Abstract: A process chamber having voltage driven electrodes, e.g. plasma chamber, can be made self cleaning of particle contamination by appropriate design of the workpiece or electrode surface to provide protuberances, grooves or tapers thereon which result in a predetermined pattern in the electrostatic potential within the process chamber which can trap particulate contamination in preselected regions within the plasma chamber. These particles can then be channeled out of the process chamber through a pump port.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber for supporting a workpiece; an inlet for introducing a gas into the chamber; a coil of conductive material having a generally flattened configuration whereby to provide a at least one generally planar surface defined by parallel conductors disposed on the chamber; and apparatus for applying radio frequency energy to the coil.

Abstract: Optical elements, and methods for fabricating them, are described wherein each element includes a free standing (self supporting) polycrystalline continuous thin film of diamond combined with a non-hydrogenated amorphous diamond like carbon (DLC) film having a high percentage of sp.sup.3 bonding. These elements may be designed to have optically smooth surfaces, have wide optical transmission ranges (for example, be transparent across the infrared portion of the spectrum), and exhibit exceptional durability characteristics. Optical instruments that include such elements are also described, along with the derivative benefits, such as improved operating performance and lower maintenance requirements, realized using the novel optical elements. In particular, a polarization Michaelson interferometer (PMI) is taught which is operative over the entire range from far infrared into the visible portion of the spectrum without requiring the exchange of beam splitters or beam polarizers.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of oriented, ceramic oxides from a bilayer structure of a polycrystalline superconducting ceramic oxide and a second ceramic oxide material having a lower melting point than the superconducting ceramic oxide. The process comprises the steps of preparing a substrate, depositing the superconducting ceramic oxide and second ceramic oxide in alternate layers, and heat treating the resulting composite structure to obtain an oriented structure whereby the c-axes of the unit cells of the crystallites are predominantly normal to the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A solid state microwave generator is utilized as an excitation source for material/ plasma processes. The invention provides very close precise control of the solid state device's power levels to control the ultimate power output and frequency which control is not readily possible with vacuum tube devices. Utilizing the concepts of the invention the total power generated by the system may be easily varied and, further, the power may be easily monitored and used to control other device parameters such as frequency and the like. Because of the degree of control possible within the overall process system of the invention any measurable physical property of the process such as temperature, power, color (e.g., optical pyrometer), or the like that can be monitored and converted to a control signal can be utilized by the present system to carefully control the overall process conditions. These control features are lacking in currently available vacuum tube microwave devices.

Abstract: Plasma enhancement is achieved in a plasma glow system by increasing the number of photoelectric electrons in the plasma glow by producing photoelectrons from the surface of a target in the system by the use of a radiation source. This is more particularly accomplished by flooding the surface of the target with a UV laser beam during the plasma process where emitted photoelectrons are injected into the plasma to increase the plasma density.The plasma enhancement is used in a sputter etching/deposition system which includes a chamber containing a cathode, a target, a substrate platform containing substrate and a pump. An ultraviolet light source such as a UV laser and focussing optics for focussing the UV radiation onto the target through a UV transmission window are also provided. A plasma region in the chamber is enhanced by photons from the laser striking the target and producing photoelectrons which are injected into the plasma to increase its density.

Abstract: An improved photoconductor for GaAs laser addressed devices sensitive to illumination at about 1.5 eV is an amorphous material containing silicon, hydrogen and a material taken from the group consisting of Ge, Sn and Pb. A preferred embodiment of this invention is amorphous Si.sub.x Ge.sub.1-x H.sub.y where x equals 0.78 to 0.93 and y equals 14-20 atomic percent.