AURA-WAVE is an Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) coaxial plasma source. It has been designed to be self-adapted once the plasma ignited. A magnetic field combined to the electromagnetic wave allows the creation of plasma at low pressure due to Electron Cyclotron Resonance. AURA-WAVE microwave plasma source has been designed to sustain microwave plasma over several decades of pressure, i.e. from 10⁻⁴ mbar to a few 10⁻² mbar and from a few watts depending on the gas.
Equally, the coaxial plasma source was designed to avoid inside power-losses and has proved to be matched, i.e. no reflected power with no additional impedance matching system over 2 to 3 pressure decades, depending on the plasma gas. Plasma density up to a few 10¹¹ cm⁻³ could be easily obtained in multisource configuration in different gases like argon, oxygen, nitrogen. When combined with SAIREM solid state microwave generator, it is possible to control the power transmitted to the plasma Watt by Watt. Low mismatching that may appear in the operating conditions can be balanced due to the variable frequency of the solid-state generator and thus permits to extend the operating condition range of AURA-WAVE.
AURA-WAVE is designed to be used equally in R&D laboratories and industry for a very large range of applications. It is ideal for working in the low-pressure range i.e. with high energy particles.