Method and apparatus for the grounding of process wafers by the use of conductive regions created by ion implantation into the surface of an electrostatic clamp
US6552892B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 9, 2001 |
| Grant date | Apr 22, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 3, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/6833
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention relates to an electrostatic clamp and comprises a dielectric layer overlying an electrode and a doped region in the dielectric layer. The doped region of the dielectric layer is electrically conductive, and when the doped region is coupled to a circuit ground potential, the doped region of the dielectric layer is operable to bleed off charge which accumulates on a workpiece residing thereon during processing. The present invention further comprises a method of forming an electrostatic clamp which comprises the steps of forming an electrically insulating layer over an electrode and doping a portion of the electrically insulating layer, wherein the doped portion of the electrically insulating layer becomes electrically conductive.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.