Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus including a chamber having an inner wall with a protective film thereon and a sample stage disposed in the chamber in which plasma is generated by supplying high-frequency wave energy to processing gas to conduct plasma processing for a sample on the sample stage using the plasma. The apparatus includes a control device which determines, based on monitor values of a wafer attracting current monitor (Ip) to monitor a current supplied from a wafer attracting power source, an impedance monitor (Zp) to monitor plasma impedance viewed from a plasma generating power source, and an impedance monitor (Zb) to monitor a plasma impedance viewed from a bias power supply, presence or absence of occurrence of an associated one of abnormal discharge in inner parts, deterioration in insulation of an insulating film of a wafer attracting electrode, and abnormal injection in a gas injection plate.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided which processes a sample held on a sample table arranged in a process chamber in a vacuum container by using a plasma formed in the process chamber. The plasma processing apparatus comprises: paths arranged in the sample table in which a coolant is supplied and vaporized as it flows; a refrigeration cycle having the sample table, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve connected in that order and having the coolant circulate therein; coolant passages to cause the coolant that has passed through the expansion valve to branch and then merge with a coolant returning from the paths in the sample table toward the compressor; and a regulator to adjust an amount of coolant passing through the paths in the sample table and circulating in the refrigeration cycle and an amount of coolant branching and flowing through the coolant passages.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus including a chamber having an inner wall with a protective film thereon and a sample stage disposed in the chamber in which plasma is generated by supplying high-frequency wave energy to processing gas to conduct plasma processing for a sample on the sample stage using the plasma. The apparatus includes a control device which determines, based on monitor values of a wafer attracting current monitor (Ip) to monitor a current supplied from a wafer attracting power source, an impedance monitor (Zp) to monitor plasma impedance viewed from a plasma generating power source, and an impedance monitor (Zb) to monitor a plasma impedance viewed from a bias power supply, presence or absence of occurrence of an associated one of abnormal discharge in inner parts, deterioration in insulation of an insulating film of a wafer attracting electrode, and abnormal injection in a gas injection plate.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus equipped with a vacuum vessel and a sample table which is arranged within the vacuum vessel and has a sample mounting plane where a sample is mounted on an upper portion, for forming plasma within the processing chamber so as to process a sample mounted on the sample mounting plane, the plasma processing apparatus includes: a space arranged inside the sample table, into which a coolant is supplied; a ceiling plane of the space arranged opposite to the sample mounting plane, with which the coolant collides from plural portions; and an exhaust port via which the coolant which has collided with the ceiling plane to be evaporated is exhausted from the sample table.

Abstract: An lithography apparatus for manufacturing an organic transistor that is capable of aligning accurately in self-alignment fashion relative positions of a gate electrode and a pair of source and drain electrodes and has high productivity. In an lithography apparatus for radiating a light to a photosensitive self-assembled film and exposing the same in self-aligning fashion using a gate electrode as a mask, by transporting a flexible translucent substrate from roller to roller and forming a gate electrode, an insulating layer, and the photosensitive self-assembled film on the flexible substrate when an organic transistor is formed on the flexible substrate, a reflection preventing film is provided on an inner wall of the apparatus that is on the opposite side of the flexible substrate as seen from an exposure light source.

