Electrostatic chuck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12341050-B2
Application number	US-202318121627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2023
Priority date	Mar 29, 2022
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck includes a base plate, a first heater element, and a plurality of first power feeding terminals. The base plate includes a communicating path having a spiral shape. The first heater element includes a plurality of first zones. The plurality of first power feeding terminals feeds power to the plurality of first zones. Each of the plurality of first zones includes a first heater line and a pair of first power feeding portions feeding power to the first heater line. The pair of first power feeding portions is electrically connected to the plurality of first power feeding terminals. The plurality of first power feeding terminals includes a first and a second annular portion. The communicating path includes a first circumferential portion surrounding the second annular portion between the first annular portion and the second annular portion when viewed along a stacking direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrostatic chuck, comprising:
a ceramic dielectric substrate configured to have a process object placed thereon;
a base plate supporting the ceramic dielectric substrate, the base plate having an upper surface at the ceramic dielectric substrate side and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, the base plate including a communicating path located between the upper surface and the lower surface, the communicating path having a spiral shape and being configured to allow a coolant to pass;
a first heater element including a plurality of first zones arranged in a radial direction and a circumferential direction, the first heater element including not less than twenty of the first zones; and
a plurality of first power feeding terminals feeding power to the plurality of first zones,
wherein each of the plurality of first zones including
a first heater line emitting heat by allowing a current to flow, and
a pair of first power feeding portions feeding power to the first heater line,

a number of the plurality of first power feeding terminals being not less than a number of the first zones,
the pair of first power feeding portions being electrically connected to the plurality of first power feeding terminals,
wherein the plurality of first power feeding terminals including
a first annular portion including a portion of first power feeding terminals among the plurality of first power feeding terminals, the portion of power feeding terminals included in the first annular portion being disposed on a first virtual circle, a number of the portion of first power feeding terminals included in the first annular portion being at least seven, and
a second annular portion including an other portion of first power feeding terminals among the plurality of first power feeding terminals, the second annular portion being positioned inward of the first annular portion, the other portion of first power feeding terminals included in the second annular portion being disposed on a second virtual circle, a number of the other portion of first power feeding terminals included in the second annular portion being at least seven,
wherein the communicating path including a first circumferential portion, the first circumferential portion surrounding the second annular portion between the first annular portion and the second annular portion when viewed along a stacking direction of the base plate and the ceramic dielectric substrate.

2. The chuck according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of first zones includes a first annular zone region,
the first annular zone region includes a portion of first zones among the plurality of first zones,
the portion of first zones included in the first annular zone region is arranged in a circumferential direction,
the portion of first power feeding terminals included in the first annular portion feeds power to the portion of first zones included in the first annular zone region, and
the number of the portion of first power feeding terminals included in the first annular portion is greater than 2×N1×0.6, where N1 is a number of the portion of first zones included in the first annular zone region.

3. The chuck according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of first zones includes a first annular zone region,
the first annular zone region includes a portion of first zones among the plurality of first zones,
the portion of first zones included in the first annular zone region is arranged in the circumferential direction,
the portion of first power feeding terminals included in the first annular portion feeds power to the portion of first zones included in the first annular zone region, and
a zone center of the first annular zone region is aligned with at least one of a first center of the first virtual circle or a second center of the second virtual circle.

4. The chuck according to claim 3 , wherein
the at least one is the first center of the first virtual circle.

5. The chuck according to claim 1 , wherein
the portion of first power feeding terminals included in the first annular portion are uniformly arranged in the circumferential direction.

6. The chuck according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second heater element including a plurality of second zones arranged in at least the radial direction; and
a plurality of second power feeding terminals feeding power to the plurality of second zones,
each of the plurality of second zones including
a second heater line emitting heat by allowing a current to flow, and
a pair of second power feeding portions feeding power to the second heater line,

a number of the plurality of second power feeding terminals being not less than a number of second zones,
the pair of second power feeding portions being electrically connected to the plurality of second power feeding terminals,
at least a portion of the plurality of second power feeding terminals overlapping at least one of the first virtual circle or the second virtual circle when viewed along the stacking direction.

7. The chuck according to claim 6 , wherein
the number of the plurality of first zones is greater than the number of the plurality of second zones.

Assignees

• Toto Ltd

Inventors

• Ono Akihito
• Itoyama Tetsuro
• Umetsu tomoki
• Uefuji Jumpei

Classifications

• H10P72/70

  for supporting or gripping · CPC title

• H10P72/722 Primary

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H01J37/32715

  Workpiece holder · CPC title

• H05B3/265

  the insulating base being an inorganic material, e.g. ceramic (H05B3/262 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01J2237/2007

  Holding mechanisms · CPC title