Patent ID: 8883027

Claim:
A method of generating a plasma for removing metal oxide from a substrate, the method comprising: applying radio-frequency (RF) power to a powered electrode in a plasma jet device to generate a plasma in a discharge chamber cavity disposed between the powered electrode and a grounded electrode, the powered electrode having a first dielectric layer disposed between the powered electrode and the discharge chamber cavity, the powered electrode further having a first wire mesh disposed between the powered electrode and the first dielectric layer, the first wire mesh having a plurality of opening sizes selected to be some fraction of a wavelength of the applied RF power; introducing at least one inert gas and at least one process gas into a first end of the discharge chamber cavity; maintaining a volumetric flow rate of the at least one inert gas to less than about one liter per minute; generating the plasma from the at least one inert and the at least one process gas; and placing the substrate within a region of plasma effluent generated from a second end of the discharge chamber cavity by the plasma jet device, wherein a second dielectric layer is disposed between the first dielectric layer and the powered electrode, wherein the first wire mesh is sandwiched between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.