Substrate test apparatus and method for measuring dechucking force using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12261072-B2
Application number	US-202217890987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2022
Priority date	Oct 28, 2021
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

A substrate test apparatus is provided that can measure a dechucking force with high reliability. The substrate test apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck, a normal-force measuring unit disposed on the electrostatic chuck to be capable of pushing or pulling the substrate vertically, an electrostatic-chuck power supplying unit for applying a driving voltage and a first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck, and a substrate power supplying unit for applying a second ground voltage to the substrate, wherein the substrate test apparatus performs steps including applying the driving voltage to the electrostatic chuck and charging the substrate by applying the second ground voltage to the substrate, subsequently discharging the substrate by applying the first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck and by applying the second ground voltage to the substrate, and subsequently measuring a dechucking force of the substrate by pulling the substrate vertically by the normal-force measuring unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate test apparatus, comprising:
an electrostatic chuck configured to support a substrate;
a normal-force measuring unit disposed on the electrostatic chuck;
an electrostatic-chuck power supplying unit configured to apply a driving voltage and a first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck; and
a substrate power supplying unit configured to apply a second ground voltage to the substrate,
wherein the substrate test apparatus is configured to perform steps comprising:
applying the driving voltage to the electrostatic chuck, and charging the substrate by applying the second ground voltage to the substrate;
subsequently discharging the substrate by applying the first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck and by applying the second ground voltage to the substrate; and
subsequently measuring a dechucking force of the substrate by the normal-force measuring unit.

2. The substrate test apparatus of claim 1 , configured to perform a further step comprising:
before the charging of the substrate, setting an initial charge of the substrate by applying the second ground voltage to the substrate.

3. The substrate test apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the electrostatic-chuck power supplying unit is responsive to the setting of the initial charge of the substrate for keeping from applying the driving voltage and the first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck.

4. The substrate test apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the charging of the substrate proceeds during a first operating time, and the discharging of the substrate proceeds during a second operating time different from the first operating time.

5. The substrate test apparatus of claim 1 , configured to perform a further step comprising:
after the charging of the substrate and before the discharging of the substrate, maintaining the substrate in a charged state by keeping from applying the driving voltage to the electrostatic chuck and by keeping from applying the second ground voltage to the substrate.

6. The substrate test apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the charging of the substrate proceeds during a first operating time, the discharging of the substrate proceeds during a second operating time shorter than the first operating time, and the maintaining of the substrate in a charged state proceeds during a third operating time shorter than the second operating time.

7. The substrate test apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a clamp disposed under the electrostatic chuck and configured to hold the electrostatic chuck in place.

8. The substrate test apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measuring of the dechucking force of the substrate by the normal-force measuring unit is performed while keeping from applying the second ground voltage to the substrate and keeping from applying the driving voltage and the first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck.

9. The substrate test apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the discharging of the substrate subsequently leaves, internally of the substrate, residual charges that generate between the substrate and the electrostatic chuck an electrostatic attraction by which the dechucking force is determined.

10. The substrate test apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a test chamber including an interior space configured to process the substrate; and
a transport unit disposed under the test chamber and configured to transport the test chamber.

11. The substrate test apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a motor disposed on an upper surface of the test chamber and configured to provide the normal-force measuring unit with a driving force capable of pushing or pulling the substrate, the motor providing the normal-force measuring unit with the driving force through a ball screw mechanism in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

12. The substrate test apparatus of claim 11 , wherein upon receiving the driving force from the motor, the normal-force measuring unit is actuated to constantly pull the substrate at a first speed or a second speed that is different from the first speed.

13. The substrate test apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a damper disposed between the motor and the normal-force measuring unit and configured to reduce a vibration generated when the motor provides the driving force to the normal-force measuring unit.

14. A method of measuring dechucking force, comprising:
placing a substrate on an electrostatic chuck;
charging the substrate by applying a driving voltage to the electrostatic chuck and applying a second ground voltage to the substrate;
subsequently discharging the substrate by applying a first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck and by applying the second ground voltage to the substrate; and
subsequently measuring a dechucking force of the substrate by pulling the substrate in a vertical direction by a normal-force measuring unit that is disposed on the substrate.

15. The method of claim 14 , further step comprising:
before the charging of the substrate, setting an initial charge of the substrate by applying the second ground voltage to the substrate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein when setting the initial charge of the substrate, keeping from applying the driving voltage and the first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
after the charging of the substrate and before the discharging of the substrate, maintaining the substrate in a charged state by keeping from applying the driving voltage to the electrostatic chuck and by keeping from applying the second ground voltage to the substrate.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the measuring of the dechucking force of the substrate by pulling the substrate in a vertical direction by the normal-force measuring unit is performed by keeping from applying the second ground voltage to the substrate and by keeping from applying the driving voltage and the first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the discharging of the substrate subsequently leaves, internally of the substrate, residual charges that generate between the substrate and the electrostatic chuck an electrostatic attraction by which the dechucking force is determined.

20. A substrate test apparatus, comprising:
an electrostatic chuck configured to support a substrate;
a normal-force measuring unit disposed on the electrostatic chuck;
an electrostatic-chuck power supplying unit configured to apply a driving voltage and a first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck; and
a substrate power supplying unit configured to apply a second ground voltage to the substrate,
wherein the substrate test apparatus is configured to perform steps comprising:
applying the driving voltage to the electrostatic chuck, and charging the substrate by applying the second ground voltage to the substrate;
subsequently discharging the substrate by applying the first ground voltage to the electrostatic chuck and by applying the second ground voltage to the substrate; and
subsequently measuring a dechucking force of the substrate by the normal-force measuring unit,
wherein the charging of the substrate proceeds during a first operating time, and the discharging of the substrate proceeds during a second operating time different from the first operating time, and
wherein the measuring of the dechucking force of the substrate by the normal-force measuring unit is performed while keeping from applying the second ground voltage to the sub

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jong Ho
• Lee Doo Hee
• Ryu Hae Yong

Classifications

• H10P72/7606

  characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring · CPC title

• H10P72/722 Primary

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/0604 Primary

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

• H10P72/0606

  Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection · CPC title

• H01J37/32935 Primary

  Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge · CPC title