EP2438801A1

EP2438801A1 - Plasma generation device with electron cyclotron resonance

Info

Publication number: EP2438801A1
Application number: EP10724769A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marc-Yves Delaunay; Denis Hitz
Original assignee: Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA; Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives CEA
Current assignee: Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives CEA
Priority date: 2009-06-05
Filing date: 2010-06-04
Publication date: 2012-04-11
Also published as: FR2946490A1; WO2010139788A1; US20120160168A1; FR2946490B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plasma-generation device (600) with electron cyclotron resonance, comprising two adjacent sealed vacuum chambers (601, 602) intended for containing plasmas, a means (15) for injecting a high-frequency wave into said chambers, a magnetic structure for generating a magnetic field in the chambers comprising a plurality of parallelepipedal permanent magnets (610, 611, 612, 613, 614, 615, 616, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621) and generating at least two plasmas according to the magnetic field lines, said module of said magnetic field having a magnetic mirror configuration with at least one electron cyclotron resonance area per plasma, said magnetic structure comprising at least one permanent magnet (614, 615, 616, 617) contributing to the formation of a plasma in each one of the chambers, such that said chambers share the same at least one permanent magnet (614, 615, 616, 617) on the common wall thereof.

Description

Device for generating plasmas at the eclotson resonance

The present invention relates to a device for generating multiple electron cyclotron resonance plasmas with a common magnetic structure.

To create an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma, it is necessary to generate magnetic fields that serve to contain the plasma and that satisfy the resonance condition of the electrons of the plasma. These magnetic fields can be created by an electric current flowing in coils or by permanent magnets.

Permanent magnets have the advantage of having zero power consumption, but have the disadvantage of not being able to generate short-range magnetic fields. For example, if the person skilled in the art decides to create a long and / or high plasma (for example several meters) confined by permanent magnets, the ECR plasma can only be a few centimeters thick. If the person skilled in the art also wants to have a wide plasma (for example several tens of centimeters), he will have to use solenoids that consume a lot of energy.

Such electronic cyclotron resonance plasma generation devices are used for example for the production of hydrogen.

Indeed, hydrogen (H ₂ ) appears today as a very interesting energy vector, which is expected to take on more and more importance and which could, in the long term, be a good substitute for oil and fossil fuels, whose reserves will decrease sharply in the coming decades. In this perspective, it is necessary to develop efficient processes for the production of hydrogen. A method for producing hydrogen by injecting water vapor into a plasma is described in particular in document US2004 / 0265137. This patent describes a process for obtaining hydrogen from from the dissociated vapor in a plasma. The document mentions in particular the use of the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) to produce said plasma. Compared with other known methods of producing hydrogen, the use of a RCE plasma machine has many advantages:

- continuous and stable operation;

- no implementation of high temperatures;

- no wear (very long usage time due to lack of filament or electrodes); - no production of carbon or carbon compounds;

- no use of chemical complexes;

- low cost, if the magnetic structure is made of permanent magnets.

However, despite the advantages mentioned above, such a plasma machine which breaks, by electronic impact, the bonds of the water molecule, has two major disadvantages: on the one hand the too small extent of the plasma does not allow to produce a large quantity of hydrogen, and secondly the difficulty of separating the products formed by the dissociation of the molecule of water. In this context, the object of the present invention is to provide a device for generating plasmas with electron cyclotron resonance enabling efficient dissociation of the injected molecules, a simple separation of the products formed not necessarily requiring the use of large magnetic fields and allowing for example a large production of hydrogen in volume by dissociation of water, while minimizing the consumption of electrical energy.

To this end, the invention proposes a device for generating plasmas with electronic cyclotron resonance characterized in that it comprises:

at least two adjacent sealed chambers under vacuum intended to contain plasmas,

means for injecting a high-frequency wave inside said at least two sealed chambers, a magnetic structure for generating a magnetic field in said at least two adjacent chambers comprising a plurality of parallelepipedal permanent magnets and generating at least two plasmas along the magnetic field lines, said module of said magnetic field having a magnetic mirror configuration with at least two minus one plasma electron cyclotron resonance zone, said magnetic structure comprising at least one permanent magnet contributing to the formation of a plasma in each of said at least two chambers, so that said at least two chambers share the same at least one magnet permanent at their common wall, said magnetic mirror configuration is such that the modulus of said magnetic field has a non-punctual minimum, substantially constant and substantially equal to the magnetic field corresponding to the electron cyclotron resonance, extended at least partially along a first longitudinal axis of said at least two chambers and at least partially along a second axis perpendicular to said first longitudinal axis and parallel to the surface of said permanent magnets, so that said at least two chambers have a plasma volume at the cyclotron resonance electronic.

The term "sealed chamber under vacuum" means a chamber in which a working pressure of less than or equal to 5.10 ^"3 mbar prevails, said working pressure corresponding substantially to the partial pressure of the molecules injected into the chamber. , the axis according to which the plasma has its largest dimension.

The term magnetic field substantially equal to the magnetic field corresponding to the electron cyclotron resonance, a magnetic field equal to ± 10% near the magnetic field corresponding to the electron cyclotron resonance. The term "substantially constant magnetic field" means a magnetic field value that does not deviate by more than 10% from the value of the resonance magnetic field.

According to the invention, the magnetic structure is a structure of permanent magnets, of zero power consumption, generating in each chamber a plasma volume (RCE) while minimizing the amount of permanent magnets used.

The magnetic structure generates a magnetic field whose value of the minimum magnetic field modulus is extended at least partially over a large part of the internal volume of the chambers.

The device according to the invention comprises a plurality of vacuum sealed chambers intended to contain, each, a volume of plasma, so that two successive chambers communicate at one of their ends and that two adjacent chambers share at least the same element. common magnetic at their common wall.

Preferably, the two adjacent chambers share several magnetic elements at their common wall.

In this way, it is possible to superimpose a plurality of plasma chambers whose common magnetic structure makes it possible to generate a plurality of plasma volumes.

When the device according to the invention is used for the production of hydrogen, this production of hydrogen from water vapor is then very efficient, producing a large amount of hydrogen, little energy consuming while having a device for producing compact hydrogen.

The production of hydrogen is based on the dissociation of water by the use of plasma at the cyclotron resonance of the electrons. However, the device according to the invention makes it possible to reinforce its efficiency by the paralleling of several chambers and by the use of common magnetic means generating two adjacent plasmas, the plasmas being able to be generated either in the same chamber or in separate chambers. . Thanks to the principle of electron cyclotron resonance plasma, at the passage of the neighborhood of the resonance zone, the electrons acquire energy. They will then be able to dissociate the injected molecules, for example water molecules, and then ionize the dissociation products. Thanks to the electroneutrality of the plasma, these ions will follow the electrons along the magnetic field lines.

