METHOD OF REDUCING PLASMA-INDUCED DAMAGE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of reducing plasma-induced damage by performing the ramping down of a plasma source power after the accumulation of the plasma source power which is used for producing a plasma and to provide a plasma-induced damage reducing device. SOLUTION: A plasma power is reduced to one or more intermediate levels as a time function reversely to stop power suddenly and completely. As shown in the step 109, a power ramp down procedure may be performed in discontinuous steps. That is, the plasma power is set at some intermediate levels during a certain time or in a continuous manner as a time function. The power ramp down procedure gradually changes the plasma environment around a substrate and helps to lessen as small as possible substrate damage due to plasma-induced effects.