Substrate-supporting device

• US 7,691,205 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Ikedo, Yozo
• Primary Examiner(s): LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US11/252,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20070089670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/728, 118/50, 156/345.51
• US Class Current: 118/728
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4581 characterised by material of construction or surface finish of the means for supporting the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4585 Devices at or outside the perimeter of the substrate support, e.g. clamping rings, shrouds

Abstract

A substrate-supporting device for CVD having a substrate-supporting region includes: a substrate-supporting surface which is a continuous surface defining a reference plane on which a substrate is placed; and multiple dimples having bottom surfaces lower than the reference plane. The respective dimples are isolated from each other by a portion of the substrate-supporting surface.

Claims

1. A substrate-supporting device for CVD comprising:

a substrate-supporting region for supporting a substrate within the region, said substrate-supporting region having an outer diameter larger than that of the substrate and consisting of a high elevation region and a low elevation region, wherein

the high elevation region consists of a single continuous substrate-supporting surface defined on a reference plane on which the substrate is placed, said high elevation region extending from outer perimeters of the low elevation region to the outer diameter of the substrate-supporting region; and

the low elevation region consists of geometrically patterned multiple dimples having bottom surfaces lower than the reference plane, the respective dimples being isolated from each other by a portion of the substrate-supporting surface as viewed from above the substrate-supporting surface, all of the dimples having closed bottoms.

2. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate-supporting surface has an area which is less than 50% of that of the substrate-supporting region.

3. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 2, wherein the substrate-supporting surface has an area which is about 20% or less of that of the substrate-supporting region.

4. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein each dimple has a circular shape on the reference plane.

5. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 4, wherein the number of the multiple dimples is three or more.

6. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 5, wherein every three dimples adjacent to each other are arranged such that imaginary lines connecting respective centers of the three circular shapes form an equilateral triangle.

7. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein each dimple has a rectangular shape.

8. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 7, wherein the substrate-supporting surface is shaped into cross stripes.

9. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate-supporting surface has a peripheral area on the reference plane which has no dimple.

10. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate-supporting region has multiple lift pin holes.

11. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate-supporting surface has a surface roughness (Ra) of about 1 μ

m or less.

12. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate-supporting surface is constituted by an anodized oxide film formed on an aluminum or aluminum alloy.

13. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein the dimples have a depth of about 0.05 mm to about 1.0 mm.

14. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, further comprising an outer peripheral area outside the substrate-supporting region, said outer peripheral area having a height which is higher than the reference plane.

15. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 14, wherein the outer peripheral area has multiple holes for fastening screws.

16. The substrate-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein the dimples have substantially the same depth.

17. A CVD apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate, comprising:

a vacuum chamber;

a gas inlet port installed in the vacuum chamber for introducing a gas into the vacuum chamber; and

the substrate-supporting device of claim 1 being installed in the vacuum chamber.

18. The CVD apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a heater on which the substrate-supporting device is mounted and fixed with screws.

19. The CVD apparatus according to claim 17, which is a plasma CVD wherein the gas inlet port is a shower plate serving as one electrode, and the substrate-supporting device is installed practically parallel to and facing the shower plate and serves as another electrode.