Differential backside cooling of the substrate

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck (ESC) having a ceramic body with a first diameter and embedded electrodes. Three or more regions are defined on the surface, and the regions are arranged concentrically on the surface. Each region includes a retaining ring positioned on the surface and defining the outer edge of the region, and a support structure positioned within the region on the surface. The support structure is configured to support the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC. The ESC includes conduits formed within the ceramic body and configured to independently introduce gas to the first surface through the ceramic body into each region. Each region is configured to maintain a positive gas pressure corresponding to the region and the surface of the substrate, and one or more embedded electrodes are configured to generate a retaining force on the surface of the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to semiconductor systems, processes, and devices. Background

[0002] Plasma etching can be used in the manufacture of integrated circuits in semiconductor processes. An integrated circuit can be formed from a plurality (e.g., two or more) layer structures. Different chemical compositions of etching gases (e.g., mixtures of different gases) can be used to generate plasma in the processing environment. Thereby, the accuracy and selectivity with respect to the layer structure to be etched can be improved by the chemical composition of a specific etching gas. As the miniaturization of integrated circuits progresses and the fine structure and aspect ratio increase, the need for precise etching of layer structures is increasing. Summary

[0003] This specification describes a technique for differential backside cooling of a substrate.

[0004] Generally, these techniques perform an electrostatic chuck design including a plurality of design parameters to generate an electrostatic chuck configured for differential backside cooling of a substrate, and improve the uniformity and adjustability of the substrate temperature during the manufacturing process (e.g., during plasma etching).

[0005] In this specification, “substrate” means a wafer or other carrier structure (e.g., a glass plate). A wafer may include a semiconductor material (e.g., silicon, GaAs, InP) or other semiconductor-based wafer material. A wafer may also include an insulating material (e.g., silicon-on-insulator (SOI), diamond, etc.). Optionally, the substrate may include a film(s) formed on the surface of the wafer / carrier structure. The film(s) may be, for example, a dielectric, a conductor, or an insulating film. The film(s) may be formed on the wafer surface using various deposition techniques (e.g., spin coating, atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), or other similar techniques for forming thin film layers on a wafer or other carrier structure). In some embodiments, the manufacturing tool described herein is a plasma-based etching tool that can perform an etching process on the wafer / carrier structure and / or the layers formed on the wafer surface.

[0006] Generally, an innovative embodiment of the subject matter described herein can be embodied in an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The ESC includes a ceramic body containing one or more embedded electrodes and a first surface having a first diameter. Three or more regions are defined on the first surface, and the three or more regions are arranged concentrically on the first surface. Each region includes a retaining ring positioned on the first surface and defining the outer edge of the region, and a support structure positioned within the region on the first surface. The support structure is configured to support the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck. The ESC includes conduits formed within the ceramic body and configured to independently introduce gas to the first surface through the ceramic body into each of the three or more regions. Each of the three or more regions is configured to maintain a positive pressure of gas within the region and on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck. One or more embedded electrodes are configured to generate a retaining force on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck.

[0007] Other embodiments of this model include corresponding methods, computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices.

[0008] In general, other innovative embodiments of the subject matter described herein can be embodied as methods for cooling an electrostatic chuck during plasma processing. These methods involve supplying gas through conduits within the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck to three or more regions defined on a first surface of the ceramic body and configured to maintain positive pressure of gas within the region and on the surface of the substrate held by the electrostatic chuck. The three or more regions are arranged concentrically on the first surface, and the outer edge of each of the three or more regions is defined by a respective retaining ring positioned on the first surface. These methods include providing a retaining force to the surface of the substrate by one or more electrodes positioned in the ceramic body relative to the first surface. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded in one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the operation of these methods.

[0009] In general, other innovative embodiments of the subject matter described herein can be embodied in a system. The system includes a plasma processing chamber surrounding a processing area, a gas source configured to introduce one or more etching gases into the processing area, a plasma source configured to generate plasma within the processing area using the one or more etching gases introduced into the processing area, and an electrostatic chuck provided within the plasma processing chamber and configured to hold a substrate within the processing area of ​​the plasma processing chamber during plasma processing. The electrostatic chuck includes a ceramic body containing one or more embedded electrodes configured to generate a holding force on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck, and three or more regions defined on a first surface of the ceramic body. The three or more regions are arranged concentrically on the first surface, and each region includes a holding ring located on the first surface that defines the outer edge of the region. The regions also include conduits formed within the ceramic body and configured to independently introduce gases into each of the three or more regions through the ceramic body to the first surface.

