Cleaning method and plasma processing apparatus

A processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing container having a protective film provided on an inner surface of the processing container;
• a gas supplier configured to supply a cleaning gas into the processing container;
• an adjuster configured to adjust a pressure within the processing container;
• a radiator configured to radiate microwaves for plasma generation into the processing container;
• a specifier configured to specify the pressure within the processing container during plasma cleaning from an amount of damage to the protective film and a cleaning rate for removing a deposit deposited within the processing container, wherein the amount of damage and the cleaning rate are conditions for the plasma cleaning;
• and
• a cleaning controller configured to control the adjuster to adjust the pressure within the processing container to the pressure specified by the specifier while controlling the gas supplier to supply the cleaning gas into the processing container, and to control the radiator to radiate microwaves to generate plasma within the processing container, so that the interior of the processing container is cleaned with the plasma,
• wherein the specifier is configured to specify the pressure within the processing container by performing:
• from first relational data indicating a relationship between the pressure within the processing container and the amount of damage to the protective film in plasma cleaning, specifying a first pressure range in which the amount of damage is equal to or less than the amount of damage that is the condition for the plasma cleaning;
• from second relationship data indicating a relationship between the pressure within the processing container and the cleaning rate in the plasma cleaning, specifying a second pressure range in which a cleaning rate is equal to or higher than the cleaning rate that is the condition for the plasma cleaning;
• and
• from an overlap range where the specified first pressure range and the specified second pressure range overlap each other, specifying the pressure within the processing container during the plasma cleaning.