Process for forming a microcrystalline silicon series thin film and apparatus suitable for practicing said process

Abstract

A process for forming a microcrystalline silicon series thin film by arranging a substrate in a vacuum chamber so as to oppose an electrode provided in said vacuum chamber and while transporting said substrate in a longitudinal direction, causing glow discharge between said electrode and said substrate to deposit said microcrystalline silicon series thin film on said substrate, wherein a plurality of bar-like shaped electrodes as said electrode are arranged such that they are perpendicular to a normal line of said substrate and their intervals to said substrate are all or partially differed, and said glow discharge is caused using a high frequency power with an oscillation frequency in a range of from 50 MHz to 550 MHz, whereby depositing said microcrystalline series thin film on substrate. An apparatus suitable for practicing said process.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for forming a microcrystalline silicon series thin film on a substrate, having a portion in which said substrate is arranged to oppose to an electrode in a vacuum chamber, wherein said apparatus has a plurality of bar shaped electrodes as said electrode which are arranged such that they are perpendicular to a normal line of said substrate and their intervals to said substrate are all different or in part different and a high frequency power source for causing said glow discharge using a high frequency power with an oscillation frequency in a range of from 50 MHz to 550 MHz whereby a glow.  
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of bar shaped electrodes are arranged such that they are in parallel to each other.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of bar shaped electrodes are arranged such that they are perpendicular to a transportation direction of the substrate.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of bar shaped electrodes are arranged such that their intervals to the substrate are widened in an upper side of a transportation direction of the substrate and narrowed in a down side thereof.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of bar shaped electrodes are arranged such that their intervals to the substrate are periodically changed to a transportation direction of the substrate.