Patent ID: 7784426

Claim:
A capacitively coupled radiofrequency plasma reactor, comprising: at least one first electrode having a substrate supporting surface; at least one second electrode spaced at a distance from the first electrode, the second electrode having a concave surface facing the substrate supporting surface; an internal process area extending between the first and second electrodes; a gas inlet for providing the process area with a process gas; at least one radiofrequency generator for frequencies greater than 13.56 MHz connected to at least one of the electrodes, at a connection location, for generating a plasma discharge in the process area; a gas outlet for evacuating process gas from the reactor; and a dielectric layer having a convex surface dimensioned to matingly engage the concave surface of the second electrode and having a planar surface opposite the convex surface; wherein the dielectric layer is formed of a solid material; wherein the substrate supporting surface is configured to receive at least one substrate with a largest dimension of at least 0.7 m, defining one boundary of the process area, to be exposed to the processing action of the plasma discharge; and wherein the dielectric layer is arranged electrically in series with the substrate and plasma discharge and has capacitance per unit surface values which are not uniform along at least one direction of the working surface of the substrate, for generating a given distribution profile, for compensating a process in a non-uniform manner along the working surface.