Electrostatic chuck base treatment

Abstract

A method for laser processing an electrostatic chuck pedestal includes selectively irradiating a substrate contact region of the electrostatic chuck pedestal with a laser beam to form a micro-modification layer on at least a portion of the substrate contact region. The electrostatic chuck pedestal may be repaired using a laser beam without significantly reducing its thickness compared to mechanical processing. This may extend the life of the electrostatic chuck pedestal through multiple uses and repair cycles.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Electrostatic chuck pedestals are used in many semiconductor manufacturing processes to hold substrates such as silicon wafers. The substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal may be patterned with a substrate contact area that forms a contact point between the electrostatic chuck pedestal and the substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0002] This Summary is provided to introduce a number of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.

[0003] In one embodiment, a laser beam is selectively applied to a substrate contact area of ​​an electrostatic chuck pedestal to form a micro-modification layer on at least a portion of the substrate contact area.

[0004] In some such examples, selectively irradiating the substrate contact region with the laser beam additionally or alternatively includes selectively irradiating the substrate contact region with the laser beam in the presence of oxygen, and the micro-modification layer additionally or alternatively includes an oxide layer.

[0005] In some such instances, the oxide layer additionally or alternatively comprises one or more of aluminum oxide or aluminum oxynitride.

[0006] In some such examples, the method additionally or alternatively includes selectively irradiating at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal that is located outside the substrate contact area with a laser beam.

[0007] In some such examples, the electrostatic chuck pedestal additionally or alternatively comprises aluminum nitride.

[0008] In some such examples, the method additionally or alternatively includes selectively irradiating the substrate contact region with a laser beam in the presence of a dopant to incorporate the dopant into the micro-modification layer.

[0009] In some such examples, the method additionally or alternatively includes providing the dopant as a gas that forms at least a portion of the atmosphere when the substrate contact region is irradiated with the laser beam.

[0010] In some such instances, the method additionally or alternatively includes providing the dopant as a solid or liquid onto the substrate contact region.

[0011] In some such examples, the dopants additionally or alternatively include one or more of carbon, magnesium, titanium, calcium, iron, boron, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, or silicon.

[0012] In some such instances, the method additionally or alternatively includes selectively irradiating the substrate contact region with a laser beam in a nitrogen-enriched atmosphere.

[0013] In some such instances, the electrostatic chuck pedestal may additionally or alternatively include a degraded electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0014] In some such examples, the oxide layer additionally or alternatively has a thickness of 100 nm or greater.

[0015] As another example, a method is provided that includes selectively irradiating at least a portion of a substrate-facing surface of an electrostatic chuck pedestal with a laser beam, the portion being located outside one or more substrate contact regions of the substrate-facing surface, to form a micro-modification layer on at least the portion of the substrate-facing surface.

[0016] In some such examples, the step of selectively irradiating at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface with a laser beam additionally or alternatively includes a step of selectively irradiating with a laser beam in the presence of oxygen, and the micro-modification layer additionally or alternatively includes an oxide layer.

[0017] In some such examples, the method additionally or alternatively includes selectively irradiating at least a portion of the one or more substrate contact areas with a laser beam.

[0018] In some such instances, the method additionally or alternatively includes selectively irradiating with a laser beam in the presence of a dopant to incorporate the dopant into the micromodification layer.

[0019] In some such examples, the electrostatic chuck pedestal additionally or alternatively comprises aluminum nitride.

[0020] In some such examples, the micro-modification layer additionally or alternatively has a thickness of 100 nm or greater.

[0021] In another example, an electrostatic chuck pedestal is provided, the electrostatic chuck pedestal having a substrate-facing surface including a substrate contact area, and a micro-modification layer formed on at least a portion of the substrate contact area, the micro-modification layer having a thickness of 100 nm or greater.

[0022] In some such instances, the micro-modification layer additionally or alternatively includes an oxide layer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating laser processing of an example electrostatic chuck pedestal to form an example micro-modification layer on one or more substrate contact areas (SCAs) of the electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0024] [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B illustrates an oxide layer formed on one or more SCAs of the electrostatic chuck pedestal of FIG. 1A.

[0025] [Figure 1C] FIG. 1C is a diagram showing a substrate placed on the electrostatic chuck pedestal of FIG. 1B.

[0026] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the electrostatic chuck pedestal of FIGS. 1A to 1C.

[0027] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view illustrating another example of an electrostatic chuck pedestal having an oxide layer on a plurality of SCAs and on other regions of the substrate-facing surface.

[0028] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating laser processing of an exemplary electrostatic chuck pedestal in the presence of a gas containing a dopant precursor.

[0029] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of laser treatment of an electrostatic chuck pedestal using a solid or liquid dopant precursor.

[0030] [Figure 6A]FIG. 6A is a plot showing the surface roughness profile of an example degraded electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0031] [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a plot showing the surface roughness profile of an example of a repaired electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0032] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for laser processing an electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0033] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating another exemplary method for laser processing an electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0034] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an example computing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] The term "polishing" generally refers to the mechanical removal of material from an electrostatic chuck pedestal during the manufacturing process. An example of polishing is blasting the electrostatic chuck pedestal with an abrasive material. The term "blasting" generally refers to the mechanical removal of material from an electrostatic chuck pedestal by spraying an abrasive material at a sufficient velocity.

[0036] The term "ambient" generally refers to the gaseous environment in which the electrostatic chuck pedestal is placed during irradiation by the laser beam.

[0037] The term "dopant" generally refers to a substance incorporated into an electrostatic chuck pedestal to change one or more physical or chemical properties of the electrostatic chuck pedestal. Examples of dopants for the oxide layer of an electrostatic chuck pedestal include silicon, carbon, magnesium, aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, calcium, iron, boron, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium.

