Atmospheric-pressure plasma processing apparatus and method using argon plasma gas
AssigneeAPJeT, Inc.
InventorsGregory A. Roche, David W. Tyner, Carrie E. Cornelius, Joseph H. Cross
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Abstract
An atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus and method employing argon as a plasma gas in the absence of helium, including nanosecond pulse-powered electrodes having planar surfaces, and grounded electrodes having planar surfaces parallel to the surfaces of the powered electrodes and spaced-apart a chosen distance therefrom, forming plasma regions, are described. The absence of helium from the plasma discharge has been found not to affect the quality of the resulting plasma-polymerized coatings of the processed substrates.
Claims14
An atmospheric-pressure plasma apparatus for processing a material, comprising:
- at least one grounded electrically conducting electrode having at least one planar surface having a chosen length and width, and a chosen height;
- at least one powered conducting electrode having at least one planar surface having a chosen length and width, overlapping, spaced apart a selected distance from, and parallel to said at least one grounded electrically conducting electrode;
- a dielectric flat plate in physical contact with the at least one planar surface of said at least one powered conducting electrode between said at least one powered conducting electrode and said at least one grounded electrically conducting electrode, said dielectric flat plate having an elongated flat surface facing the at least one planar surface of said at least one grounded electrically conducting electrode for electrically shielding the at least one planar surface of said at least one powered conducting electrode from the at least one planar surface of said at least one grounded electrically conducting electrode, and forming a plasma region between the at least one planar surface of said at least one grounded electrically conducting electrode and the elongated flat surface of said dielectric flat plate;
- at least one pulsed power supply, one of said at least one pulsed power supply in electrical communication with at least one of said at least one powered conducting electrode, for providing nanosecond duration high-voltage pulses thereto;
- a source of plasma gas, wherein said plasma gas comprises argon in the absence of helium;
- a gas manifold for receiving plasma gas from said source of plasma gas;
- at least one elongated gas injection block in contact with at least one of said at least one grounded electrically conducting electrode, and having an elongated chamber in fluid communication with the plasma region;
- a porous tube disposed within the chamber of each of said at least one elongated gas injection block for receiving plasma gas from said gas manifold, and uniformly flowing said plasma gas through the plasma region;
- whereby a plasma is formed in the plasma region responsive to nanosecond duration high-voltage pulses from said at least one pulsed power supply, and said material is located in the plasma region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.