Method and apparatus for generating a plasma and semiconductor device fabrication method and apparatus

摘要

A discharge plasma generating method includes (a) opposing a discharge electrode (303, 313, 323, 323a) having a substantially plane discharge portion to a substrate to be processed in a vacuum reaction vessel (2, 2C, 2J, 2K) such that said discharge electrode and said substrate are substantially parallel to each other;(b) evacuating the vacuum reaction vessel and supplying a process gas to a space between the discharge electrode and the substrate, and (c) applying HF power to the discharge electrode such that an envelope representing the spatial distribution of a HF voltage Æ on the discharge electrode in a split second changes in accordance with a function including time as a parameter, thereby generating a discharge plasma of the process gas between the discharge electrode and the substrate, with substantially no standing wave of the HF voltage Æ generated on the discharge electrode.