Plasma deposition apparatus

A plasma deposition apparatus having a vacuum vessel into which gases are introduced to generate plasma, molecules in said plasma being activated and reacted on a specimen substrate, on which a film is to be formed, so as to deposit a thin film on said specimen substrate, comprising:

• a specimen chamber having a specimen table in an electrically floating condition for placing said specimen substrate thereon;
• a plasma formation chamber arranged separately from said specimen chamber for converting gases to be activated into the plasma condition, said plasma formation chamber being provided with a microwave introducing window, a microwave introducing means and a plasma extracting orifice which is formed in the wall opposite to said microwave introducing window for entracting a plasma stream generated in said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber, said plasma formation chamber having a shape and dimensions satisfying the conditions of a microwave cavity resonator;
• a gas introducing system for said plasma formation chamber;
• a gas introducing system for said specimen chamber so that gases so introduced are excited by said plasma;
• and
• a magnetic circuit disposed at the periphery of said plasma formation chamber for forming a magnetic flux density necessary to bring about electron cyclotron resonance in said plasma formation chamber and for forming, in said specimen chamber, divergent magnetic field with a magnetic flux density having a decreasing gradient from said plasma formation chamber toward said specimen table in said specimen chamber so as to accelerate said plasma, and so that high speed electrons formed in said plasma formation chamber by said cyclotron resonance can reach said specimen along the lines of magnetic force.

A plasma deposition apparatus comprising:

• a plasma formation chamber into which raw material gases and microwave power are introduced to generate plasma, said plasma formation chamber having a structure of a cavity resonator with reference to the microwave electric power introduced for forming said plasma, and an end face plate which has a plasma extracting orifice for extracting said plasma as a plasma stream into said specimen chamber and a movable structure for adjusting the cavity resonance condition of said microwave;
• a specimen chamber having a specimen table for placing a specimen thereon;
• a first gas introducing system for introducing said raw material gases into said plasma formation chamber;
• a second gas introducing system for introducing said raw material gases into said specimen chamber;
• and
• a magnetic circuit disposed at the periphery of said plasma formation chamber for forming a magnetic flux density necessary to increase the efficiency of plasma formation in said plasma formation chamber and for forming, in said specimen chamber, a divergent magnetic field with a magnetic flux density having a reducing gradient from said plasma formation chamber toward said specimen table in said specimen chamber so as to accelerate said plasma and so that high speed electrons formed in said formation chamber by said cyclotron resonance can reach said specimen along the lines of magnetic force.

A plasma deposition apparatus having a vacuum vessel into which gases are introduced to generate plasma, molecules in said plasma being activated and reacted on a specimen substrate, on which a film is to be formed, so as to deposit a thin film on said specimen substrate, comprising:

• a specimen chamber having a specimen table in an electrically floating condition for placing said specimen substrate thereon;
• a plasma formation chamber arranged separately from said specimen chamber for converting gases to be activated into the plasma condition, said plasma formation chamber being provided with a microwave introducing window, a microwave introducing means and a plasma extracting orifice provided with a metal grid which is formed in the wall opposite to said microwave introducing window for extracting a plasma stream generated in said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber;
• and
• a magnetic circuit disposed at the periphery of said plasma formation chamber for forming a magnetic flux density necessary to bring about electron cyclotron resonance in said plasma formation chamber and for forming, in said specimen chamber, a divergent magnetic field with a magnetic flux density having a reducing gradient from said plasma formation chamber toward said specimen table in said specimen chamber so as to accelerate said plasma.