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Abstract

Inside a processing chamber 102 of an etching apparatus 100, a pair of electrodes, i.e., an upper electrode 118 and a lower electrode 106, are provided. The circumferential edge of the upper electrode 118 is covered by a first ring-shaped body 122, and a cylindrical body 124 is provided around the first ring-shaped body 122. A second ring-shaped body 116 is provided around the lower electrode 106. When the lower electrode 106 is set at the processing position, the second ring-shaped body 116 is positioned inside the cylindrical body 124 to form a plasma space 102a. A gas discharge path 142 is formed between the cylindrical body 124 and the second ring-shaped body 116. The distance between the cylindrical body 124 and the second ring-shaped body 116 is set so as to ensure that the conductance value of the gas inside the gas discharge path 142 is higher than the conductance value of the gas inside the plasma space 102a. The cylindrical body 124 and the first and second ring-shaped bodies 122 and 116 are heated by the plasma. As a result, a plasma processing apparatus capable of inducing plasma to a workpiece uniformly while creating only a small quantity of particles is provided.

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First Claim