Lam Research Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Vincent Burkhart

Karl Frederick Leeser

David Michael French

Shambhu Nath Roy

Timothy Scott Thomas

Liang Meng

Stephen Topping

Bart Jan Van Schravendijk

Ramesh Chandrasekharan

David Cohen

Kaihan Abidi Ashtiani

Sanjay Gopinath

Patrick G Breiling

Dhritiman Subha Kashyap

Damien Martin Slevin

Scott Fields

Miguel Benjamin Vasquez

Joel Philip Hollingsworth

Peter John Woytowitz

Michael Rumer

Natan Solomon

Jason Stevens

A thermal choke rod connecting a radio frequency source to a substrate support of a plasma processing system includes a tubular member having a first connector for connecting to an RF rod coupled to the substrate support and a second connector for connecting to an RF strap that couples to the RF source. A tubular segment extends between the first and second connectors. The first connector has a conically-shaped end region that tapers away from the inner surface thereof to an outer surface in a direction toward the tubular segment, and slits that extend for a prescribed distance from a terminal end of the first connector. The outer surface of the tubular segment has a threaded region for threaded engagement with an annular cap that fits over the first connector and reduces an inner diameter of the first connector upon contact with the conically-shaped end region of the first connector.

High temperature RF connection with integral thermal choke

A substrate processing system for processing a substrate within a processing chamber is provided and includes a source terminal, a substrate support, and a tuning circuit. The substrate support holds the substrate and includes first and second electrodes, which receive power from a power source via the source terminal. The tuning circuit is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode. The tuning circuit is allocated for tuning signals provided to the first electrode. The tuning circuit includes at least one of a first impedance set or a second impedance set. The first impedance set is serially connected between the first electrode and the power source and receives a first signal from the power source via the source terminal. The second impedance set is connected between an output of the power source and a reference terminal and receives the first signal from the power source via the source terminal.

RF tuning systems including tuning circuits having impedances for setting and adjusting parameters of electrodes in electrostatic chucks

Various embodiments include an apparatus to retrofit into an electrostatic chuck (ESC) of an existing plasma-based processing system. The apparatus includes a tube adapter portion having a dielectric coating formed on an inner surface of the tube adapter portion to prevent arcing between high voltage electrodes within the tube adapter portion and a main body of the tube adapter portion during an operation of the plasma-based processing system, a number of insulative tubes with the high voltage electrodes to be enclosed therein, and an enlarged gap portion of the tube adapter portion proximate outboard ones of the plurality of insulative tubes to prevent arcing. Other methods of forming the ESC, and related devices, apparatuses, and systems are disclosed.

Electrostatic chuck (ESC) pedestal voltage isolation

An ElectroStatic Chuck (ESC) including a chucking surface having at least a portion covered with a coating of silicon oxide (SiO), silicon nitride (SiN) or a combination of both. The coating can be applied in situ a processing chamber of a substrate processing tool and periodically removed and re-applied in situ to create fresh coating.

Protective coating for electrostatic chucks

An electrostatic substrate chuck with substrate backside purging to prevent incidental backside deposition and that provides thermal sinking to prevent or mitigate the failure of seals.

Electrostatic chucking pedestal with substrate backside purging and thermal sinking

A substrate support for a substrate processing system is provided and includes a body and mesas. The mesas are distributed across and extending from and in a direction away from the body. The mesas are configured to support a substrate. Each of the mesas includes a surface area that contacts and supports the substrate. Areal density of the mesas monotonically increases as a radial distance from a center of the substrate support increases.

Substrate support with increasing areal density and corresponding method of fabricating

A dual-plenum showerhead for semiconductor processing operations is provided. The showerhead may include a faceplate with two sets of gas distribution holes, each set fed by a separate plenum. One set of gas distribution holes may be through-holes in the faceplate of the showerhead and may allow gases trapped between the faceplate and a plasma dome to flow towards a wafer. The other set of gas distribution holes may distribute gas routed through passages or channels in the faceplate towards the wafer. The passages or channels in the faceplate may include radial channels and annular channels and may be fed from an annular gas distribution channel about the periphery of the faceplate.

Dual plenum, axi-symmetric showerhead with edge-to-center gas delivery

A wafer support assembly including a wafer support and cooling plate with radial thermal chokes is provided. The cooling plate and wafer support may have limited contact and may not contact each other outside of certain limited thermal contact patches. The thermal contact patches may generally define one or more radial thermal choke regions. In some implementations, high- and low-temperature cooling systems may be placed at one or more locations across the cooling plate to assist in temperature management.

High temperature electrostatic chuck with radial thermal chokes

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Vincent Burkhart