Abstract: An apparatus for depositing a ceramic coating by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD). Ceramic coatings of more uniform thickness over a larger surface area are deposited by increasing the size of a pool of molten ceramic from which the ceramic is deposited. The apparatus uses a crucible that surrounds a ceramic material that serves as the source of the deposited ceramic coating. The crucible is configured to define a reservoir whose cross-sectional area is larger than the cross-sectional area of the ceramic material. The size of the pool is increased by increasing the size of the reservoir in lieu of increasing the diameter of the ceramic material in order to maintain acceptable ingot quality.

Abstract: An electromagnet assembly magnetically orients a thin magnetic film deposited onto a surface of a substrate. The magnetic orientation can take place in a low-pressure processing environment such as during the deposition of the thin magnetic film or during a subsequent operation such as annealing. The electromagnet assembly includes a plate-shaped core located adjacent to the substrate and two or more electromagnetic coils that are wrapped in different directions around the core. Electrical currents conveyed through the electromagnetic coils are controlled for orienting a substantially uniaxial magnetic field throughout a range of angular positions in a plane of the substrate surface.

Abstract: The invention provides a vacuum coating forming device for forming a thin-film coating by a plasma beam on a substrate arranged in a vacuum chamber, the vacuum coating forming device being provided with a pressure gradient type plasma gun for generating the plasma beam toward the vacuum chamber and a converging coil which is provided so as to surround a short-tube portion of the vacuum chamber projecting toward an outlet of the plasma gun and which reduces a cross section of the plasma beam. This vacuum coating forming device further comprises an insulating tube provided at the outlet so as to surround the plasma beam and project in electric floating state, and an electron return electrode which surrounds the insulating tube within the short-tube portion and which is higher in electric potential than the outlet.

Abstract: An electromagnet assembly magnetically orients a thin magnetic film deposited onto a surface of a substrate. The magnetic orientation can take place in a low-pressure processing environment such as during the deposition of the thin magnetic film or during a subsequent operation such as annealing. The electromagnet assembly includes a plate-shaped core located adjacent to the substrate and two or more electromagnetic coils that are wrapped in different directions around the core. Electrical currents conveyed through the electromagnetic coils are controlled for orienting a substantially uniaxial magnetic field throughout a range of angular positions in a plane of the substrate surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is presented for crystallizing a thin film on a surate by generating a beam of pulsed optical energy, countouring the intensity profile of the beam, and illuminating the thin film with the beam to crystallize the thin film into a single crystal lattice structure.

Abstract: Apparatus for reducing a material deposition in a housing is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes: a first pressure sensing device which senses a pressure in a reaction chamber, a pumping device for pumping the vapor from the reaction chamber to the pumping device, a valve that is opened when the pressure is larger than a first value and smaller than a second value, a bypass valve which is closed when the pressure is larger than the third value and smaller than the fourth value, a check valve that blocks a gas flow from the check valve to the bypass valve, and a pipe for connecting all of the above.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to apparatus for processing a specimen, particularly an integrated circuit, in which an area of the specimen to be processed is scanned with a corpuscular beam and at least one gas is supplied above the area to be processed so that with the aid of the corpuscular beam a chemical reaction takes place on the area to be processed. The processing speed can be markedly increased by the use of a magnetic field in the region of the probe.

Abstract: In order to form a single-crystalline thin film on a polycrystalline substrate using plasma CVD, a downwardly directed mainly neutral Ne atom current is formed by an ECR ion generator (2). A reaction gas such as silane gas which is supplied from a reaction gas inlet pipe (13) is sprayed onto an SiO.sub.2 substrate (11) by an action of the Ne atom current, so that an amorphous Si thin film is grown on the substrate (11) by a plasma CVD reaction. At the same time, a part of the Ne atom current having high directivity is directly incident upon the substrate (11), while another part thereof is incident upon the substrate (11) after its course is bent by a reflector (12). The reflector (12) is so set that all directions of the parts of the Ne atom current which are incident upon the substrate (11) are perpendicular to densest planes of single-crystalline Si.

Abstract: In order to form a single-crystalline thin film on a polycrystalline substrate using plasma CVD, a downwardly directed mainly neutral Ne atom current is formed by an ECR ion generator (2). A reaction gas such as silane gas which is supplied from a reaction gas inlet pipe (13) is sprayed onto an SiO.sub.2 substrate (11) by an action of the Ne atom current, so that an amorphous Si thin film is grown on the substrate (11) by a plasma CVD reaction. At the same time, a part of the Ne atom current having high directivity is directly incident upon the substrate (11), while another part thereof is incident upon the substrate (11) after its course is bent by a reflector (12). The reflector (12) is so set that all directions of the parts of the Ne atom current which are incident upon the substrate (11) are perpendicular to densest planes of single-crystalline Si.

Abstract: A process provides for the reactive treatment of workpieces in which a plasma beam is produced in an evacuated recipient. With respect to the area of the highest plasma density along the beam axis, workpieces are arranged in a radially offset manner. Fresh reactive gas is charged into the recipient and used-up gas is sucked out of the recipient. A vacuum treatment system comprises a plasma beam production arrangement, a gas inlet operatively connected with a reactive gas supply, an axially extending workpiece carrier arrangement radially set off from an axis of a plasma beam produced by the plasma beam production arrangement. The workpiece carrier arrangement mounts a rotational surface coaxial with respect to the axis of the plasma beam and a gas suction system. The process and system are used to deposit metastable layers, including cBN-layers, .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 layers, C.sub.3 N.sub.

