Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing or a substrate, comprising: a chamber; a substrate support disposed in the chamber and including a base, an electrostatic chuck on the base, and an edge ring disposed to surround a substrate mounted on the electrostatic chuck; a Radio Frequency (RF) power supply for supplying RF power for generating plasma from gases in the chamber; a DC power supply for applying a negative DC voltage to the edge ring; a waveform control element for controlling a waveform of the DC voltage; and a controller for controlling a time taken for the DC voltage to reach a desired value by adjusting a constant of the waveform control element.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus disclosed herein includes a chamber, a substrate support, an upper electrode, and at least one power supply. The chamber provides a processing space therein. The substrate support is provided in the chamber. The upper electrode configures a shower head that introduces a gas into the processing space from above the processing space. The upper electrode includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode provides a plurality of first gas holes opened toward the processing space. The second electrode is provided directly or indirectly on the first electrode and provides a plurality of second gas holes communicating with the plurality of first gas holes. The at least one power supply is configured to set a potential of the second electrode to a potential higher than a potential of the first electrode.

Abstract: There is a plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a substrate support configured to support a substrate and an edge ring; high-frequency power supply configured to generate first high-frequency power via the substrate and second high-frequency power via the edge ring; and bias power supply configured to generate first electric bias energy supplied to the substrate and second electric bias energy supplied to the edge ring, wherein the first electric bias energy and the second electric bias energy have a waveform repeatedly at a cycle, the cycle includes a first period in which voltage of each of the first and second electric bias energies has a positive level with respect to an average value of the voltage within the cycle, and a second period in which the voltage of each of the first and second electric bias energies has a negative level with respect to the average value.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a first electrode on which a substrate is placed; a plasma generation source that generates plasma; a bias power supply that supplies bias power to the first electrode; a source power supply that supplies source power to the plasma generation source; and a controller. The controller performs a control such that a first state and a second state of the source power are alternately applied in synchronization with a high frequency cycle of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state indicating any one of a voltage, a current and an electromagnetic field measured in a power feed system of the bias power, and performs a control to turn OFF the source power at least at a negative side peak of the phase within one cycle of the reference electrical state.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a container; a stage disposed in the container and including an electrode; a plasma source that generates plasma in the container; a bias power supply that periodically supplies a pulsed negative DC voltage to the electrode; an edge ring disposed to surround a substrate placed on the stage; and a DC power supply that supplies a DC voltage to the edge ring. The DC power supply supplies a first DC voltage in a first time period when the pulsed negative DC voltage is not supplied to the electrode, and supplies a second DC voltage in a second time period when the pulsed negative DC voltage is supplied to the electrode.

Abstract: A substrate support is provided in a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. The substrate support has a lower electrode and an electrostatic chuck. A matching circuit is connected between a power source and the lower electrode. A first electrical path connects the matching circuit and the lower electrode to each other. A second electrical path different from the lower electrode is provided to supply electric power from the matching circuit to a focus ring. A sheath adjuster is configured to adjust a position of an upper end of a sheath on/above the focus ring. A variable impedance circuit is provided on the first or second electrical path.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus disclosed herein includes a substrate support provided in a chamber; a radio-frequency power supply configured to supply radio-frequency power to generate plasma in the chamber; and a bias power supply configured to supply electric bias energy to an electrode to draw ions into a substrate on the substrate support. The electric bias energy has a cycle having a time length reciprocal to a bias frequency. The radio-frequency power supply is further configured to adjust an output power level of the radio-frequency power in a plurality of phase periods in the cycle such that an evaluation value is less than or equal to a first value, the evaluation value being a power level of reflected waves of the radio-frequency power or a value of a ratio of the power level to the output power level.

Abstract: In a disclosed inspection method, a substrate and an edge ring are placed on first and second regions, respectively. A first inspection circuit is connected to the substrate. The first inspection circuit has impedance. A second inspection circuit is connected to the edge ring. The second inspection circuit has impedance. A first electrical bias and a second electrical bias having a common bias frequency are applied to a first electrode in the first region and a second electrode in the second region, respectively. A voltage waveform of the substrate and a voltage waveform of the edge ring is acquired by using a waveform monitor.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma processing chamber, a substrate support including a bias electrode, an RF power source configured to generate RF power to generate plasma in the plasma processing chamber, an edge ring disposed to surround a substrate on the substrate support, a ring electrode disposed to surround the edge ring, a first bias RF power source and a second bias RF power source. The first bias RF power source is configured to supply a first bias RF power to the bias electrode, the first bias RF power having a first frequency and a first power level. The second bias RF power source is configured to supply a second bias RF power to the ring electrode, the second bias RF power having the first frequency and a second power level and the second bias RF power being synchronized with the first bias RF power.

Abstract: A processing method includes: disposing a workpiece in a processing container of a processing apparatus, and maintaining an inside of the processing container in a vacuum state; providing a cluster nozzle in the processing container; supplying a cluster generating gas to the cluster nozzle and adiabatically expanding the cluster generating gas in the cluster nozzle, thereby generating gas clusters; generating plasma in the cluster nozzle to ionize the gas clusters and injecting the ionized gas clusters onto the workpiece; supplying a reactive gas to the cluster nozzle and exposing the reactive gas to the plasma such that the reactive gas becomes monomer ions or radicals; and supplying the monomer ions or radicals to the processing container, thereby exerting a chemical reaction on a substance present on a surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: A substrate support disclosed herein includes a base and an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The ESC is located on the base. The base and the electrostatic chuck provide a first region configured to support a substrate and a second region extending to surround the first region and configured to support an edge ring. The first region or the second region includes a variable capacitor portion configured to have variable electrostatic capacitance.

