Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Takayoshi Arai

Keishi Saitoh

Shigeru Shirai

Minoru Kato

Yasushi Fujioka

Keishi Saito

Tetsuya Takei

Junichiro Hashizume

Shigehira Iida

Masahiro Kanai

Tsutomu Murakami

Soichiro Kawakami

Isamu Shimizu

Shunichi Ishihara

Mitsuyuki Niwa

Eiji Takeuchi

An improved method for forming a functional deposited film by introducing a raw material gas into a substantially enclosed reaction chamber containing a substrate onto which the functional deposited film is to be deposited and coupling microwave energy from a source of microwave energy thereinto to thereby form a glow discharge plasma causing decomposition of the raw material gas whereby forming the functional deposited film on the substrate, the improvement comprising supplying microwave of a power equivalent of 1.1 times or more over that of microwave with which the deposition rate for the decomposed products from the raw material gas being deposited onto the substrate to be saturated to the raw material gas in the reaction chamber and regulating the inner pressure of the reaction chamber to a vacuum of 10 m Torr or less. According to the method of this invention, there can be formed a desired functional deposited film having a wealth of many practically applicable characteristics and having an improved response speed against photocurrent at an improved deposition rate with a raw material gas utilization efficiency of hundred percent or nearly hundred percent. And the method of this invention makes it possible to mass-produce various functional elements comprising such deposited film usable in electrophotographic photosensitive member, photosensor, thin-film transistor, solar cell, etc. on an industrial scale thereby enabling low cost production.

Method for forming functional deposited films by means of microwave

A microwave plasma treating apparatus comprising a vacuum vessel, a device for introducing a microwave to the inside of the vacuum vessel by way of a microwave transmission circuit, a device for supplying a starting gas to the inside of the vacuum vessel, a device for evacuating the inside of the vacuum vessel, and a specimen holder for maintaining a specimen substrate to the inside of the vacuum vessel, wherein a cavity resonator integrated with two matching circuits is disposed in the microwave transmission circuit and a magnetic field generator is disposed to the outside of the cavity resonator, and having the following main features: (a) matching facilitated by a plunger for adjusting the axial length of the cavity resonator and cylindrical sling type irises, E-H tuner or three-stub tuner disposed at the portion of the cylindrical cavity resonator where the microwave is introduced, (b) a bell jar disposed within the cavity resonator to excite TM mode and (c) a magnetic field generator disposed to the outside of the cavity resonator to prepare a region of a great magnetic flux density in the discharging space at the inside of the cavity resonator.

Microwave plasma treating apparatus

A photosensor has a photoconductive member. The photoconductive member has a structure comprising a laminated product consisting of functional thin films superposed on one another. The laminated product comprises at least two functional thin films. The functional thin film containing 10 atomic % or less of hydrogen. The band gaps and conduction types and/or conductivity of the functional thin films are controlled to provide high photo sensitivity.

Non-single crystalline photosensor with hydrogen and halogen

A process for the formation of a deposited functional film by separately introducing, into a film-deposition space (A) for forming a deposited film on a substrate, a precursor as the starting material for forming a deposited film which is formed by applying a microwave energy in to a precursor-generating gaseous raw material a decomposition space (B) and an active species which is formed in a decomposition space (C) and which is chemically reactive with the precursor, respectively and chemically reacting them to thereby form a deposited film on the substrate, wherein the inner wall face of a chamber constituting the film-deposition space (A) and the inner wall face of a chamber constituting the decomposition space (C) are coated with a thin film constituted with an element or ingredient constituting the deposited film having a resistance value of 10.sup.6 .OMEGA..cm or more, thereby preventing intrusion of impurities from inner wall material into the deposited film.

Process for forming film in a three-chambered apparatus having two

An improved process for forming a functional deposited film by HR-CVD method which comprises disposing an electroconductive substrate or an insulating substrate at least one surface of which being applied with electroconductive treatment on a substrate holder in a substantially enclosed film-forming chamber, introducing a precursor formed in an activation chamber disposed separately from the film-forming chamber which is capable of contributing to the formation of the deposited film and an active species formed in another activation chamber disposed separately from the film-forming chamber and the activation chamber which is capable of chemically reacting with the precursor respectively and separately into said film-forming chamber, and chemically reacting them to thereby form a functional deposited film on the substrate, wherein a voltage in the range of from -5 V to -100 V is applied to the electroconductive substrate or the surface of the insulating substrate applied with the electroconductive treatment.

