configured to be mechanically connected with the substrate holder. The second body member is pivotally connected by a hinge with the first body member for movement relative to the first body member between closed and opened positions. In the closed position, an edge region of the substrate is positioned between the clamping surfaces. In the opened position, the edge region is released. The magnet on the second body member magnetically attracts the magnet on the first body member, when the second body member is in the closed position, to apply a force that restrains movement of the edge region of the substrate relative to the clamping surfaces.

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Clearwater, FL, United States of America

Louis Fierro