US Patent 7262555 Method and system for discretely controllable plasma processing

A method and system for plasma generation and processing includes a plurality of beam generators each locally controllable and configured for operation upon a single substrate. A control circuit couples to each of the plurality of beam generators with the control circuit configured to independently regulate at least a portion of the plurality of beam generators. A process gas is introduced into an area above a surface of a substrate. A plurality of beam generators is locally controlled and is directed at the process gas. The beam generators independently emit electrons as controlled and at least a portion of the process gas is converted into plasma according to the electrons emitted from the plurality of the independently controllable beam generators. The substrate is processed using the plasma according to local control of each of the plurality of beam generators.