SLOTTED WAVEGUIDE STRUCTURE FOR GENERATING PLASMA DISCHARGES

摘要

A waveguide structure (1) has at least one shaped slot (3) machined in the wall of the waveguide (2). The slot (3) is configured such that a high voltage is generated across the slot (3) when the waveguide (2) is excited with high-power microwaves. The strong electric fields generated in the region of the slot can be used to produce a non-equilibrium plasma discharge (7) in a working gas (9) in the vicinity of the slot (3). Various substrates can be translated past the slot (3) and exposed to the plasma species generated by the microwave discharge. The slotted waveguide structure (1) is designed to operate as a traveling wave structure with microwave energy uniformly dissipated along the length of the slot (3). The structure can be designed to operate over the pressure range of about 10 Torr to atmospheric pressure, i.e., about 760 Torr, using a wide variety of gases and gas mixtures.