A plasma processing apparatus includes a conveyance unit that has a rotator in a vacuum container, and circulating carries a workpiece by the rotator along a circular conveyance path, a cylindrical member extended in a direction toward the conveyance path in the vacuum container, a window member that divides a gas space where a process gas is introduced and an exterior, and an antenna causing the process gas to generate inductive coupling plasma for plasma processing when power is applied. The cylindrical member is provided with an opposing part with the opening and faces the rotator, a dividing wall is provided between the opposing part and the rotator so as not to contact the opposing part and the rotator and not to move relative to the vacuum container, and the dividing wall is provided with an adjustment opening that faces the opening, and adjusts a range of the plasma processing.

A liquid processing apparatus includes a container for holding liquid, a first electrode, a second electrode, a first insulator that has a cylindrical shape and at least partly surrounds a side face of the first electrode via a space, the first insulator having an opening in an end face of the first insulator, a gas supply device that supplies gas into the space and releases the gas into the liquid via the opening, a power source that applies a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode and generates plasma, and a metallic member that partly surrounds the side face of the first electrode via the space. The metallic member is electrically connected to the first electrode. At least a part of the first insulator is disposed between the first electrode and the metallic member.

A liquid treatment apparatus includes a flow channel, first and second electrodes at least part of each of which is disposed within the flow channel, an insulator, a gas supply device, and a power supply source that applies a voltage between the first and second electrodes and generates plasma. The insulator has a tubular shape and an opening on an end surface of the insulator, and surrounds a lateral surface of the first electrode with a space interposed between the insulator and the first electrode. The gas supply device supplies and ejects a gas into the liquid via the opening. At least part of the flow channel extends in a first direction which is inclined with respect to a horizontal direction so that the liquid flows obliquely upward with respect to the horizontal direction. The opening is positioned within the at least part of the flow channel.

A powder coating apparatus which can form a thin film in which freely selected elements are combined without an impurity being mixed and satisfies that a composition of the obtained thin film is uniform. The powder coating apparatus according to the present invention is a powder coating apparatus including a barrel, exhaust device for evacuating an inside of the barrel, and a sputtering device installed inside the barrel, the barrel having a main axis C directed in a horizontal direction and rotating around the main axis, the sputtering device forming a coating film on a surface of powder put in the barrel, in which the sputtering device has one fixing portion for one target to mount two or more targets, and respective targets are disposed in parallel to each other at the same level position with respect to a direction of the main axis when the target is mounted on the fixing portion.

Exemplary systems and methods associated with activating fluids using indirect plasma. In particular, liquid can be activated to high concentrations and at high volumes by thinning and mixing the liquid as it is exposed to the plasma, resulting more efficient activation. Further increases in activation can be reached by re-circulating fluid for additional exposure to the plasma. High flow rates can be achieved with integrated systems that utilize multiple activation systems with coordinated control.

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for saving energy while increasing the conveying speed in vacuum coating plants consisting of a series of sputtering segments (3) and gas separation segments (2) along with a continuous substrate plane (1). Said apparatus has the following features: a) each of the sputtering segments (3) consists of a tank tub (12) inside which a conveying device (11) is located; the flange (6) of the tank is positioned in the immediate vicinity above the substrate plane (1); a cathode bearing block (5), along with targets (8) and gas inlet ducts (10), is located in the tank cover (4) in the immediate vicinity of the substrate together with splash guards (9); b) in the region of the substrate plane (1), the gas separation segments (2) are provided with a tunnel cover (14) that extends along the entire length of the gas separation segment (2); c) sputtering segments (3) and/or gas separation segments (2) are evacuated using one or more vacuum pumps (15), and the air pumped in said process is trapped in an air reservoir (25) having an adjustable volume.

An apparatus for depositing a thin film on a substrate is described. The apparatus includes a substrate support having an outer surface for guiding the substrate along a surface of the substrate support through a first vacuum processing region and at least one second vacuum processing region, a first deposition sources corresponding to the first processing region and at least one second deposition source corresponding to the at least one second vacuum processing region. The apparatus further includes one or more vacuum flanges providing at least a further gas outlet between the first deposition source and the at least one second deposition source.

Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for reducing crazing in thin film stacks deposited on large area substrates such as glass, for instance architectural glass. Crazing can occur once a conductor-insulator-conductor series of films have been deposited, thereby effectively forming a capacitor, and where the substrate spans multiple deposition chambers such the coupling between chambers can cause the effective capacitor voltage to breakdown the insulator layer between the two conductor layers. The resulting crazing can be reduced if not eliminated through the grounding of outputs of an AC power supply that assists in deposition of one of the conductor layers. The grounding is via rectified channels, such as diodes, or series of diodes such that the outputs of the AC power supply are precluded from falling below ground potential.

An apparatus includes a substrate support having an outer surface for guiding the substrate through a first vacuum processing region and at least one second vacuum processing region. First and second deposition sources correspond to the first processing region and at least one second deposition source corresponds to the at least one second vacuum processing region, wherein at least the first deposition source includes an electrode having a surface that opposes the substrate support. A processing gas inlet and a processing gas outlet are arranged at opposing sides of the surface of the electrode. At least one separation gas inlet how one or more openings, wherein the one or more openings are at least provided at one of opposing sides of the electrode surface such that the processing gas inlet and/or the processing gas outlet are provided between the one or more openings and the surface of the electrode.

This unit comprises a housing (50) for receiving an electrode suitable for creating an electrical discharge, and first means (20, 21, 22) for injecting treatment gas, comprising at least one plasma-forming gas, towards the support of the facility. According to the invention, the first injection means comprise an intake member (20) for the treatment gas, a treatment gas injection member (21), opening opposite the support, and an intermediate chamber (22) connecting these two members. This chamber comprises an upstream region (24), the gas passage cross-section of which increases from the inlet (25E, 26E) towards the outlet (25S, 26S) in longitudinal view (XX) and/or transverse view, as well as a downstream region (27), the passage cross-section of which increases from the inlet (28E, 29E) towards the outlet (28S, 29S) in transverse view but decreases in the vicinity of the outlet (28S, 29S) in longitudinal view (XX). Due to the shape of the chamber and to the changes in direction of the gas in this chamber, the invention confers, in particular, a homogeneous distribution of treatment gas over the entire treatment width of the substrate.