Patent ID: 6406759
Filing Date: 2002-06-18
Classification: A61L,B29C,C23C,H01J,H05H

Abstract:
A method for treating a workpiece with one or more active species, comprising the steps of:(a) applying power to generate an electric field within a plasma-generation region to generate a one-atmosphere glow discharge plasma in a working gas; (b) convecting the working gas with the one or more active species away from the plasma-generation region to a remote-exposure region containing the workpiece; (c) subjecting the workpiece in the remote-exposure region to the one or more active species, wherein the workpiece is located outside of the plasma-generation region; and (d) recirculating the working gas with at least one of the active species present from the remote-exposure region back to the plasma-generation region to increase concentration of the at least one of the active species in the remote-exposure region.