Abstract: A plasma-generating apparatus has a plasma discharge chamber having a plasma-generation region. Microwave energy is applied, while introducing plasma-forming gas, and a magnetic field is applied to the plasma-generation region by an electromagnetic coil extending around the chamber. To enhance the field in the plasma-generation region while reducing it outside said region, and a permanent magnet arrangement is at least partly located radially within the coil so as to provide a unidirectional magnetic field which extends through the whole of the plasma-generation region as seen in radial cross-section and is oriented in the axial direction of the coil.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating plasma by making use of electron cyclotron resonance employs permanent magnets for forming magnetic fields, and the permanent magnets are arranged in such a manner as to form stronger magnetic fields in peripheral portion of a plasma chamber than in a central portion of the same. in addition, a cross-sectional area of the plasma chamber is gradually increased. Furthermore, electrons are introduced into an additional plasma chamber in which an electric field is not applied so as to generate low-temperature plasma.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a thin film of a given material on one or more substrates comprises a vacuum vessel, a first electrode which is provided in the vacuum vessel for holding a target plate of the given material thereon, a second electrode which is provided opposite to the first electrode in the vacuum vessel to form a discharge space between the first and second electrodes and holds the substrate(s) thereon, a gas conduit for supplying a sputtering gas into the discharge space, power sources for applying a discharge voltage between the first and second electrodes to generate a discharge plasma of the sputtering gas, and a magnetic field generating device which is provided to surround the discharge space and generates a magnetic field effective to prevent the discharge plasma from diffusing to the outside of the discharge space.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for forming a film, which are suitable for forming a film of a semiconductor, dielectric, metal, insulator, or organic substance. In order to form a film of high purity and quality at high speed, a particle beam such as an ion beam, an electron beam, or a plasma is applied to a sputtering target comprising a substance formed by bonding atoms or molecules with either van der Waals forces or hydrogen bonding forces, the particles are sputtered thereby from the target, fly in the space in the vacuum chamber, reach the substrate on which they are deposited to form a desired film.

Abstract: An ion source device comprises a plasma generating vessel for generating plasma therein, a plurality of magnets arranged on an outer periphery of the plasma generating vessel to establish a cusp field in the plasma generating vessel, means for supplying a power to generate the plasma in the plasma generating vessel, and an anode electrode arranged on an inner wall of the plasma generating vessel and adapted to be heated by electrons emitted from the plasma and maintain the heat.

Abstract: An ion beam for use in fabrication and processing of semiconductors, thin films or the like. For making uniform the radial distribution of an ion beam extracted from the ion source, a plasma chamber is formed by extending a plasma producing chamber in the direction in which microwave energy is introduced. The plasma chamber thus formed is provided with second magnetic means for generating a magnetic field of multicusp geometry.

Abstract: In a high frequency plasma generation apparatus used in a reactive ion etching apparatus, an ion shower apparatus, a sputter apparatus, etc. for fabricating thin films or semiconductor devices for which a fine patterning process is required, electrical breakdown is apt to be provoked at the surface of a high frequency coil, because the high frequency coil is usually inserted in a plasma. In order to remove this drawback, according to this invention, the high frequency coil is disposed in the plasma production chamber at the neighborhood of the cylindrical side wall, and thus a plasma confinement domain is formed inside of this high frequency coil by use of a magnetic field production device which generates a multi-cusp magnetic field so that the plasma confinement domain is separated from the high frequency coil. In this way, electrical breakdown on the surface of the high frequency coil is prevented and thus the apparatus according to this invention can work stably for a long time.

Abstract: An ion source for producing an ion beam utilized for fabrication and processing of semiconductors, thin films or the like includes a plasma producing chamber equipped with first magnetic means for limiting a plasma region and a plasma expansion chamber provided in combination with the plasma producing chamber on the side where a beam extracting electrode is disposed. The plasma expansion chamber is provided with second magnet array for confining and holding a plasma region therein which is of a larger area than that of the plasma region formed in the plasma producing chamber.