Abstract: The invention provides an ICP source plasma processing apparatus having improved the uniformity and ignition property of plasma. A plasma processing apparatus for generating plasma in a vacuum processing chamber to subject a sample to plasma processing, comprising multiple sets (7-1 through 7-4 and 7?-1 through 7?-4) of high frequency induction antennas for forming an induction electric field rotating in a right direction on an ECR plane of the magnetic field formed in the vacuum processing chamber, wherein the phases of currents supplied to the respect sets of high frequency induction antenna elements 7-1 through 7-4 and 7?-1 through 7?-4 are controlled so that the corresponding elements are provided with currents of the same phase, according to which plasma is generated via electron cyclotron resonance (ECR).

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus wherein a layer structure consisting of plural layers formed in stack one upon another on a semiconductor wafer placed on the sample holder located in the process chamber, is etched with plasma generated in the process chamber by supplying high frequency power to the electrode disposed in the sample holder, the apparatus comprising a ring-shaped electrode disposed above the electrode and around the periphery of the top portion of the sample holder, an outer circumferential ring of dielectric material disposed above the ring-shaped electrode and opposite to the plasma, and a power source for supplying power at different values to the ring-shaped electrode depending on the sorts of layers of the layer structure.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for processing a surface of a to-be-processed substrate includes a processing chamber, a first electrode provided in the processing chamber, a second electrode arranged in opposition to the first electrode, a main power source for supplying the first or second electrode with power for generating a plasma, a biasing power source for supplying the second or first electrode with biasing power, a gas supplying unit for supplying a processing gas into the processing chamber and a control unit for controlling the main power source, the biasing power source and the gas supplying unit. The control unit performs a control such that, during a time of transition from a stationary state of plasma, in which a plasma processing is to be carried out, to a plasma quenching, an output of the main power source is kept not larger than an output of the biasing power source.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a gas ring forming a portion of a vacuum processing chamber and having a blowing port for a processing gas, a bell jar to define a vacuum processing chamber, an antenna for supplying an RF electric field into the vacuum processing chamber to form plasmas, a sample table, a Faraday shield, and a deposition preventive plate attached detachably at least to the inner surface of the gas ring excluding the blowing port. An area of the inner surface of the gas ring including the deposition preventive plate that can be viewed from the sample surface is set to about ½ or more of the area of the sample. A susceptor made of a dielectric material covers the outer surface and the outer lateral side of the sample table. A metal film is disposed with respect to the susceptor, and an RF voltage is applied to the metal film.

Abstract: A plasma etching method for a plasma etching apparatus including: a processing chamber for performing plasma etching on an object to be processed; a first gas supply source; a second gas supply source; a first gas inlet for introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber; a second gas inlet for introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber; a flow rate regulator for regulating the flow rate of the processing gas; and a gas shunt for dividing the first processing gas into a plurality of portions, wherein the second processing gas is merged with at least one part between the gas shunt and the first gas inlet and between the gas shunt and the second gas inlet.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a sample stage disposed at a lower part of a processing chamber, a bell jar made of an insulative material constituting an upper portion of a vacuum vessel, a coil antenna disposed outside and around the bell jar to which electric power is supplied so as to generate the plasma in a plasma generating space inside of the bell jar, and a Faraday shield mounted on the bell jar and disposed between an external surface of the bell jar and the coil antenna. A ring shaped member made of an electric conductive material is disposed inside of an inner surface of a ring portion of the processing chamber located below a skirt portion of the bell jar and constitutes a part of the processing chamber. The ring shaped member extends upwardly so as to cover a portion of an inner surface of the bell jar.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma-generation high-frequency power supply which generates plasma in a processing chamber, a biasing high-frequency power supply which applies high-frequency bias electric power to an electrode on which a sample is placed, a monitor which monitors a peak-to-peak value of the high-frequency bias electric power applied to the electrode, an electrostatic chuck power supply which makes the electrode electrostatically attract the sample, a self-bias voltage calculating unit which calculates self-bias voltage of the sample by monitoring the peak-to-peak value of the high-frequency bias electric power applied to the electrode, and an output voltage control unit which controls output voltage of the electrostatic chuck power supply based on the calculated self-bias voltage.

Abstract: A unit for minimizing the problem that affects a substrate to be processed at the time of turning off a plasma is provided in a plasma processing apparatus using a magnetic field. The plasma processing apparatus comprises: a plasma-generating high-frequency power supply; a bias power supply; and a coil power supply which is connected to a coil disposed outside a vacuum process chamber and generates a magnetic field inside the vacuum process chamber, and the plasma processing apparatus further comprises: a magnetic field measuring unit which measures a magnetic field strength inside the vacuum process chamber; and a control unit which turns off an output on/off signal of the plasma-generating high-frequency power supply or the bias power supply when a magnetic field strength, which is measured after an output on/off signal of the coil power supply is turned off, decays to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus capable of performing processing with excellent in-plane uniformity on an object to be processed having a large diameter is provided.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing on an object to be processed, including: a processing chamber for performing plasma etching on an object to be processed; a first gas inlet provided at an upper portion of the processing chamber for supplying gas to a center portion in the processing chamber; a plurality of second gas inlets placed on an outer circumference of the first gas inlet for supplying gas to an outer circumference portion in the processing chamber; two lines of gas supply systems for supplying processing gases to the first gas inlet and the second gas inlets, respectively; an evacuation means for reducing the pressure in the processing chamber; an electrode on which the object to be processed is placed disposed in the processing chamber opposed to the first gas inlet and the second gas inlets; a high frequency power supply for generating plasma; and additional gas supply systems provided to the two lines of gas supply systems, respectively, for adding a gas for generating

