Plasma treatment apparatus and method

A plasma treatment apparatus for treating a surface of an object to be treated, comprising:

• a treatment chamber in which an object to be treated is disposed;
• a gas supply in fluid communication with said treatment chamber and supplying a gas capable of plasma discharge along a flow path to said treatment chamber;
• a first plasma generation unit for generating a plasma at or above atmospheric pressure, said first plasma generation unit disposed upstream of said object and downstream of said gas supply in the direction of the flow path of said gas;
• and
• a second plasma generation unit for generating a plasma at or above atmospheric pressure and activating said gas to form activated gas species, said second plasma generation unit being disposed downstream from said first plasma generation unit in the flow path of said gas;
• wherein said activated gas species treat said object.

A plasma treatment apparatus for treating an object, comprising:

• a treatment chamber in which an object to be treated is disposed;
• a gas supply for supplying a gas capable of plasma discharge along a flow path to said treatment chamber;
• an excitation unit for exciting said gas, said excitation unit being disposed upstream from said object and downstream of said gas supply in the flow path of said gas;
• and
• a plasma generation unit to generate a plasma at or about atmospheric pressure for activating said gas to form activated species, said plasma generation unit being disposed along said gas supply downstream from said excitation unit in the flow path of said gas;
• whereby said activated gas species treat said object.

A method of plasma treating a surface of an object, comprising the steps of:

• supplying a gas capable of discharge to an object to be treated, said object being disposed in a treatment chamber, said chamber being in fluid communication with a gas supply, along a flow path;
• activating said gas by generating a plasma at or about atmospheric pressure at different positions along the flow path of said gas, said positions including an upstream position and a downstream position in said direction of flow of said gas, said upstream position being downstream of said gas supply, said upstream plasma generation position preactivating said gas, and said downstream plasma generation position forming activated gas species from said preactivated gas;
• and
• treating said object by exposure to said activated gas species.

A method of plasma treating a treatment surface of an object to be treated, comprising:

• supplying a gas capable of discharge along a flow path to an object to be treated said object being disposed in a treatment chamber, said chamber being in fluid communication with a gas supply;
• preexciting said gas at a position upstream from said chamber in the flow path of said gas;
• activating said gas by generating a plasma at or about atmospheric pressure at different positions along the flow path of said gas, said positions including an upstream position and a downstream position in said direction of flow of said gas, said upstream plasma generation position disposed downstream from said preexciting position and preactivating said gas, said upstream position being downstream of said gas supply, and said downstream plasma generation position disposed downstream from said upstream plasma generating position and forming activated gas species from said preactivated gas;
• and
• treating said object by said activated gas species.

A method of plasma treating a treatment surface of an object, comprising:

• supplying a gas capable of discharge along a flow path to an object to be treated;
• disposing said object in a treatment chamber, said flow path being provided with a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said treatment chamber;
• preexciting said gas at or above atmospheric pressure at a first position, upstream from said chamber and downstream from said gas supply in the flow path of said gas, by applying a first alternating current power source to a first pair of electrodes disposed at said upstream plasma generation position, said first pair of electrodes facing each other with said gas flow path therebetween;
• activating said preexcited gas by generating a plasma at or about atmospheric pressure to form activated gas species at a second position, said second position being downstream from said first position in said direction of flow of said gas, by applying a second alternating current power source to a second pair of electrodes disposed at said downstream plasma generation position;
• and
• treating said object by said activated gas species.