US3180816A - Discharge chamber with current lead-in - Google Patents

Discharge chamber with current lead-in Download PDF

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Publication number
US3180816A
US3180816A US182792A US18279262A US3180816A US 3180816 A US3180816 A US 3180816A US 182792 A US182792 A US 182792A US 18279262 A US18279262 A US 18279262A US 3180816 A US3180816 A US 3180816A
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United States
Prior art keywords
insulator
potential
discharge chamber
discharge
junction
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Expired - Lifetime
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US182792A
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English (en)
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Rordorf Horst
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Individual
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Individual
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32009—Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources
    • H01J37/32018—Glow discharge
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J19/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
    • B01J19/08—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor
    • B01J19/087—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor employing electric or magnetic energy
    • B01J19/088—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor employing electric or magnetic energy giving rise to electric discharges
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32009—Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources
    • H01J37/32018—Glow discharge
    • H01J37/32027—DC powered
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
    • H01J37/32532—Electrodes
    • H01J37/32577—Electrical connecting means

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to devices for the performance of chemical, metallurgical or other technical processes under the action of electrical gas discharges, in particular glow discharges, comprising a discharge chamber and at least one current lead-in provided with an energized inner lead and an insulator designed to insulate the former.
  • the design of current lead-ins for discharge chambers entails difiiculties because the insulating material Within the discharge chamber at the junction points of the energized metal parts and the insulating bodies may be destroyed by electrical discharges with high discharge energy after a brief operating period, which may cause the corresponding insulating members to become useless and thus result in breakdowns.
  • the lead-in of a glowdischarge chamber to the electrode carrying the cathodic potential is covered by a glow seam extending as far as the insulator, the latter will be destroyed, where the intensity of the glow discharge is high, by the glow discharge at the junction point between the electrode lead-in and the insulator.
  • the gap width is so dimensioned, the number of electrons produced at the wall carrying the cathodic potential cannot increase so that no independent discharge will be set up within this protective gap. Provision of such protective gaps between the discharge space and the point of contact between metal and insulating material therefore enables the harmful action of electrical discharges on the insulating material to be avoided.
  • a device for the performance of technical processes under the action of an electrical gas discharge in particular a glow discharge, with a discharge chamber and at least one current lead-in pro- 'vided with an energized inner lead and an insulator designed to insulate the former, is provided with means enabling a zone of such low field intensity to be produced in the gas space between the junction points between metal and insulator subjected to the attack by discharges on the one hand and the discharge chamber on the other,
  • the means for providing a zone of low field intensity preferably consists of at least one additional electrode arranged in the gas space between an endangered junction point on the one hand and the metal parts adjoining the gas space carrying a potential opposed to that of the metal at the junction point and so designed that it will screen off the junction point against the potential opposed to that of the metal parts, the potential of the said additional electrode being so chosen that the field intensity between it and the metal at the junction point will not sufiice to start a glow discharge.
  • the additional electrode is prefer- .junction point.
  • the space between the cross-over of the Crookes dark space and the negative glow light, and the upper surface of the cathode is known as fall space thickness. In this region from the upper surface of the cathode to the cross-over place of the Crookes dark space and the negative glow light, the potential rises very rapidly.
  • the additional electrode is preferably designed as a metal jacket conductively connected to the part forming the metallic side of the junction point which it so closes relative to the discharge chamber that the gas space is connected with the discharge chamber only via the space between the metal jacket forming the additional electrode and the insulator.
  • FIG.'1 is a diagrammatic view of a discharge chamber according to the invention, designed for voltages of invariable polarity, in which the inner lead of the current lead-in is to be connected to the positive pole;
  • FIG. 2 is a further diagrammatic view of a discharge chamber according to this invention, with a current leadin for voltages of invariablepolarity in which the'inner lead is to be connected with the positive pole;
  • FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a discharge chamber according to this invention, with a current lead-in for voltages of invariable polarity in which the inner lead of the current lead-in is to be connected to the negative pole;
  • FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a discharge chamber according to this invention, with a current lead-in, which may be employed for voltages of both invariable and variable polarities, and
  • FIG. is a diagrammatic viewof a double-walled discharge chamber, with current lead-in, for voltages of invariable polarity in which the inner lead of the current lead-in is to be connected to the positive pole.
  • the discharge chamber 1 is connected as the cathode and the inner lead 2 of the current lead-in is connected to the anode 3 arranged at a small distance from the work 4 connected to the discharge chamber 1.
  • the insulator 5 enclosing the inner lead 2 is attached to the top member 6 of the cover 7 of the discharge chamber. The formation of a glow discharge at the junction point 8 between the top member 6 carrying cathodic potential and the insulator 5 must be prevented.
  • the cover 7 of the discharge chamber is so designed that, together with its top member 9, it forms an additional electrode which carries a cathodic potential as well and is arranged between the junction point 8 and the metal parts adjacent to the discharge space 10 carrying an anodic potential, i.e., between the portion of the inner lead 2 adjacent to the gas space and the anode 3 so as to screen off the junction point 8 against the transconductance of these metal parts which carry an anodic potential.
