Hybrid vacuum electrostatic chuck carrier for high warpage wafers

Abstract

A method of processing a substrate includes positioning the substrate on an upper surface of a modular substrate holder in a first chamber. The substrate holder comprises vacuum channels and electrodes. While within the first chamber, the substrate is clamped and flattened by applying a vacuum to the vacuum channels. A voltage is then applied to the electrodes to further clamp the substrate with an electrostatic force. The first chamber is pumped out to a vacuum pressure. While clamped by the electrostatic force, the modular substrate holder is physically disconnected from the voltage source and transferred from the first chamber into a second chamber under vacuum conditions, relying on residual electrostatic charge to maintain the substrate in a flattened state. Within the second chamber, the electrostatic force is maintained, and the substrate is processed at a vacuum pressure.