Abstract: A plasma processing method includes etching an insulating film of a sample to be processed using plasma generated from etching gas, supplying a large flow of inert gas from above the sample while having the sample mounted on a sample mounting stage, supplying deposit removal gas to only an area near a side wall of a processing chamber, and controlling a plasma density distribution to thereby vary a plasma density at a center area of the processing chamber and a plasma density at an area near the side wall of the processing chamber so as to perform a deposited film removing process for removing the film deposited on the side wall of the processing chamber.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing method which controls a bias power to be constant without affecting the bias power supplied to a wafer, even if a part of a bias power supplied to a wafer is divided and supplied to a focus ring, and does not change the etching characteristic of the entire substrate to be processed. A high-frequency bias power supplied to a focus ring is changed by controlling the impedance control circuit according to the waste quantity of the focus ring that is wasted by the plasma processing. On the other hand, the high-frequency bias power supplied to the specimen support is controlled to the given high-frequency bias power by controlling the output of the high-frequency bias power supply.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus including a vacuum chamber, a sample table for mounting a member to be processed thereon, the sample table having a coolant path to control a temperature of the member to be processed, an electrostatic chuck power supply for electrostatically adsorbing the member to be processed on the sample table, and a plurality of gas hole parts provided in the sample table to supply heat transfer gas between the member to be processed and the sample table and thereby control a temperature of the member to be processed, each of the gas hole parts includes a boss formed of a dielectric, a sleeve, and a plurality of small tubes, and the small tubes are arranged in a range of 10 to 50% of a radius when measured from a center of the gas hole part toward outside.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum processing chamber, supplying means for introducing a processing gas into the vacuum processing chamber, a mounting electrode in the vacuum processing chamber for mounting a specimen on the mounting electrode, and a pusher pin for raising the specimen placed on the mounting electrode and holding the specimen over the mounting electrode, wherein the mounting electrode includes an inner area for mounting the specimen, an outer area for mounting a focus ring, and a high-frequency power source for supplying electric power to the inner area and the outer area, and wherein high-frequency electric power is applied to the outer area to generate plasma at the outer edge of the backside of the specimen while the specimen is raised with the pusher pin.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a sample table that places the sample in the vacuum chamber, and a gas supply unit faced to the sample table and having a gas supply surface with a diameter larger than that of the sample, wherein gas injection holes each having identical diameter are provided concentrically on the gas supply surface, a hole number density of the gas injection holes present in an outer diameter position of the sample or in an outside of the outer diameter position is made higher than that of the gas injection holes present inside the outer diameter position of the sample, and a diameter of the gas injection holes present in the outer diameter position of the sample or in the outside from the outer diameter position is larger than that of the gas injection holes present inside the diameter of the sample.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus; a refrigerant flow passage being formed in the sample table and constituting an evaporator of a cooling cycle and the in-plane temperature of the sample to be processed is controlled uniformly by controlling the enthalpy of the refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant flow passage and thereby keeping the flow mode in the refrigerant flow passage, namely in the sample table, in the state of a gas-liquid two-phase. If by any chance dry out of the refrigerant occurs in the refrigerant flow passage because the heat input of plasma increases with time or by another reason, it is possible to increase speed of a compressor and inhibit the dry out from occurring in the refrigerant flow passage. Further, if the refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant flow passage is liquefied, it is kept in the gas-liquid two-phase state.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus having enhanced plasma processing uniformity. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber 1, means 13 and 14 for supplying processing gas into the processing chamber, evacuation means 25 and 26 for decompressing the processing chamber 1, an electrode 4 on which an object 2 to be processed such as a wafer is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply 5A, wherein at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O2 or N2 are introduced into the processing chamber through different gas inlets so as to control the in-plane uniformity of the critical dimension while maintaining the in-plane uniformity of the process depth.

Abstract: An antenna electrode having a substantially circular shape, is arranged on a plane of a processing vessel, which is located opposite to a stage for mounting a sample within the processing vessel, and positioned parallel to the stage. An emission monitor monitors emission intensity of plasma present in at least 3 different points along a radial direction of the antenna electrode. A control unit adjusts an energizing current supplied to an external coil for forming a magnetic field within the processing vessel. The control unit adjusts the energizing current supplied to the external coil based upon the monitoring result obtained from the emission monitor so as to control the emission intensity of the plasma to become uniform emission intensity.

Abstract: The invention provides a plasma processing method capable of reducing the damage applied to the low-k film or the underlayer.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes an upper electrode which allows a source gas to flow into a vacuum chamber via a shower plate, a lower electrode facing the upper electrode, on which a sample to be processed is placed, and a detector which detects light from the surface of the sample to be processed via the shower plate. The detector includes at least one light introducing section made up of a transparent body to which the light is input and a spectroscope which analyzes the light obtained at the light introducing section. A plurality of the light-introducing through holes are provided in the shower plate for the at least one light introducing section, and the at least one light introducing section is made up of two members.

