Plasma processing method, plasma processing apparatus, and control apparatus

Abstract

To provide a plasma processing method, a processing device, and a control device which control the film quality without changing the shape of the device.SOLUTION: A plasma processing device includes: a rotary table on which multiple substrates are mounted along the peripheral direction of a vacuum container; a plasma processing gas supply part that supplies processing gas to at least one of multiple processing areas separated in the peripheral direction of the rotary table; and an antenna which is opposed to the rotary table and generates plasma in at least one processing area. A method includes: the step S1 of rotating the rotary table, supplying the processing gas into the vacuum container, and the continuous wave of RF power (traveling wave power Pf) to the antenna and igniting the plasma after the multiple substrates are placed in the vacuum container; and the step S2 of rotating the rotary table, supplying the processing gas into the vacuum container and the RF power to the antenna and performing the processing on the multiple substrates after the standing wave ratio reaches a predetermined value or less. The processing includes supplying a pulsed wave to the antenna.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a plasma processing method, a plasma processing apparatus, and a control apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a film forming apparatus that provides a rotating table for placing and rotating a plurality of substrates in a vacuum chamber, supplies a plasma generating gas into the vacuum chamber, and performs plasma processing by plasmaizing the gas with a plasma forming unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this film forming apparatus, the distance between the plasma forming unit and the rotating table is changed by changing the arrangement height position of the plasma forming unit, and stable plasma is formed to perform plasma processing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of controlling film quality without changing the shape of the apparatus.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A plasma processing method according to an aspect of the present disclosure uses a plasma processing apparatus including a rotatable turntable provided in a vacuum chamber for placing a plurality of substrates on an upper surface along a circumferential direction, a plasma processing gas supply unit for supplying a plasma processing gas to at least one processing region of a plurality of processing regions separated via a separation region in the circumferential direction of the turntable, and an antenna provided facing the upper surface of the turntable for generating plasma in the at least one processing region. The plasma processing method for plasma-processing the plurality of substrates includes: placing a plurality of substrates on the turntable; after the step of placing the plurality of substrates, while rotating the turntable, supplying the plasma processing gas into the vacuum chamber and supplying a continuous wave of RF power to the antenna to ignite plasma; and after the standing wave ratio reaches a predetermined value or less in the step of igniting the plasma, while rotating the turntable, supplying the plasma processing gas into the vacuum chamber and supplying RF power to the antenna to perform a process on the plurality of substrates. The step of performing the process includes supplying a pulsed wave to the antenna.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the film quality can be controlled without changing the shape of the apparatus.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding members or components are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0009] 〔Plasma Processing Apparatus〕 With reference to FIGS. 1 to 10, a configuration example of the plasma processing apparatus of the embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the plasma processing apparatus of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the plasma processing apparatus of FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, the illustration of the top plate 11 is omitted.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber 1 having a substantially circular planar shape, and a rotary table 2 provided in the vacuum chamber 1, having a rotation center at the center of the vacuum chamber 1 and for revolving the wafer W.

[0011] The vacuum chamber 1 is a processing chamber for accommodating the wafer W and performing a film formation process on the surface of the wafer W to deposit a thin film. The vacuum chamber 1 includes a top plate 11 provided at a position facing a recess 24 (to be described later) of a rotary table 2, and a chamber body 12. A seal member 13 provided in an annular shape is provided at the periphery of the upper surface of the chamber body 12. The top plate 11 is configured to be detachable from the chamber body 12. The diameter dimension (inner diameter dimension) of the vacuum chamber 1 in a plan view is not limited, but may be, for example, about 1100 mm.

[0012] A separation gas supply pipe 51 for supplying a separation gas is connected to the central portion on the upper surface side inside the vacuum chamber 1 in order to suppress mixing of different process gases in the central region C inside the vacuum chamber 1.

[0013] The rotary table 2 is fixed to a core portion 21 having a substantially cylindrical shape at the central portion, and is configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis by a drive unit 23 in the clockwise direction in the example shown in FIG. 2 with respect to a rotary shaft 22 connected to the lower surface of the core portion 21 and extending in the vertical direction. The diameter dimension of the rotary table 2 is not limited, but may be, for example, about 1000 mm.

[0014] The drive unit 23 is provided with an encoder 25 for detecting the rotation angle of the rotary shaft 22. In the embodiment, the rotation angle of the rotary shaft 22 detected by the encoder 25 is transmitted to a control unit 120 and used by the control unit 120 to specify the position of the wafer W placed in each recess 24 on the rotary table 2.

[0015] The rotary shaft 22 and the drive unit 23 are housed in a case body 20. The case body 20 has a flange portion on the upper surface side airtightly attached to the lower surface of the bottom portion 14 of the vacuum chamber 1. A purge gas supply pipe 72 for supplying Ar gas or the like as a purge gas (separation gas) to the lower region of the rotary table 2 is connected to the case body 20.

[0016] On the outer peripheral side of the core portion 21 in the bottom surface portion 14 of the vacuum container 1, an annular shape is formed so as to approach the rotary table 2 from below, forming a protruding portion 12a.

[0017] On the surface of the rotary table 2, a circular concave portion 24 capable of placing a wafer W with a diameter dimension of, for example, 300 mm is formed. The concave portions 24 are provided at a plurality of locations, for example, six locations, along the rotation direction of the rotary table 2 (the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 2). The concave portion 24 has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the wafer W, specifically, about 1 mm to 4 mm larger. The depth of the concave portion 24 is substantially equal to the thickness of the wafer W or is configured to be larger than the thickness of the wafer W. Therefore, when the wafer W is accommodated in the concave portion 24, the surface of the wafer W and the surface of the flat region on the rotary table 2 where the wafer W is not placed are at the same height, or the surface of the wafer W is lower than the surface of the rotary table 2. Further, on the bottom surface of the concave portion 24, a through hole (not shown) through which, for example, three lifting pins described later for lifting the wafer W from below is formed.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, along the rotation direction of the rotary table 2, a first processing region P1, a second processing region P2, and a third processing region P3 are provided so as to be separated from each other. At positions facing the passing region of the concave portion 24 in the rotary table 2, a plurality of, for example, seven gas nozzles 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 41, 42 made of, for example, quartz are radially arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the vacuum container 1.

