Abstract: This plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing on an end part of a substrate includes a processing container, a substrate supporting member configured to support a portion of the substrate and to which a high frequency power is applied, at least a side of the substrate supporting member being composed of a dielectric, an opposing dielectric member composed of a dielectric and disposed to oppose the substrate supporting member, and a gas supply configured to supply a processing gas for generating plasma on at least the end part of the substrate. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a side ground electrode provided at a side of the substrate so as to be close to the substrate to such an extent that an electrical coupling is formed between an end surface of the substrate and the side ground electrode, the side ground electrode having a ground potential.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber and a waveguide portion. The waveguide portion is configured to propagate electromagnetic waves to generate plasma within the chamber. The waveguide portion includes a resonator configured to resonate the electromagnetic waves therein. The resonator includes a microstrip and a dielectric member. A part of the dielectric member constitutes a dielectric layer of the microstrip.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber, a waveguide, an electrode, an electromagnetic wave emission part and a multipactor discharge part. A plasma generation space is formed in the processing chamber. Electromagnetic waves for generating plasma are applied to the electrode. The waveguide is disposed along an outer circumference of the electrode. The electromagnetic wave emission part is made of a dielectric material and configured to emit the electromagnetic waves into the plasma generation space. The multipactor discharge part is a gap formed between the electrode and the electromagnetic wave emission part and faces the plasma generation space.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma source comprising: a housing that defines a plasma generation space; a gas inlet disposed at the housing and configured to introduce a gas; a power supply part disposed at the housing and configured to supply a radio frequency (RF) power; a supply port disposed at the housing and configured to supply active species of plasma produced from the gas in the plasma generation space; a dielectric plate that is disposed at the housing, transmits the RF power from the power supply part to the plasma generation space, and has an opening at a center thereof; a slot formed between the power supply part and the dielectric plate and through which the RF power propagates; and a gas supply line disposed at the housing, and having one end connected to the gas inlet and the other end from which a gas is supplied to the opening.

Abstract: Provided is a plasma source comprising: a housing that defines a plasma generation space; a gas inlet port disposed in the housing to introduce a gas; a supply port disposed in the housing to supply active species of plasma produced from the gas in the plasma generation space; an ignition power supply port disposed in the housing to supply a radio-frequency (RF) power for igniting the plasma in the plasma generation space; and a maintenance power supply port disposed in the housing to supply the RF power for maintaining the plasma ignited in the plasma generation space.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a shower head provided above a substrate supporter; a gas supply pipe extending vertically above a chamber to be connected to an upper center of the shower head; an introducer through which the gas supply pipe passes and into which an electromagnetic wave of a VHF or higher is introduced to activate a gas; and an electromagnetic-wave supply path connected to the gas supply pipe. The introducer has a first dissociation space arranged upstream of the shower head and to which a first gas is supplied. The chamber has a second dissociation space between the substrate supporter and the shower head. The first gas dissociated in the first dissociation space and a second gas from the gas supply pipe are joined in the second dissociation space where they are dissociated by a radio-frequency wave having a frequency lower than that of the electromagnetic wave.

Abstract: Provided is a high-frequency power supply comprising: a power generator configured to generate a high-frequency power having a variable frequency; an output part configured to output the high-frequency power; a sensor configured to specify a reflection coefficient of the high-frequency power for a load connected to the output part; and a controller configured to determine a matching frequency of the high-frequency power for the load, wherein the controller is configured to: (i) obtain three reflection coefficients corresponding to a first frequency, a second frequency, and a third frequency from the sensor; (ii) determine, as the matching frequency, a frequency of a minimum point of a quadratic function that expresses the relationship between the first to third frequencies and the three reflection coefficients; and (iii) control the power generator to generate the high-frequency power having the matching frequency.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a coaxial tube that extends in a vertical direction and forms a portion of a radio frequency waveguide; a substrate support configured to support a substrate; an electrode including a gas flow path connected to a gas ejection port opened toward a space above the substrate support, wherein the electrode is provided above the substrate support and an inner conductor of the coaxial tube is connected to a center of the electrode; an enlarged diameter portion forming a part of the radio frequency waveguide together with the electrode and connected to an outer conductor of the coaxial tube; and dielectric tubes formed of a dielectric material, wherein each of the dielectric tubes is connected to the electrode and penetrates a space between the electrode and the enlarged diameter portion to supply a gas to the electrode, wherein the dielectric tubes is scatteredly provided.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing method in a plasma processing apparatus including a chamber, a stage on which a substrate is placed in the chamber, a plurality of radiating devices configured to radiate a plurality of electromagnetic waves, and a dielectric window disposed between the plurality of radiating devices and the stage. The method comprises: preparing the substrate on the stage; controlling a phase of at least one of the plurality of electromagnetic waves radiated from the plurality of radiating devices; radiating the plurality of electromagnetic waves into the chamber from the plurality of radiating devices; and processing the substrate using localized plasma generated from a gas supplied between the dielectric window and the stage.

