Hitachi, Ltd.

Yasuhiro Nishimori

Hideyuki Kazumi

Masaru Izawa

Ken Yoshioka

Tokuo Kure

Tetsuo Ono

Masayuki Kojima

Motohiko Yoshigai

Yasushi Goto

Takashi Sato

Naoyuki Kofuji

Tatsumi Mizutani

Takafumi Tokunaga

A plasma processing method for etching a sample having a gate oxide film which generates a plasma in a vacuum chamber using electromagnetic waves, applies an rf bias power to the sample, turns off the rf bias power before a charged voltage of the sample reaches a breakdown voltage of the gate oxide film, turns on the rf bias power after the charged voltage of the sample has substantially dropped and repeats the turning on and off of the rf bias power to process the sample. The off-time is set at least longer than the on-time, and the plasma is generated by continuously supplying power to enable generation of the plasma during the repeated turning on and off of the rf bias power.

Surface processing method of a specimen and surface processing apparatus of the specimen

A plasma processing method for etching a sample having a gate oxide film includes generating a plasma in a vacuum chamber using electromagnetic waves, applying an rf bias power to the sample, turning off the rf bias power before a charged voltage of the sample reaches a breakdown voltage, turning on the rf bias power after the charged voltage of the sample has substantially dropped, and repeating the turning on and off of the rf bias power to process the sample. The off-time is set at least longer than the on-time.

Specimen surface processing method

Electrical damage to semiconductor elements in the plasma etching thereof is suppressed. In processing of a fine pattern by plasma etching, the high frequency power supply to be applied to the specimen is turned off before the charge potential at a portion of the pattern reaches the breakdown voltage of the gate oxide film which is interconnected to said fine pattern, and then the high frequency power supply is turned on when the charge potential at the portion of the pattern drops substantially. This on and off control is effected in a repetitive mode of operation.

Specimen surface processing method and apparatus

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Ohme, Japan

Yasuhiro Nishimori