Multiple-electrode plasma processing systems with confined process chambers and interior-bussed electrical connections with the electrodes

An apparatus for treating products with plasma generated from a source gas, the apparatus comprising:

• a vacuum chamber including an evacuable space and a pump port communicating with said evacuable space;
• a plurality of electrodes in the evacuable space, said electrodes having a juxtaposed arrangement in a plurality of adjacent pairs, each of said adjacent pairs of said electrodes separated by a gap (G) to define a respective one of a plurality of process chambers, and each of said electrodes including an outer perimeter;
• a plurality of gas delivery tubes inside said vacuum chamber, each of said gas delivery tubes including an injection port configured to inject the source gas into a respective one of said process chambers, said injection port being located inside said outer perimeter of said electrodes;
• a plasma excitation source electrically coupled with said electrodes, said plasma excitation source configured to power said electrodes so as to generate the plasma from the source gas in each of said process chambers;
• and
• a plurality of flow restricting members, each of said flow restricting members located in said gap (G) between a respective one of the adjacent pairs of said electrodes, and each of said flow restricting members operating to reduce said gap (G) for constraining a flow of the source gas out of each of said process chambers to said pump port,
• wherein one of said electrodes in each of the adjacent pairs has a first surface, another of said electrodes in each of the adjacent pairs has a second surface confronting said first surface, one or more of the products are located between said first and second surfaces, one of said gas delivery tubes is attached to said first surface, and another of said gas delivery tubes is attached to said second surface.