An ion source includes a plasma chamber, and a suppression electrode disposed downstream of the plasma chamber, and is operable to irradiate the suppression electrode with an ion beam produced from a cleaning gas to clean the suppression electrode. Prior to cleaning, the ion source moves the suppression electrode or the plasma chamber in a first direction to increase a distance between the plasma chamber and the suppression electrode.

In one embodiment of the invention, a method for predicting a susceptor's service life in a processing chamber is disclosed. The method begins by creating virtual sensors in a processing chamber having a susceptor. The virtual sensors monitor one or more parameters on the susceptor and the age of the susceptor is tracked throughout the susceptor's life in the processing chamber with the virtual sensors.

A plasma processing method is performed in a state where a focus ring is disposed on a supporting table to surround an edge of a substrate by a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber and the supporting table provided in the chamber and configured to support the substrate mounted thereon. The plasma processing method includes forming an organic film on the focus ring to reduce a difference between a position of an upper surface of the focus ring in a vertical direction and a reference position, and performing plasma processing on the substrate after the formation of the organic film.

A substrate processing system installed on a floor face is provided. The substrate processing system includes a substrate transfer module, a supporting table including a top plate disposed separately from the floor face, a plurality of substrate processing modules disposed on the top plate and coupled to the substrate transfer module along a lateral side of the substrate transfer module, and a plurality of power units disposed below the top plate. Further, the plurality of power units correspond to the plurality of substrate processing modules, respectively, and each of the power units is configured to supply electric power to the corresponding processing module.

Examples of a cleaning method includes supplying a cleaning gas into an exhaust duct that provides an exhaust flow passage of a gas supplied to an area above a susceptor, the exhaust duct having a shape surrounding the susceptor in plan view, and activating the cleaning gas to clean an inside of the exhaust duct.

A dual mode power device for controlling voltage level to a plasma processing apparatus is disclosed. The dual mode power device comprises a power supply connector and a control circuit. The power supply connector is connected to a first voltage power supply or a second voltage power supply. The control circuit is connected between an output of the power supply connector and a first and second voltage subsystem of the plasma processing apparatus. The control circuit provides a first voltage based on the first voltage power supply to the first voltage subsystem in a first mode of operation of the plasma processing apparatus. The control circuit provides a second voltage based on the second voltage power supply to the second voltage subsystem in a second mode of operation of the plasma processing apparatus.

Implementations of the present disclosure provide methods for treating a processing chamber. In one implementation, the method includes purging a 300 mm substrate processing chamber, without the presence of a substrate, by flowing a purging gas into the substrate processing chamber at a flow rate of about 0.14 sccm/mm.sup.2 to about 0.33 sccm/mm.sup.2 and a chamber pressure of about 1 Torr to about 30 Torr, with a throttle valve of a vacuum pump system of the substrate processing chamber in a fully opened position, wherein the purging gas is chemically reactive with deposition residue on exposed surfaces of the substrate processing chamber.

A maintenance device has a cover and a fixing member. The cover is in a vacuum atmosphere during substrate processing, is formed to have a size corresponding to a boundary line between a first part and a second part of a processing container, which can be separated into the first part and the second part, or an opening surface separating the first part and the second part, and has airtightness, and visual transparency at least in a part. The fixing member fixes in an airtight manner the cover along the boundary line between the first part and the second part of the processing container or to the opening surface separating the first part and the second part.

Methods for in-situ and real-time chamber condition monitoring is provided. For example, in one embodiment, for each wafer in a chamber, a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals in the chamber is monitored in-situ. The frequency and wavelength of the free radicals are associated with at least one selected chemical. The associated free radicals are compared to an index. The index includes a target range for each chemical in the at least one selected chemical.

A chamber component for a processing chamber is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a chamber component for a processing chamber includes a component part body having unitary monolithic construction. The component part body has a textured surface. The textured surface includes a plurality of independent engineered macro features integrally formed with the component part body. The engineered macro features include a macro feature body extending from the textured surface.