Airflow to reduce condensation on substrate handling chucks

Abstract

A gas flow is described for reducing condensation on a substrate processing chuck. In one example, a workpiece support in a chamber has a positioning plate for carrying the workpiece for manufacturing processing, an upper plate thermally coupled to the positioning plate, a cooling plate secured to and thermally coupled to the upper plate, a bottom plate having cooling channels for carrying a heat transfer fluid to transfer heat from the cooling plate, the bottom plate secured to the cooling plate opposite the positioning plate, and a drying gas inlet of the bottom plate for supplying drying gas under pressure to a space between the bottom plate and the cooling plate to drive ambient air from between the bottom plate and the cooling plate.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of January 14, 2016, application number "201680013362.1", and invention name "Airflow for reducing condensation of substrate processing chuck". Technical Field

[0002] Particular embodiments of the present invention relate to the microelectronics manufacturing industry and, more particularly, to temperature controlled chucks for supporting a workpiece during plasma processing. Background Art

[0003] In the manufacture of semiconductor chips, silicon wafers or other substrates are exposed to various processes in different processing chambers. The chambers may expose the wafer to plasma, chemical vapor, metal, laser etching, and various deposition and acid etching processes to form circuits and other structures on the wafer. During these processes, the silicon wafer may be held in place by a vacuum chuck or an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The chuck holds the wafer by generating an electrostatic field to clamp the back side of the wafer to a flat surface or puck surface of the chuck.

[0004] As manufacturing technology for plasma processing equipment advances, such as those designed to perform plasma etching and other similar processes for microelectronic devices, the temperature of the wafer during processing becomes increasingly important. Liquid cooling is sometimes used to absorb the heat of the plasma power supply and remove heat from the chuck. In some cases, other processes are performed at much lower temperatures than typical plasma processes. A chuck that operates over a wide temperature range allows different processes to be performed without having to move the wafer to a different holder. Overall, this can reduce manufacturing costs.

[0005] For lower temperature processing operations, condensation may occur on the processing equipment. When condensation occurs on the wafer or other substrate support such as a pedestal, carrier or chuck, it may jeopardize the operation of the support. This may also reduce the operating life of the support. Summary of the invention

[0006] A gas flow is described for reducing condensation on a substrate processing chuck. In one example, a workpiece support in a chamber has a positioning plate for carrying the workpiece for manufacturing processing, an upper plate thermally coupled to the positioning plate, a cooling plate secured to and thermally coupled to the upper plate, a bottom plate having cooling channels for carrying a heat transfer fluid to transfer heat from the cooling plate, the bottom plate secured to the cooling plate opposite the positioning plate, and a drying gas inlet of the bottom plate for supplying drying gas under pressure to a space between the bottom plate and the cooling plate to drive ambient air from between the bottom plate and the cooling plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention are described by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 isometric and cross-sectional views of a portion of an electrostatic chuck for supporting a wafer according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 2 is an isometric top view of a portion of a bottom plate of an electrostatic chuck according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] Figure 3 is an isometric top view of a portion of an alternative bottom plate of an electrostatic chuck according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 4 is an isometric bottom view of a heating plate of a base according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 5 is a diagram of a dry gas distribution system for an electrostatic chuck according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a plasma etching system including a chuck assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Many details are set forth in the following description, however, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. In some cases, known methods and devices are depicted in block diagram form without being described in detail to avoid interfering with the present invention. Reference to "a specific embodiment" or "a specific embodiment" in this specification means that the specific features, structures, functions or characteristics described in connection with the specific embodiment are included in at least one specific embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the presentation of the phrase "a specific embodiment" or "a specific embodiment" in various places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same specific embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the specific features, structures, functions or characteristics can be combined in one or more specific embodiments in any suitable manner. For example, the first specific embodiment can be combined with the second specific embodiment in any place where the specific features, structures, functions or characteristics associated with the two specific embodiments are not mutually exclusive.

[0015] In the manufacture of semiconductors, micromachines, and other components using process chambers, certain processes are performed at high temperatures, while other processes are performed at low temperatures. Certain processes are performed at high pressures or at low or vacuum pressures. In cooler processes, ambient air may be carried into the chuck or the base and then condense on the surface of the device. As described herein, a dry gas such as nitrogen may be used to purge the ambient air and its moisture. The dry gas may be driven into the chuck or base at a moderate pressure to slowly exhaust the ambient air. This gas will be referred to herein as a dry gas or a purge gas, and the gas may be nitrogen (N 2 ) or any other gas suitable for removing any unwanted type of moisture from the interior surface of the workpiece support.

[0016] The purge gas flow can be controlled by providing a dedicated gas inlet to the interior of the chuck. Once the purge gas is directed into the chuck, it can penetrate any openings and seep through small gaps and spaces in the chuck, pushing any moisture out of the chuck. A vent tube can be used to allow the purge gas to push the moist air out of the chuck.

[0017] The gas flow can be further directed within the chuck by forming channels in the surface of one of the chuck components for directing the gas or for increasing flow in one or more directions. For a chuck formed from multiple plates, the channels can be in the form of grooves on the surface of one of the plates.

[0018] Figure 1 2 are isometric and cross-sectional views of a portion of an electrostatic chuck 202 for supporting a wafer being processed in a chamber such as, for example, Figure 6 The chamber of the present invention is a dielectric positioning plate 204 located on top of the chuck to carry the wafer. The dielectric positioning plate is supported by an upper plate 206, which in turn is supported by a cooling plate 208, which is carried by a bottom plate 210. The cooling plate is fastened and thermally coupled to the upper plate. The bottom plate is fastened to the cooling plate opposite the positioning plate. The bottom plate is carried by a shaft 212. The chuck can be a vacuum chuck, a pedestal, a carrier, an electrostatic chuck (ESC), or a similar type of device.

[0019] The shaft and base plate can be constructed of a variety of dielectric and thermally insulating materials of varying rigidity, including Alternatively, the shaft and base plate may be made of ceramic material, Alumina and various other materials are constructed. Although the present invention is described in the context of an electrostatic chuck 202, the chuck may alternatively use any of a variety of other techniques for holding the wafer against the dielectric puck 204, including electromagnetic forces, electrostatic forces, vacuum, and adhesive means.

[0020] The cooling plate has one or more cooling channels 222 to carry coolant through the cooling plate 208. The coolant is supplied through the shaft 212 and pumped from the shaft to the heat exchangers / coolers 177 to control the temperature of the coolant before it is pumped back into the chuck 202. The cooling plate is sealed against the base plate 210 by an O-ring 224.

[0021] The upper plate optionally carries resistive heaters (not shown). These resistive heaters may be attached to the upper plate top surface or built into the upper plate structure. The heaters are powered by a current supply through the shaft 212. In operation, the upper plate heaters provide heat to the chuck 204 while the cooling plate removes heat. This avoids any heat buildup so that the temperature can be reduced simply by reducing the drive current for the heaters. The combined effect of the cooling channels and heaters can provide precise control of the wafer temperature by a temperature controller.

[0022] In some implementations, the heaters are resistive heaters that generate heat in response to an applied current. The chuck also includes a temperature sensor 143, such as a thermocouple, for sensing the heat of the dielectric puck or the upper plate. The heater is coupled to the shaft 212 by a wire conduit that is routed therethrough to receive electrical current from, for example, a Figure 1 The heating current is controlled by an external controller such as temperature controller 175. Alternatively, no heater is provided and the wafer is heated by the conditions applied to the wafer within the processing chamber.

[0023] The bottom plate and the cooling plate have cylindrical through holes 226 extending from the bottom of the bottom plate to the top of the cooling plate and thus to the space between the cooling plate and the upper plate 206. The cylindrical through holes 226 act as vents to allow air to flow between the bottom plate and the cooling plate, and between the cooling plate and the upper plate. The vents allow the interior of the chuck to adapt to changes in ambient air pressure. This allows the chuck to remain stable in vacuum chambers and high pressure chambers for different types of manufacturing processes.

[0024] As shown, there is a small gap 228 between the bottom plate and the cooling plate. There is a similar small gap 230 between the cooling plate and the upper plate. Although there are O-rings 224 in various locations, these are intended to seal specific channels rather than the complete gap between the surfaces. The gaps 228, 230 are open to ambient air and to the shaft 212 through vents 226. In one embodiment, the shaft 212 is a central shaft. The vents and the central shaft allow ambient air to enter and exit the small gaps. This allows the pressure inside and outside of the chuck to be equalized. Because manufacturing processes may have extreme ambient air pressure differences, the open interior can improve the reliability of the chuck.

