Surface processing method
In a surface processing method for processing a surface of a member made of silicon carbide (SiC) and having a fragmental layer on a surface thereof, the surface of the member having the fragmental layer is modified into a dense layer to reduce the number of particles generated from the surface of the member when the member is applied to a plasma processing apparatus. Here, the SiC of the surface of the member is recrystallized by heating the fragmental layer.
1. A surface processing method for processing a surface of a member made of silicon carbide (SiC) and having a fragmental layer on a surface thereof, the method comprising:
modifying the surface of the member having the fragmental layer into a dense layer to reduce the number of particles generated from the surface of the member when the member is applied to a plasma processing apparatus,
wherein the SiC of the surface of the member is turned into SiO x C y by heating the fragmental layer in an oxygen plasma and, then, the SiO x C y of the surface of the member is eluted by a hydrofluoric acid treatment.
2. The surface processing method of claim 1 , wherein a process for turning SiC of the surface of the member into SiO x C y and a process for performing the hydrofluoric acid treatment on the SiO x C y of the surface of the member are repeated multiple times.
3. The surface processing method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma processing apparatus includes an evacuable processing chamber in which a plasma is generated and a substrate to be processed is subjected to plasma processing, and the member is a structural member employed in the evacuable processing chamber of the plasma processing apparatus.
4. The surface processing method of claim 3 , wherein the structural member is a focus ring provided at a peripheral portion of a mounting table for mounting thereon the substrate to be processed.