[0019] Each of the gas nozzles 31 to 35, 41, 42 is disposed between the rotary table 2 and the top plate 11. Each of the gas nozzles 31 to 34, 41, 42 is attached so as to horizontally extend toward the rotary table 2 from the outer peripheral wall of the vacuum container 1 toward the central region C, for example. On the other hand, the gas nozzle 35 extends from the outer peripheral wall of the vacuum container 1 toward the central region C, then bends and extends counterclockwise (the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the rotary table 2) along the central region C linearly.

[0020] In the example shown in FIG. 2, in the clockwise direction (the rotation direction of the rotary table 2) from the transfer port 15 described later, the plasma processing gas nozzles 33, 34, 35, the separation gas nozzles 41, the first processing gas nozzle 31, the separation gas nozzle 42, and the second processing gas nozzle 32 are arranged in this order. Note that the gas supplied by the second processing gas nozzle 32 is often the same gas as the gas supplied by the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35. However, if the supply of the gas by the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 is sufficient, it is not necessarily required.

[0021] Also, the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 may be replaced by a single plasma processing gas nozzle. In this case, for example, similar to the second processing gas nozzle 32, a plasma processing gas nozzle extending from the outer peripheral wall of the vacuum chamber 1 toward the central region C may be provided.

[0022] The first processing gas nozzle 31 forms a first processing gas supply unit. Also, the second processing gas nozzle 32 forms a second processing gas supply unit. Further, the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 each form a plasma processing gas supply unit. Also, the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 each form a separation gas supply unit.

[0023] Each of the gas nozzles 31 to 35, 41, and 42 is connected to a respective gas supply source (not shown) via a flow rate adjustment valve.

[0024] On the lower surface side (the side facing the rotary table 2) of the gas nozzles 31 to 35, 41, and 42, a plurality of gas discharge holes 36 for discharging the above-described respective gases are formed at equal intervals, for example, at a plurality of locations along the radial direction of the rotary table 2. The distance between the lower end edge of each of the gas nozzles 31 to 35, 41, and 42 and the upper surface of the rotary table 2 is arranged to be about 1 to 5 mm, for example.

[0025] The region below the first processing gas nozzle 31 is a first processing region P1 for adsorbing the source gas onto the wafer W, and the region below the second processing gas nozzle 32 is a second processing region P2 for supplying an oxidation gas capable of oxidizing the source gas to generate an oxide onto the wafer W. Also, the region below the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 serves as a third processing region P3 for performing a modification process on the film on the wafer W.

[0026] Note that the first processing gas nozzle 31 supplies a silicon-containing gas when forming a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film, and supplies a metal-containing gas when forming a metal oxide film or a metal nitride film. Thus, the first processing gas nozzle 31 is a nozzle that supplies a source gas (precursor) containing a raw material that becomes the main component of the thin film. Therefore, the first processing gas nozzle 31 is also referred to as the source gas nozzle 31. Also, since the first processing region P1 is a region for adsorbing the source gas onto the wafer W, it is also referred to as the source gas adsorption region P1.

[0027] Similarly, the second processing gas nozzle 32 supplies an oxidation gas such as oxygen, ozone, water, or hydrogen peroxide to the wafer W when forming an oxide film, so it is also referred to as the oxidation gas nozzle 32. Also, the second processing region P2 is a region for supplying an oxidation gas to the wafer W on which the source gas has been adsorbed in the first processing region P1 to oxidize the source gas adsorbed on the wafer W, so it is also referred to as the oxidation region P2. In the oxidation region P2, molecular layers of the oxide film are deposited on the wafer W.

[0028] Similarly, the third processing region P3 is a region for plasma-treating the molecular layer of the oxide film formed in the second processing region P2 to modify the oxide film, so it is also referred to as the plasma processing region P3. In the embodiment, since an oxide film is formed, the plasma processing gas supplied from the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 is, for example, a gas containing oxygen. However, when forming a nitride film, the plasma processing gas supplied from the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 is, for example, a gas containing nitrogen.

[0029] The separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 are provided to form a separation region D that separates the first processing region P1 from the second processing region P2, the third processing region P3, and the first processing region P1. The separation gas supplied from the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 is an inert gas such as nitrogen, or a noble gas such as helium or argon. Since the separation gas also functions as a purge gas, the separation gas may be referred to as a purge gas, and the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 may also be referred to as purge gas nozzles 41 and 42. Note that a separation region D is not provided between the second processing region P2 and the third processing region P3. This is because the oxidizing gas supplied in the second processing region P2 and the mixed gas supplied in the third processing region P3 both contain oxygen atoms in common in the oxygen gas contained in the mixed gas, and both function as oxidants. Therefore, it is not necessary to separate the second processing region P2 and the third processing region P3 using a separation gas.

[0030] Note that since the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 are structured to supply gas to different regions on the rotary table 2, the flow rate ratio of each component of the mixed gas may be varied for each region, and the supply may be performed so that the reforming process is uniformly performed overall.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along a concentric circle of the rotary table 2 of the plasma processing apparatus of FIG. 1, and is a cross-sectional view from the separation region D through the first processing region P1 to the separation region D.

[0032] On the top plate 11 of the vacuum chamber 1 in the separation region D, a substantially fan-shaped convex portion 4 is provided. The convex portion 4 is attached to the back surface of the top plate 11. Inside the vacuum chamber 1, a flat and low ceiling surface that is the lower surface of the convex portion 4 (hereinafter referred to as "first ceiling surface 44") and ceiling surfaces that are higher than the first ceiling surface 44 and are located on both circumferential sides of the first ceiling surface 44 (hereinafter referred to as "second ceiling surfaces 45") are formed.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the convex portion 4 forming the first ceiling surface 44 has a fan-shaped planar shape with an arc-shaped cut at the top. In the convex portion 4, a groove portion 43 is formed at the center in the circumferential direction so as to extend in the radial direction. Separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 are accommodated in the groove portion 43. Note that the peripheral edge of the convex portion 4 (the portion on the outer edge side of the vacuum vessel 1) is bent in an L-shape so as to face the outer end surface of the rotary table 2 and be slightly separated from the container body 12 in order to prevent mixing of the respective processing gases.

