Abstract: The plasma processing apparatus has a beam-shaped spacer 7 placed at the upper opening of the chamber 3 opposed to the substrate 2. The beam-shaped spacer 7 has an annular outer peripheral portion 7a whose lower surface 7d is supported by the chamber 3, a central portion 7b located at the center of a region surrounded by the outer peripheral portion 7a in plane view, and a plurality of beam portions 7c extending radially from the central portion 7b to the outer peripheral portion 7a. An entire of a dielectric plate 8 is uniformly supported by the beam-shaped spacer 7. The dielectric plate 8 can be reduces in thickness while securing a mechanical strength for supporting the atmospheric pressure when the chamber 3 is internally reduced in pressure.

Abstract: A dry etching apparatus comprises: a vacuum chamber where a processing target is disposed on a bottom wall side of an internal space; a coil for generating plasma that is disposed above and outside the vacuum chamber and has conductors disposed so that a gap is formed in a plane view; a top wall that closes the top of the internal space and has a transparent section at a position corresponding to the gap between conductors of the coil 36 in the plane view; and a camera that is disposed above the coil and can capture at least a part of the processing target in a field of view through the gap and the transparent section. The status of the processing target during plasma processing can be observed in real-time.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a plasma etching method by which both of a requirement for a trench shape and a requirement for a aspect ratio can be satisfied, and a trench having a side wall of a smooth shape can be formed. According to the present invention, a silicon substrate is placed on a lower electrode (120), etching gas is supplied through a gas introducing port (140) and exhausted from an exhaust port (150), high frequency powers (130a, 130b) supply high-frequency electricity to an upper electrode (110) and a lower electrode (120), respectively, in order to energize the etching gas into plasma state, using an ICP method, and then activated species are generated to make etching of the silicon substrate be progressed. As the etching gas, mixed gas, which includes mainly SF6 gas added with O2 gas and He gas, is used.