Patent ID: 6060836
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: H01J,H05H

Abstract:
A plasma generating apparatus comprising:a plasma-generating vessel into which a gas is to be introduced;one or more high-frequency lines which each is inserted into said plasma-generating vessel while being insulated therefrom, has at least one permanent magnet in its inserted part, and serves to ionize the gas to generate a seed plasma around said permanent magnet when a high frequency is externally supplied to said high-frequency line to cause high-frequency discharge in a magnetic field formed by said permanent magnet; anda direct-voltage source which serves to apply a direct-current voltage between each of said high-frequency line and said plasma-generating vessel, with the former being on a negative electrode side, to cause electrons in the seed plasma to move at an accelerated speed toward a wall of said plasma-generating vessel, so that the electrons cause direct-current discharge between each of said high-frequency line and said plasma-generating vessel to generate a main plasma within said plasma-generating vessel.