Method and apparatus for the production of a dissociated atomic particle flow

摘要

Apparatus and methods for forming a source of dissociated and excited molecules from a working gas-plasma interaction for use in treating substrates such as hydrogen passivation of semiconductors. A plasma is generated under resonant conditions and confined in a reaction chamber by a magnetic mirror trap. The working gas is injected into the reaction chamber to intersect the confined plasma. The interaction forms a neutral species of dissociated and excited molecules and a charged species of ions and electrons. A multipole magnetic field is used to stabilize the plasma and maintain the charged particles of the plasma and the charged species away from the reaction chamber. The charged species is confined to the plasma by the net magnetic field so that the neutral species flows out of the reaction chamber for processing of substrates, e.g., hydrogenation of semiconductor materials. Two sources are used to which produce two axially opposing and aligned electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma streams that meet in a reaction chamber disposed between the two resonators.