[0038] The term "electrostatic chuck pedestal" generally refers to a substrate holder configured to securely hold a semiconductor substrate during processing by generating an electrostatic force.

[0039] The term "laser beam" generally refers to the beam of coherent electromagnetic radiation output from a laser.

[0040] The term "micromodified layer" generally refers to a layer of material that has a different microstructure than at least some of the adjacent materials. The micromodified layer may have a different crystal structure, a different morphology, a different chemical composition, a different particle size, and / or any other suitable difference compared to the unmodified material.

[0041] The term "nitrogen-enriched atmosphere" generally refers to an atmosphere containing a concentration of nitrogen that is higher than the concentration of nitrogen in air.

[0042] The term "oxide layer" generally refers to a layer of an electrostatic chuck pedestal that includes oxides formed by exposure to a laser in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. Examples of oxides included in the oxide layer include aluminum oxynitride (AlN). x (Al2O3) 1-x ) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

[0043] The term "selectively applying a laser beam" generally refers to applying a laser beam to a target area of ​​a surface.

[0044] The term "substrate contact area" generally refers to the portion of the electrostatic chuck pedestal that is configured to be in physical contact with the substrate when the substrate is placed on the electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0045] The term "substrate-facing surface" generally refers to the portion of the electrostatic chuck pedestal that faces the substrate when the substrate is placed on the electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0046] The term "laser treatment" generally refers to applying laser energy to the electrostatic chuck pedestal to change the material composition of the electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0047] The term "deteriorated electrostatic chuck pedestal" generally refers to an electrostatic chuck pedestal that has a surface that has been damaged or worn due to use, as compared to an unused electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0048] In many semiconductor processes, an electrostatic chuck pedestal is used to hold a semiconductor substrate during processing. Some electrostatic chuck pedestals are known as Johnsen-Rahbek (JR) chucks. Such electrostatic chuck pedestals have a substrate contact area (SCA) structure, each containing a dielectric layer with a finite resistance. A current is conducted through the dielectric layer and the substrate, creating a charge layer at the interface between the dielectric layer and the substrate. This charge layer creates an electrostatic attraction that clamps the substrate to the electrostatic chuck pedestal. The dielectric layer may include a ceramic material such as aluminum nitride (AlN).

[0049] The SCA of the JR electrostatic chuck pedestal is patterned on the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal, and serves as a contact point between the electrostatic chuck pedestal and the substrate to allow current to flow between the electrostatic chuck and the substrate.

[0050] Electrostatic chuck pedestals may be used in various semiconductor processes. Examples of semiconductor processes include film deposition processes such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD). A protective film may be deposited on the electrostatic chuck pedestal and other surfaces in the processing chamber before the film deposition process. The protective film is removed after the deposition process is performed on a batch of substrates. The protective film may also be removed by a plasma cleaning process. In the plasma cleaning process, plasma generates fluorine-containing radical species from a cleaning species precursor. An example of a cleaning species precursor for generating fluorine radicals is nitrogen trifluoride (NF). However, plasma cleaning processes can damage the SCA of the electrostatic chuck pedestal. For example, particles of the ceramic material of the SCA may be flaked or chemically degraded during the cleaning process, which can result in the formation of voids on the SCA. Over time, this particle removal causes wear of the pedestal.

[0051] Electrical currents passing through the electrostatic chuck pedestal during use can also degrade the SCA of the electrostatic chuck pedestal over time, and such degradation can be caused by ionic currents within the ceramic material of the electrostatic chuck.

[0052] It may be possible to repair the SCA of the electrostatic chuck pedestal (e.g., by machining or melting and reflowing) to reduce the void depth. The peripheral area of ​​the substrate-facing surface may also be machined to maintain the selected height of the SCA structure. However, machining removes material from the electrostatic chuck pedestal. Therefore, electrostatic chuck pedestal repairs may only be performed a few times before excessive material is removed. Replacing an electrostatic chuck pedestal can be expensive and can result in further downtime for the processing tool.

[0053] Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to laser treatment of an electrostatic chuck pedestal in a manner that can contribute to suppressing such wear. Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure may also be used to repair a deteriorated electrostatic chuck pedestal. In summary, a laser beam is selectively applied to the SCA of the electrostatic chuck pedestal. This selective application of the laser beam forms a micro-modification layer on at least a portion of the SCA. Additionally or alternatively, the laser beam may be applied to at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal located outside the SCA. This laser treatment forms a micro-modification layer on at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface located outside the SCA. In some examples, the laser beam is selectively applied in the presence of oxygen. In this manner, the micro-modification layer may include an oxide layer. The oxide layer can change the electrical properties of the electrostatic chuck pedestal. Therefore, the oxide layer can change the clamping performance of the electrostatic chuck pedestal. Furthermore, the laser irradiation may increase the wear resistance of the substrate-facing surface and / or the SCA compared to an untreated electrostatic chuck pedestal. For example, the laser-modified layer on the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal can be designed to have a different hardness than the electrostatic chuck pedestal. This can prevent defects on the backside of the substrate, such as scratches or contamination caused by the material of the electrostatic chuck pedestal. Furthermore, by using a laser beam, the electrostatic chuck pedestal may be repaired one or more times without significantly reducing its thickness compared to mechanical processing. This can extend the life of the electrostatic chuck pedestal through multiple uses and repair cycles. In other examples, microstructural modification may be performed by other methods. For example, one or more dopants can be added to the pedestal by performing laser beam treatment in the presence of one or more dopants. Laser beam treatment can also induce morphological changes.

[0054] 1A-1C are schematic diagrams of an example tool 101 for laser processing an electrostatic chuck pedestal 100. The tool 101 includes a chamber 103 configured to house the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 during laser processing. The electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 includes a dielectric material having some electrical conductivity to hold a wafer using the JR mechanism described above. In some examples, the dielectric material may include AlN. Additionally, in some examples, the tool 101 may include a computer numerically controlled (CNC) laser processing machine.

[0055] The electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 includes a substrate-facing surface 102. The substrate-facing surface 102 includes SCAs 104A-104F configured to contact a substrate during operation of the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100. In this schematic diagram, each of the SCAs 104A-104F has a cylindrical shape. In other examples, the SCAs 104A-104F may have any other suitable shape. Examples of other suitable shapes include, but are not limited to, hemispherical, rectangular, and other polygonal shapes.

[0056] In some examples, the SCAs 104A-104F are formed by mechanically polishing the periphery of the electrostatic chuck pedestal during the manufacturing process. For example, the SCAs 104A-104F may be formed by blasting the surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal with abrasive particles. During the polishing process, portions of the electrostatic chuck pedestal are masked. The masked portions of the electrostatic chuck pedestal remain unpolished, forming the SCAs 104A-104F. In other examples, the SCAs 104A-104F may be formed by laser machining.

[0057] Each of the one or more SCAs 104A-104F is elevated above the substrate-facing surface 102 by a height 106. The height 106 is the distance between the top of the SCA 104A-104F and the surrounding substrate-facing surface. In some examples, the height 106 is in the range of 0.0005 inches to 0.05 inches. In other examples, the height 106 may be outside this range. The height 106 defines a gap distance between the substrate and the region of the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal that is located outside the SCAs 104A-104F. This gap distance affects the chucking force between the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 and the substrate.

[0058] 2 is a schematic plan view of electrostatic chuck pedestal 100. In this example, each SCA structure 104A-104F has a width 107. In some examples, width 107 ranges from 0.0001 inches to 0.04 inches. In other examples, width 107 may be outside this range. Note that the dimensions of SCA 104A-F, as well as the SCAs shown in other figures, are exaggerated for clarity.

[0059] In some examples, the SCAs 104A-104F collectively occupy 0.1-10% of the area of ​​the substrate-facing surface 102. In some more specific examples, the SCAs 104A-104F collectively occupy 2-4% of the area of ​​the substrate-facing surface 102. The area of ​​one or more SCAs 104A-104F affects the capacitance and resistance of the current path between the electrostatic chuck pedestal and the substrate. In other examples, the area of ​​the SCA may be outside this range.

[0060] 1A-1B, the tool 101 further includes a laser 108. The laser 108 is configured to selectively irradiate one or more SCAs 104A-104F of the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 with a laser beam 110 in the presence of oxygen. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1B, a fine modification layer is formed on the one or more SCAs 104A-104F, as oxide layers 112A-112F, respectively. As described below, the position of the laser beam 110 may be moved so that the laser beam 110 selectively irradiates different positions (e.g., different SCAs among the SCAs 104A-104F) on the substrate-facing surface 102. In some examples, the laser beam 110 may be irradiated in air. In other examples, one or more gas sources may be used to control the atmosphere in the chamber 103. In such examples, the one or more gas sources may include any suitable oxygen-containing gas. Examples of oxygen-containing gases include molecular oxygen (O), ozone (O), nitrous oxide (NO), etc. Other gases that can be supplied to the chamber 103 include an inert gas, such as molecular nitrogen (N), and / or one or more noble gases, such as argon (Ar), helium (He), neon (Ne), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), etc. In yet another example, the laser beam 110 can be applied in a vacuum.

[0061] Any suitable type of laser 108 may be used that is capable of providing sufficient energy to oxidize the electrostatic chuck material in the presence of oxygen. Examples of suitable lasers include, but are not limited to, neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (NdYAG) lasers, flash lamp pumped lasers, fiber lasers, etc. Exposure to the laser in the presence of oxygen forms an oxide layer on selected portions of the substrate-facing surface 102 that are laser treated by the laser beam 110.

[0062] Tool 101 further comprises a controller 112 operably connected to laser 108. Controller 112 may also be operably connected to any other suitable components in tool 101, such as flow control hardware for gas source 111. Controller 112 comprises a computing system that controls various controllable components in tool 101. For example, controller 112 may control the impingement location 168 of laser beam 110 or one or more other characteristics of the laser beam. In this manner, controller 112 may control the formation of an oxide layer.

[0063] In some examples, optical elements may be used to move the position of the laser beam 110 between selected locations on the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100. Examples of optical elements that may be used to control the direction of the laser beam 110 include one or more scanning mirrors and / or one or more scanning prisms. In other examples, the position of the laser beam 110 may be moved by moving the laser 108. In yet other examples, the laser 108 may be repositioned over a different selected surface by moving the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 during laser processing.

[0064] By controllably irradiating selected regions of the substrate-facing surface 102 with a laser beam, the properties of the electrostatic chuck pedestal can be altered in those selected regions. This can reduce variations in surface morphology and composition among multiple electrostatic chuck pedestals. For example, the sintering process used to manufacture ceramic AlN pedestals can result in the formation of relatively large AlN grains. AlN has a hexagonal wurtzite structure with lattice constants a = 0.312 nm and c = 0.498 nm. In contrast, Al2O3, an example of an oxide that can be formed by laser processing, has a trigonal structure with lattice constants a = 0.478 nm and c = 1.30 nm. Due to these differences, AlN may not be an effective template for Al2O3 growth. This can result in the oxide layer forming smaller grains than the grains of the AlN pedestal or even growing with an amorphous structure. The resulting small grains or amorphous structure can contribute to reduced part-to-part variability. As an example, due to part-to-part manufacturing variations, leakage current between an AlN electrostatic chuck pedestal and a silicon substrate can vary by more than 100% across a population of electrostatic chuck pedestals. Forming an oxide layer with a controlled thickness on the electrostatic chuck pedestal can help reduce this variation, which can contribute to more consistent performance across a population of pedestals. The resulting oxide layer with small grains or an amorphous structure can also help reduce the wear rate of the pedestal. This is because smaller grains can be removed during the cleaning process, which can result in smaller voids.

