Large area plasma source

A chamber housing enclosing a plasma region in a large area plasma source used for performing plasma assisted processes on large area substrates, said chamber housing comprising:

• a housing member constituting a substantially vertically extending wall surrounding a space corresponding to the plasma region, said housing member having a plurality of openings, and electrically conductive elements forming an electrostatic shield around the space;
• a plurality of dielectric members each having a peripheral edge and each disposed to close a respective opening;
• and
• sealing means forming a hermetic seal between said housing member and said peripheral edge of each of said dielectric members;
• and
• a coil configured to generate an RF field that passes through said dielectric members to create a plasma in said plasma region, said coil being disposed outside of said electrostatic shield relative to said plasma region.