NOVELTY - Forming a photovoltaic device, comprises: (a) evaporating (802) a source material to form a large molecule processing gas; (b) flowing (804) the large molecule processing gas through a gas distribution showerhead and into a processing area of a processing chamber having a substrate; (c) igniting (806) a plasma from the large molecule processing gas; (d) generating (808) a small molecule processing gas with the plasma; and (e) reacting (810) the small molecule processing gas with a film already deposited on a substrate surface to form a semiconductor film.    USE - The method is useful for forming a photovoltaic device (claimed) e.g. a solar cell.    ADVANTAGE - The method: provides controlled effusion rate of selenium towards the substrate surface; permits better control of selenization of thicker copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) films, such that a correct and improved CIGS film can be manufactured more efficiently; provides improved control of surface morphology of the depositing film layers to minimize and eliminate pinholes, and hence create smooth surfaces; improves induction of forming reacted phases with existing layers or with additional co-depositing species; and is performed at lower processing temperatures.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) forming a photovoltaic device, comprising: either steps (a) and (b) as above per se, electrically biasing the showerhead to increase the energy level of the large molecule processing gas within the processing area without igniting a plasma in the processing area, generating a small molecule processing gas by colliding processing gas molecules with each other, and step (e) as above per se; or steps (a) and (b) as above per se, igniting a plasma in a remote plasma source, flowing ionized molecules from the remote plasma source through a linear plasma showerhead into the processing area, generating a small molecule processing gas with the ionized molecules, and step (e) as above per se; and    (2) an apparatus for processing a substrate in a continuous inline photovoltaic device production process, comprising: either a processing chamber body, a substrate positioner, a linear gas distribution showerhead disposed in the processing chamber body (where the showerhead is electrically coupled to a power source), a gas conduit coupled to the showerhead and an evaporator coupled to the gas conduit; or a processing chamber body, a substrate positioner, a linear remote plasma distribution showerhead disposed in the processing chamber body, a remote plasma source coupled to the linear remote plasma distribution showerhead (where the remote plasma source is electrically coupled to a power source), a linear gas distribution showerhead disposed in the processing chamber body, a gas conduit coupled to the linear gas distribution showerhead and an evaporator coupled to the gas conduit.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a schematic diagram of an operational sequence for processing a substrate.    Evaporating the source material (802)    Flowing the large molecule processing gas (804)    Igniting the plasma (806)    Generating the small molecule processing gas (808)    Reacting the small molecule processing gas with the film (810)