A plasma processing apparatus for plasma processing a substrate held on a conveying carrier, the carrier including a holding sheet and a frame supporting an outer periphery of the holding sheet. The apparatus includes a controller that controls a plasma generator, an electrostatic adsorption mechanism, and a lifting system, to sequentially execute: an adsorption step allowing the substrate to be adsorbed electrostatically to a stage; an etching step of exposing the substrate adsorbed electrostatically to the stage to an etching plasma; a frame separation step of lifting the support, to separate the frame away from the stage, with at least part of the holding sheet kept in contact with the stage; a holding sheet separation step of separating the holding sheet away from the stage; and a static elimination step of exposing the substrate separated away from the stage to a static elimination plasma.