Microwave plasma source apparatus

Claim 2

A microwave plasma source apparatus comprising: a plane waveguide having an open end through which to introduce microwave power and an end plate located opposite to said open end; a cylindrical coaxial waveguide having the central axis thereof located one quarter of the wavelength of said microwave power away from said end plate of said plane waveguide, an inner and an outer conductor of said cylindrical coaxial waveguide being coupled respectively with a bottom and an upper wall of said plane waveguide; and a discharge tube located on the central axis of said inner conductor of said cylindrical coaxial waveguide.

Claim 3

A microwave plasma source apparatus comprising: a plane waveguide having an open end through which to introduce microwave power and an end plate located opposite to said open end; a cylindrical coaxial waveguide having the central axis thereof located in the direction of a microwave electric field formed within said plane waveguide, said axis being coupled with said plane waveguide one quarter of the wavelength of said microwave power away from said end plate toward said open end of said plane waveguide, the lower end of an inner conductor of said cylindrical coaxial waveguide being coupled with a circular hole on a lower wall of said plane waveguide, the upper end of said inner conductor being left open, the lower end of an outer conductor of said cylindrical coaxial waveguide being coupled with a circular hole on an upper wall of said plane waveguide, the upper end of said outer conductor being short-circuited by an end plate having a through hole at the center thereof; a discharge tube constituted by an electrical insulating material and located along the central axis of said inner conductor, the upper end of said tube being left open and protruding upward from said through hole of said end plate; a microwave power supplying means for supplying microwave power into said plane waveguide through the open end thereof; a plasma gas introducing means for introducing plasma gas into said discharge tube through the lower end thereof; and a cooling means for cooling said discharge tube.

Claim 4

A microwave plasma source apparatus comprising: a plane waveguide having an open end through which to introduce microwave power and an end plate located opposite to said open end; a cylindrical coaxial waveguide having the central axis thereof located in the direction of a microwave electric field formed within said plane waveguide, said axis being coupled with said plane waveguide one quarter of the wavelength of said microwave power away from said end plate toward said open end of said plane waveguide, the lower end of an inner conductor of said cylindrical coaxial waveguide being coupled with a circular hole on a lower wall of said plane waveguide, the upper end of said inner conductor being left open, the lower end of an outer conductor of said cylindrical coaxial waveguide being coupled with a circular hole on an upper wall of said plane waveguide, the upper end of said outer conductor being short-circuited by an end plate having a through hole at the center thereof; a discharge tube constituted by an electrical insulating material and located along the central axis of said inner conductor, the upper end of said tube being left open and protruding upward from said through hole of said end plate; a microwave power supplying means for supplying microwave power into said plane waveguide through the open end thereof; a plasma gas introducing means for introducing plasma gas into said discharge tube through the lower end thereof; and a cooling means for cooling said discharge tube.

Claim 5

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said cooling means further comprises: a chamber provided around the periphery of the lower end of said discharge tube; a coolant gas introduction pipe for introducing into said chamber a coolant gas in the tangential direction of said chamber; and a plurality of coolant gas discharge ports provided on the outer wall of said outer conductor; whereby the coolant gas introduced into said chamber is made to flow upward through an interior space of said inner conductor along the outer surface of said discharge tube before said coolant gas is released through said coolant gas discharge ports.

Claim 6

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising under the lower edge of said inner conductor a microwave leakage adjusting system surrounding the lower end of said discharge tube, said system being adjusted in terms of axial length to ensure that the distance between the open end of said inner conductor and the bottom surface of a conductive material surrounding the lower end of said discharge tube is at least one quarter of the wavelength of the microwave power in use.

Claim 7

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the axial length of said outer conductor is at least one quarter of the wavelength of the microwave power in use.

Claim 8

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the upper end of said inner conductor and said end plate having said through hole.

Claim 9

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said end plate has, at the periphery of said through hole, a thickness less than the thickness of the outer portion thereof.

Claim 10

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a discharge means for lowering pressure within the interior space of said discharge tube.

Claim 11

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tip of said discharge tube is formed into a nozzle whose inner diameter is widened toward the end thereof.

Claim 12

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said discharge tube is of a coaxial dual tube construction comprising an inner and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes receiving respectively a sample and a plasma gas thereinto.

Claim 13

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said cooling means comprises means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube, said means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube being attached to the periphery of said upper end of said discharge tube.

