Process for the formation of a functional deposited film by hydrogen radical-assisted cvd method utilizing hydrogen gas plasma in sheet-like state

Claim 1

A process for forming a deposited film on a substrate employing a film-forming space (A) having a holder for holding said substrate therein, a precursor-generating space (B) isolated from the film-forming space (A), means for generating a gaseous precursor in said precursor-generating space (B), gas supply means for supplying said gaseous precursor generated in said precursor-generating space (B) into said film-forming space (A), exhaust means for exhausting said film-forming space (A) and a hydrogen plasma-generating space (C) isolated from any of said film-forming space (A) and said precursor-generating space (B), said process comprising: (a) generating said gaseous precursor consisting essentially of Group IV elements in said precursor generating space (B); (b) drawing a sheet-like hydrogen gas plasma generated in said hydrogen plasma-generating space (C) into said film-forming space (A) substantially parallel to the surface of said substrate such that a space (L) of 5 to 50 mm is maintained between a boundary of said hydrogen gas plasma sheet and said substrate surface in order to preclude direct exposure of said substrate surface to said hydrogen gas plasma; (c) maintaining an outlet of said gas supply means within said space (L) and supplying said gaseous precursor through said gas supply means into said space (L) to react with hydrogen radicals from said hydrogen gas plasma, which radicals diffuse toward said substrate surface from said hydrogen gas plasma; (d) maintaining said film-forming space (A) at a vacuum of 0.1 to 50 mTorr during formation of said deposited film; and (e) exhausting reaction gases in said film-forming space (A) employing said exhaust means in a direction perpendicular to and downstream from said sheet-like hydrogen gas plasma and said substrate surface.