Patent ID: 6379756
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: C23C,H01J,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of plasma-treating a substrate under a decompressed atmosphere, comprising the steps of:(a) conveying the substrate into a chamber (302) through an opening (41), and placing the substrate on a lower electrode (305); (b) lifting a ring member (325) provided with a baffle plate (326) together with said lower electrode (305) until the lower electrode is located close to an upper electrode (330) and the baffle plate (326) is located at a position that is higher in level than an upper end of said opening (41) of the chamber, thereby permitting the baffle plate to shield a region near the opening of the chamber from a plasma generation region; (c) exhausting said chamber (302) of gases, and supplying a treatment gas from the upper electrode toward the substrate placed on the lower electrode; (d) generating plasma between the upper and lower electrode (330, 305) so as to permit the plasma to react with the substrate, and allowing reaction products which are generated by heat and the plasma, to be adhered to the baffle plate; (e) lowering the ring member (325) provided with the baffle plate together with the lower electrode (305), after the generated plasma is vanished, until the lower electrode (305) is located away from the upper electrode (330) and the baffle plate (326) is located at a position that is lower in level than a lower end of the opening (41) of the chamber, thereby allowing the region near the opening of the chamber to communicate with the plasma generation region; and (g) taking out the substrate from the chamber (302) by way of the opening of the chamber.