Holey-plate plasma source using a partial-coaxial microwave cavity

High-density microwave plasma created and sustained by evanescent waves emitted from a holey plate has been studied. This source is called a holey-plate plasma source. Microwave power at 2.45 GHz is supplied from a coaxial cavity and then converted into an evanescent mode through the use of a holey plate. The plate is made from a 0.5 mm thick, 54 mm diam stainless steel sheet with 2.5 mm diam, 3.6 mm pitch holes, thus allowing high-density plasma to be generated near the surface of the plate. An evanescent electric field is produced from the cavity resonator to a plasma production chamber that is 54 mm in diameter. A detailed description of the plasma source and the plasma characteristics are presented in this article. The plasma density is 6.5 x 10(11) cm(-3) with an electron temperature of 3 eV at an argon gas pressure of 2 Pa. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(99)04103-9].