Plasma processing apparatus, plasma processing method, and element chip manufacturing method

A plasma processing method for plasma processing a substrate held on a conveying carrier,

• the conveying carrier including a holding sheet and a frame supporting an outer periphery of the holding sheet,
• the substrate being attached to the holding sheet,
• the plasma processing method comprising:
• an adsorption step of applying a voltage to an electrode part while the conveying carrier holding the substrate is on the stage, to allow the substrate to be adsorbed electrostatically to the stage;
• an etching step of exposing the substrate adsorbed electrostatically to the stage to an etching plasma;
• a frame separation step of lifting the support, to separate the frame away from the stage, with at least part of the holding sheet kept in contact with the stage;
• a holding sheet separation step of applying to the electrode part a voltage that generates a repulsive force between the substrate and the electrode part, to separate the holding sheet away from the stage;
• and
• a static elimination step of exposing the substrate separated away from the stage to a static elimination plasma.

An element chip manufacturing method, comprising:

• a preparation process of preparing a conveying carrier and a substrate, the conveying carrier including a holding sheet and a frame supporting an outer periphery of the holding sheet, the substrate being held on the holding sheet and segmented into a plurality of element regions and a plurality of dicing regions, and having a first principal surface and a second principal surface attached to the holding sheet;
• and
• a plasma dicing process of exposing the substrate to an etching plasma, to remove the dicing regions from the substrate to dice the substrate into a plurality of element chips,
• the plasma dicing process including:
• an adsorption step of applying a voltage to an electrode part while the conveying carrier holding the substrate is on the stage, to allow the substrate to be adsorbed electrostatically to the stage;
• an etching step of exposing the substrate adsorbed electrostatically to the stage to an etching plasma;
• a frame separation step of lifting the support, to separate the frame away from the stage, with at least part of the holding sheet kept in contact with the stage;
• a holding sheet separation step of applying to the electrode part a voltage that generates a repulsive force between the substrate and the electrode part, to separate the holding sheet away from the stage;
• and
• a static elimination step of exposing the substrate separated away from the stage to a static elimination plasma.