Auxiliary tool for electrostatic chuck sand blasting process

Abstract

The utility model discloses an auxiliary tool for a sand blasting process of an electrostatic chuck, which comprises a base, the upper surface of the base comprises a mounting area and is provided with a vent hole penetrating through the base, and the vent hole can be used for being connected with an air source; at least one seal having a thickness, the seal being configurable between the mounting region and a bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck; the upper cover comprises an annular main body, a window is formed in the middle of the annular main body, a fixing part is formed in the outer edge area of the annular main body, and a connecting part is formed in the non-outer edge area of the annular main body; when the electrostatic chuck is connected with the base, the fixing part is used for being connected with the base. By means of the auxiliary tool, assembling and air hole protection of the electrostatic chuck before sand blasting can be rapidly achieved, the situation that a hole channel is blocked due to the fact that sand blasting sand enters the hole channel is avoided, and the sand blasting blocking prevention efficiency can be effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular to an auxiliary tooling for electrostatic chuck sandblasting process. Background Technology

[0002] During use, the microstructure of an electrostatic chuck, such as the bumps on its surface, is subjected to plasma corrosion and wafer friction. After prolonged use, the chuck surface will be damaged, requiring repair and refurbishment. Refurbishment typically involves sandblasting to rebuild the bumps. However, the chuck surface contains many functional holes, such as pin holes for the lifting pins and vent holes for helium gas. During sandblasting, the abrasive material (sand particles) can enter these pin holes and vent holes, easily causing blockage. Currently, silicone plugs are generally used to protect the pin holes (diameter greater than 5mm), but the vent diameter is generally small (less than 1mm), making it difficult to process suitable protective silicone.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the protection against clogging of functional holes during sandblasting operations.

[0004] The statements herein provide only background information relating to this invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an auxiliary tooling that can effectively prevent air holes or pin holes from being blocked by sand particles during electrostatic chuck sandblasting.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model proposes an auxiliary tooling for electrostatic chuck sandblasting processes. The bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck includes at least one functional hole communicating with the top surface. The auxiliary tooling includes:

[0007] The base has an upper surface including a mounting area, and a vent hole penetrating the base is provided in the mounting area for connecting to an air source. The mounting area can be connected to the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck.

[0008] At least one seal having a thickness is disposed in the mounting area to connect to the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck, the sealing area including the vent hole and at least one of the functional holes;

[0009] The top cover includes an annular body, a window is formed in the middle of the annular body, a fixing part is formed in the outer edge area of ​​the annular body, and a connecting part is formed in the non-outer edge area;

[0010] The fixing part is used to connect the base so that the connecting part directly or indirectly abuts against the top surface of the electrostatic chuck.

[0011] Preferably, the non-sandblasted area includes: a recessed stepped surface provided on the outer edge of the top surface of the electrostatic chuck;

[0012] The auxiliary tooling also includes an elastic support, through which the connecting part can indirectly abut against the sunken step surface.

[0013] Preferably, the mounting area of ​​the base is configured such that the surrounding area of ​​the seal is lower than the non-surrounding area.

[0014] Preferably, the fixing part includes at least two first connecting holes, and the base is provided with a corresponding number of second connecting holes. Each first connecting hole and each corresponding second connecting hole can be connected by fasteners.

[0015] Preferably, the mounting area includes a groove for accommodating the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the groove is not less than the area of ​​the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck.

[0016] Preferably, the sealing element is a circular sealing ring.

[0017] Preferably, the circular sealing ring has a thickness of 3 mm, and the mounting area further includes an annular groove for accommodating the circular sealing ring, the annular groove having a depth of 2.8 mm.

[0018] Preferably, the base is also provided with mounting holes for connecting a sandblasting station.

[0019] Preferably, it further includes: a pipe connected to the vent and a valve disposed on the pipe.

[0020] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The auxiliary tooling is quick to assemble, and compared with plugging each hole with soft material, this auxiliary tooling can effectively improve the efficiency of preventing sandblasting blockage.

[0022] The auxiliary tooling can be reused, reducing costs. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the auxiliary tooling provided by this utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 A top view of the auxiliary tooling provided by this utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction of the auxiliary tooling provided by this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of an auxiliary tooling for electrostatic chuck sandblasting processes proposed in this utility model. The advantages and features of this utility model will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, intended only to facilitate and clearly illustrate the embodiments of this utility model. Please refer to the drawings to make the objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable. It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of this utility model. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives achieved by this utility model, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this utility model.

[0027] Electrostatic chucks are primarily used in semiconductor etching equipment to hold wafers. An electrostatic chuck comprises a body made of ceramic material and multiple functional holes extending through the body. These functional holes include multiple pin holes and several vent holes. The pin holes are used to lift pins through, thereby lifting the wafer on the top surface of the electrostatic chuck. The vent holes are used to introduce helium gas to cool the electrostatic chuck. The vent holes communicate with channels located inside the body. These channels include multiple branches; the first end of each branch extends to the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck, communicating with a vent hole on the bottom surface; the second end of each branch extends to the top surface of the electrostatic chuck, communicating with multiple vent holes distributed on the top surface. In some processes, the vent holes on the bottom surface can be connected to helium gas, which is then distributed throughout the body via the multiple branch channels to cool the electrostatic chuck, and finally discharged from the vent holes on the top surface.