[0034] Above the first processing gas nozzle 31, a nozzle cover 230 is provided to allow the first processing gas to flow along the wafer W and to allow the separation gas to flow through the top plate 11 side of the vacuum vessel 1 while avoiding the vicinity of the wafer W. As shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle cover 230 includes a cover body 231 and a rectifying plate 232. The cover body 231 has a substantially box shape with an open bottom surface for accommodating the first processing gas nozzle 31. The rectifying plate 232 is a plate-like body connected to the upstream side and the downstream side in the rotation direction of the rotary table 2 at the open end on the bottom surface side of the cover body 231. The side wall surface of the cover body 231 on the rotation center side of the rotary table 2 extends toward the rotary table 2 so as to face the tip of the first processing gas nozzle 31. Further, the side wall surface of the cover body 231 on the outer edge side of the rotary table 2 is cut out so as not to interfere with the first processing gas nozzle 31. Note that the nozzle cover 230 is not essential and may be provided as necessary.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, a plasma source 80 is provided above the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 to plasmaize the plasma processing gas discharged into the vacuum vessel 1. The plasma source 80 generates inductively coupled plasma using an antenna 83.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the plasma source 80 provided in the plasma processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the plasma source 80 provided in the plasma processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an example of the housing 90 provided in the plasma source 80 of FIG. 5.

[0037] The plasma source 80 is configured by winding an antenna 83 formed of a metal wire or the like in a coil shape, for example, three times around the vertical axis. Further, the plasma source 80 is arranged so as to surround a belt-like region extending in the radial direction of the rotary table 2 in plan view and straddle the diameter portion of the wafer W on the rotary table 2.

[0038] The antenna 83 is connected to an RF power source 85 having a frequency of, for example, 13.56 MHz via a matcher 84. The antenna 83 is provided so as to be hermetically partitioned from the internal region of the vacuum chamber 1. In FIGS. 4 and 5, a connection electrode 86 for electrically connecting the antenna 83, the matcher 84, and the RF power source 85 is provided.

[0039] Note that the antenna 83 may be provided with a configuration that can be bent up and down, a vertical movement mechanism that can automatically bend the antenna 83 up and down, and a mechanism that can move the portion on the center side of the rotary table 2 up and down as needed. Those configurations are omitted in FIG. 4.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an opening 11a that opens in a substantially fan shape in plan view is formed in the top plate 11 on the upper side of the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the opening 11a has an annular member 82 that is hermetically provided in the opening 11a along the opening edge of the opening 11a. A housing 90 described later is hermetically provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the annular member 82. That is, the annular member 82 is provided in airtight contact such that the outer peripheral side contacts the inner peripheral surface 11b of the opening 11a of the top plate 11 and the inner peripheral side contacts the flange portion 90a of the housing 90 described later. Then, via the annular member 82, a housing 90 made of a dielectric such as quartz, for example, is provided in the opening 11a to position the antenna 83 below the top plate 11. The bottom surface of the housing 90 constitutes the ceiling surface 46 of the plasma processing region P3.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 90 has a flange portion 90a formed by horizontally extending the peripheral edge on the upper side in a flange shape over the circumferential direction, and in a plan view, the central portion is formed to be recessed toward the inner region of the vacuum chamber 1 on the lower side.

[0043] When the wafer W is positioned below the housing 90, the housing 90 is arranged so as to straddle the diameter portion of the wafer W in the radial direction of the rotary table 2. A seal member 11c such as an O-ring is provided between the annular member 82 and the top plate 11 (see FIG. 4).

[0044] The internal atmosphere of the vacuum chamber 1 is set to be airtight through the annular member 82 and the housing 90. Specifically, the annular member 82 and the housing 90 are fitted into the opening 11a, and then the housing 90 is pressed downward in the circumferential direction by a pressing member 91 formed in a frame shape along the contact portion between the annular member 82 and the housing 90 on the upper surfaces of the annular member 82 and the housing 90. Further, the pressing member 91 is fixed to the top plate 11 by bolts (not shown) or the like. Thereby, the internal atmosphere of the vacuum chamber 1 is set to be airtight. In FIG. 5, for simplicity of illustration, the annular member 82 is omitted.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 6, on the lower surface of the housing 90, a protrusion 92 is formed which extends vertically toward the rotary table 2 so as to surround the plasma processing region P3 on the lower side of the housing 90 along the circumferential direction. The plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 described above are housed in the region surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the protrusion 92, the lower surface of the housing 90, and the upper surface of the rotary table 2. The protrusion 92 at the base end portions (the inner wall side of the vacuum chamber 1) of the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 is notched in a substantially arc shape along the outer shape of the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35.

[0046] On the lower side (plasma treatment region P3) of the housing 90, as shown in FIG. 4, protrusions 92 are formed across the circumferential direction. The seal member 11c is not directly exposed to the plasma by the protrusions 92, that is, it is isolated from the plasma treatment region P3. Therefore, even if the plasma tries to diffuse from the plasma treatment region P3 to, for example, the seal member 11c side, it will go through the lower part of the protrusions 92, so the plasma will be deactivated before reaching the seal member 11c.

[0047] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, in the third treatment region P3 below the housing 90, plasma treatment gas nozzles 33 to 35 are provided and are connected to an argon gas supply source 140, a hydrogen gas supply source 141, an oxygen gas supply source 142, and an ammonia gas supply source 143. However, only one of the hydrogen gas supply source 141 and the ammonia gas supply source 143 needs to be provided, and it is not necessary to provide both.

