Patent ID: 6180019
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
A method of operating a plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus including:an antenna for generating an electric field in a plasma generating portion, wherein the antenna has two ends, and an earth portion of the antenna is provided with a load;a radio-frequency power sources for supplying radio-frequency electric power to said antenna;a vacuum chamber enclosing the plasma generating portion to establish a vacuum therein;a Faraday shield provided around the plasma generating portion;a gas supply unit for supplying gas into said vacuum chamber;a sample stage, in said vacuum chamber, on which an object to be processed is placed; andanother radio-frequency power source, for applying a radio-frequency electric field to said sample stage,the method comprising the steps of:igniting the plasma in the plasma generating portion, the Faraday shield being held in a floating state during said igniting;processing said object with said plasma, the Faraday shield being grounded during said processing; andadjusting said load such that, during the processing, voltages at the two ends of the antenna are substantially equal in absolute value but inverted; and adjusting said load such that, during the igniting, voltages at the two ends of the antenna are not substantially equal in absolute value.