HR-CVD process for the formation of a functional deposited film on a

An improved method for forming a functional deposited film by introducing a raw material gas into a substantially enclosed reaction chamber containing a substrate onto which the functional deposited film is to be deposited and coupling microwave energy from a source of microwave energy thereinto to thereby form a glow discharge plasma causing decomposition of the raw material gas whereby forming the functional deposited film on the substrate, the improvement comprising supplying microwave of a power equivalent to 1.1 times or more over that of microwave with which the deposition rate for the decomposed products from the raw material gas being deposited onto the substrate to be saturated to the raw material gas in the reaction chamber and regulating the inner pressure of the reaction chamber to a vacuum of 10 m Torr or less. According to the method of this invention, there can be formed a desired functional deposited film having a wealth of many practically applicable characteristics and having an improved response speed against photocurrent at an improved deposition rate with a raw material gas utilization efficiency of hundred percent or nearly hundred percent. And the method of this invention makes it possible to mass-produce various functional elements comprising such deposited film usable in electrophotographic photosensitive member, photosensor, thin-film transistor, solar cell, etc. on an industrial scale thereby enabling low cost production.

An improved MW-PCVD apparatus, characterized in that in the MW-CVD apparatus having a substrate onto which a deposited film to be formed and a space near the substrate for the decomposition of a raw material gas with the action of microwave energy, a shielding member is provided between said substrate and said space, which has an opening to allow part of the decomposed raw material gas species to be passed toward the substrate.

Microwave plasma CVD apparatus having substrate shielding member

There are provided on improved light receiving member for use in electrophotography and a process for the production thereof. The light receiving member comprises a substrate usable for electrophotography and a light receiving layer constituted by a charge injection inhibition layer formed of a polycrystalline material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent atoms and an element for controlling the conductivity, a photoconductive layer formed of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent atoms and at least one kind selected from hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms and a surface layer formed of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms, carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms, said polycrystalline material of which the charge injection inhibition layer being formed being a polycrystalline material prepared by introducing a precursor capable of contributing to formation of the charge injection inhibition layer and an active species reactive with the precursor separately into a film deposition space and chemically reacting them.

Electrophotographic light receiving member having polycrystalline

An improved microwave plasma CVD apparatus for the formation of a thin film on a substrate by exciting glow discharge in a reaction chamber, comprising a substantially enclosed reaction chamber to receive the substrate, a means for supplying a film forming raw material gas into said reaction chamber and a means for introducing microwave energy into said reaction chamber, characterized in that said means for introducing microwave energy retains the gas atmosphere in said reaction chamber and as well as is constituted by a microwave transmissive material capable of introducing the microwave energy, said material being alumina ceramics containing glassy component such as SiO.sub.2, CaO and MgO in an amount of 1 wt. % to 10 wt. % and substantially as other component .alpha.-alumina. In the improved apparatus, the microwave transmissive window can be repeatedly used without being damaged for a long period of time and a desirable functional deposited film may be mass-produced at a high deposition rate.

Microwave plasma CVD apparatus having an improved microwave transmissive

A process for the formation of a functional deposited film containing atoms belonging to the group II and VI of the periodical table as the main constituent atoms by introducing, into a film forming space for forming a deposited film on a substrate disposed therein, a group II compound (1) and a group VI compound (2) as the film-forming raw material and, if required, a compound (3) containing an element capable of controlling valence electrons for the deposited film as the constituent element each in a gaseous state, or in a state where at least one of such compounds is previously activated in an activation space disposed separately from the film forming space, while forming hydrogen atoms in an excited state which cause chemical reaction with at least one of the compounds (1), (2) and (3) in the gaseous state or in the activated state in an activation space different from the film forming space and introducing them into the film-forming space, thereby forming the functional deposited film on the substrate, wherein the hydrogen atoms in the excited state are formed from a hydrogen gas or a gas mixture composed of a hydrogen gas and a rare gas by means of a microwave plasma generated in a plasma generation chamber disposed in a cavity resonator integrated with two impedance matching circuits in a microwave circuit and the excited state of the hydrogen atom is controlled.

