Gte Products Corporation

Osram Sylvania Inc.

Mattson Technology, Inc

Other

Lucidity Lights, Inc.

Valery A Godyak

Robert B Piejak

Benjamin Alexandrovich

Benjamin M Alexsandrovich

Jakob Maya

James N Lester

Alexander A Sapozhnikov

Felix Franck

Eugen Statnic

Fred Whitney

Robert Martin

Iosif Sheynberg

Kenneth R Hutcherson

Benjamin M Alexandrovich

Benjamin A Alexsandrovich

Eugene Statnic

The plasma reactor of the invention is intended for treating the surfaces of objects such as semiconductor wafers and large display panels, or the like, with plasma. The main part of the plasma reactor is an array of RF antenna cells, which are deeply immersed into the interior of the working chamber. Each antenna cell has a ferromagnetic core with a heat conductor and a coil wound onto the core. The core and coil are sealed in the protective cap. Deep immersion of the antenna cells having the structure of the invention provides high efficiency of plasma excitation, while the arrangement of the plasma cells and possibility of their individual adjustment provide high uniformity of plasma distribution and possibility of adjusting plasma parameters, such as plasma density, in a wide range.

Plasma reactor with inductive excitation of plasma and efficient removal of heat from the excitation coil

Methods and apparatus for improved inductively coupled plasma sources are disclosed. A remote linear plasma source can have a plurality of coil segments operable to power intense localized radiofrequency plasma current channels along inner surfaces of a chamber. A plurality of localized intense plasma current channels within a single chamber provides a relatively large active plasma volume, improves efficiency, and provides for favorable residence time and feed gas distribution in a plasma source. In various embodiments, a remote plasma source operable to generate active species is useful for applications such as chamber cleaning, processing materials, ion, electron, and/or neutral beam sources, gaseous discharge lamps, fluorescent lighting, gaseous lasers, and others.

Linear remote plasma source

A method and apparatus are provided for processing a substrate with a radiofrequency inductive plasma in the manufacture of a device. The inductive plasma is maintained with an inductive plasma applicator having one or more inductive coupling elements. There are thin windows between the inductive coupling elements and the interior of the processing chamber. Various embodiments have magnetic flux concentrators in the inductive coupling element and feed gas holes interspersed among the inductive coupling elements. The thin windows, magnetic flux concentrators, and interspersed feed gas holes are useful to effectuate uniform processing, high power transfer efficiency, and a high degree of coupling between the applicator and plasma. In some embodiments, capacitive current is suppressed using balanced voltage to power an inductive coupling element.

Inductive plasma source with high coupling efficiency

An induction RF fluorescent light lamp capable of providing increased structural support and axial alignment for a power coupler located in a re-entrant cavity of a lamp envelope of the induction RF fluorescent light lamp, the lamp envelope with re-entrant cavity both covered on a partial vacuum side with phosphor and filled with a working gas mixture, the re-entrant cavity having an open entrance end and a closed innermost end, and a pliable spacer positioned between and in contact with both the innermost end of the power coupler and the innermost end of the re-entrant cavity, the pliable spacer having a shape that both provides structural support to prevent movement of the power coupler with respect to the re-entrant cavity and to provide axial alignment of the power coupler to the re-entrant cavity.

RF coupler stabilization in an induction RF fluorescent light bulb

Plasma reactor with inductie excitation of plasma and efficient removal of heat from the excitation coil

A method and apparatus are provided for processing a substrate with a radiofrequency inductive plasma in the manufacture of a device. The inductive plasma is maintained with an inductive plasma applicator having one or more inductive coupling elements. There are thin windows between the inductive coupling elements and the interior of the processing chamber. Various embodiments have magnetic flux concentrators in the inductive coupling elements and feed gas holes interspersed among the inductive coupling elements. The thin windows, magnetic flux concentrators, and interspersed feed gas holes are useful to effectuate uniform processing, high power transfer efficiency, and a high degree of coupling between the applicator and plasma. In some embodiments, capacitive current is suppressed using balanced voltage to power an inductive coupling element.

An induction RF fluorescent lamp configuration provides reduced EMI, including a lamp envelope with a re-entrant cavity both covered on the partial vacuum side with phosphor and filled with a working gas mixture, a tubular ferromagnetic core on the non-vacuum side said re-entrant cavity wound directly on the said core with two windings having different numbers of turns, a first active winding having one end connected to an RF ballast and the other end connected to local ground, and a second passive winding having one end grounded and the other end free.

RF induction lamp with reduced electromagnetic interference

A lamp assembly adapted to operate as one of a total number of lamp assemblies that are connected together in series and connected to a ballast. The lamp assembly comprises an electrodeless, closed-loop, tubular lamp envelope enclosing mercury vapor and a buffer gas, and a transformer core disposed around a portion of the lamp envelope. An input winding is disposed on the transformer core so that it has a particular number of turns, N. An auxiliary winding is disposed on the transformer core so that it has a particular number of turns, N. The auxiliary winding is adapted to connect to the ballast and to couple with the input winding. The ratio of the particular number of turns Nto the particular number of turns Nis substantially proportional to the total number of lamp assemblies that are adapted to operate in series together.