According to the invention, the mirror configuration of the magnetic field forms a profile of the magnetic field comprising a minimum non-punctual, said minimum "flat field", along the longitudinal axis of the chamber, whose value of the magnetic field module is equal the value of the resonance magnetic field to within ± 10%. This value of the modulus of the minimum magnetic field, equal to or very close to the electron cyclotron resonance, is at least partially extended along the longitudinal axis of the sealed chamber of the device, typically over a length greater than ten centimeters and able to up to several meters, between the two maxima of the magnetic field.

According to the invention, the shape, the arrangement and the dimensions of the magnetic structure make it possible to extend this value of the minimum magnetic field modulus, equal to or very close to the electron cyclotron resonance, at least partially along the second perpendicular axis to the longitudinal axis, and parallel to the surface of the permanent magnets, typically over a length greater than five centimeters in order to have in each sealed chamber an extended volume of hot plasma. The magnetic structure must satisfy the electronic cyclotron resonance condition by volume. If we consider a microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz, the resonance condition imposes a magnetic field of B _rθS = 0.0875T. Those skilled in the art will use a magnetic structure calculation code so as to fulfill this resonance condition uniformly for each plasma of each sealed chamber. The magnetic structure will be determined according to the magnetic field of hysteresis and the coercive magnetic field of each material magnetic, such as a samarium cobalt alloy or a neodymium iron boron alloy.

In this way, the electrons will be able to acquire a large amount of energy in order to efficiently dissociate the water molecules and to ionize the dissociation products. In addition, during the production of hydrogen, the oxygen resulting from the dissociation of the injected molecules may be, for example, trapped by selective cryogenic condensers, all along the sealed chamber over a large length as well as on a large scale. width. It will be noted that, although using an electromagnetic field, the device according to the invention does not use a method of thermal agitation of the water molecules, but on the other hand breaks the atomic bonds by collisions with the electrons of the plasma.

The device according to the invention may also have one or more of the following characteristics, considered individually or in any technically possible combination:

said plurality of permanent magnets form an open magnetic structure;

said permanent magnets have the same magnetization direction and / or are of different sizes;

said plurality of permanent magnets comprises at least two magnets delimiting the ends of each chamber and generating a mirror magnetic field, said at least two magnets being located on either side of at least one magnet generating a resonance zone;

said at least two sealed chambers communicate at one of their ends;

said means for injecting a high-frequency wave are multi-waveguide injection means coupled to a single high-frequency generator;

said means for injecting a high-frequency wave are injection means for a waveguide comprising a horn for the distribution of microwaves in said plurality of chambers, said injection means being coupled to a single high frequency generator;

the device comprises means for injecting high-frequency multifrequency waves.

The invention also relates to a device for producing hydrogen with an electron cyclotron resonance plasma comprising:

a device for generating plasmas according to the invention; means for injecting water vapor into said at least two chambers, the electrons of said plasmas dissociating at least partially the water molecules introduced in the vapor phase and at least partially ionizing the products of the dissociation, said means for injecting water vapor injecting said vapor so that it is directed along said longitudinal axis of said at least two chambers;

means for separating hydrogen and oxygen;

means for recovering the hydrogen resulting from the dissociation. Preferably, the device for producing hydrogen comprises non-dissociated water recovery means, said means for recovering non-dissociated water being formed by a condenser and / or substantially arranged along the injection axis of the water. water vapour.

Preferably, the device for producing hydrogen comprises at least one non-dissociated water re-injection system in the vapor phase and issuing from said non-dissociated water recovery means.

The device for producing hydrogen is such that said means for recovering hydrogen from the dissociation comprise a pump for pumping hydrogen in the gas phase and / or at least one cryogenic condenser for freezing hydrogen. The device for producing hydrogen is such that said steam injection means inject said vapor in the form of a supersonic jet, said injection means comprising a plane nozzle and a nozzle. debarker, said debarker being intended to shape said jet of steam so that it is directed along the longitudinal axis of said at least two chambers.

The device for producing hydrogen is such that said means for separating hydrogen and oxygen are formed by at least one selective cryogenic condenser for freezing the oxygen resulting from the dissociation without freezing the hydrogen resulting from the dissociation, said at least one selective cryogenic oxygen-free condenser along said plasma volume generated in said at least two chambers. The device for producing hydrogen is such that said at least one selective cryogenic condenser for freezing oxygen forms the inner wall of said chamber and / or is located at said minimum non-point magnetic field.

Preferably, the hydrogen production device comprises a second cryogenic condenser for freezing the oxygen from the dissociation placed at the end of said at least two chambers between said magnetic mirror configuration and said hydrogen recovery means.

The device for producing hydrogen is such that said means for separating hydrogen and oxygen are formed by a membrane that is permeable to hydrogen, said permeable membrane separating the hydrogen resulting from the dissociation along said generated plasma volume in said at least two chambers.

The invention also relates to a device for producing thin layers comprising:

a device for generating plasmas according to the invention;

means for injecting a constituent of the plasma into said at least two chambers, the electrons of said plasmas dissociating at least partially the molecules of said constituent introduced and at least partially ionizing the products of the dissociation, said injecting means injecting said constituting such that it is directed along said longitudinal axis of said at least two chambers; said plasmas successively producing thin layers of product of the dissociation of said constituent so as to carry out a stack of thin layers on a substrate.

Preferably, the device for producing thin layers comprises a displacement system of said substrate positioning said substrate successively in front of each plasma.

The device for producing thin layers is such that said component injected into each of said at least two chambers is of a different nature so as to make a stack of thin layers of different types on said substrate.

The invention also relates to an implantation device comprising:

a plasma generation device according to the invention;

means for injecting a constituent of the plasma into said at least two chambers, the electrons of said plasmas dissociating the molecules of said constituent introduced and ionizing the products of the dissociation, said injection means injecting said constituent in such a way that it is directed along said longitudinal axis of said at least two chambers; a single high polarization voltage for extracting the ions produced by each plasma and implanting them in the material; said plasmas each having a different charge state distribution for successively implanting ions of the same kind and / or different charges. Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which is given below, by way of indication and in no way limitative, with reference to the appended figures, among which:

FIG. 1 is a representation of the phase diagrams of hydrogen and oxygen with the corresponding values at the triple point of each element;

FIG. 2 represents, in top view, a device for generating plasmas with electronic cyclotron resonance according to the invention; FIG. 3 represents a view from above of an example of distribution of the magnetic field in a chamber of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a distribution of the axial profiles of the magnetic field module in a chamber of the device according to the invention; FIG. 5 illustrates a particular distribution of magnet bars of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 6 represents, in a view from above, a first embodiment of a device for producing hydrogen comprising the device for generating plasmas according to the invention; - Figure 7 shows, in top view, a second embodiment of a hydrogen production device;

FIG. 8 represents a third embodiment of a device for producing hydrogen;

FIG. 9 represents, in a view from above, a fourth embodiment of a device for producing hydrogen;

- Figure 10 shows, in top view, a surface treatment device comprising the plasma generating device according to the invention.

In all the figures, the common elements bear the same reference numbers.