[0065] Additionally or alternatively, selectively applying the laser beam 110 may include controlling one or more characteristics of the laser beam other than its position. Examples of selectively controllable laser beam characteristics include one or more of the laser beam power, the timing and duration of the laser pulses, the laser beam diameter, or the laser beam focus. Controlling these laser beam characteristics can result in the formation of an oxide layer having a controlled depth, shape, and / or composition.

[0066] As mentioned above, in some examples, the electrostatic chuck pedestal comprises AlN. In such examples, the oxide layer may be Al2O3 or aluminum oxynitride (AlN). x (Al2O3) 1-x ) containing one or more of Al2O3 and / or (AlN) x (Al2O3) 1-x may increase the resistance of SCA104A-104F. Also, Al2O3 and / or (AlN) x (Al2O3) 1-x This may reduce the capacitance between the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 and the substrate, potentially contributing to a reduction in the power required to clamp the substrate. FIG. 1C illustrates a substrate 120 clamped to the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 by application of a voltage from a voltage source 122. The applied voltage causes a current to flow between the substrate 120 and the SCAs 104A-104F. This current flow generates an electrostatic attraction force based on the JR mechanism described above. Reducing the clamping current may help prevent or reduce the rate of damage to the electrostatic chuck pedestal due to ion current during use. Furthermore, reducing the clamping current may allow a laser-treated electrostatic chuck pedestal to achieve the same clamping force with less power than an untreated pedestal.

[0067] As described above, in some examples, the SCA may be formed by laser ablation of a peripheral region of the substrate-facing surface 102 using the laser beam 110. Forming the SCA by laser machining instead of polishing allows an oxide layer to be formed on the substrate-facing surface 102 in areas other than the SCA. This improves the damage resistance of the non-SCA areas of the substrate-facing surface. Furthermore, if the SCA is formed by abrasive blasting, the laser beam 110 can be applied to at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 that is located outside one or more SCAs after the SCA is formed. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an electrostatic chuck pedestal 300 having oxide layers 302A-302F formed on SCAs 304A-304F. The electrostatic chuck pedestal 300 further includes an oxide layer 306 formed on the substrate-facing surface 308 in areas other than the SCAs 304A-304F. In another example, the oxide layer may be formed on regions of the substrate-facing surface 102 other than the SCAs 304A-304F, and may not be formed on one or more SCAs 304A-304F.

[0068] In some examples, the oxide layer can be formed in a manner that incorporates a dopant. The dopant may be incorporated into the oxide layer by selectively irradiating at least a portion of the electrostatic chuck pedestal with a laser beam in the presence of the dopant. The dopant may be used to alter one or more physical and / or chemical properties of the electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0069] In some examples, dopants can be introduced using vapor-phase dopant precursors. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a laser apparatus 400 with one or more process gas inlets for introducing process gases into the process chamber. An example of a process gas inlet is shown as a process gas inlet 402. The process gas inlet 402 is configured to introduce a flow of one or more process gases. The laser apparatus 400 further includes flow control hardware 404 for controlling the introduction of process gases into the process chamber 406. The flow control hardware is connected to a dopant precursor source 408, an oxidizer source 410, and an inert gas source 412. One or more additional gas sources may be added to introduce additional types of gases into the process chamber 406. An example of an additional gas source includes a hydrogen gas source to control an oxidizing environment within the chamber 406.

[0070] The dopant-containing precursor is provided in a vapor state. In this manner, the dopant-containing precursor forms at least a portion of the atmosphere during the laser treatment when the laser beam 414 is applied from the laser 416. The dopant in the atmosphere may be incorporated into the oxide layer of the electrostatic chuck pedestal as the oxide layer is formed by the laser treatment. The laser treatment can be performed at atmospheric pressure or, in other examples, at a different pressure. For example, the laser treatment can be performed below atmospheric pressure.

[0071] The dopant precursor source 408 may include any suitable dopant-containing precursor. In some examples, the dopant precursor source 408 includes silane or polysilane ((HSi-(SiH) n—SiH3), n≧1). Additionally or alternatively, the dopant precursor source 408 includes a siloxane in another example. Examples of siloxanes include octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), octamethoxydodecasiloxane (OMODDS), tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TMCTS), triethoxysiloxane (TRIES), and tetraoxymethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TOMCTS). Other suitable dopant-containing precursors include, but are not limited to, elemental silicon, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, pure elements (e.g., metals), or compounds of metal oxides, nitrides, nitrates, carbonates, oxalates, and metal organic compounds (e.g., alkoxides and carboxylates).

[0072] The oxidant source 410 may include any suitable oxidant. Examples of oxidants include oxygen (O), ozone (O), water (e.g., liquid or vapor), and nitrous oxide (NO). In some examples, the oxidant source 410 may include an air source.

[0073] In some examples, the dopant may be provided in a laser processing step that is different from the oxide-forming laser processing step. For example, a carbon-containing precursor may be provided in a laser processing step either before or after the separate oxide-forming processing step. This may help prevent the generation of volatile carbon oxide species (such as carbon dioxide) during laser processing.

[0074] The inert gas source 412 includes any suitable inert gas. Examples of inert gases include one or more of N, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe. N may be introduced along with an oxidizer to form a nitrogen-enriched atmosphere. Irradiating the laser beam 414 in a nitrogen-enriched atmosphere may result in an oxide layer that is richer in nitrides than an oxide layer formed in air.

