Abstract: The present invention relates to an etching method including a reaction layer forming step of forming a reaction layer by adsorption of a gas on a surface of an etching target material, a desorption step of desorbing the reaction layer after the reaction layer forming step, and a removal step of removing the reaction layer or a deposited film, characterized in that the surface of the etching target material is etched by the reaction layer forming step and the desorption step.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a stage disposed in a processing chamber for mounting a wafer, a plasma generation chamber disposed above the processing chamber for plasma generation using process gas, a plate member having multiple introduction holes, made of a dielectric material, disposed above the stage and between the processing chamber and the plasma generation chamber, and a lamp disposed around the plate member for heating the wafer. The plasma processing apparatus further includes an external IR light source, an emission fiber arranged in the stage, that outputs IR light from the external IR light source toward a wafer bottom, and a light collection fiber for collecting IR light from the wafer. Data obtained using only IR light from the lamp is subtracted from data obtained also using IR light from the external IR light source during heating of the wafer. Thus, a wafer temperature is determined.

Abstract: A method for etching a titanium nitride film includes a first process of supplying reactive species, which include hydrogen and fluorine, to a base material including a titanium nitride film on at least a part of a surface, and a second process of vacuum-heating the base material to remove the surface reaction layer that is generated on the surface of the titanium nitride film in the first process.

Abstract: The variable valve actuating device (20) comprises a valve lifter (24) interposed between a swing end of a rocker arm 22 and a stem end of an engine valve (17), and a switch pin (53) slidably received in the valve lifter (24) so as to selectively abut the end surface of the valve stem as the valve lifter is actuated by a cam (21a). The swing end of the rocker arm abuts an upper end of a projection (55) projecting from the upper end of the valve lifter via an engagement feature (26b, 55a) that prevents a rotational movement of the valve lifter relative to the swing end around the axial line of the valve stem.

Abstract: In a vacuum processing apparatus including: a vacuum container including a processing chamber therein; a plasma formation chamber; plate members being arranged between the processing chamber and the plasma formation chamber; and a lamp and a window member being arranged around the plate members, in order that a wafer and the plate members are heated by electromagnetic waves from the lamp, a bottom surface and a side surface of the window member is formed of a member transmitting the electromagnetic waves therethrough.

Abstract: A plasma processing method is provided for a plasma processing apparatus which includes a plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and a plurality of downstream-side expansion valves connected to respective refrigerant inlets and respective refrigerant outlets to adjust a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing into the respective refrigerant inlets and a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing out from the respective refrigerant outlets. The method includes adjusting openings of the upstream-side expansion valves and openings of the downstream-side expansion valves so that no change in flow rate of the refrigerant occurs in a plurality of refrigerant channels between the plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and the plurality of downstream-side expansion valves via the plurality of refrigerant channels in a refrigeration cycle allowing the refrigerant to flow therein.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber to be depressurized in a vacuum vessel with a sidewall made of a transparent or translucent dielectric material, a stage in the processing chamber to mount a wafer thereon, a coil disposed around an outer side of the sidewall and supplied with radio-frequency power for forming plasma above the stage in the processing chamber, a lamp disposed above the coil outside the vacuum vessel which radiates light onto the wafer, and a reflector disposed the coil and reflecting light to irradiate an inside of the processing chamber.

Abstract: A plasma processing device that includes a processing chamber which is disposed in a vacuum vessel and is decompressed internally, a sample stage which is disposed in the processing chamber and on which a sample of a process target is disposed and held, and a plasma formation unit which forms plasma using process gas and processes the sample using the plasma, and the plasma processing device includes: a dielectric film which is disposed on a metallic base configuring the sample stage and connected to a ground and includes a film-like electrode supplied with high-frequency power internally; a plurality of elements which are disposed in a space in the base and have a heat generation or cooling function; and a feeding path which supplies power to the plurality of elements, wherein a filter to suppress a high frequency is not provided on the feeding path.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus or a plasma processing method that processes a wafer to be processed, which is placed on a surface of a sample stage arranged in a processing chamber inside a vacuum container, using a plasma formed in the processing chamber, the apparatus or method including processing the wafer by adjusting a first high-frequency power to be supplied to a first electrode arranged inside the sample stage and a second high-frequency power to be supplied, via a resonant circuit, to a second electrode which is arranged in an inner side of a ring-shaped member made of a dielectric arranged on an outer peripheral side of a surface of the sample stage on which the wafer is placed, during the processing.

Abstract: Provided is a heat treatment apparatus that is high in thermal efficiency and can reduce surface roughness of a substrate to be treated even when a specimen is heated at 1200° C. or higher. The heat treatment apparatus heating the specimen includes a heating plate heated by plasma formed in an area of a gap to heat the specimen.