Claim 14

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising under the lower edge of said inner conductor a microwave leakage adjusting system surrounding the lower end of said discharge tube, said system being adjusted in terms of axial length to ensure that the distance between the open end of said inner conductor and the bottom surface of a conductive material surrounding the lower end of said discharge tube is at least one quarter of the wavelength of the microwave power in use.

Claim 15

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the axial length of said outer conductor is at least one quarter of the wavelength of the microwave power in use.

Claim 16

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the axial length of said outer conductor is at least one quarter of the wavelength of the microwave power in use.

Claim 17

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the upper end of said inner conductor and said end plate having said through hole.

Claim 18

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the upper end of said inner conductor and said end plate having said through hole.

Claim 19

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the upper end of said inner conductor and said end plate having said through hole.

Claim 20

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said end plate has, at the periphery of said through hole, a thickness less than the thickness of the outer portion thereof.

Claim 21

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said end plate has, at the periphery of said through hole, a thickness less than the thickness of the outer portion thereof.

Claim 22

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said end plate has, at the periphery of said through hole, a thickness less than the thickness of the outer portion thereof.

Claim 23

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said end plate has, at the periphery of said through hole, a thickness less than the thickness of the outer portion thereof.

Claim 24

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a discharge means for lowering pressure within the interior space of said discharge tube.

Claim 25

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a discharge means for lowering pressure within the interior space of said discharge tube.

Claim 26

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a discharge means for lowering pressure within the interior space of said discharge tube.

Claim 27

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a discharge means for lowering pressure within the interior space of said discharge tube.

Claim 28

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a discharge means for lowering pressure within the interior space of said discharge tube.

Claim 29

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tip of said discharge tube is formed into a nozzle whose inner diameter is widened toward the end thereof.

Claim 30

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tip of said discharge tube is formed into a nozzle whose inner diameter is widened toward the end thereof.

Claim 31

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tip of said discharge tube is formed into a nozzle whose inner diameter is widened toward the end thereof.

Claim 32

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the tip of said discharge tube is formed into a nozzle whose inner diameter is widened toward the end thereof.

Claim 33

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the tip of said discharge tube is formed into a nozzle whose inner diameter is widened toward the end thereof.

Claim 34

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the tip of said discharge tube is formed into a nozzle whose inner diameter is widened toward the end thereof.

Claim 35

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said discharge tube is of a coaxial dual tube construction comprising an inner and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes receiving respectively a sample and a plasma gas thereinto.

Claim 36

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said discharge tube is of a coaxial dual tube construction comprising an inner and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes receiving respectively a sample and a plasma gas thereinto.

Claim 37

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said discharge tube is of a coaxial dual tube construction comprising an inner and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes receiving respectively a sample and a plasma gas thereinto.

Claim 38

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said discharge tube is of a coaxial dual tube construction comprising an inner and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes receiving respectively a sample and a plasma gas thereinto.

Claim 39

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said discharge tube is of a coaxial dual tube construction comprising an inner and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes receiving respectively a sample and a plasma gas thereinto.

Claim 40

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said discharge tube is of a coaxial dual tube construction comprising an inner and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes receiving respectively a sample and a plasma gas thereinto.

Claim 41

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said discharge tube is of a coaxial dual tube construction comprising an inner and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes receiving respectively a sample and a plasma gas thereinto.

Claim 42

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said cooling means comprises means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube, said means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube being attached to the periphery of said upper end of said discharge tube.

Claim 43

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said cooling means comprises means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube, said means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube being attached to the periphery of said upper end of said discharge tube.

Claim 44

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said cooling means comprises means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube, said means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube being attached to the periphery of said upper end of said discharge tube.

Claim 45

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said cooling means comprises means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube, said means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube being attached to the periphery of said upper end of said discharge tube.

Claim 46

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said cooling means comprises means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube, said means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube being attached to the periphery of said upper end of said discharge tube.

Claim 47

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said cooling means comprises means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube, said means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube being attached to the periphery of said upper end of said discharge tube.

Claim 48

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said cooling means comprises means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube, said means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube being attached to the periphery of said upper end of said discharge tube.

Claim 49

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said cooling means comprises means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube, said means for cooling the upper end of said discharge tube being attached to the periphery of said upper end of said discharge tube.

Claim 50

A microwave plasma source apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising deflector means for deflecting coolant gas discharged through said discharge ports away from said discharge tube.