An ion beam generator includes a discharge chamber with a backplate and tubular sidewalk A source of propellant, for example, Xenon gas is provided to the discharge chamber. First and second annular magnets are disposed on or near the backplate, and configured with alternating polarities such that a pair of ring-cusps form on the backplate, without any magnetic ring-cusp formation on the sidewalk A cathode assembly extends into the discharge chamber to provide primary electrons to ionize the propellant.

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.

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.

A method of extracting and accelerating ions is provided. The method includes providing a ion source. The ion source includes a chamber. The ion source further includes a first hollow cathode having a first hollow cathode cavity and a first plasma exit orifice and a second hollow cathode having a second hollow cathode cavity and a second plasma exit orifice, the first and second hollow cathodes being disposed adjacently in the chamber. The ion source further includes a first ion accelerator between and in communication with the first plasma exit orifice and the chamber. The first ion accelerator forms a first ion acceleration cavity. The ion source further includes a second ion accelerator between and in communication with the second plasma orifice and the chamber. The second ion accelerator forms a second ion acceleration cavity. The method further includes generating a plasma using the first hollow cathode and the second hollow cathode. The first hollow cathode and the second hollow cathode are configured to alternatively function as electrode and counter-electrode. The method further includes extracting and accelerating ions. Each of the first ion acceleration cavity and the second ion acceleration cavity are sufficient to enable the extraction and acceleration of ions.

The present invention relates to an electrode pair for generating a linear plasma wherein the electrodes (21, 22) are segmented. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plasma source, for instance a hollow-cathode plasma source, comprising one or more plasma-generating electrode pairs wherein the electrodes are segmented. The present invention further relates to methods for controlling the uniformity of a linear plasma and also to methods for surface treating or coating substrates in a uniform way with linear plasma sources.

A compact cylindrical vacuum chamber made from a dielectric ceramic or glass wrapped with a cylindrical electrode connected to an RF source make a hollow cathode RF plasma source. The dielectric cylinder is used as the vacuum container with the conductive electrode outside the vacuum region to excite plasma inside. A gas is supplied by a gas source at low flow on one end of the cylinder and after being excited exhausts into a connected vacuum chamber carrying excited metastables and radicals. RF power is applied to the electrode to excite the plasma via the hollow cathode effect. This remote RF plasma source can be used to create ions, electrons, excited metastables, and atomic radicals for use downstream depending on choices of gas, pressure, flow rates, RF power and frequency, and extraction electrodes.

A plasma source is provided. The plasma source includes at least three hollow cathodes, including a first hollow cathode, a second hollow cathode, and a third hollow cathode, each hollow cathode having a plasma exit region. The plasma source includes a source of power capable of producing multiple output waves, including a first output wave, a second output wave, and a third output wave, wherein the first output wave and the second output wave are out of phase, the second output wave and the third output wave are out of phase, and the first output wave and the third output wave are out of phase. Each hollow cathode is electrically connected to the source of power such that the first hollow cathode is electrically connected to the first output wave, the second hollow cathode is electrically connected to the second output wave, and the third hollow cathode is electrically connected to the third output wave. Electrical current flows between the at least three hollow cathodes that are out of electrical phase. The plasma source is capable of generating a plasma between the hollow cathodes.

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.

A hollow cathode system generates a plasma. The system includes an anode device, a power supply for applying an electric current between a cathode tube and the anode device, and at least one gas reservoir for supplying the gas flowing through the cathode tube are used, in which at least two cathode tubes are used that are electrically connected to one another, and in which each cathode tube has a separate actuator with which the amount of gas flowing through the respective cathode tube is set.

Methods and apparatus for reducing particle generation in a remote plasma source (RPS) include an RPS having a first plasma source with a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are symmetrical with hollow cavities configured to induce a hollow cathode effect within the hollow cavities, and wherein the RPS provides radicals or ions into the processing volume, and a radio frequency (RF) power source configured to provide a symmetrical driving waveform on the first electrode and the second electrode to produce an anodic cycle and a cathodic cycle of the RPS, wherein the anodic cycle and the cathodic cycle operate in a hollow cathode effect mode.