Provided herein are high energy ion beam generator systems and methods that provide low cost, high performance, robust, consistent, uniform, low gas consumption and high current/high-moderate voltage generation of neutrons and protons. Such systems and methods find use for the commercial-scale generation of neutrons and protons for a wide variety of research, medical, security, and industrial processes.

Provided herein are high energy ion beam generator systems and methods that provide low cost, high performance, robust, consistent, uniform, low gas consumption and high current/high-moderate voltage generation of neutrons and protons. Such systems and methods find use for the commercial-scale generation of neutrons and protons for a wide variety of research, medical, security, and industrial processes.

A film forming method of forming a carbon film includes: cleaning an interior of a processing container by using oxygen-containing plasma in a state in which no substrate is present inside the processing container; subsequently, extracting and removing oxygen inside the processing container by using plasma in the state in which no substrate is present inside the processing container; and subsequently, loading a substrate into the processing container and forming the carbon film on the substrate through plasma CVD using a processing gas including a carbon-containing gas, wherein the cleaning, the extracting and removing the oxygen, and the forming the carbon film are repeatedly performed.

A method includes etching a first region by plasma etching such that an upper surface of the first region is provided at a deeper position within a substrate than a second region; forming a deposit containing carbon on the substrate by forming plasma of a hydrocarbon gas inside a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus; and further etching the first region by plasma etching. In the forming of the plasma of the hydrocarbon gas, magnetic field distribution in which a horizontal component on an edge side of the substrate is larger than a horizontal component on a center of the substrate is formed by an electromagnet.

There is provided a plasma generating device that includes a first electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply, and a second electrode to be grounded, a buffer structure configured to form a buffer chamber that accommodates the first and second electrodes wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are alternately arranged such that a number of electrodes of the first electrode and the second electrode are in an odd number of three or more in total, and wherein the second electrode is used in common for two of the first electrode being respectively adjacent to the second electrode used in common, and wherein a gas supply port that supplies gas into a process chamber is installed on a wall surface of the buffer structure.

There is provided a plasma generating device that includes a first electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply, and a second electrode to be grounded, a buffer structure configured to form a buffer chamber that accommodates the first and second electrodes wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are alternately arranged such that a number of electrodes of the first electrode and the second electrode are in an odd number of three or more in total, and wherein the second electrode is used in common for two of the first electrode being respectively adjacent to the second electrode used in common, and wherein a gas supply port that supplies gas into a process chamber is installed on a wall surface of the buffer structure.

Provided is a microwave plasma device, including: a hollow tube that is hollow and irradiated with a microwave; a swirl gas inlet that is located at a lower end portion of the hollow tube and injected with a swirl gas; an axial gas inlet that penetrates through the lower end portion of the hollow tube and injected with an axial gas; and a swirl gas barrier that is located inside the hollow tube, located near where the swirl gas is injected, and extends in a longitudinal direction of the hollow tube, in which a gap g is formed between the swirl gas barrier and the hollow tube, and plasma is generated inside the hollow tube and nitrogen oxide is generated inside the hollow tube.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a balun having a first unbalanced terminal, a second unbalanced terminal, a first balanced terminal, and a second balanced terminal, a grounded vacuum container, a first electrode electrically connected to the first balanced terminal, a second electrode electrically connected to the second balanced terminal, and a ground electrode arranged in the vacuum container and grounded.

This plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing on an end part of a substrate includes a processing container, a substrate supporting member configured to support a portion of the substrate and to which a high frequency power is applied, at least a side of the substrate supporting member being composed of a dielectric, an opposing dielectric member composed of a dielectric and disposed to oppose the substrate supporting member, and a gas supply configured to supply a processing gas for generating plasma on at least the end part of the substrate. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a side ground electrode provided at a side of the substrate so as to be close to the substrate to such an extent that an electrical coupling is formed between an end surface of the substrate and the side ground electrode, the side ground electrode having a ground potential.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a stage provided in a processing container, and an upper electrode. The upper electrode includes a dielectric plate facing the stage, and a conductor formed on a surface of the dielectric plate opposite to a surface of the dielectric plate facing the stage. The dielectric plate includes a central portion, an outer peripheral portion, and an intermediate portion between the central portion and the outer peripheral portion. The intermediate portion has a thickness larger than the thicknesses of the central portion and the outer peripheral portion.