A pulsed radio frequency inductive plasma source and method are provided. The source may generate plasma at gas pressures from 1 torr to 2000 torr. By utilizing high power RF generation from fast solid state switches such as Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) combined with the resonance circuit, large inductive voltages can be applied to RF antennas to allow rapid gas breakdown from 1-100 μs. After initial breakdown, the same set of switches or an additional rf pulsed power systems are utilized to deliver large amount of rf power, between 10 kW to 10 MW, to the plasmas during the pulse duration of 10 μs-10 ms. In addition, several methods and apparatus for controlling the pulse power delivery, timing gas and materials supply, constructing reactor and substrate structure, and operating pumping system and plasma activated reactive materials delivery system will be disclosed. When combined with the pulsed plasma generation, these apparatuses and the methods can greatly improve the applicability and the efficacy of the industrial plasma processing.

Provided is a light extraction substrate capable of achieving both light extraction efficiency and preservability. Before forming a cap layer, a step of reducing in-membrane water content such that the in-membrane water content of a layer formed between a gas barrier layer and the cap layer is less than 1.0×10.sup.15/mg is performed. The in-membrane water content of less than 1.0×10.sup.15/mg is maintained until at least a step of forming the cap layer after the step of reducing the in-membrane water content, and the cap layer is then formed through a dry process.

Provided is a light extraction substrate capable of achieving both light extraction efficiency and preservability. Before forming a cap layer, a step of reducing in-membrane water content such that the in-membrane water content of a layer formed between a gas barrier layer and the cap layer is less than 1.0×10.sup.15/mg is performed. The in-membrane water content of less than 1.0×10.sup.15/mg is maintained until at least a step of forming the cap layer after the step of reducing the in-membrane water content, and the cap layer is then formed through a dry process.

A gas branching apparatus that branches and supplies a gas to first to N-th supply targets, includes first to N-th pipes wherein the first to N-th pipes are each branched into first to N-th branch pipes on a downstream end side, and wherein the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are connected in common to the i-th supply target, and the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are provided with valves, respectively, where i denotes each of integers of 1 to N.

A housing for a spark plug. The housing includes a bore along the longitudinal axis X of the housing, as the result of which the housing has an outer side and an inner side, and an electroplated or chemically applied nickel-containing protective layer situated on at least one portion of the outer side of the housing and a sealing layer situated on the nickel-containing protective layer. The sealing layer contains silicon. A first intermediate layer is applied between the housing and the nickel-containing protective layer and/or a second intermediate layer is applied between the nickel-containing protective layer and the sealing layer and/or a cover layer is applied on the sealing layer. The sealing layer may be free of chromium.

A pulsed radio frequency inductive plasma source and method are provided. The source may generate plasma at gas pressures from 1 torr to 2000 torr. By utilizing high power RF generation from fast solid state switches such as Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) combined with the resonance circuit, large inductive voltages can be applied to RF antennas to allow rapid gas breakdown from 1-100 μs. After initial breakdown, the same set of switches or an additional rf pulsed power systems are utilized to deliver large amount of rf power, between 10 kW to 10 MW, to the plasmas during the pulse duration of 10 μs-10 ms. In addition, several methods and apparatus for controlling the pulse power delivery, timing gas and materials supply, constructing reactor and substrate structure, and operating pumping system and plasma activated reactive materials delivery system will be disclosed. When combined with the pulsed plasma generation, these apparatuses and the methods can greatly improve the applicability and the efficacy of the industrial plasma processing.

A pulsed radio frequency inductive plasma source and method are provided. The source may generate plasma at gas pressures from 1 torr to 2000 torr. By utilizing high power RF generation from fast solid state switches such as Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) combined with the resonance circuit, large inductive voltages can be applied to RF antennas to allow rapid gas breakdown from 1-100 μs. After initial breakdown, the same set of switches or an additional rf pulsed power systems are utilized to deliver large amount of rf power, between 10 kW to 10 MW, to the plasmas during the pulse duration of 10 μs-10 ms. In addition, several methods and apparatus for controlling the pulse power delivery, timing gas and materials supply, constructing reactor and substrate structure, and operating pumping system and plasma activated reactive materials delivery system will be disclosed. When combined with the pulsed plasma generation, these apparatuses and the methods can greatly improve the applicability and the efficacy of the industrial plasma processing.

A method for passivating a metal surface including, generating an atmospheric plasma beam by electrical discharge in a working gas, introducing an acid-containing passivating agent into the plasma beam, applying the plasma beam containing the passivating agent to the metal surface, and depositing a passivating salt on the metal surface by a reaction between the acid-containing passivating agent and the metal surface. This method simplifies the process for passivating a metal surface and renders it more effective.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to substrate support assemblies for retaining a surface of a substrate having one or more devices disposed on the surface without contacting the one or more devices and deforming the substrate, and a system having the same. In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly includes an edge ring coupled to a body of the substrate support assembly. A controller is coupled to actuated mechanisms of a plurality of pixels coupled to the body of the substrate support assembly such that portions of pixels corresponding to a portion of the surface of a substrate to be retained are positioned to support the portion without contacting one or more devices disposed on the surface of the substrate to be retained on the support surface.

A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes: a silicon carbide layer; a silicon oxide layer; and a region disposed between the silicon carbide layer and the silicon oxide layer and having a nitrogen concentration equal to or more than 1×10.sup.21 cm.sup.−3. Nitrogen concentration distribution in the silicon carbide layer, the silicon oxide layer, and the region have a peak in the region, a nitrogen concentration at a position 1 nm away from the peak to the side of the silicon oxide layer is equal to or less than 1×10.sup.18 cm.sup.−3, and a carbon concentration at the position is equal to or less than 1×10.sup.18 cm.sup.−3.