Abstract: In the plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber for plasma-processing a processed substrate, plasma generating unit that generates plasma in the processing chamber, and a wafer stage which is mounted in the processing chamber and has an electrostatic chuck for holding the processed substrate, a current detector that detects a current value of leakage current flowing in a circuit formed of a power supply for electrostatic attraction, an electrostatic chuck, a substrate, plasma, a grounded line, and a controlling unit which sets an attraction condition to the current value and controls the applied voltage so that the leakage current reaches the set current value are included.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided that includes a heater-built-in electrostatic chuck, prevents a direct-current potential difference from being made in the plane of a wafer during plasma processing, and performs plasma processing while controlling the temperature of the wafer with good responsiveness without damaging a semiconductor device. The heater-built-in electrostatic chuck of the plasma processing apparatus has a structure in which an insulator, two heaters, an insulator, two electrostatic chuck electrodes having approximately identical areas, and a dielectric film are laminated in ascending order on a conductive base material to which a bias voltage is to be applied. The heaters have approximately identical areas, and are disposed below the two electrostatic chuck electrodes, respectively. Power is provided to the heaters via a low-path filter and a coaxial cable.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for performing plasma etching to form a gate electrode on a large-scale substrate while ensuring the in-plane uniformity of the CD shift of the gate electrode. The present invention measures a radical density distribution of plasma in the processing chamber, feeds processing gases into the processing chamber through multiple locations and controls either the flow rates or compositions of the respective processing gases or the in-plane temperature distribution of a stage on which the substrate is placed, or feeds processing gases into the processing chamber through multiple locations and controls both the flow rates or compositions of the processing gases and the in-plane temperature distribution of the stage on which the substrate is placed.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes a processing chamber in which a specimen is subjected to plasma processing, a specimen holder for holding the specimen, the specimen holder including a temperature controller for controlling temperatures at at least 2 positions of the specimen, at least two gas supply sources for supplying processing gases, at least two gas inlets for introducing the processing gases into the processing chamber, a regulator for independently controlling the compositions or the flow rates of the processing gases introduced from the at least two gas inlets and the temperatures controlled with at least two temperature controllers in the specimen holder, and an electromagnetic wave supply unit for sending an electromagnetic wave into the processing chamber, wherein the compositions or the flow rates of the processing gases introduced from the gas inlets and the temperature controlled with the temperature controllers in the specimen holder are independently controlled.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for performing plasma etching to form a gate electrode on a large-scale substrate while ensuring the in-plane uniformity of the CD shift of the gate electrode. The present invention measures a radical density distribution of plasma in the processing chamber, feeds processing gases into the processing chamber through multiple locations and controls either the flow rates or compositions of the respective processing gases or the in-plane temperature distribution of a stage on which the substrate is placed, or feeds processing gases into the processing chamber through multiple locations and controls both the flow rates or compositions of the processing gases and the in-plane temperature distribution of the stage on which the substrate is placed.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided which processes a sample held on a sample table arranged in a process chamber in a vacuum container by using a plasma formed in the process chamber. The plasma processing apparatus comprises: paths arranged in the sample table in which a coolant is supplied and vaporized as it flows; a refrigeration cycle having the sample table, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve connected in that order and having the coolant circulate therein; coolant passages to cause the coolant that has passed through the expansion valve to branch and then merge with a coolant returning from the paths in the sample table toward the compressor; and a regulator to adjust an amount of coolant passing through the paths in the sample table and circulating in the refrigeration cycle and an amount of coolant branching and flowing through the coolant passages.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus equipped with a vacuum vessel and a sample table which is arranged within the vacuum vessel and has a sample mounting plane where a sample is mounted on an upper portion, for forming plasma within the processing chamber so as to process a sample mounted on the sample mounting plane, the plasma processing apparatus includes: a space arranged inside the sample table, into which a coolant is supplied; a ceiling plane of the space arranged opposite to the sample mounting plane, with which the coolant collides from plural portions; and an exhaust port via which the coolant which has collided with the ceiling plane to be evaporated is exhausted from the sample table.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus having an electrostatic chucking electrode that allows temperature control of a semiconductor wafer during etching process with high efficiency comprises: a holder stage comprising an electrode block S having a dielectric film 4 on the surface thereof and a coolant flow passage 6 therein, in which temperature control is performed while holding a semiconductor wafer W on the dielectric film on the surface of the electrode block; and a cooling cycle 50 including a compressor 52, a condenser 55, an expansion valve 53, a heat exchanger 54 having a heater built therein, and an evaporator, wherein the temperature control of the electrode block S is performed by using a direct-expansion-type temperature controller in which the electrode block S is used as the evaporator of the cooling cycle, and the coolant is directly circulated and expanded inside the electrode block.

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 chamber having an inner wall with a protective film thereon and a sample stage disposed in the chamber in which plasma is generated by supplying high-frequency wave energy to processing gas to conduct plasma processing for a sample on the sample stage using the plasma. The apparatus includes a control device which determines, based on monitor values of a wafer attracting current monitor (Ip) to monitor a current supplied from a wafer attracting power source, an impedance monitor (Zp) to monitor plasma impedance viewed from a plasma generating power source, and an impedance monitor (Zb) to monitor a plasma impedance viewed from a bias power supply, presence or absence of occurrence of an associated one of abnormal discharge in inner parts, deterioration in insulation of an insulating film of a wafer attracting electrode, and abnormal injection in a gas injection plate.

Abstract: In performing plasma etching with the aim to form a gate electrode on a large-diameter substrate, it is difficult according to prior art methods to ensure the in-plane uniformity of CD shift of the gate electrode. The present invention solves the problem by supplying processing gases having different flow rates and compositions respectively through openings formed at positions opposing to the substrate and at the upper corner or side wall of the processing chamber.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes a processing chamber in which a specimen is subjected to plasma processing, a specimen holder for holding the specimen, the specimen holder including a temperature controller for controlling temperatures at at least 2 positions of the specimen, at least two gas supply sources for supplying processing gases, at least two gas inlets for introducing the processing gases into the processing chamber, a regulator for independently controlling the compositions or the flow rates of the processing gases introduced from the at least two gas inlets and the temperatures controlled with at least two temperature controllers in the specimen holder, and an electromagnetic wave supply unit for sending an electromagnetic wave into the processing chamber, wherein the compositions or the flow rates of the processing gases introduced from the gas inlets and the temperature controlled with the temperature controllers in the specimen holder are independently controlled.

Abstract: A ceramic film is formed by a spray method on a base material of an electrostatic attraction device. Electrode films for electrostatic attraction are formed by a spray method on a surface of the ceramic film. A ringular heater film is formed in a spray method between the electrode films in a radial direction of the electrode films. In addition, a ceramic film is formed by a spray method on upper surfaces of the electrode films and the heater film.

Abstract: A method for operating a semiconductor processing apparatus that plasma-processes a semiconductor wafer mounted on a stage placed in a container using a plasma generated therein. The method includes setting a temperature of the semiconductor wafer, and controlling an operation of the semiconductor processing apparatus based on information about the temperature of the semiconductor wafer which is set.

Abstract: In the plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber for plasma-processing a processed substrate, plasma generating unit that generates plasma in the processing chamber, and a wafer stage which is mounted in the processing chamber and has an electrostatic chuck for holding the processed substrate, a current detector that detects a current value of leakage current flowing in a circuit formed of a power supply for electrostatic attraction, an electrostatic chuck, a substrate, plasma, a grounded line, and a controlling unit which sets an attraction condition to the current value and controls the applied voltage so that the leakage current reaches the set current value are included.