[0025] In cooler processes, the ambient air may contain moisture and other contaminants. This moisture is carried by the ambient air and can enter the small gaps between the plates and other open spaces within the chuck. Under certain conditions, such as thermal and electrostatic cycling, the moisture condenses on the inner surfaces of the chuck. After being deposited on these surfaces, it may corrode, abrade, or otherwise degrade these inner surfaces. In addition, for moisture condensation and other material condensation, the deposited water and other materials may interact with the electrostatic fields in the processing chamber, such as plasma fields and ion fields, and interfere with the manufacturing process being performed in the chamber.

[0026] While it is possible to seal these areas from the ambient air inlet, this would create pressure differentials that would stress the chuck and could damage or reduce the life of the chuck. Instead of sealing these areas, a dry gas such as nitrogen is pumped into these areas to flush the areas and remove any moisture. One or more input connectors 232 are provided on the base plate to connect a source of dry gas. The input connectors are coupled to through holes through the base plate to feed dry gas into the small gap 228 between the base plate and the cooling plate.

[0027] Figure 2 2 is an isometric view of a portion of the base plate 210 viewed from above. The base plate includes an outer edge 252 having screw holes 254 for attaching the cooling plate. The cooling plate may rest against the outer edge or against another outer surface. Figure 1 In the example of , there is an O-ring 224 in the cooling plate that abuts against the bottom plate near the edge. The bottom plate has an opening for the shaft 212 through which electrical and fluid conduits pass to connect with the components of the cooling plate and the upper plate. There may also be other holes 256, 262 through which other components and accessories may pass, such as temperature probes, separate wiring devices, attachment screws, etc.

[0028] The base plate is fitted with fittings on its bottom surface to receive dry gas under pressure. The base plate has an opening or outlet 260 on the top surface through which dry gas exits into a small gap 228 between the base plate and the cooling plate. The low pressure from the gas source 181 forces the dry gas into this gap. From the outlet 260, the dry gas is able to spread to and fill the small gap. The dry gas is restricted by the O-ring 224 around the edge of the base plate, and the continuous flow of gas into the gap will force the gas into any accessible cavity in the small gap and any other cavity in the chuck.

[0029] With a continuous flow of dry gas, the dry gas will eventually flow out of the chuck through the shaft 212. The central shaft contains coolant tubes, wiring, or other conduits, but is not sealed, so there are spaces between the various components within the central shaft. These spaces allow the dry gas to flow up and down through the shaft. In other applications, there may be gas conduits specifically made in the central shaft or elsewhere to allow the dry gas to flow out of the chuck. In the example described, the vent tube 226 performs this function. However, because the central shaft allows the gas to flow more freely, most of the gas flows out of the chuck through the central shaft than through the vent tube. In this way, the dry gas pushes the moist ambient air away from the chuck and reduces any condensation on the inside of the chuck.

[0030] The dry air flow may be affected by the location selection of the outlet 260 and the shaping of the top surface of the base plate. The top surface of the base plate is the surface facing the cooling plate. Grooves 264 may be formed in this top surface of the base plate to stimulate, guide or direct the dry air flow in a specific direction. The dry gas flows between the base plate and the cooling plate. Because the dry gas leaves the outlet at a specific pressure, the dry gas will have a higher flow along the path of least resistance. Grooves and other surface features can be used to reduce resistance along any desired path. This will guide the dry gas in the expected direction. The grooves can be machined into the base plate, or they can be molded, cast or formed in any of a variety of other ways.

[0031] Figure 2 A groove may be connected to the drying gas outlet 260 and direct the drying gas toward the outer edge of the bottom plate near the edge in a circular path. From the edge, the groove directs the gas flow back to the axis 212. This tortuous path tends to pull the gas toward the edge and back and encourages flow from the outlet. The drying air is not contained in the groove, but flows in and out of the groove to the small gap between the plates. The groove also includes a branch line 266. This branch line leads from the main tortuous path of the groove to the vent pipe 226 in a different direction from the main path. The branch line makes it easier for the drying gas to flow to the vent pipe. Figure 1 The vent tube shown directs the drying gas to the small gap 230 between the cooling plate and the upper plate at most. The vent tube also directs the drying gas to the bottom of the bottom plate and out of the chamber.

[0032] A similar method can be used to form the grooves between the cooling plate and the upper plate. The grooves can be located on the top surface of the cooling plate, or on the bottom surface of the upper plate. Figure 2Similar grooves to those shown may be formed on the opposite surface of the narrow gap. In other words, instead of forming the grooves on the top surface of the base plate, the grooves may be formed on the bottom surface of the cooling plate instead. A combination of groove patterns may also be used, with some on the base plate and some on the cooling plate.

[0033] Figure 3 An isometric view of an alternative base plate or another portion of the same base plate viewed from above. The base plate 211 has an outer edge 270 with a series of attachment fittings 272 to allow the base plate to be attached to other boards or equipment. The base plate has various holes and openings 274 for other connections and fittings.

[0034] There is a straight groove in the top of the bottom plate, which is connected to the drying gas outlet 282. The straight groove has different straight portions 276, 278, 280, allowing the straight groove to be connected to different points on the upper plate and guide the drying gas to different locations across the surface of the upper plate. Among other things, there is a path to the shaft 212, and a path to the vent pipe 226. The straight paths of these grooves present less resistance than the curved paths of the grooves described above. There is also a curved branch line 284 extending from it and connected to the straight portion 276. The curved portion guides the drying gas to the area where more drying gas is needed. This illustrates a combination of a curved path and a straight path for the grooves on the same surface.

[0035] The top surface of the bottom plate may have more or less grooves. There may be more or fewer grooves, and the paths of the grooves may be selected to suit different purposes. Curved and straight grooves may be combined or used at different locations on the top plate. The depth and width of the grooves may be adjusted to provide the desired flow rate along the path of the grooves. For gaps of the order of a few millimeters between plates, grooves 1-10 mm wide and 1-10 mm deep may cause significant flow along and in the grooves. The depth may be increased to provide a larger flow volume, and the width may be increased to provide a larger flow rate.

[0036] Figure 4 for Figure 5 2 is an isometric view of an assembled electrostatic chuck (ESC). The shaft 212 supports the base plate 210 through a thermal insulator 216. The cooling plate 208 and the upper plate 206 are carried by the base plate. The upper plate 206 carries the puck 204 on the top surface 205 of the heater plate. A workpiece (not shown) is in turn carried above the puck and may be attached electrostatically or otherwise.

[0037] The shaft 212 supports the base plate 210 with a thermal insulator 216 between the support shaft and the base plate. The shaft is hollow inside and contains conduits for conductors, gases and other materials supplied to the top of the chuck. The base plate supports the cooling plate 208. The cooling plate 208 is typically machined from aluminum and then covered with an elastomeric cover for each cooling channel.

[0038] The cooling plate absorbs heat from the workpiece through the dielectric puck 204 and the upper plate. It also absorbs heat from the upper plate heaters. The top surface 205 of the upper plate 206 is bonded to the dielectric puck 204 using a high temperature adhesive such as silicone. The puck is typically a ceramic material but may alternatively be made of other materials. In the case of an electrostatic chuck, electrodes (not shown) may be embedded within the puck to generate an electrostatic field for gripping a workpiece such as a silicon substrate.

[0039] The base plate 210 provides structural reinforcement for the cooling plate 208. The base plate may be formed of a rigid material that has poor thermal conductivity or lower thermal conductivity than the cooling plate. This prevents heat from flowing between cooling channels through the base plate. The base plate may be formed of polystyrene, titanium, alumina, ceramic, stainless steel, nickel, and similar materials. It may be formed as a single component or from many parts brazed together. Depending on the particular implementation, the base plate may be bolted, threaded, or rivet secured to the cooling plate.

[0040] The base plate 210 is carried on a shaft 212. The shaft is hollow inside and contains conduits for conductors, gases and other materials supplied to the top of the chuck. A thermal insulator 216 is located between the metal shaft and the metal base plate 210 to reduce heat conduction between the shaft and the base plate. This keeps the shaft cooler and can also shield heat from any processing mechanisms attached to the shaft.

[0041] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a dry gas supply system and an alternative workpiece support. A cold air processing chamber 502 has a workpiece support 504 mounted near the bottom of the chamber. The workpiece support can be an electrostatic chuck for supporting silicon wafers or another support such as a pedestal or other carrier for other workpieces made of other materials, such as gallium arsenide, lithium niobate, ceramics and other materials.