[0048] Also, between the plasma treatment gas nozzles 33 to 35 and the argon gas supply source 140, the hydrogen gas supply source 141, the oxygen gas supply source 142, and the ammonia gas supply source 143, corresponding flow controllers 130, 131, 132, 133 are provided respectively. The argon gas supply source 140, the hydrogen gas supply source 141, the oxygen gas supply source 142, and the ammonia gas supply source 143 supply Ar gas, H 2 gas, O 2 gas, NH 3 gas to the plasma treatment gas nozzles 33 to 35. Ar gas, H 2 gas, O 2 gas, NH 3 gas are supplied to the plasma treatment gas nozzles 33 to 35 at a predetermined flow rate ratio (mixing ratio) with their flow rates controlled by the flow controllers 130, 131, 132, 133 respectively. However, as described above, when only one of the hydrogen gas supply source 141 and the ammonia gas supply source 143 is provided, the flow controllers 131, 133 are also provided according to the one that is provided. Note that, for example, a mass flow controller may be used for the flow controllers 130 to 133.

[0049] In the case where there is one plasma processing gas nozzle, for example, the above-mentioned Ar gas, H 2 gas, or NH 3 gas, and a mixed gas of O 2 gas are supplied to one plasma processing gas nozzle.

[0050] FIG. 7 is another cross-sectional view of the plasma source 80 provided in the plasma processing apparatus of FIG. 1, and is a longitudinal sectional view showing the vacuum vessel 1 cut along the rotation direction of the rotary table 2. As shown in FIG. 7, during plasma processing, the rotary table 2 rotates clockwise, so the Ar gas is carried along with the rotation of the rotary table 2 and tries to enter from the gap between the rotary table 2 and the protrusion 92 to the lower side of the housing 90. Therefore, in order to prevent the intrusion of Ar gas to the lower side of the housing 90 through the gap, gas is discharged from the lower side of the housing 90 to the gap. Specifically, regarding the gas discharge hole 36 of the plasma processing gas nozzle 33, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, it is arranged so as to face the gap, that is, to face the upstream side and the lower side in the rotation direction of the rotary table 2. The angle θ at which the gas discharge hole 36 of the plasma processing gas nozzle 33 faces the vertical axis may be, for example, about 45° as shown in FIG. 7, or may be about 90° so as to face the inner surface of the protrusion 92. That is, the angle θ at which the gas discharge hole 36 faces can be set according to the application within a range of about 45° to 90° that can appropriately prevent the intrusion of Ar gas.

[0051] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 provided in the plasma processing region P3. As shown in FIG. 8, the plasma processing gas nozzle 33 is a nozzle that can cover the entire concave portion 24 where the wafer W is disposed and can supply the plasma processing gas to the entire surface of the wafer W. On the other hand, the plasma processing gas nozzle 34 is provided slightly above the plasma processing gas nozzle 33 and has a length about half that of the plasma processing gas nozzle 33 so as to substantially overlap the plasma processing gas nozzle 33. Further, the plasma processing gas nozzle 35 extends along the radius on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the rotary table 2 of the fan-shaped plasma processing region P3 from the outer peripheral wall of the vacuum vessel 1, and has a shape that linearly bends along the central region C when reaching the vicinity of the central region C. Hereinafter, for ease of distinction, the plasma processing gas nozzle 33 that covers the whole is also referred to as the base nozzle 33, the plasma processing gas nozzle 34 that covers only the outside is also referred to as the outer nozzle 34, and the plasma processing gas nozzle 35 that extends to the inside is also referred to as the shaft side nozzle 35.

[0052] The base nozzle 33 is a gas nozzle for supplying the plasma processing gas to the entire surface of the wafer W, and discharges the plasma processing gas toward the protrusion 92 that constitutes the side surface partitioning the plasma processing region P3 as described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0053] On the other hand, the outer nozzle 34 is a nozzle for mainly supplying the plasma processing gas to the outer region of the wafer W.

[0054] The shaft side nozzle 35 is a nozzle for mainly supplying the plasma processing gas to the central region close to the shaft side of the rotary table 2 of the wafer W.

[0055] In addition, when only one plasma processing gas nozzle is provided, only the base nozzle 33 may be provided.

[0056] Next, the Faraday shield 95 of the plasma source 80 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, above the housing 90, a grounded Faraday shield 95 made of a conductive plate-like body, such as a metal plate made of copper or the like, formed so as to generally follow the internal shape of the housing 90, is housed. The Faraday shield 95 includes a horizontal plane 95a horizontally locked along the bottom surface of the housing 90, and a vertical plane 95b extending upward in the circumferential direction from the outer end of the horizontal plane 95a, and may be configured to be, for example, generally hexagonal in plan view.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a plan view of an example of the plasma source 80 in FIG. 5, showing an example of the plasma source 80 in which the details of the structure of the antenna 83 and the vertical movement mechanism are omitted. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a part of the Faraday shield 95 provided in the plasma source 80.

[0058] When viewing the Faraday shield 95 from the right and left sides when looking at the Faraday shield 95 from the center of rotation of the rotary table 2, the upper end edges of the Faraday shield 95 on the right and left sides respectively extend horizontally to the right and left to form support portions 96. Between the Faraday shield 95 and the housing 90, a frame-like body 99 is provided that supports the support portion 96 from below and is supported by the flange portion 90a on the center region C side of the housing 90 and the outer edge portion side of the rotary table 2 (see FIG. 5).

[0059] When an electric field reaches the wafer W, the electrical wiring or the like formed inside the wafer W may be electrically damaged. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, in the horizontal plane 95a, a number of slits 97 are formed to prevent the electric field component of the electric field and magnetic field (electromagnetic field) generated in the antenna 83 from going downward toward the wafer W and to allow the magnetic field to reach the wafer W.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the slit 97 is formed at a position below the antenna 83 over the circumferential direction so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the winding direction of the antenna 83. The slit 97 is formed to have a width dimension of about 1 / 10000 or less of the wavelength corresponding to the frequency of the RF power supplied to the antenna 83. Further, on one end side and the other end side in the length direction of each slit 97, a conductive path 97a formed from a grounded conductor or the like is arranged over the circumferential direction so as to close the opening end of the slit 97. An opening 98 for checking the light emission state of the plasma is formed in a region outside the formation region of these slits 97 in the Faraday shield 95, that is, on the central side of the wound region of the antenna 83, through this region.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 5, on the horizontal plane 95a of the Faraday shield 95, an insulating plate 94 formed of quartz or the like having a thickness dimension of about 2 mm, for example, is laminated to ensure insulation between the Faraday shield 95 and the plasma source 80 placed above the Faraday shield 95. That is, the plasma source 80 is arranged to cover the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 (the wafer W on the rotary table 2) through the housing 90, the Faraday shield 95, and the insulating plate 94.

