The Large Volume Microwave Plasma Generator (LMP™): A New Tool for Research and Industrial Processing^*

Abstract

The large volume microwave plasma generator (LMP™), a new technology for producing microwave plasmas is introduced. Microwave energy is coupled into the plasma by means of a slow wave structure, and plasma volumes well in excess of 1,000 cm3 can readily be achieved with 2.5 Kw of microwave power at 2.45 GHz. General operating characteristics, and some experimental data for the dissociation reaction of diatomic gases (oxygen and nitrogen) are presented. Some of the many promising applications are discussed.