A switch device of an embodiment includes a first electrode including a first layer including at least one selected from the group consisting of B, C, Al, Si, and Ga, a second electrode separated from the first electrode, a first grid disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a second grid disposed between the first grid and the second electrode.

A plasma processing method includes executing an etching process that includes supplying an etching gas into a process container in which a target substrate is supported on a second electrode serving as a lower electrode, and applying an RF power for plasma generation and an RF power for ion attraction to turn the etching gas into plasma and to subject the target substrate to etching. The etching process includes applying a negative DC voltage to a first electrode serving as an upper electrode during the etching to increase an absolute value of self-bias on the first electrode. The etching process includes releasing DC electron current generated by the negative DC voltage to ground through plasma and a conductive member disposed as a ring around the first electrode, by using a first state where the conductive member is connected to a ground potential portion.

An apparatus may include a main chamber, a substrate holder, disposed in a lower region of the main chamber, and defining a substrate region, as well as an RF applicator, disposed adjacent an upper region of the main chamber, to generate an upper plasma within the upper region. The apparatus may further include a central chamber structure, disposed in a central portion of the main chamber, where the central chamber structure is disposed to shield at least a portion of the substrate position from the upper plasma. The apparatus may include a bias source, electrically coupled between the central chamber structure and the substrate holder, to generate a glow discharge plasma in the central portion of the main chamber, wherein the substrate region faces the glow discharge region.

Provided are methods, apparatus and systems for stabilization of a glow discharge from a plasma. Also provided are methods, apparatus and systems for processing optical signals from a stabilised glow plasma with enhanced signal to noise recovery. A first method comprises: generating an electric field within a plasma cell using an alternating excitation voltage to excite particles within the cell, to produce a glow discharge from a plasma in the plasma cell in a resonant condition; monitoring, in each excitation cycle of the alternating excitation voltage, one or more signals that correlate with glow discharge optical emissions from the plasma in the plasma cell; and, in response to said monitoring, controlling one or more operating conditions for the plasma cell to maintain the glow discharge emissions from the plasma within a desired operating range in each excitation cycle of the alternating excitation voltage. A relatively stable glow discharge optical emission is maintained via dynamic resonant feedback control of operating conditions such as the electric field that is used to excite particles within the plasma cell. The stabilization of the glow plasma can be used in glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES) for gas analysis and in other applications.

A helium plasma characterised by an emission spectrum dominated by the 1s3p .sup.1P.sub.1 to 1s2 .sup.1S.sub.0 501.5 nm transmission line, and a pressure less than 510.sup.3 mbar. Methods and apparatus for igniting the plasma, and for using the plasma for pre-ionisation and glow discharge cleaning are also disclosed.

An apparatus and method for a large-scale high-throughput quantitative characterization and three-dimensional reconstruction of a material structure. The apparatus having a glow discharge sputtering unit, a sample transfer device, a scanning electron microscope unit and a GPU computer workstation. The glow discharge sputtering unit can achieve large size (cm order), nearly flat and fast sample preparation, and controllable achieve layer-by-layer ablation preparation along the depth direction of the sample surface; rapid scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can achieve large-scale and high-throughput acquisition of sample characteristic maps. The sample transfer device is responsible for transferring the sample between the glow discharge sputtering source and the scanning electron microscope in an accurately positioning manner. The GPU computer workstation performs splicing, processing, recognition and quantitative distribution characterization on the acquired sample characteristic maps, and carries out three-dimensional reconstruction of the structure of the sample prepared by layer-by-layer sputtering.

An apparatus and method for a large-scale high-throughput quantitative characterization and three-dimensional reconstruction of a material structure. The apparatus having a glow discharge sputtering unit, a sample transfer device, a scanning electron microscope unit and a GPU computer workstation. The glow discharge sputtering unit can achieve large size (cm order), nearly flat and fast sample preparation, and controllable achieve layer-by-layer ablation preparation along the depth direction of the sample surface; rapid scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can achieve large-scale and high-throughput acquisition of sample characteristic maps. The sample transfer device is responsible for transferring the sample between the glow discharge sputtering source and the scanning electron microscope in an accurately positioning manner. The GPU computer workstation performs splicing, processing, recognition and quantitative distribution characterization on the acquired sample characteristic maps, and carries out three-dimensional reconstruction of the structure of the sample prepared by layer-by-layer sputtering.

According to one aspect, a visualization device may include an image sensor, a lens for focusing light onto the image sensor, a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a lateral wall surface extending between the first end and the second end, and a coating on the lateral wall surface. The coating may include at least one of an electrically-insulating layer and a light-blocking layer, and may be deposited on the lateral wall surface using, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD).

Surface modification device forms a discharge area E1 between a discharge electrode 6 and a counter electrode 4, supplies substitution gas to the discharge area E1, and modifies the surface of the base material to be processed. The surface modification device comprises; a slit-shaped substitution gas passage; and cover members 7, 8 that form curtain passages 22, 23 in spaces facing the discharge electrode. While the substitution gas is being supplied to the discharge area E1, gas injected from the curtain passages 22, 23 prevent the inflow of an entrained flow a and the outflows b1, b2 of the substitution gas, thereby maintaining the concentration of substitution gas inside the discharge area E1.

According to one aspect, a visualization device may include an image sensor, a lens for focusing light onto the image sensor, a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a lateral wall surface extending between the first end and the second end, and a coating on the lateral wall surface. The coating may include at least one of an electrically-insulating layer and a light-blocking layer, and may be deposited on the lateral wall surface using, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD).