Applied Materials, Inc.

Edwin Charles Weldon

Arik Donde

Shamouil Shamouilian

Dan Maydan

Ananda H Kumar

Kadthala Ramaya Narendrnath

Brian C Lue

Robert J Steger

Timothy S Dyer

Kenneth S Collins

Arnold Kholodenko

Dennis Stanley Grimard

Alexander M Veytser

Semyon L Kats

Andreas G Hegedus

Hyman J Levinstein

Robert W Wu

Surinder S Bedi

Gerhard M Schneider

Jon T Clinton

Michael Robert Rice

Hong Peng Wang

Clifford Stow

Yongxiang He

Eric Farahmand E Askarinam

Disclosed herein is a method of roughening a ceramic surface by forming mechanical interlocks in the ceramic surface by a chemical etching process, a thermal etching process, or a laser micromachining process. Also disclosed herein are components for use in semiconductor processing chambers (in particular, a deposition ring for use in a PVD chamber) which have at least one ceramic surface having mechanical interlocks formed therein by chemical etching, thermal etching, or laser micromachining. Ceramic surfaces which have been roughened according to the chemical etching, thermal etching, or laser micromachining process of the invention are less brittle and damaged than ceramic surfaces which are roughened using conventional grit blasting techniques. The method of the invention results in a roughened ceramic surface which provides good adherence to an overlying sacrificial layer (such as aluminum).

Reusable ceramic-comprising component which includes a scrificial surface layer

An electrostatic chuck has an electrode capable of being electrically charged to electrostatically hold a substrate. A composite layer covers the electrode. The composite layer comprises (1) a first dielectric material covering a central portion of the electrode, and (2) a second dielectric material covering a peripheral portion of the electrode, the second dielectric material having a different composition than the composition of the first dielectric material. The chuck is useful in a plasma process chamber to process substrates, such as semiconductor wafers.

Electrostatic chuck having composite dielectric layer and method of manufacture

A temperature control system is used to control the temperature of a process chamber during processing of a semiconductor substrate The temperature control system comprises a heat exchanger plate for removing heat from the chamber and a heat transfer member for conducting heat to the heat exchanger plate The heat transfer member comprises a lower heat conduction surface bonded to an external surface of the chamber and an upper heat transmitting surface thermally coupled to the heat exchanger plate Preferably, the temperature control assembly comprises a heater for heating the chamber and a computer control system for regulating the heat removed by the heat exchanger plate as well as the heat supplied by the heater to maintain the chamber at substantially uniform temperatures.

Process chamber having improved temperature control

An electrostatic chuck useful for holding a substrate in a high density plasma, comprises an electrode at least partially covered by a semiconducting dielectric , wherein the semiconducting dielectric may have an electrical resistance of from about 5&times;10 &OHgr;cm to about 8&times;10 &OHgr;cm.

Dielectric covered electrostatic chuck

A process chamber,for processing a substrate,, such as a semiconductor wafer, comprises a support,having a surface,for supporting the substrate,. A gas distributor,in the chamber comprises a gas manifold,comprising at least one insert,having an orifice,for passing gas from the gas manifold,into the process chamber,. Preferably, the gas manifold,extends about a perimeter,of the substrate,and comprises a plurality of inserts,made from dielectric material.

Process chamber having improved gas distributor and method of manufacture

A thermally conductive medium includes a body with a first melting point and phase-changing material encapsulating a portion of the body, with the phase-changing material having a second melting point. The first melting point is greater than the second melting point, and the phase-changing material is configured to be in a liquid phase at temperatures above the second melting point and a solid phase at temperatures below the same. In the liquid phase, an adhesive force is present between the body and the phase-changing material due to capillary attraction, and the phase-changing material may be wettable to one of the two surfaces.

Thermally conductive conformal media

An electrostatic chuck 100 useful for holding a substrate 55 in a high density plasma, comprises a dielectric covered electrode 110 having at least one heat transfer gas flow conduit 150 therein. An electrical isolator 200 comprising dielectric material is positioned in the gas flow conduit 150 to (i) electrically isolate the gas in the conduit from the plasma or electrode 110, and (ii) allow passage of heat transfer gas through the conduit. Preferably, the dielectric material comprises a plasma-deactivating material that has a high surface area that reduces plasma formation of gas passing through the conduit 150 in a plasma process. A semiconducting dielectric member 115 useful for rapidly charging and discharging electrostatic chucks is also described.

Electrostatic chuck having improved gas conduits

A puncture resistant electrostatic chuck (20) is described. The chuck (20) comprises at least one electrode (25); and a composite insulator (30) covering the electrode. The composite insulator comprises a matrix material having a conformal holding surface (50) capable of conforming to the substrate (35) under application of an electrostatic force generated by the electrode to reduce leakage of heat transfer fluid held between the substrate and the holding surface. A hard puncture resistant layer, such a layer of fibers or an aromatic polyamide layer, is positioned below the holding surface (50) and is sufficiently hard to increase the puncture resistance of the composite insulator.

Puncture resistant electrostatic chuck

The present invention discloses a two basic structures (including multiple variations within one of the basic structures) and methods for fabrication of the structures which facilitate the flow of cooling gas or other heat transfer fluid to the surface of an electrostatic chuck. The basic structures address both the problem of breakdown of a heat transfer gas in an RF plasma environment and the problem of arcing between a semiconductor substrate and the conductive pedestal portion of the electrostatic chuck in such an RF plasma environment.

Growing community of inventors

Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Edwin Charles Weldon