Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080276958 | SUBSTRATE CLEANING CHAMBER AND CLEANING AND CONDITIONING METHODS - A substrate cleaning chamber includes a contoured ceiling electrode having an arcuate surface that faces a substrate support and has a variable cross-sectional thickness to vary the gap size between the arcuate surface and the substrate support to provide a varying plasma density across the substrate support. A dielectric ring for the cleaning chamber comprises a base, a ridge, and a radially inward ledge that covers the peripheral lip of the substrate support. A base shield comprises a circular disc having at least one perimeter wall. Cleaning and conditioning processes for the cleaning chamber are also described. | 11-13-2008 |
20100039747 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK ASSEMBLY - Embodiments of the present invention provide a cost effective electrostatic chuck assembly capable of operating over a wide temperature range in an ultra-high vacuum environment while minimizing thermo-mechanical stresses within the electrostatic chuck assembly. In one embodiment, the electrostatic chuck assembly includes a dielectric body having chucking electrodes which comprise a metal matrix composite material with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is matched to the CTE of the dielectric body. | 02-18-2010 |
20100061032 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK ELECTRICAL BALANCING CIRCUIT REPAIR - The present invention includes methods and apparatus for repairing an electrical connection between bipolar electrodes contained within an electrostatic chuck and a conductive mask disposed atop the electrostatic chuck, known as a balancing circuit. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful after removal of an electrostatic chuck for refurbishment. | 03-11-2010 |
20100136218 | CLEANING OF A SUBSTRATE SUPPORT - A method of fabricating a cleaning wafer capable of cleaning process residues from a substrate support surface is disclosed. The method comprises providing a cleaning disc, and applying a liquid polymer precursor to the cleaning disc by spraying or spin coating the liquid polymer precursor onto the disc to form a polymer precursor film on the disc. The polymer precursor film is cured to form a polymer layer having a cleaning surface. | 06-03-2010 |
20110017424 | HEAT EXCHANGE PEDESTAL WITH COATING OF DIAMOND-LIKE MATERIAL - A substrate heat exchange pedestal comprises: (i) a support structure having a contact surface comprising a coating of a diamond-like material, and (ii) a heat exchanger in the support structure, the heat exchanger capable of heating or cooling a substrate. | 01-27-2011 |
20120033340 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF - An electrostatic chuck and method of use thereof is provided herein. In some embodiments, an electrostatic chuck may include a disk having a first side to support a substrate thereon and a second side, opposing the first side, to provide an interface to selectively couple the disk to a thermal control plate, a first electrode disposed within the disk proximate the first side to electrostatically couple the substrate to the disk and a second electrode disposed within the disk proximate the opposing side of the disk to electrostatically couple the disk to the thermal control plate. In some embodiments, the second electrode may also be configured to heat the disk. | 02-09-2012 |
20120076574 | Vacuum Process Chamber Component and Methods of Making - A vacuum process chamber component comprising two separate pieces with an o-ring between the pieces and solder bonded together is described. The component may be an electrostatic chuck comprising a ceramic electrostatic puck and a metal baseplate with at least one o-ring therebetween and joined by a solder bond is described. Methods of making and using vacuum process chamber component are also described. | 03-29-2012 |
20120124819 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK ELECTRICAL BALANCING CIRCUIT REPAIR - The present invention includes methods and apparatus for repairing an electrical connection between bipolar electrodes contained within an electrostatic chuck and a conductive mask disposed atop the electrostatic chuck, known as a balancing circuit. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful after removal of an electrostatic chuck for refurbishment. | 05-24-2012 |
20130088808 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK - Embodiments of electrostatic chucks are provided herein. In some embodiments, an electrostatic chuck for retaining a substrate includes a base plate, a ceramic plate, supported by the base plate, having a substrate supporting surface, a first plurality of electrodes disposed within the ceramic plate having a first polarity, and a second plurality of electrodes disposed within the ceramic plate have a second polarity opposite from the first polarity, wherein the first and second plurality of electrodes are independently controllable to provide a desired chucking power and frequency. | 04-11-2013 |
20130088809 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK WITH TEMPERATURE CONTROL - Embodiments of an apparatus for controlling a temperature of an electrostatic chuck in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck disposed in a process chamber, the electrostatic chuck including a ceramic plate having a substrate supporting surface, and a cooling assembly including a plurality of cooling plates disposed below the electrostatic chuck to adjust the cooling capacity of the electrostatic chuck. In some embodiments, the plurality of cooling plates includes an inner cooling plate configured to control a temperature of a center portion of the electrostatic chuck, and an outer cooling plate configured to control a temperature of an outer portion of the electrostatic chuck. In some embodiments, the plurality of cooling plates includes an upper cooling plate that contacts a bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck, and a lower cooling plate which contacts a bottom surface of the upper cooling plate. | 04-11-2013 |
