Patent ID: 11942308
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC H  C | IPC C  H

Claim 0:
1. A plasma processing method for performing a plasma process by a microwave plasma processing apparatus,
wherein the microwave plasma processing apparatus includes:
a processing container having a processing space defined therein and in which a target substrate is processed;
a microwave generation part configured to generate a microwave;
a waveguide path including a coaxial waveguide and configured to propagate the microwave generated by the microwave generation part therethrough;
an antenna part including a slot antenna and a microwave-transmitting plate, the slot antenna having a predetermined pattern of slots formed therein and being configured to radiate the microwave propagating through the waveguide path into the processing space, and the microwave-transmitting plate being made of a dielectric material and being configured to transmit the microwave radiated from the slots therethrough and supply the microwave into the processing space;
a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a plasma processing gas into the processing space; and
an exhaust mechanism configured to exhaust the processing space,, the method comprising:
when a microwave plasma is generated by radiating the microwave into the processing space via the waveguide path and the antenna part while supplying the plasma processing gas into the processing space,
detecting a temperature at a position in a vicinity of the slot antenna within the coaxial waveguide of a microwave propagation path leading to the slot antenna; and
detecting an abnormality in the microwave propagation path based on the detected temperature so as to predict a plasma ignition failure in advance.