Lam Research Corporation

Christopher Kimball

Keith William Gaff

Feng Wang

Eric A Hudson

Alexei Marakhtanov

Douglas L Keil

Keith Laurence Comendant

Zhigang Chen

Alexander Matyushkin

Harmeet Singh

Hong Shih

John Edward Daugherty

Arnold Kholodenko

Lin Xu

Darrell Ehrlich

Changyou Jing

Satish Srinivasan

Russell Martin

David Joseph Wetzel

Oleksandr Mikhnenko

John W Rasnick

Yuanping Song

Yiwei Song

Tyler Gloski

Johnny Pham

An electrostatic chuck for a substrate processing system is provided. The electrostatic chuck includes: a top plate configured to electrostatically clamp to a substrate and formed of ceramic; an intermediate layer disposed below the top plate; and a baseplate disposed below the intermediate layer and formed of ceramic. The intermediate layer bonds the top plate to the baseplate.

Multi-plate electrostatic chucks with ceramic baseplates

A controller including a voltage sensor coupled to a heater trace integrated in an electrostatic chuck, the voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage difference across the heater trace, wherein the heater trace is associated with a heater zone. The controller including a current sensor coupled to the heater trace and configured to sense a current in the heater trace. The controller including a resistance identifier configured to identify a resistance of the heater trace based on the voltage difference and the current that is sensed. The controller including a temperature correlator configured to approximate a temperature of the heater zone based on the resistance and a correlation function of the heater trace. The correlation function uses a temperature coefficient of resistance of the heater trace.

Electrostatic chuck heater resistance measurement to approximate temperature

A method for making a component for use in a semiconductor processing chamber is provided. A component body is formed from a conductive material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of less than 10.0×10/K. A metal oxide layer is then disposed over a surface of the component body.

Method for conditioning semiconductor processing chamber components

An electrostatic chuck for a substrate processing system includes a monolithic body made of ceramic. A plurality of first electrodes are arranged in the monolithic body adjacent to a top surface of the monolithic body and that are configured to selectively receive a chucking signal. A gas channel is formed in the monolithic body and is configured to supply back side gas to the top surface. Coolant channels are formed in the monolithic body and are configured to receive fluid to control a temperature of the monolithic body.

Electrostatic chuck with ceramic monolithic body

A method for electrostatically clamping an edge ring in a plasma processing chamber with an electrostatic ring clamp with at least one ring backside temperature channel for providing a flow of gas to the edge ring is provided. A vacuum is provided to the at least one ring backside temperature channel Pressure in the backside temperature channel is measured. An electrostatic ring clamping voltage is provided when the pressure in the backside temperature channel reaches a threshold maximum pressure. The vacuum to the backside temperature channel is discontinued. Pressure in the backside temperature channel is measured. If pressure in the backside temperature channel rises faster than a threshold rate, then sealing failure is indicated. If pressure in the backside temperature channel does not rise faster than the threshold rate, a plasma process is continued, using the backside temperature channel to regulate a temperature of the edge ring.

Electrostatically clamped edge ring

An edge ring for use in a plasma processing chamber with a chuck is provided. An edge ring body has a first surface to be placed over and facing the chuck, wherein the first surface forms a ring around an aperture. A first elastomer ring is integrated to the first surface and extending around the aperture.

An electrostatic chuck assembly for processing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The electrostatic chuck assembly includes a first layer, a baseplate, a second layer, and at least one annular gasket. The first layer includes ceramic material and a first radio frequency (RF) electrode. The first RF electrode is embedded in the ceramic material. The second layer is disposed between the first layer and the baseplate. The at least one annular gasket extends along an upper surface of the baseplate and through the second layer. The at least one annular gasket electrically couples the upper surface of the baseplate to the first RF electrode. RF power passes from the baseplate to the first RF electrode through the at least one annular gasket.

Electrostatic chuck assembly incorporation a gasket for distributing RF power to a ceramic embedded electrode

A substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates comprises a processing chamber in which a substrate is processed. A process gas source is adapted to supply process gas into the processing chamber. A RF energy source is adapted to energize the process gas into a plasma state in the processing chamber. A vacuum source is adapted to exhaust byproducts of the processing from the processing chamber. The processing chamber includes an electrostatic chuck assembly having a layer of ceramic material that includes an upper electrostatic clamping electrode and at least one RF electrode, a temperature controlled RF powered baseplate, and at least one annular electrically conductive gasket extending along an outer portion of an upper surface of the temperature controlled RF powered baseplate. The at least one annular electrically conductive gasket electrically couples the upper surface of the temperature controlled RF powered baseplate to the at least one RF electrode.

