Detachable electrostatic chuck

• US 20050219786A1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Karl, Lau, Allen, Mehta, Vineet, Tsai, Cheng-Hsiung, Sherstinsky, Semyon, Sansoni, Steve, Wang, Wei W., Arellano, Nora
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/234
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/23 with magnetic or electrostatic means

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck is capable of attachment to a pedestal in a process chamber. The chuck has an electrostatic puck comprises a ceramic body with an embedded electrode. The ceramic body has a substrate support surface with an annular periphery. The chuck also has a base plate below the electrostatic puck that is a composite of a ceramic material and a metal. The base plate has an annular flange extending beyond the periphery of the ceramic body. The base plate and electrostatic puck can be supported by a support pedestal having a housing and an annular ledge that extends outwardly from the housing to attach to the annular flange of the base plate. A heat transfer plate having an embedded heat transfer fluid channel can also be provided.

Claims

1. An electrostatic chuck capable of attachment to a pedestal in a process chamber, the chuck comprising:

(a) an electrostatic puck comprising a ceramic body with an embedded electrode, the ceramic body having a substrate support surface with an annular periphery; and

(b) a base plate below the electrostatic puck, the base plate having an annular flange extending beyond the periphery of the ceramic body, wherein the base plate comprises a composite of a ceramic material and a metal.

2. A chuck according to claim 1 wherein the annular flange comprises a plurality of holes to allow connectors to pass therethrough.

3. A chuck according to claim 1 wherein the composite comprises a ceramic material having an infiltrated metal.

4. A chuck according to claim 1 wherein the composite comprises silicon carbide infiltrated with aluminum.

5. A chuck according to claim 4 wherein the volume percentage of aluminum in the composite is from about 20% to about 80%.

6. An electrostatic chuck capable of exhibiting reduced thermal expansion mismatch in a process chamber, the chuck comprising:

(a) an electrostatic puck comprising a ceramic body with an embedded electrode, the ceramic body having a substrate support surface and an annular periphery; and

(b) a base plate below the electrostatic puck, the base plate having an annular flange extending beyond the annular periphery of the ceramic body, the annular flange comprising a plurality of holes that are shaped and sized to allow connectors to pass therethrough, wherein the base plate comprises a composite comprising a ceramic material infiltrated with a metal; and

(c) a support pedestal having a housing and an annular ledge, the annular ledge extending outwardly from the housing, wherein the annular ledge is capable of being attached to the annular flange of the base plate by the connectors.

7. A chuck according to claim 6 wherein the base plate comprises a composite comprising silicon carbide infiltrated with aluminum, and wherein the volume percentage of infiltrated aluminum in the composite is from about 20% to about 80%.

8. A chuck according to claim 6 further comprising a heat transfer plate below the base plate, the heat transfer plate having a heat transfer fluid channel embedded therein.

9. A chuck according to claim 8 wherein the heat transfer plate comprises an upper portion comprising a first material and a lower portion comprising a second material, and the heat transfer fluid channel being embedded therebetween.

10. A chuck according to claim 9 wherein the first material comprises copper and the second material comprises stainless steel.

11. A chuck according to claim 8 wherein the heat transfer plate comprises first and second spiral channels embedded therein, the first spiral channel being adapted to provide a flow of fluid therethrough that is that is substantially opposite a flow of fluid through the second spiral channel.

12. A chuck according to claim 11 wherein at least one of the first and second spiral channels encircles a center of the heat transfer plate 3 times.

13. A chuck according to claim 8 further comprising a spring assembly to apply a pressure to the heat transfer plate.

14. A chuck according to claim 8 further comprising a thermally conductive layer between the heat transfer plate and base plate.

15. A chuck according to claim 6 further comprising an aluminum bond layer between the electrostatic puck layer and base plate.

16. A substrate processing chamber comprising the electrostatic chuck of claim 6 and further comprising a gas supply to provide a process gas in the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas, and an exhaust to exhaust the gas.

17. An electrostatic chuck capable of exhibiting reduced thermal expansion mismatch in a process chamber, chuck comprising:

(a) an electrostatic puck comprising a ceramic body with an embedded electrode, the ceramic body having a substrate support surface and an annular periphery;

(b) a base plate below the electrostatic puck, the base plate having an annular flange extending beyond the periphery of the ceramic body, wherein the base plate comprises a composite of a ceramic material and a metal;

(c) a support pedestal having a housing and an annular ledge, wherein the annular ledge extends outwardly from the housing to attach to the annular flange of the base plate, thereby supporting the base plate and electrostatic puck;

(d) a heat transfer plate below the base plate and at least partially surrounded by the pedestal housing, the heat transfer plate comprising an embedded heat transfer fluid channel; and

(e) a spring assembly at least partially surrounded by the pedestal housing, the spring assembly being biased to press the heat transfer plate against the base plate.