Patent ID: 7976672

Claim:
A plasma generation apparatus, comprising: a microwave generation portion which generates a microwave; a gas supply portion which supplies a gas to be turned into plasma; a plasma generation nozzle which includes a reception member receiving the microwave, and turns the gas into plasma based on the energy of the received microwave and emits the plasma gas through a spout at a tip of the plasma generation nozzle; an interior electrode and an exterior electrode which are concentrically disposed inside the plasma generation nozzle, the plasma generation nozzle generating plasma by producing a glow discharge between the interior electrode and the exterior electrode and radiating plasma gas under normal pressure from a ring-shaped spout between the interior electrode and the exterior electrode by supplying a processing gas between the interior electrode and the exterior electrode; an adapter which converts the ring-shaped spout into a lengthwise spout, said adapter being attached to the tip of the plasma generation nozzle, said adapter including a lengthwise plasma chamber leading to the ring-shaped spout and having a lengthwise opening in a side of said chamber; and a photo-detection unit which detects light emitted by the plasma gas through an optical transmission member and generates electrical information, said optical transmission member being attached to said adaptor.