  • the cover portion 9 being provided with a bore through which the insulator 5 extends without touching the cover portion 9, destruction of the insulator at this point is impossible.
  • a further additional electrode 11 is inserted in the wall of the insulator 5, which also carries a cathodic potential .and prevents transconductance of the inner lead 2 via the insulator 5 into the gas space 12.
  • the gas space 12 is enclosed by metal parts carrying the same potential virtually on all sides so that the field intensity within the gas space 12 is almost equal to Zero, ensuring that no glow discharge can be set up Within this zone or at the junction point 8.
  • the discharge chamber it is advantageous to select a small distance between the Work and counter-electrode, i.e., in FIG. 1 between the work 4 and the anode 3, relative to the distance between the additional electrodes adjacent to the discharge chamber and metal parts carrying about the same potential on the one hand, and the metal parts adjacent tothe discharge chamber and carrying the opposite potential.
  • this also applies to all other embodiments of devices according to this invention and it is due to the fact that the glow discharge is desired to be set up mainly between the work and the counterelectrode.
  • FIG. 1 and all other figures represent only diagrammatic views of devices according to this invention and have for their object clearly to disclose the invention.
  • the drawings are not to scale and many non-essential details have been omitted.
  • FIG. 2 shows a device according to this invention which differs from that shown in FIG. 1 only by the fact that the additional electrode formed by the cover portion 9 in FIG. 1 is here formed by a cover member 13 projecting into the discharge chamber and that the insulator 14 and the inner lead 15 of the current lead-in are directly attached to the cover 16 of the discharge chamber.
  • the operation of the device according to FIG. 2 is the same as that shown in FIG. 1; in particular, both devices are designed for operation with invariable polarity, the inner lead requiring connection to the positive pole.
  • FIG. 3 shows a device according to this invention which .is also designed for operation with invariable polarity and in which the inner lead 17 is to be connected to the negative pole.
  • the junction point subjected to the attack by discharges is the point 18 between the inner lead 17 and the insulator 19.
  • the additional electrode 20 conductively connected to the inner lead 17 is therefore so designed that it encloses, together with the inner lead 17, the gas space 21 with metal parts carrying the same potential on virtually all sides so that the field intensity within the gas space 21 is almost equal to zero and no glow discharge can be formed within this zone and, accordingly, at the junction point 18.
  • the insulator 19 extends through a bore provided in the additional electrode 20 without contacting the said electrode, so destruction of the insulator 19 at this point is impossible.
  • FIG. 4 shows adevice according to this invention for connection to a voltage source having varying polarity.
  • this device may also be operated from a voltage source having invariable polarity; the latter may be selected at will.
  • the device according to FIG. 4 is approximately a combination of those according to FIGS. 2 and 3.
  • both junction points between metal and insulator, 22 and 23, are protected from the attack by electrical discharges by gas spaces 25 and 26 arranged in front of them which have a field intensity that may be disregarded.
  • This is a necessity only for varying polarities because both the inner lead and the discharge chamber at time carry a cathodic potential.
  • a point to be noted in connection with FIG. 4 is the advantageous arrangement of the additional electrode 27.
  • FIG. 5 shows a particular design of the device according to this invention.
  • the discharge chamber is here provided with double walls and the inner wall 28 is insulated from the outer wall 29 by means of insulators 30.
  • the inner wall 28 forms the additional electrode which encloses the insulator 31 and which is here also the cathode.
  • the inner lead 32 carrying an anodic potential and the insulator 31 are attached to the outer wall 29 of which the potential may be selected as desired.
  • applying an initial potential to the outer wall 29 relative to the inner wall 28 so that the potential difierence between the outer wall 29 and the anode 33 is smaller than the potential difference between the inner wall 28 and the anode 33 ensures that a glow discharge cannot enter the gap 34.
  • the insulators 30 may be replaced by conductive members.
  • the further additional electrode 35 inserted in the insulator 31 may be connected to either the outer or the inner wall.
  • the distance between the anode 33 and the work 36 should be relatively small in this case as well.
  • the inner lead of the current lead-in may, to perform chemical processes, be designed as a nozzle through which gas is continuously supplied to the interior of the discharge chamber.
  • the invention generally relates to protecting junction points between metal and insulators subjected to attack in discharge chambers against such attack by electrical discharges by arranging zones of low field intensity in front of them. 7
  • a device for carrying out processes by an electrical glow discharge in a gaseous atmosphere within a chamber and wherein two conductive parts are at difierent potentials with one of said parts comprising a current leadin extending through the other part with an insulator therebetween means for protecting said insulator against destruction by said glow discharge at the junction between said insulator and an adjacent conductive part, comprising: conductive wall means spaced from said junction, and having an edge extending toward and spaced from but closely adjacent said insulator, said wall means being arranged to substantially encompass a substantial body of said gas around said junction; and means for applying a potential to said wall means of the same order of mag nitude as that of said adjacent part whereby the field intensity in said body of gas is so low that no glow discharge can occur therein.
  • a device as defined in claim 1 including a further electrode embedded within the material of said insulator and surrounding said lead-in in the region of said body of gas; and means for applying to said further electrode a potential of the same order of magnitude as that of said adjacent part.
  • a device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for applying a potential to said wall means is arranged to charge said wall means to a potential differing from that of said adjacent part which is less than the potential difierence between said parts.
  • said wall means comprises the Walls of said chamber; said adjacent part comprising an outer enclosure spaced from said wall means.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Drying Of Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Gas-Filled Discharge Tubes (AREA)
  • Lasers (AREA)
US182792A 1961-03-30 1962-03-27 Discharge chamber with current lead-in Expired - Lifetime US3180816A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH380661A CH404010A (de) 1961-03-30 1961-03-30 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Durchführung technischer Prozesse unter Einwirkung einer elektrischen Glimmentladung

