Patent ID: 8287689

Claim:
A plasma processing apparatus, comprising: a processing chamber where a specific type of plasma processing is executed on a substrate by using a gas raised to plasma; a plasma generation electrode used to generate plasma, which is disposed within said processing chamber; a plurality of RF generators that generate radio-frequency power with different frequencies; a matcher that includes a plurality of matching circuits each disposed between said electrode and one of said RF generators, set away from said processing chamber, and engaged in impedance matching to match an input impedance at said electrode with an output impedance at the corresponding RF generator; and a probing feeder rod constituted as an integrated unit that includes a plurality of probes used in an electrical characteristics measurement and provided as an integrated part of a feeder rod via which superimposed radio-frequency power obtained by superimposing radio-frequency power with different frequencies having been generated at said RF generators and having traveled through said matching circuits, is transmitted and supplied to said electrode, wherein: said probing feeder rod adopts a coaxial double-pipe structure that includes, a single rod-shaped conductive member detachably connected between a radio-frequency output terminal of said matcher and said electrode, and a tubular conductive member detachably connected at a ground potential between said matcher and a bottom portion of said processing chamber so as to enclose an exterior of said rod-shaped conductive member between said matcher and a bottom portion of said processing chamber, wherein the tubular conductive member has a flange connecting to the bottom of the processing chamber through a conductive seal and the tubular conductive member is fixedly spaced from the rod-shaped conductive member through disk shaped insulators, the rod-shaped conductive member having a length so that when the tubular conductive member attaches to the bottom of the chamber the rod-shaped conductive member electrically contacts to the plasma generation electrode and to said matcher, at least one of said plurality of probes is attached to an outer wall surface of said tubular conductive member as an integrated part of the feeder rod without dividing said rod- shaped conductive member and said tubular conductive member into separate parts, said probing feeder rod is detachably mounted between said matcher and said processing chamber.