Patent ID: 8361274

Claim:
An etching apparatus comprising: a vacuum processing tank; a first processing gas introduction section that is constructed such that a first processing gas in a radical state is introduced into said vacuum processing tank along a first direction and is guided to a processing object; and a second processing gas introduction section that is constructed such that a second processing gas that reacts with said first processing gas is introduced into said vacuum processing tank and is guided to said processing object, wherein said first processing gas introduction section has a first nozzle section, wherein said second processing gas introduction section has two second nozzle sections, said first nozzle section being located between said two second nozzle sections, wherein both said first nozzle section and said two second nozzle sections are disposed at one side of said vacuum processing tank and aimed generally towards an exhaust section, wherein, when viewed from above said tank, said first nozzle section and said two second nozzle sections are substantially in a line along said one side of said tank, wherein said second processing gas from said two second nozzle sections is introduced so that said second processing gas substantially surrounds said first processing gas and gradually approaches said first processing gas, and wherein said second processing gas from one of said two second nozzle sections is introduced along a second direction and toward a predetermined point, a first substantially acute angle being made by said first direction and said second direction, wherein said second processing gas from the other one of said two second nozzle sections is introduced along a third direction and toward said predetermined point, a second substantially acute angle being made of said first direction and said third direction on the opposite side of said first substantially acute angle with respect to said first direction, wherein said second direction and said third direction substantially form an acute angle therebetween, wherein a distance between said two second nozzle sections is smaller than a distance between said predetermined point and each of said two second nozzle sections, and wherein said second processing gas from said two second nozzle sections acts as gas curtain with respect to said first processing gas.