Low Cost Electrostatic Chuck for Chucking Insulator Substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025293070-A1
Application number	US-202418926108-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 24, 2024
Priority date	Mar 13, 2024
Publication date	Sep 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods of forming electrostatic chucks (ESCs) are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of forming an electrostatic chuck (ESC) includes: forming a plurality of first grooves that are interconnected in a lower surface of a ceramic plate; forming a plurality of second grooves that are interconnected in the lower surface of the ceramic plate and that are separate from the plurality of first grooves; depositing a metal layer in the plurality of first grooves to form a first electrode and in the plurality of second grooves to form a second electrode; and filling the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves with a dielectric material.

First claim

1 . A method of forming an electrostatic chuck (ESC), comprising:
forming a plurality of first grooves that are interconnected in a lower surface of a ceramic plate; forming a plurality of second grooves that are interconnected in the lower surface of the ceramic plate and that are separate from the plurality of first grooves; depositing a metal layer in the plurality of first grooves to form a first electrode and in the plurality of second grooves to form a second electrode; and filling the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves with a dielectric material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a plurality of third grooves that are interconnected in the lower surface of the ceramic plate; depositing the metal layer in the plurality of third grooves to form a third electrode; and filling the plurality of third grooves with the dielectric material.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves is performed via saw dicing, laser machining, or ultrasonic machining.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
bonding a cooling plate made of a metal or metal alloy to the lower surface of the ceramic plate; and bonding a second ceramic plate to the cooling plate.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves is performed by depositing a ceramic material on the lower surface of the ceramic plate.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising polishing an upper surface of the ceramic plate to make the upper surface able to electrostatically retain a substrate disposed thereon.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer comprises a metallic ink or metallic paste comprising aluminum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, platinum, or an alloy thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the ceramic plate has a thickness of about 0.5 mm to about 3.0 mm, or the ceramic plate is a sintered plate.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a plurality of vacuum holes through the ceramic plate to provide vacuum chucking.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material comprises a silicone paste, polyimide, acrylic, a plasma spray ceramic material, alumina, compounds comprising aluminum or yttrium, or epoxy.

11 . A method of forming a multi-panel ESC, comprising:
forming a plurality of ESC panels, wherein forming each ESC panel comprises forming the ESC of claim 1 , and further comprising: electrically connecting the first electrode of each of the plurality of ESC panels; and electrically connecting the second electrode of each of the plurality of ESC panels.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising attaching a cooling plate to the plurality of ESC panels.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising placing the plurality of ESC panels in a tray to secure the plurality of ESC panels.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of ESC panels comprise 4 to 9 ESC panels.

15 . An electrostatic chuck (ESC), comprising:
one or more ESC panels, wherein each ESC panel comprises:
a ceramic plate having a plurality of first grooves that are interconnected in a lower surface of a ceramic plate and a plurality of second grooves that are interconnected in the lower surface of the ceramic plate and that are separate from the plurality of first grooves;
a first metal layer disposed in the plurality of first grooves to form a first electrode and a second metal layer disposed in the plurality of second grooves to form a second electrode; and
a dielectric material disposed in the plurality of first grooves to enclose the first electrode and in the plurality of second grooves to enclose the second electrode.

16 . The ESC of claim 15 , wherein the one or more ESC panels comprises a plurality of ESC panels, wherein the first electrode of each of the one or more ESC panels are electrically coupled, and wherein the second electrode of each of the one or more ESC panels are electrically coupled.

17 . The ESC of claim 16 , further comprising a tray that includes a base plate and sidewalls extending from the base plate, wherein the plurality of ESC panels are disposed in the tray.

18 . The ESC of claim 15 , further comprising a metal cooling plate coupled to the lower surface of each of the one or more ESC panels.

19 . The ESC of claim 18 , further comprising a second ceramic plate coupled to each of the one or more ESC panels and disposed between the one or more ESC panels and the metal cooling plate.

20 . The ESC of claim 15 , wherein a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is between about 0.3 to about 3.0 mm.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Parkhe Vijay D

Classifications

• H10P72/722 Primary

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/7616

  characterised by a coating, a hardness or a material · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H01J2237/2007

  Holding mechanisms · CPC title

• H01J37/32715

  Workpiece holder · CPC title