Plasma etching apparatus and plasma etching method

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus having a plasma generating unit, a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced, a process gas supply unit for supplying gas in the process chamber, a specimen table for holding a specimen, a vacuum pumping unit, and a monitor unit. The process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside the outer cylinder. The monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of the inner cylinder of the process chamber continuously or optionally at a time of processing a specimen.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen; and    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside said outer cylinder; and    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of said inner cylinder at least one of continuously and optionally at a time of processing of a specimen.    
     
     
         2 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of said inner cylinder corresponding to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature input unit.  
     
     
         3 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure and an inner cylinder arranged inside said outer cylinder; and    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of said inner cylinder continuously for every one of a plurality of specimens until processing of the plurality of specimens is completed when the plurality of specimens are processed one by one in a continuous manner.    
     
     
         4 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of said inner cylinder corresponding to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature input unit.  
     
     
         5 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to the process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure and an inner cylinder arranged inside said outer cylinder;    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of said inner cylinder at a time of plasma processing for a specimen so that a history of the monitoring temperature up to an interruption of the plasma processing for the specimen is inputted and checked.    
     
     
         6 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of said inner cylinder corresponding to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature input unit.  
     
     
         7 . A plasma processing apparatus for plasma processing a specimen comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside thereof pressure reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding the specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside said outer cylinder;    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of said inner cylinder during a seasoning operation when the seasoning operation is carried out in said process chamber.    
     
     
         8 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of said inner cylinder corresponding to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature input unit.  
     
     
         9 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside said outer cylinder; and    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring a temperature of said inner cylinder one of before starting plasma processing of a specimen and after finishing a cleaning operation of said plasma chamber.    
     
     
         10 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of said inner cylinder corresponding to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature input unit.  
     
     
         11 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit;    a cleaning unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside said outer cylinder;    wherein said cleaning unit enables a cleaning operation of said process chamber under utilization of plasma for gas for cleaning at least one of before plasma processing of a specimen, during the plasma processing for a plurality of specimens and after the plasma processing of the specimen; and    wherein said a monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of said inner cylinder after a cleaning operation and before starting the plasma processing for the specimen.    
     
     
         12 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of said inner cylinder corresponding to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature input unit.  
     
     
         13 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit;    a monitor unit; and    a plasma process interruption unit;    wherein said process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside said outer cylinder; and    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of said inner cylinder; and    wherein said plasma processing interruption unit enables interruption of plasma processing for the specimen in response to the monitoring of the temperature of said inner cylinder.    
     
     
         14 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of said inner cylinder corresponding to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature input unit.  
     
     
         15 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit;    a cleaning unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside said outer cylinder, and    wherein said cleaning unit enables a cleaning operation of said process chamber under utilization of a plasma for gas for cleaning during processing of a plurality of specimens when the plural specimens are processed one by one in a continuous manner; and    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of said inner cylinder after the cleaning operation and before starting the plasma processing for the specimen.    
     
     
         16 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance to input a temperature of the inner cylinder corresponding to a plasma processing condition for a specimen, and a monitor temperature input unit.  
     
     
         17 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    an alarm unit;    wherein said process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside said outer cylinder; and    wherein said alarm unit enables generation of an alarm in response to a detected monitoring temperature for said inner cylinder.    
     
     
         18 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 17 , further comprising a monitor unit for monitoring temperature of said inner cylinder and providing an output of the detected monitoring temperature.  
     
     
         19 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of the inner cylinder corresponding to a plasma processing condition for a specimen, and a monitor temperature input unit.  
     
     
         20 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of an inner wall of said process chamber at least one of continuously and optionally at a time of processing a specimen.    
     
     
         21 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of said inner wall in response to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature inputting unit.  
     
     
         22 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of an inner wall of said process chamber continuously for every one of a plurality of specimens until the processing of plurality of specimen is completed when the plurality of specimen are processed one by one in a continuous manner.    
     
     
         23 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of the inner cylinder in response to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature inputting unit.  
     
     
         24 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of an inner wall of said process chamber at a time of plasma processing of the specimen so that a history in which the monitor temperature up to an interruption of the plasma processing for the specimen is inputted and checked.    
     
     
         25 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of the inner wall in response to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature inputting unit.  
     
     
         26 . A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma processing of a specimen by a plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of an inner wall of said process chamber during a seasoning operation when the seasoning operation is performed in said process chamber.    
     
     
         27 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of the inner wall in response to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature inputting unit.  
     
     
         28 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of an inner wall of said process chamber one of before starting plasma processing of a specimen and after finishing a cleaning operation.    
     
     
         29 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of the inner wall in response to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature inputting unit.  
     
     
         30 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit;    a cleaning unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said cleaning unit enables a cleaning operation of said process chamber under utilization of a plasma for gas for cleaning at least one of before plasma processing for a specimen, during the plasma processing for a plurality of specimens and after the plasma processing for the specimen; and    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of an inner wall of said process chamber after the cleaning operation and before starting the plasma processing for the specimen.    
     
     
         31 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of the inner cylinder in response to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature inputting unit.  
     
     
         32 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit;    a monitor unit; and    a plasma processing interruption unit;    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of an inner wall of said process chamber; and    wherein said plasma processing interruption unit enables interruption of plasma processing for the specimen in response to the monitored inner wall temperature.    
     
     
         33 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting to input a temperature of the inner wall in response to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature inputting unit.  
     
     
         34 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit;    a cleaning unit; and    a monitor unit;    wherein said cleaning unit enables a cleaning operation of said process chamber under utilization of plasma of gas for cleaning during processing of a plurality of specimens when the plurality of specimens are processed one by one in a continuous manner; and    wherein said monitor unit enables monitoring of a temperature of an inner wall of said process chamber after the cleaning operation and before starting the plasma processing for the specimen.    
     
     
         35 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 34 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of the inner wall in response to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature inputting unit.  
     
     
         36 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma generating unit;    a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced;    a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to said process chamber;    a specimen table for holding a specimen;    a vacuum pumping unit; and    an alarm unit;    wherein said alarm unit enables generation of an alarm in response to a detected monitoring temperature at an inner wall of said process chamber.    
     
     
         37 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 36 , further comprising a monitor unit for monitoring temperature of the inner wall and providing an output of the detected monitoring temperature.  
     
     
         38 . A plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 37 , wherein said processing apparatus further comprises an inner wall temperature setting unit for setting in advance a temperature of the inner wall in response to a plasma processing condition for the specimen, and a monitor temperature inputting unit.