Treatment by plasma

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE:To remove a reaction product which has adhered to an inner wall face or the like of a reaction tube in a short time without detaching the reaction tube or the like by a method wherein a high-frequency electric field and a magnetic field crossing a direction of the electric field are formed inside the reaction tube in order to transform an etching gas into a plasma. CONSTITUTION:The inside of a reaction tube 1 is kept in a low-pressure state; electrodes 12 connected to an RF power supply 15 are contacted closely to an outer periphery of the reaction tube 1. In such a state, while a flow rate is being adjusted, an etching gas is supplied into the reaction tube 1 for a prescribed time. Then, when high-frequency electric power is applied to the individual electrodes 12 from the RF power supply 15, an electric discharge is generated between the individual electrodes 12, and an electric field is generated in a transverse direction perpendicular to the reaction tube 1. Simultaneously with this, when electric power is applied to a coil- shaped heater 8 from an alternating-current power supply 7, a magnetic field in a longitudinal direction is obtained inside the reaction tube 1. Then, an electron generated by the electric discharge is shifted while it is moved in a cycloidal manner in a direction perpendicular to the electric field and the magnetic field; accordingly, the etching gas is excited in large quantities; a high-density plasma is generated and removes a reaction product which has adhered to the reaction tube 1.

Inventors

• 👤 Susumu Tanaka
• 👤 進 田中
• 👤 Hiroshi Iizuka
• 👤 浩 飯塚

Bibliographic Details