Methods and apparatuses for clamping and declamping a semiconductor wafer in a wafer processing system
US5793192A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 1996 |
| Grant date | Aug 11, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T279/23
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for clamping a wafer to an electrostatic chuck having a substantially resistive dielectric layer disposed thereon. The method includes the step of providing a build-up voltage having a first polarity to a pole of the electrostatic chuck to cause a potential difference to build up between a first region of the substantially resistive dielectric layer and a second region of the wafer that overlies at least a portion of the first region. This potential difference gives rise to a clamping force to clamp the wafer to the electrostatic chuck. The method further includes the step of terminating the build-up voltage when the clamping force substantially reaches a predefined level. There is further included the step of providing a holding voltage to the pole of the electrostatic chuck to substantially maintain the clamping force at the predefined level. This holding voltage has the first polarity and a magnitude that is lower than a magnitude of the build-up voltage. There is further included the step of providing a declamping voltage to the pole of the electrostatic chuck to substantially remove the clamping force, the declamping voltage having a polarity that is opposite to the f…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.