A system for plasma ignition and maintenance of an atmospheric pressure plasma. The system has a variable frequency alternating current (AC) power source, a transformer, a cable connected to a secondary winding of the transformer, a programmed microprocessor for control of power to the atmospheric pressure plasma. The microprocessor is configured to a) at pre-ignition, power the AC power source at an operational frequency f.sub.op higher than the resonant frequency f.sub.r, b) decrease the operational frequency f.sub.op of the AC power source until there is plasma ignition, and c) after the plasma ignition, further decrease the operational frequency f.sub.op of the AC power source to a frequency lower than the resonant frequency f.sub.r.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a plasma source, an abatement system and a vacuum processing system for abating compounds produced in semiconductor processes. In one embodiment, a plasma source includes a dielectric tube and a coil antenna surrounding the tube. The coil antenna includes a plurality of turns, and at least one turn is shorted. Selectively shorting one or more turns of the coil antenna helps reduce the inductance of the coil antenna, allowing higher power to be supplied to the coil antenna that covers more processing volume. Higher power supplied to the coil antenna and larger processing volume lead to an improved DRE.

A device and a method for fabricating a ceramic reinforced composite coating based on plasma remelting and injection. The device includes a plasma cladding assembly, a powder feeding assembly, a metal-based substrate, and a thermal infrared imager. The plasma cladding assembly comprises a plasma gun and a plasma generator. A plasma arc generated is used to heat the substrate and form a molten pool on the substrate. The powder feeding assembly comprises a powder feeder configured to feed ceramic particles to the molten pool through a powder feeding copper tube. The thermal infrared imager is configured to acquire an infrared image of the molten pool and acquire an optimal injection position of the ceramic particles according to the infrared image. The optimal injection position is a midpoint between a trailing edge of the plasma arc emitted on the substrate and a trailing edge of the molten pool.

Metal oxide films are reduced to metal with an atmospheric pressure argon and hydrogen plasma at temperatures between 25 and 250 C. A 40-nm-thick copper oxide layer on a copper-coated silicon wafer, 300 mm in diameter, can be fully removed by the argon and hydrogen plasma in under two minutes at 150 C. The fast rate of metal oxide reduction to metal demonstrates that this process is well suited for front- and back-end semiconductor manufacturing, such as for example, flux-free flip chip bonding of microbumps.

There are provided a die surface treatment apparatus capable of sequentially performing reduction and activation processes on dies in a dual zone and a die bonding system including the die surface treatment apparatus. The die surface treatment apparatus includes: a stage supporting dies, a first plasma generator installed on a moving path of the dies, the first plasma generator performing a reduction process on surfaces of the dies, in a first plasma area; and a second plasma generator installed on the moving path of the dies, the second plasma generator performing a hydrophilization process on the surfaces of the dies, in a second plasma area.

The invention relates to an apparatus for the reduction of oxides on workpiece surfaces, with a treatment tunnel extending from an inlet opening to an outlet opening, with a reaction region arranged within the treatment tunnel with a plasma nozzle which is configured to generate an atmospheric plasma jet, with a reduction gas supply configured to introduce a reduction gas into the reaction region, and with a transport device configured to transport workpieces through the treatment tunnel. The plasma nozzle is arranged and configured in such a way as to introduce the atmospheric plasma jet into the reaction region during operation. The invention further relates to the use of the apparatus and a method for the reduction of oxides on workpiece surfaces.

A system for plasma ignition and maintenance of an atmospheric pressure plasma. The system has a variable frequency alternating current (AC) power source, a transformer, a cable connected to a secondary winding of the transformer, a programmed microprocessor for control of power to the atmospheric pressure plasma. The microprocessor is configured to a) at pre-ignition, power the AC power source at an operational frequency f.sub.op higher than the resonant frequency f.sub.r, b) decrease the operational frequency f.sub.op of the AC power source until there is plasma ignition, and c) after the plasma ignition, further decrease the operational frequency f.sub.op of the AC power source to a frequency lower than the resonant frequency f.sub.r.

Methods for plasma stability in a plasma treatment tool are disclosed. A laser is positioned within a plasma treatment chamber within a skin depth of the electromagnetic field generated therein. The laser can be synchronized with the electrical triggering signals that generate the electromagnetic field. This scheme provides a stable and efficient method of plasma ignition.

A method for water-repellent coating treatment of a boron nitride powders and water-repellent treated boron nitride are disclosed. The method includes producing a water-repellent coating layer on the surface of the boron nitride powders by plasma treatment using a silicon-containing organic compound containing silicone, wherein the water-repellent coating layer remains on the boron nitride through chemical binding with the boron nitride even after ultrasonic water washing.

A method includes plasma treating one or more surfaces of a metal matrix composite substrate. The metal matrix composite substrate includes a metal matrix and composite fibers. After said plasma treating, the method also includes applying a sol-gel layer on the one or more surfaces of the metal matrix composite substrate.