Patent ID: 9273394
Filing Date: 2016-03-01
CPC Classification: C23C,G05D

Claim Text:
1. A diagnosis method of a plasma processing apparatus for processing a sample to be processed that is placed in a process chamber within a vacuum vessel by a plasma formed from a gas supplied to the process chamber, while controlling the flow rate by a flow-rate controller, wherein the plasma processing apparatus comprises: a first, second, and third gas supply line, each gas supply line connected to the process chamber in parallel to allow the gas to flow through the supply lines; and a first, second, and third controller, each provided on the respective gas supply lines to detect the flow rate of the gas flowing through each of the gas supply lines and to control the flow rate to a set value, wherein the range of detectable flow rate for the third flow rate controller is smaller than the detectable range of flow rates for the first and second flow rate controllers, and wherein the diagnosis method comprises the steps of: splitting and supplying a gas controlled to a predetermined flow rate by the third flow-rate controller, to the first flow-rate controller and to the second flow-rate controller; and testing the operation of the control of the flow rate by the first flow-rate controller, based on the value obtained from the flow rate of the gas flowing through the second flow-rate controller and from the predetermined flow rate.