A film formation method is provided with a step for disposing a non-electroconductive long thin tube 102 in a chamber 101 in which the internal pressure thereof is adjustable, generating a plasma inside the long thin tube 102 in a state in which a starting material gas including a hydrocarbon is supplied, and forming a diamond-like carbon film on an inner wall surface of the long thin tube 102. The long thin tube 102 is disposed in the chamber 101 in a state in which a discharge electrode 125 is disposed in one end part of the long thin tube 102 and the other end part is open. An alternating-current bias is intermittently applied between the discharge electrode 125 and a counter electrode 126 provided so as to be separated from the long thin tube 102.

Described herein are plasma generation devices and methods of use of the devices. The devices can be used for the cleaning of various surfaces and/or for inhibiting or preventing the accumulation of particulates, such as dust, or moisture on various surfaces. The devices can be used to remove dust and other particulate contaminants from solar panels and windows, or to avoid or minimize condensation on various surfaces. In an embodiment a plasma generation device is provided. The plasma generation device can comprise: a pair of electrodes positioned in association with a surface of a dielectric substrate. The pair of electrodes can comprise a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode and second electrode can be of different sizes, one of the electrodes being smaller than the other of the electrodes. The first electrode and second electrode can be separated by a distance and electrically connected to a voltage source.

A system and method for rapid atomic layer etching (ALET) including a pulsed plasma source, with a spiral coil electrode, a cooled Faraday shield, a counter electrode disposed at the top of the tube, a gas inlet and a reaction chamber including a substrate support and a boundary electrode. The method includes positioning an etchable substrate in a plasma etching chamber, forming a product layer on the surface of the substrate, removing a portion of the product layer by pulsing a plasma source, then repeating the steps of forming a product layer and removing a portion of the product layer to form an etched substrate.

A method adjusts an output power of a power supply supplying electrical power to a plasma in a plasma chamber. The method includes: connecting the power supply to at least one electrode in the plasma chamber; transporting one or more substrates relative to the electrode using a substrate carrier; maintaining the plasma by the electrical power; processing the one or more substrates with the plasma; and adjusting the output power based on a parameter related to a distance between a surface of the electrode facing a carrier-substrate-assembly and a surface of the substrate-carrier-assembly facing the electrode.

The present invention provides novel plasma sources useful in the thin film coating arts and methods of using the same. More specifically, the present invention provides novel linear and two dimensional plasma sources that produce linear and two dimensional plasmas, respectively, that are useful for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The present invention also provides methods of making thin film coatings and methods of increasing the coating efficiencies of such methods.

An activated gas generation apparatus includes a gas jet flow straightener below an activated gas generating electrode group and a nozzle constituent part. The gas jet flow straightener receives a plurality of nozzle passing activated gases as a whole at an inlet part of a gas flow-straightening passage. The gas flow-straightening passage is formed so that the outlet opening area of an outlet part is set to be narrower than the inlet opening area of the inlet part, and the cylindrical gas jet of each of the plurality of nozzle passing activated gases is converted into a linear flow-straightened activated gas by the flow-straightening action of the gas flow-straightening passage.

An activated gas generation apparatus includes a gas jet flow straightener below an activated gas generating electrode group and a nozzle constituent part. The gas jet flow straightener receives a plurality of nozzle passing activated gases as a whole at an inlet part of a gas flow-straightening passage. The gas flow-straightening passage is formed so that the outlet opening area of an outlet part is set to be narrower than the inlet opening area of the inlet part, and the cylindrical gas jet of each of the plurality of nozzle passing activated gases is converted into a linear flow-straightened activated gas by the flow-straightening action of the gas flow-straightening passage.

An IMS ionizer comprising a wire, a second conductor, and a dielectric, when the first conductor and second conductor are energized to an ionization voltage, discharge ionization occurs. The dielectric is a glass element formed in a tubular shape defining an inner wall. The wire is formed in coils in contact with said inner wall. The second conductor is positioned to define an outer wall of the tube. The tube has an inlet end for receiving the sample, and an outlet end through which the sample exits after ionization.

An alternating current to direct current electrical transformer system, based on helical electrodes applied to a plasma in a chamber. A three-phase AC input voltage is be applied to helically shaped electrodes in the chamber, and a DC output is taken from endcap electrodes at opposite the ends of the device. The secondary current is taken from solid or optionally split or slotted electrodes at the ends of the device. The system uses plasma, input electrodes, an axial magnetic field and a conducting wall that acts as a flux conserver for the frequency of the AC power. The system includes apparatus which contains a radial magnetic field embedded in the helical electrodes. The system also offers methods for changing the output voltage and current relative to the input values. Thus, the system can function as either a stepup or a stepdown transformer.

A movable structure includes a processing chamber configured to perform processing under a vacuum environment; a fixed portion disposed in the processing chamber; a movable portion that is movable with respect to the fixed portion; a transmission/reception module provided at the fixed portion and having a hermetically sealed structure; and a sensor module provided at the movable portion and having a hermetically sealed structure. The transmission/reception module and the sensor module perform transmission and reception of signals in a non-contact manner.