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: A hollow carbon nanoballoon structure having a relatively large closed space, and a method of producing a carbon nanoballoon structure capable of easily and stably producing such a structure. The carbon nanoballoon structure is obtained by heating soot prepared by an arc discharge using carbon electrodes, soot prepared by vaporizing carbon by laser irradiation, or carbon black having a specific surface area of 1000 m2/g or more and a primary particle diameter of 20 nm or more at a high temperature in an inert gas atmosphere, and includes graphite sheets linked to form a curved surface.

Abstract: A power supply circuit for plasma generation by which a large quantity of generated plasma can be smoothly obtained without increasing the sizes of an apparatus. An electric discharge generating electrode is composed of two or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes. An LC series circuit is provided by connecting a capacitor C and a coil L in series between one of outputs of an alternating high voltage generating circuit which generates an alternating high voltage to be applied between the electrodes of electric discharge generating electrode, and the first electrode. When electricity is discharged in one of the electrode pair, voltage drop is suppressed by the coil, and since electric discharge from the other electrode pair is induced without being disturbed, a large quantity of plasma can be smoothly generated by common use of the alternating high voltage generating circuit.

Abstract: A hollow carbon nanoballoon structure having a relatively large closed space, and a method of producing a carbon nanoballoon structure capable of easily and stably producing such a structure. The carbon nanoballoon structure is obtained by heating soot prepared by arc discharge using carbon electrodes, soot prepared by vaporizing. carbon by laser irradiation, or carbon black having a specific surface area of 1000 m2/g or more and a primary particle diameter of 20 nm or more at a high temperature in an inert gas atmosphere, and includes graphite sheets linked to form a curved surface.

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: A power supply circuit for plasma generation by which a large quantity of generated plasma can be smoothly obtained without increasing the sizes of an apparatus, a plasma generating apparatus, a plasma processing apparatus which can process a large quantity of objects to be processed at a low cost by using the plasma generating apparatus, and plasma processed objects having target quantities are realized. An electric discharge generating electrode is composed of two or more first electrodes and one or more second electrodes. An LC series circuit is provided by connecting a capacitor C and a coil L in series between one of outputs of an alternating high voltage generating circuit which generates an alternating high voltage to be applied between the electrodes of electric discharge generating electrode, and the first electrode.

Abstract: A carbon substance comprises a structure and line-shaped bodies, the structure having a size ranging from about 1 ?m to about 100 ?m and including carbon and a metal or a metallic oxide, and the line-shaped bodies having diameters smaller than about 200 nm and including carbon as a main component thereof and growing radially from a surface of the structure. A method for manufacturing the carbon substance uses a thermal decomposition of a source gas containing carbon in the vicinity of a catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises a first and a second materials, the first material being Ni or a Ni oxide and the second material being In or an In oxide; and the thermal decomposition is performed at a temperature ranging from about 675° C. to about 750° C. An electron emission element uses the carbon substance as an electron emission material. A composite material includes the carbon substance in its matrix.

Abstract: A graphite cathode and a graphite anode are placed opposite each other through an insulating plate having a notch. A voltage is applied between both of the electrodes to generate arc discharge at the notch of the insulating plate. A given area of the graphite anode is evaporated from an electrode point of the arc discharge, and simultaneously an arc jet is generated from the notch. Thereby, a carbon nanoparticle comprising soot of carbon nanomaterial containing carbon nanohorn is generated. The soot is deposited on a recovering plate for recovery.

Abstract: A carbon nano-fiber, particularly twisted carbon nano-fiber such as a carbon nano-coil, carbon nano-twist, carbon nano-rope is produced by means of a catalyst CVD method using carbon-containing gas as a raw material and a catalyst comprising one or plural components selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and oxide thereof and one or plural components selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Si, Ti, V, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W and oxide thereof is used.

Abstract: Described herein is a method of preparing nano-carbon; a method of preparing an electron emitting source by supporting the soot; and an apparatus for preparing the same. A torch electrode 10 of an arc torch 1 as a first electrode is placed opposite to a material to be arced 2 using graphite as a second electrode. A voltage is applied between the torch electrode 10 and an edge portion of the material to be arced 2 to generate are discharge, to evaporate the edge portion of the material to be arced 2 exposed to the arc discharge, to generate soot. The soot thus generated is deposited on the surface of a substrate opposite to an arc discharge-generating area through a mask having a patterned opening.

