METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING PLASMA PROCESSING WITH HIGH UNIFORMITY OVER LARGE AREA

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for performing plasma processing with high uniformity over a large area, which overcome drawbacks of a conventional processing method.

SOLUTION: The apparatus for performing plasma processing with high uniformity over a large area uses a high frequency power supply of 1 MHz or higher such as a radio frequency or a microwave. The apparatus comprises a nozzle or a gas ejecting hole, and also comprises at least one gas feeding system configured to subject a process gas to plasma-decomposition to thereby intensively introduce a process gas species into a discharge space where plasma is generated. A substrate is placed perpendicularly to the gas feeding system in a region which is affected by the gas flow in a downstream area of a plasma generating section. The apparatus further comprises a gas exhaust system configured so that the gas flow is selectable from a molecular flow to a viscous flow in a region from the nozzle or gas ejecting hole of the gas feeding system to the surface of the substrate. In the method for performing plasma processing on a substrate having a large area using a high frequency power supply of 1 MHz or higher such as a radio frequency or a microwave, the process gas is subjected to plasma-decomposition so as to intensively introduce the process gas into the discharge space where plasma is generated. A shock wave is thereby generated to cause movement of the gas due to a compressional wave on the surface of the substrate.

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