Plasma processing apparatus

Claim 2

A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a gas inlet port and a gas discharge port; supporting means, disposed in said chamber, for supporting an object to be processed which has a surface to be processed; a flat coil provided to oppose the surface to be processed of the object which is supported by said supporting means, with a gap therebetween; RF power supply means for supplying an RF current to said coil, thereby generating a plasma in said chamber between said coil and said supporting means; and directing means, provided to said supporting means to surround the object to be processed, and having a projecting portion projecting toward said coil past the surface to be processed of the object to be processed, and including an electrical insulator or a high resistance, for focussing the plasma in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the object to be processed; wherein said directing means has an outer annular member consisting of an electrical insulator or a high ohmic resistance, and an inner annular member arranged between said outer annular member and the object to be processed and consisting of a conductor.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said outer annular member projects more toward said coil than said inner annular member.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: temperature adjusting means for adjusting a temperature of said supporting means; gas supply means for supplying a heat transfer gas, that transfers heat of said temperature adjusting means to the object to be processed, to a portion between said supporting means and the object to be processed; pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure of the supplied gas and generating a signal corresponding to the pressure; and control means for adjusting a gas supply amount of said gas supply means based on the signal from said pressure detecting means, thereby controlling heat transfer of the gas to the object to be processed.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means controls the gas supply amount such that the temperature of the object to be processed is constant during processing.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of said supporting means and generating a signal corresponding to the detected temperature, wherein said control means adjusts the gas supply amount of said gas supply means based on the signals from said temperature detecting means and said pressure detecting means.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises an electrostatic chuck for supporting the object to be processed by electrostatic chucking said electrostatic chuck having an outer layer consisting of a material having a high resistance against a reactive ion and an electrode provided in said outer layer.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said outer layer of said electrostatic chuck consists of one member selected from the group consisting of a ceramic, quartz, and an insulating polymer.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means has a housing counter electrode, and an RF bias energy having a frequency of 1 to 3 MHz is applied to said electrode.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for cooling said supporting means to -50° to -150° C. during processing of the object to be processed.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for supplying a gas mixture containing CH 4 gas, CF 4 gas, and O 2 gas in an amount of not more than 10% or Ar gas in an amount of not more than 50% in the ratio of flow rates, or a gas mixture containing NF 3 gas, CH 4 gas, and O 2 or Ar gas to said chamber through said gas inlet port, thereby etching the object to be processed.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 10, comprising means for heating an inner surface of said chamber to 50° to 100° C. during etching.

Claim 13

A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a gas inlet port and a gas discharge port; supporting means, disposed in said chamber, for supporting an object to be processed which has a surface to be processed; a flat coil provided to oppose the surface to be processed of the object which is supported by said supporting means, with a gap therebetween; RF power supply means for supplying an RF current to said coil, thereby generating a plasma in said chamber between said coil and said supporting means; and directing means, provided to said supporting means to surround the object to be processed, and having a projecting portion projecting toward said coil past the surface to be processed of the object to be processed for focussing the plasma in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the object to be processed; wherein said directing means has an annular plasma focus ring consisting of an electrical insulator or a high ohmic resistance; wherein said focus ring has a projecting surface which forms a step farther from said coil as it is closer to the object to be processed.

Claim 14

A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a gas inlet port and a gas discharge port; supporting means, disposed in said chamber, for supporting an object to be processed which has a surface to be processed; a flat coil provided to oppose the surface to be processed of the object which is supported by said supporting means, with a gap therebetween; RF power supply means for supplying an RF current to said coil, thereby generating a plasma in said chamber between said coil and said supporting means; and directing means, provided to said supporting means to surround the object to be processed, and having a projecting portion projecting toward said coil past the surface to be processed of the object to be processed for focussing the plasma in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the object to be processed; wherein said directing means has an annular plasma focus ring consisting of an electrical insulator or a high ohmic resistance; wherein said focus ring has a projecting surface which forms a step farther from said coil as it is closer to the object to be processed.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the step of said projecting surface of said focus ring has a lower surface and an upper surface extending from said lower surface toward said coil at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to said lower surface.

Claim 16

A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a gas inlet port and a gas discharge port; supporting means, disposed in said chamber, for supporting an object to be processed which has a surface to be processed; a flat coil provided to oppose the surface to be processed of the object which is supported by said supporting means, with a gap therebetween; RF power supply means for supplying an RF current to said coil, thereby generating a plasma in said chamber between said coil and said supporting means; and directing means, provided to said supporting means to surround the object to be processed, and having a protecting portion projecting toward said coil past the surface to be processed of the object to be processed for focussing the plasma in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the object to be processed; wherein said directing means has an annular plasma focus ring consisting of an electrical insulator or a high ohmic resistance; wherein said focus ring has a projecting surface which forms a curved contour; wherein said curved contour of said projecting surface of said focus ring has a lower surface which is farther away from said coil as it is closer to the object to be processed, and an upper surface extending from said lower surface toward said coil.

Claim 17

A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a gas inlet port and a gas discharge port; supporting means, disposed in said chamber, for supporting an object to be processed which has a surface to be processed; a flat coil provided to oppose the surface to be processed of the object which is supported by said supporting means, with a gap therebetween; RF power supply means for supplying an RF current to said coil, thereby generating a plasma in said chamber between said coil and said supporting means; and directing means, provided to said supporting means to surround the object to be processed, and having a protecting portion projecting toward said coil past the surface to be processed of the object to be processed for focussing the plasma in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the object to be processed; wherein said directing means has an annular plasma focus ring consisting of an electrical insulator or a high ohmic resistance; wherein said focus ring has a projecting surface which forms a curved contour; wherein said curved contour of said projecting surface of said focus ring has a lower surface which is farther away from said coil as it is closer to the object to be processed, and an upper surface extending from said lower surface toward said coil.

Claim 18

A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a gas inlet port and a gas discharge port; supporting means, disposed in said chamber, for supporting an object to be processed which has a surface to be processed; an electrode provided to oppose the surface to be processed of the object which is supported by said supporting means, with a gap therebetween; RF power supply means for supplying an RF current to said electrode, thereby generating a plasma in said chamber between said electrode and said supporting means; and directing means, provided to said supporting means to surround the object to be processed, and having a projecting portion projecting toward said electrode past the surface to be processed of the object to be processed for focussing the plasma in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the object to be processed; wherein said directing means has an outer annular member consisting of an electrical insulator or a high ohmic resistance, and an inner annular member arranged between said outer annular member and the object to be processed and consisting of a conductor.

Claim 19

A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a gas inlet port and a gas discharge port; supporting means, disposed in said chamber, for supporting an object to be processed which has a surface to be processed; an electrode provided to oppose the surface to be processed of the object which is supported by said supporting means, with a gap therebetween; RF power supply means for supplying an RF current to said electrode, thereby generating a plasma in said chamber between said electrode and said supporting means; and directing means, provided to said supporting means to surround the object to be processed, and having a projecting portion projecting toward said electrode past the surface to be processed of the object to be processed for focussing the plasma in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the object to be processed; wherein said directing means has an outer annular member consisting of an electrical insulator or a high ohmic resistance, and an inner annular member arranged between said outer annular member and the object to be processed and consisting of a conductor.