The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 09, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 18, 1996
Tihiro Ohkawa, La Jolla, CA (US);
Toyo Technologies, Inc., La Jolla, CA (US);
Abstract
A device, and a method for using the device, for altering the surface of a substrate with a plasma includes a vessel having a chamber, a magnet and a plasma generator. Both the generator and the magnet are positioned outside the vessel while the substrate to be altered is placed in the chamber. The magnetic field is established substantially parallel to the substrate surface that is to be altered to insulate the plasma from the substrate surface. Also, a radio frequency wave is propagated from the generator into the chamber to generate the plasma in chamber which alters the surface. Specifically, the plasma is generated in ionization zones located between the substrate surface and the vessel walls. A region in the chamber is thus defined between the ionization zones where the plasma is established with substantially uniform density. Additionally, electrodes can be placed to voltage bias directly or capacitively the plasma for ion etching or deposition on the substrate surface. Also, the voltages on the electrodes can be configured in such a way to produce high energy neutrals which replace ions for etching the substrate surface.