Patent ID: 8098016

Claim:
A plasma generating apparatus using an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements, each being formed of a rod-like conductor having a surface covered with a dielectric, and arranged in a planar manner, the plasma generating apparatus comprising: a radio frequency power source for generating a radio frequency signal fed to each of the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array; impedance matching devices, each including a basic element having a characteristic parameter being variable for impedance matching and an auxiliary element having a characteristic parameter being variable, the impedance matching devices changing a combined characteristic parameter obtained by combining the characteristic parameter of the basic element and the characteristic parameter of the auxiliary element to change an impedance matching state of each of the plurality of antenna elements; and a controller for adjusting an amount of the combined characteristic parameter of each of the impedance matching devices to perform the impedance matching of a whole antenna array, wherein, in an adjusted state where the characteristic parameter of the auxiliary element is adjusted for each of the plurality of antenna elements to adjust the impedance matching for each of the plurality of antenna elements, the controller adjusts the characteristic parameter of the basic element of each of the plurality of antenna elements in synchronization with each other so as to perform the impedance matching of the whole antenna array.