Patent ID: 8298627
Filing Date: 2012-10-30
Classification: H01J,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of a plasma treatment using a plasma treatment apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a vacuum chamber having a transfer area for transferring a substrate to or from the inside and a reaction area for providing a process treatment for the substrate, and being used in a state of a reduced pressure, the vacuum chamber comprising a first exhaust port that is large so as to have a large conductance and a second exhaust port that is smaller than the first exhaust port so as to have a small conductance; a substrate holder for holding the substrate; means for generating plasma in the reaction area; and a moving means for moving the substrate holder between the transfer area and the reaction area, the method comprising the steps of: a first step of moving the substrate holder to the transfer area by the moving means prior to providing the process treatment for the substrate in a state such that the substrate is not held on the substrate holder; a second step of introducing a same gas as the gas for performing the process treatment for the substrate into the vacuum chamber; a third step of generating plasma in the vacuum chamber by the means for generating plasma and making active species in the plasma adhere to the vacuum chamber inner wall to adjust an atmosphere in the vacuum chamber, while at the same time exhausting the atmosphere in the vacuum chamber using the first exhaust port; and a fourth step of making the substrate holder hold the substrate and moving the substrate holder to the reaction area by the moving means to provide the process treatment for the substrate using the gas, while at the same time exhausting the atmosphere in the vacuum chamber using the second exhaust port, wherein the third step is performed if it is determined that the gas to be used in the process treatment is different from a gas used in a last process treatment after a step of acquiring gas specifying information for specifying the gas to be used in the process treatment is performed, followed by a step of determining whether a kind or composition of the gas used in the last process treatment is different from the kind or composition of the gas to be used in the process treatment, and the fourth step is performed if: 1) the third step is performed; or 2) it is determined that the gas to be used in the process treatment is identical to the gas used in the last process treatment after the step of determining whether the kind or composition of the gas used in the last process treatment is different from the kind or composition of the as to be used in the process treatment is performed.