A system for plasma etching or ashing a coating on a substrate includes a plasma chamber, a second electrode, a plasma source coupled to the plasma chamber, a substrate including a coating, and a plasma mask including at least one aperture. The plasma chamber includes a first electrode. The plasma mask is configured to cover the substrate while exposing selected surfaces of the substrate and coating through the at least one aperture. The first electrode and the second electrode are configured to initiate and maintain a plasma within the plasma chamber. The plasma source includes a gas.

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.

The present invention relates to a method for treating a sample using glow-discharge plasma comprising one or more treatment steps, in which the sample for treatment is subject to plasma treatment in a treatment vessel provided with a temperature control system, wherein during the one or more treatment steps the treatment vessel is rotated about an axis in order to agitate the sample and the temperature control system is used to cool or heat the sample. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for use in such a method.

A plasma etching apparatus includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode, between which plasma of a process gas is generated to perform plasma etching on a wafer W. The apparatus further comprises a cooling ring disposed around the wafer, a correction ring disposed around the cooling ring, and a variable DC power supply directly connected to the correction ring, the DC voltage being preset to provide the correction ring with a negative bias, relative to ground potential, for attracting ions in the plasma and to increase temperature of the correction ring to compensate for a decrease in temperature of a space near the edge of the target substrate due to the cooling ring.

The disclosure pertains to a capacitively coupled plasma source in which VHF power is applied through an impedance-matching coaxial resonator having a symmetrical power distribution.

Methods and apparatus for determination of the gas composition of a sample gas using glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy, in which the method comprises: generating one or more oscillating electromagnetic fields within a plasma cell to excite particles within the cell, to produce a glow discharge plasma in the plasma cell, and controlling the operating conditions for the plasma cell while flowing a gas mixture through the plasma cell to maintain glow discharge optical emissions from the plasma within a desired operating range; and monitoring one or more glow discharge optical emissions from the plasma in the plasma cell by measuring the optical emissions, or measuring a signal that correlates with the optical emissions, at twice the plasma excitation frequency; and processing the signal during each excitation cycle of the electromagnetic excitation, to determine the concentration of a gas within a gas mixture flowing through the plasma cell.

The invention relates to a glow discharge cell including a gas evacuation chamber and a gas outlet port integrated in a first bent tube, the branches of which are perpendicular and with different diameters; a gas inlet port formed by a second straight tube along which a plasma is formed and which is partially inserted into the first branch of the first tube; and a primary electrode encapsulated in the first branch of the first tube and facing the second glass tube and being partially inserted therein.

An apparatus for plating NdFeB magnet includes a cathode and a target source holder defining a predetermined distance of 5 mm to 200 mm therebetween. A pulse bias power supply having a first positive terminal connected to an anode and a first negative terminal connected to the cathode. A DC bias power supply having a second positive terminal connected to the anode and a second negative terminal connected to the target source holder. The anode is connected to the earth ground. A method for plating the NdFeB magnet includes steps of maintaining the predetermined distance of 5 mm to 200 mm between the cleaned NdFeB magnet and the target source material, increasing a first electric potential to the cathode and a second electric potential to the target source holder with the second electric potential greater than the first electric potential, and maintaining a potential differential of 0V to 500V therebetween.

The present invention provides a glow discharge assembly that includes an electrically conductive cylindrical screen, a flange assembly, an electrode, an insulator and a non-conductive granular material. The electrically conductive cylindrical screen has an open end and a closed end. The flange assembly is attached to and electrically connected to the open end of the electrically conductive cylindrical screen. The flange assembly has a hole with a first diameter aligned with a longitudinal axis of the electrically conductive cylindrical screen. The electrode is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the electrically conductive cylindrical screen and extends through the hole of the flange assembly into the electrically conductive cylindrical screen. The insulator seals the hole of the flange assembly around the electrode and maintains a substantially equidistant gap between the electrically conductive cylindrical screen and the electrode. The non-conductive granular material is disposed within the substantially equidistant gap.

The present invention relates to a device for plasma generation in a wide pressure range. The device comprises a first plasma source (1) in a first discharge chamber (2) in order to generate a first plasma in a low-pressure range, a second plasma source (3) in a second discharge chamber (4) in order to generate a second plasma in a high-pressure range, a first coupling element (5) for coupling the device to a system, in order to guide gas out of the system, and a second coupling element (6) for coupling the device to an optical sensor (12). The first discharge chamber (2) has a first optical connection with at least one optical lens (7, 8) to the second coupling element (6) and the second discharge chamber (4) has a second optical connection with at least one optical lens (8) to the second coupling element (6). This invention further relates to a system for optical gas analysis or gas detection and corresponding methods for plasma generation and for operating the system.