1. A stent, the stent comprising a plurality of first serpentine rings, each first serpentine ring comprising a plurality of first struts and a plurality of second struts, each first strut having a first length, each second strut having a second length, the second length being greater than the first length;
each first serpentine ring further comprising a plurality of first turns and a plurality of second turns; each first turn engaging two first struts and each second turn engaging two second struts;
one of the plurality of first serpentine rings forming an end of the stent
wherein adjacent first serpentine rings engaged by a plurality of first connectors define a plurality of first openings having a first shape and a second opening having a second shape, the first shape being different than the second shape.
2. The stent of claim 1, the stent having a first end, each first turn oriented towards the first end of the stent, and each second turn oriented towards the first end of the stent.
3. The stent of claim 2, wherein the first turns are aligned with one another, the second turns are aligned with one another, and the first turns are offset from the second turns.
4. The stent of claim 1, each first serpentine ring further comprising a plurality of third turns, each third turn engaging a first strut and a second strut.
5. The stent of claim 1, each first turn and each second turn oriented in a first direction and each third turn oriented in a second direction, the first and second directions being opposite directions.
6. The stent of claim 4, wherein the third turns are aligned with one another.
7. The stent of claim 1, each first turn having a first circumferential extent and each second turn having a second circumferential extent, the first circumferential extent being greater than the second circumferential extent.
8. The stent of claim 1, wherein a first distance separates two first struts engaged by a first turn and a second distance separates two second struts engaged by a second turn, the first distance being greater than the second distance.
9. The stent of claim 1, adjacent first serpentine rings being engaged by a plurality of first connectors, each first connector extending between a first turn of one of the adjacent first serpentine rings and a first turn of the other of the adjacent first serpentine rings.
10. The stent of claim 1, the stent further comprising a side hole defined by a continuous band having a plurality of loops.
11. The stent of claim 10, the side hole having a third shape, the third shape being different than the first shape, and the third shape being different than the second shape.
12. The stent of claim 1, the stent having a first end, the stent further comprising a plurality of second serpentine rings, each second serpentine ring comprising a plurality of first struts and a plurality of second struts, each first strut having a first length, each second strut having a second length, the second length being greater than the first length;
each second serpentine ring further comprising a plurality of first turns and a plurality of second turns; each first turn engaging two first struts and each second turn engaging two second struts;
each first turn of the first serpentine rings oriented towards the first end of the stent, and each second turn of the first serpentine rings oriented towards the first end of the stent;
each first turn of the second serpentine rings oriented towards the second end of the stent, and each second turn of the second serpentine rings oriented towards the second end of the stent.
13. The stent of claim 12, the plurality of first serpentine rings forming a first portion of the stent and the plurality of second serpentine rings forming a second portion of the stent.
14. A stent having a first end and a second end, the stent comprising a plurality of serpentine bands, each serpentine band comprising a plurality of first struts and a plurality of second struts, each first strut having a first length, each second strut having a second length, the second length being greater than the first length;
each serpentine band further comprising a plurality of first turns and a plurality of second turns; each first turn engaging two first struts, each second turn engaging two second struts,
some of the plurality of serpentine bands orientated with each first turn oriented towards the first end of the stent, and each second turn oriented towards the first end of the stent and others of the plurality of serpentine bands oriented with each first turn oriented towards the second end of the stent and each second turn oriented towards the second end of the stent.
15. A stent, the stent comprising a plurality of first serpentine bands, each first serpentine band comprising a plurality of first struts and a plurality of second struts, each first strut having a first length, each second strut having a second length, the second length being greater than the first length;
each first serpentine band further comprising a plurality of first turns, a plurality of second turns, and a plurality of third turns; each first turn engaging two first struts and each second turn engaging two second struts; each third turn engaging one first strut and one second strut
the stent further comprising a side hole defined by a continuous band having a plurality of loops.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a processing container for processing an object to be processed in plasma;
a dielectric body to cover an upper opening of the processing container in an airtight manner;
a microwave supplier for supplying a microwave, positioned over the dielectric body;
a waveguide having a first end connected to the microwave supplier, and extending toward the dielectric body to propagate the microwave to the dielectric body;
a waveguide box connected to a second end of the waveguide and extending in form of a flange so as to propagate a microwave from the second end of the waveguide radially outward;
an antenna covering a lower opening of the waveguide box and arranged along the dielectric body, the antenna having a plurality of slots formed therein; and
a bump made of a conductor arranged at a central part of the antenna inside the waveguide box, the bump projecting toward an opening of the second end of the waveguide.
2. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna is formed to be a disk.
3. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bump is formed to be generally conical.
4. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein a top of the bump is shaped to be round.
5. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microwave to be propagated from the microwave supplier to the waveguide box through the waveguide is a microwave in TM01 mode.
6. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microwave to be propagated from the microwave supplier to the waveguide box through the waveguide is a microwave in TM11 mode.
7. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a circular-polarized wave converted arranged in the waveguide between the microwave supplier and the waveguide box to rotate the microwave in TE11 mode about an axis of the waveguide thereby transmitting resulting circularly-polarized wave to the waveguide box.
8. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slots are arranged coaxially.
9. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slots are arranged spirally.
10. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slots are arranged on a periphery of a polygon.
11. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slots are arranged on radiation lines coaxially.
12. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a processing container for processing an object to be processed in plasma;
a dielectric body to cover an upper opening of the processing container in an airtight manner;
a microwave generator for generating a microwave, positioned over the dielectric body;
a waveguide having a first end connected to the microwave generator, and extending toward the dielectric body to propagate the microwave; and
a waveguide box connected to a second end of the waveguide, the waveguide box including:
a flat part radially extending outwardly from the second end of the waveguide,
a wall part extending from a peripheral part of the flat part towards the dielectric body,
a plane antenna positioned along the dielectric body, and
a conductive bump arranged at a central part of the plane antenna and
projecting towards an opening of the second end of the waveguide.
13. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the plane antenna has a plurality of slots arranged coaxially.
14. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the slots are arranged at intervals of \u03bb2 or \u03bbg.
15. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the slot is arranged in \u201cT\u201d type.
16. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein a space between the waveguide box and the dielectric body is filled with dielectric material.
17. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the conductive bump is formed in conical shape.
18. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a mode converter positioned between the microwave generator and the waveguide box.
19. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the mode converter has at least a pair of projections inwardly projecting from an inside of a wall of the mode converter.
20. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein a direction of the pair of projections is inclined at 45 degrees to the main direction of electric field of the microwave propagating toward the protrusion.