Method of mounting wires on a substrate support ceramic

Abstract

A substrate support assembly comprises a base plate, a ceramic plate arranged on the base plate, and a plurality of wires. The ceramic plate comprises a plurality of slots arranged on a side facing the base plate and a plurality of electrically conductive terminals disposed within each of the plurality of slots. Each terminal comprises a base portion connected to the ceramic plate, a second portion extending from the base portion toward the base plate, and an opening in the second portion extending from an end of the second portion adjacent to the base portion to a distal end of the second portion. Each of the wires passes through the opening of each terminal and is braided around the distal end of the second portion of each terminal.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to substrate processing systems, and more specifically to a method of mounting wires on a substrate support ceramic. Background Technology

[0002] The description of the background technology provided in this specification is intended to provide the general context of the present disclosure. The work of the inventors named in this specification to the extent described in this background technology section, as well as aspects of the technology that may not otherwise be recognized as prior art at the time of filing, are not explicitly or implicitly recognized as prior art to the present disclosure.

[0003] A substrate processing system typically comprises several processing chambers (also referred to as process modules) for performing deposition, etching, and other processes on substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. Examples of processes that may be performed on a substrate include, but are not limited to, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), chemically enhanced plasma vapor deposition (CEPVD), sputtering physical vapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD). Additional examples of processes that may be performed on a substrate include, but are not limited to, etching processes (e.g., chemical etching, plasma etching, reactive ion etching, etc.) and cleaning processes.

[0004] During processing, the substrate is placed on a substrate support assembly, such as a pedestal or electrostatic chuck (ESC), arranged within the processing chamber of the substrate processing system. A robot typically transfers the substrates from one processing chamber to another in a sequence in which the substrates are processed. During deposition, a gas mixture containing one or more precursors is introduced into the processing chamber, and the plasma is struck to activate chemical reactions. During etching, a gas mixture containing etching gases is introduced into the processing chamber, and the plasma is struck to activate chemical reactions. The processing chambers are periodically cleaned by supplying cleaning gas into the processing chamber and striking the plasma. (Patent Document 1) US 2017 / 0040148 A1 (February 9, 2017)

[0005] Cross-reference regarding related applications

[0006] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 053,111 filed on July 17, 2020. The full disclosure of the aforementioned application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0007] A substrate support assembly comprises a base plate, a ceramic plate disposed on the base plate, and a plurality of wires. The ceramic plate comprises a plurality of slots disposed on a side facing the base plate and a plurality of electrically conductive terminals disposed within each of the plurality of slots. Each terminal comprises a base portion connected to the ceramic plate, a second portion extending from the base portion toward the base plate, and an opening in the second portion extending from an end of the second portion adjacent to the base portion to a distal end of the second portion. Each of the wires passes through the opening of each terminal and is braided around the distal end of the second portion of each terminal.

[0008] In another feature, each wire is looped one or more times around the distal end of the second part of each terminal.

[0009] In another feature, the substrate support assembly further includes an electrically bonding material deposited on the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals.

[0010] In another feature, the openings of the terminals thermally decouple each of the wires from the ceramic plate during the processing of the substrate.

[0011] In another feature, the electrically bonding material includes solder material or epoxy.

[0012] In another feature, the electrically bonding material is localized at the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals.

[0013] In another feature, the electrically bonding material does not extend into the base portions of the terminals.

[0014] In another feature, the electrically bonding material does not fill the openings of the terminals.

[0015] In another feature, the base portions of the terminals are connected to electrical components placed within the ceramic plate.

[0016] In another feature, the distal ends of the wires are routed through the baseplate and connected to a circuit positioned along the side of the baseplate facing away from the ceramic plate.

[0017] In another feature, the circuit is placed within a ceramic plate and communicates through wires with electrical components connected to the base portions of the terminals.

[0018] In another feature, each terminal is T-shaped, the horizontal part of T is the base part of each terminal, and the vertical part of T is the second part of each terminal.

[0019] In another feature, at each of the terminals, the second part extends vertically from the base part.

[0020] In another feature, at each terminal, the second part is longer than the base part.

[0021] In another feature, at each of the terminals, the base part and the second part are cylindrical, and the base part has a longer radius and a shorter height than the second part.

[0022] In another feature, each of the terminals is made of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion within a predetermined range of the second coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the ceramic plate.

[0023] In another feature, each of the terminals is made of tungsten and copper.

[0024] In another feature, each terminal is coated with nickel.

[0025] In another feature, each wire consists of a single strand of electrically conductive material.

[0026] In another feature, each wire is made up of multiple strands of electrically conductive material.

[0027] In another feature, each of the wires is made of copper and coated with silver.

[0028] In another feature, the electrically bonded material includes a first material comprising Sn, Ag, and Cu, or a second material comprising Sn and Ag.

[0029] In other features, a method for attaching wires to a ceramic plate of a substrate support assembly comprises the steps of: arranging a plurality of slots on a ceramic plate on a side facing a base plate of the substrate support assembly; and arranging a plurality of electrically conductive terminals, each thereof, within the plurality of slots. Each of the terminals comprises a base portion, a second portion extending from the base portion toward the base plate, and an opening of the second portion extending from an end of the second portion adjacent to the base portion toward a distal end of the second portion. The method comprises the step of connecting the base portions of the terminals to the ceramic plate. The method comprises the step of connecting a plurality of wires to the distal ends of the second parts of a plurality of terminals by threading each of the wires through the opening of each terminal, folding each of the wires around the distal end into two halves, looping each of the wires around the distal end, and twisting the two halves around each other from the distal end of the second part of each terminal to the distal ends of the two halves.

[0030] In another feature, it further includes the step of looping each of the wires multiple times around the distal end of the second part of each terminal.

[0031] In another feature, it further includes the step of depositing a material that electrically bonds to the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals.

[0032] In another feature, the method further includes the step of soldering each wire to each of the terminals until the soldering material is deposited on the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals and until the soldering material permeates the loop around the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals.

[0033] In other features, the method further includes the step of applying solder paste to the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals and to the part of each of the wires adjacent to the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals. The method further includes the step of performing a reflow process on a ceramic plate until the solder paste is melted.

[0034] In another feature, the openings of the terminals thermally decouple each of the wires from the ceramic plate during the processing of the substrate.

[0035] In another feature, the electrically bonding material includes soldering material or epoxy.

[0036] In another feature, the method further includes the step of maintaining an electrically bonding material localized at the distal ends of each of the second parts of the terminals.

[0037] In another feature, the method further includes a step of not extending the electrically bonding material to the base portions of the terminals.

[0038] In another feature, the method further includes a step of not filling the openings of the terminals with an electrically bonding material.

[0039] In another feature, the method further includes the step of connecting the base portions of the terminals to the electrical components placed within the ceramic plate by performing a reflow process on the ceramic plate.

[0040] In other features, the method further includes the steps of routing the distal ends of wires through a base plate coupled to a ceramic plate and connecting the distal ends of wires to a circuit disposed adjacent to the base plate.

[0041] In another feature, each terminal is T-shaped, the horizontal part of T is the base part of each terminal, and the vertical part of T is the second part of each terminal.

[0042] In another feature, at each of the terminals, the second part extends vertically from the base part.

[0043] In another feature, at each terminal, the second part is longer than the base part.

[0044] In another feature, at each of the terminals, the base part and the second part are cylindrical, and the base part has a longer radius and a shorter height than the second part.

[0045] In another feature, each of the terminals is made of a material having a first thermal expansion coefficient within a predetermined range of the second thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic plate.

[0046] In another feature, each of the terminals is made of tungsten and copper.

[0047] In another feature, each terminal is coated with nickel.

[0048] In another feature, each wire consists of a single strand of electrically conductive material.

[0049] In another feature, each wire is made up of multiple strands of electrically conductive material.

[0050] In another feature, each of the wires is made of copper and coated with silver.

[0051] In another feature, the electrically bonded material includes a first material comprising Sn, Ag, and Cu, or a second material comprising Sn and Ag.

[0052] Further applicable areas of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0053] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1a illustrates a first example of a substrate processing system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1b illustrates a second example of a substrate processing system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an example of a substrate support assembly including electrical components disposed within a ceramic plate of a substrate support assembly. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of another example of a substrate support assembly including a printed circuit board fixed to a base plate of the substrate support assembly. FIGS. 4a to 4c illustrate cross-sectional and plan views of an example of a metallic terminal disposed within a ceramic plate of a substrate support assembly and a wire connected to the terminal. FIGS. 5a to 5c illustrate cross-sectional and plan views of an example of a wire connected to a terminal by looping the wire around the opening of the terminal and a metallic terminal disposed within the ceramic plate of a substrate support assembly. FIG. 6a is a side cross-sectional view of an example of a metal terminal having an elongated opening having a looped wire around the opening according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6b is a side cross-sectional view of the metal terminal of FIG. 6a placed within the ceramic plate of the substrate support assembly. FIG. 6c illustrates a twisted wire of FIG. 6b according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6d illustrates a twisted wire soldered to a terminal according to the present disclosure. FIG. 7a illustrates soldering a twisted wire to a terminal using hand soldering according to the present disclosure. FIG. 7b illustrates soldering a twisted wire to a terminal using a reflow process according to the present disclosure. In drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0054] The substrate support assembly includes a base plate and a ceramic plate. The base plate is made of a metal such as aluminum or a composite material comprising multiple different materials. The ceramic plate is arranged on the base plate and comprises several layers of ceramic material. Various electrical components, such as heaters, sensors, electrodes, etc., are disposed within the ceramic layers. These components are connected by wires extending from the ceramic plate and through the base plate to a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed on an installation plate beneath the base plate. The PCB is connected to a power supply and control circuit located remotely from the substrate support assembly and outside the substrate support assembly. The PCB supplies signals from the sensors on the ceramic plate to the power supply and control circuit. Based on these signals, the power supply and control circuit supply power and control signals to the components through the PCB.

[0055] Fabricating the connections between the wires and the ceramic plate presents significant challenges. Specifically, metal terminals are placed on the bottom of the ceramic plate. The terminals are connected to the components of the ceramic plate. The wires are soldered to the terminals. The wires are then routed through the baseplate and connected to the PCB from the bottom of the baseplate. The wires are soldered to the terminals using hand soldering and / or a reflow oven. This approach presents many problems, particularly when soldering is performed at high temperatures higher than 200°C.

[0056] In particular, when using soldering materials that melt at temperatures above 270°C, the manual method of attaching wires to terminals using a soldering iron is not practical. Although a soldering reflow process can be used instead, the soldering reflow process requires complex fixtureturing to support the wires entering the reflow oven. Such fixtureturing creates problems related to manufacturing yield and component reliability.

[0057] For example, the reflow process must be performed at relatively higher temperatures and for relatively longer durations to accommodate the additional thermal mass of the fixture. Prolonged exposure at relatively high temperatures induces aging of the solder joints and promotes the formation of intermetallic compounds, which weakens the solder joints and reduces their reliability during substrate processing. Soldering must be performed in an inert atmosphere. The manual nature of this process introduces fabrication variability that causes frequent wire detachment issues and scraping of the entire substrate-supported assembly, which is costly.

[0058] In addition, many substrate processes are performed at relatively high temperatures. Substrate support assemblies undergo a wide range of temperatures (e.g., -20°C to 200°C) during substrate processing. Consequently, maintaining mechanical stability and electrical contact between the wires and the ceramic plate throughout the lifespan of the substrate support assemblies also poses significant challenges.

[0059] The present disclosure provides a method for soldering a metal terminal using a reflow process and then attaching a wire to the terminal in a specific manner described in detail below. The terminal is designed to have an opening into which the wire is threaded. After threading, the wire is folded so that the folding position is in the middle of the wire. The wire is then twisted to ensure excellent mechanical stability and electrical contact with the terminal. Materials such as silver epoxy and / or solder are optionally used at the contact point to reinforce the electrical contact between the terminal and the wire.

[0060] The advantage of this method is that wire attachment can be reliably performed at much lower temperatures than in the reflow process. This method ensures electrical contact, mechanical strength, and a high degree of manufacturability and repeatability. This method improves manufacturing yield, component reliability, and repeatability in the field, which lowers the cost of substrate support assemblies. These and other features of the present disclosure are described in detail below.

[0061] The present disclosure is embodied as follows. First, examples of substrate processing systems in which substrate support assemblies fabricated according to the present disclosure may be used are illustrated and described with reference to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b. Then, an example of a cross-section of a substrate support assembly is illustrated and described with reference to FIG. 2 to illustrate various electrical components disposed within a ceramic plate of the substrate support assembly. An example of a substrate support assembly including PCBs disposed at the bottom of a base plate of the substrate support assembly is illustrated and described with reference to FIG. 3 to illustrate connections of various electrical components disposed within a ceramic plate of the substrate support assembly to PCBs.

[0062] Subsequently, examples of metal terminals disposed within a ceramic plate of a substrate support assembly and wires connected to the terminals are illustrated and described with reference to FIGS. 4a through 5c. New designs of terminals according to the present disclosure and examples of connecting wires to new terminals in a novel manner are illustrated and described with reference to FIGS. 6a through 6d. Examples of methods of soldering wires to terminals according to the present disclosure are illustrated and described with reference to FIGS. 7a and 7b.

[0063] FIG. 1a illustrates an example of a substrate processing system (10) that uses inductively coupled plasma to etch substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, according to the present disclosure. The substrate processing system (10) includes a coil driving circuit (11). In some examples, the coil driving circuit (11) includes a radio frequency (RF) source (12), a pulsing circuit (14), and a tuning circuit (i.e., a matching circuit) (13). The pulsing circuit (14) controls the transformer coupled plasma (TCP) envelope of the RF signal generated by the RF source (12) and varies the duty cycle of the TCP envelope between 1% and 99% during operation. The pulsing circuit (14) and the RF source (12) may be coupled or separated.

[0064] The tuning circuit (13) may be directly connected to the induction coil (16). The substrate processing system (10) uses a single coil, but some substrate processing systems may use multiple coils (e.g., an inner coil and an outer coil). The tuning circuit (13) tunes the output of the RF source (12) to a target frequency and / or a target phase and matches the impedance of the induction coil (16).

[0065] A dielectric window (24) is arranged along the upper side of a processing chamber (28). The processing chamber (28) includes a substrate support (or pedestal) (30) for supporting a substrate (34). The substrate support (30) may include an electrostatic chuck (ESC), a mechanical chuck, or other types of chucks. The substrate support (30) includes a base plate (32). A ceramic plate (33) is placed on the upper surface of the base plate (32). A thermal resistance layer (36) may be placed between the ceramic plate (33) and the base plate (32). The substrate (34) is placed on the ceramic plate (33) during processing.

[0066] A heater array (35) comprising a plurality of heaters is placed within a ceramic plate (33) to heat the substrate (34) during processing. For example, the heater array (35) includes printed resistive traces embedded in the ceramic plate (33). One or more additional heaters, referred to as zone heaters or primary heaters (not shown), may be placed above or below the heater array (35). Additionally, although not shown, one or more temperature sensors may be placed within the ceramic plate (33). Electrical connections for these components within the ceramic plate (33) are illustrated and described with reference to FIGS. 6a through 6d.

[0067] The base plate (32) further includes a cooling system (38) for cooling the substrate support (30). The cooling system (38) uses fluid supplied by a fluid transfer system (39) to cool the substrate support (30). For example, the cooling system (38) includes cooling channels through which fluid from the fluid transfer system (39) flows to cool the substrate support (30).

[0068] Process gas is supplied to a processing chamber (28), and plasma (40) is generated within the processing chamber (28). Plasma (40) etches the exposed surface of the substrate (34). An RF source (50), a pulsing circuit (51), and a bias matching circuit (52) may also be used to bias the substrate support (30) during processing to control ion energy.

[0069] A gas delivery system (56) may be used to supply a process gas mixture to a processing chamber (28). The gas delivery system (56) may include process and inert gas sources (57), a gas metering system (58) such as valves and mass flow controllers, and a manifold (59). A gas injector (63) may be positioned at the center of a dielectric window (24) and is used to inject gas mixtures from the gas delivery system (56) into the processing chamber (28). Additionally or alternatively, gas mixtures may be injected from the side of the processing chamber (28).

[0070] The temperature controller (64) may be connected to the heater array (35), zone heaters, and temperature sensors within the ceramic plate (33). The temperature controller (64) may be used to control the heater array (35) and zone heaters to control the temperature of the substrate support (30) and the substrate (34). The temperature controller (64) may also communicate with the fluid transfer system (39) to control the fluid flow through the cooling system (38) to cool the substrate support (30).

[0071] The exhaust system (65) includes a valve (66) and a pump (67) for controlling the pressure within the processing chamber (28) and / or removing reactive materials from the processing chamber (28) by purging or exhausting. A controller (70) may be used to control the etching process. The controller (70) controls the components of the substrate processing system (10). The controller (70) monitors system parameters and controls the delivery of the gas mixture; the striking, maintenance, and extinguishing of the plasma; the removal of reactive materials; the supply of cooling fluid; etc. Additionally, the controller (70) may control various embodiments of the coil driving circuit (11), RF source (50), and bias matching circuit (52), etc.

[0072] FIG. 1b illustrates another example of a substrate processing system (100) comprising a processing chamber (102) configured to generate a capacitively coupled plasma. Although the example is described in the context of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), the teachings of the present disclosure may also be applied to other processing including other types of substrate processing or etching, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

[0073] The substrate processing system (100) includes a processing chamber (102) that encloses other components of the substrate processing system (100) and contains RF plasma (if used). The processing chamber (102) includes an upper electrode (104) and an ESC (106) or other type of substrate support. During operation, a substrate (108) is placed on the ESC (106).

[0074] For example, the upper electrode (104) may include a gas distribution device (110), such as a showerhead, that introduces and distributes process gases into the processing chamber (102). The gas distribution device (110) may include a stem portion having one end connected to the top surface of the processing chamber (102). The base portion of the showerhead is generally cylindrical and extends radially outward from the opposite end of the stem portion at a position spaced apart from the top surface of the processing chamber (102). The substrate-facing surface or faceplate of the base portion of the showerhead includes a plurality of outlets or features (e.g., slots or through holes) through which a vaporized precursor, process gas, cleaning gas, or purge gas flows.

[0075] The ESC (106) includes a base plate (112) that acts as a lower electrode. A ceramic plate (114) is disposed on the top surface of the base plate (112). A heat-resistant layer (116) may be disposed between the ceramic plate (114) and the base plate (112). The ceramic plate (114) includes a heater array (152) according to the present disclosure to heat the substrate (108). The heater array (152) includes printed resistive traces embedded in the ceramic plate (114). One or more additional heaters (not shown), referred to as zone heaters or main heaters, may be disposed above or below the heater array (152). Additionally, although not shown, one or more temperature sensors may be disposed within the ceramic plate (114).

[0076] The baseplate (112) further includes a cooling system (118) for cooling the ESC (106). The cooling system (118) uses fluid supplied by a fluid transfer system (154) to cool the ESC (106). For example, the cooling system (118) includes cooling channels through which fluid from the fluid transfer system (154) flows to cool the ESC (106).

[0077] When plasma is used, an RF generating system (or RF source) (120) generates an RF voltage and outputs the RF voltage to either the upper electrode (104) or the lower electrode (e.g., the baseplate (112) of the ESC (106). The other of the upper electrode (104) and the baseplate (112) may be DC grounded, AC grounded, or floating. For example, the RF generating system (120) may include an RF generator (122) that generates RF power that is fed to the upper electrode (104) or the baseplate (112) by a matching and distribution network (124). In other examples, although not shown, plasma may be generated inductively or remotely and then supplied to a processing chamber (102).

[0078] The gas delivery system (130) comprises one or more gas sources (132-1, 132-2, … and 132-N) (collectively gas sources (132)), where N is an integer greater than 0. The gas sources (132) are connected to the manifold (140) by valves (134-1, 134-2, … and 134-N) (collectively valves (134)) and mass flow controllers (MFCs) (136-1, 136-2, … and 136-N) (collectively MFCs (136)). The steam delivery system (142) supplies the vaporized precursor to another manifold (not shown) connected to the manifold (140) or the processing chamber (102). The output of the manifold (140) is fed into the processing chamber (102). Gas sources (132) may supply process gases, cleaning gases, or purge gases.

[0079] The temperature controller (150) may be connected to the heater array (152), zone heaters, and temperature sensors within the ceramic plate (114). The temperature controller (150) may be used to control the heater array (152) and zone heaters to control the temperature of the ESC (106) and the substrate (108). The temperature controller (150) may also communicate with the fluid transfer system (154) to control the fluid flow through the cooling system (118) to cool the ESC (106).

[0080] A valve (156) and a pump (158) may be used to exhaust reaction materials from the processing chamber (102). A system controller (160) controls the components of the substrate processing system (100).

[0081] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example of a substrate support assembly (250) comprising electrical components disposed within a ceramic plate of the substrate support assembly (250). The substrate support assembly (250) comprises a base plate (252) and a ceramic plate (260). For example, the base plate (252) is made of a metal such as aluminum. The base plate (252) is similar to the base plates (32 and 112) shown in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b. The ceramic plate (260) is similar to the ceramic plates (33 and 114) shown in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b. A heat-resistant layer (262) (similar to the elements (36 and 116) shown in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b) may be disposed between the ceramic plate (260) and the base plate (252). The base plate (252) includes a cooling system (254) similar to the cooling systems (38 and 118) shown in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b.

[0082] The ceramic plate (260) comprises several stacked layers of ceramic material. A clamping electrode (270) is placed in a first layer (272), which is the top layer on which the substrate (e.g., the element (34 or 108) shown in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b) is placed during processing. A plurality of heaters (273) are placed in the form of a matrix or array in a second layer (274) below the first layer (272). A first set of conductors (275) is placed in a third layer (276). A second set of conductors (277) and switches (e.g., diodes) (279) are placed in a fourth layer (278). The first terminals of the switches (279) are directly connected to the second set of conductors (277). Via (280) directly connect the first terminals of the heaters (273) to the first set of conductors (275). Via (282) connect the second terminals of the heaters (273) to the second terminals of the switches (279).

[0083] One or more additional zone heaters (also referred to as main heaters) (284) may be placed within the ceramic plate (260). For example, the zone heaters (284) may be placed above the heaters (273) and below the clamping electrode (270) (e.g., within the first layer (272)). Alternatively, the zone heaters (284) may be placed below the heaters (273) (e.g., in the fifth layer (290) of the ceramic plate (260). Although not illustrated, one or more temperature sensors may be placed in one or more layers of the ceramic plate (260). Electrical connections for these components within the ceramic plate (260) are illustrated and described with reference to FIGS. 6a through 6d.

[0084] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a substrate support assembly (300) comprising PCBs fixed to a substrate support assembly (300) and an installation plate (306). The substrate support assembly (300) comprises a base plate (302), a heating plate (304), a ceramic plate (305), and an installation plate (306). The base plate (302) comprises a plurality of cooling channels (308). The heating plate (304) comprises a main heater (e.g., element (284) shown in FIG. 2) and a plurality of micro heaters (e.g., elements (273) shown in FIG. 2). One or more temperature sensors (not shown) are disposed within the ceramic plate (305) and the base plate (302).

[0085] In the illustrated example, the first PCB (310) is fixed to the bottom of the base plate (302). The second PCB (312) is fixed to the installation plate (306). The first PCB (310) includes electrical connections to heaters and sensors and includes power and signal distribution hardware. The second PCB (312) interfaces with the first PCB (310) and is also referred to as a multiplexer or MUX PCB. The second PCB (312) is connected to a power supply and a control circuit (330).

[0086] The power supply and control circuit (330) supplies power to the second PCB (312). The first PCB (310) receives power from the second PCB (312) and supplies power to the heaters in the heating plate (304). The first PCB (310) receives signals from temperature sensors. The second PCB (312) receives signals from the first PCB (310) and supplies the signals to the power supply and control circuit (330). The power supply and control circuit (330) controls the flow of power to the heaters in the heating plate (304) and the flow of coolant through the cooling channels (308) based on signals from temperature sensors placed in the ceramic plate (305) and the base plate (302).

[0087] The first PCB (310) and the second PCB (312) are connected to each other by a plurality of spring-loaded pin connections (320). The pin connections (320) are placed on the second PCB (312). The first PCB (310) includes a plurality of pads (not shown). The tips of the pin connections (320) make contact with corresponding pads on the first PCB (310).

[0088] A plurality of metal terminals (318) are disposed on the lower portion of the ceramic plate (305). The terminals (318) are illustrated and described with reference to FIGS. 4a through 6d (as with elements (400 and 500)). The terminals (318) are connected to various electrical components (e.g., heaters, sensors, electrodes) disposed within the ceramic plate (305). Examples of components have already been illustrated in FIG. 2 to illustrate the connections of components to the PCBs and are omitted here. Wires, also illustrated and described with reference to FIGS. 4a through 6d (as with elements (408 and 508)), are connected to the terminals (318). The wires are routed through the base plate (302) and connected to the first PCB (310) at (314).

[0089] FIGS. 4a through 4c illustrate cross-sections of a portion of the ceramic plate (305) shown as a dotted circle in FIG. 3, which includes a terminal (318) and a wire connected to the terminal (318). All elements are shown inverted (i.e., the bottom surface is delegated). That is, in use, the ceramic plate (305) is mounted facing down instead of facing up as shown, and the terminal and wire extend downward instead of upward as shown. A top view is shown below each cross-section.

[0090] In FIG. 4a, a metallic terminal (400) is placed in a slot (402) at the bottom of a ceramic plate (305) (again, the bottom surface is shown facing upward). A plurality of terminals (400) are placed in each of the slots (402) at the bottom of the ceramic plate (305). Only, for example, the terminal (400) is shown as being T-shaped. The terminal (400) may be any other shape. Also, only, for example, the leg (i.e., vertical portion) and base (i.e., horizontal portion) of the T-shaped terminal (400) are shown as being cylindrical. These elements of the terminal (400) may be any other shape. Non-limiting examples of other shapes include hexagons, squares, rectangles, triangles, etc. The shapes of the slots (402) may be similar to the shapes of the terminals (400).

[0091] The base portion of the terminal (400) is soldered to a conductor (not shown) placed within the ceramic plate (305) using a reflow process. The soldering material is shown in (404). The conductor is connected to a component (e.g., a heater, a sensor, or an electrode; see FIG. 2). By soldering the terminal (400) to the conductor within the ceramic plate (305), the terminal (400) is connected to a component (e.g., a heater, a sensor, or an electrode) within the ceramic plate (305).

[0092] The vertical portion of the terminal (400) includes an opening (or through hole) (406) through which a wire (408) is threaded, as shown in FIG. 4b. In FIG. 4c, as described above, the wire (408) is soldered to the terminal (400) using a manual soldering or reflow process. The soldering material is schematically illustrated in (410). The size and shape of the illustrated soldering material (410) are not actual and are for illustrative purposes only. Soldering processes present several of the aforementioned problems. Additionally, the manual nature of these processes causes fabrication variability that leads to frequent wire detachment problems and scraping of the entire substrate support assembly.

[0093] FIGS. 5a through 5c illustrate a method in which the wire (408) can be looped one or more times after being threaded through the opening (406) to alleviate wire detachment problems. Again, all elements are shown upside down (i.e., the bottom side is on top), and a plan view is shown below each section.

[0094] In FIG. 5a, the wire (408) is threaded through the opening (406) and looped one or more times around the opening (406) at the distal end of the vertical portion of the terminal (400). The wire (408) is threaded after the terminal (400) is soldered to the ceramic plate (305) as shown in FIG. 5b and described below.

[0095] In FIG. 5b, the base portion of the terminal (400) is placed in a slot (402) within the ceramic plate (305) and soldered to a conductor (not shown) placed within the ceramic plate (305) using a reflow process. The soldering material is shown in (404). The conductor is connected to a component within the ceramic plate (305) (e.g., a heater, a sensor, or an electrode; see examples in FIG. 2). By soldering the terminal (400) to the conductor within the ceramic plate (305), the terminal (400) is connected to a component within the ceramic plate (305) (e.g., a heater, a sensor, or an electrode).

[0096] In FIG. 5c, the threaded and looped wire (408) as illustrated in FIG. 5a and described above with reference to FIG. 5a is soldered to or not soldered to the terminal (400) using a manual soldering or reflow process as described above. The soldering material is schematically illustrated in (412). The size and shape of the soldering material (412) are not actual and are for illustrative purposes only.

[0097] In FIG. 5c, the threaded and looped wire (408) as illustrated in FIG. 5a and described above with reference to FIG. 5a can be reinforced with conductive epoxy to enhance mechanical and electrical contacts to the terminal (400). The conductive epoxy material is schematically illustrated in (412). The size and shape of the conductive epoxy material (412) are not actual and are for illustrative purposes only.

[0098] In this design of the terminal (400), the soldering material (412) tends to spread and almost completely cover the opening (406), often leaving only a small gap (414) within the opening (406) that is not filled with the soldering material (412). In some examples, the soldering material (412) may flow further and come into contact with the base portion of the terminal (400) without leaving the gap (414). This spreading of the soldering material (412) allows heat to be transferred from the base portion of the terminal (400), which conducts heat from the ceramic plate (305), to the distal end of the vertical portion of the terminal (400) and the wire (408). Heat transfer from the ceramic plate (305) to the wire (408) can negatively affect the thermal uniformity and mechanical stability of the connection of the wire (408) to the terminal (400).

[0099] FIGS. 6a through 6d illustrate an example of the design of a terminal and a method of connecting a wire to the terminal according to the present disclosure. The design solves the initial fabrication problems described above as well as subsequent wire detachment problems. Specifically, the terminal includes an elongated opening in the vertical portion of the terminal and thus functions as a thermal choke that thermally decouples the wire from the ceramic plate. The wire is looped one or more times around the opening of the terminal at the distal end of the vertical portion of the terminal and then twisted. The looping and twisting of the wire ensure mechanical stability and electrical contact between the terminal and the wire. Optionally, although unnecessary due to the looping and twisting of the wire, the electrical contact can be further reinforced and strengthened using solder or conductive epoxy. Solder or epoxy can be deposited using the process described below with reference to FIGS. 7a and 7b so that the solder or epoxy does not reduce the thermal choke properties of the terminal and the wire remains thermally decoupled from the ceramic plate.

[0100] FIG. 6a illustrates a terminal (500) similar to terminal (400), except that the opening (506) of the terminal (500) extends along the length of the vertical portion of the terminal (500). As illustrated, the size and shape of the opening (506) are for exemplary purposes only, and other sizes and shapes are considered. Non-limiting examples of such shapes include elliptical shapes, rectangular shapes, rectangular shapes, etc. The vertical portion of the terminal (500) is longer than the base portion of the terminal (500). The opening (506) extends along the length of the vertical portion of the terminal (500) from the point where the vertical portion begins to extend from the base portion to the distal end of the vertical portion.

[0101] Just for example, the terminal (500) may be T-shaped. Just for example, the base and vertical portions of the terminal may be cylindrical, the vertical portion extends vertically from the base portion, and the base portion has a longer radius (i.e., a larger diameter) and a shorter height than the vertical portion. Alternatively, similar to terminal (400), the terminal (500) may be any other shape as described above with reference to terminal (400), and the description is not repeated for brevity.

[0102] The terminal (500) is made of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that closely matches the coefficient of thermal expansion of the ceramic plate (305). Specifically, the terminal (500) is made of a material having a first CTE within a predetermined range of the second coefficient of thermal expansion of the ceramic plate (305). For example, the terminal (500) is made of a mixture of tungsten and copper. Additionally, the terminal (500) may be coated with nickel to facilitate and strengthen the bonding of the soldering material to the terminal (500). The wire (508) is threaded and looped around the opening (506) as described below with reference to FIG. 6b. The wire (508) is twisted as shown and described below using FIG. 6c.

[0103] In FIG. 6b, the terminal (500) is placed within a slot (402) of the ceramic plate (305). The base portion of the terminal (500) is soldered to the ceramic plate (305) in a manner similar to the terminal (400) using a reflow process. The soldering material is shown in (404). The wire (508) is threaded through the opening (506) and folded so that the folding point is in the middle of the wire (508) (i.e., near the center of the length). Accordingly, the two halves of the wire (508) extend from the distal end of the vertical portion of the terminal (500). These two half portions of the wire (508) are looped around the distal end of the vertical portion of the opening (506) and terminal (500) as described below, and then twisted as shown in FIG. 6c to ensure mechanical stability and electrical contact between the wire (508) and the terminal (500).

[0104] In FIG. 6b, after the wire (508) is threaded and folded and before the wire (508) is twisted, the wire (508) is looped or winded around the opening (506) of the terminal (500) as follows. For example, the wire (508) may be looped one or more times around the opening (506). In some examples, the wire (508) is looped at least multiple times around the opening (506). In some examples, instead of or in addition to loops, the wire (508) may be tied one or more times around the opening (506) using a simple knot. Any type of knot may be used. For example, any type of knot used to tie shoelaces may be used. In some examples, one or more knots may be tied around the opening (506) before or after the wire (508) is looped around the opening (506) one or more times. In some examples, a combination of one or more knots and one or more loops may be used in any order. The twist formed by the loops (and / or knots) of the wire (508) around the opening (506) ensures mechanical stability and electrical contact between the terminal (500) and the wire (508).

[0105] For example, the wire (508) may be a single-strand wire or a multi-strand wire. The gauge of the wire (508) may be dependent on the current to be supplied through the wire (508). For example, the wire (508) used to power the heaters may have a thicker gauge than the wire (508) connected to the temperature sensor. The material of the wire (508) is malleable so that it does not break due to mechanical stress during loops / knots and twists of the wire (508). For example, the wire (508) may be made of silver-coated copper.

[0106] Because the wire (508) looped and / or knotted around the opening (506) at the distal end of the vertical portion of the terminal (500) does not come into contact with the base portion of the terminal (500) and is thermally decoupled from the base portion of the terminal (500) due to the extended opening (506), only a relatively small amount of heat conducted from the ceramic plate (305) by the base portion of the terminal (500) is conducted to the wire (508) during substrate processing. For example, the temperature of the ceramic plate (305) may be about 200°C, but the temperature of the wire (508) may be about 70°C to 80°C. That is, only about 1 / 3 (or about 35%) of the heat conducted from the ceramic plate (305) by the base portion of the terminal (500) is conducted to the wire (508) during substrate processing. Accordingly, the terminal (500) thermally decoups the wire (508) from the ceramic plate (305), and the terminal (500) having an extended opening (506) acts as a thermal choke.

[0107] Due to a lower or partial amount of heat transferred from the ceramic plate (305) to the wire (508) during substrate processing, the heat from the ceramic plate (305) does not negatively affect the connection of the wire (508) to the terminal (500). Consequently, the connection between the wire (508) and the terminal (500) remains intact without any wire detachment issues occurring during the lifetime of the substrate support assembly. Because the wire (508) removes a limited amount of heat from the ceramic plate (305), this design provides the additional benefit of enhanced thermal uniformity of the ceramic plate (305).

[0108] In FIG. 6c, the two halves of the wire (508) are twisted (i.e., braided) as illustrated. The twisting action may be performed using a drill, an electric screwdriver, or a dedicated wire twister. The twists of the wire (508) extend from the ends of the wire (508) to the distal end of the vertical portion of the terminal (500), where the wire (508) is looped around the opening (506). The loop and twist ensure mechanical stability and electrical contact between the terminal (500) and the wire (508).

[0109] The distal end of the wire (508) is routed through a base plate (e.g., element (302) shown in FIG. 3) and connected to a circuit (e.g., element (310) shown in FIG. 3). The circuit communicates with a component (e.g., heater, sensor, or electrode shown in FIG. 2) connected to the base portion of the terminal (500) through the wire (508) and the terminal (500).

[0110] In FIG. 6d, an electrically bonding material (512), such as solder and / or conductive epoxy, may be optionally deposited at the contact points of the wire (508) and the terminal (500) to reinforce the mechanical stability of the terminal (500) and the wire (508) and to strengthen the electrical contact. The material (512) is schematically illustrated. The size and shape of the material (512) are not actual and are for illustrative purposes only.

[0111] Since the contact between the terminal (500) and the wire (508) is already solid due to the loop and / or knotting and twisting of the wire (508) around the opening (506), only a small amount of material (512) needs to be used. For example, when used, the material (512) can be deposited by water soldering at relatively lower temperatures as described below with reference to FIG. 7a. Alternatively, a reflow process can be used as described below with reference to FIG. 7b.

