Microwave plasma source and plasma processing apparatus

A plasma processing apparatus comprising a chamber configured to accommodate a target substrate, a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas into the chamber, and a microwave plasma source configured to form a surface wave plasma by radiating a microwave into the chamber, the apparatus configured to perform a plasma process on the target substrate using the surface wave plasma,

• wherein the microwave plasma source includes:
• a microwave output part configured to generate and output a microwave;
• a microwave transmission part configured to transmit the microwave outputted from the microwave output part;
• and
• a microwave radiation member constituting a ceiling wall of the chamber and configured to radiate the microwave, which is supplied from the microwave transmission part, into the chamber,
• wherein the microwave transmission part includes a plurality of microwave introduction mechanisms which is circumferentially arranged in a peripheral portion of the microwave radiation member, which corresponds to an internal peripheral portion of the chamber, and is configured to introduce the microwave into the microwave radiation member,
• wherein the microwave radiation member includes:
• a metal main body;
• a plurality of dielectric slow-wave members which is arranged in an overall annular shape in the vicinity of an arrangement surface of the main body on which the microwave introduction mechanisms are arranged, along an annular microwave introduction mechanism arrangement region including a portion where the plurality of microwave introduction mechanisms is arranged;
• an annular dielectric microwave transmission member which is arranged in a microwave radiation surface of the main body along the microwave introduction mechanism arrangement region;
• and
• a slot antenna part which is interposed between the slow-wave members and the microwave transmission member and has a plurality of microwave radiation slots formed in an overall circumferential shape along the microwave introduction mechanism arrangement region,
• wherein the plurality of slow-wave members is arranged such that adjacent slow-wave members are separated from each other by metal members, the plurality of slow-wave members being twice as many as the microwave introduction mechanisms and being arranged to extend to both sides of a position where each of the microwave introduction mechanisms is disposed, and
• wherein each of the metal members is disposed immediately below each of the plurality of microwave introduction mechanisms.