Installation for processing a substrate

• US 20060108231A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evatec AG
• Original Assignee: OC Oerlikon Balzers AG (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Inventors: Weichart, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 7,736,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/165
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/50 Substrate holders
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4583 the substrate being supported substantially horizontally
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4585 Devices at or outside the perimeter of the substrate support, e.g. clamping rings, shrouds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4586 Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6833 Details of electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68721 characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/23 with magnetic or electrostatic means

Abstract

The invention relates to an installation, in particular a vacuum processing installation for processing a substrate (130), in particular a semiconductor wafer, comprising a processing station. Said installation comprises a frame (110), to which is clamped a carrier (120), for holding and/or transporting the substrate (130), whereby the latter (130) can be fastened by its entire surface to said carrier (120). The processing station preferably comprises a chuck electrode (140) with a flat outer surface (141) and the carrier (120) can be positioned parallel and adjacent to said outer surface (141) of the chuck electrode (140). The carrier is composed in particular of a non-conductive dielectric material and is provided on one side with a conductive layer (122), in such a way that the chuck electrode (140) and the carrier (120) form an electrostatic chuck.

Claims

1. An installation, in particular a vacuum process installation, for processing a substrate, in particular a semiconductor wafer, having at least one processing station, characterized in that to hold and/or transport the substrate, the installation comprises at least one frame with a clamped-in carrier (120;

220;

320;

420;

520), it being possible for the substrate, to be secured to the carrier, over a large area.

2. The installation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one processing station comprises a chuck electrode, having a planar outer surface, it being possible for the carrier to be positioned parallel and adjacent to the outer surface of the chuck electrode.

3. The installation as claimed in claim 2, characterized

a) in that the carrier consists of a nonconductive dielectric material and is provided with a conductive layer on one side;

b) in that the frame is conductive at least regionally; and

c) in that the carrier is clamped in the frame in such a way that the conductive layer is contact-connected to the conductive region of the frame.

4. The installation as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the carrier is formed by a vacuum-compatible, thermally stable film, in particular of polyimide, and the conductive layer is formed by a vapor-deposited metallization or a conductive polymer.

5. The installation as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the film is from 50-200 μ

m, preferably approximately 100 μ

m, thick, and the metallization is from 0.03-0.5 μ

m, preferably approximately 0.1 μ

m, thick.

6. The installation as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the chuck electrode is constructed on a base body which comprises a radiofrequency electrode, the chuck electrode being electrically insulated from the radiofrequency electrode, with in particular an insulated leadthrough passing through the radiofrequency electrode being provided for contact-connection of the chuck electrode.

7. The installation as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the chuck electrode comprises a dielectric, in particular a plate of aluminum oxide Al₂O₃, which is arranged in such a way that it lies between the chuck electrode and the carrier when the carrier has been positioned parallel and adjacent to the outer surface (244) of the chuck electrode.

8. The installation as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the processing station a voltage source for applying a voltage between the frame and the chuck electrode, it being possible in particular to generate a DC voltage of 200-1500 V, preferably 500-1000 V.

9. The installation as claimed in one of claim 2, characterized in that the chuck electrode comprises a plurality of regions of different polarity.

10. The installation as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the processing station comprises a gas feed for feeding a gas into a space between the chuck electrode and the carrier, it preferably being possible to generate a gas pressure of more than 100 Pa.

11. A frame for the installation as claimed in claim 1 for holding and/or transporting the substrate, characterized in that it is designed to clamp in a carrier, particular a film.

12. The frame as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that it is at least regionally conductive, in such a manner that a conductive layer of the clamped-in carrier can be contact-connected through the conductive region.

13. A film which is to be clamped into the frame as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that on one side it has a conductive layer, which is preferably formed by a vapor-deposited metallization or a conductive polymer, and in that it is vacuum-compatible and thermally stable, the film substantially being produced from a non-conductive dielectric material, in particular from polyimide.

14. A processing station for the installation as claimed in claim 2, characterized by a chuck electrode a planar outer surface, the extent of which corresponds to at least one main surface of the substrate, it being possible for the chuck electrode, together with a carrier positioned parallel and adjacent to the outer surface of the chuck electrode, to form an electrostatic chuck device.

15. A method for processing a substrate, in particular a semiconductor wafer, in a vacuum process installation, characterized in that the substrate in order to be held and/or transported, is secured over a large area to a carrier in a frame.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the substrate is adhesively bonded to a first planar main surface of the carrier by means of a vacuum-compatible and releasable adhesive.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that a chuck electrode is arranged with a planar outer surface parallel and adjacent to a second planar main surface of the carrier, the second planar main surface being on the opposite side from the first planar main surface.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the first main surface of the carrier is provided with a conductive layer.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the chuck electrode is built on a base body which is formed by a radiofrequency electrode (345), the chuck electrode being electrically insulated from the radiofrequency electrode, and the voltage being applied between the chuck electrode and the frame in particular by means of an insulated leadthrough.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the second main surface of the carrier is provided with a conductive layer, and in that a dielectric is arranged between the chuck electrode and the second planar main surface of the carrier.

21. The method as claimed in claim, 17 characterized in that a voltage is applied between the frame and the chuck electrode.

22. The method as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that to control the temperature of the substrate a gas at a superatmospheric pressure is introduced into a space between the second main surface of the carrier and the planar outer surface of the chuck electrode.

23. The method as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that to release the substrate the conductive layer of the carrier is short-circuited with the chuck electrode.