Abstract: The present invention provides an upper electrode and an etching apparatus including the electrode, both of which can properly reduce the intensity of the electric field of plasma around a central portion of a substrate, thus enhancing in-plane uniformity. In this apparatus, a recess, serving as a space for allowing a dielectric to be injected therein, is provided around a central portion of the upper electrode. Both a dielectric supply passage and a dielectric discharge passage are connected with the space. With such configuration, controlled supply of the dielectric into the recess makes the in-plane electric field intensity distribution uniform over various process conditions, such as the kind of wafer to be etched, the processing gas to be used, and the like.

Abstract: A plasma etching method performs a plasma etching on a substrate W by irradiating plasma containing charged particles and neutral particles to the substrate W. The method includes controlling a distribution of reaction amounts between the substrate W and the neutral particles in a surface of the substrate W by adjusting a temperature distribution in the surface of the substrate W supported by a support, and controlling a distribution of irradiation amounts of the charged particles in the surface of the substrate W by adjusting a gap between the substrate W supported by the support and an electrode provided so as to face the support.

Abstract: A substrate processing method that forms an opening, which has a size that fills the need for downsizing a semiconductor device and is to be transferred to an amorphous carbon film, in a photoresist film of a substrate to be processed. Deposit is accumulated on a side wall surface of the opening in the photoresist film using plasma produced from a deposition gas having a gas attachment coefficient S of 0.1 to 1.0 so as to reduce the opening width of the opening.

Abstract: A plasma etching method for plasma etching, in a processing chamber, an antireflection film laminated on an organic film formed on a substrate by using an etching mask made of a resist film formed on the antireflection film, the plasma etching method includes: depositing a Si-containing compound on the etching mask made of the resist film by using plasma of Si-containing gas in the processing chamber; and etching the antireflection film in a state where the Si-containing compound is deposited on the etching mask.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for generating a plasma in a plasma processing space in a processing chamber and plasma-processing a target object includes a plasma-exciting high frequency power supply for applying a plasma-exciting high frequency power. Further, the plasma processing apparatus includes at least one of a potential-controlling high frequency power supply for applying a potential-controlling high frequency power having a frequency lower than that of the plasma-exciting high frequency power and a DC power supply for applying a DC voltage; and a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object. Furthermore, the plasma processing apparatus includes an auxiliary electrode, provided at a position outer side of the target object mounted on the mounting table while facing the mounting table, connected to at least one of the potential-controlling high frequency power supply and the DC power supply.

Abstract: A substrate processing method effectively suppresses non-uniformity in deposition degree on a surface of a substrate. The substrate processing method includes depositing a deposit on a sidewall of each opening of a resist pattern, which is formed on an antireflection film on an etching target film of the substrate and is provided with a plurality of openings, before etching the etching target film of the substrate. Plasma is generated in the depositing process by introducing a CHF-based gas into the processing chamber at a flow rate equal to or higher than about 1000 sccm while a pressure in the processing chamber is set to equal to or higher than about 100 mTorr.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum evacuable processing chamber, a first electrode divided into an outer electrode and an inner electrode, a second electrode, a first and a second high frequency power application unit for applying to the second electrode a first and a second high frequency power having a relatively high frequency and a relatively low frequency, respectively, a first and a second DC voltage application circuit apply a DC voltage to the outer and the inner electrode, respectively, and a processing gas supply unit. A space between the first electrode and the second electrode serves as a plasma generation space, and frequency-impedance characteristics of the outer electrode are set such that the impedance increases at the frequency of the second high frequency power and decreases at the frequency of the first high frequency power as the DC voltage applied to the outer electrode increases.

Abstract: A Si etching method includes: arranging a silicon substrate or a substrate having a silicon layer in a processing chamber; generating a plasma of an etching gas in the processing chamber; and etching the silicon substrate by the plasma. The etching gas is a gaseous mixture including a Br2 gas and one of a Cl2 gas and a chloride gas. The chloride gas has a mass that is higher than that of the Cl2 gas.

Abstract: A plasma processing method for processing a target substrate uses a plasma processing apparatus which includes a vacuum evacuable processing vessel for accommodating the target substrate therein, a first electrode disposed in the processing vessel and connected to a first RF power supply for plasma generation and a second electrode disposed to face the first electrode. The method includes exciting a processing gas containing fluorocarbon in the processing vessel to generate a plasma while applying a negative DC voltage having an absolute value ranging from about 100 V to 1500 V or an RF power of a frequency lower than about 4 MHz to the second electrode. The target layer is etched by the plasma, thus forming recesses on the etching target layer based on the pattern of the resist layer.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus can suppress an edge gas from being diffused toward a center region of a substrate. An upper electrode 200 serving as a gas introducing unit configured to supply one kind of gas or different kinds of gases to a center region and an edge region of the substrate includes a center gas inlet section 204 having a multiple number of gas holes 212 for a center gas; and an edge gas inlet section 206 having a multiplicity of gas holes 214 for an edge gas. By providing a gas hole formation plate 230 having gas holes 232 communicating with the gas holes 214 at a bottom surface of the edge gas inlet section 206, a vertical position of edge gas discharging openings can be adjusted.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes an inner upper electrode provided to face a lower electrode mounting thereon a substrate, an outer upper electrode provided in a ring shape at a radially outside of the inner upper electrode and electrically isolated from the inner upper electrode in a vacuum evacuable processing chamber and a processing gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas into a processing space between the inner and the outer upper electrode and the lower electrode. A radio frequency (RF) power supply unit is also provide to apply a RF power to the lower electrode or the inner and the outer upper electrode to generate a plasma of the processing gas by RF discharge. A first and a second DC power supply unit are provided to apply a first and a second variable DC voltage to the inner upper electrode, respectively.

