Surface wave plasma generating antenna and surface wave plasma processing apparatus

#This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-045413 filed on Mar. 2, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

#The present invention relates to a surface wave plasma generating antenna and a surface wave plasma processing apparatus.

#A plasma processing is a technique indispensable to the manufacture of semiconductor devices. Recently, a design rule for semiconductor devices constituting an LSI becomes further miniaturized in order to comply with a demand for high-integration and high-speed of LSI, and a semiconductor wafer grows in size. Accordingly, a plasma processing apparatus is required to cope with the miniaturization and the size growth.

#The objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments, given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a surface wave plasma processing apparatus having a surface wave plasma generating antenna in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a microwave plasma source employed in the surface wave plasma processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

#Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.

#(Configuration of Surface Wave Plasma Processing Apparatus)

#A surface wave plasma processing apparatus 100 is configured as, e.g., a plasma etching apparatus for performing on a wafer an etching process as a plasma process, and includes a substantially cylindrical airtight chamber 1 made of a metal such as aluminum, stainless steel or the like, the chamber 1 being grounded; and a microwave plasma source 2 for generating a microwave plasma in the chamber 1. An opening 1a is formed at an upper portion of the chamber 1, and the microwave plasma source 2 is disposed so as to face the inside of the chamber 1 through the opening 1a.