Title: Radio-frequency powered glow discharge device and method with high voltage interface

Abstract

A high voltage accelerating potential, which is supplied by a high voltage direct current power supply, is applied to the electrically conducting interior wall of an RF powered glow discharge cell. The RF power supply desirably is electrically grounded, and the conductor carrying the RF power to the sample held by the probe is desirably shielded completely excepting only the conductor's terminal point of contact with the sample. The high voltage DC accelerating potential is not supplied to the sample. A high voltage capacitance is electrically connected in series between the sample on the one hand and the RF power supply and an impedance matching network on the other hand. The high voltage capacitance isolates the high DC voltage from the RF electronics, while the RF potential is passed across the high voltage capacitance to the plasma. An inductor protects at least the RF power supply, and desirably the impedance matching network as well, from a short that might occur across the high voltage capacitance. The discharge cell and the probe which holds the sample are configured and disposed to prevent the probe's components, which are maintained at ground potential, from bridging between the relatively low vacuum region in communicationmore » with the glow discharge maintained within the cell on the one hand, and the relatively high vacuum region surrounding the probe and cell on the other hand. The probe and cell also are configured and disposed to prevent the probe's components from electrically shorting the cell's components. « less

Inventors:

Duckworth, Douglas C ^[1]; Marcus, R Kenneth ^[2]; Donohue, David L ^[3]; Lewis, Trousdale A ^[4]

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1. Knoxville, TN
2. Clemson, SC
3. Vienna, AT
4. Oak Ridge, TN

Issue Date:

Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

Research Org.:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

OSTI Identifier:

869375

Patent Number(s):

5325021

Assignee:

Clemson University (Clemson, SC)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01J - ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS

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H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01J - ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS

H01J49/105 - {using high-frequency excitation, e.g. microwave excitation, Inductively Coupled Plasma [ICP]}

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DOE Contract Number:  

AC05-84OR21400

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

radio-frequency; powered; glow; discharge; device; method; voltage; interface; accelerating; potential; supplied; direct; current; power; supply; applied; electrically; conducting; interior; wall; rf; cell; desirably; grounded; conductor; carrying; sample; held; probe; shielded; completely; excepting; terminal; contact; dc; capacitance; connected; series; hand; impedance; matching; network; isolates; electronics; passed; plasma; inductor; protects; occur; holds; configured; disposed; prevent; components; maintained; ground; bridging; relatively; vacuum; region; communication; surrounding; shorting; matching network; voltage dc; ground potential; interior wall; discharge device; direct current; power supply; glow discharge; electrically conducting; electrically connected; dc voltage; rf power; impedance matching; discharge cell; voltage direct; vacuum region; frequency power; rf powered; current power; /315/250/