[0075] The controller 418 is further connected to the flow control hardware 404. In this manner, the controller 418 is configured to operate the flow control hardware 404 to flow a selected chemical or mixture of chemicals at a selected flow rate into the process chamber 406. In this manner, the controller 418 may control the composition of the oxide layer formed on the electrostatic chuck pedestal 420.

[0076] In the example of FIG. 4, the laser apparatus 400 is configured to introduce the dopant precursor in a vapor state. FIG. 5 illustrates another example laser apparatus 500 configured to perform a doping process in which the dopant precursor is applied as a layer of material 502 onto the electrostatic chuck pedestal 504 prior to irradiation with the laser beam 506 by the laser 516. For example, a powder containing the dopant precursor (e.g., a dry powder or a powder in a liquid suspension) can be applied to the electrostatic chuck pedestal 504. The dopant precursor can be applied as a foil. Alternatively, a solid film containing the dopant can be applied by methods such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), sputtering, evaporation, or liquid application involving solvent evaporation. The dopant can be incorporated from the dopant precursor into the oxide layer of the electrostatic chuck pedestal as the oxide layer is formed by laser processing. After laser processing, excess dopant precursor can be removed from the pedestal by an appropriate cleaning method, such as acid cleaning or plasma cleaning. Another method for incorporating the dopant includes ion implantation.

[0077] Referring again to FIG. 1B , oxide layer 112F has a thickness 124 of 100 nm or greater. In a more specific example, the oxide layer has a thickness ranging from 100 nm to 2000 nm. In a further example, the oxide layer has a thickness ranging from 900 nm to 1100 nm. In still other examples, the oxide layer may have a thickness outside these ranges. In all of these examples, oxide layer thickness 124 is greater than the thickness of a native oxide layer formed on the AlN pedestal upon exposure to air. Therefore, and as a potential advantage of the present disclosure, oxide layer thickness 124 may prevent tunneling currents, thereby increasing the resistance between electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 and substrate 120 compared to a native oxide layer. On the other hand, an oxide layer formed by laser processing may be configured to be thin enough so that thermal expansion during operation of the electrostatic chuck pedestal does not exceed the fracture strength of the oxide layer.

[0078] Referring now to FIGS. 6A and 6B, laser processing can also be used to repair a deteriorated electrostatic chuck pedestal. FIG. 6A is a plot showing a surface topography profile 600 for an example of an SCA on a deteriorated electrostatic chuck pedestal. The surface topography profile 600 represents a plot obtained using a laser profiler. As discussed above, the SCA of an electrostatic chuck pedestal can deteriorate over time due to operating conditions such as cleaning or relatively high chucking currents. This can result in an irregular surface and a reduced magnitude of chucking force compared to a new electrostatic chuck pedestal. Therefore, laser ablation can selectively remove material from the deteriorated electrostatic chuck pedestal. This results in a more uniform surface, as shown in the example surface topography profile 602 in FIG. 6B, compared to the original surface topography profile 600. An advantageous advantage is that laser ablation can potentially remove less material than mechanical processing. This can potentially allow the repaired electrostatic chuck pedestal to maintain a similar height to an unused electrostatic chuck pedestal. This may allow the electrostatic chuck pedestal to withstand multiple use and repair cycles, and laser ablation, when performed in the presence of oxygen, may be able to form new oxide layers or thicken existing, degraded oxide layers.

[0079] The oxide layer formed on the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal described herein may be more wear-resistant than the bulk material of the electrostatic chuck pedestal. As described above, in the example of a pedestal having a substrate-facing surface made of aluminum nitride, the aluminum oxide layer has a different unit cell structure than the bulk aluminum nitride material. Aluminum oxide also has a different lattice constant than aluminum nitride. Therefore, the bulk material may not function as a template for the growth of the oxide layer. This may prevent the aluminum oxide from forming a grain structure similar to that of bulk aluminum nitride. Instead, the oxide layer may have an amorphous structure or smaller grains than the bulk material. As a result, the oxide layer may be more resistant to localized erosion (e.g., in a fluorine-based plasma) than the bulk material.

[0080] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 700 for laser processing an electrostatic chuck pedestal. The following description of method 700 is made with reference to the components described above and shown in Figures 1A-6 and 9. It should be understood that method 700 can be implemented in other contexts.

[0081] In some examples, method 700 includes polishing the electrostatic chuck pedestal to form SCAs at step 702 before selectively irradiating it with the laser beam. For example, the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 of FIGS. 1A-1C may be machined or blasted with an abrasive material to form SCAs 104A-104F before laser processing with laser beam 110. In other examples, the SCAs 104A-104F may be formed by laser ablation. The SCAs 104A-104F are configured to secure a substrate to the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 by electrostatic forces.

[0082] The method 700 further includes, in step 703, selectively irradiating the SCAs of the electrostatic chuck pedestal with a laser beam to form a micro-modification layer on at least a portion of the SCAs. For example, the laser beam 110 of FIGS. 1A-1B is irradiated on the SCAs 104A-104F of the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100. This forms oxide layers 112A-112F on the SCAs 104A-104F. In some examples, the laser beam is irradiated in air. In other examples, the laser beam is irradiated in a controlled atmosphere containing oxygen. The oxygen may be provided as molecular O or another oxygen-containing molecule. Examples of other oxygen-containing molecules include HO, HO, O, and NO.

[0083] In some examples, the method 700 includes selectively irradiating the SCAs with a laser beam in the presence of oxygen at step 704. In this manner, the micro-modification layer includes an oxide layer. For example, the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 includes oxide layers 112A-112F formed on the SCAs 104A-104F. In some examples, the oxide layer is Al2O3 or AlN, as shown in step 705. x (Al2O3) 1-x For example, the oxide layers 112A-112F in FIGS. 1B-1C may include Al2O3 and / or AlN formed by oxidizing the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 made of a bulk material. x (Al2O3) 1-x may include:

[0084] In some examples, method 700 includes selectively irradiating at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal that is located outside the SCAs with a laser beam in step 706. For example, the laser beam may be irradiated onto substrate-facing surface 308 located between SCAs 304A-304F in FIG. 3 . This results in micro-modification of substrate-facing surface 308 located between SCAs 304A-304F. In such examples, the electrostatic chuck pedestal including the SCAs is obtained before irradiating the region between the SCAs with a laser beam.

