13.56 MHz hollow cathode jet matrix plasma source for large area surface coating

A novel jet matrix plasma source (JEMPS) for large area film deposition is presented. A high density plasma is produced by use of low temperature plasma jets extracted from 13.56 MHz hollow cathode discharges. A prototype of JEMPS is realized as the matrix of 7 x 11 plasma jets. The influence of gas flow, radio frequency (RF) power and pressure on the ion concentration is investigated. The typical working conditions of JEMPS are discharge gas flow 500-1000 seem, pressure 30-100 Pa and RF power up to 400 W. The ion concentration measured under such conditions by use of a double Langmuir probe amounts up to 7 x 10(10) cm(-3) for argon plasma jets. Local variation of the ion concentration in a plane parallel to the anode decreases from 35% to 5% if the distance from the anode increases from 10 to 45 mm. A remote plasma deposition process is carried out with an oxygen plasma and the silicon organic monomer hexamethyldisiloxane and has a pressure range of between 30 and 100 Pa. The actual maximum deposition rate is 366 nm min(-1). The local film thickness variation is <20%. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.