Method and apparatus for film formation by high pressure microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition

Claim 2

A high speed film forming method by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, where­in reactant gas is kept constant in a range of 1 torr through several atms within an airtight reaction chamber serv­ing as a cavity resonator, microwaves are introduced into said reaction chamber to generate microwave plasma by standing waves, and neutral radicals and ions on the basis of reactant gas formed by said plasma are guided onto a substrate disposed within said reaction chamber, thereby growing a thin film.

Claim 3

A high speed film forming method by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, where­in a substrate on which a desired thin film is to be formed is disposed within an airtight reaction chamber serving as a cavity resonator, within said reaction chamber in which a movable short-circuit end is displaced to be set in a resonant condition with micro-wave in use, carrier gas comprising one or more than two kinds re­actant gases and inert gas are supplied and simultaneous­ly exhausted, total pressure in said reaction chamber is kept constant in a range of 10torr through several atms and partial pressure of said reactant gas is kept constant in a range of 1 torr through several atms, the microwave guided from an incident window airtightly disposed outside said reaction chamber at a side of a coupling window is incident into said reaction chamber so as to generate microwave plasma by standing waves, and neutral radicals and ions based on reactant gas formed by said plasma are guided onto said substrate, thereby growing a thin film.

Claim 4

A high speed film forming method by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, where­in a substrate on which a desired thin film is to be formed is disposed within an airtight reaction chamber serving as a cavity resonator, within said reaction chamber in which a movable short-circuit end is displaced to be set in a resonant condition with micro-wave in use, carrier gas comprising one or more than two kinds re­actant gases and inert gas are supplied and simultaneous­ly exhausted, total pressure in said reaction chamber is kept constant in a range of 10torr through several atms and partial pressure of said reactant gas is kept constant in a range of 1 torr through several atms, the microwave guided from an incident window airtightly disposed outside said reaction chamber at a side of a coupling window is incident into said reaction chamber so as to generate microwave plasma by standing waves, and neutral radicals and ions based on reactant gas formed by said plasma are guided onto said substrate, thereby growing a thin film.

Claim 5

A high speed film forming method by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, where­in a substrate on which a desired thin film is to be form­ed is disposed within an airtight reaction chamber serv­ing as a cavity resonator, in said reaction chamber which displaces a movable short-circuit end to be set in a resonant condition with microwave in use is supplied carrier gas comprising inert gas and simultaneously ex­haust, pressure in said reaction chamber is kept constant in a range of 1 through 100 torr , the microwave guided through waveguide pipe from an incident window airtightly disposed outside said reaction chamber at a side of a coupling window thereof is incident to said reaction chamber so as to generate microwave plasma by standing waves, said carrier gas increases in its supply in the state where said plasma is maintained so as to raise pressure in said reaction chamber, in such condition one or more than two kinds of reactant gases are supplied total pressure in said reaction chamber is made constant in a range of 100 torr through several atms and partial pressure of said reactant gas is made constant in a range of 1 torr through several atms so as to maintain said plasma, and neutral radicals and ions based on said reactant gas formed by said plasma are guided onto said substrate, there­by growing said thin film.

Claim 6

A high speed film forming method by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, where­in a substrate on which a desired thin film is to be form­ed is disposed within an airtight reaction chamber serv­ing as a cavity resonator, in said reaction chamber which displaces a movable short-circuit end to be set in a resonant condition with microwave in use is supplied carrier gas comprising inert gas and simultaneously ex­haust, pressure in said reaction chamber is kept constant in a range of 1 through 100 torr , the microwave guided through waveguide pipe from an incident window airtightly disposed outside said reaction chamber at a side of a coupling window thereof is incident to said reaction chamber so as to generate microwave plasma by standing waves, said carrier gas increases in its supply in the state where said plasma is maintained so as to raise pressure in said reaction chamber, in such condition one or more than two kinds of reactant gases are supplied total pressure in said reaction chamber is made constant in a range of 100 torr through several atms and partial pressure of said reactant gas is made constant in a range of 1 torr through several atms so as to maintain said plasma, and neutral radicals and ions based on said reactant gas formed by said plasma are guided onto said substrate, there­by growing said thin film.

Claim 7

A high speed film forming method by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, where­in, within a reaction chamber which is disposed at a proper place in a region where progressive waves of micro­wave are circulated or reflected to raise energy density thereof and which is passable of said microwave, re­actant gas is kept constant in a range of 1 torr through several atms , said microwave introduced into said reac­tion chamber generates plasma, and neutral radicals and ions based on said reactant gas formed by said plasma is guided onto a substrate disposed in said reaction chamber, thereby growing a thin film.

