Abstract: The present invention provides a Soft Plasma Cleaning (SPC) system (30, 130, 230) including a Guided Soft-Plasma Cleaning (G-SPC) (30). The SPC system is a non-thermal, low temperature process and operable at atmosphere pressure, in both air and liquid medium. In an embodiment, a feedstock gas (40) is supplied to provide a discharging fluid (50) in the cleaning chamber (34). A plasma guiding and amplifying component (52) guides and expands the discharging fluid to cover a large ablation area over the workpiece (32), thereby also suppressing ion and electron bombardment damage or etching. The plasma guiding and amplifying component (52) may be formed with dielectric plates or tubes (37, 56, 58), with each dielectric having an aperture (37a, 56a, 58a). The electric field and ion energy in the cleaning chamber can be additionally controlled via a floating electrode (160, 160a), so as to suppress plasma damage during SPC.

Abstract: An apparatus for diagnostics of neutral radicals in plasma, the apparatus comprising: a portable probe configured to be attached to and extend into a plasma chamber to obtain information from plasma contained in the plasma chamber, the probe comprising a metallic rod configured to be biased with an alternating current voltage applied to the probe to obtain current measurements; a transparent dielectric sleeve having a large bandgap configured to allow light transmission to obtain optical emission spectra from the plasma; and an insulated thermocouple junction provided in the metallic rod, the thermocouple junction configured to measure equilibrium temperature of the probe.

Abstract: The present invention provides a Soft Plasma Cleaning (SPC) system (30, 130, 230) including a Guided Soft-Plasma Cleaning (G-SPC) (30). The SPC system is a non-thermal, low temperature process and operable at atmosphere pressure, in both air and liquid medium. In an embodiment, a feedstock gas (40) is supplied to provide a discharging fluid (50) in the cleaning chamber (34). A plasma guiding and amplifying component (52) guides and expands the discharging fluid to cover a large ablation area over the workpiece (32), thereby also suppressing ion and electron bombardment damage or etching. The plasma guiding and amplifying component (52) may be formed with dielectric plates or tubes (37, 56, 58) with each dielectric having an aperture (37a, 56a, 58a). The electric field and ion energy in the cleaning chamber can be additionally controlled via a floating electrode (160, 160a), so as to suppress plasma damage during SPC.

Abstract: There is provided a capacitive coupled electodeless plasma apparatus for processing a silicon substrate. The apparatus includes at least one inductive antenna driven by time-varying power sources for providing at least one electrostatic field; and a chamber for locating the silicon substrate. There is also provided a method for processing a silicon substrate using capacitively coupled electrodeless plasma.

Abstract: An apparatus for diagnostics of neutral radicals in plasma, the apparatus comprising: a portable probe configured to be attached to and extend into a plasma chamber to obtain information from plasma contained in the plasma chamber, the probe comprising a metallic rod configured to be biased with an alternating current voltage applied to the probe to obtain current measurements; a transparent dielectric sleeve having a large bandgap configured to allow light transmission to obtain optical emission spectra from the plasma; and an insulated thermocouple junction provided in the metallic rod, the thermocouple junction configured to measure equilibrium temperature of the probe.

Abstract: A p-type dopant for a Group IV semiconductor, the p-type dopant comprising at least: a mixture of nitrogen and phosphorous configured for plasma ion implantation on the Group IV semiconductor. A method of p-type doping of a Group IV semiconductor; the method comprising the steps of: a) dissociating and ionizing a feedstock comprising a mixture of nitrogen and phosphorous a using an input power; and b) applying a bias onto a support for the Group IV semiconductor so that ions from the ionized nitrogen and phosphorous are attracted to and implanted on a surface of the Group IV semiconductor.

Abstract: There is provided a capacitive coupled electodeless plasma apparatus for processing a silicon substrate. The apparatus includes at least one inductive antenna driven by time-varying power sources for providing at least one electrostatic field; and a chamber for locating the silicon substrate. There is also provided a method for processing a silicon substrate using capacitively coupled electrodeless plasma.