[0062] Next, another component of the plasma processing apparatus of the embodiment will be described.

[0063] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on the outer peripheral side of the rotary table 2, a side ring 100 which is a cover body is arranged at a position lower than the rotary table 2. On the upper surface of the side ring 100, a first exhaust port 61 and a second exhaust port 62 are formed so as to be separated from each other in the circumferential direction. In other words, two exhaust ports are formed in the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber 1, and the first exhaust port 61 and the second exhaust port 62 are formed in the side ring 100 at positions corresponding to these exhaust ports.

[0064] The first exhaust port 61 is formed at a position closer to the separation region D between the first processing gas nozzle 31 and the separation region D located on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the rotary table 2 with respect to the first processing gas nozzle 31. The second exhaust port 62 is formed at a position closer to the separation region D between the plasma source 80 and the separation region D on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the rotary table 2 than the plasma source 80.

[0065] The first exhaust port 61 is an exhaust port for exhausting the first processing gas and the separation gas, and the second exhaust port 62 is an exhaust port for exhausting the plasma processing gas and the separation gas. As shown in FIG. 1, the first exhaust port 61 and the second exhaust port 62 are each connected to a vacuum pump 64, which is an example of a vacuum exhaust mechanism, by an exhaust pipe 63 provided with a pressure adjustment unit 65 such as a butterfly valve.

[0066] As described above, since the housing 90 is arranged from the central region C side to the outer edge side, the gas flowing from the upstream side in the rotation direction of the rotary table 2 to the second processing region P2 may have its gas flow toward the second exhaust port 62 restricted by the housing 90. Therefore, a groove-shaped gas flow path 101 for the gas to flow is formed on the upper surface of the side ring 100 on the outer peripheral side of the housing 90.

[0067] At the central portion on the lower surface of the top plate 11, as shown in FIG. 1, a protruding portion 5 is provided which is formed in a substantially annular shape continuously in the circumferential direction in connection with the portion on the central region C side of the convex portion 4 and whose lower surface is formed at the same height as the lower surface (the first ceiling surface 44) of the convex portion 4. Above the core portion 21 on the rotation center side of the rotary table 2 with respect to the protruding portion 5, a labyrinth structure portion 110 for suppressing the mixing of various gases in the central region C is arranged.

[0068] As described above, since the housing 90 is formed up to a position closer to the central region C side, the core portion 21 that supports the central portion of the rotary table 2 is formed on the rotation center side such that the upper portion of the rotary table 2 avoids the housing 90. Therefore, in the central region C side, a state where various gases are more likely to mix than on the outer edge portion side is present. Therefore, by forming the labyrinth structure portion 110 above the core portion 21, a gas flow path can be created, and the mixing of gases can be prevented.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 1, a heater unit 7, which is a heating mechanism, is provided in the space between the rotary table 2 and the bottom surface portion 14 of the vacuum chamber 1. The heater unit 7 is configured to be able to heat the wafer W on the rotary table 2 via the rotary table 2 to, for example, about room temperature to 700°C. In FIG. 1, a cover member 71 is provided on the side of the heater unit 7, and a covering member 7a that covers the upper side of the heater unit 7 is provided. Further, on the bottom surface portion 14 of the vacuum chamber 1, a plurality of purge gas supply pipes 73 for purging the arrangement space of the heater unit 7 are provided at a plurality of locations over the circumferential direction below the heater unit 7.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 2, a transfer port 15 for performing the transfer of the wafer W is formed on the side wall of the vacuum chamber 1 between the transfer arm 10 and the rotary table 2. The transfer port 15 is configured to be able to open and close airtightly from the gate valve G.

[0071] The transfer of the wafer W between the transfer arm 10 and the concave portion 24 of the rotary table 2 is performed at a position facing the transfer port 15. Therefore, at a location corresponding to the transfer position on the lower side of the rotary table 2, a lift pin (not shown) and a lift mechanism for lifting the wafer W from the back surface through the concave portion 24 are provided.

[0072] In addition, the plasma processing apparatus of the embodiment is provided with a control unit 120 composed of a computer for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus. A program for performing substrate processing described later is stored in the memory of the control unit 120. The program is composed of a group of steps for executing various operations of the apparatus, and is installed from a storage unit 121, which is a storage medium such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a magneto-optical disk, a memory card, or a flexible disk, into the control unit 120.

[0073] 〔Plasma Processing Method〕 Referring to FIG. 11, the plasma processing method of the embodiment will be described by taking as an example the case of forming a thin film using the aforementioned plasma processing apparatus. Examples of thin films that can be formed by the plasma processing method of the embodiment include oxide films such as SiO 2 , ZrO 2 , HfO 2 , TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 ; nitride films such as SiN, HfN, TiN, and AlN; and composite films combining the above compounds such as ZrAlO, HfAlO, and HfSiON.

[0074] Hereinafter, the case of forming a SiO 2 thin film will be described using a silicon-containing gas as a source gas, ozone as an oxidation gas, a mixed gas of argon, oxygen, and hydrogen as a plasma processing gas, and argon as a separation gas.

[0075] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the output of RF power in the plasma processing method of the embodiment. In FIG. 11, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the output of the RF power output by the RF power supply 85. Also, in FIG. 11, the solid line indicates the traveling wave power Pf sent from the RF power supply 85 to the plasma load including the antenna 83, and the broken line indicates the reflected wave power Pr traveling from the plasma load toward the RF power supply 85.

[0076] First, the wafer W is carried into the vacuum chamber 1. When carrying in the wafer W, the gate valve G is opened, and while the rotary table 2 is intermittently rotated, the wafer W is placed on the rotary table 2 through the transfer port 15 by the transfer arm 10. After placing the wafer W, the transfer arm 10 is retracted outside the vacuum chamber 1, and the gate valve G is closed.

