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A
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| Active power |
Part of the power which emerges at ohmic resistors and is converted into heat there. Active power is also called power loss. |
| A/D |
Analog/Digital Interface |
| Anode |
The anode is the counter electrode to the cathode and emits electrons. Consequently anions (-) go to the anode (+) and cations (+) to the cathode. |
| Apparent power |
A form of electrical power which is composed of the product of the RMS value of voltage and current at any impedance. |
| Arc |
An arc is an electrical breakdown of a gas which produces an ongoing plasma discharge, resulting from a current flowing through normally nonconductive media such as air. |
| Arc-Management |
Fast acting sensors for precise detection of arcs and programmable response. |
| ArcManagement SensorLine |
The latest arc management system from HÜTTINGER. It is fast and precise in detecting and reacting to impending arcs. SensorLine is a standard component of HÜTTINGER's leading DC, MF and plasma power supplies |
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B
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| Bridgman-Stockbarger method |
In the Bridgman-Stockbarger method, also called vertical extraction, polycrystalline base material is inductively heated in a closed cup and then slowly cooled down. The cup (a graphite susceptor) provides the heat transfer. The crystal cools and hardens as the cup is withdrawn from the radiofrequency field. Alternatively, the same result can be obtained by reducing the generator output. |
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C
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| CAN |
CAN-Bus (Controller Area Network) is an industrial communication system FieldBus family. The asynchronous and serial bus system connects field devices (e.g. sensors) with control units via the coat-7-protocol. |
| CANopen/DeviceNet |
CANopen is a communication protocol and device profile specification for embedded systems used in automation.
DeviceNet is a communication protocol used in the automation industry to interconnect control devices for data exchange. |
| Cathode |
A cathode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a part of circuit. |
| Coax cable |
Is a two lead cable with the conductors arranged in concentric form (“co-axial”). The center conductor, consisting of a single or multi-stranded wire, is separated from the outer or return conductor by insulting or dielectric material. This arrangement reduces the electromagnetic field outside the cable. Commonly used as the connection between an RF source and an impedance matching device. |
| Coax transformer |
A special transformer which is built like a coax cable. The secondary winding encloses the primary winding of the transformer. A coax transformer can be used to reduce the HF voltage at the induction heating coil. |
| CO2 Laser |
CO2 laser CO2 lasers are stimulated gas lasers that are widely used for material processing, like cutting and welding. |
| Condenser |
Another term for capacitor. Can be connected in series or parallel with an inductor to build a resonance oscillating circuit for inductive heating. |
| CVD |
Chemical Vapor Deposition is a method of applying thin coatings on materials of different characateristics. Solid coating compounds are created from gaseous substances and deposited on the material (substrate) as crystalline or amorphous layers. |
| Czochralski method |
A method of crystal growth used to obtain single crystal semiconductors (e.g. silicon, germanium and gallium arsenide), metals (e.g. palladium, platinum, silver, gold), salts and some synthetic, (or “lab“) gemstones. |
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D ↑
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| DC |
English abbreviation for direct current |
| Doping |
Doping is the systematic introduction of impurities into a material, often only in small concentrations. Applications are mainly in the semiconductor field to adjust the electronic conductivity. |
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E ↑
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| Epitaxy |
Epitaxy is a method of growing single crystalline layers on single crystalline substrates of similar material, while maintaining the crystallographic structure. |
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F ↑
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| FPD |
Flat Panel Display |
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I ↑
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| Idle power |
Idle Power is a part of the apparent output which is needed for creating the electromagnetic field and constitutes no power loss. |
| Induction |
Current flow is created in a conductor by alternating magnetic field. |
| Inductive heating |
Induction heating is the process of heating a metal object by electromagnetic induction. All electro-conductive materials can be heated inductively. |
| Inductively coupled plasma |
Alternating current is fed through an inductor and induces electric current in the gas. This causes heating of the charge carrier that breaks down the gas into a plasma. The inductor need not be within the reaction chamber. |
| Inductor |
Used in inductive heating applications to generate the electromagnetic field in which the workpiece is located. An alternating current source is used to create the electromagnetic field. |
| Ion implantation |
The process of implanting high energy ions (keV to MeV) into the surface of a solid substrate. Commonly used in microelectronics for doping semiconductors and for surface treatment of metals to improve their mechanical properties. |
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L ↑
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| Low temperature plasma |
Low temperature plasmas are gasiform plasmas with electrical energy under 10 eV (respectively, 105 K) with electron density typically from 1014 to 1024 m-3. In general low temperature plasmas have a low degree of ionization at low densities. This means the number of ions and electrons is much lower than the number of neutral particles (molecules). The main feature of all relevant low temperature plasmas is that different particles inside the plasma, i.e. ions and electrons, can have different temperatures or energies. The result is that the gas stays relatively cold, like for example with fluorescent tubes, but it can store large energies. |
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M ↑
