Hitachi High-tech Corporation

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Shigeru Shirayone

Masaki Ishiguro

Kazuyuki Ikenaga

Masahiro Sumiya

Tomoyuki Tamura

Hiroyuki Kobayashi

Tsunehiko Tsubone

Hideki Kihara

Tadamitsu Kanekiyo

Tooru Aramaki

Makoto Nawata

Provided is a plasma processing apparatus capable of obtaining desired etch profiles and preventing the degradation of yield rates due to the adhesion of particles, and equipped with a processing chamber in which a sample is plasma-treated; a radio-frequency power source for supplying radio-frequency power used to generate plasma; a sample stage which is provided with electrodes for electrostatically adsorbing the sample and on which the sample is mounted; and a DC power supply for applying DC voltages to the electrodes, the apparatus being further equipped with a control apparatus for controlling the DC power supply so as to apply such DC voltages as to decrease the absolute value of the potential of the sample in the absence of the plasma.

Plasma processing apparatus

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a plasma processing chamber; a radio frequency power source; a sample stage on which a sample is mounted; an electrode which is arranged inside the sample stage and electrostatically chucks the sample; a DC power source which applies a DC voltage to the electrode; and a control device which controls an output voltage of the DC power source so that an electric potential difference between an electric potential of the sample and an electric potential of an inner wall of the plasma processing chamber is reduced to an electric potential difference within a predetermined range during interruption of plasma discharge.

A sample releasing method for releasing a sample subjected to plasma processing from a sample stage on which the sample is electrostatically attracted by applying DC voltage to an electrostatic chuck electrode, and the method includes: moving the sample subjected to the plasma processing upward above the sample stage; and after moving the sample, controlling the DC voltage such that an electric potential of the sample is to be smaller.

Method for releasing sample and plasma processing apparatus using same

A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma processing chamber processing a sample using plasma, a radio frequency power supply supplying radio frequency power for generating the plasma, a sample stage including an electrode electrostatically chucking the sample, mounting the sample thereon, a DC power supply applying DC voltage to the electrode, and a control device shifting the DC voltage previously set, in a negative direction by a first shift amount during discharge of the plasma, shifting the DC voltage having been shifted in the negative direction by the first shift amount, in a positive direction by a second shift amount after the discharge of the plasma. The first shift amount has a value changing potential over a surface of the sample to 0 V, upon shifting the DC voltage in the positive direction. The second shift amount has a value obtained based on a floating potential of the plasma.

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

A plasma processing apparatus includes a stage in a processing chamber where plasma is formed, a wafer to be processed, and an electrode arranged at an upper part of the stage and supplied with power to electrostatically attract and hold the wafer on the stage, and consecutively processing a plurality of wafers one by one. There are plural processing steps of conducting processing using the plasma under different conditions and there are plural periods when formation of plasma is stopped between the processing steps. An inner wall of the processing chamber is coated before starting the processing of any wafer, and voltage supplied to the electrode is changed according to a balance of respective polarities of particles floating and charged in the processing chamber in each period when formation of plasma is stopped.

A vacuum processing method includes mounting a sample to be processed on a sample mounting surface on a sample holder placed in a vacuum container whose inside can be depressurized, feeding a processing gas and electric field to a space above the sample holder inside of the vacuum container to generate plasma, and etching films of a plurality of layers laid over the surface of the sample into a predetermined shape. A heat conducting gas is fed between the sample mounting surface and the backside of the sample, and at the same time, the pressure of the heat conducting gas is changed stepwise in accordance with the progress of the processing of the films of a plurality of layers of the sample.

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Tokyo, Japan

Shigeru Shirayone