Electrostatic chuck with spatially tunable RF coupling to a wafer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12191122-B2
Application number	US-202017603636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	Apr 22, 2019
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A substrate support assembly to support a semiconductor substrate in a processing chamber includes a baseplate arranged in the processing chamber, a dielectric layer arranged on the baseplate to support the semiconductor substrate, an electrode disposed in the dielectric layer along a horizontal plane, and a plurality of channels to carry a fluid. The plurality of channels are disposed in the dielectric layer along the horizontal plane on a side of the electrode facing away from the baseplate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate support assembly to support a semiconductor substrate in a processing chamber, the substrate support assembly comprising:
a baseplate arranged in the processing chamber;
a dielectric layer arranged on the baseplate to support the semiconductor substrate;
an electrode disposed in the dielectric layer along a horizontal plane;
a first plurality of interconnected channels having an inlet and an outlet that is separate from the inlet to carry a liquid, wherein the first plurality of channels are disposed in the dielectric layer along the horizontal plane on a side of the electrode facing away from the baseplate; and
a controller programmed to control liquid level in the first plurality of channels to vary permittivity of material between the electrode and the semiconductor substrate and to adjust amount of power delivered from the electrode to the semiconductor substrate.

2. A system comprising:
the substrate support assembly of claim 1 ;
a power supply to supply power to the electrode during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber; and
a source to supply the liquid to fill the first plurality of channels prior to processing the semiconductor substrate.

3. A system comprising:
the substrate support assembly of claim 1 ;
a plurality of cooling channels disposed in the baseplate;
a power supply to supply power to the electrode during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber;
a source of a coolant to supply the coolant to the cooling channels during the processing of the semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of valves in fluid communication with the source, the cooling channels, and the first plurality of channels; and
a controller programmed to control the plurality of valves to:
supply the coolant from the source to the cooling channels; and
supply the coolant as the liquid to fill the first plurality of channels to a first level prior to performing a first process on the semiconductor substrate.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the controller is further programmed to drain the coolant from the first plurality of channels to a second level after performing the first process and prior to performing a second process on the semiconductor substrate.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely filled with the coolant and wherein the second level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely empty.

6. A system comprising:
the substrate support assembly of claim 1 ;
a power supply to supply power to the electrode during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber;
a source to supply the liquid;
a plurality of valves in fluid communication with the source and the first plurality of channels; and
a controller programmed to control the plurality of valves to fill the first plurality of channels with the liquid to a first level prior to performing a first process on the semiconductor substrate.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller is further programmed to drain the liquid from the first plurality of channels to a second level after performing the first process and prior to performing a second process on the semiconductor substrate.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely filled with the liquid and wherein the second level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely empty.

9. A system comprising:
the substrate support assembly of claim 1 ;
a power supply to supply power to the electrode during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber;
a source to supply the liquid;
a heater associated with the source; and
a controller programmed to supply power to the heater to fill the first plurality of channels with the liquid to a first level prior to performing a first process on the semiconductor substrate.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the controller is further programmed to alter the power supplied to the heater to withdraw the liquid from the first plurality of channels to a second level after performing the first process and prior to performing a second process on the semiconductor substrate.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely filled with the liquid and wherein the second level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely empty.

12. A system comprising:
the substrate support assembly of claim 1 ;
a power supply to supply power to the electrode during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber;
a first source of the liquid;
a second source of a fluid;
a plurality of valves in fluid communication with the first and second sources and the first plurality of channels; and
a controller programmed to control the plurality of valves to:
fill the first plurality of channels with the liquid to a first level prior to performing a first process on the semiconductor substrate;
drain the liquid from the first plurality of channels after performing the first process; and
fill the first plurality of channels with the fluid to a second level prior to performing a second process on the semiconductor substrate.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first level is equal to the second level.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein:
the first level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely filled with the liquid, and the second level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely filled with the fluid;
the first level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely filled with the liquid, and the second level indicates that the first plurality of channels is partially filled with the fluid;
the first level indicates that the first plurality of channels is partially filled with the liquid, and the second level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely filled with the fluid; or
the first level indicates that the first plurality of channels is partially filled with the liquid, and the second level indicates that the first plurality of channels is partially filled with the fluid.

15. A system comprising:
the substrate support assembly of claim 1 ;
a second plurality of channels disposed in the dielectric layer along the horizontal plane on the side of the electrode facing away from the baseplate;
a power supply to supply power to the electrode during processing of the semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber;
a first source of the liquid;
a second source of a fluid;
a plurality of valves in fluid communication with the first and second sources, the first plurality of channels, and the second plurality of channels; and
a controller programmed to control the plurality of valves to:
fill the first plurality of channels with the liquid to a first level prior to performing a process on the semiconductor substrate; and
fill the second plurality of channels with the fluid to a second level prior to performing the process on the semiconductor substrate.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first level is equal to the second level.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein:
the first level indicates that the first plurality of channels is completely filled with the liquid, and the second level indicates that the second plurality of channels is completely filled with the fluid;
the first level indicates that the first plurality of channels is comple

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Drewery John

Classifications

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/0432

  mainly by conduction · CPC title

• H10P72/0602 Primary

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H01J2237/3341

  Reactive etching · CPC title