END POINT DETECTABLE PLASMA ETCHING METHOD AND PLASMA ETCHING APPARATUS

摘要

The present invention relates to a plasma etching method in which a special area for detecting an end point needs not to be set and an equipment therefor. At an etching step of forming SF 6 gas into plasma to etch an etching ground on a Si film, the step is configured by two steps of: a large-amount supply step of supplying a large amount of SF 6 gas; and a small-amount supply step of supplying a small amount of SF 6 gas. An end-point detecting processor 34 measures an emission intensity of Si or SiFx in the plasma at the small-amount supply step, and determines that an etching end point is reached when the measured emission intensity becomes equal to or less than a previously set reference value.