Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5397420?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2015-01-29 17:16:33
Document Index: 729800181

Matched Legal Cases: ['application No. 2', 'application No. 2', 'application No. 2', 'application No. 2', 'application No. 2', 'application No. 2', 'application No. 61', 'application No. 61', 'application No. 61', 'application No. 61']

Patent US5397420 - Fine structure forming device - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA micro machining apparatus forms a high-aspect structure having an optional depth in a workpiece at low cost. The apparatus applies high-frequency electric power to the workpiece and a machining electrode, to form a plasma zone in the vicinity of the leading end of the machining electrode. The apparatus...http://www.google.com/patents/US5397420?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5397420 - Fine structure forming deviceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5397420 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 07/935,104Publication dateMar 14, 1995Filing dateAug 27, 1992Priority dateMar 3, 1991Fee statusLapsedPublication number07935104, 935104, US 5397420 A, US 5397420A, US-A-5397420, US5397420 A, US5397420AInventorsNobuyoshi Sakakibara, Takayuki Tominaga, Michio Hisanaga, Tadashi Hattori, Yoshitaka Gotoh, Naohito MizunoOriginal AssigneeNippondenso Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (7), Non-Patent Citations (18), Referenced by (9), Classifications (10), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetFine structure forming deviceUS 5397420 AAbstract A micro machining apparatus forms a high-aspect structure having an optional depth in a workpiece at low cost. The apparatus applies high-frequency electric power to the workpiece and a machining electrode, to form a plasma zone in the vicinity of the leading end of the machining electrode. The apparatus guides a reactive gas into the plasma zone to activate the gas. The activated gas is adsorbed by the surface of the workpiece that faces the leading end of the machining electrode. The adsorbed gas reacts with the material of the workpiece and locally etches off the surface of the workpiece. A feed mechanism of the apparatus feeds the machining electrode toward the workpiece according to the progress of the etching, thereby forming a trench in the workpiece. Reaction products of the workpiece and reactive gas produced by the etching adhere to and deposit on the sidewall of the trench and form a protective film for protecting the sidewall from being etched, thereby providing the trench with a high aspect ratio.
E=(C�V2)/2                                   (1)
Namely, to produce proper plasma discharge between the leading end of the machining electrode 21 and the workpiece 10, a distance from the leading end of the electrode to the workpiece must be several times the Debye length of plasma gas. The Debye length is expressed as follows: ##EQU1## where ne is an electron concentration (m-3), and Te is an electron temperature (eV).
Electric discharge etching usually employs low-voltage-discharged plasma with ne=1015 (m-3) and Te=2 (eV). This results in λD =3.32�10-4) (m). Namely, a distance of several millimeters must be secured between the leading end of the machining electrode 21 and the workpiece 10 to produce proper plasma.
jf=A�E2 �exp(-B/E )                 (4)
where jf is a current per unit area, A is a constant, E is electric field strength (V/m), B=6.8�109 �φ3/2, and φ is a work function (eV) of the cathode.
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