[0028] When manufacturing or repairing electrostatic chucks, their top surface needs to be sandblasted, which can easily cause sand particles to clog the pores or pin holes on the top surface. To solve this problem, this invention proposes an auxiliary fixture for the sandblasting process of electrostatic chucks. The auxiliary fixture can fix the electrostatic chuck and provides vents that can be connected to an air source. Through these vents, gas from the air source is guided into the various functional holes on the electrostatic chuck, thereby creating positive pressure within the functional holes to prevent sand particles from entering and thus protecting the functional holes.

[0029] For further explanation of the structure of the auxiliary tooling, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an auxiliary tooling structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1As shown, the auxiliary tooling includes: a base 101, at least one sealing element 103, and a top cover 102. The upper surface of the base 101 includes a mounting area, which can be connected to the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck 201. A vent hole 111 penetrating the base is provided in the mounting area, which can be used to connect to the gas source 301. The at least one sealing element 103 has a thickness and can be a single sealing element with an area surrounding at least one functional hole. The sealing element 103 can be disposed between the mounting area and the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck to ensure that the area surrounded by the sealing element includes the vent hole 111 and at least one functional hole. A sealing area can be formed within the area surrounded by the sealing element 103 to ensure that gas entering from the vent does not leak from the outside of the sealing element 103, thereby maintaining the gas pressure obtained by each functional hole within the sealing area at a preset value.

[0030] As an optional embodiment, the area of ​​the sealing element 103 can be set to be equivalent to the bottom surface area of ​​the electrostatic chuck 201, for surrounding all the functional holes located on the bottom surface, including the pin hole 212 and the air hole 211.

[0031] As an optional embodiment, the area of ​​the sealing element 103 can be set to be comparable to the area of ​​the functional hole, so as to surround a functional hole and specifically allow air to pass through the functional hole.

[0032] Furthermore, the mounting area of ​​the base 101 is configured such that the surrounding area of ​​the seal 103 is lower than the non-surrounding area. See also... Figure 2 The diagram shows a top view of base 101. To further increase the volume of the sealing area to accommodate a larger gas flow rate, a gradient structure is provided within the mounting area of ​​base 101. Taking a circular mounting area as an example, the inner and outer sides of the fixed seal position are set at different heights, forming a depression in the area surrounding the seal (i.e., the inner area of ​​the seal) to accommodate more gas. This depression can be a circular recessed groove 116.

[0033] Please continue reading. Figure 1 The upper cover 102 includes an annular body with a window 121 formed in the middle. A fixing portion is formed on the outer edge of the annular body, and a connecting portion is formed on the non-outer edge area. When the electrostatic chuck 301 is connected to the base 101, the fixing portion connects to the base 101, so that the connecting portion directly or indirectly abuts against the non-sandblasted area of ​​the top surface of the electrostatic chuck 201, exposing the sandblasted area of ​​the top surface through the window 121. Therefore, the shape of the window of the annular body corresponds to the shape of the sandblasted area of ​​the electrostatic chuck 201.

[0034] The connecting portion can be a complementary structure that matches the shape and structure of the non-blasted area. For example, when the non-blasted area is a recessed step surface 213 located on the outer edge of the top surface of the electrostatic chuck, the connecting portion is a protruding structure (not shown in the figure) extending towards the step surface, and the protruding structure directly abuts against the step surface. As an optional embodiment, the connecting portion is an annular protrusion protruding towards the base 101 near the inner side of an annular body, and the height of the annular protrusion matches the height of the step surface 213 of the electrostatic chuck. Alternatively, the connecting portion can be a planar structure that can indirectly abut against the step surface 213 through other components. Furthermore, when the non-blasted area is a plane on the top surface of the electrostatic chuck 201, as an optional embodiment, the connecting portion is a planar structure with a ring-shaped body near the inner side.

[0035] To protect the stepped surface 213 of the electrostatic chuck, the auxiliary tooling also includes an elastic support (not shown in the figure), which can be made of an elastic material, such as rubber, silicone, or plastic. When the electrostatic chuck 301 is connected to the base 101, the elastic support can be placed on the recessed stepped surface 213, so that the connecting part can directly contact the elastic support and indirectly abut against the recessed stepped surface 213 for force transmission. The elastic support can be annular, with a height slightly greater than the height of the stepped surface and a width slightly greater than the width of the stepped surface, but its outer edge does not extend to the fixing part. Since the elastic material can be compressed, the rigid contact between the top cover and the electrostatic chuck 201 can be reduced by introducing the elastic support, thereby effectively protecting the top surface of the electrostatic chuck 201.

