WAFER STAGE FOR WAFER PROCESSING APPARATUS AND WAFER PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20030168439A1
• Filed: 03/05/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nishio, Ryoji, Kanno, Seiichiro, Kihara, Hideki, Okuda, Koji, Kanai, Saburou, Yoshioka, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 6,646,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/390
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks

Abstract

A wafer stage for use in wafer processing apparatus which comprises a liquid cooling jacket with a built-in coolant liquid circulation path and a ceramic plate that is attached onto the liquid cooling jacket and has therein a heater and an electrode for electrostatic chuck use, the wafer stage performing wafer processing while letting a wafer be mounted on the ceramic plate, wherein the liquid cooling jacket permits attachment of the ceramic plate through a coolant gas circulating gap as formed over the liquid cooling jacket while disposing between the liquid cooling jacket and the ceramic plate more than one heat resistant seal material containing therein an elastic body for sealing the coolant gas.

Claims

1. A wafer stage for use in a wafer processing apparatus comprising a liquid cooling jacket with a built-in coolant liquid circulation path and a ceramic plate as attached onto said liquid cooling jacket and having therein a heater and an electrode for an electrostatic chuck, said wafer stage being for performing wafer processing while letting a wafer be mounted on the ceramic plate, wherein

said liquid cooling jacket permits attachment of said ceramic plate through a gap for circulation of a coolant gas as formed over the liquid cooling jacket while disposing between said liquid cooling jacket and said ceramic plate a heat resistant seal material containing therein an elastic body for sealing said coolant gas.

2. The wafer stage according to claim 1, wherein said coolant liquid circulation path is divided into a plurality of circulating paths being independent of each other due to a protrusion as provided at said liquid cooling jacket.

3. The wafer stage according to claim 1, wherein the heater as built in said ceramic plate is divided into a plurality of mutually independent heaters.

4. The wafer stage according to claim 1, wherein said ceramic plate is attached to the liquid cooling jacket by more than one adhesive clamping element made of zirconia ceramic material.

5. The wafer stage according to claim 1, wherein any one of said heater and the electrode for electrostatic chuck comprises a cylindrical plug as built in the ceramic plate and a stem-like terminal with a spring member insertable into the cylindrical member being engaged therewith.

6. The wafer stage according to claim 1, wherein said liquid cooling jacket is subjected to one of mirror surface machining and plating treatment on a surface opposing said ceramic plate.

7. The wafer stage according to claim 1, wherein a radiant heat insulation material having its inner surface subjected to one of mirror surface machining and plating treatment is disposed at an outer periphery of said ceramic plate.

8. The wafer stage according to claim 1, wherein said heat resistive seal material is a seal material made of any one of a metal or a heat resistive polymer material.

9. A wafer processing method for use with a wafer processing apparatus comprising a liquid cooling jacket with a built-in coolant liquid circulation path and a ceramic plate as attached onto said liquid cooling jacket and having therein a heater and an electrode for an electrostatic chuck, said method being for performing wafer processing while letting a wafer be mounted on the ceramic plate by wafer transport means, said method comprising the steps of:

causing the wafer transport means to transport the wafer onto said ceramic plate;

pre-heating the wafer while letting it be held on said ceramic plate for a predetermined length of time period; and

mounting the preheated wafer on the ceramic plate.

10. A wafer processing method for use with a wafer processing apparatus comprising a liquid cooling jacket with a built-in coolant liquid circulation path and a ceramic plate as attached onto said liquid cooling jacket and having therein a heater and an electrode for an electrostatic chuck, said method being for performing wafer processing while letting a wafer be mounted on the ceramic plate by wafer transport means, said method comprising the steps of:

causing the wafer transport means to transport the wafer onto said ceramic plate;

pre-heating the wafer while letting it be held on said ceramic plate for a predetermined length of time period;

mounting the preheated wafer on the ceramic plate;

transporting the processed wafer toward a buffer chamber for effectuation of pre-cooling; and

unloading the wafer thus precooled.