[0042] The workpiece support 504 is supported by a dielectric plate 506. The dielectric plate 506 is attached to a cathode plate 508. A shield or cover 510 is mounted on the bottom of the cathode to protect and cover the accessories and accessories of the cathode. These accessories include two nitrogen (N 2) inlet fitting 528. A nitrogen source 520 provides a dry gas, such as nitrogen, under pressure to a control valve 522. The gas flows from the source to the control valve, and then to a first distributor 524, such as a three-way valve, through another second distributor 526, such as another three-way valve, to two dry gas attachment fittings 528 of the cathode. As shown and described above, the fittings are connected to the dielectric plate 506 through the cathode.

[0043] Dry gas may also be provided from the first distributor 524 to any other desired components. In the depicted example, the first distributor is connected to an interface box 516, which serves as an interface to the heat exchanger 512 and control valve 514. In such examples, dry gas serves as a purge gas for the chuck and for the interface box. This reduces condensation in both areas. Dry gas may be provided to other components as may be required for a particular hardware configuration.

[0044] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a plasma etching system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the system 100 includes a chuck assembly 142. The plasma etching system 100 can be any type of high performance etching chamber known in the art, such as, but not limited to, AdvantEdge TM G3, or Mesa TM chambers, all of which are manufactured by Applied Materials, Inc., California, USA. Other commercially available etching chambers can also utilize the chuck assembly described herein. Although the exemplary embodiment is described in the context of the plasma etching system 100, the chuck assembly described herein can also be applied to other processing systems for performing any plasma manufacturing process (e.g., plasma deposition systems, etc.).

[0045] refer to Figure 6, the plasma etching system 100 includes a grounded chamber 105. Processing gas is supplied to the interior of the chamber 105 from a gas source (s) 129 connected to the chamber through a mass flow controller 149. The chamber 105 is evacuated via an exhaust valve 151 connected to a high-capacity vacuum exhaust pump 155. When plasma power is applied to the chamber 105, plasma is formed in a processing region on the workpiece 110. A plasma bias power 125 is coupled to the chuck assembly 142 to excite the plasma. The plasma bias power 125 typically has a low frequency between 2 MHz and 60 MHz, and can be, for example, in the 13.56 MHz frequency band. In an exemplary embodiment, the plasma etching system 100 includes a second plasma bias power 126 operating at approximately a 2 MHz frequency band, which is connected to a radio frequency (RF) match 127. The plasma bias power 125 is also coupled to the RF match, and is also coupled to the lower electrode via a power line to supply a drive current 128. The plasma source power 130 is coupled to the plasma generating assembly 135 through another matcher (not shown) to provide a high frequency source power to inductively or capacitively excite the plasma. The plasma source power 130 may have a frequency higher than the plasma bias power 125, such as between 100 and 180 MHz, and may be in the 162 MHz band, for example.

[0046] A workpiece 110 is loaded through opening 115 and clamped to the chuck assembly 142 within the chamber. The workpiece 110, such as a semiconductor wafer, may be any wafer, substrate, or other workpiece used in the semiconductor processing field, and the present invention is not limited in this respect. The workpiece 110 is placed on the top surface of the dielectric layer or positioning plate of the chuck assembly, and the chuck assembly is disposed above the cooled bottom assembly 144 of the chuck assembly. A clamping electrode (not shown) is embedded in the dielectric layer. In a specific embodiment, the chuck assembly 142 includes electrical heaters (not shown). The heaters can be independently controlled to the same or different temperature set points.

[0047] The system controller 170 is coupled to various systems to control the manufacturing process in the chamber. The controller 170 may include a temperature controller 175 to execute a temperature control algorithm (e.g., temperature feedback control) and may be software or hardware or a combination of both. The temperature controller receives temperature information from the temperature sensor 143 in the chuck and then adjusts the heater and heat exchanger accordingly. Although only one thermal sensor is shown, there may be more thermal sensors in many different locations depending on the specific implementation. The system controller 170 also includes a central processing unit 172, a memory 173, and an input / output interface 174. The temperature controller 175 is also used to output control signals or drive currents 128 to the heaters to affect the heating rate and, therefore, the heat transfer rate between each heater zone of the chuck assembly 142 and the workpiece.

