Method for plasma processing and apparatus for plasma processing

Abstract

An apparatus for generating plasma of helium mainly-contained gas added with halogen element using high-frequency energy which is applied between concentrically-arranged electrodes to conduct an etching treatment on a substrate with the thus-generated plasma, is equipped with a grounded electrode on the surface of the substrate, the grounded electrode serving to prevent electrification or charging of the substrate. A cylindrical insulator is provided between the electrodes so as to be contacted with the outside electrode, and a voltage applied between the central electrode and the cylindrical insulator is heightened by reducing the thickness of the cylindrical insulator or increasing the dielectric constant of the cylindrical insulator, so that low-temperature plasma is generated under atmospheric pressure using argon mainly-contained gas in a reaction space. Further, in a plasma generating apparatus for generating plasma with a pair of parallel electrodes, an insulator having high dielectric constant is provided in close contact with one of the electrodes, and gas mainly containing rare gas such as helium, argon or the like is supplied into the discharge space between the pair of parallel electrodes while the flow amount of the gas is controlled by a flow-amount controller, thereby inducing the gas to plasma under atmospheric pressure, and generating a sheet-shaped plasma.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.