| abstract |
PURPOSE:To prevent an element to be etched from being corroded by providing means for connecting or separating a main etching chamber, a post-treatment chamber and a cassette chamber via partition valves in vacuum state. CONSTITUTION:An element to be etched, e.g., aluminum is conveyed by the operations of valves 9, 10 from a cassette chamber 2 to which the aluminum is conveyed to a main etching chamber 2 having parallel planar electrodes opposed to one another and means for applying high frequency electric power, the chamber is evacuated in vacuum, e.g., 10<-5> Torr or lower, a mixture gas of carbon tetrachloride and chlorine gas is introduced into the chamber, an electric discharge is taken place, and the aluminum is thus etched. Thereafter, a valve 14 is opened, the aluminum is moved to a post-treatment chamber 3, is treated with plasma of inert gas, is then conveyed to a cassette chamber 16, and is exhausted. Thus, the chlorine gas is not retained in the chamber, and the aluminum is not corroded. |