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes in a processing chamber, a sample stage, a bell jar, a coil antenna, a Faraday shield, and a gas ring member located below a skirt portion of the bell jar and above the sample stage. The gas ring member supplies a process gas to a plasma generating space inside the bell jar from a gas port disposed on an inner surface of the gas ring member. A ring shaped plate is disposed near a periphery of the Faraday shield and having an inner surface facing and covering along the inner surface of the gas ring member and being spaced from the inner surface of the gas ring member so as to delimit a gap therebetween.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus includes a vacuum processing chamber, a high-vacuum exhaust pump for exhausting the vacuum processing chamber in vacuum, a low-vacuum exhaust pump connected to the downstream side of the high-vacuum exhaust pump, a lower electrode having mounted thereon a substrate to be processed, and a cooling gas supply unit for supplying the cooling gas between the substrate and the lower electrode. The cooling gas supply unit includes a cooling gas supply system and a cooling gas supply line. The cooling gas supply line is connected, through a first waste gas valve, to a waste gas line for exhausting the cooling gas. The waste gas line is connected just above the high-vacuum exhaust pump through a second waste gas valve, and to the exhaust gas line between the high-vacuum exhaust pump and the low-vacuum exhaust pump through a third waste gas valve.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum vessel, first, second and third power supplies first, second and third RF voltages, a first electrode disposed within the vacuum vessel, a second electrode disposed within the vacuum vessel, and a phase control unit for controlling the phase difference of the second and third RF voltages, wherein the second and third RF voltages are of the same frequency. The apparatus further comprises a first phase detector for detecting the phase of the third RF voltage supplied to the first electrode and a second phase detector for detecting the phase of the second RF voltage of the second electrode, a voltage detector, and a phase difference computer which computes a phase difference between the second and third RF voltages based upon an output of the voltage detector.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus wherein a layer structure consisting of plural layers formed in stack one upon another on a semiconductor wafer placed on the sample holder located in the process chamber, is etched with plasma generated in the process chamber by supplying high frequency power to the electrode disposed in the sample holder, the apparatus comprising a ring-shaped electrode disposed above the electrode and around the periphery of the top portion of the sample holder, an outer circumferential ring of dielectric material disposed above the ring-shaped electrode and opposite to the plasma, and a power source for supplying power at different values to the ring-shaped electrode depending on the sorts of layers of the layer structure.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus in which discharge instability due to insufficient DC grounding is prevented. A grounded circular conductor is provided as a DC grounding means in a vacuum processing chamber and a control means controls a DC bias power supply according to output value of a current monitor so that the current which flows from the circular conductor to the ground is around 0 A, thereby preventing discharge instability which might be caused by increased plasma space potential.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a sample stage disposed at a lower part of a processing chamber, a bell jar made of an insulative material constituting an upper portion of a vacuum vessel, a coil antenna disposed outside and around the bell jar to which electric power is supplied so as to generate the plasma in a plasma generating space inside of the bell jar, and a Faraday shield mounted on the bell jar and disposed between an external surface of the bell jar and the coil antenna. A ring shaped member made of an electric conductive material is disposed inside of an inner surface of a ring portion of the processing chamber located below a skirt portion of the bell jar and constitutes a part of the processing chamber. The ring shaped member extends upwardly so as to cover a portion of an inner surface of the bell jar.

Abstract: A plasma processing method for a plasma processing apparatus which includes, a gas ring, a bell jar, an antenna, a sample table, a Faraday shield, and an RF power source circuit for supplying a power source voltage to the antenna and the Faraday shield. The RF power source circuit includes an RF power source, an antenna connected with the RF power source, a resonance circuit connected in series with the antenna and supplying a resonance voltage, a detection circuit for detecting the resonance voltage of the resonance circuit, and a comparator circuit for comparing the resonance voltage detected by the detection circuit with a predetermined set value. A constant of the resonance circuit is changed based on the result of comparison by the comparison circuit.

Abstract: In a wafer processing apparatus, wafers are sequentially placed one by one on a ceramic plate of a wafer stage within a vacuum chamber. The pressure of a heat-conductive gas introduced at this time between the wafer and the ceramic plate is adjusted to control the temperature of the wafer, and the wafer is processed by use of plasma. In this case, the user can select any one of a process for regulating the pressure of the heat-conductive gas each time the wafers are sequentially placed on the wafer stage, a process for optimizing aging conditions, and a process for optimizing heater conditions so that the wafer temperature variation within lot can be reduced by performing the selected process. The selected process is performed on the basis of its conditions that are computed to determine by a control-purpose computer of the processing apparatus.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus including a vacuum vessel, a lower electrode provided in the vacuum vessel to place a sample thereon, a matcher connected to the lower electrode, and a power supply for supplying power to the lower electrode via the matcher includes an electrostatic chuck electrode provided within the lower electrode to hold the sample, and a voltage measurement circuit provided within the lower electrode to measure a voltage at the electrostatic chuck electrode and output the measured voltage as a DC voltage.

Abstract: The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus capable of minimizing the non-uniformity of potential distribution around wafer circumference, and providing a uniform process across the wafer surface. The apparatus is equipped with a focus ring formed of a dielectric, a conductor or a semiconductor and having RF applied thereto, the design of which is optimized for processing based on a design technique clarifying physical conditions for flattening a sheath-plasma interface above a wafer and the sheath-plasma interface above the focus ring. A surface voltage of the focus ring is determined to be not less than a minimum voltage for preventing reaction products caused by wafer processing from depositing thereon.