A discharge electrode E in an electrode chamber C is formed of a pair of electrode members 8 and 9 having lengths equal to or greater than a width of a film F. Also, the pair of electrode members 8 and 9 are disposed facing each other so as to sandwich a support member 4 there-between, which has nearly the same length as to electrode members; a gap is formed in a section in which the pair of electrode members 8 and 9 face each other; and this gap is open at a tip of the discharge electrode so as to serve as a gas pathway 15. Meanwhile, in the aforementioned support member 4, a plurality of gas guiding holes 5 are formed in a longitudinal direction thereof, and the gas guiding holes are in communication with a gas supplying system.

An apparatus for depositing a polymer layer containing nanomaterial on a substrate material includes a carrier for carrying the substrate material; a transport structure for providing a polymerization material near a surface of the substrate material and conducting a gas flow near the surface of the substrate material with the gas flow comprising a nanomaterial; and a plasma chamber wherein a plasma electrode structure is arranged for depositing the polymer layer containing nanomaterial on the surface of the substrate material by applying a plasma polymerization process.

This sputtering cathode has a sputtering target having a tubular shape in which the cross-sectional shape thereof has a pair of long side sections facing each other, and an erosion surface facing inward. Using the sputtering target, while moving a body to be film-formed, which has a film formation region having a narrower width than the long side sections of the sputtering target, parallel to one end face of the sputtering target and at a constant speed in a direction perpendicular to the long side sections above a space surrounded by the sputtering target, discharge is performed such that a plasma circulating along the inner surface of the sputtering target is generated, and the inner surface of the long side sections of the sputtering target is sputtered by ions in the plasma generated by a sputtering gas to perform film formation in the film formation region of the body to be film-formed.

A laminated film including: a substrate; and a thin film layer stacked on at least one surface of the substrate, the thin film layer containing silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms, the thin film layer having at least three extrema, a difference between a maximum value of local maxima and a minimum value of the local maxima of 14 at % or less, and a maximum value of 23 at % to 33 at % in a carbon distribution curve that represents a relationship between a thickness-wise distance in the thin film layer from a surface of the thin film layer and a proportion of the number of carbon atoms (atomic proportion of carbon) to a total number of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms contained in the thin film layer at a point positioned away from the surface by the distance, and the thin film layer including at least one discontinuous region that satisfies a relationship of formulae (1) to (3),

3 at %ab(1)

3 at %bc(2)

0.5<(ac)/dx(3).

A laminated film including: a substrate; and a thin film layer stacked on at least one surface of the substrate, the thin film layer containing silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms, the thin film layer having at least three extrema, and a difference between a maximum value of local maxima and a minimum value of the local maxima of 14 at % or less in a carbon distribution curve that represents a relationship between a thickness-wise distance in the thin film layer from a surface of the thin film layer and a proportion of the number of carbon atoms (atomic proportion of carbon) to a total number of silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms contained in the thin film layer at a point positioned away from the surface by the distance, and the thin film layer including at least one discontinuous region that satisfies a relationship of formulae (1) to (3),

3 at %ab (1)

3 at %bc (2)

0.5<(ac)/dx (3).

Apparatus comprising: a support arranged to transport a moving substrate; a plasma generator arranged to generate plasma; and an electrode arranged to bias ions within the plasma towards the moving substrate to form an ion flux. The ion flux has an energy level between 3.6 eV and 250 eV. Alternatively, apparatus for defining plasma having a plurality of spaced race track portions.

This sputtering cathode has a sputtering target having a tubular shape in which the cross-sectional shape thereof has a pair of long side sections facing each other, and an erosion surface facing inward. Using the sputtering target, while moving a body to be film-formed, which has a film formation region having a narrower width than the long side sections of the sputtering target, parallel to one end face of the sputtering target and at a constant speed in a direction perpendicular to the long side sections above a space surrounded by the sputtering target, discharge is performed such that a plasma circulating along the inner surface of the sputtering target is generated, and the inner surface of the long side sections of the sputtering target is sputtered by ions in the plasma generated by a sputtering gas to perform film formation in the film formation region of the body to be film-formed.

A film forming apparatus for forming a thin film on a flexible substrate. The film forming apparatus forms a thin film on a flexible substrate under vacuum. The film forming apparatus includes a first zone into which a first gas is introduced and a second zone into which a second gas is introduced in a vacuum chamber. Zone separators have openings through which the flexible substrate passes. The film forming apparatus includes a mechanism that reciprocates the flexible substrate between the zones. Further, the film forming apparatus includes a mechanism that supplies a raw material gas containing metal or silicon to the first zone, and a mechanism that performs sputtering of a material containing metal or silicon as a target material in the second zone.

A vacuum processing system for a flexible substrate is provided. The vacuum processing system includes a first chamber adapted for housing a supply roll for providing the flexible substrate; a second chamber adapted for housing a take-up roll for storing the flexible substrate after processing; a substrate transport arrangement including one or more guide rollers for guiding the flexible substrate from the first chamber to the second chamber; a maintenance zone between the first chamber and the second chamber wherein the maintenance zone allows for maintenance access to or of at least one of the first chamber and the second chamber; and a first process chamber for processing the flexible substrate.

The present invention provides a roll-to roll sputtering process with a hybrid target comprising: unwinding a flexible polymer substrate from an unwinding axis; sputtering a hybrid target to the flexible polymer substrate for forming a first metal film, and a second metal film; and rewinding the flexible polymer substrate to a rewinding axis, and further comprising the following steps of: using laser to form a first electrode section and a second electrode section on the first metal film and the second metal film; and disposing a detecting substance layer on the second electrode section. Moreover, a product made by the roll-to-roll sputtering process is provided. Compared to the prior art, the hybrid target of the present invention is formed by multiple metals and can be sputtered to the substrate for forming multiple metal thin films. The present invention has an advantage of shortening the processing time and saving cost.