FIG. 2 is a simplified representation of a device 600 for generating plasmas at the electron cyclotron resonance. The device 600 comprises:

a first sealed chamber 601 of parallelepipedal shape, under vacuum, called indifferently pregnant thereafter;

a second sealed chamber 602 of parallelepipedal shape, under vacuum;

- twelve bars of permanent magnets 610, 61 1, 612, 613, 614, 615, 616, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621, including eight bars of magnets 610, 61 1, 612, 613, 618, 619 , 620, 621 are placed outside the space formed by the chambers 601 and 602 and of which four bars of magnets 614, 615, 616, 617 are placed between the first chamber 601 and the second chamber 602, the bars typically having a height of between a few centimeters and a meter, see more if necessary; the magnets 610, 613, 614, 617, 618, 621 are preferably identical and form the magnetic mirror fields and the magnets 61 1, 612, 615, 616, 619, 629 are identical and form the resonance zones.

means for propagation of high-frequency waves 15, of low-frequency microwave type or substantially equal to

2.45 GHz, formed by a waveguide or a coaxial cable equipped with a sealed high frequency window inside chambers 601 and 602.

The chambers 601 and 602 of the device 600 are evacuated, the vacuum being effected by means of pumping ad hoc. In order to have the least impurity in the chambers 601 and 602, a residual vacuum of at least 10 ^-4 mbar is required During operation of the device 600, the working pressure in the chambers 601 and 602 is typically less than or equal to at 5.10 ^"3 mbar, this pressure being related to the partial pressure of the molecules injected into the chambers 601 and 602.

The eight permanent magnet bars 610, 61 1, 612, 613, 614, 615, 616, 617 of the magnetic structure have the same sense of magnetization and surround the first chamber 601.

The shape and orientation of the permanent magnets 610, 61 1, 612, 613,

614, 615, 616, 617 are such that the magnets produce inside the chamber 601 an axial magnetic field whose configuration of the module corresponds to a configuration of magnetic mirror type, whose profile 630a has at least two maxima (B _max ) at abscissae located respectively in the injection and extraction zones and a minimum

(B _min) at least partially expanded non-time, and preferably over a large part, along the chamber 601, along the longitudinal axis AA ', and located between the two maxima (B _max).

The magnetic structure is also formed by the four permanent magnet bars 618, 619, 620, 621 having the same meaning magnets which, in combination with the magnet bars 614, 615, 616, 617, surround the second chamber 602 so as to produce inside the chamber 602 a second axial magnetic field whose configuration of the module corresponds to a configuration of magnetic mirror type whose profile 630b has at least two maxima (B _max ) at abscissa located respectively in the injection and extraction zones and a non-point minimum (Bmin) extended at least partially along the chamber 1, along the longitudinal axis AA ', and located between the two maxima (B _max ).

Magnet bars 614, 615, 616, 617 of the magnetic structure are common to both chambers 601 and 602 and are sized to produce an equivalent magnetic field both within chamber 601 and indoors. of the chamber 602. The magnetic fields then have the same profile 630a and 630b inside the chambers 601 and 602. The magnet bars 614, 615, 616, 617 are placed under vacuum in housings, made of non-magnetic metallic material. , welded and vacuum-tight thus making it possible to overcome the problems related to degassing magnets.

The maxima (B _max ) of the profiles 630 have a value greater than the value of the resonance magnetic field (B _rθS ) for which the electron cyclotron resonance is obtained. The minimum (B _min ) is a so-called flat-field minimum, the value of which is equal to, or slightly less than, the value for which the electronic cyclotron resonance is obtained, and extended over a large length of the device 600. The magnetic structure such as that shown in Figure 2 also extends the mirror configuration of the module profile of the magnetic field along the transverse axis BB 'inside chambers 601 and 602.

The magnetic structure described above thus makes it possible to obtain, inside the chambers 601 and 602, an extended volume of hot plasma. The mirror configuration of the magnetic field is a so-called minimum-B configuration: the electrons of the plasma are confined in a magnetic well. The longer the minimum-B, less than or equal to the value of the Magnetic field of resonance, is large and extended, more the plasma volume will comprise fast electrons leading to a better dissociation of the injected molecules.

Thanks to the principle of electron cyclotron resonance, at the passage of the resonance zone, the electrons will acquire energy. They will then be able to dissociate the injected molecules, and then partially ionize the dissociation products. The electrons follow magnetic field lines thanks to Laplace's law; and, thanks to the electroneutrality of the plasma, these ions will follow the electrons on the magnetic field lines.

The microwaves injected into the plasma tend to propagate through the plasma to the resonance zone. Indeed, the transfer of energy from the microwave power injected into the electrons of the plasma occurs at a magnetic field location (B _rθS ) such that the electron cyclotron resonance condition is established, that is to say when there is equality between the pulsation of the high frequency wave ω _HF and the cyclotron pulsation of the electron: where q _θ is the charge of the electron (Cb); B _rθS is the magnetic field corresponding to the resonance (T); m _θ is the mass of the electron.

A microwave generator, not shown, is placed outside the chambers 601 and 602 of the device 600; this generator injects high frequency waves into the chambers 601 and 602 via the propagation means 15. The frequency range of the microwaves can range from GHz to about 100 GHz, the most common generator being the 2.45 GHz magnetron commonly used for domestic microwave ovens. For a frequency of 2.45 GHz, there is a resonance magnetic field B _rθS = 0.0875 T. However, for miniature devices (for embedded systems for example), it is also possible to use power transistors. Indeed, there are now field effect transistors capable of delivering about 60 W at 14.5 GHz. Advantageously, the input window of the high frequency waves is placed in a zone of strong magnetic field, for example at the first maxima (B _max ) of the profiles 630 of the magnetic field module, so that the volume of plasma diffuses in the direction of the chambers 601 and 602 and not to the entrance window, so as to avoid any bombardment of this window by the plasma, thus ensuring a long service life. It is also possible to use so-called "overdense" plasmas where the plasma frequency is greater than the microwave frequency. The use of "over-dense" plasmas makes it possible advantageously to increase the electronic density and therefore to increase the efficiency of the system.

Thanks to the magnetic structure and the magnetic configuration at B-minimum plane along the longitudinal axis AA ', the chambers 601 and 602 have a plasma volume extending over a large part inside each chamber, with a high density at the outlet of the jet of molecules to dissociate and with a pressure gradient along each chamber.

FIG. 3 illustrates, in plan view, an exemplary distribution of iso-values of the magnetic field module present in the plasma chambers 601 and 602 of the device 600 according to the invention.

FIG. 3 makes it possible to visualize more clearly the distribution of the value of the magnetic field inside the plasma chambers and in particular inside the chamber 602 according to the section plane yz.

The chamber 602 is surrounded, in a manner similar to the preceding description, by a magnetic structure comprising bars of permanent magnets 614, 615, 616, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621 all having the same direction of magnetization.

