Patent ID: 8858754

Claim:
A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a substrate in a processing chamber, the apparatus comprising: a lower electrode installed within the processing chamber and configured to mount thereon the substrate; an upper electrode installed so as to face the lower electrode and having a plurality of discharge holes for introducing a processing gas toward the substrate; a power supply unit configured to supply a high frequency power for generating plasma of the processing gas between the electrodes; an elevation unit installed at a ceiling wall of the processing chamber and configured to elevate the upper electrode between the ceiling wall and the lower electrode; a shield sidewall configured to surround the electrodes and a processing space between the electrodes; an inner gas exhaust path formed at the inside of the shield sidewall and configured to exhaust an atmosphere in the processing space; and an outer gas exhaust path formed at the outside of the shield sidewall and configured to exhaust the processing gas introduced into a space between the upper electrode and the ceiling wall, wherein a flange protruded so as to block the outer gas exhaust path is secured to an upper portion of the shield sidewall, a groove is formed in the flange between the shield sidewall and a sidewall of the processing chamber, a plurality of first communication holes are formed at a bottom of the groove so as to allow the outer gas exhaust path to communicate with the space between the upper electrode and the ceiling wall, and a plurality of second communication holes are formed at a sidewall of the groove so as to allow a space in the groove to communicate with a gap between the upper electrode and the shield sidewall.