A transfer chamber for a processing system suitable for processing a plurality of substrates and a method of using the same is provided. The transfer chamber includes a lid, a bottom disposed opposite the lid, a plurality of sidewalls sealingly coupling the lid to the bottom and defining an internal volume, wherein the plurality of sidewalls form the faces of a dodecagon. An opening is formed in each of the faces, wherein the opening is configured for a substrate to pass therethrough. A transfer robot is disposed in the internal volume, wherein the transfer robot has effectors configured to support the substrate through one opening to another opening.

An object is to provide an atmospheric plasma processing method and an atmospheric plasma processing apparatus capable of suppressing a decrease in a processing speed caused by accompanying gas and performing highly efficient processing in a case where the processing is performed on a workpiece using atmospheric plasma by introducing plasma generation gas between a pair of electrodes and the workpiece from an inner side flow passage passing between the pair of electrodes while relatively moving the workpiece and the pair of electrodes. The object is achieved by defining p*, which is represented by Expression “p*=(h/2Uμ)×(−dP/dx)”, to satisfy 0<p*≤9 in a case where a distance between the pair of electrodes and the workpiece is denoted by h, a relative movement speed between the pair of electrodes and the workpiece is denoted by U, a viscosity of gas existing between the pair of electrodes and the workpiece is denoted by μ, a gas pressure between the pair of electrodes and the workpiece is denoted by P, and a position in a transport direction of the workpiece is denoted by x.

The present invention concerns a method comprising the steps of: introducing a substrate comprising a surface to be coated in a low-pressure reaction chamber; exposing said surface to a plasma during a treatment period within said reaction chamber; ensuring a stable plasma ignition by applying a power input, characterized in that the power input is continuously strictly higher than zero Watt (W) during said treatment period and comprises at least a lower limit power and at least an upper limit power strictly larger than said lower limit power, thereby obtaining a substrate with a coated surface. The present invention further concerns an apparatus for treating a substrate with a low-pressure plasma process and a substrate treated as such.

[Object] To provide a radical generator which can produce radicals at higher density. [Means for Solution] The radical generator includes a supply tube 10 made of SUS, a hollow cylindrical plasma-generating tube 11 which is connected to the supply tube 10 and which is made of pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN). A first cylindrical CCP electrode 13 and a second cylindrical CCP electrode 30 are disposed outside the plasma-generating tube 11. A coil 12 is provided so as to wind about the outer circumference of the plasma-generating tube 11 at the downstream end of the first CCP electrode 13. A thin connecting tube 23 extending from the bottom of the plasma-generating tube 11 is inserted into the supply tube 10.

In a known plasma-chemical coating apparatus, a plasma chamber is provided within which at least one linear antenna is arranged for producing a plasma by means of electromagnetic power, in which a supply for a carrier gas terminates and which comprises a plasma exit opening in the direction of a treatment chamber for a plasma-assisted modification of a substrate. Starting from this, to achieve cleaning cycles as in coating apparatuses with comparatively slow coating processes, it is suggested according to the invention that the plasma exit opening is configured as an elongated narrowing and defined preferably on both sides by cylinders which extend in parallel with each other and are rotatable about their cylinder axis, and that a cleaning zone is respectively provided for each of the cylinders, into which an area of the outer surface of the respective cylinder which is to be cleaned can be introduced by rotation about the cylinder axis.

Beam plasma source enhanced magnetron sputtering, is provided. An aspect of the present apparatus and method of use employs a magnetron apparatus including: a vacuum chamber; reactive gas; a workpiece substrate; and a magnetron which includes spaced apart magnetron magnets and a sputter target located adjacent to the magnets with a primary axis of the magnetron being offset from a nominal plane of the workpiece substrate by 20-70; and an ion source which includes an anode, a cathode, and ion source magnets. In one configuration, an ion emission centerline of an ion source is substantially perpendicular to a nominal facing surface or plane of a workpiece substrate, and in a second configuration, the ion emission centerline is offset angled by 20-80 from the nominal surface or plane of the substrate. In another aspect of the present magnetron apparatus and method, a sputter target has an axis with an offset angle 35-50 relative to a workpiece substrate surface, and an ion source has an ion emission centerline substantially perpendicular to the workpiece substrate surface.