Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a microwave-absorbing heat-generating member disposed along an inside surface of a plasma processing chamber to absorb microwaves and generate heat, wherein the microwave-absorbing heat-generating member is heated by microwaves without exciting plasma, and wherein, after that, a substrate to be processed is loaded into the plasma processing chamber and then plasma is excited to process the substrate.

1 . A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
 a plasma processing chamber;   a substrate supporting member configured to support a substrate disposed inside said plasma processing chamber to be processed there;   a gas introducing system configured to introduce a gas into said plasma processing chamber;   an exhausting system configured to evacuate the plasma processing chamber;   a microwave introducing member configured to introduce microwaves into said plasma processing chamber; and   a microwave-absorbing heat-generating member disposed along an inside surface of said plasma processing chamber and configured to absorb microwaves and generate heat.   
   
   
       2 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface of said microwave-absorbing heat-generating member is coated with at least one of aluminum nitride, alumina, silicon carbide, quartz and yttria. 
   
   
       3 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a material composition, volume, capacity and thickness of said microwave-absorbing heat-generating member are chosen so that the temperature reached by the heating based on the microwave irradiation inside said plasma processing chamber in a predetermined time becomes uniform throughout the whole of said microwave-absorbing heat-generating member. 
   
   
       4 . A plasma processing method, comprising the steps of:
 a first step of controlling a pressure inside a plasma processing chamber by controlling a flow rate of a gas introduced into the plasma processing chamber and a flow rate of a gas exhausted out of the plasma processing chamber, without placing a substrate, to be processed, in the plasma processing chamber, and introducing microwaves into the plasma processing chamber without generating plasma therein so that a microwave-absorbing heat-generating member disposed along an inside surface of the plasma processing chamber generates heat based on the microwaves; and   a second step of controlling the pressure inside the plasma processing chamber by controlling the flow rate of a gas introduced into the plasma processing chamber and the flow rate of a gas exhausted out of the plasma processing chamber, while placing the substrate, to be processed, in the plasma processing chamber, and introducing microwaves into the plasma processing chamber to generate plasma therein, such that the substrate is processed by the generated plasma;   wherein said first and second steps use the same source of emitting the microwaves.   
   
   
       5 . A plasma processing method according to  claim 4 , wherein, in said first step, after the microwave-absorbing heat-generating member generates heat, introduction of the microwaves is interrupted and, thereafter, said second step is carried out. 
   
   
       6 . A plasma processing method according to  claim 4 , wherein said first step and said second step are performed as a cycle and carried out repeatedly for a predetermined time and under a predetermined condition of pressure, output and temperature, and wherein the cycle is repeated while monitoring a predetermined measurement subject. 
   
   
       7 . A plasma processing method according to  claim 4 , wherein a temperature reached by the microwave-absorbing heat-generating member in the first step is measured and at least one of an emission time and an emission output of the microwaves is controlled so that a predetermined temperature is reached by the microwave-absorbing heat-generating member.