[0077] Subsequently, pre-process treatment is performed. In the pre-process treatment, while the rotary table 2 is rotated, the wafer W is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater unit 7 in a state where the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 is controlled to a predetermined pressure by the vacuum pump 64 and the pressure adjustment unit 65. At this time, Ar gas is supplied as the separation gas from the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42. Also, a silicon-containing gas is supplied from the first processing gas nozzle 31, ozone is supplied from the second processing gas nozzle 32, and a plasma processing gas composed of a mixed gas of argon, oxygen, and hydrogen is supplied from the plasma processing gas nozzles 33 to 35 at a predetermined flow rate. Such a series of controls are performed by the control unit 120.

[0078] Subsequently, plasma is ignited (plasma ignition step S1). In the plasma ignition step S1, the parameters of the plasma source 80 are set to the plasma ignition conditions, RF power is supplied from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83, and plasma is ignited to generate plasma. The plasma ignition conditions may be, for example, conditions in which RF power is supplied from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 without pulse modulation, that is, conditions in which a continuous wave (CW) of RF power is supplied. By supplying a continuous wave of RF power from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 when igniting the plasma, the plasma is more easily ignited.

[0079] Subsequently, process processing is performed (process processing step S2). The process processing step S2 is performed after the plasma ignition step S1. The timing t1 to start the process processing step S2 is determined based on at least one of the traveling wave power Pf and the reflected wave power Pr. For example, the process processing step S2 may be started after the traveling wave power Pf reaches a predetermined set value and stabilizes, or the process processing step S2 may be started after the reflected wave power Pr reaches a predetermined value (for example, 100 W) or less. Also, for example, the process processing step S2 may be started after the standing wave ratio SWR reaches a predetermined value (for example, 1.5) or less. Further, two or more of the determination by the traveling wave power Pf, the determination by the reflected wave power Pr, and the determination by the standing wave ratio SWR may be combined. The standing wave ratio SWR is represented by the following formula (1) using the traveling wave power Pf and the reflected wave power Pr.

[0080]

Number

[0081] In the process processing step S2, due to the rotation of the rotary table 2, the silicon-containing gas is adsorbed in the first processing region P1 on the surface of the wafer W, and then the silicon-containing gas adsorbed on the wafer W in the second processing region P2 is oxidized by ozone. As a result, a molecular layer of SiO, which is a thin film component, is formed in one or more layers and deposited on the wafer W. When the rotary table 2 rotates further, the wafer W reaches the plasma processing region P3, and the modification process of the silicon oxide film by plasma processing is performed. In the plasma processing region P3, Ar / O 2 from the base nozzle 33, the outer nozzle 34, and the shaft-side nozzle 35 2 / H 2A mixed gas is supplied as a plasma processing gas. If necessary, based on the supply from the base nozzle 33, in the region on the central axis side where the angular velocity is slow and the amount of plasma processing tends to be large, the oxygen flow rate may be decreased so that the reforming force becomes weaker than that of the mixed gas supplied from the base nozzle 33. Also, in the outer peripheral region where the angular velocity is fast and the amount of plasma processing tends to be insufficient, the oxygen flow rate may be increased so that the reforming force becomes stronger than that of the mixed gas supplied from the base nozzle 33. Thereby, the influence of the angular velocity of the rotary table 2 can be appropriately adjusted.

[0082] In such a state, by continuing the rotation of the rotary table 2, the adsorption of the silicon-containing gas onto the surface of the wafer W, the oxidation of the silicon-containing gas components adsorbed on the surface of the wafer W, and the plasma reforming of the silicon oxide film as the reaction product are repeatedly performed many times in this order. That is, the film formation process by the ALD method and the reforming process of the formed film are repeatedly performed many times by the rotation of the rotary table 2.

[0083] Also, in the process processing step S2, the parameters of the plasma source 80 are changed from the plasma ignition conditions to the process processing conditions. The process processing conditions may be, for example, the conditions in which the RF power supplied from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 is pulse-modulated and supplied, that is, the conditions for supplying the pulsed wave (PW: Pulsed Wave) of the RF power, as shown in FIG. 11. When the pulsed wave of the RF power is supplied from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 in this way, by changing the on / off ratio (duty ratio) of the pulse modulation, the energy distribution of the ions and radicals generated by decomposing the plasma processing gas can be changed. That is, the same effect as when the distance between the upper surface of the rotary table 2 and the bottom surface of the housing 90 (the ceiling surface 46 of the plasma processing region P3) (hereinafter simply referred to as "gap") is adjusted can be obtained.

[0084] The duty ratio is the ratio of the on-time Ton during which the RF power supply 85 supplies RF power to the antenna 83 to the total time of the on-time Ton and the off-time Toff during which no power is supplied, that is, it is represented by Ton / (Ton + Toff). When changing the duty ratio, for example, the off-time Toff may be changed while the on-time Ton is fixed, the on-time Ton may be changed while the off-time Toff is fixed, or both the on-time Ton and the off-time Toff may be changed. The on-time Ton and the off-time Toff are preferably, for example, less than or equal to the relaxation time of electrons. For example, the on-time Ton may be 1 msec to 80 msec, and the off-time Toff may be 120 μsec to 20 msec. The relaxation time, also referred to as the mean free time, is the average time required from when a molecule, conduction electron, etc. collides with another atom until the next collision.

[0085] For example, when it is desired to form a dense SiO 2 film, the duty ratio is increased. As a result, similar to the case where the gap is adjusted to be narrow, the influence of ion modification becomes large, and shrinkage of the SiO 2 film progresses, and a dense SiO 2 film can be formed.

[0086] Also, for example, when it is desired to suppress the oxidation of the substrate (e.g., a silicon substrate), the duty ratio is decreased. As a result, similar to the case where the gap is adjusted to be wide, the influence of radical modification becomes large, and a SiO 2 film can be formed while suppressing the oxidation of the substrate.

