Ceramic electrostatic chuck including embedded faraday cage for RF delivery and associated methods for operation, monitoring, and control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10192767-B2
Application number	US-201816108632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Nov 8, 2016
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A ceramic assembly is attached to a lower support structure having a bowl shape. The ceramic assembly has a top surface configured to support a substrate. At least one clamp electrode is positioned within an upper region of the ceramic assembly. A primary radiofrequency (RF) power delivery electrode is positioned within the ceramic assembly at a location vertically below the at least one clamp electrode such that a region of the ceramic assembly between the primary RF power delivery electrode and the at least one clamp electrode is substantially free of other electrically conductive material. A plurality of RF power delivery connection modules is distributed in a substantially uniform manner about a perimeter of the ceramic assembly. Each of the RF power delivery connection modules is configured to form an electrical connection from the lower support structure to the primary RF power delivery electrode at its respective location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate support system, comprising:
a ceramic assembly having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface including an area configured to support a substrate;
at least one clamp electrode positioned within the ceramic assembly;
a primary radiofrequency (RF) power delivery electrode positioned within the ceramic assembly at a location vertically below the at least one clamp electrode;
a lower support structure formed of an electrically conductive material, the ceramic assembly secured to the lower support structure such that an outer peripheral region of the bottom surface of the ceramic assembly is supported by the lower support structure, the lower support structure including a hollow interior region exposed to a portion the bottom surface of the ceramic assembly; and
a plurality of electrical connections established between the lower support structure and the primary RF power delivery electrode, each of the plurality of electrical connections extending through a respective portion of the ceramic assembly.

2. The substrate support system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical connections are distributed within a peripheral region of the ceramic assembly.

3. The substrate support system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical connections are positioned in a substantially equally spaced apart manner as measured azimuthally about a centerline of the ceramic assembly extending perpendicular to the top surface of the ceramic assembly.

4. The substrate support system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical connections includes a corresponding exposed embedded conductive structure that is accessible from the bottom surface of the ceramic assembly.

5. The substrate support system as recited in claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical connections includes a corresponding electrically conductive pin in physical contact with the corresponding exposed embedded conductive structure and in electrical connection with the lower support structure.

6. The substrate support system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the corresponding electrically conductive pin includes a spring configured to press the corresponding electrically conductive pin against the corresponding exposed embedded conductive structure.

7. The substrate support system as recited in claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical connections includes a brazed connection or a soldered connection between the corresponding exposed embedded conductive structure and the lower support structure.

8. The substrate support system as recited in claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical connections includes a corresponding interior embedded conductive segment and a corresponding first interior electrical connection and a corresponding second interior electrical connection, the corresponding interior embedded conductive segment positioned at a vertical location within the ceramic assembly between the corresponding exposed embedded conductive structure and the primary RF power delivery electrode, the corresponding first interior electrical connection electrically connecting the corresponding exposed embedded conductive structure to the corresponding interior embedded conductive segment, the corresponding second interior electrical connection electrically connecting the corresponding interior embedded conductive segment to the primary RF power delivery electrode.

9. The substrate support system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first interior electrical connection includes one or more vertical conductive structures, and the second interior electrical connection includes one or more vertical conductive structures.

10. The substrate support system as recited in claim 9 , further comprising:
one or more resistance heaters positioned within the ceramic assembly at a vertical position below the primary RF power delivery electrode, the corresponding interior embedded conductive segment positioned at a same vertical position as the one or more resistance heaters.

11. The substrate support system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of electrical connections extend through the ceramic assembly at respective locations radially outside of the one or more resistance heaters relative to a centerline of the ceramic assembly extending perpendicular to the top surface of the ceramic assembly.

12. A ceramic assembly of an electrostatic chuck, comprising:
a ceramic member having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface including an area configured to support a substrate;
at least one clamp electrode positioned within the ceramic member;
a primary radiofrequency (RF) power delivery electrode positioned within the ceramic member at a location vertically below the at least one clamp electrode;
a plurality of exposed embedded conductive segments positioned in a distributed manner within a peripheral region of the ceramic member, wherein a portion of each exposed embedded conductive segment is accessible from the bottom surface of the ceramic member; and
a plurality of electrical connections respectively extending between the plurality of exposed embedded conductive segments and the primary RF power delivery electrode, each of the plurality of electrical connections extending through a respective portion of the ceramic member.

13. The ceramic assembly of the electrostatic chuck as recited in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of electrical connections are positioned in a substantially equally spaced apart manner as measured azimuthally about a centerline of the ceramic member extending perpendicular to the top surface of the ceramic member.

14. The ceramic assembly of the electrostatic chuck as recited in claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical connections includes a corresponding interior embedded conductive segment and a corresponding first interior electrical connection and a corresponding second interior electrical connection, the corresponding interior embedded conductive segment positioned at a vertical location within the ceramic member between the exposed embedded conductive structure of the electrical connection and the primary RF power delivery electrode, the corresponding first interior electrical connection electrically connecting the corresponding exposed embedded conductive structure of the electrical connection to the corresponding interior embedded conductive segment, the corresponding second interior electrical connection electrically connecting the corresponding interior embedded conductive segment to the primary RF power delivery electrode.

15. The ceramic assembly of the electrostatic chuck as recited in claim 14 , wherein the first interior electrical connection includes one or more vertical conductive structures, and the second interior electrical connection includes one or more vertical conductive structures.

16. The ceramic assembly of the electrostatic chuck as recited in claim 12 , wherein a given one of the plurality of electrical connections includes one or more interior embedded conductive segments within the ceramic member, and wherein the given one of the plurality of electrical connections includes vertical conductive structures positioned to electrically connect the one or more interior embedded conductive segments to each other and to the exposed embedded conductive segment of the given one of the plurality of electrical connections and to the primary RF power delivery electrode.

17. The ceramic assembly of the electrostatic chuck as recited in claim 16 , wherein each

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Benjamin Neil Martin Paul
• Povolny Henry
• Ricci Anthony J

Classifications

• H10P74/238

  comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/722 Primary

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H01J37/32651

  Shields, e.g. dark space shields, Faraday shields · CPC title

• H01J37/32082

  Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence) · CPC title