Parallel plate reactor

Also referred to as planar reactor. The electrode arrangement in the reactor is one of the parameters for controlling a plasma process. With HF excitation, the parallel plate reactor can be used in the LF (40 kHz) or RF (13.56 MHz) range. The electrodes are arranged in parallel in the same way as in the plate capacitor. Usually, the potential of the generator is connected to one of the electrodes, and the ground to the other. The electric field between the plates and thus also the plasma is largely homogeneous and perpendicular to the plates. A parallel plate arrangement is particularly advantageous if you wish to make use of the effect of the ion bombardment on a substrate for ion etching, because the ion accelerate parallel to the electric field and thus vertical to the working electrode.