Abstract: Measuring a plasma state using a probe device in the case of performing plasma processing on a substrate by introducing process gas into a processing container accommodating the substrate and by producing pulsed plasma using an electromagnetic wave pulse obtained by processing an electromagnetic wave generated from an electromagnetic wave oscillator using a pulsing device. An AC voltage to the pulsed plasma is applied via the probe device; transmitting a signal from the pulsed plasma based on the AC voltage via the probe device and measuring data including a current value; and obtaining a state of the pulsed plasma by analyzing the measured data. The frequency of the AC voltage deviates from a frequency of the electromagnetic wave pulse so that the number of data required for the measurement of the pulsed plasma within one cycle of the electromagnetic wave pulse is obtained within allowable time.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a chamber; a stage provided in the chamber; a microwave transmission window provided on a wall surface of the chamber; a microwave supply configured to supply microwaves into the chamber via the microwave transmission window; a shower plate configured to partition an interior of the chamber into a plasma generation space, which is a region where the microwave transmission window is disposed, and a processing space, which is a region where the stage is disposed; and a protrusion protruding from the shower plate into the plasma generation space and including a conductor in at least a portion of the protrusion.

Abstract: There is a remote plasma device comprising: a housing made of a metal; a dielectric disposed to fill the housing; a gas supply port disposed at the housing, and configured to supply a gas into the housing; a gas exhaust port disposed at the housing, and configured to discharge the gas from the housing; a gas line that is formed in the dielectric and connects the gas supply port and the gas discharge port; and an electromagnetic wave supply part disposed at the housing, and configured to supply electromagnetic waves into the housing and produce plasma in the gas line.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing apparatus. The apparatus comprises a chamber having a processing space for performing plasma processing on a substrate and a combining space for combining electromagnetic waves, a dielectric window separating the processing space from the combining space, an antenna unit having a plurality of antennas radiating the electromagnetic waves to the combining space and functioning as a phased array antenna, an electromagnetic wave output unit that outputs the electromagnetic waves to the antenna unit, a stage on which the substrate is placed, a gas supply unit that supplies a gas for ALD film formation to the processing space, and a controller that controls the gas supply unit to supply the gas to perform the ALD film formation and control localized plasma to move at a high speed in the processing space by causing the antenna unit to function as the phased array antenna.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a control device and configured to plasmarize a gas supplied to an interior of a processing container to perform a plasma processing on an object to be processed, wherein the control device includes: a measurer configured to measure an electron energy distribution function of plasma in the interior of the processing container, and a parameter changer configured to change parameters relating to the plasma processing so that the electron energy distribution function measured by the measurer during the plasma processing approaches a target electron energy distribution function.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber having an upper opening, a dielectric ceiling plate that is disposed to close the opening and partitions an inner space and an outer space of the processing chamber, and a plurality of electromagnetic wave supplies disposed on the dielectric ceiling plate and configured to supply electromagnetic waves into the processing chamber. The dielectric ceiling plate has a cavity between the plurality of electromagnetic wave supplies. The cavity is formed in a surface of the dielectric ceiling plate in contact with the outer space or formed inside the dielectric ceiling plate.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container; a resonator configured to resonate electromagnetic waves to be supplied; a slot antenna connected to the resonator; and a transmission window configured to transmit the electromagnetic waves radiated from the slot antenna and supply the electromagnetic waves into the processing container, wherein the resonator includes: an input port including an inner shaft and an outer cylinder; an output port including an inner shaft and an outer cylinder; a power supply fin connecting the inner shaft of the input port and the inner shaft of the output port and provided in the resonator; and a ground fin connected to the outer cylinder of the input port and the outer cylinder of the output port at a same potential and provided to protrude within the resonator so as to be inserted between fins of the power supply fin.

Abstract: A distributor for distributing electromagnetic waves to a plurality of output terminals, the distributor includes: a power supply terminal configured to be electrically connected to a radio-frequency power source configured to be capable of varying frequency; and a plurality of filters provided respectively at the plurality of output terminals to which the electromagnetic waves input to the power supply terminal are distributed. The plurality of filters is configured to have different frequency characteristics.

Abstract: A method of controlling plasma includes providing a plasma processing apparatus that includes N microwave introducing radiators disposed in a circumferential direction of a ceiling plate of a processing container so as to introduce microwaves for generating plasma into the processing container, wherein N?2; and M sensors and configured to monitor at least one of electron density Ne and electron temperature Te of the plasma generated in the processing container, wherein M equals to N or a multiple of N. The method further includes controlling at least one of a power and a phase of the microwaves introduced from the microwave introducing radiators based on at least one of electron density Ne and electron temperature Te of the plasma monitored by the M sensors.

Abstract: In a shower plate, a plasma processing apparatus, and a plasma processing method, improvement of in-plane uniformity of plasma on a stage is required. The shower plate according to an exemplary embodiment includes an upper dielectric disposed to face a stage and an upper electrode embedded in the upper dielectric. A distance between a bottom surface of the upper dielectric and the upper electrode is shorter in a peripheral portion than in a central portion.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container; a substrate holder disposed within the processing container and configured to hold a substrate thereon; a dielectric window disposed below the substrate holder; and a plurality of phased array antennas disposed below the dielectric window and configured to irradiate a plurality of electromagnetic waves.