Microwave plasma source, microwave plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

A microwave plasma processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing container having a processing space defined therein and in which a target substrate is processed;
• a microwave generation part configured to generate a microwave;
• a waveguide configured to propagate the microwave generated by the microwave generation part therethrough;
• an antenna part including a slot antenna and a microwave-transmitting plate, the slot antenna having a predetermined pattern of slots formed therein and being configured to radiate the microwave propagating through the waveguide into the processing space, and the microwave-transmitting plate being made of a dielectric material and being configured to transmit the microwave radiated from the slots therethrough and supply the microwave into the processing space;
• the waveguide including a coaxial waveguide, and a connector connected to the slot antenna and a cap covering a lower portion of the connector being installed under an inner conductor of the coaxial waveguide,
• a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature in a microwave propagation path at a portion corresponding to the connector or the cap;
• an abnormality detector configured to receive the temperature detected by the temperature detector and detect an abnormality in the microwave propagation path based on the detected temperature and issue a command based upon the detected temperature so as to prevent plasma ignition failure in the microwave plasma processing apparatus from being generated in advance;
• a gas supply configured to supply a plasma processing gas into the processing space;
• and
• an exhauster configured to exhaust the processing space.