The present invention is to provide a
plasma processing apparatus, whose structure can be simplified, and further, which is capable of forming highly effective
plasma and obtaining a satisfactory vertical
etching property without involving a problem concerning interference. In the
plasma processing apparatus according to the invention, a ground
electrode provided at a position opposite to a substrate mounting
electrode is configured to be a counter
electrode, whose potential is in a floating state, and
radio frequency power is branched at an arbitrary position of the
radio frequency antenna coil, which generates inductive
discharge, into the counter electrode through a
capacitor so as to share a part of the
radio frequency power used for inductive
discharge, thereby generating a self-bias in the counter electrode. In the
system, there is provided a mechanism for controlling the radio frequency
voltage to be applied to the
floating electrode uniformly.