Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a plasma processing method for forming a pattern of a mask on a laminated film of a magnetic film and a metal oxide film, and the plasma processing method includes: plasma etching the magnetic film in a chamber; and after the plasma etching, plasma cleaning the chamber, wherein the plasma cleaning performs first plasma cleaning of plasma cleaning using a gas mixture of chlorine element-containing gas and boron trichloride gas, and after the first plasma cleaning, second plasma cleaning of removing boron remaining in the chamber.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a plasma processing method for forming a pattern of a mask on a laminated film of a magnetic film and a metal oxide film, and the plasma processing method includes: plasma etching the magnetic film in a chamber; and after the plasma etching, plasma cleaning the chamber, wherein the plasma cleaning performs first plasma cleaning of plasma cleaning using a gas mixture of chlorine element-containing gas and boron trichloride gas, and after the first plasma cleaning, second plasma cleaning of removing boron remaining in the chamber.

Abstract: In a plasma etching method of plasma-etching a sample which has a first magnetic film, a second magnetic film disposed above the first magnetic film, a metal oxide film disposed between the first magnetic film and the second magnetic film, a second metal film disposed over the second magnetic film and forming an upper electrode, and a first metal film disposed below the first magnetic film and forming a lower electrode, the plasma etching method includes the steps of: a first process for etching the first magnetic film, the metal oxide film, and the second magnetic film by using carbon monoxide gas; and a second process for etching the sample by using mixed gas of hydrogen gas and inactive gas after the first process. In this case, the first metal film is a film containing therein tantalum.

Abstract: A plasma processing method is provided for reducing dimensions of a film to be etched from patterned dimensions, and is capable of reducing dimensions without causing deformation or collapse of the film to be etched. A plasma processing method for trimming a tantalum film by plasma etching using a resist, an antireflective film disposed under the resist, and a mask film disposed under the antireflective film, includes the steps of trimming the antireflective film and the mask film by plasma etching with the resist as a mask; removing the resist and the antireflective film subjected to the trimming, by plasma; and trimming the tantalum film by plasma etching with a mask film obtained after the resist and the antireflective film subjected to the trimming are removed by plasma, as a mask.

Abstract: A plasma etching method for plasma etching a film to be etched to a size smaller than a prescribed size using a mask patterned to the prescribed size performs etching on the film to be etched to the size smaller than the prescribed size while forming a protection film on side walls of the film to be etched.

Abstract: A plasma processing method is provided for reducing dimensions of a film to be etched from patterned dimensions, and is capable of reducing dimensions without causing deformation or collapse of the film to be etched. A plasma processing method for trimming a tantalum film by plasma etching using a resist, an antireflective film disposed under the resist, and a mask film disposed under the antireflective film, includes the steps of trimming the antireflective film and the mask film by plasma etching with the resist as a mask; removing the resist and the antireflective film subjected to the trimming, by plasma; and trimming the tantalum film by plasma etching with a mask film obtained after the resist and the antireflective film subjected to the trimming are removed by plasma, as a mask.

Abstract: In a plasma etching method of plasma-etching a sample which has a first magnetic film, a second magnetic film disposed above the first magnetic film, a metal oxide film disposed between the first magnetic film and the second magnetic film, a second metal film disposed over the second magnetic film and forming an upper electrode, and a first metal film disposed below the first magnetic film and forming a lower electrode, the plasma etching method includes the steps of: a first process for etching the first magnetic film, the metal oxide film, and the second magnetic film by using carbon monoxide gas; and a second process for etching the sample by using mixed gas of hydrogen gas and inactive gas after the first process. In this case, the first metal film is a film containing therein tantalum.

Abstract: In a plasma processing method for plasma-etching magnetic layer by using a plasma processing device including a processing chamber in which a sample is plasma-processed, a dielectric window to seal an upper part of the processing chamber hermetically, an inductive coupling antenna disposed above the dielectric window, a radio-frequency power source to supply radio-frequency electric power to the inductive coupling antenna and a Faraday shield disposed between the inductive coupling antenna and the dielectric window, a deposit layer is formed on the plasma-etched magnetic layer by plasma processing while applying radio-frequency voltage to the Faraday shield after the magnetic layer is plasma-etched.

Abstract: In a plasma etching method of plasma-etching a sample which has a first magnetic film, a second magnetic film disposed above the first magnetic film, a metal oxide film disposed between the first magnetic film and the second magnetic film, a second metal film disposed over the second magnetic film and forming an upper electrode, and a first metal film disposed below the first magnetic film and forming a lower electrode, the plasma etching method includes the steps of: a first process for etching the first magnetic film, the metal oxide film, and the second magnetic film by using carbon monoxide gas; and a second process for etching the sample by using mixed gas of hydrogen gas and inactive gas after the first process. In this case, the first metal film is a film containing therein tantalum.

Abstract: In a plasma processing method for plasma-etching magnetic layer by using a plasma processing device including a processing chamber in which a sample is plasma-processed, a dielectric window to seal an upper part of the processing chamber hermetically, an inductive coupling antenna disposed above the dielectric window, a radio-frequency power source to supply radio-frequency electric power to the inductive coupling antenna and a Faraday shield disposed between the inductive coupling antenna and the dielectric window, a deposit layer is formed on the plasma-etched magnetic layer by plasma processing while applying radio-frequency voltage to the Faraday shield after the magnetic layer is plasma-etched.

Abstract: A plasma etching method for plasma etching a film to be etched to a size smaller than a prescribed size using a mask patterned to the prescribed size performs etching on the film to be etched to the size smaller than the prescribed size while forming a protection film on side walls of the film to be etched.

Abstract: In a plasma etching method of plasma-etching a sample which has a first magnetic film, a second magnetic film disposed above the first magnetic film, a metal oxide film disposed between the first magnetic film and the second magnetic film, a second metal film disposed over the second magnetic film and forming an upper electrode, and a first metal film disposed below the first magnetic film and forming a lower electrode, the plasma etching method includes the steps of: a first process for etching the first magnetic film, the metal oxide film, and the second magnetic film by using carbon monoxide gas; and a second process for etching the sample by using mixed gas of hydrogen gas and inactive gas after the first process. In this case, the first metal film is a film containing therein tantalum.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for stably generating cleaning plasma regardless of a condition of CO-containing plasma. When a magnetic film formed on a wafer 802 to be etched is processed with the CO-containing plasma which is generated by applying a source electric power to a CO-containing gas containing elements of C and O, which has been introduced into a vacuum chamber 801, to convert the CO-containing gas into a plasma state, the method includes: applying predetermined processing to the magnetic film formed on the wafer 802 to be etched by using the CO-containing plasma; then introducing a cleaning gas into the vacuum chamber in a state of applying the source electric power 806 to the antenna; and then stopping the introduction of the CO-containing gas into the vacuum chamber to thereby generate the cleaning plasma with the use of a predetermined cleaning gas.