Substrate holder for retaining a substrate within a processing chamber
First Claim
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1. A wafer holder for retaining a substrate within a processing chamber comprising:
- an electrode; and
one or more layers covering a portion of said wafer holder which contacts a wafer, where at least one of said layers is compliant, so that said portion of said wafer holder which contacts said wafer deforms with said wafer, avoiding relative movement between said wafer and said contacted portion of said wafer holder, when there is localized thermal deformation of said wafer surface during processing.
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Abstract
A wafer chuck is designed to allow the substrate to thermally deform during charged particle beam lithography. The wafer chuck includes a compliant layer disposed over an chuck body. During lithography processing the wafer is electrostatically held in contact with a flexible compliant layer and the wafer is exposed to the charged particle beam resulting in thermal deformation of the wafer. The compliant layer deforms with the substrate and allows the wafer to deform in a predictable manner.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A wafer holder for retaining a substrate within a processing chamber comprising:
- an electrode; and
one or more layers covering a portion of said wafer holder which contacts a wafer, where at least one of said layers is compliant, so that said portion of said wafer holder which contacts said wafer deforms with said wafer, avoiding relative movement between said wafer and said contacted portion of said wafer holder, when there is localized thermal deformation of said wafer surface during processing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- an electrode; and
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7. An apparatus for projecting patterned charged particles onto a substrate comprising:
- a processing chamber;
a charged particle source for generating a charged particle beam that impinges on the substrate; and
an electrostatic chuck comprising an electrode and one or more layers covering a portion of a substrate holder which contacts a substrate, where at least one of the layers is compliant, so that the portion of the substrate holder which contacts the substrate deforms with the substrate avoiding relative movement between the substrate and the contacted portion of the substrate holder, when there is localized thermal deformation of the substrate during processing. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- a processing chamber;
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17. A method for patterning a photoresist layer on a substrate comprising the steps of:
- forming a photoresist layer on the substrate;
positioning the substrate on an electrostatic chuck having one or more layers covering a portion of the substrate chuck which contacts the substrate, where at least one of the layers is compliant, so that the portion of the electrostatic chuck which contacts the substrate deforms with the substrate, avoiding relative movement between the substrate and the contacted portion of the electrostatic chuck, when there is localized thermal deformation of the substrate during processing; and
exposing portions of the photoresist layer on the substrate to a charged particle beam. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- forming a photoresist layer on the substrate;
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23. An electrostatic chuck for use in substrate processing, the chuck having an electrode covered by an electrically insulative layer for receiving the substrate, comprising:
- the electrically insulative layer which is elastic, in a manner such that the portion of the electrostatic chuck which contacts the substrate deforms with the wafer, avoiding relative movement between the substrate and the contacted portion of the electrostatic chuck, when there is localized thermal deformation of the substrate during processing and can withstand at least 10% shear stress without exceeding the material yield strength.
- View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method for holding a wafer on a chuck having an electrode and one or more layers covering a portion of the chuck which contacts the wafers, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting the layers so that at least one of the layers covering the portion of the chuck which contacts the wafer is compliant so that the portion of the chuck which contacts the wafer deforms with the wafer, avoiding relative movement between the wafer and the contacted portion of the chuck, when there is localized thermal deformation of the wafer during processing;
placing the wafer on one of the layers of the chuck, and energizing the electrode. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
- selecting the layers so that at least one of the layers covering the portion of the chuck which contacts the wafer is compliant so that the portion of the chuck which contacts the wafer deforms with the wafer, avoiding relative movement between the wafer and the contacted portion of the chuck, when there is localized thermal deformation of the wafer during processing;
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31. An apparatus for handling a substrate for use in semiconductor processing comprising:
- a substrate holder; and
one or more layers covering a portion of the substrate holder which contacts the substrate, where at least one of the layers is compliant, so that the portion of the substrate holder which contacts the substrate deforms with the substrate, avoiding relative movement between the substrate and the contacted portion of the substrate holder, when there is localized thermal deformation of the substrate during processing. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
- a substrate holder; and
Specification