Inductively Coupled Plasma Light Source
AssigneesHamamatsu Photonics K.K., Energetiq Technology, Inc.
InventorsStephen F. Horne, Kosuke Saito, Wolfram Neff, Robert M. Grzybinski, Michael J. Roderick
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Abstract
A plasma chamber for a UV light source includes a plasma generation region that defines a plasma confinement region. A port is positioned adjacent to a side of the plasma generation region that allows generated light to pass out of the chamber. A high voltage region is coupled to the plasma generation region. A grounded region is coupled to the high voltage region that defines an outer surface configured to be coupled to the ground and is dimensioned for receiving a surrounding inductive core. A width of the high voltage region is greater than the width of the grounded region.
Claims27
1-32. (canceled)
A plasma chamber for a light source, the plasma chamber comprising:
- a) a plasma generation region that defines a plasma confinement region;
- b) a port positioned adjacent to a first side of the plasma generation region that allows generated light to pass out of the plasma chamber;
- and
- c) a current preventing inductive core positioned around a portion of the plasma chamber and positioned at a boundary between a high voltage region electrically connected to the plasma generation region and a grounded region of the plasma chamber that is electrically connected to ground potential.
A light source comprising:
- a) a plasma chamber comprising:
- i) a plasma generation region that defines a plasma confinement region;
- ii) a port positioned adjacent to the plasma generation region that allows generated light to pass out of the plasma chamber;
- iii) a high voltage region coupled to the plasma generation region;
- and
- iv) a grounded region coupled to the high voltage region;
- b) an inner inductive core positioned around the plasma generation region that couples current into a plasma loop;
- c) an outer inductive core positioned around the inner inductive core;
- and
- d) an inductive core positioned around a portion of the grounded region and configured to prevent current flow in the grounded region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.