Apparatus and method for depositing large area coatings on planar surfaces

A method of depositing a uniform coating on a planar surface of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing the substrate having the planar surface to a deposition chamber;
• b) evacuating the deposition chamber to a predetermined deposition pressure;
• c) generating a plurality of plasmas from at least one linear array of a plurality of plasma sources;
• d) injecting at least one reactant gas into each of the plurality of plasmas through at least one common reactant gas injector such that a first flow rate of the at least one reactant gas into a first plasma is substantially equal to a second flow rate of the at least one reactant gas into a second plasma, wherein said at least one common reactant gas injector comprises a tubular-walled structure having two linear portions parallel to each other and two end portions connecting the linear portions and is disposed between anodes of the plasma sources and the substrate and is circumferentially disposed with respect to the plasma sources;
• e) flowing the at least one reactant gas and the plurality of plasmas into the deposition chamber toward the substrate;
• and
• f) reacting the at least one reactant gas with the plurality of plasmas to form the coating on the planar surface of the substrate.