Patent ID: 7740917

Claim:
A method for forming a film comprising a first process and a second process, the first process comprising the steps of: (i) supplying a discharge gas containing nitrogen in an amount of 50% by volume or more based on a volume of the discharge gas, to a first discharge space of an atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus, the first discharge space is formed between a first electrode and a second electrode which are facing each other, where a high frequency electric field A is generated at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure in the first discharge space by superposing a first high frequency electric field of 200 kHz or less and a second high frequency electric field of 800 kHz or more, the first high frequency electric field is applied to the first electrode and the second high frequency electric field applied to the second electrode, whereby the discharge gas is excited; (ii) transferring energy of the excited discharge gas to a film forming gas, whereby the film forming gas is excited; and (iii) exposing a substrate to the excited film forming gas, whereby a film is formed on the substrate, the second process comprising the steps of: (iv) supplying a gas containing an oxidizing gas to a second discharge space of the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus where high frequency electric field B is generated at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure, whereby the gas containing the oxidizing gas is excited; and (v) exposing the film formed in the first process to the excited gas containing the oxidizing gas, and moving the substrate between the first discharge space and the second discharge space.