[0036] The fixing part includes at least two first connecting holes 122, and the base 101 is provided with at least two corresponding second connecting holes 112. Each first connecting hole 122 and its corresponding second connecting hole 112 can be connected by fasteners. As an optional embodiment, the fixing part is a ring located on the outer edge of the annular body of the upper cover 102, on which four first connecting holes 122 are provided. Alternatively, as an optional embodiment, the fixing part is four lugs (not shown in the figure) located on the outer edge of the annular body of the upper cover 102, each lug being provided with one first connecting hole.

[0037] At least two second connection holes 112 are also provided at the corresponding positions of the base 101. When the top cover 102 is fastened on the top surface of the electrostatic chuck 201, the first connection hole 122 can be aligned with the corresponding second connection hole 112 by rotating the top cover 102. Then, bolts are inserted and tightened with nuts to clamp the electrostatic chuck 201 between the base 101 and the top cover 102.

[0038] To better secure the electrostatic chuck, the mounting area includes a groove 115 for accommodating the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck 201, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the groove 115 is not less than the area of ​​the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck 201. The groove 115 can be used for limiting and positioning, which can accelerate the securing of the electrostatic chuck. The groove 115 can be combined with the recessed groove 116 for expanding the gas capacity of the mounting area, forming a concentric double-groove structure on the upper surface of the base 101. (See [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 2 and Figure 3 .

[0039] Furthermore, the sealing element 103 is a circular sealing ring. The thickness of the circular sealing ring is 3mm, and the installation area also includes an annular groove 117 for accommodating the circular sealing ring. The annular groove 117 has a depth of 2.8mm and can be concentrically arranged with the groove 115.

[0040] Furthermore, the base 101 is also provided with mounting holes 113 for connecting the sandblasting table. When transferring the electrostatic chuck to the sandblasting table, to facilitate fixing the auxiliary tooling, two oblong mounting holes 113 can be provided on the base 101, and two positioning pins are provided on the table surface of the sandblasting table. The positioning pins can be used to engage with the two oblong mounting holes 113 to achieve the positioning and fixing of the auxiliary tooling. Additionally, the table surface of the sandblasting table has a hollow center for arranging gas pipes to connect to the auxiliary tooling above the sandblasting table.

[0041] Furthermore, the auxiliary tooling also includes a pipe connected to the vent 111 and a valve 311 disposed on the pipe. In conjunction with the above embodiment, the vent 111 may include an air inlet pipe extending outward from the lower surface of the base 101, with a pipe connected to the air inlet pipe and a valve 311 disposed on the pipe. The pipe is connected to a gas source 301, and the valve can control the gas flow and pressure. The valve may be a pneumatic valve, capable of receiving gas pressures of 0.05 MPa to 0.35 MPa.

[0042] The auxiliary tooling can quickly assemble the electrostatic chuck before sandblasting and protect the pores, preventing the pores from being blocked by sandblasting material. At the same time, the auxiliary tooling is quick to assemble, and compared with using soft materials to block each hole, this auxiliary tooling can effectively improve the efficiency of preventing sandblasting blockage.

[0043] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0044] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "height," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0045] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0046] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0047] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above content. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An auxiliary tooling for an electrostatic chuck blasting process, the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck comprising at least one functional hole communicating with the top surface, characterized in that, The auxiliary tooling includes: The base has an upper surface including a mounting area, and a vent hole penetrating the base is provided in the mounting area for connecting to an air source. The mounting area can be connected to the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck. At least one seal having a thickness is disposed in the mounting area to connect to the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck, the sealing area including the vent hole and at least one of the functional holes; The top cover includes an annular body, a window is formed in the middle of the annular body, a fixing part is formed in the outer edge area of ​​the annular body, and a connecting part is formed in the non-outer edge area; The fixing part is used to connect the base so that the connecting part directly or indirectly abuts against the top surface of the electrostatic chuck.

2. The auxiliary tool of claim 1, wherein The top outer edge of the electrostatic chuck is provided with a recessed stepped surface; The auxiliary tooling also includes an elastic support, through which the connecting part can indirectly abut against the sunken step surface.

3. The auxiliary tool of claim 1, wherein The mounting area of ​​the base is configured such that the area surrounding the seal is lower than the area not surrounded.

4. The auxiliary tool of claim 1, wherein The fixing part includes at least two first connecting holes, and the base is provided with a corresponding number of second connecting holes. Each first connecting hole and each corresponding second connecting hole can be connected by fasteners.

5. The auxiliary tool of claim 1, wherein The installation area includes a groove for accommodating the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the groove is not less than the area of ​​the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck.

6. The auxiliary tool of claim 1, wherein The sealing element is a circular sealing ring.

7. The auxiliary tool of claim 6, wherein The circular sealing ring has a thickness of 3mm, and the installation area also includes an annular groove for accommodating the circular sealing ring, the annular groove having a depth of 2.8mm.

8. The auxiliary tool of claim 1, wherein, The base is also provided with mounting holes for connecting a sandblasting station.

9. The auxiliary tool of claim 1, wherein, Also includes: A pipe connected to the vent and a valve installed on the pipe.

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