Patent ID: 8048260
Filing Date: 2011-11-01
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
1. A magnetic neutral line discharge plasma processing system, comprising: a rectangular vacuum chamber defining a rectangular plane therein in which a rectangular substrate having a surface to be processed is located at the rectangular plane; a magnetic field generating means generating magnetic neutral lines formed by a succession of zero magnetic field positions existing continuously in the vacuum chamber along the rectangular plane; and an electric field generating means generating discharge plasma in a space containing the magnetic neutral lines by applying a radio frequency electric field to the magnetic neutral lines generated in the rectangular vacuum chamber at the rectangular plane; the magnetic field generating means including at least two current rods each of which includes a plurality of parallel linear sections adjacently positioned and a plurality of bent sections, the bent sections connecting adjacent ends of two of the linear sections the bent sections located at opposite sides so as to form a continuous sinuous current path extending over an entire area of the rectangular plane; the at least two current rods located parallel with each other and with the rectangular plane, and connected to respective constant current sources; the electric field generating means including at least one pair of electrodes extending in parallel with the magnetic neutral lines, respectively located on opposite side of the rectangular plane, and arranged in the vacuum chamber so that the rectangular substrate and the magnetic neutral lines are interposed between the at least one pair of electrodes, the at least one pair of electrodes supplied with a radio frequency variable potential thereby generating plasma along the magnetic neutral lines.