Producing apparatus and producing method for manufacturing carbon structure

1. A producing method for producing a carbon structure, comprising the steps of:

applying a voltage between two electrodes having forefront portions opposed to each other; and

generating discharge plasma in a discharge area between the electrodes;

wherein a magnetic field having multidirectional lines of magnetic force is applied in an area where the discharge plasma is generated to form a magnetic field space so as to be brought into an occluded state by the magnetic field.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge plasma generated in the discharge area is arc plasma.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one of a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of electromagnets are disposed to apply the magnetic field so that the one surround the discharge area along a traveling direction of a discharge current and all identical poles of the one face the discharge area to generate the magnetic field.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one of a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of electromagnets are disposed to apply the magnetic field so that the one surround the discharge area along a traveling direction of a discharge current and alternately different poles of adjacent ones of the one face the discharge area to generate the magnetic field.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one coil having a central axis, which is substantially coincide with a traveling direction of a discharge current to generate the magnetic field.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the discharge plasma generating step, magnetic flux density at an edge of a forefront portion of an electrode of the two opposed electrodes for generating the discharge plasma is not lower than 10 − T and not higher than 1 T.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the discharge plasma generating step, discharge current density at the time of generating the discharge plasma is not lower than 0.05 A/mm 2 and nor higher than 15 A/mm 2 with respect to an area of a forefront portion of an electrode for generating the discharge plasma.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the voltage applying step, the voltage applied to the electrodes is not lower than 1 V and not higher than 30 V.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the voltage applying step, the voltage applied to the electrodes is a DC voltage.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein an area of a forefront portion of a cathode of the two opposed electrodes is not larger than an area of a forefront portion of an anode thereof.

11. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein material of the electrodes is one of carbon and material which contains carbon; and

electric resistivity of the material is not lower than 0.01 Ω·cm and nor higher than 10 Ω·cm.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein pressure of an atmosphere in the discharge area is not lower than 0.01 Pa and not higher than 510 kPa.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an atmosphere in the discharge area is a gas atmosphere containing at least one gas selected from the group of air, helium, argon, xenon, neon, nitrogen and hydrogen.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein gas made of material containing carbon is included in an atmosphere in the discharge area.