Electrostatic chuck with improved erosion resistance

US6023405A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Shamouil Shamouilian · San Jose, US
• Manoocher Birang · Los Gatos, US
• John F. Cameron · Los Altos, US
• Chandra Deshpandey · Los Angeles, US
• Alfred Goldspeil · Watsonville, US
• Ron Northrup · San Jose, US
• Semyon Shertinsky · San Francisco, US
• Sasson Somekh · Los Altos Hills, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 17, 1998
• Grant date: Feb 8, 2000
• Expiry date: Feb 17, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T279/23
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck (20) for holding a substrate (45) is described. One version of the chuck (20) suitable for mounting on a base (25), comprises (i) an electrostatic member (33) having an electrode (50) therein, and (ii) an electrical lead (60) extending through the base (25) to electrically engage the electrode (50) of the electrostatic member (33). When the chuck (20) is used to hold a substrate (45) in a process chamber (80) containing erosive process gas, the substrate (45) covers and substantially protects the electrical lead (60) from erosion by the erosive process gas. In a preferred version of the chuck (20), an electrical connector (55) forming an integral extension of the electrode (50), electrically connects the electrode (50) to a voltage supply terminal (70) used to operate the chuck (20). The electrical connector (55) comprises (i) an electrical lead (60) that extends through the base (25), and (ii) an electrical contact (65) on the electrical lead (60), the contact sized sufficiently large to directly contact and electrically engage the voltage supply terminal (70). The electrode (50) of the chuck (20) can comprise first and second electrodes (130), (135) electri…