[0010] The subject matter described herein is embodied in these embodiments and other embodiments, and one or more of the following advantages can be achieved: The electrostatic chuck design system can leverage models (e.g., machine learning models) to incorporate a variety of available design parameters and design customized electrostatic chuck solutions that can address chamber-specific temperature non-uniformity across the entire substrate. Electrostatic chucks that improve temperature uniformity on the substrate can improve etching rate uniformity across the entire substrate, thereby improving the fidelity and / or yield of devices manufactured on the substrate. The electrostatic chuck design system can be used to design electrostatic chucks specific to a manufacturing process (e.g., conductive film etching process or dielectric film etching process), and can address the specific non-uniformity arising from each process. The electrostatic chuck design model can be used to design an electrostatic chuck having a threshold density of mesa structures in one or more cooling regions, so that one or more cooling regions utilize gas-dominant cooling and the cooling can be dynamically adjusted based on the gas pressure introduced into the cooling region (e.g., in response to (or to adjust to) real-time process parameters). For example, the substrate temperature (and the resulting etching rate) can be adjusted in real time using design considerations. The following disclosure identifies specific embodiments of apparatus, systems, and methods for etching-based manufacturing tools using the disclosed technology, but it will be readily apparent that these systems and methods are equally applicable to a variety of other manufacturing tools and chambers. Therefore, the technology should not be considered limited to the etching manufacturing tools described. Before describing exemplary process sequences, systems, methods, or operations according to several embodiments of the technology, this disclosure describes one system and chamber available for use with the technology. The technology is not limited to the apparatus described, and it will be understood that the described process can be performed in any number of processing chambers and systems. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view of an example of a plasma processing chamber is shown. [Figure 2] This shows an example of the operating environment for an electrostatic chuck design system. [Figure 3A] ~ [Figure 3B] Various schematic diagrams of an example of an electrostatic chuck are shown. [Figure 4A] ~ [Figure 4B] Various schematic diagrams of other examples of electrostatic chucks are shown. [Figure 5A] ~ [Figure 5B] Various schematic diagrams of an example of an electrostatic chuck are shown. [Figure 6] This is an example graph illustrating the cooling theory for the back surface of a circuit board. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for an electrostatic chuck is shown. [Figure 8] This shows a flowchart of an example process for an electrostatic chuck design system. [Figure 9] Block diagram showing an example of a typical computing system.

[0012] Similar reference numbers and designations in various drawings refer to the same elements. Detailed explanation

[0013] This specification provides improved methods, systems, and assemblies for electrostatic chucks configured for differential cooling of the back surface of a substrate. Embodiments of this disclosure include electrostatic chuck designs that apply a plurality of design parameters to produce an electrostatic chuck configured for differential cooling of the back surface of a substrate. This improves the uniformity and controllability of the substrate temperature during the manufacturing process (e.g., during plasma etching).

[0014] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of a processing chamber 100 suitable for etching one or more material layers placed on a substrate 103 (e.g., referred to as a “wafer”) within a processing chamber 100 (e.g., a plasma processing chamber). The processing chamber 100 includes a chamber body 105 that defines a chamber volume 101 capable of processing the substrate. The chamber body 105 has side walls 112 and a bottom 118 connected to a ground 126. The side walls 112 may include a liner 115 to protect the side walls 112 and extend the maintenance cycle interval of the plasma processing chamber 100. The chamber body 105 supports a chamber lid assembly 110 that encloses the chamber volume 101. The chamber body 105 can be manufactured from, for example, aluminum or other suitable material. A substrate access port 113 is formed through the side wall 112 of the chamber body 105, which facilitates the loading and unloading of the substrate 103 into the plasma processing chamber 100. The access port 113 can be connected to the transport chamber and / or other chambers (not shown) of the substrate processing system, for example, to perform other processing on the substrate. A pumping port 145 is formed through the bottom 118 of the chamber body 105 and is connected to the chamber volume 101. A pumping device is connected to the chamber volume 101 via the pumping port 145 to perform exhaust and pressure control within the processing volume. The pumping device may include one or more pumps and throttle valves.