Publications (1)

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US3180816A true US3180816A (en) 1965-04-27

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US182792A Expired - Lifetime US3180816A (en) 1961-03-30 1962-03-27 Discharge chamber with current lead-in

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US (1) US3180816A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CH (1) CH404010A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE1294135B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB992666A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10392703B2 (en) * 2014-03-20 2019-08-27 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Plasma CVD apparatus

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE441562B (sv) * 1977-03-28 1985-10-14 Mitsubishi Electric Corp Anordning for uppvermning medelst glimurladdning

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB501500A (en) * 1937-08-15 1939-02-28 Bernhard Berghaus Improvements in and relating to the coating of articles by cathode disintegration
US2583898A (en) * 1948-06-21 1952-01-29 Lester H Smith Vapor phase electrochemical process
US2583899A (en) * 1950-11-29 1952-01-29 Lester H Smith Electrochemical process
US2837654A (en) * 1954-05-11 1958-06-03 Berghaus Elektrophysik Anst Process and apparatus for carrying out reactions by the action of electrical glow discharges
US2955998A (en) * 1953-02-17 1960-10-11 Berghaus Bernhard Process for carrying out technical operations in a glow discharge

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE967138C (de) * 1938-03-25 1957-10-10 Bernhard Berghaus Stromdurchfuehrung fuer Vakuum-Glueh- und Schmelzoefen
NL160988A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1950-05-08

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB501500A (en) * 1937-08-15 1939-02-28 Bernhard Berghaus Improvements in and relating to the coating of articles by cathode disintegration
US2583898A (en) * 1948-06-21 1952-01-29 Lester H Smith Vapor phase electrochemical process
US2583899A (en) * 1950-11-29 1952-01-29 Lester H Smith Electrochemical process
US2955998A (en) * 1953-02-17 1960-10-11 Berghaus Bernhard Process for carrying out technical operations in a glow discharge
US2837654A (en) * 1954-05-11 1958-06-03 Berghaus Elektrophysik Anst Process and apparatus for carrying out reactions by the action of electrical glow discharges

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10392703B2 (en) * 2014-03-20 2019-08-27 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Plasma CVD apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH404010A (de) 1965-12-15
GB992666A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1965-05-19
DE1294135B (de) 1969-04-30

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