Process for the formation of a functional deposited film containing

A process for the formation of a functional deposited film as a thin semiconductor film constituted with the group IV element or a thin semiconductor film constituted with group IV element alloy, by introducing, into a film forming space, a compound as the film-forming raw material and, if required, a compound containing an element capable of controlling valence electrons for the deposited film as the constituent element each in a gaseous state, or in a state where at least one of the compounds is activated, while forming hydrogen atoms in an excited state causing chemical reaction with at least one of the compounds in the gaseous state or in the activated state in an activation space different from the film forming space and introducing them into the film forming space, thereby forming a deposited film on a substrate, wherein the hydrogen atoms in the excited state are formed from a hydrogen gas or a gas mixture composed of a hydrogen gas and a rare gas by means of a microwave plasma generated in a plasma generation chamber disposed in a cavity resonator integrated with two impedance matching circuits in a microwave circuit and the excited state of the hydrogen atoms is controlled.

An improvement in the known MW-PCVD process for forming a deposited film on each of a plurality of cylindrical substrates being so arranged as to surround the discharging space in a substantially enclosed reaction space of a deposition chamber by the glow discharge of raw material gas to generate plasmas containing reactive gaseous materials causing the formation of said deposited film in the discharging space while rotating said plurality of substrates, which comprises providing a gas feed pipe provided with a plurality of gas liberation holes opening into the discharging space in every space between every two of the substrates so as to form an encircled discharging space and an open non-discharging space by said plurality of cylindrical substrates and a plurality of gas feed pipes and regulating the deposit thickness to be deposited per a rotation cycle of the substrate passing through the discharging space and the non-discharging space to a 1000 .ANG. or less.

Process for forming a deposited film on each of a plurality of

According to the present invention, there is provided an improved process for the formation of a deposited film by way of a microwave plasma CVD method, the improvement comprising monitoring an effective power of a microwave to be introduced into a reaction chamber, leading to a control means an output signal indicative of the effective power corresponding a plasma intensity, and automatically controlling the matching between the reaction chamber and the microwave to be introduced into the reaction chamber according to an output signal from the control means. According to the above process, even after a long discharge time has elapsed, the plasma intensity in the reaction chamber may be maintained constant, and the effective power of the microwave to be introduced into the reaction chamber may be therefore maintained constant. Because of this, it becomes possible to repeatedly and stably prepare a desired deposited film excelling in the uniformity of the thickness and that of the quality at a high deposition rate.

Process for the formation of a functional deposited film by way of

There are provided an improved light receiving member for use in electrophotography and a process for the production thereof. The light receiving member comprises a substrate usable for electrophotography and a light receiving layer constituted by a charge injection inhibition layer formed of an amorphous or polycrystalline material containing silicon atom as the main constituent and an element for controlling the conductivity, a photoconductive layer formed of an amorphous material containing silicon atom as the main constituent and at least one kind selected from hydrogen atom and halogen atom and a surface layer formed of a polycrystalline material containing silicon atom, carbon atom and hydrogen atom. The polycrystalline material is a polycrystalline material prepared by introducing a precursor capable of contributing to formation of the layer and an active species reactive with the precursor separately into a film deposition space and chemically reacting them.

Light receiving member for use in electrophotography and process for the

There is provided an improved light receiving member for use in electrophotography comprising a substrate for electrophotography and a light receiving layer constituted by an absorption layer for light of long wavelength formed of a polycrystal material containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms, a photoconductive layer formed of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms as the main constituent atoms and a surface layer formed of an amorphous material containing silicon atoms, carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms, the amount of the hydrogen atoms contained in the surface layer being in the range of from 1.times.10.sup.-3 to 40 atomic %. The light receiving layer may have a charge injection inhibition layer or/and a contact layer.

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Nagahama, Japan

Takayoshi Arai