Disclosed are a hollow cathode discharge assistant transformer coupled plasma source and an operation method of the same. A reaction chamber with an annular channel is provided, and a ferrite transformer with a first ferrite magnetic core wound with a first coil and a second ferrite magnetic core wound with a second coil and a drive power source is provided. The drive power source applies an AC power supply with a first voltage to the first coil to generate an alternating magnetic field. The second coil generates a second voltage by inducing the alternating magnetic field to excite a working gas in the annular channel into a plasma through a hollow cathode discharge mechanism. The annular channel induces the alternating magnetic field through a transformer coupled plasma mechanism to generate an induced electric field to excite the plasma to form an electric current in the annular channel.

An approach is disclosed processing elements from input gases. The input gases are received into an electromagnetic plasma separator where the input gases are heated to at least 8000 degrees Kelvin, via a plasma combustor, to form a gas plasma element state. The gas plasma element state is sent through a series of concentrated super conducting magnets M (M.sub.1, M.sub.2, . . . , M.sub.i, . . . , M.sub.n), i>1, which act as targeted plasma separators. Each super conducting magnet M.sub.i in the series of concentrated super conducting magnets M (M.sub.1, M.sub.2, . . . , M.sub.i, . . . , M.sub.n) extracts a corresponding individual plasma state element from the gas plasma into a corresponding separated element S (S.sub.1, S.sub.2, . . . . S.sub.i, . . . , Sn) until a residue of oxygen, nitrogen, and other trace elements remain. The corresponding plasma state element is extracted into a separation arrangement.

A sensor system and method of reducing plasma-induced communication inhibition for a main antenna includes using auxiliary antennas for detecting a density of plasma that affects operation of the main antenna, and re-orienting an electromagnetic field around the main antenna in response to the density detected to reduce effect of the plasma on the main antenna. The auxiliary antennas are also operable for data link communication and switchable such if the density of the plasma inhibits receipt or sending of signals by one of the auxiliary antennas, another one of the auxiliary antennas may be used for data link communication.

Aspects and embodiments relate to plasma torch device component monitoring, a plasma torch device component monitoring system and a plasma torch device including such a monitoring system or suitable for use with such a system. The monitoring method comprises: collecting electromagnetic radiation generated by a plasma torch in a plasma torch device; analysing the collected electromagnetic radiation generated by the plasma torch; comparing the analysed electromagnetic radiation generated to known electromagnetic radiation associated with one or more components of the plasma torch device; and triggering one or more actions in the event that the analysed emission differs from the known emission. Such a monitoring method can allow for ameliorative action to be taken in the event that degradation of one or more components forming the device is detected.

A system for controlling plasma uniformity according to an embodiment includes a plasma generator configured to generate plasma by applying pulsed power to a plasma source gas, an ion supply unit connected to the plasma generator and configured to receive and accommodate the plasma generated by the plasma generator, a plurality of segmented electrodes positioned inside or below the ion supply unit and configured to be electrically isolated from each other and individually biased at voltages, and a controller configured to control the amount of supply of ions moving from the ion supply unit to the plurality of segmented electrodes.

A power generator is described that provides at least one of electrical and thermal power comprising (i) at least one reaction cell for reactions involving atomic hydrogen products identifiable by unique analytical and spectroscopic signatures, (ii) a molten metal injection system comprising at least one pump such as an electromagnetic pump that provides a molten metal stream to the reaction cell and at least one reservoir that receives the molten metal stream, and (iii) an ignition system comprising an electrical power source that provides low-voltage, high-current electrical energy to the at least one steam of molten metal to ignite a plasma to initiate rapid kinetics of the reaction and an energy gain. In some embodiments, the power generator may comprise: (v) a source of H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 supplied to the plasma, (vi) a molten metal recovery system, and (vii) a power converter capable of (a) converting the high-power light output from a blackbody radiator of the cell into electricity using concentrator thermophotovoltaic cells with plasma light recycling or (b) converting the energetic plasma into electricity using a magnetohydrodynamic converter.

A valve includes a body, an inlet configured to receive a pressurized gas, an outlet configured to receive the pressurized gas from the inlet, and a region configured to receive the pressurized gas from the inlet. The valve further includes a plug having a longitudinal axis and configured to be controllably moved within the body along the longitudinal axis. The plug is movable between a sealed position and at least one non-sealed position. The plug in the sealed position forms a first seal and a second seal with the body, the first seal between the inlet and the outlet and the second seal between the inlet and the region. The plug in the sealed position is biased towards the sealed position by the pressurized gas. The plug in the at least one non-sealed position is biased away from the sealed position by the pressurized gas.

Disclosed are a hollow cathode discharge assistant transformer coupled plasma source and an operation method of the same. A reaction chamber with an annular channel is provided, and a ferrite transformer with a first ferrite magnetic core wound with a first coil and a second ferrite magnetic core wound with a second coil and a drive power source is provided. The drive power source applies an AC power supply with a first voltage to the first coil to generate an alternating magnetic field. The second coil generates a second voltage by inducing the alternating magnetic field to excite a working gas in the annular channel into a plasma through a hollow cathode discharge mechanism. The annular channel induces the alternating magnetic field through a transformer coupled plasma mechanism to generate an induced electric field to excite the plasma to form an electric current in the annular channel.

A microwave plasma treatment device includes a resonator including a container; a single microwave oscillation source that outputs a reference microwave; a waveguide that connects the microwave oscillation source and the resonator to each other; and a phase control mechanism that generates a modified microwave having a phase different from a phase of the reference microwave by controlling the phase of the reference microwave. The resonator includes one or more first-type introducing portions for introducing the reference microwave into the resonator and one or more second-type introducing portions for introducing the modified microwave into the resonator, and the microwave plasma treatment device is configured such that at least one of a position, a size, and a shape of a plasma ball generated in the container is changed by superimposing the modified microwave on the reference microwave in the resonator.

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device a semiconductor wafer is retrieved from a load port. The semiconductor wafer is transferred to a treatment device. In the treatment device, the surface of the semiconductor wafer is exposed to a directional stream of plasma wind to clean a particle from the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The stream of plasma wind is generated by an ambient plasma generator and is directed at an oblique angle with respect to a perpendicular plane to the surface of the semiconductor wafer for a predetermined plasma exposure time. After the cleaning, a photo resist layer is disposed on the semiconductor wafer.