A method for generating atmospheric pressure cold plasma inside a hand-held unit discharges cold plasma with simultaneously different rf wavelengths and their harmonics. The unit includes an rf tuning network that is powered by a low-voltage power supply connected to a series of high-voltage coils and capacitors. The rf energy signal is transferred to a primary containment chamber and dispersed through an electrode plate network of various sizes and thicknesses to create multiple frequencies. Helium gas is introduced into the first primary containment chamber, where electron separation is initiated. The energized gas flows into a secondary magnetic compression chamber, where a balanced frequency network grid with capacitance creates the final electron separation, which is inverted magnetically and exits through an orifice with a nozzle. The cold plasma thus generated has been shown to be capable of accelerating a healing process in flesh wounds on animal laboratory specimens.

Described herein is a technique capable of suppressing variations or deterioration in a processing rate between a plurality of substrates due to temperature. According to one aspect of the technique of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process vessel constituting at least a part of a process chamber where a substrate is processed; a plasma generator comprising a coil provided to be wound around an outer periphery of the process vessel and a high frequency power supply configured to supply high frequency power to the coil; a substrate support provided in the process chamber and below a lower end of the coil; a heater provided in the substrate support; and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a portion of the process vessel located above an upper end of the coil.

Power circuitry for cold plasma generation; optionally plasma for therapeutic use. Cold plasma generation occurs at the distal end of a catheter-like device which is flexible, narrow (e.g., less than 5 mm in diameter), and longitudinally extended to reach, e.g., 50-100 cm into body cavities. A cable used for power transmission is a part of the power generating circuit, its intrinsic impedance being a major contributor to and constraint on the time constant of an entraining RC circuit whose resonant frequency entrains the frequency of power generation. In some embodiments, inductive transformer coupling to the entraining/transmission line circuit is used to generate voltage gain. In some embodiments, transformer coupling is divided into a plurality of stages. This potentially enables practically achieving high transmission frequencies with higher gain, lowered sensitivity to variability in distal portions of the entraining RC circuit, and/or longer transmission lines compared to a single-stage transformer configuration.

Example systems have a defrost system that can receive a first RF signal at a first frequency to defrost a load. An air treatment device can receive a second RF signal at a second frequency and perform an air treatment process. An RF signal source has a power output, and a switching arrangement selectively electrically connects the defrost system and the first air treatment device to the power output of the RF signal source. A controller can electrically connect one of the defrost system and the first air treatment device to the power output of the RF signal source. When the defrost system is electrically connected, the RF signal source outputs the first RF signal at the first frequency, and when the first air treatment device is electrically connected, the RF signal source outputs the second RF signal at the second frequency.

A plasma treatment system includes a plasma arc torch, a tee attached to a hollow electrode nozzle of the plasma arc torch, and a screw feed unit or a ram feed unit having an inlet and an outlet attached to the tee. The plasma arc torch includes a cylindrical vessel having a first end and a second end, a first tangential inlet/outlet connected to or proximate to the first end, a second tangential inlet/outlet connected to or proximate to the second end, an electrode housing connected to the first end of the cylindrical vessel such that a first electrode is (a) aligned with a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical vessel, and (b) extends into the cylindrical vessel, and a hollow electrode nozzle connected to the second end of the cylindrical vessel such that a centerline of the hollow electrode nozzle is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical vessel.

A matchless plasma source is described. The matchless plasma source includes a controller that is coupled to a direct current (DC) voltage source of an agile DC rail to control a shape of an amplified square waveform that is generated at an output of a half-bridge transistor circuit. The matchless plasma source further includes the half-bridge transistor circuit used to generate the amplified square waveform to power an electrode, such as an antenna, of a plasma chamber. The matchless plasma source also includes a reactive circuit between the half-bridge transistor circuit and the electrode. The reactive circuit has a high-quality factor to negate a reactance of the electrode. There is no radio frequency (RF) match and an RF cable that couples the matchless plasma source to the electrode.

A process and system for the extraction of metals and gases contained on planets and asteroids (mining and refining) and for space debris remediation may include geographically localizing a material to be extracted/remediated; performing a risk analysis on the material to determine whether the material presents a serious risk of instantaneous fracture or disaggregation; using the risk analysis to qualify or refuse the material; capturing and stabilizing the qualified material in an ablation cylinder on a plasma machine (PERT station); deploying multiple magnetic hydraulic cylinders around the qualified material; equalizing and stabilizing the PERT station and the qualified material; performing ablation and destruction of the qualified material; and transforming pure elements from the ablation cylinder.

Systems and methods for increasing the RF power switched into a resonant load by achieving voltage multiplication by means of coupled inductors are provided herein. In one approach, the RF electromagnetic wave achieved by voltage multiplication is used to drive a diode opening switch in order to create a fast rising, unipolar electrical pulse.

An inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) generation system may include a dielectric tube, a first inductive coil structure to enclose the dielectric tube, an RF power supply, a first main capacitor between a positive output terminal of the RF power supply and one end of the first inductive coil structure, and a second main capacitor between a negative output terminal of the RF power supply and an opposite end of the first inductive coil structure. The first inductive coil structure may include inductive coils connected in series to each other and placed at different layers, the inductive coils having at least one turn at each layer, and auxiliary capacitors, which are respectively provided between adjacent ones of the inductive coils to distribute a voltage applied to the inductive coils.

Various methods, apparatus, devices and systems are provided for electrically short antennas for efficient broadband transmission. In one example, among others, a system includes a segmentally time-variant antenna and a segment controller that can control conductivity of individual segments of the segmentally time-variant antenna. The conductivity of the individual segments is modulated to allow a pulse to propagate from the proximal end to the distal end of the segmentally time-variant antenna and impede a reflection of the pulse from propagating back to the proximal end of the segmentally time-variant antenna. In another embodiment, a method includes injecting a pulse at a first end of a segmentally time-variant antenna and modulating conductivity of individual segments to allow the pulse to propagate to a second end of the segmentally time-variant antenna and impede a reflection of the pulse from propagating back to the first end.