Patent · US Expired

Electrostatic chuck with reference electrode

US5467249A · kind A · utility

26Cited by
6References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 20, 1993
Grant dateNov 14, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 20, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T279/23
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck has its electrodes biased with respect to the self-bias potential induced by the plasma on the wafer, thereby providing improved resistance to breakdown in spite of variation of the wafer potential during processing, further suppressing the formation of vacuum arcs between the back of the wafer being processed and the body of the chuck by the interposition of a conductive guard ring at the self-bias potential, thereby defining an equipotential area between the closest electrode and the wafer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.