The arrangement and the particular dimension of the magnet bars 614,

615, 616, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621 of the magnetic structure can produce inside the chamber 602 a magnetic field whose module has a mirror configuration along the axis AA 'and the value of the module is extended over a large part of the width of the chamber 602, along the y axis.

Thus the magnetic field within the chamber 602 has a minimum value (B _min ) equal to or very slightly less than the value of the very large resonance magnetic field (B _rθS ) in the central part of the chamber 602.

FIG. 3 particularly illustrates the extent of the minimum value (B _min ) close to the value of the resonance magnetic field by the iso-value curve 51, the iso-value 51 also indicating the extent of the Plasma present in the chamber 602. Of course, the plasma ply comprises a third dimension corresponding to the height of the chamber 602 along the x axis.

Figure 3 also illustrates iso-values curves 52 and 53 substantially corresponding to the near magnetic field of the module values of the maximum (B _max) and whose values are 0.2T and 0.3T, respectively.

Thus, for any axis parallel to the axis AA 'and whatever the position along the y axis, the magnetic field module inside the chamber 602 has a mirror configuration profile comprising a minimum-B flat non punctual extended along the chamber 602 and located between two maxima (B _max ). FIG. 4 particularly illustrates the distribution of the profile of the module of the axial magnetic field in a plasma chamber at different height of the device 600.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of representation of the bars of permanent magnets previously described in FIGS. 2 and 3.

According to the particular embodiment of the device according to the invention described above, the magnet bars 610, 61 1, 612, 613, 614, 615, 616, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621 surrounding the chambers 602, 601 are formed by two types of magnets 60 and 70 of rectangular shape. Thus the magnet bars 610, 613, 614, 617, 618, 621 illustrated in FIG. 1 are formed by the rectangular magnet frame 60 and the magnet bars 61 1, 612, 615, 616, 619, 620 illustrated in Figure 1 are formed by the rectangular magnet frame 70.

Thus, for a frequency of 2.45 GHz, the magnet frame 60 to typically, according to the xy plane, a rectangular section of 15.8 cm wide along the y axis and 26 cm long along the x axis and is hollowed out in its center by a rectangular section of 6cm wide and 16cm long (it is an example of realization but there can of course be other combinations at a given frequency).

For the frequency of 2.45 GHz, the magnet frame 70 to typically, according to the xy plane, a rectangular section of 15.8 cm wide along the y axis, and 26 cm long along x and is hollowed at its center by a rectangular section of 9cm wide and 19cm long (this is an example of realization but there can of course be other combinations at a given frequency). The height along the z axis is, in turn, defined by the skilled person according to the available space and its needs. It can go, indeed from a few centimeters to several meters.

Thus FIG. 5 particularly illustrates permanent magnet dimensions making it possible to substantially obtain a plasma volume of a few cm ³ at a frequency of 2.45 GHz.

However, the dimensions of these magnets 60, 70 are not limiting, it is also possible to use magnets bars with dimensions ranging from a few tens of centimeters to a few meters if one wishes to obtain a production of products of greater dissociation, such as higher hydrogen production.

FIG. 6 is a simplified representation of a hydrogen production device 100 comprising a device for generating electron cyclotron resonance plasmas, according to the invention, described and illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5. The device 100 for producing hydrogen comprises, unless otherwise stated, all the characteristics of a device 600 for generating plasmas described above.

For this purpose, the device 100 comprises: - a first sealed chamber 1 of parallelepipedal shape, under vacuum (called indifferently pregnant later);

a second sealed chamber 2, of parallelepipedal shape, under vacuum;

- twelve bars of permanent magnets 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 1, 12, 13, 14, including eight bars of magnets 3, 4, 5, 6, 1 1, 12 , 13, 14 are placed outside the space formed by the chambers 1 and 2 and of which four bars of magnets 7, 8, 9, 10 are placed between the first chamber 1 and the second chamber 2, the bars typically having a height of between a few centimeters and a meter, see more if needed; the magnets 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14 are preferably identical and form the magnetic mirror fields and the magnets 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13 are identical and form the resonance zones;

means for propagation of high-frequency waves 15 of microwave type low frequencies or substantially equal to 2.45 GHz, formed by a waveguide or a coaxial cable equipped with a high frequency window sealed inside rooms 1 and 2;

- Water vapor injection means 18 in each chamber 1, 2 composed of a chamber containing water vapor, each chamber being connected to a sealed chamber 1, 2 by a nozzle so as to create a supersonic jet of water vapor. The jets of water vapor are shaped with debarkers consisting of pipes in which circulates a liquid whose temperature is around 5 ° C. The water vapor that comes in contact with the bark is immediately condensed and flows along the bark. The steam jets are thus limited in radial dimension and are oriented along the longitudinal axis AA 'of the device 100; cryogenic condensers 1 6 for trapping non-dissociated water vapor so as to have a high directivity of the steam jet;

pumps 17 for recycling non-dissociated water in the vapor or liquid phase;

a system for separating the hydrogen-oxygen dissociated products formed by a plurality of membranes or cryogenic entrapping of oxygen.

According to a first exemplary embodiment of such a device for producing hydrogen, the hydrogen-oxygen separation system 20 is a cryogenic separation system of the dissociation products, formed by:

a first cryogenic condenser 21 for trapping the oxygen forming the outer lateral wall of the first chamber 1 and the second chamber 2;

a second cryogenic condenser 22 for trapping the oxygen forming the internal lateral wall of the first chamber 1 and the second chamber 2;

cryogenic condensers 23 for trapping oxygen located perpendicular to the axis AA 'of the device 100;

- A pump 24 for the recovery of hydrogen in gaseous form.

The chambers 1 and 2 of the device 100 are evacuated, the vacuum being carried out by means of pumping ad hoc. In order to have the least impurity in the chambers 1 and 2, a residual vacuum of at least 10 ^-4 mbar is required During operation of the device 100, the working pressure in the chambers 1 and 2 is typically less than or equal to at 5.10 ^"3 mbar, this pressure being related to the partial pressure of water vapor injected into the chambers 1 and 2. The magnetic structure is formed in particular by the eight bars of permanent magnets 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 1, 12, 13, 14 having the same meaning of magnetization, the eight magnet bars 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 1, 12, 13, 14 surrounding the first chamber 1.

The orientation of the permanent magnets 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 1, 12, 13, 14 is such that the magnets produce inside the chamber 1 an axial magnetic field whose configuration of the module corresponds to a configuration of magnetic mirror type whose profile 30a has at least two maxima (B _max ) at abscissa located respectively in the injection and extraction zones and a minimum (B _min ) non-point extended at least partially, and preferably on a large scale part along chamber 1, along the longitudinal axis AA ', and situated between the two maxima

(B max) -

The magnetic structure is also formed by four bars of permanent magnets 3, 4, 5, 6 having the same direction of magnetization which combined with the magnet bars 7, 8, 9, 10 surround the second chamber 2 so as to produce inside the chamber 2 a second axial magnetic field whose configuration of the module corresponds to a magnetic mirror type configuration whose profile 30b has at least two maxima (B _max ) at abscissa located respectively in the injection zones and extraction and a minimum (B _min ) non-point extended at least partially along the chamber 1, along the longitudinal axis AA ', and located between the two maxima (B _max ).