20130192629 | SUBSTRATE CLEANING CHAMBER AND CLEANING AND CONDITIONING METHODS - A substrate cleaning chamber includes a contoured ceiling electrode having an arcuate surface that faces a substrate support and has a variable cross-sectional thickness to vary the gap size between the arcuate surface and the substrate support to provide a varying plasma density across the substrate support. A dielectric ring for the cleaning chamber comprises a base, a ridge, and a radially inward ledge that covers the peripheral lip of the substrate support. A base shield comprises a circular disc having at least one perimeter wall. Cleaning and conditioning processes for the cleaning chamber are also described. | 08-01-2013 |
20130319854 | SUBSTRATE SUPPORT WITH RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) RETURN PATH - Embodiments of substrate supports having a radio frequency (RF) return path are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support may include a dielectric support body having a support surface to support a substrate thereon and an opposing second surface; a chucking electrode disposed within the support body proximate the support surface; and an RF return path electrode disposed on the second surface of the dielectric support body. In some embodiments, a substrate processing system may include a process chamber having an inner volume; a shield to separate the inner volume into a processing volume and a non-processing volume and extending toward a ceiling of the process chamber; and a substrate support disposed below the shield, wherein the substrate support is as described above. | 12-05-2013 |
20140159325 | SUBSTRATE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY HAVING METAL BONDED PROTECTIVE LAYER - A substrate support assembly comprises a ceramic body and a thermally conductive base bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic body. The substrate support assembly further comprises a protective layer metal bonded to an upper surface of the ceramic body, wherein the protective layer is a bulk sintered ceramic article. | 06-12-2014 |
20140263176 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK REFURBISHMENT - An indication that an electrostatic chuck has a gas leakage rate that exceeds a leakage threshold is received. A determination is made as to whether a first polishing procedure that polishes surface features on a surface of the electrostatic chuck without removing the surface features would reduce a thickness of the surface features to below a thickness threshold. The electrostatic chuck is polished using the first polishing procedure responsive to determining that the first polishing procedure would not reduce the thickness of the surface features to below the thickness threshold. Responsive to determining that the first polishing procedure would reduce the thickness of the surface features to below the thickness threshold, a second polishing procedure that removes the surface features from the surface of the electrostatic chuck is performed. After the second polishing procedure, new surface features are formed on the surface of the electrostatic chuck. | 09-18-2014 |
20140318575 | PROTECTIVE COVER FOR ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK - A protective cover for an electrostatic chuck may include a conductive wafer and a plasma resistant ceramic layer on at least one surface of the conductive wafer. The plasma resistant ceramic layer covers a top surface of the conductive wafer, side walls of the conductive wafer and an outer perimeter of a bottom surface of the conductive wafer. Alternatively, a protective cover for an electrostatic chuck may include a plasma resistant bulk sintered ceramic wafer and a conductive layer on a portion of a bottom surface of the plasma resistant bulk sintered ceramic wafer, wherein a perimeter of the bottom surface is not covered. | 10-30-2014 |
20140326184 | COOLING PEDESTAL WITH COATING OF DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON - A cooling pedestal for supporting a substrate, comprises a support structure having cooling conduits to flow a fluid therethrough to cool the substrate, and a contact surface comprising a coating of a diamond-like carbon. The coating comprises (i) a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.3, (ii) an average surface roughness of less than about 0.4 micrometers, and (iii) a microhardness of at least about 8 GPa. | 11-06-2014 |
20140334060 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK HAVING THERMALLY ISOLATED ZONES WITH MINIMAL CROSSTALK - A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic puck. The thermally conductive base includes a plurality of thermal zones and a plurality of thermal isolators that extend from the upper surface of the thermally conductive base towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base, wherein each of the plurality of thermal isolators provides approximate thermal isolation between two of the plurality of thermal zones at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base. | 11-13-2014 |
20150059974 | METHOD OF PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY - Embodiments of the invention may generally provide a method and apparatus that is used to prepare new and used substrate support assemblies for use in typical semiconductor processing environments. Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method of coating a new substrate support assembly or a used substrate support assembly that is being refurbished. The deposited coating may include a surface enhancement and/or protective material that is configured to protect one or more of the components exposed to the processing environment during a semiconductor process. The substrate support assembly may be coated with a protective material and during the coating process, the substrate support assembly is maintained at a temperature that is less than or equal to 150° C. by flowing a coolant through channels formed in a base of the substrate support assembly. | 03-05-2015 |
20150070814 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK WITH VARIABLE PIXILATED HEATING - Electrostatic chucks with variable pixelated heating are described. For example, an electrostatic chuck (ESC) includes a ceramic plate having a front surface and a back surface, the front surface for supporting a wafer or substrate. A base is coupled to the back surface of the ceramic plate. A light carrying medium is disposed in the base, the light carrying medium configured to provide pixelated light-based heating capability for the ESC. | 03-12-2015 |