Abstract: The present invention provides a temperature control unit for an electrostatic adsorption electrode that is capable of controlling the wafer temperature rapidly over a wide temperature range without affecting in-plane uniformity while high heat input etching is conducted with high wafer bias power applied. A refrigerant flow path provided in the electrostatic adsorption electrode serves as an evaporator. The refrigerant flow path is connected to a compressor, a condenser, and a first expansion valve to form a direct expansion type refrigeration cycle. A second expansion valve is installed between the electrostatic adsorption electrode and the compressor to adjust the flow rate of a refrigerant. This makes it possible to compress the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path of the electrostatic adsorption electrode and adjust the wafer temperature to a high level by raising the refrigerant evaporation temperature.

Abstract: There is provided dry etching apparatus including a stage on which a wafer is placed, an antenna electrode, a high frequency power supply, a shower plate, and an RF bias power supply. Further, a bias path controller is provided on the side of the antenna electrode. The bias path controller resonates in series with the static reactance formed by the shower plate with respect to the frequency of the RF bias. Then, the bias path controller changes and grounds the impedance by the variable inductive reactance. With this mechanism, highly uniform etching can be achieved even if a shower plate of quartz is used for corrosive gases.

Abstract: There is a vacuum processing apparatus which can reduce the amount of foreign particle occurrence by enhancing the ease of maintenance of a gas diffuser installing portion in the vacuum processing apparatus. A gas diffuser chamber for accommodating a gas diffuser is installed in the vacuum processing apparatus.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a wafer table, a refrigerant passage disposed inside the wafer table in which a refrigerant flows, a refrigeration cycle comprising the refrigerant passage in the wafer table as a first evaporator in which the refrigerant is evaporated as a result of a heat-exchange therein, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve, a second evaporator, and a controlling unit which adjusts a number of rotations of the compressor based upon a degree of dryness of the refrigerant at a position on the refrigeration cycle after passing through the first evaporation in a range in which dry-out does not occur in the first evaporator, and the dryness of the refrigerant being determined based upon an amount of a heat exchange during the evaporation of the refrigerant in the second evaporator.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus having enhanced plasma processing uniformity. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber 1, means 13 and 14 for supplying processing gas into the processing chamber, evacuation means 25 and 26 for decompressing the processing chamber 1, an electrode 4 on which an object 2 to be processed such as a wafer is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply 5A, wherein at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O2 or N2 are introduced into the processing chamber through different gas inlets so as to control the in-plane uniformity of the critical dimension while maintaining the in-plane uniformity of the process depth.

Abstract: There is provided a means for uniformly controlling the in-plane temperature of a semiconductor wafer at high speed in a high heat input etching process. A refrigerant channel structure in a circular shape is formed in a sample stage. Due to a fact that a heat transfer coefficient of a refrigerant is largely changed from a refrigerant supply port to a refrigerant outlet port, the cross sections of the channel structure is structured so as to be increased from a first channel areas towards a second channel areas in order to make the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant constant in the refrigerant channel structure. Thereby, the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is prevented from increasing by reducing the flow rate of the refrigerant at a dry degree area where the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is increased.

Abstract: A plasma processing method is provided for a plasma processing apparatus which includes a plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and a plurality of downstream-side expansion valves connected to respective refrigerant inlets and respective refrigerant outlets to adjust a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing into the respective refrigerant inlets and a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing out from the respective refrigerant outlets. The method includes adjusting openings of the upstream-side expansion valves and openings of the downstream-side expansion valves so that no change in flow rate of the refrigerant occurs in a plurality of refrigerant channels between the plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and the plurality of downstream-side expansion valves via the plurality of refrigerant channels in a refrigeration cycle allowing the refrigerant to flow therein.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a refrigerating cycle including a refrigerant passage, a compressor, and a condenser, all of which are coupled in this order, and through which a refrigerant flows in this order, the refrigerant passage being disposed inside a sample stage and through which the refrigerant flows to serve as an evaporator; first and second expansion valves which are interposed between the condenser and the refrigerant passage and between the refrigerant passage and the compressor respectively in the refrigerating cycle; a vaporizer that is interposed between the second expansion valve and the compressor in the refrigerating cycle and which heats and vaporizes the refrigerant; and a controller which regulates opening and closing of the first and second expansion valves and regulates a refrigerant heat exchange amount of the condenser or vaporizer based on a refrigerant temperature between the condenser and the second expansion valve.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, a check valve is installed close to a refrigerant inlet of a compressor. When performing maintenance of a sample stage, refrigerant collected from a refrigerant flow path is temporarily stored in a flow path section extending from an expansion valve to the check valve, making it possible to perform the maintenance without changing the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerating cycle. With a refrigerant storage tank, a refrigerant supply valve, and a refrigerant discharge valve included in the refrigerating cycle, when maintenance of the compressor, a condenser, or the expansion valve is performed, the refrigerant collected from the refrigerating cycle can be put in use again.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus having enhanced plasma processing uniformity. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber 1, means 13 and 14 for supplying processing gas into the processing chamber, evacuation means 25 and 26 for decompressing the processing chamber 1, an electrode 4 on which an object 2 to be processed such as a wafer is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply 5A, wherein at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O2 or N2 are introduced into the processing chamber through different gas inlets so as to control the in-plane uniformity of the critical dimension while maintaining the in-plane uniformity of the process depth.