Plasma processing apparatus for semiconductors

An inductive coupled plasma (ICP) processing apparatus comprising:

• a reaction chamber for processing an object's surface with plasma, said reaction chamber having a gas inlet and a gas outlet and being pressure-controllable;
• a susceptor for placing the object thereon, said susceptor being provided in an interior of the reaction chamber and being adapted to be connected to an RF power supply;
• an antenna constituted by a plurality of insulation-covered linear conductors provided in the interior of the reaction chamber where the antenna faces the object when placed on the susceptor, said antenna disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the object's surface and having a central axis substantially perpendicular to the object's surface, said antenna being adapted to be connected to an RF power supply, said antenna being grounded, said linear conductors being arranged in rotational symmetry with respect to the central axis, wherein the insulation-covered linear conductors are exposed to plasma in the interior of the reaction chamber when being operated, and
• an electromagnet having a central axis and disposed substantially on top of the reaction chamber in the vicinity of and above the plane of the antenna where the central axis of the electromagnet is aligned with the central axis of the antenna and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the antenna, and where the electromagnet generates a magnetic field in a direction along the central axis of the electromagnet or the antenna.