Substrate supports for semiconductor applications

• US 8,619,406 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FM Industries Inc. (NGK Insulators Limited)
• Original Assignee: FM Industries Inc. (NGK Insulators Limited)
• Inventors: Cho, Jaeyong, Sirman, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W
• Application Number:
  US13/117,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20120141661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 361/234
• US Class Current: 361/234
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6833 Details of electrostatic chucks

Abstract

This invention relates to substrate supports, e.g., coated electrostatic chucks, having a dielectric multilayer formed thereon; dielectric multilayers that provide erosive and corrosive barrier protection in harsh environments such as plasma treating vessels used in semiconductor device manufacture; process chambers, e.g., deposition chambers, for processing substrates; methods for protecting substrate supports; and methods for producing substrate supports and electronic devices. The dielectric multilayer comprises (a) an undercoat dielectric layer comprising a metal oxide or metal nitride formed on a surface; and (b) a topcoat dielectric layer comprising a metal oxide formed on the undercoat dielectric layer. The topcoat dielectric layer has an aluminum oxide content of less than about 1 weight percent. The topcoat dielectric layer has a corrosion resistance and/or plasma erosion resistance greater than the corrosion resistance and/or plasma erosion resistance of the undercoat dielectric layer. The undercoat dielectric layer can have a resistivity greater than the resistivity of the topcoat dielectric layer. The topcoat dielectric layer can have a dielectric constant greater than the dielectric constant of the undercoat dielectric layer. The undercoat dielectric layer can have a porosity greater than the porosity of the topcoat dielectric layer. The invention is useful, for example, in the manufacture and protection of electrostatic chucks used in semiconductor device manufacture.

Claims

1. A substrate support comprising (i) a base body;

(ii) one or more conductive members disposed on or within the base body; and

(iii) a dielectric multilayer formed on at least a portion of the base body, or on the one or more conductive members disposed on the base body and at least a portion of the base body;

wherein the dielectric multilayer comprises (a) an undercoat dielectric layer comprising a metal oxide or metal nitride formed on at least a portion of the base body, or on the one or more conductive members disposed on the base body and at least a portion of the base body; and

(b) a topcoat dielectric layer comprising a metal oxide formed on the undercoat dielectric layer;

wherein (i′

) the topcoat dielectric layer has an aluminum oxide content of less than about 1 weight percent, and (ii′

) the topcoat dielectric layer has a corrosion resistance and/or plasma erosion resistance greater than the corrosion resistance and/or plasma erosion resistance of the undercoat dielectric layer, and

wherein the topcoat dielectric layer has a lower porosity than the undercoat dielectric layer.

2. The substrate support of claim 1 which comprises an electrostatic chuck.

3. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the undercoat dielectric layer has a resistivity greater than the resistivity of the topcoat dielectric layer.

4. The substrate support of claim 2 wherein the electrostatic chuck generates a chucking force through a Coulombic or a Johnsen-Rahbek effect.

5. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the topcoat dielectric layer has a dielectric constant sufficient to increase polarization of dipoles inside of the topcoat dielectric layer to increase chucking force.

6. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the undercoat dielectric layer has a porosity sufficient to provide a compliant thermal expansion coefficient between the base body and the dielectric multilayer.

7. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the undercoat dielectric layer has a resistivity greater than about 10E16 ohms-cm when said substrate support is adapted to make use of a Coulombic force, and a resistivity of from about 10E11 ohms-cm to about 10E14 ohms-cm when said substrate support is adapted to make use of a Johnsen-Rahbek force.

8. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the undercoat dielectric layer has a porosity greater than about 5 volume percent.

9. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the topcoat dielectric layer has a dielectric constant greater than about 8.

10. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the undercoat dielectric layer comprises aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, magnesium oxide, cerium oxide, hafnium oxide, gadolinium oxide, yttrium oxide, ytterbium oxide, aluminum nitride, oxides of Group 2A to 8B inclusive of the Periodic Table and the Lanthanide elements, or alloys or mixtures or composites thereof.

11. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the topcoat dielectric layer comprises yttrium oxide, zirconium oxide, cerium oxide, hafnium oxide, oxides of Groups 2A to 8B inclusive of the Periodic Table and the Lanthanide elements, or alloys or mixtures or composites thereof.

12. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the one or more conductive members disposed on or within the base body comprise one or more electrodes.

13. The substrate support of claim 1 in which the base body is constructed of aluminum or its alloys or sintered aluminum oxide.

14. The substrate support of claim 1 which has a support surface on which a substrate can be supported, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer, a metallic wafer, or a glass plate.

15. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the dielectric multilayer is applied by a plasma coating method, a high-velocity oxygen fuel coating method, a detonation coating method, a cold spraying method, or a sintering method.

16. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the undercoat dielectric layer comprises aluminum oxide, and the topcoat dielectric layer comprises yttrium oxide.

17. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the undercoat dielectric layer comprises aluminum oxide, doped aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride, and the topcoat dielectric layer comprises yttrium oxide.

18. The substrate support of claim 1 comprising a plasma sprayed ceramic undercoat dielectric coating applied to said substrate support, and a plasma sprayed ceramic topcoat dielectric coating applied to said undercoat coating.

19. The substrate support of claim 18 wherein the plasma spraying is selected from inert gas shrouded plasma spraying and low pressure or vacuum plasma spraying in chambers.

20. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the dielectric multilayer has a thickness of from about 0.005 to about 0.02 inches.

21. The substrate support of claim 1 wherein the undercoat dielectric layer has a thickness of from about 0.005 to about 0.016 inches, and the topcoat dielectric layer has a thickness of from about 0.005 to about 0.016 inches.

24. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the undercoat dielectric layer has a higher electrical resistivity than the topcoat dielectric layer, and the topcoat dielectric layer has at least one of a higher plasma resistance and a higher chemical corrosion resistance than the undercoat dielectric layer.

25. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the topcoat dielectric layer has a higher dielectric constant than the undercoat dielectric layer.

22. A method for producing a substrate support comprising (a) providing a base body, and one or more conductive members disposed on or within the base body;

and (b) forming a dielectric multilayer on at least a portion of the base body, or on the one or more conductive members disposed on the base body and at least a portion of the base body;

wherein the dielectric multilayer comprises (i) an undercoat dielectric layer comprising a metal oxide or metal nitride formed on at least a portion of the base body, or on the one or more conductive members disposed on the base body and at least a portion of the base body; and

(ii) a topcoat dielectric layer comprising a metal oxide formed on the undercoat dielectric layer;

wherein (a′

) the topcoat dielectric layer has an aluminum oxide content of less than about 1 weight percent, and (b′

) the topcoat dielectric layer has a corrosion resistance and/or plasma erosion resistance greater than the corrosion resistance and/or plasma erosion resistance of the undercoat dielectric layer, and

wherein the topcoat dielectric layer has a lower porosity than the undercoat dielectric layer.

23. A method for producing an electronic device, said method comprising:

(a) providing an electrostatic chuck comprising (i) a base body;

(ii) one or more conductive members disposed on or within the base body; and

(iii) a dielectric multilayer formed on at least a portion of the base body, or on the one or more conductive members disposed on the base body and at least a portion of the base body;

wherein the dielectric multilayer comprises (a′

) an undercoat dielectric layer comprising a metal oxide or metal nitride formed on at least a portion of the base body, or on the one or more conductive members disposed on the base body and at least a portion of the base body; and

(b′

) a topcoat dielectric layer comprising a metal oxide formed on the undercoat dielectric layer;

wherein (i′

) the topcoat dielectric layer has an aluminum oxide content of less than about 1 weight percent, and (ii′

) the topcoat dielectric layer has a corrosion resistance and/or plasma erosion resistance greater than the corrosion resistance and/or plasma erosion resistance of the undercoat dielectric layer;

(b) providing a workpiece overlying the work surface;

(c) providing a voltage across the electrostatic chuck and the workpiece to maintain the workpiece in proximity to the work surface; and

(d) processing the workpiece to produce an electronic device, and

wherein the topcoat dielectric layer has a lower porosity than the undercoat dielectric layer.