Semiconductor processing with cooled electrostatic chuck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11569114-B2
Application number	US-202117174591-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2021
Priority date	Feb 12, 2021
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to a substrate support assembly. The substrate support assembly includes an ESC base assembly having a base channel disposed therein, a facility plate, the facility plate coupled to the ESC base assembly with a vacuum region therebetween, and a seal assembly. The seal assembly includes an upper flange coupled to the base channel of the ESC base assembly, the upper flange disposed in the facility plate, a lower flange coupled to the upper flange, the lower flange disposed in the facility plate, a gasket disposed between the upper flange and the lower flange, and an insulator tube coupled to the lower flange. A passage is connected to the base channel, the passage is defined by connected openings of the upper flange, the gasket, the lower flange, the insulator tube, and the base assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate support assembly, comprising:
an electrostatic chuck (ESC) base assembly, the ESC base assembly having a base channel disposed therein;
a facility plate, the facility plate coupled to the ESC base assembly with a vacuum region therebetween;
a seal assembly, the seal assembly comprising:
an upper flange coupled to the base channel of the ESC base assembly, the upper flange disposed in the facility plate;
a lower flange coupled to the upper flange, the lower flange disposed in the facility plate;
a gasket disposed between the upper flange and the lower flange; and
an insulator tube coupled to the lower flange;

a passage connected to the base channel, the passage defined by connected openings of the upper flange, the gasket, the lower flange, the insulator tube, and the base assembly.

2. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vacuum passage connected to the vacuum region, wherein the vacuum passage is defined by an inner surface of the facility plate, the upper flange, the gasket, the lower flange, and the insulator tube.

3. The substrate support assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
an insulator plate coupled to the facility plate;
a ground plate coupled to the insulator plate;
an interface assembly, the interface assembly comprising:
an interface flange coupled to the insulator tube, the interface flange disposed in the ground plate;
an outer ring disposed around the interface flange;
a refrigerant flange coupled to the interface flange;
an interface gasket disposed between the interface flange and the refrigerant flange, wherein:
the passage is further defined by connected openings of the interface flange, the refrigerant flange, and the interface gasket; and

a combined flange coupled to the ground plate, the refrigerant flange disposed in the combined flange.

4. The substrate support assembly of claim 3 , wherein the vacuum passage is further defined by an inner surface of the insulator plate, an inner surface of the ground plate, the interface flange, the outer ring, the refrigerant flange, and the combined flange.

5. The substrate support assembly of claim 4 , further comprising:
a refrigerant line coupled to the refrigerant flange, the refrigerant line in fluid communication with the passage; and
a vacuum tube coupled to the combined flange, the refrigerant line disposed in the vacuum tube, the vacuum passage in fluid communication with the vacuum tube.

6. The substrate support assembly of claim 5 , wherein the refrigerant line is in fluid communication with a cryogenic chiller and the vacuum tube is in fluid communication with a vacuum source.

7. The substrate support assembly of claim 3 , wherein an insulator ring is disposed in the combined flange.

8. The substrate support assembly of claim 3 , wherein the interface flange is coupled to the insulator tube with a plurality of bonding layers.

9. The substrate support assembly of claim 3 , wherein the lower flange and the interface flange are the same material.

10. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the facility plate is coupled to the ESC base assembly with one or more first screw assemblies.

11. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper flange is coupled to the ESC base assembly with a plurality of weld points or the upper flange is brazed to the ESC base assembly.

12. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper flange includes a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion including an aluminum material, the bottom portion including stainless steel, titanium, or combinations thereof.

13. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , the lower flange is coupled to the upper with a plurality of fasteners.

14. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the insulator tube is coupled to the lower with a plurality of bonding layers, the plurality of bonding layers including a plurality of metallization layers and a solder filler disposed between the plurality of bonding layers.

15. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the insulator tube includes silicon carbide.

16. A substrate support assembly, comprising:
an electrostatic chuck (ESC) base assembly, the ESC base assembly having a base channel disposed therein;
a facility plate, the facility plate coupled to the ESC base assembly with a vacuum region therebetween;
an insulator plate coupled to the facility plate;
a ground plate coupled to the insulator plate;
an interface assembly, the interface assembly comprising:
an interface flange coupled to an insulator tube disposed through the insulator plate, the interface flange disposed in the ground plate;
an outer ring disposed around the interface flange;
a refrigerant flange coupled to the interface flange;
an interface gasket disposed between the interface flange and the refrigerant flange, wherein:
a passage connected to the base channel of the ESC base assembly is defined by connected openings of the interface flange, the refrigerant flange, the interface gasket, and the base channel;

a combined flange coupled to the ground plate, the refrigerant flange disposed in the combined flange; and
a vacuum passage connected to the vacuum region, wherein:
the vacuum passage is defined by an inner surface of the facility plate, an inner surface of the insulator plate, an inner surface of the ground plate, the interface flange, the outer ring, the refrigerant flange, the insulator tube, and the combined flange.

17. The substrate support assembly of claim 16 , wherein a bracket coupled to an RF gasket and the outer ring provides RF grounding, the bracket coupled to the outer ring with a plurality of fasteners.

18. The substrate support assembly of claim 16 , wherein a bracket coupled to an RF gasket and the refrigerant flange provides RF grounding, the bracket coupled to the refrigerant flange with a plurality of fasteners.

19. The substrate support assembly of claim 16 , wherein a contact ring is in contact with a plurality of fasteners, the plurality of fasteners coupling the refrigerant flange to the interface flange, the contact ring supported by a plurality of screws disposed through the combined flange, the plurality of screws including a plurality springs disposed around the plurality of screws.

20. A substrate support assembly, comprising:
an electrostatic chuck (ESC) base assembly, the ESC base assembly having a base channel disposed therein;
a facility plate, the facility plate coupled to the ESC base assembly with a vacuum region therebetween;
a refrigerant line coupled to a refrigerant flange disposed in a combined flange, the refrigerant line in fluid communication with a passage, wherein:
the passage is connected to the base channel of the ESC base assembly, the passage defined by connected openings of the refrigerant flange and the base channel; and

a vacuum tube coupled to the combined flange, the refrigerant line disposed in the vacuum tube, the vacuum tube in fluid communication with a vacuum passage, wherein:
the vacuum passage is defined by an inner surface of the facility plate, the refrigerant flange, and the combined flange.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Sarode Vishwanath Yogananda
• Babayan Steven E
• Schmid Andreas
• Prouty Stephen Donald
• Noujaim Andrew Antoine

Classifications

• H10P72/78

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/722 Primary

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• B29C65/561

  using screw-threads being integral at least to one of the parts to be joined · CPC title

• H01L21/6833 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05K7/20272

  Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds · CPC title