Plasma reactor and method therefor
OwnerFrank W. Engleinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plasma reactor includes a plurality of series of parallel disposed cylindrical electrodes carried in a common vacuum vessel chamber. The series of electrodes are adapted to provide alternate polarities on each side of a plurality of workpieces, such as printed circuit boards, enclosed in the reactor for treatment. Supporting brackets are provided for positioning the workpieces, parallel to and between planes formed by series of electrodes of alternate polarities. The supporting brackets are electrically isolated from the electrodes.
Claims20
A plasma reactor suitable for conditioning workpieces in a gas discharge plasma, comprising:
- a vacuum vessel having a chamber therein;
- at least one series of electrodes sin said vacuum vessel chamber, said series of electrodes being disposed along one side of a workpiece and having electrodes of alternate polarities;
- and
- means for supporting at least one workpiece to be conditioned in said plasma reactor alongside said series of electrodes.
A plasma reactor system suitable for conditioning workpieces in a gas discharge plasma, comprising:
- (a) a vacuum vessel having a chamber therein;
- (b) a plurality of series of parallel disposed electrodes supported in said vacuum vessel chamber, said series having electrodes of alternate polarities;
- (c) means for supporting workpieces to be conditioned in said plasma reactor between adjacent series of said electrodes;
- (d) a vacuum pump means in communication with said vacuum vessel chamber for evacuating said chamber;
- (e) a gas source means in communication with said vacuum vessel chamber;
- and
- (f) an RF generator means in electrical contact with alternately positioned electrodes in each of said series.
In the method of conditioning workpieces in a gas discharge plasma utilizing a plasma reactor having a vacuum vessel with a chamber therein and at least one series of electrodes supported in said chamber, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- disposing a workpiece alongside said series of electrodes and electrically isolated therefrom;
- causing said electrodes in said series to have alternate polarities;
- and
- generating a gas discharge plasma in said chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.