Pedestal covers
First Claim
1. A pedestal for supporting a semiconductor substrate in an apparatus for processing the semiconductor substrate, the pedestal comprising:
- a metal platen comprising an upper surface for providing heat to the semiconductor substrate;
a removable ceramic cover for providing substantially uniform heat transfer to the semiconductor substrate positioned over a substrate-facing surface of the removable ceramic cover during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the apparatus, the removable ceramic cover positioned over the upper surface of the metal platen; and
wherein the upper surface of the metal platen comprises a set of supports protruding through openings in the removable ceramic cover, the set of supports configured to support the semiconductor substrate above the substrate-facing surface of the removable ceramic cover at an average predetermined distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Examples of novel semiconductor processing pedestals, and apparatuses including such pedestals, are described. These pedestals are specifically configured to provide uniform heat transfer to semiconductor substrates and to reduce maintenance complexity and/or frequency. Specifically, a pedestal may include a removable cover positioned over a metal platen of the pedestal. The removable cover is configured to maintain a consistent and uniform temperature profile of its substrate-facing surface even though the platen'"'"'s upper-surface, which supports the cover and is in thermal communication with the cover, may have a much less uniform temperature profile. The cover may be made from certain ceramic materials and shaped as a thin plate. These materials are resistant to the processing environments and maintain their thermal characteristics over many processing cycles. The cover can be easily removed from the platen and replaced with a new one without a need for major disassembly of the entire apparatus.
98 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A pedestal for supporting a semiconductor substrate in an apparatus for processing the semiconductor substrate, the pedestal comprising:
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a metal platen comprising an upper surface for providing heat to the semiconductor substrate; a removable ceramic cover for providing substantially uniform heat transfer to the semiconductor substrate positioned over a substrate-facing surface of the removable ceramic cover during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the apparatus, the removable ceramic cover positioned over the upper surface of the metal platen; and wherein the upper surface of the metal platen comprises a set of supports protruding through openings in the removable ceramic cover, the set of supports configured to support the semiconductor substrate above the substrate-facing surface of the removable ceramic cover at an average predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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17. A pedestal for supporting a semiconductor substrate in an apparatus for processing the semiconductor substrate, the pedestal comprising:
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a metal platen comprising an upper surface for providing heat to the semiconductor substrate; a removable ceramic cover for providing substantially uniform heat transfer to the semiconductor substrate positioned over a substrate-facing surface of the removable ceramic cover during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the apparatus, the removable ceramic cover positioned over the upper surface of the metal platen, wherein the removable ceramic cover comprises two or more retaining posts extending from a platen-facing surface and into respective retaining upper cavities on the upper surface of the metal platen for securing the removable ceramic cover with respect to the metal platen; and two or more retaining keys extending into side retaining cavities of the metal platen and engaging with the two or more retaining posts of the removable ceramic cover. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A pedestal for supporting a semiconductor substrate in an apparatus for processing the semiconductor substrate, the pedestal comprising:
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a metal platen comprising an upper surface for providing heat to the semiconductor substrate; a removable ceramic cover for providing substantially uniform heat transfer to the semiconductor substrate positioned over a substrate-facing surface of the removable ceramic cover during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the apparatus, the removable ceramic cover positioned over the upper surface of the metal platen; and wherein the removable ceramic cover comprises a cover edge protrusion extending above the substrate-facing surface of the removable ceramic cover and configured for capturing an outer edge of the semiconductor substrate during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the apparatus.
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20. A pedestal for supporting a semiconductor substrate in an apparatus for processing the semiconductor substrate, the pedestal comprising:
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a metal platen comprising an upper surface for providing heat to the semiconductor substrate; a removable ceramic cover for providing substantially uniform heat transfer to the semiconductor substrate positioned over a substrate-facing surface of the removable ceramic cover during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the apparatus, the removable ceramic cover positioned over the upper surface of the metal platen; and wherein the metal platen comprises a platen edge protrusion extending above the substrate-facing surface of the removable ceramic cover and configured for capturing an outer edge of the semiconductor substrate during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the apparatus, wherein the removable ceramic cover is positioned within a cavity formed by the platen edge protrusion.
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Specification