JP2004335479A5

JP2004335479A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2004335479A5
Application number: JP2004145027A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2004-05-14
Publication date: 2007-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2020-03-08

Claims

In the high PRF plasma gun (10, 10 ', 90)
Central electrode (12);
An outer electrode (14) substantially coaxial with the central electrode, wherein a coaxial column (16) is formed between the central electrode and the outer electrode, the column being closed and open with a base end; An outer electrode having an outlet end;
An inlet mechanism (70, 72, 74) for introducing the selected gas into the column;
A solid state high repetition rate pulse driver (32, 34, 36) operable to deliver a high voltage pulse across the central and outer electrodes during plasma start-up at the base of the column, wherein the plasma is A solid state high repetition rate pulse driver that extends from the base end of the column and exits from the exit end of the column;
Of the base end of the column (16), a plurality of trigger electrodes (82); and is connected to the plurality of trigger electrodes (82), selectively providing an RF signal to the plurality of trigger electrodes (82) A radio frequency (RF) signal source ( 112, 130), wherein each of the trigger electrodes is fed across the central and outer electrodes by the solid state high repetition rate pulse driver (32, 34, 36) An RF signal source adapted to undergo 3 or 4 oscillation cycles for high voltage pulses;
A plasma gun characterized by comprising:

The plasma gun of any preceding claim, wherein the RF signal source (112, 130) generates an RF signal at a frequency in the range of 10 MHz to 1000 MHz.

The plurality of trigger electrodes (82) comprises a plurality of trigger electrodes attached to the insulator (24) and substantially uniformly spaced around the column (16), wherein the plurality of trigger electrodes are 2. A plasma gun as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a high voltage field is produced at the surface of the insulator at the base end of the column.

The insulator (24) surrounds the center electrode at the base end of the center electrode, and the plurality of trigger electrodes (82) are attached to the insulator in the vicinity of the base end of the column. The plasma gun according to claim 3.

The insulator (24) forms the base of the column (16), and the plurality of trigger electrodes (82) are attached to the insulator from the side of the insulator (24) opposite to the column, 4. The insulator is spaced a short distance from the column and the biasing of the plurality of trigger electrodes (82) creates a high voltage field in the side of the insulator within the column. Plasma gun.

The plasma gun according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the central electrode (12) and the outer electrode (14) is formed of a sintered powder refractory metal.

The plasma gun is operable as a radiation source at a selected wavelength;
The at least one of the central electrode (12) and the outer electrode (14) is saturated with a fluid material suitable for generating radiation at the selected wavelength;
7. The plasma gun according to claim 6, wherein the fluid material is liquid lithium.

8. The plasma gun according to claim 7, wherein additional liquid lithium is provided so that liquid lithium can be supplied to at least one of the central electrode (12) and the outer electrode (14) during operation.

7. The plasma gun according to claim 6, wherein both the central electrode and the outer electrode are formed of the sintered powder refractory metal.

The solid state high repetition rate pulse driver (32, 34, 36) provides a high voltage spike (160), a duration signal (lower than the high voltage spike (160) and longer than the high voltage spike). The plasma gun of claim 1, wherein 162) follows the high voltage spike (160) and a majority of driver energy is provided by the sustain signal.

The solid state high repetition rate pulse driver has a first nonlinear magnetic compression circuit (166) for generating the high voltage spike (160) and a second nonlinear magnetic for generating the sustain signal (162). 11. A plasma gun according to claim 10, comprising a compression circuit (164).

The second nonlinear magnetic compression circuit (164) has at least two stages;
The last of the stages, the saturable reactor (168), causes the high voltage spike from the first nonlinear magnetic compression circuit (166) to enter the second nonlinear magnetic compression circuit (164). Normally biased to prevent,
The high voltage spike is applied to the reactor (168) to inhibit initial flow from the second nonlinear magnetic compression circuit (164) until the reactor (168) is saturated again to pass the sustained signal. The plasma gun according to claim 11, wherein the plasma gun is partially desaturated.

The plasma gun according to claim 1, further comprising a DC blocking capacitor (114) connected between the RF signal source (112, 130) and the plurality of trigger electrodes (82).

The RF signal source (112, 130) generates the RF signal at a frequency above a critical frequency;
The critical frequency is the frequency lower than this, electrons in the gas that is the selected, at each half cycle of the RF signal is wiped across the entire gap between the conductors of opposing the plurality of trigger electrodes The plasma gun according to claim 1, wherein the frequency is a frequency having such a time.

The solid state high repetition rate pulse driver (32, 34, 36) is a plasma gun according to claim 2, characterized in that for generating a high voltage pulse across the upper Symbol central electrode and the outer electrode.

The RF signal source (130) is
A resonant circuit (138) oscillating at a resonant frequency corresponding to the frequency of the RF signal generated by the RF signal source (130) when energy is transferred;
A large amount of energy is transferred from the energy source (32, 132) to the resonant circuit (138), thereby causing the resonant circuit (138) to oscillate at the resonant frequency to the energy source (32, 132). A switch (134) for selectively connecting a resonant circuit (138);
Output coupling circuit connected between the resonant circuit (138) and the plurality of trigger electrodes (82) to supply the oscillating signal from the resonant circuit (138) to said plurality of trigger electrodes (82) (140 An output coupling circuit (140) that couples only a small amount of energy transferred from the resonant circuit (138) to the plurality of trigger electrodes (82) for each oscillation cycle of the resonant circuit (138). )When;
The plasma gun according to claim 1, further comprising: