An apparatus and method for forming a carbon protective layer on a substrate using a plasma CVD method allows a more uniform in-plane distribution of the carbon protective layer thickness. The apparatus includes an annular anode that generates a plasma beam and a disk-shaped shield disposed between the anode and the substrate. The anode, the shield, and the substrate are concentrically arranged so that a straight line connecting the centers of the anode and the substrate is perpendicular to the deposition surface of the substrate where the carbon protective layer is to be formed. The center of the shield is also on the straight line.