Methods and Apparatus for Plasma Processing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for treating a sample using glow-discharge plasma, in an apparatus comprising a treatment vessel, an electrode, a counter-electrode, and a power supply comprising one or more transformers and having a first transformer setting and a second transformer setting, the method comprising: (i) a loading step, involving loading the sample into the treatment vessel; (ii) a first treatment step involving treating the sample in a glow-discharge plasma formed within the treatment vessel by applying an electric field between the electrode and counter-electrode at the first transformer setting; (iii) a second treatment step involving treating the sample in a glow-discharge plasma formed within the treatment vessel by applying an electric field between the electrode and counter-electrode at the second transformer setting; and (iv) a removal step, involving removing treated sample from the treatment vessel. The method can be used to functionalize a sample. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for use in such a method.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.