Plasma Processing apparatus and method

A plasma processing apparatus for processing a substrate by using a plasma, comprising:

• a processing chamber for accommodating and processing the substrate therein;
• a lower electrode for mounting the substrate thereon in the processing chamber;
• an upper electrode disposed to face the lower electrode in the processing chamber;
• a radio frequency power supply for supplying a radio frequency power to at least one of the lower and the upper electrode, to thereby generate the plasma in a processing space between the lower and the upper electrode;
• and
• an electrical characteristic control unit for adjusting an electrical characteristic of a circuit at the side of an electrode to the plasma such that a value of current flowing into the electrode from the processing space does not reach a maximum current value.

A plasma processing method, comprising the steps of:

• mounting a substrate on a lower electrode disposed to face an upper electrode in a processing chamber;
• supplying a radio frequency power to at least one of the lower and the upper electrode to thereby generate a plasma therebetween;
• and
• processing the substrate by using the plasma,
• wherein an impedance of a circuit at the side of an electrode to the plasma for a frequency of at least one radio frequency wave present in the processing chamber is adjusted such that the circuit does not resonate.

A plasma processing method, comprising the steps of:

• mounting a substrate on a lower electrode disposed to face an upper electrode in a processing chamber;
• supplying a radio frequency power to at least one of the lower and the upper electrode to thereby generate a plasma in a processing space therebetween;
• and
• processing the substrate by using the plasma,
• wherein an electrical characteristic of a circuit at the side of an electrode to the plasma is adjusted such that a value of current flowing into the electrode from the processing space does not reach a maximum current value.