Patent · US Expired

Guard ring electrostatic chuck

USRE37580E1 · kind E1 · reissue

26Cited by
7References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 18, 1999
Grant dateMar 12, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 18, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC —)General

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck is disclosed that is resistant to the formation of vacuum arcs between the back of the wafer being processed and the body of the chuck. A guard ring surrounds the chuck and floats close to the self-bias potential induced by the plasma on the wafer. The voltage between the wafer and the closest electrode is thereby capacitively divided by the guard ring.

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