Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Yoshihiro Yanagi

Ichiro Nakayama

Tomohiro Okumura

Hideo Haraguchi

Kiyohiko Takagi

Teiichi Kimura

A Plasma processing method and apparatus exhibit excellent characteristics of reducing the amount of electric charge on a plasma-processed processing-object substrate and of preventing plasma damage and dielectric breakdown. Before the processing-object substrate is plasma-processed, top-and-bottom surfaces of the processing-object substrate are simultaneously subjected to a weak plasma in gas composed mainly of inert gas, which makes it possible to neutralize the charges on the processing-object substrate. The inert gas is any one of Ar, He, N, H, and vaporized HO gas or a mixed gas of these gases.

Plasma processing method and apparatus

In dry etching process wherein a substrate having a multi-layer film is etched, the etching process is monitored by determining a layer being processed. CHFgas is added to the processing gas during a period from the time when the lowermost layer on the substrate is etched until the etching is completed.

Dry etching method

A plasma processing method and apparatus, wherein evaluation is effected while a suitable gas is introduced into a vacuum vessel, and then a high frequency voltage is applied by a high frequency discharge coil power source to a spiral discharge coil while the interior of the vacuum vessel is kept under adequate pressure, whereby a high frequency magnetic field is generated within the vacuum vessel through a dielectric plate so that electrons are accelerated by an induction field due to the high frequency magnetic field to generate plasma within the vacuum vessel for processing a substrate, characterized in that the dielectric plate is heated by a planar heater to 80.degree. C. or more, whereby the thickness of a thin film to be deposited on the dielectric plate is substantially reduced thereby to inhibit dust generation and thus substantially reduce the frequency of maintenance required for the dielectric plate. The apparatus includes a ceramic plate formed with a discharge coil fixing groove and mounted on the dielectric plate, and the planar spiral discharge coil is mounted on the ceramic plate.

In a plasma processing method, a substrate is processed by placing the substrate on an electrode in a vacuum chamber, introducing a gas into the vacuum chamber while discharging gas from inside vacuum chamber, applying a high frequency voltage to a spiral discharge coil while keeping the vacuum chamber internally at a pressure to generate a plasma inside the vacuum chamber. At least one of the control parameters of gas type, gas flow rate, pressure, magnitudes of high frequency powers applied to the coil and the electrode, and their high frequency power frequencies is varied while the substrate is processed. The method includes a step of allowing a plasma density in-plane distribution to be controlled in accordance with the timing of varying any of the control parameters.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum vessel, a substrate electrode, a discharge coil which is partially or wholly made to have a multiple spiral or helical configuration, a high frequency power source, and a matching circuit that is connected to the discharge coil by way of a conductor wire and connected to the high frequency power source via a connection cable. Plasma is generated inside the vacuum vessel upon application of a high frequency voltage to the discharge coil so as to process a substrate disposed on the substrate electrode.

Plasma processing apparatus

A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum vessel, a substrate electrode, a discharge coil which is partially or wholly made to have a multiple spiral or helical configuration, a high frequency power source, and a matching circuit that is connected to the discharge coil by way of a conductor wire and connected to the high frequency power source via a connection cable, and generates plasma inside the vacuum vessel by applying a high frequency voltage to the discharge coil so as to process a substrate disposed on the substrate electrode.

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Neyagawa, Japan

Yoshihiro Yanagi