IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AND SUSTAINING GLOW DISCHARGE PLASMA UNDER ATMOSPHERIC CONDITION

• Main Authors: VAN DE SANDEN MAURITIUS CORNELIUS MARIA, MORI FUYUHIKO, DE VRIES HINDRIK WILLEM, ALDEA EUGEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.04.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLICMATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASSC23 AND AT LEAST ONEPROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25; NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To produce and sustain an atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma stably and uniformly. SOLUTION: This apparatus (20) for producing and sustaining a glow discharge plasma in a plasma discharge space (11) comprises opposing electrodes (13, 14); a gas supply means (12) for supplying a gas or a gas mixture under atmospheric pressure conditions into the discharge space; an AC power supply means (15) for energizing the electrodes; and an electric stabilization means (21) for stabilizing current variations in the plasma. The stabilization means is connected between the electrodes and the power supply means, and is configured to be capable of opposing current variations of within 1 microsecond generated in the plasma. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO