Wafer holder for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus using the same

• US 6,554,906 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakata, Hirohiko, Kuibira, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kackar, Ram N
• Application Number:
  US09/707,813
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.51, 156/345.52, 118/715-733, 361/234
• US Class Current: 118/725
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67103 mainly by conduction

Abstract

A wafer holder is configured of a pair of ceramic base members and conductive layers each posed between the ceramic base members. The conductive layer has a body facing a wafer and an extension protruding from the body to the outside of a vacuum chamber for external electrical connection, wherein the body and the extension are arranged in a single plane. Thus there can be obtained a wafer holder for use with a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that can reduce such distortion as caused when it is heated and cooled and that can also be readily manufactured.

Claims

1. A wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including an enclosed processing chamber in which said wafer holder is arranged, said wafer holder comprising a conductive layer and a pair of ceramic base members sandwiching said conductive layer therebetween, wherein:

said conductive layer has a body arranged at a surface opposite a wafer holding surface of one of said ceramic base members and an extension protruding from said body outwardly from the chamber to outside of the chamber for enabling an external electrical connection with said extension; and

said body and said extension are arranged substantially in a single plane.

2. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ceramic base members are formed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride oxide and aluminum oxide.

3. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said ceramic base members have a heat conductance of no less than 100 W/mK.

4. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein between said conductive layer and said one ceramic base member there is an intermediate layer formed of a material including at least one of glass having a thermal expansion coefficient of at least 3×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C. and at most 8×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C. and nonoxide ceramic having a thermal expansion coefficient of at least 3×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C. and at most 6×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C.

5. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said nonoxide ceramic contains at least 50% by mass of aluminum nitride or silicon nitride.

6. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said intermediate layer is formed of a material including an oxide containing ytterbium, neodymium and calcium or a compound producing an oxide containing ytterbium, neodymium and calcium when heat treatment is performed.

7. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said intermediate layer is formed of a material including an oxide containing yttrium and aluminum or a compound producing an oxide containing yttrium and aluminum when heat treatment is performed.

8. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said ceramic base members is provided therein with a hole for arranging a temperature detection unit therein.

9. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pair of ceramic base members comprise respective wafer holding portions sandwiching said body therebetween and respective side plate portions each extending respectively from a side surface of said respective wafer holding portion, together sandwiching said extension therebetween and having a width smaller than a width of said wafer holding portion.

10. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a portion of said body protrudes into and forms a heater in a region sandwiched between said side plate portions of said pair of ceramic base members.

11. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an O-ring arranged on and extending around said side plate portions of said pair of ceramic base members sandwiching said extension therebetween.

12. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a heat insulating neck is provided in at least one of said side plate portions of said pair of ceramic base members sandwiching said extension therebetween.

13. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conductive layer at at least said body is formed of a material formed of at least one element selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, Ag, Pd, Pt, Ni and Cr.

14. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conductive layer is any one of a heater, an electrode for generating a plasma and an electrode for an electrostatic chuck.

15. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, having a total thickness of no more than 5 mm.

16. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said conductive layer is a wire.

17. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus incorporating therein the wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus as recited in claim 1.

18. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 17, being any one of an etching apparatus, a chemical vapor deposition apparatus and a plasma chemical vapor deposition apparatus.

19. A wafer bolder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including an enclosed processing chamber in which said wafer holder is arranged, said wafer holder comprising a ceramic base member, a conductive layer provided on said ceramic base member and a protection layer covering said conductive layer, wherein:

said conductive layer has a body arranged at a surface opposite a wafer holding surface of said ceramic base member and an extension protruding from said body outwardly from the chamber to outside of the chamber for enabling an external electrical connection with said extension; and

said body and said extension are arranged substantially in a single plane.

20. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said ceramic base member is formed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride oxide and aluminum oxide.

21. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said ceramic base member has a heat conductance of no less than 100 W/mK.

22. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said protection layer is formed of a material including at least one of glass having a thermal expansion coefficient of at least 3×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C. and at most 8×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C. and nonoxide ceramic having a thermal expansion coefficient of at least 3×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C. and at most 6×

10<sup>−

6</sup>/°

C.

23. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said nonoxide ceramic contains at least 50% by mass of aluminum nitride or silicon nitride.

24. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said protection layer is formed of a material including an oxide containing ytterbium, neodymium and calcium or a compound producing an oxide containing ytterbium, neodymium and calcium when heat treatment is performed.

25. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said protection layer is formed of a material including an oxide containing yttrium and aluminum or a compound producing an oxide containing yttrium and aluminum when heat treatment is performed.

26. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said ceramic base member is provided therein with a hole for arranging a temperature detection unit therein.

27. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said conductive layer at at least said body is formed of a material formed of at least one element selected from the group consisting of W, Mo, Ag, Pd, Pt, Ni and Cr.

28. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said conductive layer is any one of a heater, an electrode for generating a plasma and an electrode for an electrostatic chuck.

29. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 19, having a total thickness of no more than 5 mm.

30. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said conductive layer is a wire.

31. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said ceramic base member and said protection layer comprise respective wafer holding portions sandwiching said body therebetween and respective side plate portions each extending respectively from a side surface of said respective wafer holding portion, together sandwiching said extension therebetween and having a width smaller than a width of said wafer holding portion.

32. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising an O-ring arranged on and extending around said side plate portion of said ceramic base member and said side plate portion of said protection layer together sandwiching said extension therebetween.

33. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein a heat insulating neck is provided in at least one of said side plate portion of said ceramic base member and said side plate portion of said protection layer together sandwiching said extension therebetween.

34. The wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein a portion of said body protrudes into and forms a heater in a region sandwiched between said side plate portion of said ceramic base member and said side plate portion of said protection layer.

35. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus incorporating therein the wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus as recited in claim 19.

36. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 35, being any one of an etching apparatus, a chemical vapor deposition apparatus and a plasma chemical vapor deposition apparatus.

37. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a vacuum chamber; and

a wafer holder comprising a first ceramic base member and a first electrically conductive member;

wherein;

said ceramic base member includes a wafer holding portion and a lateral protruding plate portion that protrudes laterally from said wafer holding portion along a common plane therewith;

said wafer holding portion has a wafer holding surface adapted to support a semiconductor wafer thereon, and a back surface opposite said wafer holding surface;

said electrically conductive member integrally includes a conductive body arranged on said back surface of said wafer holding portion of said ceramic base member, and a conductive extension protruding integrally laterally from said conductive body along said lateral protruding plate portion on a common plane with said conductive body; and

said wafer holding portion of said ceramic base member and said conductive body of said electrically conductive member are arranged in said vacuum chamber, and said protruding plate portion of said ceramic base member and said conductive extension of said electrically conductive member protrude laterally outwardly out of said vacuum chamber, enabling an electrical connection to be made with said conductive extension outside of said vacuum chamber.

38. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said ceramic base member includes only one said lateral protruding plate portion that protrudes in only one lateral direction from only one side of said wafer, holding portion, said electrically conductive member includes only one said conductive extension that protrudes in only said one lateral direction from only one side of said conductive body, and an end of said conductive extension protruding out of said vacuum chamber in said one lateral direction includes all electrical contacts of said electrically conductive member that are necessary for electrically connecting said electrically conductive member outside of said vacuum chamber.

39. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said wafer holder further comprises a second ceramic base member that is arranged with said first electrically conductive member sandwiched between said first and second ceramic base members, wherein said second ceramic base member protrudes laterally outwardly from said vacuum chamber a smaller distance than said lateral protruding plate portion of said first ceramic base member and said conductive extension, so as to form a stepped end that leaves an end contact portion of said conductive extension unsandwiched and exposed by said second ceramic base member.

40. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said wafer holder further comprises a third ceramic base member, and a second electrically conductive member sandwiched between said second and third ceramic base members, wherein said third ceramic base member protrudes laterally outwardly from said vacuum chamber a smaller distance than said second ceramic base member and said second electrically conductive member, so as to form another step of said stepped end that leaves an end contact portion of said second electrically conductive member unsandwiched and exposed by said third ceramic base member.

41. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said wafer holder further comprises a protective layer covering said electrically conductive member on a surface thereof opposite said ceramic base member.

42. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 37, further comprising an O-ring that extends and forms a seal around said lateral protruding plate portion and said conductive extension as said lateral protruding plate portion and said conductive extension extend laterally outwardly through an opening in a wall of said