The magnet bars 7, 8, 9, 10 of the magnetic structure are common to both chambers 1 and 2 and are sized to produce an equivalent magnetic field both inside the chamber 1 and inside the chamber 1. the chamber 2. The magnetic fields then have the same profile 30 inside the chambers 1 and 2; the magnetic profile referenced 30 being equivalent to the profiles 30a and 30b shown in Figure 2, it will speak later only profile 30 for each of the chambers.

The magnet bars 7, 8, 9, 10 are placed under vacuum in housings, made of nonmagnetic metallic material, welded and vacuum-tight, thus making it possible to overcome the problems associated with the degassing of the magnets. The maxima (B _max ) of the profiles 30 have a value greater than the value of the resonance magnetic field (B _rθS ) for which the electron cyclotron resonance is obtained. The minimum (B _mi n) is a so-called flat field minimum, whose value is equal to, or slightly less than, the value for which electronic cyclotron resonance is obtained, and extended over a large length of the device 100.

Preferably, the maximum values (B _max ) of the magnetic field are quite high, of the order of 0.15 T to 0.3 T, so as to limit the axial leakage of the plasma. The value of the minimum (B _min ) is a value equal to or less than the value of the resonance magnetic field (B _rθS ) of the order of 90% of (B _rθS ), that is to say approximately 0.08T for a frequency of 2.45GHz. This value of the magnetic field equal to or slightly less than the electron cyclotron resonance is extended over a large part of the length of the device along the longitudinal axis AA ', of the order of 25 cm. Thus, the electrons will be able to acquire a large amount of energy in order to effectively dissociate the water molecules over the entire length of the device 100.

The magnetic structure as shown in FIG. 3 also makes it possible to extend the mirror configuration of the module profile of the magnetic field along the transverse axis BB 'inside the chambers 1 and 2.

The magnetic structure described above thus makes it possible to obtain, inside the chambers 1 and 2, an extended volume of hot plasma.

The mirror configuration of the magnetic field is a so-called minimum-B configuration: the electrons of the plasma are confined in a magnetic well. The shorter the length of the minimum-B than the value of the resonance magnetic field, the larger the plasma volume will have fast electrons leading to better dissociation of the water vapor into oxygen and hydrogen.

In the hydrogen production device 100, the steam injection means 18, chambers 1 and 2, are preferably placed near the microwave propagation means 15.

(However, you can also choose another location for reasons convenience). The water is introduced into the chambers 1, 2 in the form of a supersonic vapor jet in order to obtain a high directivity of water vapor in order to direct the water vapor directly into the hot plasma volume. to the resonance zone of chambers 1 and 2. This jet comes from a nozzle itself serving as an orifice to an enclosure where the water vapor is located. Debarbers are placed at the outlet of the nozzle to define the angular opening of the jet. These debarkers are constituted by pipes in which circulates a liquid whose temperature approaches 5 ° C (a lower temperature would lead to a solidification of the water on the debarkers). The water vapor that comes in contact with the bark is immediately condensed and flows along the bark.

In order to further improve this directivity by reducing the size of the jet of vapor, the cryogenic condensers 16, formed for example by cryogenic rings, are placed at the first maxima (B _max ) of the magnetic fields, whose profiles 30 , 30a, 30b show the modules of the magnetic fields along the chambers. The cryogenic condensers 16, whose temperature is around 200 K, are used as diaphragms for the purpose of trapping by cryocondensation the water vapor located in the outer part of the jet of steam. The condensers 16 also avoid non-dissociated water saturation of the main cryogenic condensers 21 and 22 necessary for the dissociation of the ionized elements. When the cryogenic condensers 16 are saturated with water, a device, not shown, makes it possible to isolate the condensers 16 in order to regenerate them. For this, the device heats the cold walls of the condensers 16 to recover water cold walls in liquid or gaseous form to be reinjected into the device 100 by the pumps 17 recycling.

The cryogenic condensers 16 can be replaced indifferently by liquid condensers comprising a vertical pipe in which a pressure gradient is established (from 10 ^"3 mbar to 10 ² mbar or 1 bar) .Thus, the water, which goes from the form vapor in the liquid form, flows along the vertical pipe by gravity and is advantageously recycled via the recycling pump 17. However, if the recycle tubing is short, the pressure gradient in the tubing may remain low and the water may be fed back into the device 100 directly in the vapor phase.

Thanks to the magnetic structure and the magnetic configuration at minimum-B flat along the longitudinal axis AA ', the chambers 1 and 2 have a plasma volume extending over a large part inside each chamber, with a high density at the outlet of the steam jet and a pressure gradient along each chamber.

The device 100 does not provide for radial confinement of the plasma due to the radial inhomogeneity of the magnetic field. In this case, the ionized particles forming the plasma tend to undergo a radial drift, according to a phenomenon known in plasma physics.

Cryogenic condensers 21, 22, 23 are cold-walled condensers, called cryo-panels or cryogenic panels. The condenser 21 is advantageously placed on the inner walls of the outer surface of the chambers 1 and 2 and the condenser 22 is advantageously placed on the inner walls of the inner surface of the two chambers so as to condense the desired ionized particles. The cold walls of the condensers 21 and 22 have a temperature of around 20-30K, for example, in order to condense all the elements present in the plasma chambers except the hydrogen which remains in gaseous form at this temperature under the working pressure of 0, 1 Pa.

In fact, according to the phase diagrams illustrated in FIG. 1, at the operating pressure of the chambers 1 and 2, that is to say at least 5.10 ^"3 mbar, and at a temperature of between 6K and 4OK (preferentially between 5K and 30K), it is possible to cryocondense oxygen while keeping the hydrogen in gaseous form.

Thus, by using one or more cryogenic condensers 21, 22 forming the walls of the plasma chambers, cooled to a temperature such that the two elements, hydrogen and oxygen, constituting the plasma are in different phases (hydrogen gas and solid oxygen) , one can trap the oxygen in solid form without trapping the hydrogen that will be recover by other means. The condenser temperature depends on partial hydrogen pressures from the initial density of the plasma which is itself a function of the microwave frequency injected. Oxygen being trapped, hydrogen recovery means such as a conventional pump (vane or turbomolecular pump for example) for pumping hydrogen are then used. It is also possible to advantageously use the fact that the ionized particles follow, by electroneutrality of the plasma, the electrons which are guided by the magnetic field lines.

Indeed, if the cryogenic oxygen condensers 21, 22, 23 are placed in the magnetic field lines, it is then advantageous to place the cryogenic condensers of hydrogen outside the magnetic field lines.

It will be noted that the various components resulting from the dissociation of water are essentially; H ₂ , O ₂ , OH, H, O, O ⁺ , H ⁺ , H ₂ ⁺ , O ₂ ⁺ , OH ^" All the ionized elements neutralize each other before touching a wall (ie a cold wall of a cryovial panel is another wall), while the neutral elements recombine to give stable elements: H ₂ , O ₂ , H ₂ O.

