Simple and inexpensive current-driven magnetic multipole plasma homogenizer

Magnetic multipole plasma confinement geometries employing permanent magnet s are commonly used to confine laboratory plasmas and improve uniformity. H ere we describe the design and operation of a particularly simple and low-c ost kind of current-driven multipole system that makes use of a similar mag netic field structure but does not require permanent magnets. The magnetic field is generated by current carrying wires attached to the inside wall of a cylindrical supporting structure to provide a magnetic field resembling that of permanent multipole magnetic homogenizers. We demonstrate the use o f the current-driven homogenizer to improve the uniformity of the radial de nsity profile of a vacuum arc generated metal plasma. Our configuration of metal plasma gun, macroparticle filter, and current-driven homogenizer was used for thin film deposition, and was able to produce a relatively homogen eous film thickness profile while maintaining a deposition rate comparable to that at the peak point of the freely expanded beam at the same location. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(00)03909-5].