Abstract: A wafer stage 2 for holding a semiconductor wafer in a plasma treatment apparatus by setting the wafer on the wafer stage, said wafer stage 2 comprising a base material 26 equipped with refrigerant flow paths for allowing a refrigerant for temperature adjustment to flow; a stress-reducing member 28 provided on the wafer setting side of said base material 26 and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material; a dielectric film 30 provided on the wafer setting side of said stress-reducing member; and a deflection-preventing member 29 provided on the wafer non-setting side of said base material and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material. When the wafer stage is used, the temperature of the wafer as a substrate to be processed can be controlled uniformly and very accurately.

Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus has an atmospheric loader having a plurality of cassette tables and a transport unit for carrying wafers, a vacuum loader equipped with vacuum wafer-processing chambers and a vacuum transport chamber communicating with the processing chambers via gate valves, and a locking unit provided with a loading lock chamber and unloading lock chambers that have gate valves for connecting the atmospheric transport unit and vacuum transport chamber; wherein two etching chambers, formed by UHF-ECR reactors, are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axial line passing through the middle of the vacuum transport chamber and locking unit, only at the opposite side of the locking unit across the vacuum transport chamber, and at an acute angle with respect to the vacuum transport chamber, and UHF-ECR antennas, almost parallel to the foregoing axial line, are opened at the opposite side to that of the vacuum transport chamber.

Abstract: A wafer stage 2 for holding a semiconductor wafer in a plasma treatment apparatus by setting the wafer on the wafer stage, said wafer stage 2 comprising a base material 26 equipped with refrigerant flow paths for allowing a refrigerant for temperature adjustment to flow; a stress-reducing member 28 provided on the wafer setting side of said base material 26 and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material; a dielectric film 30 provided on the wafer setting side of said stress-reducing member; and a deflection-preventing member 29 provided on the wafer non-setting side of said base material and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material. When the wafer stage is used, the temperature of the wafer as a substrate to be processed can be controlled uniformly and very accurately.

Abstract: A wafer stage 2 for holding a semiconductor wafer in a plasma treatment apparatus by setting the wafer on the wafer stage, said wafer stage 2 comprising a base material 26 equipped with refrigerant flow paths for allowing a refrigerant for temperature adjustment to flow; a stress-reducing member 28 provided on the wafer setting side of said base material 26 and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material; a dielectric film 30 provided on the wafer setting side of said stress-reducing member; and a deflection-preventing member 29 provided on the wafer non-setting side of said base material and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material. When the wafer stage is used, the temperature of the wafer as a substrate to be processed can be controlled uniformly and very accurately.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus for etching of a sample having an etching chamber having an upper wall and a sidewall, an exchangeable jacket which is held inside of the sidewall and a heating mechanism for generating heat which radiates toward an interior of the etching chamber, the sample being disposed in the etching chamber. The apparatus includes an evacuation system which evacuates the etching chamber, an etching gas supply which supplies an etching gas into the chamber and a plasma generator which generates a plasma for performing etching of the sample in the etching chamber and at least one temperature controller for controlling a temperature of at least one such upper wall and said sidewall of said etching chamber.

Abstract: In the plasma processing apparatus for generating plasma in a processing chamber and processing a wafer by mutual action of electromagnetic waves radiated from a UHF band antenna installed in the processing chamber and a magnetic field formed by a magnetic field generator installed around the processing chamber, a hollow tube having one end in communication with an opening in the side wall of the processing chamber and another end, outside the processing chamber, which has a measuring window of plasma optical emission. By setting the lines of force of the magnetic field formed by the magnetic field generator so as to form an angle relative to the hollow tube, entry of plasma into the hollow tube can be prevented, and adhesion of deposits onto the measuring window can be suppressed, whereby the transmission factor of the measuring window can be kept constant over a long period of use.

Abstract: A maintenance method including performing a maintenance operation for a plasma processing apparatus having a vacuum vessel having a formed processing chamber inside, a plasma generation device for generating plasma in the processing chamber, and an electrode for holding a sample to be processed in the processing chamber. The plasma processing chamber is structured so that an upper wall of the vacuum vessel is an open-close part, and at least one of parts constituting the plasma generation device including a non-metallic brittle member is arranged in the open-close part, and at least one part of an upper wall constituting an upper side surface of the processing chamber is rotated around an almost horizontal axis and the open-close part can be held stably in a state that the open-close part on an inner side of the processing chamber is directed upward.

