Abstract: A modified deposit-and-etch Bosch process of cyclic anisotropic etching and film deposition by gas switching. The modification of which includes depositing nucleated silicon layers as liquefied droplets of silicon instead of by passivation, and using a bias discharge to decelerate an otherwise ballistic deposition instead into a nuclei-generation cloud at the deposition site. Such is then useful in the refurbishment of gas distribution plates made of silicon.

Abstract: A 3D printer apparatus for printing a refractory materials on the surfaces of workpieces in accordance with a given program is disclosed. The apparatus contains a first generator for generating a first atmospheric ICP beam, a second generator for generating a second atmospheric ICP beam, and a bouncing tube between the generators for breaking clusters of precursor nanoparticles into elementary charged nanoparticles that penetrate in a premelted state into a plasma discharge formed in the second generator under the inductive coupling with a saddle antenna, which encompasses the second generator. The outlet nozzle of the second generator emits the second beam onto an extractor plate that is a part of a plasma gun, which converts the second beam into a finely controlled focusing beam capable of printing a material even on the inner surfaces of deep small diameter gas holes of showerheads.

Abstract: A modified deposit-and-etch Bosch process of cyclic anisotropic etching and film deposition by gas switching. The modification of which includes depositing nucleated silicon layers as liquefied droplets of silicon instead of by passivation, and using a bias discharge to decelerate an otherwise ballistic deposition instead into a nuclei-generation cloud at the deposition site. Such is then useful in the refurbishment of gas distribution plates made of silicon.

Abstract: An aluminum gas distribution plate refurbishment system combines a multi-beam inductively coupled plasma (AP-ICP) torch and vacuum discharge chuck. Plasma beams are employed to clean and restore to service the many gas flow passages in aluminum type gas distribution plates. Several parallel supersonic plasma beams of uniform density are produced from a single upper and lower AP-ICP plasma reactor arranged in totem pole that are driven by two pairs of opposing spiral planar RF induction RF antennas. These plasma beams are focused inside the gas flow passages to etch, heat, and deposit nanoparticles within. The vacuum discharge chuck includes a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) reactor to generate a positive species discharge immediately beneath the gas distribution plates. This overcomes and undoes a Debye Sheathing effect, a electron-fed negative space charge blocking occurring above, and unknots any congested plasma beams in the gas flow passages.

Abstract: An aluminum gas distribution plate refurbishment system combines a multi-beam inductively coupled plasma (AP-ICP) torch and vacuum discharge chuck. Plasma beams are employed to clean and restore to service the many gas flow passages in aluminum type gas distribution plates. Several parallel supersonic plasma beams of uniform density are produced from a single upper and lower AP-ICP plasma reactor arranged in totem pole that are driven by two pairs of opposing spiral planar RF induction RF antennas. These plasma beams are focused inside the gas flow passages to etch, heat, and deposit nanoparticles within. The vacuum discharge chuck includes a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) reactor to generate a positive species discharge immediately beneath the gas distribution plates. This overcomes and undoes a Debye Sheathing effect, a electron-fed negative space charge blocking occurring above, and unknots any congested plasma beams in the gas flow passages.

Abstract: Proposed is a showerhead-cooler system of a semiconductor-processing chamber with uniform distribution of plasma density. The showerhead has a plurality of through gas holes that are coaxial with respective channels of the gas-feeding cooler plate. On the gas inlet side, the though passages of the showerhead are provided with unequal conical nozzles characterized by a central angle that decreases from the peripheral part of the showerhead to the showerhead center. Such design provides uniformity of plasma density. Furthermore, in order to protect the walls of the nozzle and the walls of the gas holes from erosion that may be caused by the hollow-cathode phenomenon, these areas are coated with a thin protective coating that is resistant to electrical breakdown and chemical corrosion.

Abstract: Proposed is a method for providing uniform distribution of plasma density in a CCP plasma processing apparatus. According to the method the through gas holes of the showerhead of used in the plasma processing chamber of the apparatus are provided with conical nozzles formed on the side of the gas holes that face the gas reservoir of the cooler plate. The cone angle ? of the nozzles decreases in the direction from the peripheral portion to the central area of the showerhead in the range from 120° to 0°. Since the conical nozzles increase the gas gap between the showerhead and the cooler plate, more favorable conditions are created for electric breakdown. In order to protect the surfaces of the conical nozzles and gas holes from deterioration by hollow cathode discharge, these surface are coated by a protective coating resistant to electrical breakdown and chemical corrosion.

