The invention describes a method of frequency tuning an electrical generator (100) for supplying electrical power to a plasma, wherein the method comprises a pulsed mode, the pulse mode comprising at least a high power pulse (314) comprising a high power level (304) and a low power pulse (312) comprising a low power level (302) different to zero power, the method comprising the steps of: —providing RF-power with a high power starting frequency set comprising at least one high power starting frequency (502, 504, 506) at the high power pulse (314) with a predefmed high power pulse shape; —providing RF-power with a low power starting frequency set comprising at least one low power starting frequency (512, 514) at the low power pulse (312) with a predefmed low power pulse shape; —determining a reflected high power at the high power starting frequency (502, 504, 506); —tuning the high power starting frequency (502, 504, 506) to a different first high power frequency if the reflected high power exceeds a high power threshold value such that the reflected high power decreases below the high power threshold value; —determining a reflected low power at the low power starting frequency (512, 514); —tuning the low power starting frequency (512, 514) to a different first low power frequency if the reflected low power exceeds a low power threshold value such that the reflected low power decreases below the low power threshold value. The invention further describes a corresponding electrical generator (100), plasma processing system and computer program product. The method, the electrical generator, the plasma processing system and the computer program product may have the advantage that the stability of the plasma with respect to repeated and essentially identical high and low power pulses is used to reduce the controlling effort and to check the stability of the plasma process.

A method of etching a substrate is described. The method includes disposing a substrate having a surface exposing a first material and a second material in a processing space of a plasma processing system, and performing a modulated plasma etching process to selectively remove the first material at a rate greater than removing the second material. The modulated plasma etching process includes a power modulation cycle composed of applying a first power modulation sequence to the plasma processing system, and applying a second power modulation sequence to the plasma processing system, the second power modulation sequence being different than the first power modulation sequence.

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a process chamber configured to accommodate a substrate such that a plasma process is performed in the process chamber; a pedestal on which the substrate is disposed; an opposite electrode opposite to the pedestal; a first radio-frequency power source configured to supply a first radio-frequency power for generating plasma on one of the pedestal and the opposite electrode; a second radio-frequency power source configured to supply a second radio-frequency power for generating a bias voltage on the pedestal, the second radio-frequency power being lower in frequency than the first radio-frequency power; a direct-current power source configured to supply a direct-current voltage to the opposite electrode; and a controller configured to control the first radio-frequency power source, the second radio-frequency power source, and the direct-current power source.

A plasma processing apparatus can control a ratio between an input power during a pulse-on period and an input power during a pulse-off period by a matching operation of a matching device provided on a high frequency transmission line for supplying the high frequency power as a continuous wave without a power modulation. An impedance sensor 96A provided in a matching device of a plasma generation system includes a RF voltage detector 100; a voltage-detection-signal generating circuit 102; an arithmetic-average-value calculating circuit 104; a weighted-average-value calculating circuit 106; and a moving-average-value calculating unit 108 of a voltage sensor system, and also includes a RF electric current detector 110; an electric current-detection-signal generating circuit 112; an arithmetic-average-value calculating circuit 114; a weighted-average-value calculating circuit 116; a moving-average-value calculating unit 118; and an impedance calculating circuit 120 of an electric current sensor system.

A magnetic field sensor for measuring magnetic field of a current applied to a lower electrode defined within a plasma chamber includes a conductor element disposed along a length of a tubular housing. A plurality of slots is defined on one side of the tubular housing to expose the conductor element.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a carrier wave group generation unit and a plasma generation unit. The carrier wave group generation unit is configured to generate a carrier wave group including a plurality of carrier waves having different frequencies in a frequency domain. The carrier wave group is represented by an amplitude waveform in which a first peak and a second peak of which absolute value is smaller than an absolute value of the first peak alternately appear in a time domain. The plasma generation unit is configured to generate a plasma in the processing chamber by using the carrier wave group.

Plasma processing systems and methods are disclosed. The system may include at least one modulating supply that modulates plasma properties where the modulation of the plasma properties has a repetition period, T. A synchronization module configured to send a synchronization signal with a synchronization-signal-repetition-period that is an integer multiple of T to at least one piece of equipment connected to the plasma processing system. A waveform-communication module communicates characteristics of a characterized waveform to at least one piece of equipment connected to the plasma system to enable synchronization of pieces of equipment connected to the plasma processing system. The characterized waveform may contain information about the modulation of the plasma or information about a desired waveform of a piece of equipment connected to the plasma processing system.

A method of etching a substrate including an etching film and a mask formed on the etching film is provided. The mask includes a first pattern of a first recess having a first opening and a second pattern of a second recess having a second opening. The method includes etching the etching film to a predetermined depth; depositing a protective film on the mask after the etching; and etching the etching film after the depositing. The first opening is smaller than the second opening. As a result of the depositing, the first opening of the first pattern is clogged and the second opening of the second pattern is not clogged.

A plasma processing method including: a film formation step of forming a silicon-containing film on a surface of a member inside a chamber by plasma of a silicon-containing gas and a reducing gas; a plasma processing step of plasma-processing a workpiece carried into the chamber by plasma of a processing gas after the silicon-containing film is formed on the surface of the member; and a removal step of removing the silicon-containing film from the surface of the member by plasma of a fluorine-containing gas after the plasma-processed workpiece is carried out of the chamber.

In a plasma processing apparatus, target values for feedback control to be applied to a progressive wave power PF as control parameters, i.e., control instruction values C.sub.on and C.sub.off are switched during a pulse-on period T.sub.on and a pulse-off period T.sub.off in each cycle of a modulation pulse, respectively. That is, a first feedback control for making the progressive wave power PF approximate to a first control instruction value C.sub.on is performed during the pulse-on period T.sub.on, whereas a second feedback control for making the progressive wave power PF approximate to a second control instruction value C.sub.off is performed during the pulse-off period T.sub.off.