Method of and structure for controlling electrode temperature
US7075031B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 24, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 11, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 8, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/67109
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of and a structure for controlling the temperature of an electrode (4). The electrode is heated prior to etching the first wafer and both a (temporally) stationary and a (spatially) homogeneous temperature of the silicon electrode are maintained. Resistive heater elements (1) are either embedded within the housing of the electrode (3) or formed as part of the electrode. The resistive heater elements form a heater of a multi-zone type in order to minimize the temperature non-uniformity. The resistive heater elements are divided into a plurality of zones, wherein the power to each zone can be adjusted individually, allowing the desirable temperature uniformity of the electrode to be achieved. Preheating the electrode to the appropriate operating temperature eliminates both the “first wafer effect” and non-uniform etching of a semiconductor wafer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.