METHOD OF PLASMA ASHING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ash a resist film whose surface layer has been cured to change its property and to ash the resist film by not giving damage to the substrate. SOLUTION: In a method of removing a resist film on a substrate by ashing with plasma, the substrate (1) coated with a resist film is arranged inside a vacuum process chamber (4), while a vacuum evacuation opening, a heating means for heating the substrate and a reaction-gas inlet opening accompanied by a plasma generating device (9) are arranged in the vacuum processing chamber, wherein a forward electrode (13) that faces the front-side surface of the substrate with a spacing in which plasma can be generated and a backward electrode (16) that faces the backside surface of the substrate with a narrow spacing in which plasma cannot be generated, are arranged. After the outermost layer of the resist film is etched off by connecting one of the both electrodes to a high-frequency power source while connecting the other to the ground, the resist film on the substrate is ashed with plasma which is generated by operating the generating device while the both electrodes are connected to the ground.