Electrostatic chuck device

• US 20040040665A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Anelva Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Shigeru, Ishihara, Masahito, Wickramanayaka, Sunil, Miyazaki, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,623,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.51
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6833 Details of electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6875 characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 13/00 Clutches or holding devices using electrostatic attraction, e.g. using Johnson-Rahbek effect

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck device provided with a dielectric plate with a surface embossed to give it a plurality of projections, an electrode, and an external power source, wherein substrate supporting surfaces of the plurality of projections are covered by conductor wiring and the conductor wiring electrically connects the substrate supporting surfaces of the plurality of projections. At the time of substrate processing, when the embossed projections contact the back of the substrate, the back of the substrate and the conductor wiring is made the same in potential due to the migration of the charges, the generation of force between the back of the substrate and the conductor wiring being in contact with the same is prevented, and a rubbing state between the two is prevented. Due to this, the electrostatic chuck device reduces the generation of particles, easily and stably removes and conveys substrates, and realizes a high yield and system operating rate.

Claims

1. An electrostatic chuck device comprised of:

a dielectric plate having a surface embossed to give a plurality of projections,

an electrode, and

an external power source,

wherein substrate supporting surfaces of said plurality of projections are covered by conductor wiring and said conductor wiring electrically connects the substrate supporting surfaces of said plurality of projections.

2. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 1, further provided with a switch for switching said conductor wiring between a grounded state and a floating state.

3. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 2, further provided with a conductor shaft at the center of said dielectric plate and connecting said conductor wiring to said switch through said conductor shaft.

4. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the material of said conductor wiring is one of an abrasion resistant metal and its alloys.

5. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein parts of said electrode, corresponding to said plurality of projections, close to said projections are removed.

6. An electrostatic chuck device comprising of:

a dielectric plate with an embossed surface,

an electrode layer formed in the embossed depressions,

an external power source for making said electrode layer in one of a state supplied with voltage and a grounded state, and

conductor layers formed on substrate supporting surfaces of said embossed projections.

7. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 6, wherein a step difference formed between said electrode layer and said conductor layers is in a range of 5 μ

m to 30 μ

m.

8. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said electrode layer is divided in the same plane and the resultant plurality of electrode layer sections are insulated from each other.

9. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the range where said conductor layers are formed is inside from the range of the surfaces of said embossed projections.

10. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the range where said conductor layers are formed is inside from the range of the surfaces of the embossed projections and said electrode layer is not formed around said embossed projections.

11. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the materials of said electrode layer and said conductor layer are one of tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, and a carbon-based conductor.

12. A unipolar type electrostatic chuck device for fixing a substrate, said electrostatic chuck device comprising:

a metal electrode having a plurality of embossed projections on its top surface,

dielectric layers formed on the surfaces of said plurality of embossed projections,

an insulator covering said metal electrode except at the top surface of said metal electrode, and

a DC power source connected to said metal electrode.

13. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 12, wherein said dielectric layers are made to cover the entire top surface of said metal electrode provided with said embossed projections.

14. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the height of said embossed projections is larger than 10 μ

m and the thickness of said dielectric layers is smaller than 1 μ

m.

15. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 12, wherein said metal electrode has a mechanism for one of cooling and heating for maintaining a desired temperature on said metal electrode.

16. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 12, wherein said metal electrode is supplied with a rf current of a frequency in a range of 100 kHz to 100 MHz.

17. A bipolar type electrostatic chuck device for fixing a substrate, said electrostatic chuck device comprising:

two metal electrodes having pluralities of embossed projections on their top surfaces and electrically insulated from each other,

dielectric layers formed on the surfaces of said pluralities of embossed projections,

an insulator covering said metal electrodes except at the top surfaces of said metal electrodes, and

two DC power sources connected to said two metal electrodes in separated states.

18. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said dielectric layers are made to cover the entire top surfaces of said metal electrodes provided with said embossed projections.

19. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the height of said embossed projections is larger than 10 μ

m and the thickness of said dielectric layers is smaller than 1 μ

m.

20. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said metal electrodes have mechanisms for one of cooling and heating for maintaining desired temperatures on said metal electrodes.

21. An electrostatic chuck device as set forth in claim 17, wherein said two metal electrodes are connected to a single rf power source operating at a frequency in a range of 100 kHz to 100 MHz.