Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
58 words
A plasma system of the type including a chamber containing plasma glow discharge, characterised by a means for adding electrons to the plasma to increase the intensity of the plasma glow discharge including a target, a source of photons directed onto the target for producing photoinduced photoelectrons which are emitted from the target and injected into the plasma.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
58 words
A plasma system of the type including a chamber containing plasma glow discharge, characterised by a means for adding electrons to the plasma to increase the intensity of the plasma glow discharge including a target, a source of photons directed onto the target for producing photoinduced photoelectrons which are emitted from the target and injected into the plasma.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A plasma system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further includes a chamber containing the target, a substrate holder and substrates thereon subject to etching or deposition processing, and a sputtering gas in the chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A plasma system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source of photons is a beam of electromagnetic radiation directed onto the target.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A plasma system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the beam of electromagnetic radiation is from an ultraviolet light source.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A plasma system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ultraviolet light source is a continuous light source.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A plasma system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ultraviolet light source is a pulsed light source.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A plasma system as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein the source of the beam of electromagnetic radiation is a laser.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
A plasma system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the beam of electromagnetic radiation is directed onto the target in a given image pattern, and wherein the photoelectrons are emitted from the target in a corresponding image pattern.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for enhancing the intensity of a plasma glow in a chamber by adding electrons to the plasma glow which method comprises forming a plasma glow region in the chamber using a glow discharge diode structure including a cathode and a target, and directing ultraviolet radiation onto the target to generate photoelectrons which are injected into the plasma glow region to enhance the plasma density of the glow.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for enhancing the intensity of a plasma glow in a chamber by adding electrons to the plasma glow which method comprises forming a plasma glow region in the chamber using a glow discharge diode structure including a cathode and a target, and directing ultraviolet radiation onto the target to generate photoelectrons which are injected into the plasma glow region to enhance the plasma density of the glow.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of directing ultraviolet radiation onto the target is carried out by directing a UV laser beam from a UV laser onto the target.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the chamber includes a specimen and the method includes the step of providing a sputtering gas in the chamber and the plasma glow functions to effect an etching or deposition process on the specimen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, further including the step of forming the laser beam into a given pattern on the target.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the energy of the ultraviolet radiation is selected to be less than the work function of the target to provide non-linear multiphoton effects.