Abstract: Apparatus for coating substrates 31, 31", . . . in a vacuum chamber 2 including a substrate carrier 30 disposed therein and a device 29 for generating a first plasma cloud 28 and, further, including magnets 26, 27 directing the plasma cloud 28 onto the surface of the substrates 31, 31" . . . wherein this device for generating the plasma cloud 28 has an election emitter 11 and a downstream tubular anode 38, the anode has an inlet 10 for the process gas to ignite the plasma and, further, the device is provided with magnets 4, 7 for directing and guiding the plasma through the anode tube 38 into the process chamber 43 and including a device for generating atoms, molecules or clusters of the materials for producing a layer on the substrates 31, 31", . . . , preferably an electron beam evaporator 37 from which the evaporated or sputtered material 33 can be directly applied onto the substrates 31, 31" . . . .

Abstract: A plasma apparatus generates plasma by introducing electron beams into a processing chamber filled with a reactive gas for irradiation of the reactive gas with the introduced electron beams, to process a substance by the generated plasma. The plasma apparatus has a sample base for mounting the substance to be processed so that a processing surface of the substance is not directed in a direction perpendicular to a travel direction of the electron beams introduced into the processing chamber; a suppressing section for suppressing divergence of the electron beams introduced into the processing chamber; and a control section for controlling current density distribution of the divergence-suppressed electron beams so that current density distribution of ions contained in the plasma can be uniformalized on the substance to be processed.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for plasma-activated electron beam vaporization is rovided. The vaporizing material from at least two vaporizer crucibles is vaporized with electron beams. An electric voltage is applied to the vaporizer crucibles in such a way that the vapor-emitting areas serve as electrodes of an electric discharge. The vaporizing material acts as a cathode or anode. The process and apparatus are preferably intended for the reactive coating of large surfaces and for the reactive coating of components, tools and strip steel.

Abstract: A high dose rate, high impedance plasma ion implantation method and apparatus to apply high voltage pulses to a target cathode within an ionization chamber to both sustain a plasma in the gas surrounding the target, and to implant ions from the plasma into the target during at least a portion of each pulse. Operating at voltages in excess of 50 kV that are too high for the reliable formation of a conventional glow discharge, the plasma is instead sustained through a beam-plasma instability interaction between secondary electrons emitted from the target and a background pulsed plasma. The voltage pulses are at least about 50 kV, and preferably 100 kV or more. Pulse durations are preferably less than 8 microseconds, with a frequency in the 50-1,000 Hz range. The preferred gas pressure range is 1.times.10.sup.-4 -1.times.10.sup.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma process on a semiconductor or the like draws an electron beam from an electron source plasma and, after acceleration, introduces the electron beam into a reaction chamber where a requisite gas is supplied for performing plasma process on the semiconductor wafer. At least one pair of magnets are provided in the chamber with an electron beam path created therebetween. The electron beam is formed into a sheet-like configuration through a magnetic field created by the at least one pair of magnets. The at least one pair of magnets are positioned in an opposed relation to allow the semiconductor wafer to be subjected at a uniform rate to plasma process.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying ceramic coatings using an electron beam-physical vapor deposition apparatus is described. The apparatus includes means for introducing the anionic constitutent of the ceramic into a coating chamber and means for confining the anionic constituent about the component to be coated during the coating process.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method for providing a plasma flood having a low electron temperature to a semiconductor target region during an ion implantation process. The plasma generator providing the plasma is coupled to a magnetic filter which allows ions and low energy electrons to pass therethrough while retaining captive the primary or high energy electrons. The ions and low energy electrons form a "cold plasma" which is diffused in the region of the process surface while the ion implantation process takes place.

Abstract: The substrate in a plasma jet deposition system is provided with structural attributes, such as apertures and/or grooves, that facilitate efficient deposition. Groups of substrates are arranged with respect to the plasma beam in a manner which also facilitates efficient deposition. In addition to increasing the portion of the plasma beam volume which contacts the substrate surface or surfaces, it is advantageous to provide for the efficient evacuation of spent fluids away from the substrate so that fresh plasma containing the operative species can easily and continuously contact the substrate surface.

Abstract: A wafer plasma-etching apparatus includes electron generating, accelerating and processing chambers. Electron are drawn out of plasma generated in the electron generating chamber, accelerated in the accelerating chamber and introduced, as an electron beam, into the process chamber. A semiconductor wafer is positioned flat and parallel to an electron introducing direction in the process chamber. Process gas is introduced into the process chamber and excited into plasma by the electron beam. The wafer is etched by this plasma. Magnetic field is formed at the entrance of the process chamber such that the electron beam is divided to both sides of its extended center line in a horizontal plane and compressed flat in a vertical plane. The magnetic field is also formed such that the electron beam is carried in the horizontal direction at a position where the wafer is arranged in the process chamber.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus provided with a processing chamber adjustable to be highly decompressed. A pair of parallel electrodes are arranged in the processing chamber and semiconductor wafers are placed on the electrodes. High frequency voltage is applied between the paired parallel electrodes to generate electric field of high frequency, perpendicular to the process face of the wafer, in the processing chamber. Etching gas is introduced into the processing chamber and made plasma in it. An electron supply chamber provided with an electron generating filament therein is connected to the processing chamber. Electrons generated in the electron supply chamber are induced into the processing chamber by induction magnetic field and help the etching gas be made plasma.

Abstract: A method of processing a sample using a charged beam and reactive gases and a system employing the same, the method and system being able to perform the reactive etching and the beam assisted deposition using a charged particle detector free from the degradation of the performance due to the reactive gas. The system is designed in such a way that a shutter mechanism is provided in the form of the charged particle detector, and a chamber for accommodating the charged particle detector can be evacuated. In the observation of the sample, the charged particle detector is turned on to open the shutter mechanism, and in the processing of the sample, the charged particle detector is turned off or left as it is to shut the shutter mechanism to evacuate the inside of the charged particle detector.