Ceramic electrostatic chuck and method

• US 5,748,436 A
• Filed: 01/21/1997
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Advanced Ceramics Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Honma, Junich, Mino, Kotaro, Inoue, Haruhide, Miyata, Hisayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, TRANG N
• Application Number:
  US08/785,082
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 361/234, 279/128
• US Class Current: 361/234
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6833 Details of electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 13/00 Clutches or holding devices using electrostatic attraction, e.g. using Johnson-Rahbek effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/23 with magnetic or electrostatic means

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck and method for electrostatically clamping a working member such as a semiconductor wafer to the chuck. The elcetrostatic chuck includes at least one conductive electrode and an insulating layer for separating the conductive electrode from the working member. The insulating layer is composed of a composition containing pyrolytic boron nitiride (PBN) and a carbon dopant in an amount above 0 wt % and less than about 3 wt % such that its electrical resistivity is smaller than 10¹⁴ Ω-cm. A source of voltage is impressed across the conductive electrode to generate an electrostatic field which causes the working member to be clamped to the chuck.

Claims

1. An electrostatic chuck for electrostatically clamping a working member such as a semiconductor wafer to the chuck comprising:

at least one conductive electrode, an insulating layer for separating said conductive electrode from said working member with said insulating layer composed of a composition containing pyrolytic boron nitiride (PBN) and a carbon dopant in an amount above 0 wt % and less than about 3 wt % such that its electrical resistivity is smaller than 10¹⁴ Ω

-cm; and

a source of voltage for generating an electrostatic field adjacent said working member so as to clamp said working member to said chuck.

2. An electrostatic chuck as defined in claim 1 arranged to form a unipolar configuration with said source of voltage impressed between said conductive electrode and said working member.

3. An electrostatic chuck as defined in claim 1 further comprising a second conductive electrode with said source of voltage impressed between said one conductive electrode and said second conductive electrode to form a bipolar configuration.

4. An electrostatic chuck as defined in claim 3 wherein said first and second electrode is composed of pyrolytic graphite.

5. An electrostatic chuck as defined in claim 4 fiurther comprising an insulating body for forming a substrate for said one conductive electrode and said second conductive electrode.

6. An electrostatic chuck for electrostatically clamping a working member such as a semiconductor wafer to the chuck comprising:

a graphite substrate;

a first conductive electrode and a second conductive electrode spaced in close proximity to said first conductive elcetrode, a first insulating layer for separating said graphite substrate from said first and second conductive electrodes, a second insulating layer for separating each of said said conductive electrodes from said working member with said second insulating layer composed of a composition containing pyrolytic boron nitiride (PBN) and a carbon dopant in an amount less than about 3 wt %; and

means for imposing a voltage across said first and second conductive electrodes so as to generate an electrostatic field adjacent said working member for clamping said working member to said chuck.

7. An electrostatic chuck as defined in claim 6 wherein said graphite substrate has at least two opposing sides with said first and second conductive electrodes located on one common side of said graphite substrate and further comprising a complementary third and fourth conductive electrode disposed on an opposing side of said graphite substrate.

8. An electrostatic chuck as defined in claim 7 wherein said first and second electrode is composed of pyrolytic graphite.

9. An electrostatic chuck as defined in claim 8 wherein said second insulating layer covers each of said first, second, third and fourth electrodes.

10. A method of manufacturing an electrostatic chuck for clamping a working member to the chuck comprising the steps of:

depositing a layer of pyrolytic boron nitride over the body of a graphite substrate having opposite sides;

depositing a conductive composition of pyrolytic graphite to symmetrically cover said layer of pyrolytic boron nitride on each side of said substrate;

separating said conductive composition on one side of said graphite substrate into a first and second conductive layer;

surrounding said conductive composition and said first and second conductive layers with a pyrolytic boron nitride composition doped with carbon in an amount not exceeding 3 wt % of the pyrolytic boron nitride composition;

arranging said working member over said doped layer of pyrolytic boron nitride;

applying a voltage across said first and second conductive layers in proximity to said working member so as to generate an electrostatic field for clamping said working member to said chuck.