Process gas introduction, confinement and evacuation system for glow discharge deposition apparatus

摘要

A system for introducing, confining and evacuating process gases adjacent the cathode region of glow discharge deposition apparatus, said apparatus adapted to deposit at least one layer of semiconductor material onto a substrate. The deposition apparatus includes at least one dedicated deposition chamber into which process gases are introduced for glow discharge disassociation into species. The system of the present invention includes a baffling manifold adjacent the cathode, said manifold adapted to (1) substantially prevent adjacent slowly and rapidly moving streams of process gases from forming flow patterns as the semiconductor material is deposited onto the substrate, and (2) thoroughly mix the process gases for only introducing homogeneous, uniform process gas mixtures into the plasma region, thereby preventing adjacent nonhomogeneous, nonuniform mixtures from forming flow patterns as the semiconductor material is deposited onto the substrate. The system is also adapted to expose the entire transverse width of the substrate for the deposition of semiconductor material thereunto.