Patent ID: 8006640

Claim:
A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a process container configured to hold a vacuum therein and perform a plasma process on a target object accommodated therein, the process container including a container casing that is equipped with an upper plate disposed on an upper side thereof and defining a top opening, and a dielectric transmission plate supported by the upper plate and airtightly closing the top opening; a worktable configured to place the target object thereon inside the process container; a planar antenna disposed above the transmission plate and including a plurality of slots to supply microwaves from the slots through the transmission plate into the process container; a gas feed member configured to supply a process gas, to be turned into plasma by the microwaves, into the process container; an exhaust line configured to exhaust gas from inside the process container; a dielectric wave-retardation body disposed above the planar antenna and configured to shorten a wavelength of the microwaves; and a metal cover covering the planar antenna and the wave-retardation body, wherein the planar antenna is fixed at a periphery of the planar antenna to the metal cover by fixing members, which are fitted in a recess formed on the transmission plate at a periphery of the transmission plate, and the transmission plate is set at a position where the transmission plate is separated from the target object placed on the worktable by a distance of from 20 mm to 100 mm.