Claim 8

A high speed film forming method by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, where­in, within a reaction chamber which is disposed at a proper place in a region where progressive waves of micro­wave are circulated or reflected to raise energy density thereof and which is passable of said microwave, re­actant gas is kept constant in a range of 1 torr through several atms , said microwave introduced into said reac­tion chamber generates plasma, and neutral radicals and ions based on said reactant gas formed by said plasma is guided onto a substrate disposed in said reaction chamber, thereby growing a thin film.

Claim 9

A high speed film forming method by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, where­in within a reaction chamber which is disposed at a proper place in a region where progressive waves of microwave are circulated or reflected to raise energy density thereof and which is passable of said microwave, are supplied carrier gas comprising one or more than two kinds of reactant gas and inert gas simultaneously exhausted, total pressure within said reaction chamber is kept constant in a range of 10 torr through several atms and partial pressure of said reactant gas is kept constant in a range of 1 torr through several atms, said microwave introduced into said reaction chamber generates plasma, and neutral radicals and ions based on said reactant gas formed by said plasma are guided onto a substrate dis­posed in said reaction chamber, thereby growing a thin film.

Claim 10

A high speed film forming method by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, where­in within a reaction chamber which is disposed at a proper place in a region where progressive waves of microwave are circulated or reflected to raise energy density thereof and which is passable of said microwave, are supplied carrier gas comprising one or more than two kinds of reactant gas and inert gas simultaneously exhausted, total pressure within said reaction chamber is kept constant in a range of 10 torr through several atms and partial pressure of said reactant gas is kept constant in a range of 1 torr through several atms, said microwave introduced into said reaction chamber generates plasma, and neutral radicals and ions based on said reactant gas formed by said plasma are guided onto a substrate dis­posed in said reaction chamber, thereby growing a thin film.

Claim 11

A high speed film forming apparatus by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, comprising; a reaction unit provided with an airtight reaction chamber which is adapted to hold therein a substrate to form thereon a desired thin film and serves as a cavity resonator, provided at one side of said reaction chamber with a coupling window, making a short-circuit end at the other side displaceable in the normal direction , pro­vided outside said coupling window with an airtight incident window through which microwave is introduced, and provided with a supply pipe and an exhaust pipe for carrier gas and reactant gas and communicating with said reaction chamber; a microwave generator for supplying microwave of a predetermined wavelength to said reaction unit; a waveguide unit for guiding to said incident window at said reaction unit said microwave generated by said microwave generator and having at least a waveguide pipe; a gas supply unit which adjusts said carrier gas and reaction gas to supply said gases to a supply pipe at said reaction unit; an exhaust unit which adjusts said carrier gas and reaction gas and exhausts said gases from said reaction unit through a buffer tank by a vacuum pump; and a gas processing unit for supplying purging gas to said buffer tank and supply pipe for reactant gas and pro­vided with a bubbling tank connected to said buffer tank to process a mixed gas comprising said reactant gas, carrier gas and purging pas.

Claim 12

A high speed film forming apparatus by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure, comprising; a reaction unit provided with an airtight reaction chamber which is adapted to hold therein a substrate to form thereon a desired thin film and serves as a cavity resonator, provided at one side of said reaction chamber with a coupling window, making a short-circuit end at the other side displaceable in the normal direction , pro­vided outside said coupling window with an airtight incident window through which microwave is introduced, and provided with a supply pipe and an exhaust pipe for carrier gas and reactant gas and communicating with said reaction chamber; a microwave generator for supplying microwave of a predetermined wavelength to said reaction unit; a waveguide unit for guiding to said incident window at said reaction unit said microwave generated by said microwave generator and having at least a waveguide pipe; a gas supply unit which adjusts said carrier gas and reaction gas to supply said gases to a supply pipe at said reaction unit; an exhaust unit which adjusts said carrier gas and reaction gas and exhausts said gases from said reaction unit through a buffer tank by a vacuum pump; and a gas processing unit for supplying purging gas to said buffer tank and supply pipe for reactant gas and pro­vided with a bubbling tank connected to said buffer tank to process a mixed gas comprising said reactant gas, carrier gas and purging pas.

Claim 13

A high speed film forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reaction unit forms a supplying spare room and an exhausting spare room communicating with said supply pipe and exhaust pipe respectively, positioned out­side said reaction chamber, and partitioned by partitions having a large number of orifices or lattices.

Claim 14

A high speed film forming apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said reaction unit sets said reaction chamber in a basic resonance mode at said microwave generated by said microwave generator.

Claim 15

A high speed film forming apparatus according to claim 6,7 or 8, wherein said waveguide unit is provided with a waveguide pipe provided with a progressive wave output monitor of microwave , an isolator, a waveguide pipe provided with a reflected wave output monitor, and a wave­guide pipe provided with a stub tuner, disposed in series and sequentially from said microwave generator.

