Patent ID: 7095179
Filing Date: 2006-08-22
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
1. A strongly-ionized plasma generator comprising: a) a chamber for confining a feed gas; b) an anode that is positioned inside the chamber; c) a cathode assembly that is positioned adjacent to the anode inside the chamber; and d) a pulsed power supply having an output that is electrically connected between the anode and the cathode assembly, the pulsed power supply generating at the output a multi-stage voltage pulse having at least one of a controlled amplitude and a controlled rise time that prevents forming an arc between the anode and the cathode assembly, the multi-stage voltage pulse comprising: a low-power stage including a first peak voltage having a magnitude and a rise time that is sufficient to generate a weakly-ionized plasma from the feed gas; and a transient stage including a second peak voltage having a magnitude and a rise time that is sufficient to shift an electron energy distribution in the weakly-ionized plasma to higher energies that increase an ionization rate which results in a rapid increase in electron density and a formation of a strongly-ionized plasma.