[0048] In various embodiments, in addition to the heater, there may be one or more coolant temperature zones. The coolant zone has a heat transfer fluid circuit with flow control, which is controlled according to a temperature feedback loop. In the example embodiment, the temperature controller 175 is coupled to a heat exchanger (HTX) / cooler 177 via a control line 176 depending on the specific implementation. The control line can be used to allow the temperature controller to set the temperature, flow rate and other parameters of the heat exchanger. The flow rate of the heat transfer fluid or coolant through the conduits in the chuck assembly 142 can be alternatively or additionally controlled by the heat exchanger.

[0049] One or more valves 185 (or other flow control devices) between the heat exchanger / cooler 177 and the fluid conduits in the chuck assembly 142 can be controlled by the temperature controller 175 to independently control the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid. The temperature controller can also control the temperature set point used by the heat exchanger to cool the heat transfer fluid.

[0050] The heat transfer fluid may be a liquid such as, but not limited to, deionized water / ethylene glycol, such as from 3M or from Solvay Solexis, Inc. , or any other suitable dielectric fluid such as those containing perfluorinated inert polyethers. Although the present invention describes a vacuum chuck in the context of a plasma processing chamber, the principles, structures, and techniques described herein can be used with a variety of different workpiece supports, in a variety of different chambers, and for a variety of different processes.

[0051] The processing system 100 also includes a drying gas source 181, which can be, for example, Figure 518 is coupled to the chuck assembly 142 via a control valve 182. The dry gas source may be a source of nitrogen or any other suitable gas to purge moisture from the chuck. The dry gas source may also be coupled to other components to purge gas from other components. As described, the gas is supplied to the chuck but is not allowed to enter the chamber. A separate reactive gas source 129 is provided to support the manufacturing process applied to the workpiece 110. Depending on the particular implementation, the dry gas source may be used to support other processes.

[0052] In operation, a workpiece is moved through the opening of the chamber and attached to the positioning plate of the carrier for a manufacturing process. While the workpiece is in the processing chamber and attached to the carrier, any of a variety of different manufacturing processes may be applied to the workpiece. During the process, and optionally before the process, a dry gas is supplied under pressure to the dry gas inlet of the base plate. The pressure pushes the dry gas into the space between the base plate and the cooling plate. The gas flow drives the ambient air from between the base plate and the cooling plate.

[0053] In summary, by applying positive pressure to the dry gas inlet, the dry gas and any other gas in the carrier are pushed to exit through the outlet of the carrier. There are outlets in the central shaft and in the vents. There may be other outlets depending on the specific design of the carrier. So for example, the supply of dry gas drives the dry gas through the central shaft between the base plate and the cooling plate and exits the carrier through the central shaft from between the base plate and the cooling plate. Grooves also direct the supplied dry gas to the central shaft, and to any other desired areas of the carrier, until the pressure drives the dry purge gas to be pushed across the base plate, so that the dry air exits through the central shaft at any available opening.

[0054] As used in the specification of the present invention and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein is intended to refer to and encompass any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0055] The terms "coupled" and "connected" and their derivatives may be used herein to describe functional and structural relationships between components. It should be understood that these terms are not intended to be synonymous with each other. Rather, in certain embodiments, "connected" may be used to indicate that two or more components are in direct physical, optical, or electrical contact with each other. "Coupled" may be used to indicate that two or more components are in direct or indirect physical, optical, or electrical contact with each other (with other intervening components therebetween), and / or that the two or more components co-operate or interact with each other (e.g., such as in a cause-and-effect relationship).

[0056] As used herein, the terms "above," "below," "between," and "on..." refer to the relative position of one component or material layer with respect to other components or layers (when such physical relationships are of interest). For example, in the case of material layers, a layer disposed above or below another layer may be directly in contact with the other layer, or may have one or more intervening layers. In addition, a layer disposed between two layers may be directly in contact with the two layers, or may have one or more intervening layers. In contrast, a first layer "on a second layer" is directly in contact with the second layer. Similar distinctions may also be established in the case of component assemblies.

