Acquisition method for S-parameters in microwave introduction modules, and malfunction detection method

1. A method for acquiring S-parameters of microwave introduction modules in a plasma processing apparatus including a processing container in which a workpiece is accommodated, a microwave introduction device including a plurality of microwave introduction modules configured to introduce a microwave into the processing container for generating plasma in the processing container, and an exhauster configured to evacuate an interior of the processing container in a pressure reducing manner, the method comprising:

while the plurality of microwave introduction modules is configured to introduce the microwave into different locations in the processing container,

putting the interior of the processing container in a vacuum state and a state that no plasma is generated;

obtaining power of the microwave introduced from each of the plurality of microwave introduction modules and powers of reflected microwaves that are reflected into all of the microwave introduction modules, respectively, when introducing the microwave from each of the plurality of microwave introduction modules, by performing operations, with respect to the plurality of microwave introduction modules one by one, of i) introducing the microwave from one of the plurality of microwave introduction modules into the processing container, while not introducing the microwave from the other microwave introduction modules, ii) measuring the power of the microwave introduced from the one microwave introduction module and iii) measuring the powers of reflected microwaves that are reflected from the processing container into all of the microwave introduction modules, respectively, when introducing the microwave from the one microwave introduction module; and

obtaining S-parameters for each of combinations of two selected from the plurality of microwave introduction modules based on the powers of the microwave and the reflected microwave.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of microwave introduction modules includes a power meter configured to measure the power of the microwave and the power of the reflected microwave.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microwave includes a plurality of incident waves having different power for each of the plurality of microwave introduction modules, and

wherein the reflected microwave includes a plurality of reflected waves corresponding respectively to the plurality of incident waves.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the S-parameters for each of combinations of two selected from the plurality of microwave introduction modules are obtained from power of the plurality of incident waves and power of the plurality of reflected waves using the least-squares method.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microwave introduction device includes first to seventh microwave introduction modules as the plurality of microwave introduction modules,

wherein the processing container includes a ceiling portion having first to seventh microwave introduction ports configured to pass the microwave introduced by means of the first to seventh microwave introduction modules into the interior of the processing container,

wherein the first microwave introduction port is located in a center of the ceiling portion, and

wherein the second to seventh microwave introduction ports are respectively located at vertices of a virtual regular hexagon centered on the first microwave introduction port in the ceiling portion.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the combinations of two selected from the plurality of microwave introduction modules include a combination of the first microwave introduction module and one of the second to seventh microwave introduction modules.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the combinations of two selected from the plurality of microwave introduction modules include at least one of a first combination of two microwave introduction modules adjacent to each other along an outer periphery of the virtual regular hexagon, a second combination of two microwave introduction modules every other microwave introduction module along the outer periphery of the virtual regular hexagon, and a third combination of two microwave introduction modules every two microwave introduction modules along the outer periphery of the virtual regular hexagon.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the combinations of two selected from the plurality of microwave introduction modules cover all combinations of the first to seventh microwave introduction modules.

9. A method for detecting a malfunction in microwave introduction modules in a plasma processing apparatus including a processing container in which a workpiece is accommodated, a microwave introduction device including a plurality of microwave introduction modules configured to introduce a microwave into the processing container for generating plasma in the processing container, and an exhauster configured to evacuate an interior of the processing container in a pressure reducing manner, the method comprising:

while the plurality of microwave introduction modules is configured to introduce the microwave into different locations in the processing container;

obtaining a difference between absolute values of a plurality of S-parameters acquired according to the S-parameter acquisition method of claim 1 ; and

detecting the malfunction based on the difference.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising comparing an absolute value of the difference with a predetermined threshold indicating a malfunction in the plurality of microwave introduction modules.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the difference is a plurality of differences obtained through mutual calculation for all of the plurality of acquired S-parameters.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the maximum value of the absolute value of the plurality of differences is compared with the predetermined threshold.