Plasma processing apparatus using transmission electrode

A plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing, comprising:

• a processing chamber;
• means for introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber;
• means for producing a discharge in at least partial areas in the processing chamber;
• and
• means for holding a sample to be processed,
• wherein each of the discharge-produced areas is provided as a discharge area,
• wherein the plasma processing apparatus has magnetic field forming element for forming a magnetic field in at least partial area of the discharge areas,
• wherein the plasma processing apparatus has element for introducing a discharge forming electromagnetic wave into the processing chamber, as at least part of the discharge producing means,
• wherein the plasma processing apparatus has a transmission electrode for introducing at least part of the discharge forming electromagnetic wave into the corresponding discharge area,
• wherein the plasma processing apparatus has a transmission electrode layer as at least part of constituent elements of the transmission electrode,
• wherein the transmission electrode layer includes an electrical conductor or an electrical semiconductor corresponding to a material having electrical conductivity,
• wherein the transmission electrode layer has an electromagnetic wave transmission area,
• wherein a plurality of slot opening areas comprised of transmission electrode layer lacking areas each having a slender shape are formed in the electromagnetic wave transmission area,
• wherein each of the slot opening areas is of an area in which the material having the electrical conductivity, forming the transmission electrode layer, is lacked in the transmission electrode layer,
• wherein, when a direction parallel to a long side of the slot opening area is assumed to be a longitudinal direction, a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof is assumed to be a transverse direction, a length of the slot opening area extending along the longitudinal direction thereof is assumed to be a slot opening length Lss, a length thereof extending along the transverse direction is assumed to be a slot opening width Wss, and As=Lss/Wss is assumed to be an aspect ratio of the slot opening area, the slot opening area whose slot opening width Wss ranges from 0.01 mm to 10 mm and whose aspect ratio As is 10 or more exists at least one,
• wherein, when an axis which corresponds to an axis approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of each of the slot opening areas and which divides each slot opening area approximately equally, is assumed to be a transverse central axis, a pair of the slot opening areas between which a slot period width Wsp becomes 10 mm or less exist at least one, assuming a distance between transverse central axes adjacent to each other as the slot period width Wsp, and
• wherein, when the area of the electromagnetic wave transmission area is assumed to be Stt, the sum of the areas of the slot opening areas existing within the electromagnetic wave transmission area is assumed to be Sss, and Rst=Sss/Stt is assumed to be a slot opening ratio, the slot opening ratio Rst is 0.01 or more.