A position detection apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a first optical system configured to focus, among light including first light and second light generated along with EUV light from plasma generated by causing a condenser lens to focus laser light on a target, the first light by the condenser lens, a first position detector configured to detect the first light focused by the first optical system, a second optical system configured to focus the second light, a second position detector configured to detect the second light focused by the second optical system, and a position detection processing unit configured to detect change of a position of the plasma from change of a spot of the first light and change of the spot of the second light.

An ignition apparatus is provided which ignites a mixture of air and fuel gas by plasma to generate an initial flame. The apparatus includes: a spark plug that includes an inner conductor, a cylindrical outer conductor that holds the inner conductor thereinside, and a dielectric that is provided between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, and that generates plasma in a plasma formation space between the inner conductor and the outer conductor; an electromagnetic wave power supply that generates an electromagnetic wave to apply electromagnetic wave power to the spark plug; an evaluation section that evaluates a state of formation of the plasma; a determination section that determines a matching object of the electromagnetic wave based on an evaluation result by the evaluation section; and a coupled state control section that controls a matching condition of the electromagnetic wave so that the electromagnetic wave matches the matching object.

A plasma interaction simulator is presented. The simulator magnetically induces multiple distinct flows of plasma within a physical plasma vessel. The plasma flows collide with each other at flow interaction boundaries where discontinuities arising due to differences between the flows give rise to interactions. Sensors can be incorporated into the plasma simulator to observe and collect data about the plasma flow interactions.

A system to collect sensor data from an interaction between a plasma and a material and use a machine learning system to characterize the material. A method and apparatus for characterizing and evaluating a material. The method includes in one embodiment applying a cold atmospheric plasma to an interface with the material, measuring a plurality of interactions between the plasma and the interface using a plurality of sensors to generate sensor data, and utilizing a trained machine learning model to analyze the sensor data to generate characterization of the bulk and/or surface material properties based on the interactions.

A plasma system comprising a low temperature plasma source incident on a material sample and a plurality of sensors that measure a plurality of different characteristics of the plasma. The plasma system further comprising a feedback control system that receives measurements from the plurality of sensors and adjusts inputs to the low temperature plasma source to control one or more of physical, electrical, electromagnetic, chemical, or thermal characteristics of a plasma generated, at a sub-second rate.

The disclosure provides an optical calibration device for in-chamber calibration of optical signals associated with a processing chamber, a characterization system for plasma processing chambers, methods of characterizing plasma processing chambers, and a chamber characterizer. In one example, the optical calibration device includes: (1) an enclosure, (2) an optical source located within the enclosure and configured to provide a source light having a continuous spectrum, and (3) optical shaping elements located within the enclosure and configured to form the source light into a calibrating light that approximates a plasma emission during an operation within the processing chamber.

Methods and devices for sampling a composite signal relating to a plasma process are provided. The composite signal has at least one plasma signal of interest and superimposed by at least one interfering signal. The methods include identifying the at least one interfering signal, digitalizing the composite signal by sampling the composite signal at a sampling frequency, and varying the sampling frequency during an operation of the plasma process according to at least one of a frequency of the at least one plasma signal of interest and a frequency of the at least one interfering signal.

A plasma interaction simulator is presented. The simulator magnetically induces multiple distinct flows of plasma within a physical plasma vessel. The plasma flows collide with each other at flow interaction boundaries where discontinuities arising due to differences between the flows give rise to interactions. Sensors can be incorporated into the plasma simulator to observe and collect data about the plasma flow interactions.

A dielectric barrier discharge ionization detector (BID) capable of achieving a high level of signal-to-noise ratio in a stable manner is provided. In a BID having a high-voltage electrode, upstream-side ground electrode and downstream-side ground electrode circumferentially formed on the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical dielectric tube, a heater for heating the cylindrical dielectric tube or tube-line tip member attached to the upper end of the same tube is provided. Increasing the temperature of the cylindrical dielectric tube by this heater improves the stability of the electric discharge, whereby the amount of noise is reduced and a high level of signal-to-noise is achieved.

The dielectric barrier discharge ionization detector includes: a dielectric tube through which a plasma generation gas is passed; a high-voltage electrode formed on the outer wall of the dielectric tube; two ground electrodes and formed on the outer wall of the dielectric tube, with the high-voltage electrode in between; a voltage supplier for applying AC voltage between the high-voltage electrode and each ground electrode to generate electric discharge within the dielectric tube and thereby generate plasma from the plasma generation gas; and a charge-collecting section for detecting an ion current formed by ionized sample-component gas produced by the plasma. The distance between one ground electrode and the high-voltage electrode is longer than a discharge initiation distance between these two electrodes, while the distance between the other ground electrode and the high-voltage electrode is shorter than the discharge initiation distance between these two electrodes.