HEAT SINK ASSEMBLY AND RELATED METHODS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR VACUUM PROCESSING SYSTEMS

• US 20070047204A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wood, Jim, Emerson, David, Cronin, Daniel, Mieczowski, Van, Parker, Winston
• Granted Patent: US 7,622,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67103 mainly by conduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67346 characterized by being specially adapted for supporting a single substrate or by comprising a stack of such individual supports
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68771 characterised by supporting more than one semiconductor substrate

Abstract

An assembly for supporting a substrate during vacuum processing operations includes a thermally conductive heat sink tray including at least one wafer pocket recessed therein, and a thermally conductive heat sink carrier in the at least one wafer pocket. The heat sink carrier includes a first surface in contact with a surface within the at least one wafer pocket and a second surface opposite the first surface. A heat sink is affixed to the second surface of the heat sink carrier.

Claims

1. An assembly for supporting a substrate during vacuum processing operations, comprising:

a thermally conductive heat sink tray including at least one wafer pocket recessed therein;

a thermally conductive heat sink carrier in the at least one wafer pocket, the heat sink carrier including a first surface in contact with a surface within the at least one wafer pocket and a second surface opposite the first surface; and

a heat sink on the second surface of the heat sink carrier.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises a wafer of silicon carbide that has a flatness of about +/−

20 μ

m or less.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the heat sink comprises a single crystal silicon carbide wafer.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the heat sink comprises a wafer of macro-crystalline silicon carbide.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the heat sink carrier comprises a protrusion extending from the first surface thereof, and wherein the at least one wafer pocket includes a recess therein that is shaped to matingly receive the protrusion extending from the heat sink carrier.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the protrusion comprises a cylindrical protrusion.

7. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the protrusion comprises an annular ring.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one wafer pocket comprises a protrusion extending from a bottom surface thereof, and wherein the heat sink carrier includes a recess therein that is shaped to matingly receive the protrusion extending from the bottom surface of the wafer pocket.

9. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cover plate disposed above the heat sink tray and including a plurality of openings therein, a respective one of openings being aligned with the at least one wafer pocket of the heat sink tray.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the heat sink tray comprises a vent hole extending from a location within the at least one wafer pocket to an external surface of the heat sink tray.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the heat sink tray comprises a hole extending from the at least one wafer pocket to a bottom surface of the heat sink tray and a fastener extending through the hole and attached to the heat sink carrier.

12. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a clamp affixed to the heat sink carrier and configured to urge a substrate into contact with the heat sink.

13. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a metallic bonding layer between the heat sink carrier and the heat sink.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the metallic bonding layer comprises indium.

15. A heat sink assembly for supporting a wafer during vacuum processing, comprising:

a thermally conductive heat sink carrier; and

a heat sink affixed to the heat sink carrier.

16. The heat sink assembly of claim 15, wherein the heat sink comprises a wafer of silicon carbide that has a flatness of about +/−

20 μ

m or less.

17. The heat sink assembly of claim 16, wherein the heat sink comprises a single crystal silicon carbide wafer.

18. The heat sink assembly of claim 16, wherein the heat sink comprises a wafer of macro-crystalline silicon carbide.

19. The heat sink assembly of claim 15, wherein the heat sink carrier comprises a protrusion extending from the first surface thereof.

20. The heat sink assembly of claim 19, wherein the protrusion comprises a cylindrical protrusion.

21. The heat sink assembly of claim 19, wherein the protrusion comprises an annular ring.

22. The heat sink assembly of claim 15, further comprising a metallic bonding layer between the heat sink carrier and the heat sink.

23. The heat sink assembly of claim 22, wherein the metallic bonding layer comprises indium.

24. The heat sink assembly of claim 15, further comprising a clamp affixed to the heat sink carrier and configured to urge a substrate into contact with the heat sink.

25. A method of vacuum processing a substrate, comprising:

mounting the substrate on a heat sink that is affixed to a heat sink carrier to form a heat sink assembly;

placing the heat sink assembly in a wafer pocket of a heat sink tray including a plurality of wafer pockets;

placing the heat sink tray in a vacuum chamber; and

processing the substrate under a pressure less than an atmospheric pressure.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the heat sink comprises a wafer of silicon carbide that has a flatness of about +/−

20 μ

m or less.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the heat sink comprises a single crystal silicon carbide wafer.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the heat sink comprises a wafer of macro-crystalline silicon carbide.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the heat sink assembly includes a metallic bonding layer between the heat sink carrier and the heat sink.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the metallic bonding layer comprises indium.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising clamping a substrate to the heat sink using a mechanical clamp that is configured to urge the substrate into contact with the heat sink.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising placing a cover plate including a plurality of openings therein over the heat sink tray, the cover plate including a plurality of openings therein that align with respective ones of the plurality of wafer pockets to thereby expose a portion of the substrate while maintaining the substrate in contact with the heat sink.