Abstract: A torch system for deposition of protective coatings on the walls of holes and recesses on the surface of showerheads includes a capacitive coupling plasma processing apparatuses. The system comprises an atmospheric-pressure inductively coupled plasma reactor for the formation of a plasma torch, a showerhead holder for moving the showerhead relative to the tip of the torch during deposition of the protective coating, and a plasma torch focusing device for squeezing and focusing the tip of the torch to cross-sectional dimensions comparable with the diameters of the gas holes of the showerhead which may be as small as 0.5 mm. The focusing device is moveable relative to the plasma reactor and the treated object in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the object. The movements of the showerhead and of the focusing device relative to the treated surface are automatically adjusted through feedbacks for maintaining the torch tip at optimal parameters.

Abstract: Proposed is a method for providing uniform distribution of plasma density in a CCP plasma processing apparatus. According to the method the through gas holes of the showerhead of used in the plasma processing chamber of the apparatus are provided with conical nozzles formed on the side of the gas holes that face the gas reservoir of the cooler plate. The cone angle ? of the nozzles decreases in the direction from the peripheral portion to the central area of the showerhead in the range from 120° to 0°. Since the conical nozzles increase the gas gap between the showerhead and the cooler plate, more favorable conditions are created for electric breakdown. In order to protect the surfaces of the conical nozzles and gas holes from deterioration by hollow cathode discharge, these surface are coated by a protective coating resistant to electrical breakdown and chemical corrosion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a torch system for deposition of protective coatings on the walls of holes and recesses on the surface of showerheads used in capacitive coupling plasma processing apparatuses. The system comprises an atmospheric-pressure inductively coupled plasma reactor for the formation of a plasma torch, a showerhead holder for moving the showerhead relative to the tip of the torch during deposition of the protective coating, and a plasma torch focusing device for squeezing and focusing the tip of the torch to cross-sectional dimensions comparable with the diameters of the gas holes of the showerhead which may be as small as 0.5 mm. The focusing device is moveable relative to the plasma reactor and the treated object in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the object. The movements of the showerhead and of the focusing device relative to the treated surface are automatically adjusted through feedbacks for maintaining the torch tip at optimal parameters.

Abstract: Proposed is a showerhead-cooler system of a semiconductor-processing chamber with uniform distribution of plasma density. The showerhead has a plurality of through gas holes that are coaxial with respective channels of the gas-feeding cooler plate. On the gas inlet side, the though passages of the showerhead are provided with unequal conical nozzles characterized by a central angle that decreases from the peripheral part of the showerhead to the showerhead center. Such design provides uniformity of plasma density. Furthermore, in order to protect the walls of the nozzle and the walls of the gas holes from erosion that may be caused by the hollow-cathode phenomenon, these areas are coated with a thin protective coating that is resistant to electrical breakdown and chemical corrosion.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are proposed for simultaneously coating the inner walls of a plurality of hollow containers, such as bottles, with fluid-impermeable barrier layers applied by a PECVD method with the use of transversal antennas capable of creating plasma having density increased in the vicinity of the inner walls of the containers. The barrier-layer application period is divided into a coating period and a noncoating cooling period, with RF energy constantly maintained under working conditions with shunting thereof from the coating station to the dummy loads during noncoating periods used for cooling the plastic containers. The apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber with a conveyor that transports the containers in a preoriented state for interaction with a plurality of aligning elements that can be inserted into the container openings for subsequent fixation at equal distances in positions aligned with the antennas that can be inserted into the containers for generation of the coating-applying plasma.

Abstract: An antenna assembly for forming a barrier coating on the inner surface of a tube by means of a sealed annular chemical-plasma-reaction chamber defined by the inner wall of the tube, two spaced elements slidingly and sealingly moveable inside the tube, and a quartz tube that interconnects the cylindrical elements. The coating is formed by a PE CVD process generated inside the chamber by a transversal RF antenna unit which creates a plasma column that participates in rotation simultaneously with linear motion thus providing uniform coating of the inner surface of the tube. The method of the invention consists of depositing a layer of silicon dioxide onto the inner surface of a plastic tube by means of the aforementioned antenna assembly. The plasma column is rotated by the RF magnetic field which is rotated by using two RF generators of different frequencies that energize two groups of specifically interconnected coils.