[0112] Additionally, because the material (512) is used sparingly, the material (512) does not spread or flow toward the base of the terminal (500) and does not fill the opening (506). For example, at least 80 to 90 percent of the opening (506) is devoid of the material (512). The material (512) remains localized at the contact point between the wire (508) and the terminal (500) (i.e., around the distal end of the vertical portion of the terminal (500)). Consequently, the terminal (500) continues to function as a thermal choke, and the wire (508) remains thermally decoupled from the ceramic plate (305) after the material (512) has been deposited.

[0113] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate examples of methods for soldering the wire (508) to the terminal (500) after looping / knotting and twisting the wire (508) around the opening (506) as described above. FIG. 7A illustrates an example of manual soldering. FIG. 7B illustrates an example of a reflow process. In either method, the wire (508) is joined to the terminal (500) as shown in FIG. 6D.

[0114] In FIG. 7a, a soldering iron is used to solder a wire (508) to a terminal (500). The tip of the soldering iron is positioned near the top end of the vertical portion of the terminal (500) (e.g., about 1 to 2 cm above) (e.g., at (550)). A small amount of solder is placed on the tip to warm up the wire (508) near the top end of the vertical portion of the terminal (500) (e.g., about 1 to 2 cm above) (e.g., at (550)). The soldering wire is placed in contact with the wire (508) near the top end of the vertical portion of the terminal (500) below the tip (e.g., at (552)).

[0115] As the soldering wire melts, the soldering wire is pushed into the wire (508) to permeate or permeate the wire (508) until the solder reaches the upper end (i.e., the distal end) of the vertical portion of the terminal (500). Soldering continues until the loop / knot of the wire (508) around the opening (506) of the terminal (500) is permeated or permeated by the solder. At this point, the soldering of the wire (508) to the terminal (500) is completed, and the wire (508) is joined to the terminal (500) as shown in FIG. 6d. For example, the soldering wire may include SAC305 (96.5% Sn + 3.0% Ag + 0.5% Cu) or Sn3.5Ag (96.5% Sn + 3.5% Ag) solder.

[0116] In FIG. 7b, a paste of soldering material (e.g., SAC305) is applied to the portion (554) of the wire (508) above the upper end of the vertical portion of the terminal (500) and to the upper end (i.e., the distal end) of the vertical portion of the terminal (500). Care is taken not to ensure that the soldering paste does not reach the base portion of the terminal (500). Subsequently, the ceramic plate is placed in a reflow oven, and the reflow process is performed at an appropriate temperature so that the soldering paste melts. At this point, the loop / knot of the wire (508) around the opening (506) of the terminal (500) is penetrated or permeated by soldering, and the soldering of the wire (508) to the terminal (500) is completed, and the wire (508) is joined to the terminal (500) as shown in FIG. 6d.

[0117] The foregoing description is by nature merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its applications, or uses. The broad teachings of the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms. Accordingly, while the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be limited in this way, as other modifications will become apparent upon study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims.

[0118] It should be understood that one or more steps of the method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of the present disclosure. Additionally, although each of the embodiments has been described above as having specific features, any one or more of these features described for any embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented with features of any other embodiments and / or in combination with features of any other embodiments, even if the combination is not explicitly described. That is, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and substitutions of one or more embodiments with other embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0119] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms including “connected,” “engaged,” “coupled,” “adjacent,” “next to,” “on top of,” “above,” “below,” and “disposed.” When a relationship between a first element and a second element is described in the disclosure above, unless explicitly described as “direct,” this relationship may be a direct relationship in which no other mediating elements exist between the first element and the second element, but may also be an indirect relationship in which one or more mediating elements exist (spatially or functionally) between the first element and the second element. As used in this specification, at least one of the phrases A, B, and C should be interpreted as meaning (A or B or C) logically using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be interpreted as meaning "at least one A, at least one B, and at least one C."

[0120] In some embodiments, the controller is part of a system that may be part of the examples described above. These systems may include semiconductor processing equipment comprising processing tools or tools, chambers or chambers, a platform or platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronic devices to control their operation before, during, and after the processing of a semiconductor wafer or substrate. The electronic device may be referred to as a "controller" that may control the systems or sub-parts of the systems or various components.

[0121] The controller may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including, depending on the processing requirements and / or type of the system, the delivery of processing gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and motion settings, and wafer transfer into and out of load locks connected to or interfacing with tools and other transfer tools and / or a specific system.

[0122] Generally speaking, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. Integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software).

[0123] Program instructions may be instructions that communicate with a controller or a system in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing a specific process on or for a semiconductor wafer. In some embodiments, the operating parameters may be part of a recipe defined by process engineers to achieve one or more processing steps during the manufacture of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0124] In some implementation examples, the controller may be integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or coupled to or part of a computer that may be a combination of these. For example, the controller may be all or part of a fab host computer system capable of enabling remote access to wafer processing, or it may be located in the “cloud.” The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, examine the history of past manufacturing operations, examine trends or performance measurements from multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of the current processing, set processing steps following the current processing, or start a new process.

[0125] In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide process recipes to the system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables the input or programming of parameters and / or settings to be subsequently transmitted from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each of the processing steps to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of tool configured to be controlled or interfaced by the controller and the type of process to be performed.

[0126] Accordingly, as described above, the controller may be distributed by including one or more discrete controllers that are networked and operate together toward a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein, for example. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) that are combined to control a process on the chamber.

[0127] Exemplary systems may include, without limitation, a plasma etching chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin-rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etching chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing systems that may be used or associated with the fabrication and / or fabrication of semiconductor wafers.

[0128] As described above, depending on the process steps or steps to be performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used in material transfer for moving containers of wafers from / to / from tool locations and / or load ports within the semiconductor manufacturing plant.

