Applied Materials, Inc.

Surinder S Bedi

Shamouil Shamouilian

Arnold Kholodenko

Kadthala Ramaya Narendrnath

You Wang

Ananda H Kumar

Dennis Stanley Grimard

Alexander M Veytser

Semyon L Kats

Jon T Clinton

Wing Lau Cheng

Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan

Mario David Silvetti

Pyongwon Yim

Indrajit Lahiri

Tom K Cho

Andreas G Hegedus

Hyman J Levinstein

Robert W Wu

Syed Hasan Askari

Andrzej Kaszuba

Arik Donde

Edwin Charles Weldon

Sophia M Velastegui

Vinay K Shah

Semyon Sherstinsky

Satish Sundar

Liang-Guo Wang

Venkatesh Babu

Douglas Kitajima

Michael Douglas

Anand H Kumar

Mark Contreras

In one embodiment, the invention is a guard ring for reducing particle entrapment along a moveable shaft of a substrate support. In one embodiment, the guard ring comprises a substantially annular guard ring positioned within a step formed in a sleeve that circumscribes the shaft. The guard ring is positioned to substantially seal a gap separating the shaft from the sleeve, so that the amount of particles and foreign matter that travel within or become trapped in the gap is substantially reduced. In another embodiment, a guard ring comprises a base portion having an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, a first flange coupled to the inner perimeter, a second flange coupled to the outer perimeter, and a continuous channel separating the first flange from the second flange. The first flange is adapted to function as a spring that accommodates displacement of the shaft.

Apparatus for reducing entrapment of foreign matter along a moveable shaft of a substrate support

A robotic positioning system that cooperates with a sensing system to correct robot motion is provided. The sensing system is decoupled from the sensors used conventionally to control the robot's motion, thereby providing repeatable detection of the robot's true position. In one embodiment, the positioning system includes a robot, a controller, a motor sensor and a decoupled sensor. The robot has at least one motor for manipulating a linkage controlling the displacement of a substrate support coupled thereto. The motor sensor is provides the controller with motor actuation information utilized to move the substrate support. The decoupled sensor provides information indicative of the true position the substrate support that may be utilized to correct the robot's motion.

Method and apparatus for monitoring the position of a semiconductor processing robot

A substrate support has a receiving surface capable of receiving a substrate during processing in a substrate processing chamber. The substrate support has a pedestal having a conduit to circulate a heat transfer fluid therein. A barrier about the conduit includes a fluid detection material capable of detecting a leakage of the fluid from the conduit be changing an attribute, for example, an optical or electrical property.

Substrate support having barrier capable of detecting fluid leakage

An electrostatic chuck for holding a substrate comprises an electrostatic member made from a dielectric covering an electrode that is chargeable to electrostatically hold the substrate A base that includes a heater is joined to the electrostatic member The base may be made from a composite material, such as a porous ceramic infiltrated with the metal, and may be joined to the electrostatic member by a bond layer.

Electrostatic chuck having heater and method

An electrostatic chuck for holding a substrate has an electrostatic member having a dielectric covering an electrode that is chargeable to electrostatically hold the substrate. The bond layer has a metal layer that is infiltrated or brazed between the electrostatic member and the base. The base may be a composite of a ceramic and metal, the composite having a coefficient of thermal expansion within about &plusmn;30% of a coefficient of thermal expansion of the electrostatic member. The base may also have a heater.

Electrostatic chuck bonded to base with a bond layer and method

A chamber for processing a substrate comprises a support comprising a dielectric enveloping an electrode The electrode may be chargeable to electrostatically hold the substrate or may be chargeable to form an energized gas in the chamber to process the substrate A base is below the support and a compliant member is positioned between the support and the base The compliant member may be adapted to alleviate thermal stresses arising from a thermal expansion mismatch between the dielectric and the base

Support for supporting a substrate in a process chamber

An electrostatic chuck comprises an electrical connector which is connected to the electrode to conduct an electrical charge to the electrode The electrical connector comprises a refractory metal having a melting temperature of at least about 1500&deg; C., such as for example, tungsten, titanium, nickel, tantalum, molybdenum, or alloys thereof. Preferably, the electrical connector is bonded to the electrode by a metal having a softening temperature of less than about 600&deg; C., such as aluminum, indium, or low melting point alloys.

Electrostatic chuck having improved electrical connector and method

An electrostatic chuck,has an electrostatic member,including a dielectric,having a surface,adapted to receive the substrate,The dielectric,covers an electrode,that is chargeable to electrostatically hold the substrate,A support,below the electrostatic member,has a cavity,adapted to hold a gas to serve as a thermal insulator to regulate the flow of heat from the electrostatic chuck,to a surface,of the chamber,The cavity,has a cross-sectional profile that is shaped to provide a predetermined temperature profile across the substrate

Electrostatic chuck having gas cavity and method

Apparatus for supporting a workpiece and method of making same. The apparatus comprises a flex circuit laminated to a contoured support pedestal. The flex circuit includes a reinforced layer to improve puncture resistance of the flex circuit. The top surface of the chuck has a contoured topography that is achieved by machining the upper surface of the pedestal prior to lamination of the flex circuit to the pedestal. The contoured topography improves the flow of backside cooling gas resulting in a more uniform wafer temperature profile.

Electrostatic chuck with improved temperature control and puncture resistance

An electrostatic chuck 20 for holding a substrate 25 in a process chamber 30 comprises an electrostatic member 115 comprising a polymer 120 covering an electrode 125, the polymer 120 having a receiving surface 135 for receiving the substrate 25. A heater 130 abutting the polymer 120 is provided to heat the substrate 25 during processing of the substrate 25. The heater 130 has a resistance that is sufficiently low to heat the substrate 25 without causing excessive thermal degradation of the polymer 120.

Polymer chuck with heater and method of manufacture

A failure resistant electrostatic chuck 20 for holding a substrate 35 during processing of the substrate 35 comprises one or more electrodes 25 covered by an insulator 30, the electrodes 25 capable of electrostatically holding a substrate 35 when a voltage is applied thereto. An electrical power bus 40 comprises one or more output terminals 45 that conduct voltage to the electrodes 25. The fuses 50 are positioned in hollow cavities 55 in the insulator 30, and electrically connect the electrodes 25 in series to the output terminals 45 of the power bus 40. Each fuse 50 can electrically disconnect an electrode 25 from an output terminal 45 when the insulator 30 covering the electrode 25 punctures and exposes the electrode 25 to a plasma process environment thereby causing a plasma current discharge to flow through the fuse 50.

Multi-electrode electrostatic chuck having fuses in hollow cavities

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.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Surinder S Bedi