Abstract: There is a vacuum processing apparatus which can reduce the amount of foreign particle occurrence by enhancing the ease of maintenance of a gas diffuser installing portion in the vacuum processing apparatus. A gas diffuser chamber for accommodating a gas diffuser is installed in the vacuum processing apparatus.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes a process chamber, a conveyance chamber, a conveyance robot, a lock chamber, and a heating unit or temperature adjusting unit for reducing adherence of particles onto a substance to be processed by a thermo-phoretic force. The heating unit enables control of a temperature of the substance to be processed to be higher than a temperature of an inner wall or structural body of the process chamber or the conveyance chamber or the conveyance robot or the lock chamber, in conveying the substance to be processed. The temperature adjusting unit enables adjustment of a temperature of an inner wall or structural body of the process chamber or the conveyance chamber or the lock chamber to be lower than a temperature of the substance to be processed, in conveying the substance to be processed.

Abstract: The present invention provides means for controlling the temperature of a semiconductor wafer rapidly and uniformly in plane during etching processing by a large quantity of input heat by use of a refrigerating system by the heat of evaporation. A ring-shaped refrigerant passage is formed in a sample stand. Since the heat transfer rate and pressure loss of a refrigerant increase from a refrigerant supply port to a refrigerant ejection port as dryness degrees increase, these must be restricted. Therefore, constructionally, a supply refrigerant quantity is controlled to prevent the refrigerant from completely evaporating within the refrigerant passage, and the sectional areas of the refrigerant passage increase successively from a first passage to a third passage.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus capable of attaining compatibility between the decrease for the number of foreign particles deposited on a sample in a lock chamber and improvement of the throughput, in which an open speed controllable valve is disposed and the depressurization speed can be controlled automatically by a controlling computer.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus having enhanced plasma processing uniformity. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber 1, means 13 and 14 for supplying processing gas into the processing chamber, evacuation means 25 and 26 for decompressing the processing chamber 1, an electrode 4 on which an object 2 to be processed such as a wafer is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply 5A, wherein at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O2 or N2 are introduced into the processing chamber through different gas inlets so as to control the in-plane uniformity of the critical dimension while maintaining the in-plane uniformity of the process depth.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus provided with control means, gas supply means includes a first gas supply path for supplying a vent gas into a processing chamber by way of a shower plate and a second gas supply path for supplying a vent gas into the processing chamber without via the shower plate, and the control means is capable of adjusting a flow rate of the vent gas of at least one of the first and second gas supply paths in such a manner that a pressure on a back side of the shower plate becomes a pressure that is a positive pressure relative to a pressure in the processing chamber and less than a withstand pressure of the shower plate.

Abstract: The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus for measuring the etching quantity of the material being processed and detecting the end point of etching using optical interference on the surface of a sample being processed, so as to simultaneously realize long life and ensure sufficient light to be received via a light transmitting unit, to enable long term stable operation and to improve the processing accuracy via accurate etching quantity detection.

Abstract: A plasma processing method includes mounting a workpiece to be processed on an upper surface of a sample table disposed at a lower portion of an interior of a processing chamber disposed within a vacuum vessel and processing the workpiece by use of plasma formed within the processing chamber while applying thereto a first high frequency power for adjustment of a surface potential of the workpiece which is disposed on the sample table. The method further includes starting, prior to application of the first high frequency power, to adjust a temperature of a heat exchange medium flowing in a passage disposed inside of the sample table so as to have a predetermined value based on information of this high frequency power.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber disposed within a vacuum vessel for forming therein a plasma, a sample table disposed beneath the processing chamber for mounting on its upper surface a workpiece to be processed, an electrode disposed within the sample table for allowing application of high frequency power for adjustment of a surface potential of the workpiece, a passage disposed within the sample table for causing a refrigerant to flow therein, and a control device for adjusting a temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the passage. The workpiece is processed using a plasma created within the processing chamber under application of the high frequency power. Before application of the high frequency power, the control device starts to adjust the temperature of the refrigerant based on information of the high frequency power so that it has a predetermined value.

Abstract: A plasma processing method using plasma includes steps of applying current to a coil and introducing gas into a processing chamber, applying a bias power that does not generate plasma, applying a source power to generate plasma so that a plasma density distribution is high above an outer circumference of a semiconductor wafer and low above a center of the semiconductor wafer, and forming a shape of a sheath layer having a positive ion space charge directly above the semiconductor wafer so as to be convex in an upper direction from the semiconductor wafer, thereby eliminating foreign particles trapped in a boundary of the sheath layer having a positive ion space charge directly above the semiconductor wafer, generating plasma for processing the semiconductor wafer under a condition different from the conditions of the previous steps.