Patent ID: 8372202

Claim:
A film deposition apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate by carrying out a cycle of supplying in turn at least two kinds of reaction gases that react with each other to the substrate to produce a layer of a reaction product in a chamber, the film deposition apparatus comprising: a turntable provided in the chamber and including a substrate receiving area in which the substrate is placed; a first reaction gas supplying portion configured to supply a first reaction gas to a surface of the turntable, the surface having the substrate receiving area; a second reaction gas supplying portion configured to supply a second reaction gas to the surface, the second reaction gas supplying portion being arranged away from the first reaction gas supplying portion along a circumferential direction of the turntable; a separation area located along the circumferential direction between a first process area in which the first reaction gas is supplied and a second process area in which the second reaction gas is supplied, wherein the separation area includes a lower surface that is lower than a ceiling surface of each of the first and the second process areas in relation to the turntable and has a width becoming substantially greater toward a circumference of the vacuum chamber, the width being along the rotation direction, thereby to create in relation to the turntable a thin space, and a separation gas supplying portion that is positioned within the lower surface and supplies a first separation gas to the thin space thereby to create separation gas flows from the separation area to the process area sides in relation to the rotation direction; a first heating unit that heats the first separation gas and allows the heated first separation gas to be supplied from the separation gas supplying portion to the thin space; an evacuation opening through which the first reaction gas, the second reaction gas, and the first separation gas supplied to the turntable are evacuated; and a driving portion configured to rotate the turntable in the circumferential direction relative to the first process area, the second process area, and the separation area while the first reaction gas, the second reaction gas, and the first separation gas are supplied to the turntable in order to deposit a film on the substrate.