[0087] After the film thickness of the silicon oxide film reaches the target film thickness (time t2) by repeating such film formation processing and modification processing, the supply of RF power from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 is stopped. Also, the supply of the silicon-containing gas, ozone gas, and plasma processing gas is stopped. After that, after stopping the rotation of the rotary table 2, the processed wafer W is carried out from the vacuum chamber 1, and the processing is completed.

[0088] As described above, according to the plasma processing method of the embodiment, while rotating the rotary table 2, a plasma processing gas is supplied into the vacuum chamber 1 and a pulsed wave of RF power is supplied to the antenna 83. Thereby, by changing the duty ratio of the pulsed wave, it is possible to change the energy distribution of ions and radicals generated by decomposing the plasma processing gas. That is, the same effect as when the distance between the upper surface of the rotary table 2 and the bottom surface of the housing 90 (the ceiling surface 46 of the plasma processing region P3) is adjusted can be obtained. As a result, the film quality of the SiO 2 film can be controlled without changing the shape of the apparatus.

[0089] In the above plasma processing method, the case where the RF power supplied from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 is pulse-modulated and supplied at a constant period throughout the entire process processing step S2 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0090] For example, the duty ratio of the pulsed wave of the RF power supplied from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 may be changed during the process processing step S2. As an example, a pulsed wave of RF power may be supplied at a first duty ratio during a first predetermined period of the process processing step S2, and a pulsed wave of RF power may be supplied at a second duty ratio higher than the first duty ratio during the remaining period. Thereby, an SiO 2 film can be formed while suppressing the oxidation of the substrate during the first predetermined period, and a dense SiO 2 film can be formed during the remaining period. That is, in the process processing step S2, a dense SiO 2 film can be formed while suppressing the oxidation of the substrate.

[0091] Further, for example, in the process processing step S2, the RF power supplied from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 may be switched between a pulsed wave and a continuous wave. As an example, a pulsed wave of RF power may be supplied during a first predetermined period of the process processing step S2, and a continuous wave of RF power may be supplied during the remaining period. Thereby, an SiO 2A film can be formed, and a dense SiO film can be formed during the remaining period. That is, in the process treatment step S2, a dense SiO film can be formed while suppressing the oxidation of the substrate. 2 film can be formed. That is, in the process treatment step S2, a dense SiO film can be formed while suppressing the oxidation of the substrate. 2 film can be formed.

[0092] 〔Evaluation Results〕 (Substrate oxidation amount) First, using the above-described plasma processing apparatus, the oxidation amount of the surface of the silicon substrate was evaluated when the silicon substrate was subjected to plasma processing by the above-described plasma processing method. Also, as a reference example, using a plasma processing apparatus having a different gap with respect to the above-described plasma processing apparatus, the oxidation amount of the surface of the silicon substrate was evaluated when the silicon substrate was subjected to plasma processing by the above-described plasma processing method. The gap of the above-described plasma processing apparatus is 30 mm, and the gap of the plasma processing apparatus of the comparative example is 120 mm. The conditions (process processing conditions) of the process processing step S2 in the plasma processing method are as follows.

[0093] <Process Processing Conditions> Wafer temperature: 400 °C Pressure in vacuum chamber 1: 1.8 - 2.0 Torr RF power: Pulse wave (output: 1500 W, 2000 W, 3000 W, 4000 W) Duty ratio: 100%, 66.7% First processing gas nozzle 31: Not used (no supply of first processing gas) Second processing gas nozzle 32: Not used (no supply of second processing gas) Plasma processing gas nozzles 33, 34, 35: Ar / O 2 / H 2 Rotation speed of rotary table 2: 120 rpm Processing time: 5 minutes

[0094] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the evaluation results of the oxidation amount of a silicon substrate. In FIG. 12, the horizontal axis represents the RF power [W], and the vertical axis represents the oxidation amount [Å] of the silicon substrate. Also, in FIG. 12, the black circles (●) indicate the case where the plasma processing apparatus (gap 30 mm) of the embodiment is used, and show the results when a pulse wave (continuous wave) with a duty ratio of 100% is used as the RF power in the process processing step S2. The white circles (〇) indicate the case where the plasma processing apparatus (gap 30 mm) of the embodiment is used, and show the results when a pulse wave with a duty ratio of 66.7% is used as the RF power in the process processing step S2. The black triangles (▲) indicate the case where the plasma processing apparatus (gap 120 mm) of the reference example is used, and show the results when a pulse wave (continuous wave) with a duty ratio of 100% is used as the RF power in the process processing step S2.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 12, when the gap is 30 mm, it can be seen that by reducing the duty ratio from 100% to 66.7% regardless of the output of the RF power, the oxidation amount of the silicon substrate decreases. Also, when the duty ratio is 100%, it can be seen that by expanding the gap from 30 mm to 120 mm regardless of the output of the RF power, the oxidation amount of the silicon substrate decreases. From these results, it can be said that by supplying a pulse wave of RF power from the RF power source 85 to the antenna 83 and changing the duty ratio of the pulse wave, the same effect as when adjusting the gap can be obtained. For example, by reducing the duty ratio, the same effect as when expanding the gap can be obtained, and by increasing the duty ratio, the same effect as when narrowing the gap can be obtained. Thus, by supplying a pulse wave of RF power from the RF power source 85 to the antenna 83 and changing the duty ratio of the pulse wave, the oxidation amount of the base (silicon substrate) can be controlled without changing the shape of the apparatus.

[0096] Next, the shrinkage amount of the silicon oxide film was evaluated when the silicon oxide film formed on the silicon substrate was subjected to plasma treatment by the above-described plasma treatment method using the above-described plasma processing apparatus (gap: 30 mm). Further, as a reference example, the shrinkage amount of the silicon oxide film was evaluated when the silicon substrate was subjected to plasma treatment by the above-described plasma treatment method using a plasma processing apparatus with a wide gap (gap: 120 mm) for the above-described plasma processing apparatus. The conditions (process processing conditions) of the process processing step S2 in the plasma treatment method are as follows.

