Radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process and reactor

A capacitively coupled RF plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus for depositing a uniform coating of material on substrates comprising a electrically conducting material, said apparatus comprising:

• an outer chamber;
• a secondary electrode defining a reaction zone within said outer chamber to accommodate said substrates to be coated;
• inlet conduit means for introducing reactant gases into said reaction zone;
• reactant gas distribution means mounted in the upstream end of said reaction zone for distributing reactant gases into said reaction zone;
• an RF electrode in concert with said secondary electrode for generating a plasma within said reaction zone, said electrode comprising a base mounted in the downstream end of said reaction zone and a finger extending through said reaction zone toward said upstream end, said finger for distributing a plasma field uniformly throughout said reaction zone;
• RF power supply electrically connected to said RF electrode for supplying RF energy thereto;
• holder means mounted in said upstream end for holding a plurality of substrates within said reaction zone;
• and
• heating means for heating said substrates within said reaction zone to a temperature in the range of about 300.degree. to about 650.degree. C.;
• a DC power supply means electrically connected to said holder means and said substrates for applying a bias to said substrates which is independent of the plasma field generated by said RF electrode;
• and
• outlet conduit means within said outer chamber for extracting said gases from said downstream end.