A film forming apparatus includes a vacuum-evacuable processing chamber, a lower electrode for mounting thereon a target substrate, an upper electrode disposed to face the lower electrode, a gas supply unit, a voltage application unit and a switching unit. The gas supply unit supplies a film forming source gas to be formed into plasma to a processing space between the upper and the lower electrode. The voltage application unit applies to the upper electrode a voltage outputted from at least one of a high frequency power supply and a DC power supply included therein. The switching unit selectively switches the voltage to be applied to the upper electrode among a high frequency voltage outputted from the high frequency power supply, a DC voltage outputted from the DC power supply, and a superimposed voltage in which the DC voltage is superimposed with the high frequency voltage.

Methods and apparatus for producing bulk silicon carbide and producing silicon carbide coatings are provided herein. The method includes feeding a mixture of silicon carbide and ceramic into a plasma sprayer. The plasma generates a stream towards a substrate forming a bulk material or optionally a coating on the substrate such as an article upon contact therewith. In embodiments, the substrate can be removed, leaving a component part fabricated from bulk silicon carbide.

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a reaction tube provided in a processing container; a boat that holds a substrate, and is carried into and out from the reaction tube in order to form a film on the substrate; a plasma generation tube that communicates with the reaction tube, and generates plasma from a gas; a gas supply that supplies the gas to the plasma generation tube; electrode installation columns provided to sandwich the plasma generation tube therebetween, and including electrodes, respectively; an RF power supply that is connected to the electrodes, and supplies a radio frequency to the electrodes; a coil provided to be spaced apart from the electrodes in the electrode installation columns; and a DC power supply that is connected to the coil, and supplies a direct current to the coil.

Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include providing a silicon-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a silicon-containing layer on surfaces defining the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma of a hydrogen-containing precursor within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a silicon-containing material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

A film-forming apparatus for forming a predetermined film on a substrate by plasma ALD includes a chamber, a stage, a shower head having an upper electrode and a shower plate insulated from the upper electrode, a first high-frequency power supply connected to the upper electrode, and a second high-frequency power supply connected to an electrode contained in the stage. A high-frequency power is supplied from the first high-frequency power supply to the upper electrode, thereby forming a high-frequency electric field between the upper electrode and the shower plate and generating a first capacitively coupled plasma. A high-frequency power is supplied from the second high-frequency power supply to the electrode, thereby forming a high-frequency electric field between the shower plate and the electrode in the stage and generating a second capacitively coupled plasma that is independent from the first capacitively coupled plasma.

A plasma-generating nozzle and a plasma device including the plasma-generating nozzle are provided. The plasma-generating nozzle includes a plasma-generating channel, a cooling channel at least partially surrounding the plasma-generating channel, and a pair of electrodes partially disposed in the plasma-generating channel for generating plasma. The plasma device includes a housing enclosing a plasma treatment space and a component space, and the plasma-generating nozzle removable disposed in the plasma treatment space.

A plasma processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a chamber, a lower electrode, an upper electrode, a gas supply, an RF power supply and a circuit. The circuit is configured to provide a potential to the lower electrode and includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit has a rectifier, a capacitor, a first current path, and a second current path. In the first current path, the rectifier is electrically connected between the lower electrode and the capacitor, and the capacitor is electrically connected between the rectifier and the ground. In the second current path, the rectifier is electrically connected between the lower electrode and the ground. The rectifier is configured to allow a current to flow toward the capacitor in the first current path and to allow a current to flow toward the lower electrode in the second current path. The second circuit is electrically connected to the capacitor and is configured to provide a voltage generated in the capacitor.

Provided are apparatuses and methods for performing deposition and etch processes in an integrated tool. An apparatus may include a plasma processing chamber that is a capacitively-coupled plasma reactor, and the plasma processing chamber can include a showerhead that includes a top electrode and a pedestal that includes a bottom electrode. The apparatus may be configured with an RF hardware configuration so that an RF generator may power the top electrode in a deposition mode and power the bottom electrode in an etch mode. In some implementations, the apparatus can include one or more switches so that at least an HFRF generator is electrically connected to the showerhead in a deposition mode, and the HFRF generator and an LFRF generator is electrically connected to the pedestal and the showerhead is grounded in the etch mode.

At a time point T.sub.0 when starting a process, a duty ratio of a high frequency power RF1 to which power modulation is performed is set to be an initial value (about 90%) which allows plasma to be ignited securely under any power modulating conditions. At the substantially same time of starting the process, the duty ratio of the high frequency power RF1 is gradually reduced from the initial value (about 90%) in a regular negative gradient or in a ramp waveform. At a time point t.sub.2 after a lapse of a preset time T.sub.d, the duty ratio has an originally set value D.sub.s for an etching process. After the time point t.sub.2, the duty ratio is fixed or maintained at the set value D.sub.s until the end (time point T.sub.4) of the process.

There is provided a plasma generating device that includes a first electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply, and a second electrode to be grounded, a buffer structure configured to form a buffer chamber that accommodates the first and second electrodes wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are alternately arranged such that a number of electrodes of the first electrode and the second electrode are in an odd number of three or more in total, and wherein the second electrode is used in common for two of the first electrode being respectively adjacent to the second electrode used in common, and wherein a gas supply port that supplies gas into a process chamber is installed on a wall surface of the buffer structure.