[0097] <Process processing conditions> Wafer temperature: 400 °C Pressure in the vacuum chamber 1: 1.8 - 2.0 Torr RF power: Pulse wave (output: 1500 W, 2000 W, 3000 W, 4000 W) Duty ratio: 100%, 66.7% First processing gas nozzle 31: Not used (no supply of the first processing gas) Second processing gas nozzle 32: Not used (no supply of the second processing gas) Plasma processing gas nozzles 33, 34, 35: Ar / O 2 / H 2 Rotation speed of the rotary table 2: 120 rpm Processing time: 1.5 minutes (90 seconds)

[0098] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the evaluation results of the shrinkage amount of the silicon oxide film. In FIG. 13, the horizontal axis represents the RF power [W], and the vertical axis represents the shrinkage amount [Å] of the silicon oxide film. Also, in FIG. 13, the black circles (●) indicate the case where the plasma processing apparatus (gap 30 mm) of the embodiment is used, and the results when a pulse wave (continuous wave) with a duty ratio of 100% is used as the RF power in the process processing step S2 are shown. The white circles (〇) indicate the case where the plasma processing apparatus (gap 30 mm) of the embodiment is used, and the results when a pulse wave with a duty ratio of 66.7% is used as the RF power in the process processing step S2 are shown. The black triangles (▲) indicate the case where the plasma processing apparatus (gap 120 mm) of the reference example is used, and the results when a pulse wave (continuous wave) with a duty ratio of 100% is used as the RF power in the process processing step S2 are shown.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 13, when the gap is 30 mm, it can be seen that by reducing the duty ratio from 100% to 66.7% regardless of the output of the RF power, the shrinkage amount of the silicon oxide film decreases. Also, when the duty ratio is 100%, it can be seen that by expanding the gap from 30 mm to 120 mm regardless of the output of the RF power, the shrinkage amount of the silicon oxide film decreases. From these results, it can be said that by supplying a pulse wave of RF power from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 and changing the duty ratio of the pulse wave, the same effect as when the gap is adjusted can be obtained. For example, by reducing the duty ratio, the same effect as when the gap is expanded can be obtained, and by increasing the duty ratio, the same effect as when the gap is narrowed can be obtained. Thus, by supplying a pulse wave of RF power from the RF power supply 85 to the antenna 83 and changing the duty ratio of the pulse wave, the shrinkage amount of the silicon oxide film can be adjusted and the film quality can be controlled without changing the shape of the apparatus.

[0100] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or changed in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0101] For example, in the process treatment step S2, the duty ratio of the pulse wave of the RF power supplied from the RF power source 85 to the antenna 83 may be changed in multiple steps or continuously changed.

Description of reference numerals

[0102] 1 Vacuum chamber 2 Rotating table 33 - 35 Plasma processing gas nozzles 83 Antenna W Wafer

Claims

1. A plasma processing method for plasma processing a plurality of substrates using a plasma processing apparatus including: a turntable rotatably disposed within a vacuum chamber, the turntable having a top surface on which a plurality of substrates are placed along a circumferential direction; a plasma processing gas supply unit supplying a plasma processing gas to at least one processing region of a plurality of processing regions spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the turntable via a separation region; and an antenna disposed opposite to an upper surface of the turntable, the antenna generating plasma in the at least one processing region, the method comprising: placing a plurality of substrates on the rotating table; After the step of placing the plurality of substrates, a step of supplying the plasma processing gas into the vacuum chamber and supplying a continuous wave of RF power to the antenna while rotating the turntable to ignite plasma; a step of supplying the plasma processing gas into the vacuum chamber and supplying RF power to the antenna while rotating the turntable after the standing wave ratio reaches a predetermined value or less in the step of igniting the plasma, thereby performing a process on the plurality of substrates; Including, The step of performing the process includes supplying a pulse wave to the antenna. Plasma treatment method.

2. the step of performing the process includes supplying a pulse wave of RF power with a first duty ratio during an initial predetermined period, and supplying a pulse wave of RF power with a second duty ratio higher than the first duty ratio during the remaining period; The plasma processing method according to claim 1 .

3. performing the process includes providing a pulsed wave of RF power for an initial predetermined period of time and providing a continuous wave of RF power for the remaining period of time; The plasma processing method according to claim 1 .

4. The step of performing the process treatment includes supplying a pulse wave of RF power while changing a duty ratio of the pulse wave. The plasma processing method according to claim 1 .

5. a rotary table that is rotatably provided within the vacuum chamber and has a plurality of substrates placed on an upper surface thereof along a circumferential direction; a plasma processing gas supply unit for supplying a plasma processing gas to at least one of a plurality of processing regions spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the turntable via a separation region; an antenna disposed opposite to an upper surface side of the rotary table and configured to generate plasma in the at least one processing region; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit is placing a plurality of substrates on the rotating table; After the step of placing the plurality of substrates, a step of supplying the plasma processing gas into the vacuum chamber and supplying a continuous wave of RF power to the antenna while rotating the turntable to ignite plasma; a step of supplying the plasma processing gas into the vacuum chamber and supplying RF power to the antenna while rotating the turntable after the standing wave ratio reaches a predetermined value or less in the step of igniting the plasma, thereby performing a process on the plurality of substrates; configured to execute The step of performing the process includes supplying a pulse wave to the antenna. Plasma processing equipment.

6. A control device for controlling a plasma processing apparatus including: a rotary table rotatably provided within a vacuum chamber, the rotary table having a plurality of substrates placed on an upper surface thereof along a circumferential direction; a plasma processing gas supply unit for supplying a plasma processing gas to at least one processing region of a plurality of processing regions spaced apart from each other via separation regions in the circumferential direction of the rotary table; and an antenna provided opposite to an upper surface of the rotary table for generating plasma in the at least one processing region, placing a plurality of substrates on the rotating table; After the step of placing the plurality of substrates, a step of supplying the plasma processing gas into the vacuum chamber and supplying a continuous wave of RF power to the antenna while rotating the turntable to ignite plasma; a step of supplying the plasma processing gas into the vacuum chamber and supplying RF power to the antenna while rotating the turntable after the standing wave ratio reaches a predetermined value or less in the step of igniting the plasma, thereby performing a process on the plurality of substrates; configured to execute The step of performing the process includes supplying a pulse wave to the antenna. Control device.

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