Patent ID: 8329054

Claim:
A plasma processing method of involving electrostatic chucking a sample in a plasma processing apparatus equipped with a plasma-generation high-frequency power supply which generates plasma in a processing chamber, a biasing high-frequency power supply which applies high-frequency bias electric power to an electrode on which the sample is placed, a monitor which monitors a peak-to-peak value of the high-frequency bias electric power applied to the electrode, and an electrostatic chuck power supply which makes the electrode electrostatically attract the sample, the method comprising steps of: setting an output voltage of the electrostatic chuck power supply at a first negative value during a predetermined period after plasma ignition until plasma potential becomes stable; determining a second negative value for the output voltage of the electrostatic chuck power supply based upon an output from the monitor, the determined second negative value being greater than a self-bias voltage of the sample and greater than the first negative value; and after setting the output voltage at the first negative value during the predetermined period after the plasma ignition until the plasma potential becomes stable, setting the output voltage at the determined second negative value for plasma processing of the sample.