Power splitter circuit for electrodeless lamp

A radio frequency (RF) power supply for an electrodeless lamp includes a pair of DC rails, an RF inverter having power input terminals connected between the rails, a first inductor arranged to inductively couple with an electrodeless lamp, first and second resonance capacitors that each connects a respective one of two input terminals of the first inductor to a same first rail of the pair of DC rails, and a second (ballasting) inductor connecting an output of the RF inverter to one of the two input terminals of the first inductor. Thus, the first inductor is connected in a symmetrical &#x3c0;-filter and supplied by two equal but phase-opposite voltages whose sum is the lamp voltage. The inductance of the ballasting inductor is significantly reduced so that the RF efficiency of the power supply is 96%.

Symmetrical RF power supply for inductively coupled electrodeless lamps

An ion-beam source comprising: a plasma-generation unit for generating plasma and an ion-extraction unit for extraction and acceleration of ions from the aforementioned plasma, where the ion-extraction unit is made in the form of at least one grid under a negative potential. The plasma generating unit consists of a working chamber having a deeply immersed antenna cell. The cell contains a ferromagnetic core, a heat conductor with a heat sink, at least one inductive coil wound onto the ferromagnetic core, and a cap made from a dielectric material that sealingly covers the ferromagnetic core and the inductive coil.

Ion-beam source

An electrodeless fluorescent lamphas an envelopethat includes a chamber. A coreof magnetic material, preferably ferrite, is positioned in the chamberand has a first windingsurrounding the core and having first and second lead-in wires, attached to a high frequency voltage supply or ballast. A second windingsurrounds the core, respective turns of the second windingbeing located adjacent turns of the first windingand electrically insulated therefrom. The second windinghas a free endand has another endconnected to one of the lead-in wires, for example. A braided sheathsurrounds the other of the lead-in wires. The first windingis generally called the RF antenna. The braided sheathis connected to the local ground. This inexpensive solution alone reduces the conductive EMI level sufficiently to pass all existing regulations on such interference with significant reserve.

An electrodeless fluorescent lamp () having a burner (), a ballast housing () containing a ballast () and a screw base () for connection to a power supply. A reentrant cavity () is formed in the burner () and an amalgam receptacle () containing amalgam () is formed as a part of the reentrant portion and in communication with the burner (). A housing cap (), formed of a suitable plastic, connects the burner () to the ballast housing () and a suitable adhesive () fixes the burner to the housing cap (). An EMI cup () is formed as an insert to fit into the ballast housing (), which also is formed of a suitable plastic, and has a bottom portion () and an EMI cap () with an aperture () therein closing an upper portion (). The EMI cup () and the EMI cap () are preferably formed from 0.5 mm brass. The amalgam receptacle () extends through the aperture () and into the cup (). For a fixed amalgam position, changing the aperture size allows adjustment of the amalgam tip temperature, and thus, allows control of the system lumen output, efficacy, CCT and CRI, all of which are dependent on the amalgam temperature.

Re-entrant cavity fluorescent lamp system

An electric lamp assembly includes an electrodeless lamp having an electrodeless lamp envelope enclosing a fill material for supporting a low pressure discharge, a driving inductor including a magnetic core disposed in proximity to the lamp envelope and an input winding disposed on the magnetic core, a compensation loop disposed in proximity to the lamp envelope, a radio frequency power source and a compensation loop network. The compensation loop network has an input coupled to the radio frequency power source and outputs coupled to the input winding and to the compensation loop. The radio frequency power source and the compensation loop network supply radio frequency energy to the electrodeless lamp to produce a discharge in the lamp envelope and supply radio frequency energy to the compensation loop to generate a magnetic field that substantially counteracts a magnetic field produced by the discharge. In one embodiment, the lamp envelope is a closed-loop, tubular lamp envelope, and the magnetic core is disposed around the lamp envelope. In another embodiment, the lamp envelope includes a reentrant cavity, and the magnetic core is disposed in the reentrant cavity.

Electrodeless lamp having compensation loop for suppression of magnetic

An electric lamp assembly includes an electrodeless lamp having a closed-loop, tubular envelope enclosing mercury vapor and a buffer gas at a pressure less than about 0.5 torr, a transformer core disposed around the lamp envelope, an input winding disposed on the transformer core and a radio frequency power source coupled to the input winding. The radio frequency source supplies sufficient radio frequency energy to the mercury vapor and the buffer gas to produce in the lamp envelope a discharge having a discharge current equal to or greater than about 2 amperes. The electrodeless lamp preferably includes a phosphor on an inside surface of the lamp envelope for emitting radiation in a predetermined wavelength range in response to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the discharge.

Growing community of inventors

Brookline, MA, United States of America

Valery A Godyak