[0085] In some examples, as shown in step 708, the SCAs are raised from the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal by 0.0005 inches to 0.05 inches. For example, the height 106 of SCAs 104A-104F shown in FIGS. 1A-1C may be in the range of 0.0005 inches to 0.05 inches. As discussed above, this height defines the gap distance between the substrate and the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0086] As shown in step 710, in some examples, the electrostatic chuck pedestal comprises AlN. For example, the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 of FIGS. 1A-1C may comprise AlN. As described above in connection with step 705, in some examples, forming an oxide layer comprises Al2O3 or (AlN). x (Al2O3) 1-x For example, the oxide layers 112A-112F in FIGS. 1B-1C are formed by oxidizing the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 made of a bulk material, such as Al2O3 and / or AlN. x (Al2O3) 1-x In this manner, the oxide layer may increase the resistance of the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100, which may reduce the power required to achieve a desired clamping force.

[0087] In some examples, method 700 includes, at step 716, selectively irradiating the SCA with a laser beam in the presence of a dopant to incorporate the dopant into the micro-modification layer. The dopant may alter one or more physical or chemical properties of the oxide layer compared to the pure material. For example, the dopant may alter electrical conductivity, dielectric constant, hardness, thermal conductivity, electromagnetic vibration damping, and / or one or more other physical properties to achieve a targeted performance.

[0088] In some examples, the method 700 includes, in step 716, providing the dopant as a gas that forms at least a portion of the atmosphere when the SCA is irradiated with the laser beam. For example, a vapor-phase dopant precursor may be provided to the process chamber 406 of FIG. 4 to form the micro-modification layer. In other examples, the method 700 includes, in step 718, providing the dopant as a solid or liquid on the SCA. For example, material 502 of FIG. 5, including a dopant precursor containing the dopant, may be provided on the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 prior to irradiation with the laser beam. The solid dopant precursor may be provided as a film by vapor deposition or as a suitable powder. The liquid dopant precursor may be applied as a solution, for example, by dip coating, spin coating, doctor blading, or other suitable application method. The solvent may then be evaporated prior to laser treatment. In this manner, the dopant may be incorporated into the micro-modification layer upon irradiation with the laser beam to form the micro-modification layer. In some examples, the dopant precursor may be used in a laser treatment step separate from the laser treatment step to form the oxide. For example, a gas-phase carbon-containing dopant precursor may be introduced into a laser treatment step performed in the absence of oxygen before or after a laser treatment step performed in the presence of oxygen. When the dopant precursor comprises a powder, the powder may comprise any suitable compound containing the dopant. Examples of compounds include carbonates, oxides, halides, or elemental forms (e.g., graphite or amorphous carbon for carbon doping).

[0089] In some examples, the dopant includes one or more of carbon, magnesium, aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, calcium, iron, boron, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, or silicon, as shown in step 720. For example, dopant precursor source 408 of Figure 4 or material 502 of Figure 5 may include one or more of carbon, magnesium, titanium, calcium, iron, boron, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, or silicon. The performance of the electrostatic chuck pedestal may be tailored by selection of these dopant materials.

[0090] Additionally, in some examples, method 700 includes selectively irradiating the SCA with a laser beam in a vacuum or in one or more of a hydrogen-enriched atmosphere or a nitrogen-enriched atmosphere at step 722. For example, the oxidizing or reducing nature of the atmosphere in which the oxide layer is formed may be enhanced with N to adjust the composition of the oxide layer. In this manner, the performance of the electrostatic chuck pedestal may be controlled by the composition of the atmosphere.

[0091] In some examples, in step 724, the electrostatic chuck pedestal comprises a deteriorated electrostatic chuck pedestal. For example, the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 of FIGS. 1A-1C may be a worn electrostatic chuck pedestal. A worn electrostatic chuck pedestal may have an irregular surface topography profile, such as the surface topography profile 600 of FIG. 6A. The worn electrostatic chuck pedestal can be repaired by selective laser ablation, thereby enabling the repaired electrostatic chuck pedestal to withstand one or more additional cycles of use.

[0092] As shown in step 726, in some instances, the micro-modification layer has a thickness of 100 nm or greater. For example, oxide layer thickness 124 in FIGS. 1B-1C may be 100 nm or greater. This thickness provides adequate insulation between electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 and substrate 120. The oxide layer thickness may also be selected to prevent damage due to thermal expansion during operation.

[0093] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating another example method 800 for laser processing an electrostatic chuck pedestal. The following description of method 800 is made with reference to the components described above and shown in Figures 1A-7 and 9. It should be understood that method 800 can be performed in other contexts and using other suitable components.

[0094] Method 800 includes polishing the electrostatic chuck pedestal to form one or more SCAs prior to selectively irradiating the electrostatic chuck pedestal with a laser beam at step 802. For example, as described above, electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 of FIGS. 1A-1C may be machined or abrasive blasted to form SCAs 104A-104F.

[0095] At step 804, method 800 includes selectively irradiating at least a portion of a substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal that is located outside one or more SCAs with a laser beam to form a micro-modification layer on at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface. For example, the laser beam may be irradiated on substrate-facing surface 308, which is located outside SCAs 304A-304F, as shown in FIG. 3. This results in formation of oxide layer 306 on substrate-facing surface 308, as described above with reference to FIG. 3.

