Abstract: Electrically charged droplets and neutral droplets mixed with plasma are removed with better efficiency, and an improvement in the surface treatment precision of film formation by high purity plasma is sought. In a plasma processing apparatus including plasma generating portion A, plasma transport tube B and plasma processing portion C, an insulator interposed plasma processing apparatus is constituted in which plasma transport tube B is made electrically independent from plasma generating portion A and plasma processing portion C electrically by interposing insulator IS and insulator IF between the starting end side and the finishing end side of the plasma transport tube. Plasma transport tube B is divided into multiple small transport tubes B01, B23 through intermediate insulator II1, and each small transport tube is made independent electrically.

Abstract: A plasma stream-derived deposited matter formed on an annular rib for droplet capture in a plasma processing apparatus is prevented from falling into a plasma generation portion and causing a short circuit. The annular rib for the droplet capture is divided into multiple rib segments. Thus, from the beginning of the formation of the deposited matter on the annular rib due to the aggregation of the material in the plasma stream, it is possible to reduce the size of the deposited matter. By reducing the size of this deposited matter, when a piece of the deposited matter falls into the plasma generation portion, the piece of the deposited matter gets into a groove portion provided between a cathode and a wall surface of the plasma generation portion, thereby preventing the electrical short circuit between the cathode and the wall surface.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus using a plasma generating apparatus by which droplets mixed in plasma can be efficiently removed and surface processing precision can be improved in film formation wherein high purity plasma is used. A droplet removing portion arranged in a plasma advancing path is composed of a straight plasma advancing tube (P0) connected to a plasma generating portion (A); a first plasma advancing tube (P1) connected to the straight plasma advancing tube (P0) in a bent manner; a second plasma advancing tube (P2) connected to a finishing end of the first plasma advancing tube (P1) by being inclinedly arranged at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the tube axis of the first plasma advancing tube; and a third plasma advancing tube (P3), which is connected to the finishing end of the second plasma advancing tube (P2) in a bent manner and discharges plasma from a plasma outlet.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a multiply divided anode wall type plasma generation apparatus, wherein a short circuit between the cathode and the anode is not caused even if deposited matter adhering and depositing on the inner wall of the anode by diffusion plasma detach and fall. Also, an object is to provide a plasma processing apparatus using the same. When the plasma (P) generated between the cathode (2) and the anode (3) is ejected forward from the cathode (2) and diffuses, the diffusing material (41) recrystalizes, adheres, and deposits on the inner wall of an electrode cylindrical body, and detaches and falls as a carbon flake (40). The inner wall of the electrode cylindrical body is multiply divided in the shape of a matrix by means of longitudinal and lateral grooves (37, 38).

Abstract: A plasma stream-derived deposited matter formed on an annular rib for droplet capture in a plasma processing apparatus is prevented from falling into a plasma generation portion and causing a short circuit. The annular rib for the droplet capture is divided into multiple rib segments. Thus, from the beginning of the formation of the deposited matter on the annular rib due to the aggregation of the material in the plasma stream, it is possible to reduce the size of the deposited matter. By reducing the size of this deposited matter, when a piece of the deposited matter falls into the plasma generation portion, the piece of the deposited matter gets into a groove portion provided between a cathode and a wall surface of the plasma generation portion, thereby preventing the electrical short circuit between the cathode and the wall surface.

Abstract: Electrically charged droplets and neutral droplets mixed with plasma are removed with better efficiency, and an improvement in the surface treatment precision of film formation by high purity plasma is sought. In a plasma processing apparatus including plasma generating portion A, plasma transport tube B and plasma processing portion C, an insulator interposed type plasma processing apparatus is constituted in which plasma transport tube B is made electrically independent from plasma generating portion A and plasma processing portion C electrically by interposing insulator IS and insulator IF between the starting end side and the finishing end side of the plasma transport tube. Plasma transport tube B is divided into multiple small transport tubes B01, B23 through intermediate insulator II1, and each small transport tube is made independent electrically.

Abstract: A device for removing droplets in a plasma generator including a tubular traveling passage through which plasma and droplets travel under mixed state is formed, an aperture having a passing hole at an eccentric position is provided in the tubular traveling passage, and a magnetic field generator passing the plasma through the eccentric passing hole of the aperture arranged on an outer circumference of the tubular traveling passage. The plasma further passes through the eccentric passing hole of the aperture after being bent in the tubular traveling passage by a magnetic field generated from the magnetic field generator and the droplets are removed by colliding against the wall face of the aperture at the time of bending.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a target exchange type plasma generating apparatus in which the positions of two targets can be adjusted independent of each other. A target exchanging mechanism (6) of a plasma generating apparatus for generating plasma by vacuum arc discharge comprises a main holder (32) driven half a rotation by a main motor (M), containing sections (32a, 32b) arranged opposite to each other across the diameter of the main holder, auxiliary holders (16, 18) rotatably contained in the containing sections (32a, 32b), two auxiliary motors (M1, M2) for spinning the auxiliary holders, sliders (S1, S2) for vertically moving the auxiliary holders (16, 18) in the direction of the spinning shafts of the auxiliary holders, and targets (T1, T2) fitted to the auxiliary holders (16, 18). The positions of the targets (T1, T2) are exchanged by rotating the main holder (32) by half a rotation.

