The disclosure provides a plasma source and an excitation system for excitation of a plasma, and an optical monitoring system. In one embodiment the plasma source includes: (1) a coaxial resonant cavity body having an inner length, and including a first end, a second end, an inner electrode and an outer electrode, (2) a radio frequency signal interface electrically coupled to the inner and outer electrodes at a fixed position along the inner length and configured to provide a radio frequency signal to the coaxial resonant cavity body, (3) a window positioned at the first end of the coaxial resonant cavity body, and (4) a mounting flange positioned proximate the window at the first end of the coaxial resonant cavity body and defining a plasma cavity, wherein the window forms one side of the plasma cavity and isolates the coaxial resonant cavity body from plasma in the plasma cavity.

The disclosure relates to microwave cavity plasma reactor (MCPR) apparatus and associated optical measurement system that enable microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPACVD) of a component such as diamond while measuring the local surface properties of the component while being grown. Related methods include deposition of the component, measurement of the local surface properties, and/or alteration of operating conditions during deposition in response to the local surface properties. As described in more detail below, the MPCR apparatus includes one or more electrically conductive, optically transparent regions forming part of the external boundary of its microwave chamber, thus permitting external optical interrogation of internal reactor conditions during deposition while providing a desired electrical microwave chamber to maintain selected microwave excitation modes therein.

The disclosure relates to large area single crystal diamond (SCD) surfaces and substrates, and their methods of formation. Typical large area substrates can be at least about 25 mm, 50 mm, or 100 mm in diameter or square edge length, and suitable thicknesses can be about 100 m to 1000 m. The large area substrates have a high degree of crystallographic alignment. The large area substrates can be used in a variety of electronics and/or optics applications. Methods of forming the large area substrates generally include lateral and vertical growth of SCD on spaced apart and crystallographically aligned SCD seed substrates, with the individual SCD growth layers eventually merging to form a composite SCD layer of high quality and high crystallographic alignment. A diamond substrate holder can be used to crystallographically align the SCD seed substrates and reduce the effect of thermal stress on the formed SCD layers.

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container formed by assembling a container upper portion having an upper side wall and a container lower portion having a lower side wall; a stage provided in the container lower portion of the processing container; and a peripheral introduction part configured to be an assembly, configured to be sandwiched between the upper side wall and the lower side wall, and configured to provide a plurality of gas discharge ports arranged in the circumferential direction with respect to an axis passing through a center of the stage, the assembly in which at least two members are assembled, the at least two members forming a gas flow path extending in a circumferential direction with respect to the axis in an interior thereof, in which the peripheral introduction part, the container upper portion and the container lower portion are thermally and electrically connected to each other.

In one exemplary embodiment, a second waveguide is connected to an upper wall of a first waveguide and communicates with the first waveguide, a dielectric window is in contact with a lower wall of the first waveguide, a first inner conductor penetrates an upper wall, is electrically connected with the upper wall, and extends along the direction of a tube axis from an inside of the first waveguide to an inside of a third waveguide, the third waveguide is connected to the lower wall on the dielectric window side and communicates with the first waveguide, a first opening end of the third waveguide is connected to the dielectric window, and a drive device is connected to the first inner conductor, and is configured to drive the first inner conductor in the direction of the tube axis.

Embodiments include a plasma processing tool that includes a processing chamber, and a plurality of modular microwave sources coupled to the processing chamber. In an embodiment, the plurality of modular microwave sources include an array of applicators that are positioned over a dielectric body that forms a portion of an outer wall of the processing chamber. The array of applicators may be coupled to the dielectric body. Additionally, the plurality of modular microwave sources may include an array of microwave amplification modules. In an embodiment, each microwave amplification module may be coupled to at least one of the applicators in the array of applicators. According to an embodiment, the dielectric body be planar, non-planar, symmetric, or non-symmetric. In yet another embodiment, the dielectric body may include a plurality of recesses. In such an embodiment, at least one applicator may be positioned in at least one of the recesses.

An antenna according to an aspect includes: a dielectric window having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface having an annular recessed surface and a flat surface surrounded by the recessed surface; a slot plate; a dielectric plate; a heat transfer member made of metal and having an upper surface and a lower surface opposing each other; a cooling jacket; and a heater, in which the upper surface includes a plurality of first regions and a second region, the cooling jacket is mounted on the plurality of first regions, the second region is recessed further toward the lower surface side than the plurality of first regions, the heater is mounted on the second region, and each of the plurality of first regions is provided at a position at least partially overlapping with the flat surface when viewed in a direction parallel to a central axis.

In one embodiment, a plasma processing device may include a dielectric window, a vacuum chamber, an energy source, and at least one air amplifier. The dielectric window may include a plasma exposed surface and an air exposed surface. The vacuum chamber and the plasma exposed surface of the dielectric window can cooperate to enclose a plasma processing gas. The energy source can transmit electromagnetic energy through the dielectric window and form an elevated temperature region in the dielectric window. The at least one air amplifier can be in fluid communication with the dielectric window. The at least one air amplifier can operate at a back pressure of at least about 1 in-H.sub.2O and can provide at least about 30 cfm of air.

In an antenna including a dielectric window and a slot plate provided on one surface of the dielectric window, in a case where a reference position g is a center position in a width direction of each slot S and a center position in a length direction in the slot plate, the reference position g of each slot is located on a virtual circle centered on a center of gravity G0, and line segments connecting the reference positions g of the slots S and virtual point G1 to which the slots belong are located radially from a virtual point G1, angles (1 to 4) between adjacent line segments are equal to each other, and angles (1 to 4) formed by the length directions of the slots S at the reference positions g and the line segments to which the slots belong are equal to each other.

A plasma generation unit according to an exemplary embodiment includes a dielectric window, a slot plate, and a probe group. The slot plate is provided on the dielectric window. The probe group includes a plurality of probes that are electric conductors, is provided in the dielectric window, and is used for detection of a physical quantity around the dielectric window. The dielectric window extends along the slot plate. Each of the plurality of probes is disposed on a circumference of a first circle centered on a reference position of the dielectric window, when viewed from above the dielectric window.