[0096] In some examples, selectively irradiating at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface with a laser beam in step 805 includes selectively irradiating the laser beam in the presence of oxygen. In this manner, the micro-modification layer includes an oxide layer. For example, the electrostatic chuck pedestal 300 of FIG. 3 includes the oxide layer 306 formed on the substrate-facing surface 308, as described above.

[0097] In some examples, the method 800 includes selectively irradiating at least a portion of one or more SCAs with a laser beam at step 806. For example, the laser beam 110 in Figures 1A-1B is irradiated on SCAs 104A-104F. In this manner, micro-modification layers 112A-112F are formed on the SCAs 104A-104F.

[0098] In some examples, method 800 includes incorporating a dopant into the micro-modification layer at step 808 by selectively irradiating the laser beam in the presence of the dopant. For example, the micro-modification layer may include a dopant as described above with reference to Figures 4-5. Examples of methods for introducing the dopant are described above.

[0099] In some examples, as shown in step 810, the dopant may include one or more of carbon, magnesium, aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, calcium, iron, boron, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, or silicon. For example, dopant precursor source 408 in FIG. 4 or material 502 in FIG. 5 may include one or more of these materials. The performance of the electrostatic chuck pedestal may be tuned by selecting these dopant materials.

[0100] In some examples, in step 812, the electrostatic chuck pedestal comprises aluminum nitride. For example, the electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 of FIGS. 1-3 may comprise aluminum nitride. The aluminum nitride may enable the electrostatic chuck pedestal to hold a substrate by electrostatic attraction. The aluminum nitride may also enable the electrostatic chuck pedestal to withstand conditions associated with operation and cleaning.

[0101] In some examples, the micro-modification layer has a thickness of 100 nm or greater in step 814. For example, oxide layer 124 in FIGS. 1-3 may have a thickness of 100 nm or greater. This thickness provides adequate insulation between electrostatic chuck pedestal 100 and substrate 120. Additionally, the thickness of the oxide layer prevents damage due to thermal expansion during operation.

[0102] Thus, by treating an electrostatic chuck pedestal using a laser beam as disclosed herein, an oxide layer may be formed on the electrostatic chuck pedestal that provides tailored electrical properties and / or greater damage resistance compared to an untreated electrostatic chuck pedestal.

[0103] 9 is a simplified schematic diagram of a computing system 900 configured to provide any or all of the computing functionality described herein. The computing system 900 may take the form of, for example, one or more personal computers, server computers, and computers integrated with a processing unit. The controller 112 is an example of a computing system 900.

[0104] Computing system 900 includes a logic subsystem 902 and a storage subsystem 904. In optional aspects, computing system 900 may include a display subsystem 906, an input subsystem 908, a communication subsystem 910, and / or other subsystems not shown in FIG.

[0105] Logic subsystem 902 includes one or more physical devices configured to execute instructions. For example, logic subsystem 902 may be configured to execute instructions that are part of one or more applications, services, programs, routines, libraries, objects, components, data structures, or other logical constructs. Such instructions may be implemented to perform a task, implement a data type, change the state of one or more components, achieve a technical effect, or obtain a desired result.

[0106] Logic subsystem 902 may include one or more hardware processors configured to execute software instructions. Additionally or alternatively, logic subsystem 902 may include one or more hardware or firmware devices configured to execute hardware or firmware instructions. The processors of logic subsystem 902 may be single-core or multi-core, and the instructions executed on the processors may be configured for sequential, parallel, and / or distributed processing. In optional embodiments, individual components of logic subsystem 902 may be distributed across two or more separate devices. These devices may be remotely located and / or configured for cooperative processing. Elements of logic subsystem 902 may be virtualized and executed by remotely accessible networked computing devices arranged in a cloud computing configuration.

[0107] The storage subsystem 904 includes one or more physical devices configured to temporarily and / or persistently hold computer information, such as data and instructions, executable by the logic subsystem 902. When the storage subsystem 904 includes two or more devices, these devices may be co-located or remotely located. The storage subsystem 904 may include volatile, non-volatile, dynamic, static, read / write, read-only, random access, sequential access, position-addressable, file-addressable, and / or content-addressable devices. The storage subsystem 904 may include removable and / or internal devices. As the logic subsystem 902 executes instructions, the state of the storage subsystem 904 may change (e.g., to hold different data).

[0108] The storage subsystem 904 may include removable and / or internal devices. The storage subsystem 904 may include optical memory (e.g., CD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-ray Disc, etc.), semiconductor memory (e.g., RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.), and / or magnetic memory, etc. The storage subsystem 904 may include volatile, non-volatile, dynamic, static, read / write, read-only, random access, sequential access, position addressable, file addressable, and / or content addressable devices.

[0109] Each element of logic subsystem 902 and storage subsystem 904 may be integrated into one or more hardware logic components, which may include, for example, program and application specific integrated circuits (PASICs / ASICs), program and application specific standard products (PSSPs / ASSPs), systems on a chip (SOCs), and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs).

[0110] The logic subsystem 902 and the storage subsystem 904 may cooperate to instantiate one or more logic machines. The term “machine” is used herein to collectively refer to a combination of hardware, firmware, software, instructions, and / or any other components that cooperate to provide computer functionality. In other words, a “machine” is never an abstract concept but always has a tangible form. A machine may be instantiated by a single computing device or may include two or more subcomponents instantiated by two or more different computing devices. In some implementations, a machine includes a local component (e.g., a software application executed by a computer processor) and a remote component (e.g., a cloud computing service provided by a network of server computers) that cooperates with it. In any embodiment, the software and / or other instructions that provide functionality for a particular machine may be stored as one or more unexecuted modules on one or more suitable storage devices.

