Method of and apparatus for a direct voltage arc discharge enhanced

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a reactive treatment of the surface of a workpiece, in which a process gas is brought into a chamber and a direct voltage arc discharge is generated in the chamber, the arc discharge is assisted or maintained, respectively by a coupling in of a flow of charged particles. In known treatment methods plasma generated in the direct voltage arc are generally distributed inhomogeneously in the inner space of the chamber and the area with a density of the plasma which is sufficient for the reactive surface treatment is relatively small. According to the invention this problem is solved in that the distribution of the effect of the treatment of the plasma in the chamber at least along a predetermined plane is set, and specifically by a setting of an areal distribution of the process gas inlet and/or setting of an areal distribution of the arc discharges in the chamber, in that the flow of charged particles is coupled into the chamber via a plurality of distribution openings. By such means, spatially large plasmas having high densities of ionization and acceptable densities of energy can be realized, such that it is possible to perform on the one hand treatment of large surface areas and on the other hand also treatment processes on objects which are thermally sensitive.