Patent ID: 6948448

Claim:
An apparatus for depositing a uniform coating on a planar surface of a movable substrate, said apparatus comprising: a) a linear array of a plurality of individual plasma sources that are separate from each other for generating a plurality of plasmas, wherein each of said plurality of plasma sources includes a cathode, an anode, and an inlet for a non-reactive plasma source gas disposed in a plasma chamber; b) a deposition chamber for containing said movable substrate, wherein said deposition chamber is in fluid communication with said plasma chamber, and wherein said plasma chamber is maintained at a first predetermined pressure and said deposition chamber is maintained at a second predetermined pressure, said second predetermined pressure being less than said first predetermined pressure; and c) a common reactant gas injector comprising a tubular-walled structure disposed in said deposition chamber between said anodes of each of said plurality of plasma sources and said movable substrate for providing a uniform flow rate of at least one reactant gas into each of said plurality of plasmas in said at least one array, said tubular-walled structure comprising two linear portions that are substantially parallel to each other and two end portions connecting said two linear portions, wherein said common reactant gas injector is circumferentially disposed with respect to said plurality of plasmas.