Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
A plasma-CVD method including the steps of: forming plasma from a film deposition material gas in a process chamber; and depositing, in said plasma, a film on a substrate disposed in said process chamber, characterized in that: formation of said plasma from said material gas is performed by application of an rf-power prepared by effecting a first amplitude modulation on a basic rf-power having a frequency in a range from 10MHz to 200MHz, said amplitude modulation being performed at a modulation frequency in a range from 1/1000 to 1/10 of the frequency of said basic rf-power.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
26 words
A plasma-CVD method according to claim 1, characterized in that said modulation frequency is in a range from 1/270 to 1/68 of said basic rf-power frequency.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A plasma-CVD method according to claim 2, characterized in that said modulation frequency is in a range from 1/270 to 1/135 of said basic rf-power frequency.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
A plasma-CVD method according to claim 1, characterized in that said deposition material gas is a halogen compound gas used for forming said film, or is mixture of a halogen compound gas and a different kind of gas different from said halogen compound gas, said different kind of gas being used for forming said film together with said halogen compound gas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
A plasma-CVD method according to claim 1, characterized in that said film to be deposited is a carbon film, and said deposition material gas is a hydrocarbon compound gas used for forming said film, or is mixture of a hydrocarbon compound gas and a different kind of gas different from said hydrocarbon compound gas, said different kind of gas being used for forming said carbon film together with said hydrocarbon compound gas.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
A plasma-CVD method according to claim 1, characterized in that said film to be deposited is a ferroelectric film, and said deposition material gas includes at least an organic compound gas containing an element of said ferroelectric film to be formed and a gas containing oxygen and differing in kind from said organic compound gas.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
141 words
A plasma-CVD method according to claim 1, characterized in that: said film to be deposited is a ferroelectric film, said deposition material gas includes at least an organic compound gas containing an element of said ferroelectric film to be formed and a gas containing oxygen and differing in kind from said organic compound gas, and said method further comprises the steps of: thermally decomposing said deposition material gas prior to said formation of said plasma from said deposition material gas, exposing said substrate to said thermally decomposed gas to form a boundary layer made of a ferroelectric layer, applying said modulated rf-power to said deposition material gas to form said plasma after said formation of said boundary layer, and exposing said boundary layer on said substrate to said plasma formed from said deposition material gas to form said ferroelectric film thereon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
134 words
A plasma-CVD method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method further comprises the steps of: introducing a pretreatment gas into said process chamber prior to said formation of said plasma from said deposition material gas; forming plasma from said pretreatment gas by applying thereto an rf-power prepared by effecting an amplitude modulation at a frequency, which is in a range from 1/10⁵ to 1/10 of the frequency of a basic rf-power having a frequency from 10MHz to 200MHz, on said basic rf-power; exposing said substrate to said plasma formed from said pretreatment gas to clean said substrate; introducing said deposition material gas into said process chamber; and applying said modulated rf-power to said deposition material gas to form said plasma therefrom for depositing said film on the cleaned surface of said substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
72 words
A plasma-CVD method according to and one of claims 1-8, characterized in that said rf-power applied to said material gas for forming said plasma is prepared by effecting said first amplitude modulation on said basic rf-power and additionally effecting a second amplitude modulation on said modulated rf-power, the modulation frequency of said second amplitude modulation being in a range from 1/100 to 100 times said modulation frequency of said first amplitude modulation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
A plasma-CVD method according to claim 8, characterized in that said amplitude modulation for obtaining said amplitude-modulated rf-power used for forming said plasma from said pretreatment gas is performed by a pulse modulation or a pulse-like modulation performing turn-on and turn-off of an applied power.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
A plasma-CVD method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that said amplitude modulation for obtaining said amplitude-modulated rf-power used for forming said plasma from said deposition material gas is performed by a pulse modulation or a pulse-like modulation performing turn-on and turn-off of an applied power.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
113 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus comprising: a process chamber for accommodating a substrate for deposition; a gas supply unit for supplying a film deposition material gas into said process chamber; and rf-power applying means for applying an rf-power to said material gas supplied from said gas supply unit into said process chamber to form plasma from said material gas, characterized in that: said rf-power applied by said rf-power applying means is prepared by effecting a first amplitude modulation on a basic rf-power having a frequency in a range from 10MHz to 200MHz, said amplitude modulation being performed at a modulation frequency in a range from 1/1000 to 1/10 of said frequency of said basic rf-power.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said modulation frequency of said amplitude modulation for said rf-power applied by said rf-power applying means is in a range from 1/270 to 1/68 of said basic rf-power frequency.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that said modulation frequency of said amplitude modulation for said rf-power applied by said rf-power applying means is in a range from 1/270 to 1/135 of said basic rf-power frequency.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
68 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said deposition material gas supplied from said material gas supply unit is a halogen compound gas used for forming said film, or is mixture of a halogen compound gas and a different kind of gas different from said halogen compound gas, said different kind of gas being used for forming said film together with said halogen compound gas.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
80 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said film to be deposited is a carbon film, and said deposition material gas supplied from said material gas supply unit is a hydrocarbon compound gas used for forming said carbon film, or is mixture of a hydrocarbon compound gas and a different kind of gas different from said hydrocarbon compound gas, said different kind of gas being used for forming said carbon film together with said hydrocarbon compound gas.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
62 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said film to be deposited is a ferroelectric film, and said deposition material gas supplied from said material gas supply unit includes at least an organic compound gas containing an element of said ferroelectric film to be formed and a gas containing oxygen and differing in kind from said organic compound gas.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
86 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that: said film to be deposited is a ferroelectric film, and said deposition material gas supplied from said material gas supply unit includes at least an organic compound gas containing an element of said ferroelectric film to be formed and a gas containing oxygen and differing in kind from said organic compound gas, and said apparatus further comprises heating means for thermally decomposing said deposition material gas supplied from said gas supply unit to said process chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
108 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises: a pretreatment gas supply unit for supplying a pretreatment gas into said process chamber; and rf-power applying means for applying an rf-power to said pretreatment gas supplied from said pretreatment gas supply unit into said process chamber to form plasma from said pretreatment gas, wherein said rf-power applied by said rf-power applying means for said pretreatment gas is prepared by effecting an amplitude modulation at a frequency, which is in a range from 1/10⁵ to 1/10 of a frequency of said basic rf-power in a range from 10MHz to 200MHz, on said basic rf-power.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
77 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to any one or claims 12-19, characterized in that said rf-power applied by said rf-power applying means to said material gas for forming said plasma is prepared by effecting said first amplitude modulation on said basic rf-power and additionally effecting a second amplitude modulation on said modulated rf-power, the modulation frequency of said second amplitude modulation being in a range from 1/100 to 100 times said modulation frequency of said first amplitude modulation.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
49 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that said amplitude modulation for said amplitude-modulated rf-power applied by said rf-power applying means for forming said plasma from said pretreatment gas is performed by a pulse modulation or a pulse-like modulation performing turn-on and turn-off of an applied power.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
55 words
A plasma-CVD apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 21, characterized in that said amplitude modulation for said amplitude-modulated rf-power applied by said rf-power applying means for forming said plasma from said deposition material gas is performed by a pulse modulation or a pulse-like modulation performing turn-on and turn-off of an applied power.