Patent ID: 8075790

Claim:
A film removal method for removing a film from a substrate, comprising the steps of: disposing a plasma generator and a sucking apparatus above the substrate such that the principal axes of the plasma generator and the sucking apparatus are oriented at respective oblique angles with respect to the substrate; adjusting the plasma generator so as to project a plasma beam from the plasma generator onto the film at an oblique projection angle with respect to the substrate, so that the projected plasma beam has a reflection path at an oblique reflection angle with respect to the substrate; adjusting the sucking apparatus to orient the principal axis thereof along the reflection path so as to suck and remove a by-product of an incomplete plasma reaction occurring to the film to keep a surface of the substrate clean; rotating the plasma generator and the sucking apparatus about a rotation axis such that the plasma generator and the sucking apparatus are disposed on the opposite sides of the rotation axis, and moving the plasma generator and the sucking apparatus horizontally in relation to the substrate.