EP0209109A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method of and apparatus for forming film by utilizing low-temperature plasma
Assignee: Hitachi Engineering and Services Co Ltd
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Filing: 1986-07-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-07-14
Abstract
Abstract A film formation apparatus including a plasma formation chamber (3) for generating low-temperature plasma (6) and a specimen chamber (7) communicating with the plasma formation chamber, for forming a thin film (14) by utilizing the low-temperature plasma in such a manner that a film material gas (8) introduced into the specimen chamber is activated by the low-temperature plasma which is extracted from the plasma formation chamber into the specimen chamber, and the thin film (14) is formed of the activated gas at the surface of a specimen (10) placed on a specimen table (9) which is disposed in the specimen chamber, is disclosed. The above apparatus further includes a grid electrode (15) disposed between a plasma extracting aperture (7a) for extracting the low-temperature plasma from the plasma formation chamber into the specimen chamber and the specimen table, and control means (16) for controlling the potential of the grid electrode, to scrape a protrusion (14b) on the thin film (14) by accelerated ions, thereby forming a dense, uniform film having a flat surface all over the surface of the specimen.
Inventors
- 👤 Tadasi Sonobe
- 👤 Noboru Suzuki
- 👤 Kiyosi Chiba
- 👤 Kazuo Suzuki
- 👤 Mitsuo Nakatani
- 👤 Takeshi Watanabe
- 👤 Yukio Ishigaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 23:52
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32192; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/50; C23C16/511; H01J37/32431; H01J37/32697; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/32; H01J2237/33; H01J2237/332; H01J2237/3322; H01J2237/3327
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
A film formation apparatus including a plasma formation chamber (3) for generating low-temperature plasma (6) and a specimen chamber (7) communicating with said plasma formation chamber, for forming a thin film (14) by utilizing the low-temperature plasma in such a manner that a film material gas (8) introduced into said specimen chamber is activated by the low-temperature plasma which is extracted from said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber, and the thin film (14) is formed of the activated gas at the surface of a specimen (10) placed on a specimen table (9) which is disposed in said specimen chamber, said film formation apparatus comprising: a grid electrode (15) disposed between a plasma extracting aperture (7a) for extracting the low-temperature plasma from said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber and said specimen table; and control means (16) for controlling the potential of said grid electrode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
147 words
A film formation apparatus including a plasma formation chamber (3) for generating low-temperature plasma (6) and a specimen chamber (7) communicating with said plasma formation chamber, for forming a thin film (14) by utilizing the low-temperature plasma in such a manner that a film material gas (8) introduced into said specimen chamber is activated by the low-temperature plasma which is extracted from said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber, and the thin film (14) is formed of the activated gas at the surface of a specimen (10) placed on a specimen table (9) which is disposed in said specimen chamber, said film formation apparatus comprising: a grid electrode (15) disposed between a plasma extracting aperture (7a) for extracting the low-temperature plasma from said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber and said specimen table; and control means (16) for controlling the potential of said grid electrode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A film formation apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein a plurality of grid electrodes (15a, 15b) are disposed along a direction in which the low-temperature plasma flows.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
190 words
A method of forming a thin film by utilizing low-temperature plasma in such a manner that a plasma formation chamber (3) for generating the low-temperature plasma (6) communicates with a specimen chamber (7), a film material gas (8) introduced into said specimen chamber is activated by the low-temperature plasma which is extracted from said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber, and a thin film (14) is formed of the activated gas at the surface of a specimen (10) placed on a specimen table (9) which is disposed in said specimen chamber, said method comprising the steps of: forming a thin film (14) on the surface of said specimen (10) in a state that a grid electrode (15) disposed between a plasma extracting aperture (7a) of said plasma formation chamber (3) and said specimen table is applied with zero bias potential; and scraping part of said thin film (14) on the surface of said specimen by ions contained in the low-temperature plasma, in a state that a predetermined bias voltage is applied to said grid electrode and the supply of said film material gas into said specimen chamber is stopped.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
190 words
A method of forming a thin film by utilizing low-temperature plasma in such a manner that a plasma formation chamber (3) for generating the low-temperature plasma (6) communicates with a specimen chamber (7), a film material gas (8) introduced into said specimen chamber is activated by the low-temperature plasma which is extracted from said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber, and a thin film (14) is formed of the activated gas at the surface of a specimen (10) placed on a specimen table (9) which is disposed in said specimen chamber, said method comprising the steps of: forming a thin film (14) on the surface of said specimen (10) in a state that a grid electrode (15) disposed between a plasma extracting aperture (7a) of said plasma formation chamber (3) and said specimen table is applied with zero bias potential; and scraping part of said thin film (14) on the surface of said specimen by ions contained in the low-temperature plasma, in a state that a predetermined bias voltage is applied to said grid electrode and the supply of said film material gas into said specimen chamber is stopped.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
136 words
A method of fomring a thin film by utilizing low-temperature plasma in such a manner that a plasma formation chamber (3) for generating the low-temperature plasma (6) communicates with a specimen chamber (7), a film material gas (8) introduced into said specimen chamber is activated by the low-temperature plasma which is extracted from said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber, and a thin film (14) is formed of the activated gas at the surface of a specimen (10) placed on a specimen table (9) which is disposed in said specimen chamber, wherein a variable bias potential is applied to a grid electrode (15) disposed between a plasma extracting aperture (7a) of said plasma formation chamber and said specimen table, for a period when said thin film (14) is formed on the surface of said specimen.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
136 words
A method of fomring a thin film by utilizing low-temperature plasma in such a manner that a plasma formation chamber (3) for generating the low-temperature plasma (6) communicates with a specimen chamber (7), a film material gas (8) introduced into said specimen chamber is activated by the low-temperature plasma which is extracted from said plasma formation chamber into said specimen chamber, and a thin film (14) is formed of the activated gas at the surface of a specimen (10) placed on a specimen table (9) which is disposed in said specimen chamber, wherein a variable bias potential is applied to a grid electrode (15) disposed between a plasma extracting aperture (7a) of said plasma formation chamber and said specimen table, for a period when said thin film (14) is formed on the surface of said specimen.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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