US Patent 7438783 Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

Disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method. A substrate to be processed is accommodated in a vacuum chamber within which a plasma generator is provided so as to generate plasma for use in performing plasma processing on the substrate. Outside the vacuum chamber provided is a magnetic field generator for generating a multi-pole magnetic field at the periphery of the substrate. The magnetic field generator comprises an inner ring-shaped magnetic field generating portion and an outer ring-shaped magnetic field generating portion, both of which are provided outside the vacuum chamber in a concentric relationship with the vacuum chamber and are independently rotatable with each other.