Apparatus for microwave glow discharge deposition

Abstract

Apparatus for microwave energized glow discharge deposition of materials, onto a substrate including electronic structures having a plurality of layers of amorphous semiconducting alloys of varying conductivity types. The apparatus includes at least one deposition chamber in which a novel antenna coupled to a source of microwave energy to form a microwave energy excited glow discharge plasma is disposed. The antenna has coaxial conductors approximately one half wavelength long that are electrically connected to each other at their respective distal ends. A multiple integer of one half wavelength of a coaxial transmission line coupling the antenna energy and source may also form part of the antenna. The respective outer conductors of the transmission line and antenna are separated by an electrically small gap, but the respective center conductors are electrically connected. The apparatus may provide for continuous glow discharge deposition on a moving substrate web that passes through a number of deposition chambers for deposition of various layers to form a desired electronic device structure. Each chamber may include an antenna according to the invention.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.