An object of the invention is to provide a plasma processing method for preventing generation of deposition from an underlying metal film and attaining an anisotropic shape in hard mask etching. The plasma processing method for forming a mask using a film to be etched whose underlying layer is a metal film according to the invention includes: a first step of etching, using a plasma generated by mixed gas containing O.sub.2 gas, CHF.sub.3 gas, NF.sub.3 gas, Ar gas, and He gas, while supplying pulse-modulated radio frequency power to a sample stage on which a sample having the film to be etched is placed; and a second step of etching while supplying continuous wave (CW) radio frequency power to the sample stage after the first step. The film to be etched is a TEOS film and a silicon nitride film, and the continuous wave (CW) radio frequency power is smaller than a product of the pulse-modulated radio frequency power and a pulse-modulated duty ratio and is smaller than 50 W.

Provided is a plasma processing apparatus including: a circular waveguide connected with a vacuum vessel, and through which a circularly polarized wave of an electric field for plasma formation propagates; a processing chamber which is arranged below the circular waveguide, and in which plasma is formed; a circularly polarized wave generator, which is arranged in the waveguide; a circularly polarized wave adjuster which is connected with the circular waveguide below the circularly polarized wave generator; a circularly polarized wave detector which is below the circularly polarized wave adjuster; and a controller which adjusts an operation of the circularly polarized wave adjuster according to an output from the circularly polarized wave detector, in which the circularly polarized wave adjuster adjusts a length of a protrusion of a dielectric stub into the circular waveguide based on a signal from the controller.

In a plasma processing apparatus using a circularly polarized wave, in order to reduce an influence caused by a reflected wave and to efficiently utilize a circularly polarized wave for a plasma process, the plasma processing apparatus includes a microwave source configured to generate a microwave, a plasma processing chamber configured to process a processing target disposed therein by using plasma generated by the microwave, and a waveguide portion that includes a rectangular waveguide connected to the microwave source and a circular waveguide connected to the plasma processing chamber, and the plasma processing apparatus is further provided with, inside the circular waveguide, a reflected wave generator configured to generate a reflected wave that cancels a reflected wave propagating in the circular waveguide from a plasma processing chamber side in a state where the plasma is generated inside the plasma processing chamber by the microwave.

A microwave plasma reactor for manufacturing synthetic diamond material via chemical vapour deposition, the microwave plasma reactor comprising: a plasma chamber defining a resonant cavity for supporting a primary microwave resonance mode having a primary microwave resonance mode frequency f; a plurality of microwave sources coupled to the plasma chamber for generating and feeding microwaves having a total microwave power P into the plasma chamber; a gas flow system for feeding process gases into the plasma chamber and removing them therefrom; and a substrate holder disposed in the plasma chamber and comprising a supporting surface for supporting a substrate on which the synthetic diamond material is to be deposited in use, wherein the plurality of microwave sources are configured to couple at least 30% of the total microwave power P into the plasma chamber in the primary microwave resonance mode frequency f, and wherein at least some of the plurality of microwave sources are solid state microwave sources.

A plasma reactor has a cylindrical microwave cavity overlying a workpiece processing chamber, a microwave source having a pair of microwave source outputs, and a pair of respective waveguides. The cavity has first and second input ports in a sidewall and space apart by an azimuthal angle. Each of the waveguides has a microwave input end coupled to a microwave source output and a microwave output end coupled to a respective one of the first and second input ports, a coupling aperture plate at the output end with a rectangular coupling aperture in the coupling aperture plate, and an iris plate between the coupling aperture plate and the microwave input end with a rectangular iris opening in the iris plate.

An object of the invention is to provide a plasma processing method for preventing generation of deposition from an underlying metal film and attaining an anisotropic shape in hard mask etching. The plasma processing method for forming a mask using a film to be etched whose underlying layer is a metal film according to the invention includes: a first step of etching, using a plasma generated by mixed gas containing O.sub.2 gas, CHF.sub.3 gas, NF.sub.3 gas, Ar gas, and He gas, while supplying pulse-modulated radio frequency power to a sample stage on which a sample having the film to be etched is placed; and a second step of etching while supplying continuous wave (CW) radio frequency power to the sample stage after the first step. The film to be etched is a TEOS film and a silicon nitride film, and the continuous wave (CW) radio frequency power is smaller than a product of the pulse-modulated radio frequency power and a pulse-modulated duty ratio and is smaller than 50 W.

An adaptive engine and a method of adaptive control are disclosed. The method comprises receiving an input regressor, where the input regressor comprises a reference signal, a system output measurement, and a control output. The method includes applying one or more estimation laws to the input regressor to estimate two or more sets of estimated model parameter tensors, ; receiving two or more possible control signals; generating two or more estimated system outputs; and selecting a control signal from a set comprising at least the first possible control signal and the second possible control signal, or a combination of possible control signals blended from two or more of the sets.

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container; a resonator configured to resonate electromagnetic waves to be supplied; a slot antenna connected to the resonator; and a transmission window configured to transmit the electromagnetic waves radiated from the slot antenna and supply the electromagnetic waves into the processing container, wherein the resonator includes: an input port including an inner shaft and an outer cylinder; an output port including an inner shaft and an outer cylinder; a power supply fin connecting the inner shaft of the input port and the inner shaft of the output port and provided in the resonator; and a ground fin connected to the outer cylinder of the input port and the outer cylinder of the output port at a same potential and provided to protrude within the resonator so as to be inserted between fins of the power supply fin.

An adaptive engine and a method of adaptive control are disclosed. The method comprises receiving an input regressor, where the input regressor comprises a reference signal, a system output measurement, and a control output. The method includes applying one or more estimation laws to the input regressor to estimate two or more sets of estimated model parameter tensors, ; receiving two or more possible control signals; generating two or more estimated system outputs; and selecting a control signal from a set comprising at least the first possible control signal and the second possible control signal, or a combination of possible control signals blended from two or more of the sets.