Abstract: A carbon substance comprises a structure and line-shaped bodies, the structure having a size ranging from about 1 &mgr;m to about 100 &mgr;m and including carbon and a metal or a metallic oxide, and the line-shaped bodies having diameters smaller than about 200 nm and including carbon as a main component thereof and growing radially from a surface of the structure. A method for manufacturing the carbon substance uses a thermal decomposition of a source gas containing carbon in the vicinity of a catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises a first and a second materials, the first material being Ni or a Ni oxide and the second material being In or an In oxide; and the thermal decomposition is performed at a temperature ranging from about 675° C. to about 750° C. An electron emission element uses the carbon substance as an electron emission material. A composite material includes the carbon substance in its matrix.

Abstract: A method of instantaneously forming a surface of an arc-treated material mainly including graphite into nano-tubes due to arc discharge carried out using a unit like a welding arc torch or the like without necessarily requiring a processing container, resulting in the nano-tube being applied to an electron emission source. A torch electrode acting as a first electrode and the arc-treated material made of graphite and acting as a second electrode are arranged opposite to each other. A potential is applied between both electrodes to generate arc discharge therebetween. A mask having an opening pattern is arranged on the arc-treated material, so that only graphite positioned on portions of a surface of the arc-treated material corresponding to openings of the mask are exposed to arc, to thereby be formed into nano-tubes.

Abstract: A graphite cathode and a graphite anode are placed opposite each other through an insulating plate having a notch. A voltage is applied between both of the electrodes to generate arc discharge at the notch of the insulating plate. A given area of the graphite anode is evaporated from an electrode point of the arc discharge, and simultaneously an arc jet is generated from the notch. Thereby, a carbon nanoparticle comprising soot of carbon nanomaterial containing carbon nanohorn is generated. The soot is deposited on a recovering plate for recovery.

Abstract: A carbon nano-fiber, particularly twisted carbon nano-fiber such as a carbon nano-coil, carbon nano-twist, carbon nano-rope is produced by means of a catalyst CVD method using carbon-containing gas as a raw material and a catalyst comprising one or plural components selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and oxide thereof and one or plural components selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Si, Ti, V, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W and oxide thereof is used.

Abstract: A method of preparing an electron emission source having excellent electron emission characteristics which is easily produced and an electron emission source are provided. Chamber 101 is brought to He atmosphere of 1 Pa pressure, arc current of DC 100 A is allowed to flow to perform arc discharge for one second, cathode 102 is heated locally, cathode materials constituting cathode 102 are scattered and carbon particles on the surface of which a lot of carbon nano-tube is formed are produced. The aforementioned carbon particles are collected to use as an emitter of an electron emission source.

Abstract: There are provided a method of preparing nano-carbon comprising evaporating a material to be arced containing carbon as a main component by means of arc discharge which does not necessarily require a process container and so on, but uses an apparatus having a welding arc torch or an analogous structure to generate soot, a method of preparing an electron emitting source by supporting the soot, and an apparatus for preparing the same. A torch electrode 10 of an arc torch 1 as a first electrode is placed opposite to a material to be arced 2 using graphite as a second electrode. A voltage is applied between the torch electrode 10 and an edge portion of the material to be arced 2 to generate arc discharge, to evaporate the edge portion of the material to be arced 2 exposed to the arc discharge, to generate soot. The soot thus generated is deposited on the surface of a substrate opposite to an arc discharge-generating area through a mask having a patterned opening.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus capable of instantaneously forming a surface of an arc-treated material mainly consisting of graphite into nano-tubes due to arc discharge carried out using a unit like a welding arc torch or the like without necessarily requiring a processing container, resulting in the nano-tube being applied to an electron emission source. A torch electrode acting as a first electrode and the arc-treated material made of graphite and acting as a second electrode are arranged opposite to each other. A potential is applied between both electrodes to generate arc discharge therebetween. A mask having an opening pattern is arranged on the arc-treated material, so that only graphite positioned on portions of a surface of the arc-treated material 2 corresponding to openings of the mask are exposed to arc, to thereby be formed into nano-tubes.