Installation fixture for elastomer bands and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9355884-B2
Application number	US-201414470477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Nov 10, 2011
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A kit comprising an installation fixture, a plurality of mechanical fasteners and an embedding tool is provided which allows for an elastomer band to be disposed in a mounting groove around a semiconductor substrate support in a manner that relieves the internal stresses of the elastomer band, leading to an elastomer band with a longer operational lifetime. The installation fixture is secured to a substrate support with mechanical fasteners. An elastomer band is placed around an outer circumference of the installation fixture and rotated back and forth to relieve internal stresses of the elastomer band. The fixture is inverted and the elastomer band is slid vertically off the fixture and into the mounting groove. An embedding tool can be used to completely insert the elastomer band into the mounting groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of installing an elastomer band as a protective edge seal around a portion of a semiconductor substrate support used for supporting a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
a) disposing an elastomer band around a vertically extending portion of an installation fixture; and
b) sliding the elastomer band off the vertically extending portion of the installation fixture and into a mounting groove in the substrate support adapted to receive the elastomer band.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to step a): securing the substrate support to a work-piece disposed outside of the plasma processing chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to step a): securing the installation fixture to the substrate support such that vertically extending portion of installation fixture faces away from the substrate support.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer band is of fluoroelastomeric or perfluoroelastomeric material, the method further comprising, between steps a) and b): rotating the elastomer band around the vertically extending portion of the installation fixture.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, between steps a) and b): positioning the installation fixture such that the vertically extending portion of the installation fixture faces the substrate support.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, between steps a) and b): securing the installation fixture to the substrate support while the vertically extending portion of the installation fixture faces the substrate support.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after step b): pressing a tool against the elastomer band and compressing the elastomer band into the mounting groove.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the substrate support is secured to a table.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support is located inside of a plasma etching chamber.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate support comprises a ceramic plate or a heater plate as an upper surface.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the installation fixture includes an inner portion which is placed above an outer portion of an upper surface of the substrate support and an outer portion surrounding the inner portion, the outer portion comprising the vertically extending portion and a plurality of radially extending portions clamped to the substrate support by a plurality of mechanical fasteners received in mounting holes in the substrate support.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the vertically extending portion has an angled tip at a free end thereof over which the elastomer band slides into the mounting groove.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the installation fixture is comprised of plastic, quartz, ceramic, metal or silicon.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the installation fixture is comprised of plastic.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plastic comprises a fluorocarbon.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising pressing the elastomer band into the groove with a curved embedding tool, the tool comprising two opposing surfaces that are curved in a concave manner, wherein one curved surface comprises a recess at an inner portion thereof with radially extending portions at outer portions thereof, each radially extending portion comprising a projection; and wherein the opposing curved surface comprises a series of equilaterally spaced indentations.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the installation fixture is comprised of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the curved embedding tool is comprised of polyetheretherketon (PEEK) or polytetrafluorothylene (PTFE).

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Chhatre Rish
• Schaefer David
• Lee Sung
• Haber Dan

Classifications

• H10P72/0462 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0421

  for drying etching · CPC title

• H10P72/7611 Primary

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title

• H10P50/242 Primary

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title