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| Magnetron Sputtering |
Method of sputtering (depositing) a material using a special cathode that is enhanced by a magnet. The magnetic field is used to confine the electrons in a plasma to a region close to the target surface, thereby improving the deposition sputter rate. |
| Matchbox |
Impedance matching device for use with high frequency power sources tuned for, typically, 50 Ohm output. |
| MF |
English abbreviation for Medium Frequency |
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O ↑
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| Oscillating circuit |
A circuit to create electrical oscillations. An ideal (loss-free) oscillating circuit only consists of an inductor and a capacitor. A real (lossy) oscillating circuit also contains ohmic resistance which attenuates the oscillations. Each real oscillating circuit is characterized by a resonance frequency and performance. The performance can be express as the ratio of idle power to active power. |
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P ↑
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| Plasma |
In physics, a plasma is an ionized gas consisting of positive, negative and neutral charged particles. Because of its unique properties, it is often referred to as the “fourth state of matter”. Plasma is created when a gas is heated to the point where electrons are stripped off the atoms during collisions. Although plasmas are electrically neutral, the mobile ions and electrons allow the plasma to be conductive. This permits it to be influenced by electric and magnetic fields. |
| Plasma activation |
Activating a surface under exposure to a plasma, for example by removing passivation layers (oxide films …), preparing the surface for other processes, e.g. applying layers, finishes and so on. |
| Plasma excitation |
When a solid material is heated, it becomes a liquid and then a gas. With more heat, the thermal kinetic energy of the gas particles becomes so high that electrons are released from the atoms or molecules during collision (ionization) and plasma is created. |
| Plasma coating |
Ions are used to bombard a target surface that releases particles of the target that are subsequently deposited on a substrate. Plasmas can be used to support or enhance many vacuum coating processes (e.g. PVD, CVD). Plasma spraying methods are also a plasma coating process. Plasma can also be used to bombard the coating itself in order to improve the film’s characteristics (e.g. adhesion). Most modern PVD and CVD processes are plasma based. |
| Plasma CVD |
Chemical vapor deposition process in which the chemical reaction is activated by a plasma. Because of coupling energy out of the plasma, the chemical reaction becomes possible at considerably lower temperatures. Used in tool coating and microelectronics (e.g. Si nitride). |
| Plasma polymerization |
Organic or inorganic polymers are stimluated from a monomer vapor under exposure to a plasma (or ultraviolet light ). Applications are, for example, protective coatings for optical components (lenses, mirrors, reflectors) or for producing diaphragms. |
| Plasma source |
Plasmas can be activated using electrical discharges from a broad spectrum of sources, from direct current, alternating current and radio frequency to microwave energy. Increasing the excitation frequency makes it possible to realize higher ion densities. Pulsed and other temporarily changeable power make it possible to deliver high energies into the plasma. |
| Plasma etching |
Method for removing material. Ions created by plasma excitation bombard a substrate surface and release atoms of the material. The interaction can be reactive (reactive plasma etching) or physical (sputtering off the surface). Often used in the semiconductor industry for creating structures. |
| Plasma heat treatment |
Thermochemical process through exposure to plasma. The temperature of the work piece can be maintained at a relatively low level. |
| PVD |
Physical Vapor Deposition: Using physical processes (vaporization, bombarding with highly energetic particles), material is removed from a target surface in a vacuum. The freed material can then be deposited on a substrate located at some distance from the target. PVD processes can be used for coating at relatively low temperatures. |
| Pyrometer |
A device for measuring the thermal radiation emitted from a body in a certain wavelength range. Permits non-contact temperature measurement. |
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R ↑
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| Reactice Sputtering |
A reactive gas is added to a carrier gas in a plasma. Resulting ions then react with the sputtered atoms in the vacuum chamber. The reaction products (compounds) are then deposited on a substrate surface. |
| RF |
English abbreviation for Radio Frequency |
RF diverter |
Makes it possible to control several processing chambers with one generator. |
| RS 232 |
Describes the serial interface standard |
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S ↑
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| Semiconductor |
A solid whose electrical conductivity is in between that of a conductor and that of an insulator, and can be controlled over a wide range, either permanently or dynamically. Predominant materials for the production of semiconductors are silicon and gallium arsenide. |
| Sputtering |
A physical vapor deposition process where atoms from a solid target material are ejected due to bombardment of the material by energetic ions. It is commonly used for thin film deposition, as well as analytical techniques. |
| Substrate |
A material that is to be coated or processed in some way. Examples include: a silicon wafer in the semiconductor industry; a printed circuit board in the electronics industry; glass in the solar or construction industry. |
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T ↑
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| Target |
The target is the material which is bombarded during plasma sputtering |
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V ↑
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| Vaporisation |
Deposition method where coating compounds are vaporized in a vacuum by, for instance, resistance heating or electron beam heating, and then deposited on a substrate. High deposition rates are possible but the coatings are not very dense due to the lack of plasma ion interactions. Optical properties of the resulting films are not as high quality as those achieved by sputtering. |
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