Abstract: An apparatus for dissociating gases includes a plasma chamber that may be formed from a metallic material and a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and having a primary winding. The apparatus also includes one or more switching semiconductor devices that are directly coupled to a voltage supply and that have an output coupled to the primary winding of the transformer. The one or more switching semiconductor devices drive current in the primary winding that induces a potential inside the chamber that forms a plasma which completes a secondary circuit of the transformer.

Abstract: An improved toroidal low-field plasma source allows plasma ignition within a wider range of gas conditions than permitted by prior art plasma sources. Power efficiency of the plasma source is improved by automatically adjusting the power delivered to the plasma based on the load to the power supply. The plasma source can be operated over a wider pressure range than allowed by prior art plasma sources. The plasma source can be operated so as to increase the output of atomic species from the source. The plasma source can be operated to increase the etch rate of organic materials. The plasma source can efficiently remove hazardous gas compounds from effluent gas streams by converting them into scrubbable products.

Abstract: A furnace for thermal processing of substrates includes a substrate cassette that supports at least one substrate and a process chamber for thermal processing. A process chamber that includes a port for receiving a substrate, a heater that generates a thermal distribution, and a rotatable member having a substrate support. The rotatable member rotates a substrate positioned on the substrate support so that a temperature of the substrate is controlled according to a temperature profile. A transport mechanism transports substrates between the substrate cassette and the substrate support of the rotatable member.

Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneously transporting and processing substrates is described. The apparatus includes a load lock that stores at least one substrate prior to processing and that stores at least one substrate after processing. A first transport mechanism transports at least one substrate into and out of the load lock. A multi-stage elevator is adapted to receive the first transport mechanism. A first process chamber is vertically disposed from the multi-stage elevator. The multi-stage elevator vertically transports at least one substrate into and out of the first process chamber. A second process chamber may be coupled to the multi-stage elevator. A second transport mechanism transports at least one substrate between the multi-stage elevator and the second process chamber.

Abstract: An end effector in a transport module includes a body and a web defined by a panel and first and second flanges at opposite panel ends. The first flange is attached to the body. The second flange is displaced from, and transverse to, the panel. Rods extending through the flanges into the body rigidify the web. Springs disposed in holes in the body and extending between the first flange and the body balance the web relative to the body. The second flange and a ledge on the body adjacent the first flange support the substrate opposite ends with the central portion of the substrate displaced from the body and the web. A robotic assembly formed from a plurality of arms is coupled to the body. The arms are pivotable relative to one another and to the body between contracted and expanded relationships. With the arms contracted, the body and the web are rotatable in the transport module between positions facing the cassette module or the process module.

Abstract: An apparatus for dissociating gases includes a plasma chamber that may be formed from a metallic material and a transformer having a magnetic core surrounding a portion of the plasma chamber and having a primarily winding. The apparatus also includes one or more switching semiconductor devices that are directly coupled to a voltage supply and that have an output coupled to the primary winding of the transformer. The one or more switching semiconductor devices drive current in the primary winding that induces a potential inside the chamber that forms a plasma which completes a secondary circuit of the transformer.

Abstract: An end effector in a transport module includes a body and a web defined by a panel and first and second flanges at opposite panel ends. The first flange is attached to the body. The second flange is displaced from, and transverse to, the panel. Rods extending through the flanges into the body rigidity the web. Springs disposed in holes in the body and extending between the first flange and the body balance the web relative to the body. The second flange and a ledge on the body adjacent the first flange support the substrate opposite ends with the central portion of the substrate displaced from the body and the web. A robotic assembly formed from a plurality of arms is coupled to the body. The arms are pivotable relative to one another and to the body between contracted and expanded relationships. With the arms contracted, the body and the web are rotatable in the transport module between positions facing the cassette module or the process module.

Abstract: A robotic arm assembly in a transport module is expansible to have an effector at its end receive a substrate in a cassette module and is then contracted and rotated with the effector to have the effector face a process module. Planets on a turntable in the process module are rotatable on first parallel axes. The turntable is rotatable on a second axis parallel to the first axes to move successive planets to a position facing the effector. At this position, an alignment assembly is aligned with, but axially displaced from, one of the planets. This assembly is moved axially into coupled relationship with such planet and then rotated to a position aligning the substrate on the effector axially with such planet when the arm assembly is expanded. A lifter assembly aligned with, and initially displaced from, such planet is moved axially to lift the substrate from the effector. The arm assembly is then contracted, rotated with the effector and expanded to receive the next cassette module substrate.

Abstract: A reactive gas generator cell includes a high voltage assembly having a high voltage electrode plate and a low voltage assembly having a low voltage electrode plate. Each of the high and low voltage assemblies may include a cover plate and a channel plate. A welded metallic seal may join the high voltage assembly and the low voltage assembly to create a permanently sealed chamber between the assemblies. A refractory metal surface, which may be a tungsten surface, is disposed on at least one of the low voltage electrode plate and the high voltage electrode plate. A dielectric barrier is disposed between the high voltage electrode plate and the low voltage electrode plate. A discharge region for confining a reactive gas is defined, at least in part, by the refractory metal surface and a surface of the dielectric barrier. A spacer, which may be formed from a refractory material, may be positioned between the surface of the dielectric barrier and the refractory metal surface to define a predetermined gap.