Claim 16

A high speed film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein said gas supply unit supplies into said reac­tion chamber carrier gas comprising one or more than two kinds of reactant gas and inert gas and simultaneously exhausts said gas by said exhaust unit, said microwave from said microwave generator is introduced into said re­action chamber by said waveguide unit, and plasma is generated in the state where total pressure is set in a range of 100 torr through several atms and partial pressure of reaction gas is set in a range of 1 torr through several atms.

Claim 17

A high speed film forming apparatus by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure comprising; a reaction unit having a storage circuit for allow­ing progressive waves of microwave to circulate or re­flect so as to accumulate said microwave , provided at part of said storage circuit with an incident-emission window through which said microwave is passable, provided with an airtight reaction chamber capable of holding there­in a substrate to form thereon a desired thin film, and forming at said reaction chamber a supply pipe and an exhaust pipe for carrier gas and reaction gas communicat­ing therewith respectively; a microwave generator for supplying to said reaction unit progressive waves of microwave of a predetermined wavelength; a waveguide unit for guiding to said reaction unit said microwave generated by said microwave generator and having at least a waveguide pipe; a gas supply unit for adjusting flow rates of said carrier gas and reactant gas and supplying said gases to said supply pipe of said reaction unit; an exhaust unit for adjusting flow rates of said carrier gas and reactant gas and exhausting said gases from said exhaust pipe at said reaction unit through a buffer tank by a vacuum pump, and a gas processing unit for supplying purging gas to said buffer tank and said supply pipe for said reaction gas and provided with a bubbling tank which is connected to said buffer tank so as to process a mixed gas compris­ing said reaction gas, carrier gas and purging gas.

Claim 18

A high speed film forming apparatus by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under high pressure comprising; a reaction unit having a storage circuit for allow­ing progressive waves of microwave to circulate or re­flect so as to accumulate said microwave , provided at part of said storage circuit with an incident-emission window through which said microwave is passable, provided with an airtight reaction chamber capable of holding there­in a substrate to form thereon a desired thin film, and forming at said reaction chamber a supply pipe and an exhaust pipe for carrier gas and reaction gas communicat­ing therewith respectively; a microwave generator for supplying to said reaction unit progressive waves of microwave of a predetermined wavelength; a waveguide unit for guiding to said reaction unit said microwave generated by said microwave generator and having at least a waveguide pipe; a gas supply unit for adjusting flow rates of said carrier gas and reactant gas and supplying said gases to said supply pipe of said reaction unit; an exhaust unit for adjusting flow rates of said carrier gas and reactant gas and exhausting said gases from said exhaust pipe at said reaction unit through a buffer tank by a vacuum pump, and a gas processing unit for supplying purging gas to said buffer tank and said supply pipe for said reaction gas and provided with a bubbling tank which is connected to said buffer tank so as to process a mixed gas compris­ing said reaction gas, carrier gas and purging gas.

Claim 19

A high speed film forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said reaction unit is provided with a branch through which said microwave is introduced into a proper place at said storage circuit comprising a ring-like-­shaped waveguide pipe, and part of said storage circuit serves as said reacation chamber.

Claim 20

A high speed film forming apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said reaction unit disposes a pair of microwave reflecting concave mirrors opposite to each other so that said reaction chamber is disposed between both said mirrors at said storage circuit which forms at part of one of said mirrors an introduction portion through which said microwave is passable.

Claim 21

A high speed film forming apparatus according to claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein said reaction unit forms a storage circuit disposing three or more microwave reflecting concave mirrors, said microwave is introduced into one of said mirrors to be sequentially reflectably circulated, and said reaction chamber is disposed between sadi pair of mirrors.

Claim 22

A high speed film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein said reaction unit forms a storage circuit which circulates said microwave by microwave reflecting concave mirrors and a curved waveguide pipe provided with a microwave introducing portion, and said reaction chamber is disposed at a proper place of said storage circuit.

Claim 23

A high speed film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein said reaction unit forms a storage circuit surrounded by microwave reflecting mirrors except for said microwave introducing portion so that said storage circuit serves as said reaction chamber.

Claim 24

A high speed film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 16, wherein said waveguide unit is provided with a wave­guide pipe provided with a progressive wave of microwave output monitor, and isolator, a waveguide pipe provided with a reflected wave output monitor, and a waveguide pipe provided with a stub tuner, connected in series sequential­ly from said microwave generator.

Claim 25

A high speed film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein said gas supply unit supplies into said reac­tion chamber carrier gas comprising one or more than two kinds of reactant gas and inert gas and simultaneously ex­haust said gas through said exhaust unit, said microwave is introduced from said microwave generator. to said reac­tion chamber through said waveguide unit, and plasma is generated in the state where total pressure is set in a range of 100 torr through several atms and partial pressure of said reactant gas is set in a range of 1 torr through several atms.