Patent · US Active

Methods for stabilizing contact surfaces of electrostatic chucks

US8906164B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
11References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 5, 2010
Grant dateDec 9, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 14, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/6831
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Methods for stabilizing a ceramic contact surface of an electrostatic chuck, wherein the electrostatic chuck can be disposed within a reaction chamber of a semiconductor wafer processing assembly including a radio frequency source and a coolant gas supply are described herein. The method may include: clamping electrostatically a conditioning wafer to the ceramic contact surface of the electrostatic chuck; and cycling an output power of the radio frequency source and an output pressure of the coolant gas supply for multiple hot/cold cycles. Each of the hot/cold cycles includes a hot abrasion state and a cold abrasion state. At the hot abrasion state, the output power of the radio frequency source is relatively high and the output pressure of the coolant gas supply is relatively low to yield a relatively hot conditioning wafer. At the cold abrasion state, the output power of the radio frequency source is relatively low and the output pressure of the coolant gas supply is relatively high to yield a relatively cool conditioning wafer.

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