Particle-removing apparatus for a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and method of removing particles

Abstract

In a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus that processing a substrate by applying a voltage to a gas to create a plasma, positively charged particles are trapped or guided at the instant that the cathode voltage is stopped, by an electrode to which is imparted a negative voltage, so as to prevent particles reaching the substrate.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
   
   
       35 . A particle-removing method for a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus comprising an etching processing chamber, a pair of processing electrodes formed by an upper electrode and a lower electrode, which are installed within said processing chamber, and a susceptor that holds a substrate to be processed onto the top of said lower electrode, a processing gas being introduced into said etching processing chamber, and a prescribed voltage being applied to said processing electrodes, so as to generate a plasma of said gas, thereby processing the substrate on the susceptor,
 wherein said method forming a plasma having a size that extends greatly beyond said substrate, so that particles within said processing chamber fall along the outer periphery of said plasma, thereby being prevented from becoming attached to said substrate.