Electrostatic chuck and method of its manufacture

• US 7,511,935 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Limited (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Limited (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nakash, Shmulik
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROMAN, LUIS ENRIQUE
• Application Number:
  US11/363,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 361/234
• US Class Current: 361/234
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6833 Details of electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 15/00 Holding or levitation devices using magnetic attraction or repulsion, not otherwise provided for electric or magnetic devices for holding work on machine tools B23Q3/15 ; monorail vehicle propulsion or suspension B60L13/00; sliding or levitation devices for railway systems B61B13/08; material handling devices associated with conveyors incorporating devices with electrostatic or magnetic grippers B65G47/92; separating thin or filamentary articles from piles using magnetic force B65H3/16; delivering thin or filamentary articles from magnetic holders by air blast or suction B65H29/24; bearings using magnetic or electric supporting means F16C32/04; relieving bearing loads using magnetic means F16C39/06; magnets H01F7/00; dynamo-electric clutches or brakes H02K49/00 ; electric furnaces with simultaneous levitation and heating H05B6/32

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck structure for holding an article is presented. The chuck structure comprises an electrically insulating chuck body layer having a first flat surface for holding the article thereon, and a second opposite surface having a honeycombed pattern in the form of an array of spaced-apart grooves. This second patterned surface of the chuck body surface for depositing thereon an electrically conductive layer (electrodes). A dielectric spacer between the electrodes and the article on the chuck body layer is defined by a portion of the chuck body layer between the grooves'"'"' bottom and the flat surface.

Claims

1. A chuck body structure for use in an electrostatic chuck structure for holding an article, the chuck body structure comprising:

an electrically insulating substrate layer having a first flat surface for holding the article thereon and the insulating substrate layer having a second opposite surface patterned in the form of an array of spaced-apart grooves; and

,

an electrode arrangement comprising at least one substantially continuous electrically conductive layer deposited onto said second opposite surface, each said conductive layer covering at least some of the spaced-apart grooves and at least some of the spaces between the grooves.

2. The chuck body structure of claim 1, wherein said substrate layer is made of at least one ceramic materials.

3. The chuck body structure of claim 1, wherein the configuration of the patterned substrate layer defines an insulator spacer between the electrode arrangement and the article being held by said flat surface.

4. The chuck body structure of claim 3, wherein a thickness of said insulator spacer is about 100-300 microns.

5. The chuck body structure of claim 1, wherein the grooves have a depth of about 2-3 mm.

6. The chuck body structure of claim 1, wherein the electrode arrangement comprises at least two spaced-apart electrically conductive regions defining at least one pair of spaced-apart electrodes.

7. The chuck structure of claim 6, wherein said electrically conductive layer is made of Aluminum or Titanium.

8. The chuck structure of claim 6, wherein said two spaced-apart electrically conductive regions are arranged to define an area corresponding to that of the article to be supported.

9. The chuck structure of claim 6, wherein the electrode arrangement comprises at least four spaced-apart regions defining at least two pairs, respectively, of said electrode arrangement.

10. The chuck structure of claim 9, wherein the spaced apart regions associated with a first pair of electrodes are arranged to define a first area corresponding to that of the article to be supported, said first area being different from a second area defined by the spaced apart regions associated with a second pair of electrodes.

11. A method of manufacturing an electrostatic chuck structure for holding an article, the method comprising

producing a chuck body in the form of an electrically insulating substrate layer having a first flat surface for holding the article thereon and the insulating layer having a second opposite surface patterned in the form of an array of spaced-apart grooves;

and

forming an electrode arrangement on said second opposite surface by depositing a substantially continuous electrically conductive layer onto said second opposite surface, said conductive layer covering at least some of the spaced-apart grooves and at least some of the spaces between the grooves, and wherein the configuration of the electrically insulating substrate layer defines a dielectric spacer between the electrode arrangement and the article held by the flat surface of the electrically insulating substrate layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said patterned substrate is produced by applying a machining technique to a substrate material plate.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising depositing an electrically conductive layer on the patterned surface of the chuck body so as to form at least two spaced-apart electrically conductive regions for at least two electrodes, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said depositing of the electrically conductive layer is carried out by thermal spraying.