Abstract: Provided is a plasma generating apparatus by which droplets mixed in plasma can be efficiently removed and surface processing precision can be improved in film formation wherein high purity plasma is used. A plasma processing apparatus using such plasma generating apparatus is also provided. A droplet removing portion arranged in a plasma advancing path is composed of a straight plasma straightly advancing tube (P0) connected to a plasma generating portion (A); a first plasma advancing tube (P1) connected to the straight plasma straightly advancing tube (P0) in a bent manner; a second plasma advancing tube (P2) connected to a finishing end of the first plasma advancing tube (P1) by being inclinedly arranged at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the tube axis of the first plasma advancing tube; and a third plasma advancing tube (P3), which is connected to the finishing end of the second plasma advancing tube (P2) in a bent manner and discharges plasma from a plasma outlet.

Abstract: A plasma generator for forming a thin film comprises a cathode (4) for supplying constituent particles of an arc plasma and a trigger-and-anode (6) for starting and sustaining the arc plasma. The cathode surface (4a) of the cathode (4) is flat or finely irregular, and the anode surface (6c) of the trigger-and-anode (6) brought into contact with the cathode surface (4a) is flat. The anode surface (6c) is so arranged as to be brought into contact with the whole cathode surface (4a) when plasma is started. The contact point between a fine projection end (4b) of the cathode surface (4a) and the anode surface (6c) is made a plasma emission point. When the projection is consumed by plasma emission, another projection end which can be brought into contact with the anode surface (6c) is used as another plasma emission point, thus enabling intermittent operation of persistently repeating the sequence operation.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma generating apparatus having a plasma gun which can remove droplets mixed with plasma efficiently without reducing the effective amount of plasma generated by vacuum arc discharge and in which a droplet removing portion can be constituted easily and inexpensively, and precision of surface treatment of films by high purity plasma can be enhanced. Periphery of a cathode (407) of said plasma gun is surrounded by an enclosure member (420) and a droplet removing device (406) constituted by laying a plurality of droplet collecting members (411) in multilayer is provided on the inside of the enclosure member (420). The enclosure member (420), the collecting member (411) and a plasma advancing path (402) have no relation connected with an arc power supply (409) and are held in an electrically neutral floating state.

Abstract: Intended is to provide a plasma generating apparatus, which can remove such a droplet efficiently as might otherwise migrate into a plasma and which can constitute a droplet removing portion simply and inexpensively thereby to improve a, surface treating precision such as a filming with a highly pure plasma. In a plasma advancing path (5), there is arranged the droplet removing portion for removing the droplet, which is by-produced from a cathode (4) at the plasma generating time. This droplet removing portion includes a radially enlarged tube (3) forming the plasma advancing path (5), an introduction side radially reduced tube (34) connected to the plasma introducing side initial end of the radially enlarged tube (3), a discharge side radially reduced tube (39) connected to the plasma discharge side terminal end of the radially enlarged tube (3), and stepped portions (40) formed at the initial end and the terminal end of the radially enlarged tube (3).

Abstract: There is provided a device for removing droplets in a plasma generator by which droplets can be surely separated from a plasma traveling from an arc discharge section and can be certainly removed, so that it can be prevented for the droplets to reach an article being processed. A tubular traveling passage (3) through which plasma P and droplets D travel under mixed state is formed, an aperture (6) having a passing hole (6a) at an eccentric position is provided in the tubular traveling passage (3), and a magnetic field generating means for passing the plasma P through the eccentric passing hole (6a) of the aperture (6) is arranged on an outer circumference of the tubular traveling passage (3). The plasma P passes through the eccentric passing hole (6a) of the aperture (6) after being bent in the tubular traveling passage (3) by a magnetic field generated from the magnetic field generating means and the droplets D are removed by colliding against the wall face of the aperture (6) at the time of bending.

Abstract: A plasma generator for forming a thin film comprises a cathode (4) for supplying constituent particles of an arc plasma and a trigger-and-anode (6) for starting and sustaining the arc plasma. The cathode surface (4a) of the cathode (4) is flat or finely irregular, and the anode surface (6c) of the trigger-and-anode (6) brought into contact with the cathode surface (4a) is flat. The anode surface (6c) is so arranged as to be brought into contact with the whole cathode surface (4a) when plasma is started. The contact point between a fine projection end (4b) of the cathode surface (4a) and the anode surface (6c) is made a plasma emission point. When the projection is consumed by plasma emission, another projection end which can be brought into contact with the anode surface (6c) is used as another plasma emission point, thus enabling intermittent operation of persistently repeating the sequence operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical glass for an optical path, having a refractive index of at least 1.55, an Abbe number of at least 48 and a specific gravity of at most 2.90 and being excellent in chemical durability, having a chemical composition of:______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 55 to 65% by weight B.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 10 TiO.sub.2 + ZrO.sub.2 1 to 5 TiO.sub.2 0 to 5 ZrO.sub.2 0 to 5 CaO + ZnO 20 to 33 CaO 5 to 20 ZnO 3 to 20 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 4 one or more of R.sub.2 O (Li.sub.2 O, Na.sub.2 O, K.sub.2 O) 5 to 9 As.sub.2 O.sub.