Abstract: A microwave plasma deposition source including a vacuum chamber for containing a substance to be energized in a plasma with microwave energy, a coaxial microwave feed ending in the chamber, a sputter target in the chamber and electrically isolated from the coaxial feed, and a second substrate spaced from the sputter target for defining a plasma volume between the substrates.

Abstract: A generator cell includes a high voltage assembly having a high voltage electrode, a low voltage assembly having a low voltage electrode, a barrier dielectric between the electrodes defining a discharge region for producing a reactive gas, and a welded seal joining the assemblies to create a permanently sealed chamber between the assemblies including the discharge region. The generator cell may have a gap in the discharge region of 0.005 inch or less. The cells may be modularly combined to form a reactive gas generator system.

Abstract: A fluid-cooled plasma applicator for microwave absorbing fluids is described. The applicator includes a discharge tube substantially transparent to microwave energy and a cooling member surrounding the tube defining a channel and a medium. The channel is formed along an inner surface of the member and it encircles an outer surface of the tube for transporting a microwave absorbing cooling fluid over the outer surface of the tube. The medium adjacent to the channel allows an electric field to enter the tube and sustain a plasma in the tube while the fluid is flowing through the channel.

Abstract: Methods for rapidly adjusting the impedance of a variable impedance apparatus to match the impedance of a source to the impedance of a load, where the load impedance is a nonlinear function of the power delivered to the load, are described. In addition, an automatic impedance matching apparatus for matching the impedance of a source to the impedance of a load and for maintaining a stable plasma are described. The apparatus includes a variable impedance apparatus, a plurality of electric field sensors, a photosensitive detector, a data processor, and a memory.

Abstract: A fluid-cooled dielectric window for a microwave plasma system which uses microwave absorbing fluids is described. The window includes a dielectric window and a cooling member in contact with an outer surface of the window which defines a channel and a medium adjacent to the channel. The channel transports a microwave absorbing cooling fluid over the outer surface of the window. The medium allows an electric field to enter through the window and sustain a plasma in a chamber while the fluid is flowing through the channel.

Abstract: A microwave plasma reactor including a chamber for containing a gas to be energized into a plasma with microwave energy, an electrode having two surfaces in the chamber for radiating microwave energy from one of the surfaces into the chamber to form the plasma proximate the radiating surface, and a waveguide or coaxial conductor for introducing microwave energy onto the other of the two electrode surfaces for providing the energy to form the plasma.

Abstract: A process for depositing diamond on a substrate using a microwave plasma generator including introducing a feed which includes diamond forming constituents in a desired ratio to the microwave plasma generator, and providing sufficient microwave power to the microwave plasma generator to produce a greenish-colored plasma which emits a spectrum monitored to maintain a relative emission intensity ratio of two of the constituents in a predetermined range, for depositing high quality diamond at an extremely high rate on the substrate placed proximate or in the plasma.

Abstract: A microwave plasma reactor including a chamber for containing a gas to be energized into a plasma with microwave energy, an electrode having two surfaces in the chamber for radiating microwave energy from one of the surfaces into the chamber to form the plasma proximate the radiating surface, and a waveguide or coaxial conductor for introducing microwave energy onto the other of the two electrode surfaces for providing the energy to form the plasma.

Abstract: A process for depositing diamond on a substrate using a microwave plasma generator including providing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in a desired ratio to the microwave plasma generator, and providing sufficient microwave power to the microwave plasma generator to produce a greenish-colored plasma with the C.sub.2 emission at 5165 Angstroms (.ANG.) at a level of from 0.5 to 50 times the atomic hydrogen alpha emission level at 6563 .ANG., for depositing high quality diamond at an extremely high rate on the substrate placed proximate or in the plasma.

Abstract: A process for depositing on a sample surface a smooth, wear-resistant coating including the steps of providing a vacuum processing chamber for holding the sample to be coated, introducing into the processing chamber coating-forming reactants for deposition on the sample surface, and supplying to the processing chamber a plasma stream with an electron temperature of up to 10 eV, a directed ion energy of 5 to 50 eV, and an ion flux at the sample in the range of 0.1 to 100 milliamps per square centimeter for transferring energy to the deposited material to form the smooth coating.

Abstract: A microwave activated gas generator in which microwave energy is supplied to an activated gas formation region through which a gas to be activated flows in a high-velocity stream. The stream is disturbed within or proximate the activation region to form a downstream stagnation region within the activated gas formation region to encourage microwave gas activation for efficiently coupling power to the gas to form a high-volume, high-velocity activated gas stream.