The cryogenic condensers 23 are advantageously placed in the axis of the steam jets outside the plasma volumes before the pumping system 24 of the hydrogen, so as to condense the ionized particles of oxygen and the non-aqueous vapor. dissociated. The oxygen, resulting from the dissociation of the water, being trapped over the entire length of the device 100, it is then sufficient to pump the hydrogen axially to the other end of the device 100 and to send it to a compressor (no represent). High frequency (HF) roasting is placed in front of the cryopannels 21, 22 so as to protect the cryopannels and to prevent them from being heated by the microwaves, the mesh of the RF grid being determined according to the wavelength of the microwaves. .

It will be noted that, according to the grid shown in FIG. 6, a tile on the abscissa corresponds substantially to one centimeter. The dimensions of each magnet have been calculated so as to obtain, in the plasma chamber, a long and wide resonance zone, where the electrons take enough energy to dissociate the water molecules and at least partially ionize the dissociation products.

The best dissociation rate of the water being obtained for pressures lower than 5.10 ^"3 mbar, this value is considered as a maximum pressure in the enclosures 1 and 2, especially since the electrons would no longer be magnetically guided if the one increases the pressure beyond 5.10 ^"3 mbar.

It is also possible to use a multi-frequency microwave injection source whose bandwidth of each frequency forms a broad frequency band leading to the formation of a large resonance zone; the width of the resonance zone substantially corresponding to the bandwidth of the microwave source.

Figure 7 is a variant of the device shown in Figure 6 (the means in common between the devices 100 and 200 have the same reference numbers and perform the same functions). The device 200 according to this second embodiment differs from the device 100 of FIG. 6 in that it comprises four plasma chambers 1 10, 1 1 1, 1 12, 1 13,

114 each having a volume of plasma; each of the rooms 1 10,

11 1, 1 12, 1 13, 1 14 having the same characteristics detailed above with reference to FIG. 6.

In this variant of the device, the magnetic structure is formed in particular by twenty bars of permanent magnets referenced from 121 to

140 having the same sense of magnetization.

The magnet bars 121 to 140 are arranged so that each chamber 1 10, 1 1 1, 1 12, 1 13, 1 14 is surrounded by eight bars of permanent magnets, including the twelve bars of magnets 125 to 136 are commonly used in two chambers to produce a magnetic field in each of the chambers they surround. The bars of magnets 125 to

136 are placed under vacuum in housings nonmagnetic metal material welded and vacuum-tight thus eliminating the problems related to degassing magnets. The orientation of the permanent magnets 121 to 140 is such that the magnets produce inside the chambers 1 10, 1 1 1, 1 12, 1 13, 1 14 an axial magnetic field whose configuration of the module corresponds to a configuration of magnetic mirror type whose profiles have at least two maxima (B _max ) at abscissa located respectively in the injection and extraction zones and a minimum (B _mi n) non-point extended at least partially, and preferably on a much along the chambers 1 10, 1 1 1, 1 12, 1 13, 1 14, along the Z axis corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the device; the minimum (B _min ) being situated between the two maxima (B _max ).

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the magnet bars 121, 124, 125, 128, 129, 132, 133, 136, 137 and 140 have the same dimensions, this feature is also applicable for the magnet bars 122 , 123, 126, 127, 130, 131, 134, 135, 138 and 139. It will be noted that the device 200 comprises, in each chamber 1 10,

1 1 1, 1 12, 1 13, 1 14, means for injecting water vapor 18 and means for propagation of high frequency waves 15, microwave type.

In this second embodiment, the hydrogen / oxygen separation system is formed by: cryogenic condensers 221 for trapping oxygen, forming the outer side walls of each chamber 1 10, 1 1 1, 1 12, 1 13, 1 14; cryogenic condensers 23 for trapping oxygen located perpendicularly to the axis AA 'of the device 200; - A pump 24 for the recovery of hydrogen in gaseous form.

In contrast, the device 200 according to the invention comprises only a pump 24 common to all the chambers 1 10, 1 1 1, 1 12, 1 13, 1 14 for the recovery of hydrogen in gaseous form. FIG. 8 is a variant of the devices 100, 200 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The device 300 according to this third embodiment differs from the device 100 of FIG. 6 and from the device 200 of FIG. it comprises five plasma chambers 301, 302, 303, 304, 305 each comprising, in particular, a volume of plasma. Each of the chambers has the same structural characteristics detailed previously with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 8 more particularly illustrates a simplified and compact embodiment of the magnetic structure 400 of a device 300 according to the invention.

In this embodiment, the magnetic structure 400 is formed of three blocks of permanent magnets 310, 320, 330 aligned along the axis z corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the plasma chambers 301, 302, 303, 304, 305.

The two blocks of magnets 310 and 320, located at the ends of the device 300, are blocks of magnets said "closed" while the central magnet block 330 is said to "open" because it has openings in the upper part and in the lower part in order to facilitate the insertion of the cryocouples of oxygen trapping as defined with reference to Figure 6 or any other element necessary for the proper operation of the device. In this embodiment, the magnet blocks 310 and 320 are solid blocks typically having a length of 580 cm (following x), a width of 660 cm (following y) and a depth of 50 cm (following z). They also comprise five recesses each corresponding to one of the plasma chambers 301, 302, 303, 304, 305. These recesses are typically 320 cm long (depending on x) and 70 cm wide (following y).

The magnet blocks 310 and 320 typically represent a part of the magnetic structure 400 of the device 300 for surrounding each chamber 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, the magnet blocks 310 and 320 representing the magnet bars of each chamber located at the maximum B _max of the magnetic field module profiles present in each chamber 301, 302, 303, 304, 305. The central magnet block 330 typically has a length of 600cm

(following x), a width of 644cm (following y) and a depth of 240cm (following z). The magnet block 330 also has five recesses each corresponding to one of the chambers 301, 302, 303, 304, 305. These recesses typically have a width of 104 cm or 98 cm (depending on y) and a length of 600 cm (depending on x) which allows to have a block magnet 330 with openings in the upper part and lower part to facilitate the extraction of oxygen trapped by the cryo-panels.

Advantageously, the dimensions, along the y axis, of the chambers 301, 302, 303, 304, 305 are different and alternating so as to produce magnetic fields leading to the production of a large electron cyclotron resonance volume. The central magnet block 330 typically represents a portion of the magnetic structure of the device 300 for surrounding each chamber 301, 302, 303, 304, 305 by magnet bars, the magnet bars being located at the minimum (B _min ) of the magnetic field module profiles present in each chamber. In addition, the central magnet block 330 reduces the number of magnet bars surrounding each plasma chamber by providing a single magnetic structure to replace the plurality of separate magnet bars, as shown with reference to FIG. This unique structure also makes it possible to guarantee a value of the magnetic field module close to the value of the extended resonance magnetic field over a large length of each plasma chamber.

