Processing method and apparatus

Claim 2

A processing method, comprising the steps of: evacuating a hermetic container; placing an object to be processed on a susceptor arranged in said hermetic container; preliminarily introducing a small amount of heat transfer medium gas into a gap between the object to be processed and said susceptor; measuring a pressure of the heat transfer medium gas in the gap; automatically controlling further introduction of the heat transfer medium gas into the gap depending on the measured pressure of the heat transfer medium gas so that the pressure of the heat transfer medium gas reaches a predetermined value; and processing the object to be processed.

Claim 3

A processing method, comprising the steps of: evacuating a hermetic container; placing an object to be processed on a susceptor arranged in said hermetic container; automatically preliminarily introducing a small amount of heat transfer medium gas into a gap between the object to be processed and said susceptor; measuring a pressure of the heat transfer medium gas in the gap; automatically controlling further introduction of the heat transfer medium gas into the gap by controlling an evacuation amount from said gas inlet pipe depending on the measured pressure of the heat transfer medium gas so that the pressure of the heat transfer medium gas reaches a predetermined value; and processing the object to be processed.

Claim 4

A processing method, comprising the steps of: evacuating a hermetic container; placing an object to be processed on a susceptor arranged in said hermetic container; automatically preliminarily introducing a small amount of heat transfer medium gas into a gap between the object to be processed and said susceptor; measuring a pressure of the heat transfer medium gas in the gap; automatically controlling further introduction of the heat transfer medium gas into the gap by controlling an evacuation amount from said gas inlet pipe depending on the measured pressure of the heat transfer medium gas so that the pressure of the heat transfer medium gas reaches a predetermined value; and processing the object to be processed.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer medium gas is a gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, helium, and argon.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, wherein said susceptor and the object to be processed have uniform load curved surfaces opposing each other.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 1, wherein said susceptor and the object to be processed have opposing faces on which a synthetic resin film is formed.

Claim 8

A processing method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of: evacuating said gap and said gas inlet pipe after placing the object to be processed on the susceptor and before preliminary introducing a small amount of heat transfer medium gas.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 1, selected from the group consisting of etching, ashing, ion implantation, and sputtering.

Claim 10

A processing apparatus, comprising: a first electrode constituting a susceptor for holding an object to be processed thereon; a second electrode arranged to oppose said first electrode; means for generating a plasma between said first and second electrodes and processing the object to be processed by the plasma; means for automatically introducing a heat transfer medium gas into a gap between the object to be processed and said first electrode; means for measuring a pressure of the heat transfer medium gas in the gap; and means for automatically controlling further introduction of the heat transfer medium gas into the gap depending on the measured pressure of the heat transfer medium gas so that the pressure of the heat transfer medium gas reaches a predetermined value; wherein an inorganic insulating film is formed on said first electrode, and an elastic insulating film is formed on said inorganic insulating film.

Claim 11

A processing apparatus, comprising: a first electrode constituting a susceptor for holding an object to be processed thereon; a second electrode arranged to oppose said first electrode; means for generating a plasma between said first and second electrodes and processing the object to be processed by the plasma; means for automatically introducing a heat transfer medium gas into a gap between the object to be processed and said first electrode; means for measuring a pressure of the heat transfer medium gas in the gap; and means for automatically controlling further introduction of the heat transfer medium gas into the gap depending on the measured pressure of the heat transfer medium gas so that the pressure of the heat transfer medium gas reaches a predetermined value; wherein an inorganic insulating film is formed on said first electrode, and an elastic insulating film is formed on said inorganic insulating film.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said inorganic insulating film is an oxide film obtained by oxidizing a surface of said first electrode.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first electrode is made of aluminum, and said inorganic insulating film is an aluminum oxide film.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first electrode and the object to be processed have opposing uniform load curved surfaces.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said inorganic insulating film and the object to be processed have opposing surfaces on which a synthetic resin film is formed.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for holding the object to be processed by urging a periphery thereof against said susceptor.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 8, selected from the group consisting of an etching apparatus, an ashing apparatus, an ion implantation apparatus, and a sputtering apparatus.

Claim 18

A heat transfer method, comprising the steps of: evacuating a hermetic container; placing an object to which heat is transferred on a base material arranged in said hermetic container; preliminarily introducing a small amount of heat transfer medium gas into a gap between the object to which heat is transferred and said base member; measuring a pressure of the heat transfer medium gas in the gap; automatically controlling further introduction of the heat transfer medium gas into the gap depending on the measured pressure of the heat transfer medium gas so that the pressure of the heat transfer medium gas reaches a predetermined value.

Claim 19

A heat transfer method, comprising the steps of: evacuating a hermetic container; placing an object to which heat is transferred on a base material arranged in said hermetic container; preliminarily introducing a small amount of heat transfer medium gas into a gap between the object to which heat is transferred and said base member; measuring a pressure of the heat transfer medium gas in the gap; automatically controlling further introduction of the heat transfer medium gas into the gap depending on the measured pressure of the heat transfer medium gas so that the pressure of the heat transfer medium gas reaches a predetermined value.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 2, wherein said susceptor and the object to be processed have uniform load curved surfaces opposing each other.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of: evacuating a part of the introduced heat transfer medium gas from the gas inlet pipe; and wherein the automatic controlling of the further introduction of the heat transfer medium gas step comprises the substep of: controlling an evacuation amount from the gas inlet pipe depending on the measured pressure of the heat transfer medium gas.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: means for evacuating a part of the introduced heat transfer medium gas; and wherein the means for automatically controlling further introduction of the heat transfer medium gas comprises: means for controlling an evacuation amount of the heat transfer medium gas.

Claim 23

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said elastic insulating film is a polyimide resin film.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of: holding the object on said susceptor by urging a periphery of the susceptor by a clamp ring after the step of placing the object on the susceptor.

Claim 25

A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of: maintaining a pressure of the heat transfer medium gas in the gap at 0.5 to 20 Torr while processing the object.

Claim 26

A method according to claim 20, wherein said susceptor and the object to be processed have uniform load curved surfaces opposing each other.

Claim 27

A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: holding the object on said susceptor by urging a periphery of the susceptor by a clamp ring after the step of placing the object on the susceptor.

Claim 28

A method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of: maintaining a pressure of the heat transfer medium gas in the gap at 0.5 to 20 Torr while processing the object.