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US5558722A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Plasma processing apparatus

Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
•
Filing: 1995-09-14
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Granted: 1996-09-24
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Expires: 2015-09-14
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Abstract

Abstract A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum vessel, a substrate electrode, a discharge coil which is partially or wholly made to have a multiple spiral or helical configuration, a high frequency power source, and a matching circuit that is connected to the discharge coil by way of a conductor wire and connected to the high frequency power source via a connection cable, and generates plasma inside the vacuum vessel by applying a high frequency voltage to the discharge coil so as to process a substrate disposed on the substrate electrode.

Inventors

  • 👤 Tomohiro Okumura
  • 👤 Ichiro Nakayama
  • 👤 Yoshihiro Yanagi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 21:31
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32082; H01J37/321; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/50; C23C16/505; C23C16/507

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 88 words
A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum vessel; a substrate electrode; a discharge coil which is partially or wholly made to have a multiple spiral configuration; a high frequency power source; and a matching circuit that is connected to the discharge coil by way of a conductor wire and connected to the high frequency power source via a connection cable, and generates plasma inside the vacuum vessel by applying a high frequency voltage to the discharge coil so as to process a substrate disposed on the substrate electrode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 88 words
A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum vessel; a substrate electrode; a discharge coil which is partially or wholly made to have a multiple spiral configuration; a high frequency power source; and a matching circuit that is connected to the discharge coil by way of a conductor wire and connected to the high frequency power source via a connection cable, and generates plasma inside the vacuum vessel by applying a high frequency voltage to the discharge coil so as to process a substrate disposed on the substrate electrode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
The plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multiple spiral configuration of the discharge coil is symmetrical with a center of the discharge coil.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
The plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multiple spiral configuration of the discharge coil is nonsymmetrical with a center of the discharge coil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 42 words
The plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge coil is so structured that an imaginary number component of a complex representation of an impedance thereof is not greater than five times a characteristic impedance of the connection cable.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 52 words
The plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge coil is so constructed that a distance between adjacent conductive wires constructing the discharge coil on a center side of the discharge coil is larger than that between adjacent conductive wires thereof on a peripheral side of the discharge coil.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
The plasm processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge coil has a bell-shaped configuration in three dimensions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 88 words
A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum vessel; a substrate electrode; a discharge coil which is partially or wholly made to have a multiple helical configuration; a high frequency power source; and a matching circuit that is connected to the discharge coil by way of a conductor wire and connected to the high frequency power source via a connection cable, and generates plasma inside the vacuum vessel by applying a high frequency voltage to the discharge coil so as to process a substrate disposed on the substrate electrode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 88 words
A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum vessel; a substrate electrode; a discharge coil which is partially or wholly made to have a multiple helical configuration; a high frequency power source; and a matching circuit that is connected to the discharge coil by way of a conductor wire and connected to the high frequency power source via a connection cable, and generates plasma inside the vacuum vessel by applying a high frequency voltage to the discharge coil so as to process a substrate disposed on the substrate electrode.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 42 words
The plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the discharge coil is so structured that an imaginary number component of a complex representation of an impedance thereof is not greater than five times a characteristic impedance of the connection cable.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3705091A Cited
US4329418A Cited
US5091049A Cited
US5429070A Cited
US5217560A Cited
US5304282A Cited
US5401350A Cited
US5464476A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-09-24 2000-03-25 2000-09-24 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-09-24 2004-03-25 2004-09-24 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-09-24 2008-03-25 2008-09-24 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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