Patent ID: 6066568
Filing Date: 2000-05-23
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A plasma treatment method that recognizes a relationship between X waves and plasma formation, said method comprising the steps of:transferring a substrate to be treated in a cylindrical vacuum vessel having a magnetic field forming region so that said substrate is substantially perpendicular to an axis of said vacuum vessel;propagating a microwave in the direction of said axis, and forming a magnetic field in said magnetic field forming region so that lines of magnetic force run along said axis of said vacuum vessel;introducing a plasma producing gas into said vacuum vessel to thereby form a plasma in said vessel;setting electron density, PD, of said plasma at a position corresponding to an electron cyclotron resonance point in a central portion in said magnetic field forming region so that0.46 nc.ltoreq.PD<nc,wherein nc is a n electron density that is an upper limit of an electron density range in which X waves are producible in said vessel; andtreating said substrate with said plasma produced by electron cyclotron resonance, wherein said step of setting electron density creates a chevron distribution of electron density in which electron density at said position corresponding to said electron cyclotron resonance point is higher in a surrounding portion of said magnetic field forming region than a peak value of said electron density in said central portion.