Method and apparatus for plasma etching

A plasma etching method which uses a plasma etching apparatus including a processing chamber for etch-processing a substrate, a lower electrode located within the processing chamber for holding the substrate on an upper surface thereof by an electrostatic attraction, and an upper electrode located to face the lower electrode, comprising:

• holding the substrate on the lower electrode such that a surface to be etched of the substrate is faced upwards,
• introducing a process gas into the processing chamber,
• applying a high frequency voltage between the lower electrode and the upper electrode to generate a plasma gas in a low pressure so as to etch the substrate, and
• introducing a purge gas into the process chamber at the time of completion of the processing,
• wherein at the time of completing the processing, the application of the high frequency voltage is stopped, and thereafter, when a selected time value between one half second and sixty seconds has elapsed, the supplying of the process gas is stopped and simultaneously the apparatus starts to supply the purge gas into the processing chamber.

A plasma etching method which uses a plasma etching apparatus including a processing chamber for etch-processing a substrate, a lower electrode located within the processing chamber for holding the substrate on an upper surface thereof by an electrostatic attraction, and an upper electrode located to face the lower electrode, comprising:

• holding the substrate on the lower electrode such a surface to be etched of the substrate is faced upwards,
• introducing a process gas into the processing chamber,
• applying a high frequency voltage between the lower electrode and the upper electrode to generate a plasma gas in a low pressure so as to etch the substrate, and
• introducing a purge gas into the process chamber at the time of completion of the processing,
• wherein at the time of completing the processing, the apparatus starts to supply the purge gas into the processing chamber, and thereafter, when a selected time value between one half second and sixty seconds has elapsed, the application of the high frequency voltage and the supplying of the process gas is stopped.

A plasma etching method which uses a plasma etching apparatus including a processing chamber for etch-processing a substrate, a lower electrode located within the processing chamber for holding the substrate on an upper surface thereof by an electrostatic attraction, and an upper electrode located to face the lower electrode, comprising:

• holding the substrate on the lower electrode such that a surface to be etched of the substrate is faced upwards,
• introducing a process gas into the processing chamber,
• applying a high frequency voltage between the lower electrode and the upper electrode to generate a plasma gas in a low pressure so as to etch the substrate, and
• introducing a purge gas into the process chamber at the time of completion of the processing,
• wherein at the time of completing the processing, the application of the high frequency voltage is stopped and simultaneously the apparatus starts to supply the purge gas into the processing chamber, and thereafter, when a selected time value between one half second and sixty seconds has elapsed, the supplying of the process gas is stopped.