Microwave plasma processing apparatus and processing method using the

Abstract

The plasma processing apparatus of the invention generates plasma from a reactive gas with microwave power so as to process a substrate. The plasma processing apparatus includes: a vacuum chamber having an evacuation means and reactive gas inlet ports; a means for holding the substrate to be processed which is disposed inside the vacuum chamber; a dielectric plate disposed at a position facing the substrate to be processed so as to form an integral part of the vacuum chamber; a metal conductor plate disposed on an outer plane of the dielectric plate not facing the vacuum chamber so as to face the substrate to be processed; and a means for supplying microwave power substantially inverse-radially from a circumferential side of the dielectric plate towards a center thereof. Under the above construction, the microwave is supplied substantially inverse-radially from the circumferential side of the dielectric plate towards the center thereof, thereby generating a surface wave on the dielectric plate facing the substrate. As a result, the microwave power is uniformly radiated along radial directions into the vacuum chamber and plasma is uniformly generated from a reactive gas over a large area, so that even a large substrate may be processed uniformly.