Tokyo Electron Limited

Yunosuke Hashimoto

Kazushi Kaneko

Yohei Ishida

Kazunori Funazaki

Disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus including a processing container, a plasma generation mechanism, a regulation unit, a detection unit, and a determination unit. The plasma generation mechanism includes a microwave oscillator, and generates plasma within the processing container using microwaves oscillated by the microwave oscillator. The regulation unit regulates an oscillation frequency, which corresponds to a frequency of the microwaves oscillated by the microwave oscillator, to a predetermined frequency. The detection unit detects the oscillation frequency regulated to the predetermined frequency by the regulation unit. The determination unit determines the success/failure of regulation of the oscillation frequency by the regulation unit, using the oscillation frequency detected by the detection unit, or using a parameter which is changed depending on a difference between the oscillation frequency and the predetermined frequency.

Plasma processing apparatus, abnormality determination method, and microwave generator

Disclosed is a microwave plasma processing apparatus including: a processing container configured to define a processing space a microwave generator configured to generate microwaves for generating plasma of a processing gas introduced into the processing space, a distributor configured to distribute the microwaves to a plurality of waveguides using a variable distribution ratio, an antenna installed in the processing container to seal the processing space and configured to radiate the microwaves distributed to each of the plurality of waveguides by the distributor to the processing space, a monitor unit configured to monitor a power of the microwaves distributed to each of the plurality of waveguides by the distributor, and a distribution ratio control unit configured to correct the distribution ratio used for distribution of the microwaves by the distributor based on a difference between a ratio of the power of the microwaves monitored by the monitor unit and a previously designated distribution ratio.

Microwave plasma processing apparatus and microwave supply method

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing container and a plasma generating mechanism including a high-frequency oscillator. The arrangement is configured to generate plasma within the processing container by using a high frequency wave oscillated by the high-frequency oscillator. In addition, an impedance regulator is configured to adjust impedance to be applied to the high-frequency oscillator. Further, a determining unit is configured to change the impedance to be adjusted by the impedance regulator and to determine an abnormal oscillation of the high-frequency oscillator based on (a) a component of a center frequency of a fundamental wave that is the high frequency wave oscillated by the high-frequency oscillator, and (b) a component of a peripheral frequency present at both ends of a predetermined frequency band centered around the center frequency of the fundamental wave in a state where the impedance is changed.

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Miyagi, Japan

Yunosuke Hashimoto