ESC assembly including an electrically conductive gasket for uniform RF power delivery therethrough

An edge ring is provided for use with an electrostatic wafer chuck and an electrostatic ring chuck with a central aperture with a cooling groove and with ring clamping electrodes and at least one ring backside temperature channel to regulate the temperature of the edge ring. The edge ring comprises an edge ring body to be placed over the electrostatic ring chuck with ring clamping electrodes, wherein the edge ring body comprises conductive portions which are placed over the ring clamping electrodes, when the edge ring body is placed over the electrostatic ring chuck and a first elastomer ring integrated to a first surface of the edge ring body and surrounding a central aperture of the first surface, wherein when the edge ring body is placed over the electrostatic ring chuck, the first elastomer ring is used to seal the cooling groove.

A semiconductor wafer processing apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers comprises a semiconductor wafer processing chamber in which a semiconductor wafer is processed, a process gas source in fluid communication with the processing chamber adapted to supply process gas into the processing chamber, a vacuum source adapted to exhaust process gas and byproducts of the processing from the processing chamber, and an electrostatic chuck assembly. The electrostatic chuck assembly comprises a support surface in a layer of ceramic material on which the semiconductor wafer is supported during processing of the wafer in the chamber, at least one electrostatic clamping electrode embedded in the layer of ceramic material, the at least one electrostatic clamping electrode operable to apply an electrostatic clamping force to the wafer on the support surface when an electrostatic clamping voltage is applied to the clamping electrode, and at least one declamping electrode embedded in the layer of ceramic material above the at least one electrostatic clamping electrode operable to provide a path for draining any residual charge between the wafer and the support surface when the electrostatic clamping voltage is no longer applied to the clamping electrode.

Electrostatic chuck including declamping electrode and method of declamping

Methods using a probe apparatus configured to measure a set of electrical characteristics in a plasma include providing a chamber wall including at least a set of plasma chamber surfaces configured to be exposed to a plasma, the plasma having a set of electrical characteristics. The method includes installing a collection disk structure configured to be exposed to the plasma, wherein the collection disk structure having at least a body disposed within the chamber wall and a collection disk structure surface that is either coplanar or recessed with at least one of the set of plasma chamber surfaces and providing a conductive path configured to transmit the set of electrical characteristics from the collection disk structure to a set of transducers. The method may include coupling a thermal grounding element with the conductive path for providing thermal grounding to at least the conductive path and may alternatively or additionally include disposing an insulation barrier configured to substantially electrically separate at least one of the collection disk and the conductive path.

Methods for measuring a set of electrical characteristics in a plasma

A plasma probe assembly for use in a plasma processing chamber is provided. A semiconductor probe element with a probe surface at a first end of the semiconductor probe element is provided. An electrical connector is electrically connected to the semiconductor probe element. An electrically insulating sleeve surrounds at least part of the probe element. An adjustment device is connected to the semiconductor probe so that the probe surface is coplanar with an interior chamber surface of the plasma processing chamber.

Adjustable height PIF probe

A plasma processing chamber with a probe apparatus configured to measure a set of electrical characteristics in a plasma is disclosed. The plasma processing chamber includes a set of plasma chamber surfaces configured to be exposed to the plasma. The probe apparatus includes a collection disk structure configured to be exposed to the plasma, whereby the collection disk structure is coplanar with at least one of the set of plasma chamber surfaces. The probe apparatus also includes a conductive path configured to transmit the set of electrical characteristics from the collection disk structure to a set of transducers.

Plasma processing chamber with an apparatus for measuring a set of electrical characteristics in a plasma

An electrical connector has a non-conductive outer housing and a spring-loaded conductive assembly mounted within. The non-conductive outer housing has a longitudinal axis along which the spring-loaded conductive assembly is allowed to move over a limited range, in either direction. The conductive assembly includes a conductive contact pad and an conductive elongated shaft which are mated together within the non-conductive outer housing. A spring mounted along the contact shaft and in abutment therewith biases the contact shaft in a direction away from the contact base. When the electrical connector is employed in a chamber lid of a chamber lid assembly having an integrated laminated heater, such as for use in conjunction with a wafer processing chamber, the spring biases a lower surface of the contact shaft against the heater.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Christopher Kimball