Abstract: A plasma processing method includes the steps of evacuating a vacuum vessel by an evacuation system, introducing a processing gas into the vacuum vessel, disposing an object or example to be processed within the vacuum vessel, supplying electrical bias power to a lower electrode within the vacuum vessel, radiating a high frequency electromagnetic wave within the vacuum vessel, and causing said processing gas to change into a plasma for performing processing of the object to be processed. The vacuum vessel includes a processing chamber having a sidewall and subjecting the sidewall to temperature control so that the temperature of the sidewall is controlled so as to be maintained within ±10° C. in a range of 20 to 80° C.

Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus has an atmospheric loader having a plurality of cassette tables and a transport unit for carrying wafers, a vacuum loader equipped with vacuum wafer-processing chambers and a vacuum transport chamber communicating with the processing chambers via gate valves, and a locking unit provided with a loading lock chamber and unloading lock chambers that have gate valves for connecting the atmospheric transport unit and vacuum transport chamber; wherein two etching chambers, formed by UHF-ECR reactors, are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axial line passing through the middle of the vacuum transport chamber and locking unit, only at the opposite side of the locking unit across the vacuum transport chamber, and at an acute angle with respect to the vacuum transport chamber, and UHF-ECR antennas, almost parallel to the foregoing axial line, are opened at the opposite side to that of the vacuum transport chamber.

Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus has an atmospheric loader having a plurality of cassette tables and a transport unit for carrying wafers, a vacuum loader equipped with vacuum wafer-processing chambers and a vacuum transport chamber communicating with the processing chambers via gate valves, and a locking unit provided with a loading lock chamber and unloading lock chambers that have gate valves for connecting the atmospheric transport unit and vacuum transport chamber; wherein two etching chambers, formed by UHF-ECR reactors, are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axial line passing through the middle of the vacuum transport chamber and locking unit, only at the opposite side of the locking unit across the vacuum transport chamber, and at an acute angle with respect to the vacuum transport chamber, and UHF-ECR antennas, almost parallel to the foregoing axial line, are opened at the opposite side to that of the vacuum transport chamber.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus for etching of a sample having an etching chamber having a sidewall, an exchangeable jacket which is held inside of the sidewall and a heating mechanism provided proximate to a top end of the exchangeable jacket for generating heat which radiates toward an interior of the etching chamber, the sample being disposed in the etching chamber. An evacuation system which evacuates the etching chamber, an etching gas supply which supplies an etching gas into the chamber and a plasma generator which generates a plasma for performing etching of the sample in the etching chamber.

Abstract: A plasma etching method for etching a sample within an etching chamber having a sidewall, an exchangeable jacket which is held inside of the sidewall, and a heating mechanism proximate to top end of the exchangeable jacket for generating heat which radiates towards an inside of the etching chamber. The plasma etching method further including a step of evacuating the etching chamber by an evacuation system, a step of supplying an etching gas into the etching chamber, a step of generating a plasma for performing etching of the sample in the etching chamber, and a step of conducting a heating operation by the heating mechanism during an initial stage of the step of generating a plasma.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum vessel as evacuated by an evacuation system, a gas supply for supplying a processing gas into the vacuum vessel, an electrostatic chucking device for holding thereon a sample to be processed within the vacuum vessel, a lower electrode, a bias power source connected to the lower electrode for supplying bias power, and a radiator for radiating a high frequency electromagnetic wave within the vacuum vessel. The processing gas is made plasmatic and plasma is generated for use in performing processing of the sample to be processed. The radiator for radiating a high frequency electromagnetic wave including an antenna which is provided within the vacuum vessel. The antenna includes a conductor opposing the lower electrode and being connected to a high frequency bias power supply and a plate contacted with the conductor.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus wherein plasma is generated in process chamber to treat a sample. Said plasma processing apparatus is further characterized in that multiple closely packed through-holes are formed on the plate installed on the UHF antenna arranged opposite to the sample, an optical transmitter is installed almost in contact with the back of the through-holes, and an optical transmission means is arranged on the other end of said optical transmitter, thereby measuring optical information coming from the sample and plasma through optical transmitter and optical transmission means by means of an measuring instrument. No abnormal discharge or particle contamination occur to through-holes even in long-term discharge process, and no deterioration occurs to the optical performance at the end face of the optical transmitter.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus including a vacuum processing chamber, a plasma generation device, a processing gas supply for supplying processing gas to the processing chamber, an electrode for holding a sample to be processed in the vacuum processing chamber, and an evacuation system for reducing the pressure of the vacuum processing chamber. The processing gas includes at least one kind of gas having a composition for forming a polymerized film by plasma discharge, wherein the processing gas is made plasmatic by plasma discharge in the processing chamber. At least one surface of an inner wall surface of the processing chamber in contact with plasma in the processing chamber and a surface of an internal component part is controlled to a predetermined temperature which is lower than the temperature of the sample to be processed and a strong polymerized film is formed on the inner wall surface of the processing chamber.