Plasma processing apparatus and method

Abstract

There is provided a plasma processing apparatus including a plasma generating unit for generating a plasma in a processing chamber in which a set processing is performed on a substrate serving as an object to be processed. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a particle moving unit for electrostatically driving particles in a region above the substrate to be removed out of the region above the substrate in the processing chamber while the processing on the substrate is performed by using the plasma. In addition, there is provided a plasma processing method of a plasma processing apparatus including the steps of generating plasma in a processing chamber in which a set processing is performed on a substrate serving as an object to be processed; and performing the processing on the substrate by the plasma.

1 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a plasma generating unit for generating a plasma in a processing chamber in which a set processing is performed on a substrate serving as an object to be processed, the plasma processing apparatus further comprising a particle moving unit for electrostatically driving particles in a region above the substrate to be removed out of the region above the substrate in the processing chamber while the processing on the substrate is performed by using the plasma.  
   
   
       2 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the particle moving unit includes: a mounting table for mounting the substrate; a first electrode for electrostatically adsorbing the substrate onto the mounting table; a ring-shaped member installed to enclose a periphery of the substrate; a second electrode for electrostatically adsorbing the ring-shaped member onto the mounting table; a first power supply, connected to the first electrode, for supplying an electric power with a first electric potential; and a second power supply, connected to the second electrode, for supplying an electric power with a second electric potential different from the first electric potential, wherein the mounting table, the first electrode, the ring-shaped member, and the second electrode are installed in the processing chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the particle moving unit includes a voltage controller for controlling at least an electric potential of the second electrode to remove the particles from the region above the substrate to a region above the second electrode.  
   
   
       4 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the second electric potential is higher than the first electric potential when the particles are negatively charged during the plasma processing.  
   
   
       5 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first electric potential is of negative polarity and the second electric potential is of positive polarity.  
   
   
       6 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first electric potential is of negative polarity and the second electric potential is of negative polarity.  
   
   
       7 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the second electric potential is higher than an electric potential formed near a surface of the substrate in the region above the substrate in response to the first electric potential or a self-bias potential formed by the generation of the plasma.  
   
   
       8 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a particle removing unit for removing the particles in the processing chamber.  
   
   
       9 . The plasma processing apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising an exhausting unit for exhausting the processing chamber.  
   
   
       10 . A plasma processing method of a plasma processing apparatus, comprising the steps of generating a plasma in a processing chamber in which a set processing is performed on a substrate serving as an object to be processed; and performing the processing on the substrate by the plasma, the plasma processing method further comprising the step of electrostatically driving particles in a region above the substrate to be removed out of the region above the substrate in the processing chamber during the processing on the substrate.  
   
   
       11 . The plasma processing method of  claim 10 , wherein the plasma processing apparatus includes a mounting table for mounting the substrate; a first electrode for electrostatically adsorbing the substrate onto the mounting table; a ring-shaped member installed to enclose a periphery of the substrate; a second electrode for electrostatically adsorbing the ring-shaped member onto the mounting table; a first power supply, connected to the first electrode, for supplying an electric power with a first electric potential; and a second power supply, connected to the second electrode, for supplying an electric power with a second electric potential different from the first electric potential, wherein the mounting table, the first electrode, the ring-shaped member, and the second electrode are installed in the processing chamber, and wherein the step of driving particles includes the substep of supplying the electric power with a second electric potential different from the first electric potential to the second electrode by the second power supply.  
   
   
       12 . The plasma processing method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of driving particles further includes the substep of controlling at least an electric potential of the second electrode to remove the particles from the region above the substrate to a region above the second electrode.  
   
   
       13 . The plasma processing method of  claim 11 , wherein the second electric potential is higher than the first electric potential when the particles are negatively charged during the plasma processing.  
   
   
       14 . The plasma processing method of  claim 11 , wherein the first electric potential is of negative polarity and the second electric potential is of positive polarity.  
   
   
       15 . The plasma processing method of  claim 11 , wherein the first electric potential is of negative polarity and the second electric potential is of negative polarity.  
   
   
       16 . The plasma processing method of  claim 11 , wherein the second electric potential is higher than an electric potential formed near a surface of the substrate in the region above the substrate in response to the first electric potential or a self-bias potential formed by the generation of the plasma.  
   
   
       17 . The plasma processing method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of removing the particles in the processing chamber.  
   
   
       18 . The plasma processing method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of exhausting the processing chamber.