Patent ID: 6769439
Filing Date: 2004-08-03
Classification: C23C,H01J,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
A plasma cleaning method comprising the steps of:placing a plate-shaped placement area protector made of a material having electrical properties which are the same as that of an unnecessary film deposited on a surface of a substrate stage and an inner face of a vacuum vessel during substrate processing, said placement area protector having surface dimensions and shape matching at least one of: a surface of a substrate to be processed and an area for substrate placement on the surface of the substrate stage, said placement area protector being placed on the area for substrate placement so as to cover the area; introducing an etching gas into the vacuum vessel by a gas introduction mechanism; applying a high-frequency electromagnetic wave to the substrate stage from a stage high-frequency electromagnetic wave supply so as to form plasma in the proximity of the surface of the substrate stage; and removing the unnecessary film deposited on the surface of the substrate stage and the inner face of the vacuum vessel by using an etching action of the gas enhanced by the plasma.