Abstract: An antenna assembly for forming a barrier coating on the inner surface of a tube by means of a sealed annular chemical-plasma-reaction chamber defined by the inner wall of the tube, two spaced elements slidingly and sealingly moveable inside the tube, and a quartz tube that interconnects the cylindrical elements. The coating is formed by a PE CVD process generated inside the chamber by a transversal RF antenna unit which creates a plasma column that participates in rotation simultaneously with linear motion thus providing uniform coating of the inner surface of the tube. The method of the invention consists of depositing a layer of silicon dioxide onto the inner surface of a plastic tube by means of the aforementioned antenna assembly. The plasma column is rotated by the RF magnetic field which is rotated by using two RF generators of different frequencies that energize two groups of specifically interconnected coils.

Abstract: An antenna assembly that consists of a holder which supports a transversal RF antenna with a plurality of multiturn coils connected in series or in parallel and intended for generation of an inductively coupled plasma discharge inside a container with a high plasma density in vicinity of the container's inner walls. The aforementioned discharge is used for inducing in the container a plasma chemical reaction between oxygen and organosilane with resulting deposition of the reaction product in the form of silicon dioxide onto the inner walls of the container for forming a fluid-impermeable barrier layer. A specific feature of the antenna is that it generates a magnetic field transversal to the longitudinal axis of the antenna, i.e., normal to the container's walls, where a maximal electric field, maximal plasma density and, correspondingly, maximal rate of deposition of silicon dioxide on the wall are provided.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are proposed for simultaneously coating the inner walls of a plurality of hollow containers, such as bottles, with fluid-impermeable barrier layers applied by a PECVD method with the use of transversal antennas capable of creating plasma having density increased in the vicinity of the inner walls of the containers. The barrier-layer application period is divided into a coating period and a noncoating cooling period, with RF energy constantly maintained under working conditions with shunting thereof from the coating station to the dummy loads during noncoating periods used for cooling the plastic containers. The apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber with a conveyor that transports the containers in a preoriented state for interaction with a plurality of aligning elements that can be inserted into the container openings for subsequent fixation at equal distances in positions aligned with the antennas that can be inserted into the containers for generation of the coating-applying plasma.

Abstract: An aerosol TOF MS of the present invention is based on the use of quadrupole lenses with angular gradient of the electrostatic field. On the entrance side, the TOF MS contains an ion-optic system that is used for focusing, aligning, and time-modulating the ionized flow of particles and a deflector modulator that provides alternating deflections of the flow of particles between two positions for aligning the flow with two inlet openings into the TOF MS. As a result, two independently analyzed discrete flows of particles pass through the ion mass separation chamber of the TOF MS without interference with each other. The charged particles fly in direct and return paths along helical trajectories which extend the length of the flight time. The time of the collision and the magnitude of the collision pulse will contain information about the M/Z ratio for the particles being registered.

Abstract: A mass spectrometry system for continuous control of environment based on the use of an aerosol TOF MS that provides operation with a high duty cycle of up to 98% and can be realized in the form of a mobile unit having a data acquisition and analysis system with three levels of data correlation on the basis of constant interaction between various actuating mechanisms of the system via a central processing unit. The TOF MS is based on the use of quadrupole lenses with angular gradient of the electrostatic field. As a result, two independently analyzed discrete flows of particles pass through the ion mass separation chamber of the TOF MS without interference with each other. The system can be mounted either on an underwater and ground vehicle, or on an aircraft.

Abstract: The ionization device of the present invention is intended for use in conjunction with an aerosol TOF MS operating in a continuous mode and is capable of ionizing particulated substances in a wide range of particle masses. In the illustrated embodiment, the ionization unit consists of three coaxial cylindrical bodies having a three aligned longitudinal slits for directing electron beams from externally located electron gun onto the axially arranged flow of droplets. The cylindrical bodies are connected to voltage sources so that the external cylindrical body functions as an anode that extracts electrons from the current-heated filament. The central cylindrical body, in combination with the aforementioned anode, serves as an electron-energy control member for precisely controlling and selecting the energy of electrons that reach the flow of particles, while the inner cylindrical body functions as a decelerating member that can be used for adjusting energy of electrons which reached the flow of particles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing nanoparticles by passing a carrying fluid with a nanoparticle precursor through an RF plasma volume for heating the fluid with a nanoparticle precursor to a high temperature sufficient to synthesizing the nanoparticles. The suspension of the fluid with nanoparticles is passed to the thermalization zone in a diverging portion of the Laval nozzle for subjecting the fluid with nanoparticles to jumpwise adiabatic expansion at the exit from the converging portion of the Laval nozzle to the thermalization zone. At least the diverging portion has a curvilinear profile optimized with respect to conditions of said thermalization. In the thermalization zone, the flow of fluid with nanoparticles is surrounded by a cylindrical oil shower composed of discrete drops of oil. The oil shower is emitted from a shower ring that performs twisting motions.