Patent ID: 8048329

Claim:
A method for minimizing microwave leakage into a processing chamber of a microwave plasma system, wherein said microwave plasma system is configured for generating plasma and channeling at least a portion of said plasma downstream to said processing chamber, comprising: providing a plasma tube assembly, wherein said plasma tube assembly is a cylindrical structure positioned upstream from said processing chamber, said plasma tube assembly including a plasma-sustaining region, wherein said plasma is formed when a gas mixture interacts with microwave power within said plasma-sustaining region; and securing a first set of plasma traps to said plasma tube assembly, said first set of plasma traps being a first set of electrically conductive disks surrounding said cylindrical structure, wherein said first set of plasma traps being positioned upstream from said processing chamber and said first set of plasma traps including at least a first electrically conductive disk with a first downstream corrugated outer surface and a first upstream corrugated outer surface, said first downstream corrugated outer surface and said first upstream corrugated outer surface including a plurality of corrugated peaks, and a second electrically conductive disk with a second downstream corrugated outer surface and a second upstream corrugated outer surface, said second downstream corrugated outer surface and said second upstream corrugated outer surface including a plurality of corrugated peaks, wherein a corrugated outer surface of said second electrically conductive disk is facing a corrugated outer surface of said first electrically conductive disk in a space-apart relationship so as to form a first interstitial region between said first electrically conductive disk and said second electrically conductive disk, whereby said first electrically conductive disk, said second electrically conductive disk, and said first interstitial region form one of a set of upstream plasma traps and a set of downstream plasma traps relative to said plasma-sustaining region of said plasma tube assembly.