Plasma processing method and plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus in which consumption of expensive krypton and xenon gases is suppressed as much as possible while reducing damage on a workpiece during plasma processing. In plasma processing of a substrate using a rare gas, two or more kinds of different rare gases are employed, and an inexpensive argon gas is used as one rare gas and any one or both of krypton and xenon gases having a larger collision cross-sectional area against electron than that of the argon gas is used as the other gas. Consequently, consumption of expensive krypton and xenon gases is suppressed as much as possible and damage on a workpiece is reduced during plasma processing.

1 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
 an upper shower plate which introduces a mixed rare gas including an argon gas and either one of xenon gas and krypton gas to generate plasma within a plasma process chamber; and   a lower shower member which is placed in a space between the upper shower plate and a workpiece to be treated; and   wherein the lower shower member has a plurality of holes for ejecting the reactive gas; and   wherein the mixed gas is controlled so that an amount of the argon gas becomes less than 80%.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising microwave excitation means for generating a plasma in said plasma process chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for supplying a nitriding gas or an oxidizing gas into said plasma process chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for supplying a gas, for use in performing film formation on the workpiece, into said plasma process chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for supplying a gas, for use in etching at least a portion of the workpiece, into said plasma process chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said lower shower member is structured by a lattice-shaped pipe with gaps left among the lattice-shaped pipe.