Abstract: In a dry etching method, a silicon substrate is mounted on an electrode arranged in a processing chamber; a plasma is generated by discharging an etching gas in the processing chamber; a radio frequency power for attracting ions from the plasma is supplied to the electrode; and the silicon substrate is etched by the plasma. A pressure inside the processing chamber is set as 1 mTorr to 100 mTorr, and the etching is carried out while satisfying the following equation: yM?2.84*10?3x+0.28, where yM is a power density of the radio frequency power per unit area of the electrode and x is the pressure inside the processing chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technology that can obtain high in-plane uniformity of etching while etching a substrate using plasma. A proper temperature of a focus ring capable of performing etching having high in-plane uniformity is identified in advance for each of the multilayers formed on a wafer, the temperature is reflected to a processing recipe as a set temperature, and a heating mechanism and a cooling mechanism are controlled such that the temperature of the focus ring is within an appropriate temperature range including the set temperature thereof for each of the layers to be successively etched. Heat of the focus ring is radiated using a laser and is discharged to a supporting table without using a heater, to independently separate the heating mechanism and the cooling mechanism from each other.

Abstract: A plasma etching method includes disposing first electrode and second electrodes; preparing a part in a processing chamber; supporting a substrate by the second electrode to face the first electrode; vacuum-evacuating the processing chamber; supplying a first processing gas containing an etchant gas into a processing space between the first electrode and the second electrode; generating a plasma of the first processing gas in the processing space by applying a radio frequency power to the first electrode or the second electrode; and etching a film on the substrate by using the plasma. Further, a resist modification process includes vacuum-evacuating the processing chamber; supplying a second processing gas into the processing space; generating a plasma; and applying a negative DC voltage to the part, the part being disposed away from the substrate in the processing chamber and injecting electrons discharged from the part into the resist pattern on the substrate.

Abstract: A cleaning substrate that can prevent a decrease in the operating rate of a substrate processing apparatus. The cleaning substrate that cleans the interior of a chamber in the substrate processing apparatus has a removal mechanism that removes foreign matter in the chamber.

Abstract: A plasma etching method includes disposing a first electrode and a second electrode to face each other; preparing a part in the processing chamber; supporting a substrate; vacuum-evacuating the processing chamber; supplying an etching gas into a processing space between the first electrode and the second electrode; generating a plasma of the etching gas in the processing space by applying a radio wave power to the first electrode or the second electrode; and etching a film to be processed on a surface of the substrate by using the plasma. Further, a DC voltage is applied to the part during the etching process, the part being disposed away from the substrate and being etched by reaction with reactant species in the plasma.

Abstract: A disk drive. The disk drive includes a head-slider, an actuator, a ramp and a shroud. The head-slider is configured to fly above the disk. The actuator is configured to support the head-slider and to swing about a pivot shaft to move the head-slider in a radial direction of the disk. The actuator may also be configured to rest on the ramp in a stand-by position. The shroud includes an inner peripheral side surface and an outer peripheral side surface. The shroud is configured to control an air-stream which flows in a direction from the pivot shaft toward the head-slider. The inner peripheral side surface and the outer peripheral side surface are configured to blast the head-slider with the air-stream upon spinning the disk when the head-slider is positioned away from the disk in the stand-by position.

Abstract: A substrate processing method that can eliminate unevenness in the distribution of plasma. The method is for a substrate processing apparatus that has a processing chamber in which a substrate is housed, a mounting stage that is disposed in the processing chamber and on which the substrate is mounted, and an electrode plate that is disposed in the processing chamber such as to face the mounting stage, the electrode plate being made of silicon and connected to a radio-frequency power source, and carries out plasma processing on the substrate. In the plasma processing, the temperature of the electrode plate is measured, and based on the measured temperature, the temperature of the electrode plate is maintained lower than a critical temperature at which the specific resistance value of the silicon starts changing.

Abstract: A plasma processing method includes the steps of etching the target object with a CF-based processing gas by using a patterned resist film as a mask, removing deposits accumulated inside a processing chamber during the step of etching the target object by using a processing gas containing at least an O2 gas, and ashing the resist film by using a processing gas containing at least an O2 gas. Relevant places in the processing chamber from which the deposits are removed are heated in the step of removing the deposits.

Abstract: A substrate processing method that forms an opening, which has a size that fills the need for downsizing a semiconductor device and is to be transferred to an amorphous carbon film, in a photoresist film of a substrate to be processed. Deposit is accumulated on a side wall surface of the opening in the photoresist film using plasma produced from a deposition gas having a gas attachment coefficient S of 0.1 to 1.0 so as to reduce the opening width of the opening.