Susceptors for semiconductor-producing apparatuses

• US 6,645,304 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kackar, Ram N
• Application Number:
  US09/981,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20020112820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.51, 156/345.52, 156/345.45, 156/345.44, 118/723.V, 118/724, 118/725, 118/728, 118/500, 219/444.1, 219/544, 392/416, 392/418, 361/234
• US Class Current: 118/725
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67103 mainly by conduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68757 characterised by a coating or a hardness or a material

Abstract

A susceptor made of a ceramic material for placing and heating an object to be processed, on a placing face thereof in a semiconductor-producing apparatus, includes a surface layer having the placing face, and a supporting layer integrated with the surface layer. The volume resistivity of the surface layer is lower than that of the supporting layer.

Claims

1. A susceptor made of a ceramic material for placing and heating an object to be processed on a placing face thereof in a semiconductor-producing apparatus, comprising a surface layer having said placing face, a supporting layer integrated with said surface layer, said surface and supporting layers each comprising AlN, wherein a volume resistivity of the surface layer is lowered than that of the supporting layer, and a heat generating element positioned entirely within the supporting layer, wherein said susceptor has no electrostatically chucking function.

2. The susceptor set forth in claim 1, wherein said susceptor is adapted to place and heat said object in a plasma environment.

3. The susceptor set forth in claim 2, further comprising a high frequency plasma-generating electrode buried in said supporting layer.

4. The susceptor set forth in claim 2, wherein said susceptor has a use temperature of 250°

C. to 650°

C.

5. The susceptor set forth in claim 2, wherein the volume resistivities of the surface layer and the supporting layer are not more than 1×

10⁸ Ω

·

cm and not less than 1×

10⁸ Ω

·

cm, respectively, at an intended use temperature.

6. The susceptor set forth in claim 5, wherein the volume resistivity of the supporting layer is not less than 1000 times as much as that of the surface layer at the use temperature.

7. The susceptor set forth in claim 5, wherein the volume resistivity of the supporting layer is not less than 10 times as much as that of the surface layer at the use temperature.

8. The susceptor set forth in claim 2, wherein said surface layer and said supporting layer are made of a same kind of a ceramic material.

9. The susceptor set forth in claim 2, wherein a through-hole into which a releasing member for releasing supporting of the object onto the susceptor is opened at the placing face.

10. The susceptor set forth in claim 1, further comprising a high frequency plasma-generating electrode buried in said supporting layer.

11. The susceptor set forth in claim 1, wherein said susceptor has a use temperature of 250°

C. to 650°

C.

12. The susceptor set forth in claim 1, wherein the volume resistivities of the surface layer and the supporting layer are not more than 1×

10⁸ Ω

·

cm and not less than 1×

10⁸ Ω

·

cm, respectively, at an intended use temperature.

13. The susceptor set forth in claim 12, wherein the volume resistivity of the supporting layer is not less than 10 times as much as that of the surface layer at the use temperature.

14. The susceptor set forth in claim 12, wherein the volume resistivity of the supporting layer is not less than 1000 times as much as that of the surface layer at the use temperature.

15. The susceptor set forth in claim 1, wherein a through-hole into which a releasing member for releasing supporting of the object onto the susceptor is opened at the placing face.