Patent ID: 6955836

Claim:
A silicon oxide film formation method using a CVD system having a vacuum container separated into two compartments by a conductive partition plate, one of the compartments forming a plasma generating space containing a high frequency electrode and the other compartment forming a film forming space containing a substrate holding mechanism for holding substrates, the conductive partition plate having plural penetration holes for communicating between the plasma generating space and the film forming space and an inner space separated from the plasma generating space and communicating with the film forming space through plural diffusion holes, said method comprising: supplying a material gas into the inner space of the conductive partition plate and introducing the material gas into the film forming space through plural diffusion holes; applying high frequency electric power to the high frequency electrode to generate plasma discharge in the plasma generating space and introducing products produced by the plasma in the plasma generating space into the film forming space through plural penetration holes in the conductive partition plate; and forming a silicon oxide film on a substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism with the products and the material gas; wherein, during said applying, oxygen atom containing gas and nitrogen atom containing gas are introduced into the plasma generating space to generate the plasma discharge, the nitrogen atom containing gas is introduced together with the oxygen containing gas and is mixed into the oxygen atom containing gas at a flow rate ratio of not more than 20%, the oxygen atom containing gas is one of O 2 and O 3 , and the nitrogen atom containing gas is one of NO, N 2 O and NO 2 .