Beam plasma source

A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

• a plasma beam source comprising a discharge cavity having a first width;
• a nozzle extending outwardly from said discharge cavity wherein said nozzle has a second width which is less than the first width;
• at least one electrode for supporting at least one magnetron discharge within said discharge cavity;
• a plurality of magnets disposed adjacent to and external of said discharge cavity for creating a magnetic field null region within said discharge cavity;
• an inlet, other than said nozzle, communicating with said discharge cavity for introducing an ionizable gas into said discharge cavity;
• and
• a process chamber, said beam plasma source being disposed within said process chamber.

A plasma processing apparatus, comprising;

• an enclosure defining a cavity;
• a nozzle extending outwardly from the cavity;
• a power supply interconnected with said enclosure to render said enclosure a cathode electrode;
• a cusp magnetic field defining a magnetic field null region disposed within the cavity;
• said cusp magnetic field comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first portion creating a closed drift electron magnetron confinement region within the cavity;
• said second portion producing a mirror confinement region passing through and out of said cavity through the nozzle, whereby a plasma generated in the cavity is directed from the cavity through the nozzle;
• and
• a monomer gas outside the cavity that is reactive with the plasma directed from the cavity.

A method for treating a substrate with a plasma beam, comprising the steps of:

• providing a process chamber;
• locating within the process chamber a plasma beam source comprising a discharge cavity having a first width, a nozzle extending outwardly from the discharge cavity the nozzle having a second width which is less than the first width;
• a plurality of magnets disposed adjacent to and external of the discharge cavity, said magnets creating at least one magnetron confinement region within said discharge cavity;
• and, a conduit, other than the nozzle, for introducing an ionizable gas into the discharge cavity;
• placing the substrate within the process chamber and external to the plasma beam source;
• introducing an ionizable gas into the discharge cavity through the conduit;
• igniting a plasma within the magnetron confinement region;
• projecting the plasma through the nozzle and onto the substrate.

A source of plasma, said source comprising in combination:

• (a) a discharge cavity containing at least one magnetron cathode for generating electrons, said discharge cavity having a first width;
• (b) magnets disposed exterior of said discharge cavity for creating a magnetic field within said discharge cavity and having a null region;
• (c) a nozzle for providing a conduit for electron flow from said discharge cavity, said nozzle having a second width less than the first width;
• and
• (d) an inlet other than said nozzle for introducing an ionizable gas into said discharge cavity.

A method for creating a source of plasma, said method comprising the steps of:

• (1) generating electrons in a discharge cavity containing at least one magnetic cathode, the discharge cavity having a first width;
• (2) creating a magnetic field within the discharge cavity with magnets disposed external of the discharge cavity, which magnetic field includes a null region;
• (3) providing a conduit for electron flow from the discharge cavity through a nozzle having a second width less than the first width;
• and
• (4) introducing an ionizable gas into the discharge cavity through an inlet other than said nozzle to produce a discharge of plasma containing electrons and the ionizable gas through the nozzle.