Patent ID: 7208422

Claim:
A plasma processing method for plasma processing a specimen by a plasma processing apparatus including a plasma generating unit, a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced, a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to the process chamber, a specimen table for holding a specimen, and a vacuum pumping unit, wherein the process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, a heater being provided for the outer cylinder and an inner cylinder being detachably held inside of the outer cylinder and being directly contacted by plasma generated during the plasma processing of the specimen, the inner cylinder being made of non-magnetic material and being replaceable from the outer cylinder, the plasma processing method comprising: monitoring a temperature of the inner cylinder during processing of the specimen; comparing a desired inner cylinder temperature which is inputted in advance in response to a processing condition of the specimen with the monitored temperature of the inner cylinder; and controlling the heater to control a temperature of the outer cylinder in response to a result of the comparison thereby indirectly controlling the inner cylinder temperature to a predetermined value.