Claims

Claim 1 A baseplate; a ceramic plate arranged on the baseplate, wherein the ceramic plate comprises: a plurality of slots arranged on a side facing the baseplate; and a plurality of electrically conductive terminals disposed within each of the plurality of slots, each of which comprises: a base portion connected to the ceramic plate; a second portion extending from the base portion toward the baseplate; and an opening of the second portion extending from an end of the second portion adjacent to the base portion toward a distal end of the second portion; and a plurality of wires, wherein each of the wires passes through the opening of each of the terminals and is braided around the distal end of the second portion of each of the terminals. Claim 2 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the wires is looped one or more times around the distal end of the second portion of each terminal. Claim 3 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an electrically bonding material deposited on the distal end of the second portion of each of the terminals. Claim 4 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the openings of the terminals thermally decouple the respective wires from the ceramic plate during processing of the substrate. Claim 5 In claim 3, the electrically bonding material comprises a solder material or epoxy, forming a substrate support assembly. Claim 6 In claim 3, the electrically bonding material is a substrate support assembly localized at the distal end of the second portion of each of the terminals. Claim 7 In claim 3, the electrically bonding material does not extend to the base portions of the terminals, forming a substrate support assembly. Claim 8 In claim 3, the electrically bonding material does not fill the openings of the terminals, the substrate support assembly. Claim 9 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base portions of the terminals are connected to electrical components disposed within the ceramic plate. Claim 10 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the distal ends of the wires are routed through the base plate and connected to a circuit disposed along the side of the base plate facing away from the ceramic plate. Claim 11 In claim 10, the circuit is disposed within the ceramic plate and communicates through the wires with electrical components connected to the base portions of the terminals, a substrate support assembly. Claim 12 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the terminals is T-shaped, the horizontal portion of T is the base portion of each of the terminals, and the vertical portion of T is the second portion of each of the terminals. Claim 13 In claim 1, at each of the terminals, the second portion extends vertically from the base portion, forming a substrate support assembly. Claim 14 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein, at each of the terminals, the length of the second portion is longer than the length of the base portion with respect to the direction extending from the base portion toward the base plate. Claim 15 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein at each of the terminals, the base portion and the second portion are cylindrical, and the base portion has a longer radius and a shorter height than the second portion. Claim 16 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the terminals is made of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion within a predetermined range of the second coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the ceramic plate. Claim 17 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the terminals is made of tungsten and copper. Claim 18 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the terminals is coated with nickel. Claim 19 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the wires is a single strand of an electrically conductive material. Claim 20 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the wires is composed of a plurality of strands of an electrically conductive material. Claim 21 A substrate support assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the wires is made of copper and coated with silver. Claim 22 In claim 3, the electrically bonding material comprises a first material comprising Sn, Ag, and Cu or a second material comprising Sn and Ag, forming a substrate support assembly. Claim 23 A method for attaching wires to a ceramic plate of a substrate support assembly comprises: a step of arranging a plurality of slots on a ceramic plate on a side facing a base plate of the substrate support assembly; a step of arranging a plurality of electrically conductive terminals within the plurality of slots, wherein each of the terminals comprises a base portion, a second portion extending from the base portion toward the base plate, and an opening of the second portion extending from an end of the second portion adjacent to the base portion toward a distal end of the second portion; a step of connecting the base portions of the terminals to the ceramic plate; and a step of connecting a plurality of wires to the distal ends of the second portions of the plurality of terminals, wherein each of the wires is threaded through the opening of each of the terminals; after threading, each of the wires around the distal end is folded into two halves; after folding, each of the wires around the distal end is looped. A wire attachment method comprising the step of connecting the plurality of wires, wherein, after the loop, at each of the wires, the two halves are twisted around each other from the distal end of the second part of each terminal to the distal ends of the two halves. Claim 24 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein the step of looping each of the wires comprises the step of looping each of the wires a plurality of times around the distal end of the second part of each terminal. Claim 25 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of depositing a material for electrical bonding to the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals after the twisting step. Claim 26 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of soldering each of the wires to each of the respective terminals after the twisting step until the soldering material is deposited on the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals and until the soldering material permeates the loop around the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals. Claim 27 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, further comprising: a step of applying solder paste to the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals and to the portion of each of the wires adjacent to the distal end of the second part of each of the terminals after the twisting step; and a step of performing a reflow process on the ceramic plate until the solder paste is melted. Claim 28 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein the openings of the terminals thermally decouple each of the wires from the ceramic plate during processing of the substrate. Claim 29 A wire attachment method according to claim 25, wherein the electrically bonding material comprises a soldering material or epoxy. Claim 30 A wire attachment method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of maintaining the electrically bonding material localized at the distal ends of the second portions of each of the terminals. Claim 31 In claim 25, a wire attachment method in which the electrically bonding material does not extend to the base portions of the terminals. Claim 32 In claim 25, a wire attachment method in which the electrically bonding material does not fill the openings of the terminals. Claim 33 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein the step of connecting the base portions of the terminals to the ceramic plate comprises the step of connecting the base portions of the terminals to electrical components disposed within the ceramic plate by performing a reflow process on the ceramic plate. Claim 34 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of connecting the plurality of wires to the distal ends of the second portions of the plurality of terminals, the step of routing the distal ends of the wires through a base plate coupled to the ceramic plate; and the step of connecting the distal ends of the wires to a circuit disposed adjacent to the base plate. Claim 35 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein each of the terminals is T-shaped, the horizontal portion of T is the base portion of each of the terminals, and the vertical portion of T is the second portion of each of the terminals. Claim 36 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein at each of the terminals, the second portion extends vertically from the base portion. Claim 37 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein, at each of the terminals, the length of the second portion is longer than the length of the base portion with respect to the direction extending from the base portion toward the base plate. Claim 38 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein in each of the terminals, the base portion and the second portion are cylindrical, and the base portion has a longer radius and a shorter height than the second portion. Claim 39 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein each of the terminals is made of a material having a first thermal expansion coefficient within a predetermined range of the second thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic plate. Claim 40 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein each of the above terminals is made of tungsten and copper. Claim 41 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein each of the above terminals is coated with nickel. Claim 42 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein each of the wires is made of a single strand of an electrically conductive material. Claim 43 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein each of the wires is composed of a plurality of strands of an electrically conductive material. Claim 44 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein each of the wires is made of copper and coated with silver. Claim 45 A wire attachment method according to claim 23, wherein the electrically bonding material comprises a first material comprising Sn, Ag, and Cu or a second material comprising Sn and Ag.

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