Abstract: A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode that places a workpiece thereon includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a source power having a frequency higher than that of the bias power into a plasma processing space. The source power has a first state and a second state. The control method further includes a first control process of alternately applying the first state and the second state of the source power in synchronization with a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state that represents any one of a voltage, current, and electromagnetic field measured in a power feeding system of the bias power.

Abstract: Disclosed is a processing apparatus for performing a processing on a workpiece using gas clusters. The processing apparatus includes: a processing container in which the workpiece is disposed, and an inside of which is maintained in a vacuum state; an exhaust mechanism that exhausts an atmosphere in the processing container; a gas supply unit that supplies a gas containing a cluster generating gas; a cluster nozzle provided in the processing container and configured to generate gas clusters by adiabatically expanding the cluster generating gas and inject a gas component containing the generated gas clusters into the processing container; and a plasma generating mechanism that generates plasma in the cluster nozzle portion. The gas clusters are ionized by the plasma generated in the cluster nozzle portion, and the ionized gas clusters are injected from the cluster nozzle and irradiated onto the workpiece, so that a predetermined processing is performed.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma generation unit for converting a processing gas into plasma by an inductive coupling. The plasma generation unit includes a first high frequency antenna formed of a vortex coil having open opposite ends and, at a central portion of a line between the open ends, a supply point of a high frequency power and a grounding point grounded through a capacitor; a second high frequency antenna formed of a planar vortex coil disposed between first and second high frequency antenna elements of the first high frequency antenna; and an impedance adjustment unit for adjusting a resonant frequency of a circuit viewed from a high frequency power supply toward the first high frequency antenna which is configured to have two resonant frequencies depending on adjustment of the impedance adjustment unit when the frequency of the high frequency power is changed.

Abstract: An upper electrode for a plasma processing apparatus, includes an electrode having a gas discharge hole, a gas plate having a gas flow path formed at a position facing the gas discharge hole to supply a processing gas to the gas discharge hole, an electrostatic attraction part interposed between the electrode and the gas plate and having a contact surface that is in contact with a lower surface of the gas plate and an attraction surface that attracts an upper surface of the electrode, and a shield that shields radicals or gas moving from the gas discharge hole to a gap between the electrode and the gas plate.

Abstract: In a disclosed plasma processing system, radio frequency power is supplied in a first period to generate plasma, and the power lever of the radio frequency power is set to a reduced power level in a second period. In the second period, bias power is applied to a lower electrode of a substrate support. The bias power changes a potential of the substrate within each cycle that is defined at a second frequency. In the second period, a direct-current voltage is applied to the upper electrode. The direct-current voltage is set such that within each cycle that is defined at the second frequency, a polarity thereof in a first sub-period is negative and an absolute value thereof in the first sub-period is larger than an absolute value thereof in a second sub-period.

Abstract: In an apparatus for plasma processing according to an exemplary embodiment, a radio frequency power source generates radio frequency power which is supplied for generation of a plasma. A bias power source supplies bias power to a lower electrode of a substrate support. The bias power varies a potential of a substrate within a cycle thereof. The radio frequency power is supplied in at least a part of a first period in the cycle, in which the potential of the substrate is relatively high. A power level of the radio frequency power is lowered in a second period in the cycle, in which the potential of the substrate is relatively low. In the first period and the second period, the sheath adjuster adjusts a position in a vertical direction of an upper end of a sheath above an edge ring.

Abstract: A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode that places a workpiece thereon includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a source power having a frequency higher than that of the bias power into a plasma processing space. The source power has a first state and a second state. The control method further includes a first control process of alternately applying the first state and the second state of the source power in synchronization with a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state that represents any one of a voltage, current, and electromagnetic field measured in a power feeding system of the bias power.

Abstract: In an apparatus for plasma processing according to an exemplary embodiment, a radio frequency power source generates radio frequency power which is supplied for generation of a plasma. A bias power source supplies bias power to a lower electrode of a substrate support. The bias power varies a potential of a substrate within a cycle thereof. The radio frequency power is supplied in at least a part of a first period in the cycle, in which the potential of the substrate is relatively high. A power level of the radio frequency power is lowered in a second period in the cycle, in which the potential of the substrate is relatively low. In the first period and the second period, the sheath adjuster adjusts a position in a vertical direction of an upper end of a sheath above an edge ring.

Abstract: A plasma processing method includes performing a first plasma processing in a processing chamber in a first period, and performing a second plasma processing in the processing chamber during a second period continuously after the first period. In the first period and the second period, a first radio-frequency power for bias is continuously supplied to a lower electrode. A second radio-frequency power for plasma generation may be supplied as a pulsed radio-frequency power in a first partial period in each cycle of the first radio-frequency power in the first period. The second radio-frequency power may be supplied as a pulsed radio-frequency power in a second partial period in each cycle of the first radio-frequency power in the second period.