Abstract: An apparatus for a discharge treatment, comprising a pair of electrodes located opposite to each other; an element for applying an alternating current-high voltage between the electrodes; and an element for passing a gas mainly composed of air at a rate of 10 m/sec or more through a space formed between the electrodes is disclosed. Further, a process for a discharge treatment of an article, comprising applying an alternating current-high voltage between a pair of electrodes located opposite to each other, to the article placed between the electrodes, while a gas mainly composed of air is passed at a rate of 10 m/sec or more through a space formed between the electrodes, to thereby expose the article to an electric discharge induced between the electrodes, is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrode for an electrolytic capacitor and a method for producing the electrodes including a conducting electrode material, in particular a foil, such as an aluminum foil. The conducting electrode material, for the purpose of increasing the surface, is exposed to a chemical or an electrochemical etching process. During the etching process, in an etching cell, at least one zone of the surface of the electrode material is covered with an etch-resistant coating and/or a separate protective shielding. After the etching process, the electrode is cut out, punched out or the like worked out of the electrode material such that the etched zone forms at least one margin region, in particular, a margin strip of the electrode.

Abstract: The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus, in which the uniformity of the plasma density can be improved, and the electron temperature can be kept low. A vacuum vessel 21 for generating a plasma includes an upper vessel 22 that is dome-shaped and formed in one seamless piece, and a lower vessel 23 fastened tightly on a lower aperture portion 24 of the upper vessel 22 with a sealing member. The plasma processing apparatus is provided with a supply port 26 for supplying gas to the vacuum vessel 21 and an exhaust port 34 for exhausting gas. An electrode 29 for applying high-frequency power to ionize the gas is provided not in the vacuum vessel 21 but in ring-shape outside the vacuum vessel 21. On the outer side of this tubular electrode 29, a pair of tubular magnets 30 are provided, which form magnetic force lines that intersect perpendicularly with the electric field.

Abstract: A plasma applicator having a tube that is surrounded by a cooling jacket such that a volume is defined proximate the tube. The volume is filled with a thermal transfer medium to couple heat from the tube to the cooling jacket. The cooling jacket contains an aperture through which energy is transmitted to a process gas contained in the tube. As such, the process gas is infused with energy and a plasma is formed in the tube.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating an accurate, table phase shift (b) in a sinusoidal signal employs fast analog multiplication to implement the trigonometric relationship sin(&ohgr;t+b)=sin(&ohgr;t)cos(b)+cos(&ohgr;t)sin(b). Cos (&ohgr;t) is generated by accurately shifting a signal sin(&ohgr;t) through 90° using a delay line, for example. Sin(b) and cos(b) are dc signals generated by digital to analogue conversion, using a demanded phase shift (b) whose sine and cosine are obtained from look-up tables. A controller for controlling a phase shift in an rf cavity is also disclosed and operates on the basis of the same trigonometrical principle. The amplitude of the signals in the rf cavity is also controllable; fast analogue multipliers are again employed to scale the signal amplitude to a nominal fixed value such as 1 volt.

Abstract: A plasma processing system includes a processing vessel for housing therein an object to be processed. In the upper portion of the processing vessel, a substantially disk-shaped electrode plate having a facing surface facing the object is provided. A radio-frequency wave supply unit supplies radio-frequency waves having a flattened waveform which forms substantially a sinusoidal wave whose crest and trough portions are substantially horizontally flattened. The radio-frequency waves supplied from the supply unit are propagated in diametrically opposite directions on the facing surface of the electrode to form standing waves. Similar to the supplied radio-frequency waves, the standing waves also have a waveform which forms substantially a sinusoidal wave whose crest and trough portions are substantially horizontally flattened.

Abstract: The invention provides a multiple-cell ion-beam source in which magnetic poles of all adjacent cells have alternating polarities, i.e., the cells arranged in a single row from the center to the periphery of the cathode plate have polarities in the order of N-S-N-S-N . . . , etc. As a result, the direction of magnetic lines of forces in the aforementioned rows alternates, and therefore the magnetic flux is not accumulated towards the center. This means that the source of such a construction does not have dimensional limitations and ensures uniform distribution of the ion-beam current density over the entire surface of the object. Intensity of the magnetic field for each individual cell can be controlled individually. This allows adjustment in the distribution of the ion-beam current density over the surface of the object.

Abstract: A plasma welding torch comprises a non-consumable electrode arranged in a chamber provided in the torch and having a free flat end face extending substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the electrode and having a diameter of 15% to 35% of the maximum diameter of the electrode. An inlet port leads to the chamber for delivering a plasma gas thereto, and an outlet port leads from the chamber to an orifice at an outer end of the outlet port, the outlet port having an interior wall, the electrode having a free tapering end section reaching at least to the outer end of the outlet port, and the interior wall of the outlet port being spaced from, and surrounding, the free tapering end section of the electrode and extending to the orifice substantially parallel to the tapering end section of the electrode.