Patent ID: 6899054

Claim:
A device for hybrid plasma processing comprising: a plasma reactor; at least one hollow cathode in the plasma reactor and a hollow cathode power generator, the hollow cathode having an outlet; a microwave plasma generator installed in the plasma reactor, the microwave plasma generator comprising at least one microwave power feeder and a microwave generator connected to the microwave power feeder; at least one first processing gas inlet into the at least one hollow cathode; a magnetic field generator constructed and arranged so as to be able to generate a magnetic field at the outlet of the hollow cathode in the plasma reactor, the magnetic field having an orientation that is at least one of perpendicular and longitudinal with reference to a longitudinal axis of the hollow cathode; a second processing gas inlet having an outlet inside the reactor and outside the hollow cathode; and a counter electrode connected to the hollow cathode power generator; wherein the hollow cathode is specifically constructed and arranged to have a geometry such that, when powered by the hollow cathode power generator to produce a hollow cathode plasma, the hollow cathode demonstrates the hollow cathode effect, in which an electron emitted from one wall of the hollow cathode interacts with an equivalent electric field with opposite orientation at an opposite wall; and wherein the microwave power feeder and the hollow cathode are positioned with respect to one another such that when the microwave power feeder generates a microwave plasma, the microwave plasma is in contact with the outlet of the at least one hollow cathode, and wherein the microwave plasma and the hollow cathode plasma combine to produce a hybrid plasma.