Patent ID: 6576127
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: H05H

Abstract:
A device for creating an interspace region inside a plasma chamber using a ponderomotive force to effectively distance a plasma in the chamber from a portion of the wall of the chamber, the plasma including electrons having a cyclotron frequency of &OHgr;e and said device comprising:means for generating a substantially uniform magnetic field in the plasma chamber, said magnetic field having a magnitude B and a direction; an antenna for propagating an electromagnetic wave into the plasma chamber substantially in the direction of said magnetic field; means for rotating the electromagnetic wave at a frequency &ohgr; with said electromagnetic wave being left-hand circularly polarized relative to electrons in the plasma; and means for tuning said frequency &ohgr; of the electromagnetic wave, with &ohgr;e, to establish an evanescence of the electromagnetic wave in the plasma and generate the ponderomotive force on the plasma to create said interspace region.