Waveguide-based apparatus for exciting and sustaining a plasma

摘要

An apparatus (100, 1000) includes an electromagnetic waveguide (100) which supports propagation of an electromagnetic wave in a first direction between a first end (102) thereof and a second end thereof (104), and an electromagnetic-field shaping structure (300) within the electromagnetic waveguide. The electromagnetic-field shaping structure defines a channel (108) extending from a first aperture (107) in a first wall (103-1) of the apparatus to a second aperture (109) in a second, opposite, wall (103-2). The channel has an axis extending in a second direction which is nonparallel with the first direction. The distance between the first aperture and the second aperture in the second direction is less than the width of the interior region (111) of the waveguide at the first and second ends thereof. In some embodiments, a plasma torch (900) is disposed within the channel. The length of the torch closely matches its interaction region.