[0057] It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative only and not limiting. For example, although the specific order of the operations performed by certain embodiments of the present invention is depicted in the flowchart of the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the order is not necessary (for example, alternative embodiments can perform the operations in different orders, combining certain operations, overlapping certain operations, etc.). In addition, many other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading and understanding the above description. Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but can be practiced with modifications and substitutions within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present invention should therefore be determined with reference to the appended claims and the full range of equivalents claimed by the claims.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a positioning plate for carrying a workpiece for manufacturing processing; an upper plate thermally coupled to the positioning plate; a cooling plate secured to and thermally coupled to the upper plate; a base plate fastened to the cooling plate opposite the positioning disk; as well as a dry gas outlet of the bottom plate for supplying dry gas under pressure to a space between the bottom plate and the cooling plate, the dry gas outlet being positioned between a central axis and a periphery of the bottom plate, wherein the bottom plate has a groove configured to allow the dry gas to flow to the space between the bottom plate and the cooling plate, the groove having a path from the dry gas outlet to the central axis; as well as A cylindrical through hole passes through the cooling plate to allow the drying gas to flow between the bottom plate and the top plate, the cylindrical through hole being positioned so that the groove directs the drying gas to flow to the cylindrical through hole.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drying gas is nitrogen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the central shaft is disposed through the base plate and the cooling plate supports the base plate, wherein the central shaft allows airflow between the base plate and the cooling plate, and wherein the dry gas exits through the central shaft from between the base plate and the cooling plate. 4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the groove is formed in a top surface of the base plate facing the cooling plate, the groove being used to guide a flow of the drying gas from the drying gas outlet.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the grooves lead to a central axis through the base plate such that the drying gas exits through the central axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel has a branch to direct flow in the second direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper plate includes a plurality of resistive heaters to heat the puck.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the base plate is formed of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the cooling plate.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the material is thermosetting polystyrene.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said puck is dielectric, said puck further comprising electrodes to electrostatically hold said workpiece during said manufacturing process.

11. A plasma processing system comprising: a plasma chamber; a plasma source for generating a plasma containing gas ions in the plasma chamber; and A workpiece support, the workpiece support is located in the chamber and has a positioning disk, an upper plate, a cooling plate, a bottom plate, a dry gas outlet of the bottom plate and a cylindrical through hole, the positioning disk is used to carry the workpiece for manufacturing processing, the upper plate is thermally coupled to the positioning disk, the cooling plate is fastened to and thermally coupled to the upper plate, the bottom plate is fastened to the cooling plate relative to the positioning disk, and the dry gas outlet of the bottom plate is positioned between the central axis and the periphery of the bottom plate, the dry gas outlet is used to supply dry gas under pressure to the space between the bottom plate and the cooling plate, wherein the bottom plate has a groove, the groove is configured to allow the dry gas to flow to the space between the bottom plate and the cooling plate, the groove has a path from the dry gas outlet to the central axis, the cylindrical through hole passes through the cooling plate to allow the dry gas to flow between the bottom plate and the upper plate, and the cylindrical through hole is positioned so that the groove guides the dry gas to flow to the cylindrical through hole.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the central shaft is coupled to a space between the cooling plate and the upper plate.

13. A method comprising: attaching a workpiece to a positioning plate of a carrier to carry the workpiece for a manufacturing process, the carrier comprising an upper plate, a cooling plate, and a bottom plate, the upper plate being thermally coupled to the positioning plate, the cooling plate being secured to and thermally coupled to the upper plate, and the bottom plate being secured to the cooling plate opposite the positioning plate; applying a manufacturing process to the workpiece in a processing chamber while the workpiece is attached to the carrier; as well as During the manufacturing process, a dry gas is supplied under pressure to an outlet of the bottom plate positioned between a central axis and a periphery of the bottom plate, the outlet being used to supply the dry gas under pressure to a space between the bottom plate and the cooling plate, wherein the bottom plate has a groove configured to allow the dry gas to flow to the space between the bottom plate and the cooling plate, the groove having a path from the outlet to the central axis, and a cylindrical through-hole passes through the cooling plate to allow the dry gas to flow between the bottom plate and the upper plate, the cylindrical through-hole being positioned so that the groove guides the dry gas to flow to the cylindrical through-hole.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the central shaft is configured to pass through the base plate and the cooling plate to support the base plate, wherein the supply of the dry gas drives the dry gas through the central shaft between the base plate and the cooling plate and out of the carrier from between the base plate and the cooling plate through the central shaft.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the grooves direct the supplied drying gas to the central shaft through the base plate such that the drying gas exits through the central shaft.

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