Plasma processing apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for subjecting a target object to an etching process by using a plasma, comprising: an airtight processing chamber; a grid electrode that divides said processing chamber into a plasma generating space and a processing space, said grid electrode having a plurality of through holes for allowing said plasma generating space and said processing space to communicate with each other; a potential applying mechanism configured to apply a potential to said grid electrode; an exciting mechanism configured to excite a gas in said plasma generating space to convert the gas into a plasma; a support member configured to support the target object in said processing space; a gas supply system having a plurality of gas sources of a reactive gas and an inert gas for performing said etching process, said gas supply system comprising first and second gas supply lines connected to said plasma generating space and said processing space, respectively, and said first and second gas supply lines being connected to said gas sources through first and second flow control valve mechanisms, respectively, which provide a mixture of said reactive gas and said inert gas to each of said first and second gas supply lines; a controller configured to control opening degrees of said first and second flow control valve mechanisms in order to flow first and second feed gases, each containing said reactive gas and said inert gas, to said first and second gas supply lines, said controller further configured to change compositions and flow rates of the first and second feed gases separately; and an exhaust system configured to evacuate an interior of said processing chamber and setting said interior of said processing chamber at a vacuum, wherein said controller sets compositions and flow rates of the first and second feed gases by controlling the opening degrees of said first and second flow control valve mechanisms, respectively, in accordance with an etching property for said etching process.

Claim 2

An apparatus for subjecting a target object to an etching process by using a plasma, comprising: an airtight processing chamber; a grid electrode that divides said processing chamber into a plasma generating space and a processing space, said grid electrode having a plurality of through holes for allowing said plasma generating space and said processing space to communicate with each other; a potential applying mechanism configured to apply a potential to said grid electrode; an exciting mechanism configured to excite a gas in said plasma generating space to convert the gas into a plasma; a support member configured to support the target object in said processing space; a gas supply system having a plurality of gas sources of a reactive gas and an inert gas for performing said etching process, said gas supply system comprising first and second gas supply lines connected to said plasma generating space and said processing space, respectively, and said first and second gas supply lines being connected to said gas sources through first and second flow control valve mechanisms, respectively, which provide a mixture of said reactive gas and said inert gas to each of said first and second gas supply lines; a controller configured to control opening degrees of said first and second flow control valve mechanisms in order to flow first and second feed gases, each containing said reactive gas and said inert gas, to said first and second gas supply lines, said controller further configured to change compositions and flow rates of the first and second feed gases separately; and an exhaust system configured to evacuate an interior of said processing chamber and setting said interior of said processing chamber at a vacuum, wherein said controller sets compositions and flow rates of the first and second feed gases by controlling the opening degrees of said first and second flow control valve mechanisms, respectively, in accordance with an etching property for said etching process.

Claim 17

An apparatus for subjecting a target object to an etching process by using a plasma, comprising: an airtight processing chamber; a grid electrode that divides said processing chamber into a plasma generating space and a processing space, said grid electrode having a plurality of through holes for allowing said plasma generating space and said processing space to communicate with each other; a potential applying mechanism configured to apply a potential to said grid electrode; an exciting mechanism configured to excite a gas in said plasma generating space to convert the gas into a plasma; a support member configured to support the target object in said processing space; a gas supply system having a plurality of gas sources of a reactive gas and an inert gas for performing said etching process, said gas supply system comprising first and second gas supply lines connected to said plasma generating space and said processing space, respectively, said first gas supply line being connected to said gas sources through a first flow control valve mechanism, which includes a flow control valve connected to the gas source of the reactive gas and a flow control valve connected to the gas source of the inert gas, and said second gas supply line being connected to said gas sources through a second flow control valve mechanism, which includes a flow control valve connected to the gas source of the reactive gas and a flow control valve connected to the gas source of the inert gas, said first and second flow control mechanism thereby providing a mixture of said reactive gas and said inert gas to each of said first and second gas supply lines; a controller configured to control said first and second flow control valve mechanisms by adjusting opening degrees of the flow control valves in order to flow first and second feed gases, each containing said reactive gas and said inert gas, to said first and second gas supply lines, said controller further configured to change compositions and flow rates of the first and second feed gases separately, wherein said controller sets compositions and flow rates of the first and second feed gases by controlling the opening degrees of said first and second flow control valve mechanisms, respectively, in accordance with an etching property for said etching process; and an exhaust system configured to evacuate an interior of said processing chamber and setting said interior of said processing chamber at a vacuum, wherein said exhaust system comprises an exhaust line connected to at least one of said processing space and said plasma generating space to exhaust said processing space and said plasma generating space.

Claim 18

An apparatus for subjecting a target object to an etching process by using a plasma, comprising: an airtight processing chamber; a grid electrode that divides said processing chamber into a plasma generating space and a processing space, said grid electrode having a plurality of through holes for allowing said plasma generating space and said processing space to communicate with each other; a potential applying mechanism configured to apply a potential to said grid electrode; an exciting mechanism configured to excite a gas in said plasma generating space to convert the gas into a plasma; a support member configured to support the target object in said processing space; a gas supply system having a plurality of gas sources of a reactive gas and an inert gas for performing said etching process, said gas supply system comprising first and second gas supply lines connected to said plasma generating space and said processing space, respectively, said first gas supply line being connected to said gas sources through a first flow control valve mechanism, which includes a flow control valve connected to the gas source of the reactive gas and a flow control valve connected to the gas source of the inert gas, and said second gas supply line being connected to said gas sources through a second flow control valve mechanism, which includes a flow control valve connected to the gas source of the reactive gas and a flow control valve connected to the gas source of the inert gas, said first and second flow control mechanism thereby providing a mixture of said reactive gas and said inert gas to each of said first and second gas supply lines; a controller configured to control said first and second flow control valve mechanisms by adjusting opening degrees of the flow control valves in order to flow first and second feed gases, each containing said reactive gas and said inert gas, to said first and second gas supply lines, said controller further configured to change compositions and flow rates of the first and second feed gases separately, wherein said controller sets compositions and flow rates of the first and second feed gases by controlling the opening degrees of said first and second flow control valve mechanisms, respectively, in accordance with an etching property for said etching process; and an exhaust system configured to evacuate an interior of said processing chamber and setting said interior of said processing chamber at a vacuum, wherein said exhaust system comprises an exhaust line connected to at least one of said processing space and said plasma generating space to exhaust said processing space and said plasma generating space.