Micromachined silicon electrostatic chuck
In the field of microelectronics, and in particular the fabrication of microelectronics during plasma etching processes, electrostatic chucks have been used to hold silicon wafers during the plasma etching process. Current electrostatic chucks that operate by the {open_quotes}Johnson-Rahbek Effect{close_quotes} consist of a metallic base plate that is typically coated with a thick layer of slightly conductive dielectric material. A silicon wafer of approximately the same size as the chuck is placed on top of the chuck and a potential difference of several hundred volts is applied between the silicon and the base plate of the electrostatic chuck. This causes an electrostatic attraction proportional to the square of the electric field in the gap between the silicon wafer and the chuck face. When the chuck is used in a plasma filled chamber the electric potential of the wafer tends to be fixed by the effective potential of the plasma. The purpose of the dielectric layer on the chuck is to prevent the silicon wafer from coming into direct electrical contact with the metallic part of the chuck and shorting out the potential difference. On the other hand, a small amount of conductivity appears to be desirable in the dielectric coating so that much of its free surface between points of contact with the silicon wafer is maintained near the potential of the metallic base plate; otherwise, a much larger potential difference would be needed to produce a sufficiently large electric field in the vacuum gap between the wafer and chuck. Typically, the face of the chuck has a pattern of grooves in which about 10 torr pressure of helium gas is maintained. This gas provides cooling (thermal contact) between the wafer and the chuck. A pressure of 10 torr is equivalent to about 0.2 psi.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- Patent Number(s):
- PATENTS-US-A8341089
- Application Number:
- ON: DE97003562; PAN: 8-341,089; TRN: 97:001657
- OSTI ID:
- 444036
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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