Patent ID: 7513214
Filing Date: 2009-04-07
Classification: C23C,H01J

Abstract:
1. A plasma processing method for generating plasma within a vacuum chamber and processing a substrate placed on a substrate electrode within the vacuum chamber, the method comprising: generating the plasma by supplying a high-frequency power having a frequency of 50 MHz to 3 GHz to a counter electrode provided opposite to the substrate while the interior of the vacuum chamber is controlled to a specified pressure by introducing gas into the vacuum chamber and, simultaneously therewith, evacuating the interior of the vacuum chamber; and processing the substrate using the generated plasma while controlling plasma distribution on the substrate using a single annular groove formed between the vacuum chamber and an insulating ring for insulating the vacuum chamber and the counter electrode from each other, wherein said insulating ring annularly surrounds the counter electrode, wherein the annular groove being located so that an outer-side face of the annular groove is located inside of and is non-coplanar with an inner surface of a sidewall of the vacuum chamber, and so that the annular groove has a groove width in a range of 3 mm to 50 mm.