Appeal No. 1997-0027
Application No. 08/117,443
23. A plasma processing apparatus, comprising
a plasma processing vacuum chamber,
a cathode positioned within said chamber;
a power circuit for electrically driving said cathode,
said power circuit comprising
a primary power supply electrically coupled to said
cathode for electrically driving said cathode to a processing
voltage relative to said chamber to fully ignite a plasma
within said chamber and cause plasma processing,
a secondary power supply electrically coupled to said
cathode for applying a process initiatation voltage relative
to said chamber to said cathode, said process initiation
voltage being smaller in magnitude than said processing
voltage and insufficient to fully ignite or maintain a plasma
within said chamber.
As evidence of obviousness, the examiner relies on the
following prior art:
Meacham et al. (Meacham) 4,557,819 Dec.
10, 1985
Mashiro 2 59-222580 Dec. 14,
1984
(Published Japanese Patent Application)
2Our reference to this published Japanese Patent
application is to its corresponding English translation of
record.
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