[0111] If included, the display subsystem 906 may be used to present a visual representation of the data maintained in the storage subsystem 904. This visual representation may take the form of a graphical user interface (GUI). When the methods and processes described herein modify the data maintained in the storage subsystem 904, thereby changing the state of the storage subsystem 904, the state of the display subsystem 906 may similarly change to visually represent the change in the underlying data. The display subsystem 906 may include one or more display devices utilizing virtually any type of technology. Such display devices may be combined with the logic subsystem 902 and the storage subsystem 904 in a common enclosure or may be peripheral display devices.

[0112] If included, the input subsystem 908 may include or interface with one or more input devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, etc. In some embodiments, the input subsystem 908 may include or interface with selected natural user input (NUI) components. Such components may be integrated or peripheral. Translation and / or processing of input actions may occur on-board or off-board. Examples of NUI components include microphones for speech and / or voice recognition, and infrared, color, stereo, and / or depth cameras for machine vision and / or gesture recognition.

[0113] If included, the communications subsystem 910 may be configured to communicatively connect the computing system 900 with one or more other computing devices. The communications subsystem 910 may include wired and / or wireless communications devices compatible with one or more different communications protocols. As a non-limiting example, the communications subsystem 910 may be configured to communicate over a wireless telephone network or a wired or wireless local or wide area network. In some embodiments, the communications subsystem 910 may enable the computing system 900 to send and / or receive messages to and from other devices over a network, such as the Internet.

[0114] The present disclosure is presented by way of example only with reference to the associated drawings. Components, process steps, and other elements that may be substantially identical in one or more of the drawings are similarly numbered to minimize repetitive description. It should be noted, however, that similarly numbered elements may differ to some extent. It should also be noted that some of the drawings are schematic and may not be to scale. Various drawing scales, aspect ratios, and the number of elements shown in each figure may be intentionally distorted to better visualize certain features or relationships.

[0115] As used herein, "and / or" is defined as an inclusive disjunction or, as shown in the truth table below. [Table 1]

[0116] As used herein, the term "one or more of A or B" includes A, B, or a combination of A and B. The term "one or more of A, B, or C" is synonymous with A, B, and / or C. Thus, as used herein, the term "one or more of A, B, or C" includes A alone, B alone, C alone, a combination of A and B, a combination of A and C, a combination of B and C, or a combination of A, B, and C.

[0117] It should be understood that the configurations and / or techniques described herein are illustrative, and that these specific embodiments or examples should not be construed as limiting, as various modifications are possible. A particular procedure or method described herein may represent one or more of any number of strategies. As such, various operations illustrated and / or described may be performed in the order illustrated and / or described, in other orders, in parallel, or omitted. Similarly, the order of processes described above may be changed.

[0118] The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various processes, systems and configurations, and other features, functions, operations and / or properties disclosed herein, and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. 1. A method for laser processing an electrostatic chuck pedestal, comprising: selectively irradiating a substrate contact area of ​​the electrostatic chuck pedestal with a laser beam to form a micro-modification layer on at least a portion of the substrate contact area.

2. 10. The method of claim 1, selectively irradiating the substrate contact region with the laser beam includes selectively irradiating the substrate contact region with the laser beam in the presence of oxygen; The method, wherein the micro-modification layer comprises an oxide layer.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, The method wherein the oxide layer comprises one or more of aluminum oxide or aluminum oxynitride.

4. 10. The method of claim 1, The method further includes selectively irradiating the laser beam onto at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface of the electrostatic chuck pedestal that is located outside the substrate contact area.

5. 10. The method of claim 1, The method, wherein the electrostatic chuck pedestal comprises aluminum nitride.

6. 10. The method of claim 1, The method further comprises selectively irradiating the substrate contact area with the laser beam in the presence of a dopant to incorporate the dopant into the micromodification layer.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, The method further comprising providing the dopant as a gas that forms at least a portion of an atmosphere when the laser beam irradiates the substrate contact region.

8. 7. The method of claim 6, The method further comprising providing the dopant as a solid or a liquid on the substrate contact region.

9. 7. The method of claim 6, 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dopant comprises one or more of carbon, magnesium, aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, calcium, iron, boron, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, or silicon.

10. 10. The method of claim 1, The method further comprising selectively irradiating the substrate contact area with the laser beam in a vacuum or in one or more of a hydrogen-enriched atmosphere or a nitrogen-enriched atmosphere.

11. 10. The method of claim 1, The method, wherein the electrostatic chuck pedestal comprises a degraded electrostatic chuck pedestal.

12. 10. The method of claim 1, The method, wherein the micro-modification layer has a thickness of 100 nm or more.

13. 1. A method comprising: selectively irradiating at least a portion of a substrate-facing surface of an electrostatic chuck pedestal with a laser beam, the portion being located outside one or more substrate contact regions of the substrate-facing surface, to form a micro-modification layer on the at least a portion of the substrate-facing surface.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, the step of selectively irradiating the at least part of the substrate-facing surface with the laser beam includes the step of selectively irradiating the at least part of the substrate-facing surface with the laser beam in the presence of oxygen; The method, wherein the micro-modification layer comprises an oxide layer.

15. 14. The method of claim 13, The method further comprising selectively irradiating at least a portion of the one or more substrate contact areas with the laser beam.

16. 14. The method of claim 13, The method further comprises selectively irradiating the laser beam in the presence of a dopant to incorporate the dopant into the micromodification layer.

17. 14. The method of claim 13, The method, wherein the electrostatic chuck pedestal comprises aluminum nitride.

18. 14. The method of claim 13, The method, wherein the micro-modification layer has a thickness of 100 nm or more.

19. a substrate-facing surface including a substrate contact area; a micro-modification layer formed on at least a portion of the substrate contact region and having a thickness of 100 nm or more; The electrostatic chuck base comprises:

20. 20. The electrostatic chuck pedestal of claim 19, The electrostatic chuck pedestal, wherein the micro-modification layer comprises an oxide layer.

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