Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling electron flow within a plasma to produce a controlled electron beam is provided. A plasma is formed between a cathode and an acceleration anode. A control anode is connected to the plasma and to the acceleration anode via a switch. If the switch is open, the ions from the plasma flow to the cathode and plasma electrons flow to the acceleration anode. With the acceleration anode suitably transparent and negatively biased with a DC high voltage source, the electrons flowing from the plasma are accelerated to form an electron beam. If the switch is closed, the ions still flow to the cathode but the electrons flow to the control anode rather than the acceleration anode. Consequently, the electron beam is turned off, but the plasma is unaffected. By controlling the opening and closing of the switch, a controlled pulsed electron beam can be generated.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining plasma parameters such as plasma electron density ne. The probe apparatus includes an LC resonance probe comprising an inductive element and a capacitive element connected in series. The capacitive element of the probe can be in the form of a parallel plate capacitor, a cylindrical capacitor, a spherical capacitor, or any other suitable capacitor. The configuration of the probe apparatus gives it a characteristic resonance frequency ?R0 which can be determined by a circuit analysis device. When the capacitive element of the probe apparatus is placed in a plasma, the probe exhibits a new resonance frequency ?R, which is different from ?R0 because of the dielectric constant ? of the plasma. The difference in resonance frequencies can be used to determine plasma density ne, where n e = m e ? ? 0 e 2 ? ( ? R 2 - ? R ? ? 0 2 ) .

Abstract: An rf probe is placed within a plasma and an rf signal from a network analyzer for a given dc bias voltage Vp is applied The frequency applied by the network analyzer, ?, is less than the plasma frequency, ?pe, and therefore is not in the resonant absorption range (?=?pe) used to determine electron density in typical rf impedance probe operation. Bias voltages at the applied frequency are applied to the probe in a series of voltage steps in a range which includes the plasma potential. At each bias step, a value of Re(Zac), the real part of the plasma's complex impedance, is returned by the analyzer. A local minimum in the real part of the impedance Re(Zac) occurs where the applied bias voltage Vp equals the plasma potential ?p. The plasma potential ?p can be found by taking the first derivative of Re(Zac) with respect to Vp, ? ( Re ? ( Z a ? ? c ) ? V p , and finding the value of Vp at which ? ( Re ? ( Z a ? ? c ) ? V p = 0 within error tolerances.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining plasma parameters such as plasma electron density ne. The probe apparatus includes an LC resonance probe comprising an inductive element and a capacitive element connected in series. The capacitive element of the probe can be in the form of a parallel plate capacitor, a cylindrical capacitor, a spherical capacitor, or any other suitable capacitor. The configuration of the probe apparatus gives it a characteristic resonance frequency ?R0 which can be determined by a circuit analysis device. When the capacitive element of the probe apparatus is placed in a plasma, the probe exhibits a new resonance frequency ?R, which is different from ?R0 because of the dielectric constant ? of the plasma. The difference in resonance frequencies can be used to determine plasma density ne, when n e = m e ? ? 0 e 2 ? ( ? R 2 - ? R ? ? 0 2 ) .

Abstract: An rf probe is placed within a plasma and an rf signal from a network analyzer for a given dc bias voltage Vp is applied The frequency applied by the network analyzer, ?, is less than the plasma frequency, ?pe, and therefore is not in the resonant absorption range (?=?pe) used to determine electron density in typical rf impedance probe operation. Bias voltages at the applied frequency are applied to the probe in a series of voltage steps in a range which includes the plasma potential. At each bias step, a value of Re(Zac), the real part of the plasma's complex impedance, is returned by the analyzer. A local minimum in the real part of the impedance Re(Zac) occurs where the applied bias voltage Vp equals the plasma potential ?p. The plasma potential ?p can be found by taking the first derivative of Re(Zac) with respect to Vp, ? ( Re ? ( Z a ? ? c ) ? V p , and finding the value of Vp at which ? ( Re ? ( Z a ? ? c ) ? V p = 0 within error tolerances.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling electron flow within a plasma to produce a controlled electron beam is provided. A plasma is formed between a cathode and an acceleration anode. A control anode is connected to the plasma and to the acceleration anode via a switch. If the switch is open, the ions from the plasma flow to the cathode and plasma electrons flow to the acceleration anode. With the acceleration anode suitably transparent and negatively biased with a DC high voltage source, the electrons flowing from the plasma are accelerated to form an electron beam. If the switch is closed, the ions still flow to the cathode but the electrons flow to the control anode rather than the acceleration anode. Consequently, the electron beam is turned off, but the plasma is unaffected. By controlling the opening and closing of the switch, a controlled pulsed electron beam can be generated.

Abstract: An electron beam enhanced nitriding system that passes a high-energy electron beam through nitrogen gas to form a low electron temperature plasma capable of delivering nitrogen ions and radicals to a substrate to be nitrided. The substrate can be mounted on an electrode, and the substrate can be biased and heated.

Abstract: A method and system for material processing employing extracting equivalent fluxes of positive and negative ions at two surfaces from an ion-ion plasma without substantially altering the plasma potential. The extraction is achieved by applying a continuously applied bias to the substrate being processed, in order to attract the ions to the substrate surface to facilitate materials processing such as etching, deposition and chemical modification at the surface. The continuously applied bias is applied via a power source coupled to the plate, also referred to as a stage or chuck, holding the substrate.