Figure 9 is a variant of the hydrogen production device illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8 (the means in common between the devices 100, 200 and 300 have the same reference numbers and perform the same functions).

The device 400, according to this fourth embodiment, differs from the device 100 of FIG. 6 in that it comprises a hydrogen-oxygen separation system 420 formed by:

a first hydrogen-permeable membrane 421 forming the outer lateral walls of the first chamber 401, making it possible to trap the oxygen inside the chamber 401 and to recover hydrogen in an enclosure on the periphery of the first chamber 401;

a second hydrogen-permeable membrane 422 forming the outer lateral walls of the first chamber 402 making it possible to trap the oxygen inside the chamber 402 and to recover the hydrogen in an enclosure on the periphery of the first room 401;

pumps 424 making it possible to recover the hydrogen in gaseous form in the enclosures at the periphery of the chambers 401, 402;

pumps 425 for recovering the oxygen in gaseous form in the chambers 401, 402.

The permeable separation membranes 421, 422 can be indifferently formed by a metal membrane (such as a palladium membrane), an oxygen-absorbing chemical membrane, or a paramagnetic oxygen-trapping magnetic membrane.

FIG. 10 is a simplified representation of a surface treatment device 500 comprising a device for generating electron cyclotron resonance plasmas, according to the invention, described and illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5.

The surface treatment device 500 comprises, unless otherwise indicated, all the characteristics of a device 600 for generating plasmas, described above.

The device 500 comprises a plurality of chambers, two chambers of which are represented by the references 501 and 502.

The two chambers 501, 502 communicate, at their opposite end to the injection means 18, by means of an enclosure 521 in which a substrate moves to receive the different products of dissociation chambers, the nature of the products of dissociation depending on the nature of the plasmas generated in each chamber.

By way of example, the device 500 can be used for a hardening application of an aluminum substrate by implantation of nitrogen ion into area. For this, the device 500 has, for example, seven chambers each comprising a plasma for providing different nitrogen ions. The aluminum substrate moving in front of each chamber will initially receive N ⁺ ions at the passage of the first plasma, then N ²⁺ ions at the passage of the second plasma, up to N ⁷⁺ ions at the passage of the seventh plasma. . As the whole is brought to a fixed high voltage, the energy of the ions is then proportional to the charge of the ion and different penetration depths of the nitrogen atoms in the aluminum will be obtained. Thus, the device 500 is a compact device that may comprise adjacent plasmas of the same nature or of different natures for the surface treatment of a sample.

The sample to be treated passes successively in front of the various plasmas passing, for example, from argon etching then to catalyst deposition to finish with the implantation of the desired element (carbon for example).

For example, in an application intended for the growth of carbon nanotubes, the substrate passes successively in front of four plasmas to undergo the different phases of production of carbon nanotubes: etching, silicon deposition, catalyst deposition, growth of nanotubes.

Thus, the invention proposes a device for generating plasmas with compact electron cyclotron resonance with several plasmas, the plasmas being able to be identical, for example a production of hydrogen with large volume, or different for, for example, surface treatment.

The invention has been mainly described for an application allowing the extraction of hydrogen, in gaseous form, located at the end of the chambers and pumping the hydrogen axially; however, it is also possible to equip the device, in the case of a hydrogen production application, with a hydrogen extraction means pumping hydrogen from the chamber radially at the end. from each room. Indeed, in the case of using a mirror configuration simple magnetic, as shown in Figures 2 to 6, there may be a large particle flow in the axis of the machine, the particle flow is even lower when B _max is large. Radical pumping of the hydrogen makes it possible to obtain 100% pure hydrogen. The invention has been mainly described, in the embodiments illustrated with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, with a hydrogen extraction at the end of the chambers, carried out by suction of the hydrogen in gaseous form by means of 'a pump. It is also possible, according to the invention, to introduce into each chamber, at the level of the hydrogen extraction zone and outside the magnetic field lines, cold-wall cryogenic condensers for trapping hydrogen, such as cryo-panels, solid or perforated, and whose wall temperature is less than 5K. Thus, hydrogen and oxygen are attached to independent cold walls that will simply be heated independently of each other to separately recover hydrogen and oxygen either in liquid form or in gaseous form.

The invention has been mainly described with a plurality of microwave generators injecting high frequency waves via a plurality of propagation means in each plasma chamber; however, it is also possible, according to the invention to use a single microwave generator for the entire device comprising a plurality of plasma chambers using a multi-guide high frequency injection device with possibly high horns frequencies.

The invention has been mainly described with a plurality of means for injecting water vapors; however, it is also possible, according to the invention, to have a single means for injecting water vapor with a main inlet in the device and a steam distribution system to each chamber and each volume of plasma.

The invention has been mainly described with a magnetic configuration comprising a minimum-B substantially equal to or less than the value corresponding to the magnetic resonance field whose value of the minimum-B is a constant value over a certain length of the chamber of the device corresponding to the distance between the two maxima (B _max ); however, in another embodiment of the invention, the minimum-B of the magnetic configuration may oscillate around a minimum value, while remaining very close to this minimum value over a large distance from the chamber of the device corresponding to the distance between the two maxima (B _max ).

Finally, the invention has been mainly described with an axial magnetic field; however, it is also possible to add a radial component to the axial magnetic field, for the dissociation for example of other elements requiring the use of a radial magnetic field and / or to prevent radial leakage of plasmas due to drift particles and to ensure a better confinement of plasmas. Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments that have just been described. Thus, if it is desired to treat a larger quantity of molecules to dissociate, it is possible to increase the dimensions of the apparatus while ensuring that there are resonance zones in each plasma chamber. Thus, it will be possible to increase the length, or the volume, of the minimum-B equal to, or slightly less than, the resonance according to the needs up to several meters or several m ³ . Note that the lower the volume of the minimum-B, the more effective the device according to the invention.

Although the invention has been more particularly described for low frequency microwave frequencies of the order of 2.45 GHz, it is of course possible to use higher microwave frequencies, as well as two microwave injections with neighboring frequencies so as to obtain a value of minimum-B between the two resonance values, as well as several injections of microwaves whose bandwidth of each (a few MHz) leads to a very wide frequency bandwidth and therefore to a more resonant zone large. Other advantages of the invention include the following:

- no CO2 emission; no electrode use, ohmic heating or high temperatures.

Claims

Device (600) for generating plasmas with electron cyclotron resonance characterized in that it comprises:

at least two sealed chambers (601, 602) adjacent under vacuum intended to contain plasmas,

means (15) for injecting a high-frequency wave inside said at least two sealed chambers; a magnetic structure for generating a magnetic field in said at least two adjacent chambers (601, 602) comprising a plurality of parallelepiped permanent magnets (610, 61 1, 612, 613, 614, 615, 61 6, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621) and generating at least two plasmas along the magnetic field lines, said module of said field magnetic sensor having a magnetic mirror configuration with at least one plasma electron cyclotron resonance zone, said magnetic structure comprising at least one permanent magnet (614, 615, 61 6, 617) contributing to the formation of a plasma in each of said minus two chambers, so that said at least two chambers share the same at least one permanent magnet (614, 615, 616, 617) at their common wall, said magnetic mirror configuration is such that the said magnetic field has a non-point minimum, substantially constant and substantially equal to the magnetic field corresponding to the electron cyclotron resonance, extended at least partially along a first longitudinal axis (AA ') of said at least two chambers (601, 602 ) and at least partially along a second perpendicular axis (BB ') to said first longitudinal axis (AA') and parallel to the surface of said permanent magnets (610, 61 1, 612, 613,

614, 615, 616, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621), so that said at least two chambers have a plasma volume at the electron cyclotron resonance.

2. Device (600) for generating electron cyclotron resonance plasmas according to claim 1 characterized in that said plurality of permanent magnets (610, 61 1, 612, 613, 614, 615, 61 6, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621) form an open magnetic structure.

3. Device (600) for generating electron cyclotron resonance plasmas according to one of claims 1 to 2 characterized in that said permanent magnets (610, 61 1, 612, 613, 614, 615, 61 6, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621) have the same direction of magnetization and / or are of different sizes.

4. Device (600) for generating electron cyclotron resonance plasmas according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that said plurality of permanent magnets (610, 61 1, 612, 613, 614, 615, 61 6 , 617, 618, 619, 620, 621) comprises at least two magnets (610, 613, 614, 617, 618, 621) delimiting the ends of each chamber (601, 602) and generating a mirror magnetic field, said at least two magnets (610, 613, 614, 617, 618, 621) being located on either side of at least one magnet (61 1, 612, 615, 61 6, 619, 620) generating a resonance zone.

5. Device (600) for generating plasmas with electron cyclotron resonance according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said at least two sealed chambers (601, 602) communicate at one of their ends.

6. Device (600) for generating electron cyclotron resonance plasmas according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that said means (15) for injecting a high-frequency wave are multi-waveguide injection means coupled to a single high-frequency generator.

7. Device (600) for generating plasmas with electronic cyclotron resonance according to one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that said means (15) for injecting a high-frequency wave are injection means to a waveguide comprising a horn for distributing the microwaves in said plurality of chambers (601, 602), said injection means (15) being coupled to a single high frequency generator.

8. Device (600) for generating plasmas electron cyclotron resonance according to one of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that it comprises means for injection of high-frequency multifrequency waves.

9. Device (100, 300, 400) for producing hydrogen with an electron cyclotron resonance plasma characterized in that it comprises:

- A plasma generating device according to one of claims 1 to 8;

means for injecting (18) water vapor into said at least two chambers (1, 2, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 401, 402), the electrons of said plasmas dissociating at least partially the molecules of water introduced in the vapor phase and at least partially ionizing the products of the dissociation, said steam injection means (18) injecting said vapor so that it is directed along said longitudinal axis of said at least two chambers (1, 2, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 401, 402);

means (21, 22, 23, 421, 422) for separating hydrogen and oxygen;

means for recovering (24, 424) the hydrogen resulting from the dissociation.

10. A device (100, 300, 400) for producing hydrogen according to claim 9 characterized in that it comprises means (1 6) for recovering non-dissociated water, said means (1 6) for recovering hydrogen. the non-dissociated water being formed by a condenser and / or substantially arranged along the axis (AA ') of injection of water vapor.

1 1. Device (100, 300, 400) for producing hydrogen according to one of claims 9 to 10, characterized in that it comprises at least one system (17) for reinjection of non-dissociated water in the vapor phase and resulting from said means for recovering (16) undissociated water.

12. Device (100, 300, 400) for producing hydrogen according to one of claims 9 to 1 1 characterized in that said means (24, 424) for recovering hydrogen from the dissociation comprise a pump serving pumping hydrogen in the gas phase and / or at least one cryogenic condenser to freeze the hydrogen.

13. Device (100, 300, 400) for producing hydrogen according to one of claims 9 to 12 characterized in that said steam injection means (18) inject said vapor in the form of a jet supersonic, said injection means (18) comprising a planar nozzle and a debarker, said debarker being intended to shape said jet of steam so that it is directed along the longitudinal axis (AA ') of said minus two chambers (1, 2, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 401, 402).

14. Device (100, 300) for producing hydrogen according to one of claims 9 to 13 characterized in that said means for separating hydrogen and oxygen are formed by at least one cryogenic condenser (21, 22, 23) selective to freeze the oxygen dissociation without freezing the hydrogen from the dissociation, said at least one selective cryogenic condenser (21, 22, 23) oxygen-freezing along said plasma volume generated in said at least two chambers (1, 2, 301 , 302, 303, 304, 305).

15. Device (100, 300) for producing hydrogen according to claim 14 characterized in that said at least one cryogenic condenser (21, 22) selective for freezing oxygen forms the inner wall of said chamber (1, 2, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305) and / or is located at said non-point magnetic field minimum.

16. Device (100, 300) for producing hydrogen according to one of claims 9 to 15 characterized in that it comprises a second cryogenic condenser (23) for freezing the oxygen from the dissociation placed at the end at least two chambers (1,

2, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305) between said magnetic mirror configuration and said hydrogen recovery means (24).

17. Device (400) for producing hydrogen according to one of claims 9 to 13 characterized in that said means for separating hydrogen and oxygen are formed by a permeable membrane (421, 422) with hydrogen said permeable membrane separating the hydrogen from the dissociation along said plasma volume generated in said at least two chambers (401, 402).

18. Device (500) for producing thin layers, characterized in that it comprises:

- A plasma generating device according to one of claims 1 to 8; means for injecting (508) a constituent of the plasma into said at least two chambers (501, 502), the electrons of said plasmas dissociating at least partially the molecules of said component introduced and at least partially ionizing the products of the dissociation, said injection means (508) injecting said constituent so that it is directed along said longitudinal axis of said at least two chambers (501, 502); said plasmas successively producing thin layers of product of the dissociation of said constituent so as to make a stack of thin layers on a substrate (510).

19. Device (500) according to claim 18 characterized in that it comprises a displacement system of said substrate (510) positioning said substrate (510) successively in front of each plasma.

20. Device (500) according to one of claims 18 to 19 characterized in that said component injected into each of said at least two chambers is of different nature so as to achieve a stack of thin layers of different natures on said substrate (510 ).

21. Implantation device characterized in that it comprises:

- A plasma generating device according to one of claims 1 to 8;

means for injecting a constituent of the plasma into said at least two chambers, the electrons of said plasmas dissociating the molecules of said constituent introduced and ionizing the products of the dissociation, said injection means injecting said constituent in such a way that it is directed along said longitudinal axis of said at least two chambers; a single high polarization voltage for extracting the ions produced by each plasma and implanting them in the material; said plasmas each having a different charge state distribution for successively implanting ions of the same kind and / or different charges.