[0015] The chamber volume 101 includes a processing area 107 (e.g., a station for processing a substrate). A substrate support 135 can be placed in the processing area 107 of the chamber volume 101 to support the substrate 103 during processing. The substrate support 135 may include an electrostatic chuck 122 for holding the substrate 103 during processing. The electrostatic chuck (ESC) 122 can hold the substrate 103 to the substrate support 135 using electrostatic attraction. The ESC 122 can be powered by an RF power supply 125 integrated with a matching circuit 124. The ESC 122 may include an electrode 121 embedded in a dielectric. The electrode 121 is connected to the RF power supply 125 and can provide a bias to attract plasma ions generated from the processing gas in the chamber volume 101 to the ESC 122 and the substrate 103 placed on the pedestal. The RF power supply 125 can be operated in a pulsed manner, i.e., by repeatedly turning on and off during processing of the substrate 103. The ESC122 may be provided with an isolator 128 to reduce the adhesion of the sidewalls of the ESC122 to the plasma, thereby extending the maintenance life of the ESC122. Furthermore, the substrate support 135 may have a cathode dryer 136 to protect the sidewalls of the substrate support 135 from the plasma gas and extend the maintenance interval of the plasma processing chamber 100. Further details regarding the ESC will be explained with reference to Figures 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, and 5.

[0016] The electrode 121 can be connected to a DC power supply 150. The power supply 150 can supply a chucking voltage of approximately 200 volts to approximately 2000 volts to the electrode 121, for example, to provide holding force. The power supply 150 may also include a system controller that controls the operation of the electrode 121 by supplying a DC current to the electrode 121 to chucking and dechucking the substrate 103. The ESC 122 may include a heater located within the ESC 122 and connected to a power supply for heating the substrate. Meanwhile, the cooling base 129 supporting the ESC 122 may include conduits for circulating heat transfer fluid to maintain the temperature of the ESC 122 and the substrate 103 placed on it. The ESC 122 may be configured to operate within a temperature range required by the thermal budget of the device being manufactured on the substrate 103. For example, the ESC 122 may be configured to maintain the substrate 103 at a temperature from approximately -150°C or below to approximately 500°C or above, depending on the process being performed. The covering 130 can be positioned on the ESC 122 and around the substrate support 135. The covering 130 can be configured to confine etching gas to a desired portion of the exposed upper surface of the substrate 103 and to shield the upper surface of the substrate support 135 from the plasma environment in the plasma processing chamber 100.

[0017] A gas panel 160 (for example, also referred to herein as a “gas distribution manifold”) can be connected to the chamber body 105 via a gas line 167 through a chamber lid assembly 110 to supply a process gas into the chamber volume 101. The gas panel 160 may include one or more process gas sources 161, 162, 163, 164, and may further include any number of inert gases, non-reactive gases, and reactive gases available for suitable processes. Examples of process gases that can be supplied by the gas panel 160 include, but are not limited to, hydrocarbon-containing gases including methane, sulfur hexafluoride, silicon chloride, silicon tetrachloride, carbon tetrafluoride, and water bromide. Process gases that can be supplied by the gas panel may include, but are not limited to, argon gas, chlorine gas, nitrogen, helium, or oxygen gas, sulfur dioxide, and any number of additional substances. Furthermore, the process gas includes nitrogen, chlorine, fluorine, oxygen, or hydrogen-containing gases (e.g., BCl3, C2F4, C4F8, C4F6, CHF3, CH2F2, CH3F, NF3, NH3, CO2, SO2, CO, N2, NO2, N2O, H2, etc.), as well as any number of suitable precursors. One or more etching gas mixtures can be produced by combining process gases from process gas sources (e.g., gas sources 161, 162, 163, 164). For example, gas panel 160 includes one or more process gas sources specific to oxide-based etching chemical reactions. In another example, gas panel 160 includes one or more process gas sources specific to nitride-based etching chemical reactions.

[0018] The gas panel 160 includes various valves, pressure regulators (not shown), and mass flow controllers (not shown) positioned for gas sources 161, 162, 163, and 164 to control the flow rate of the process gas from the gas sources. Valve 166 can control the flow rate of the process gas from gas sources 161, 162, 163, and 164 through the gas panel 160. The operation of these valves, pressure regulators, and / or mass flow controllers can be controlled by controller 165. Controller 165 is operably connected to an electric valve (EV) manifold (not shown) and can control the operation of one or more of these valves, pressure regulators, and / or mass flow controllers. The lid assembly 110 may include a gas supply nozzle 114. The gas supply nozzle 114 may include one or more openings for introducing the process gas from the gas sources 161, 162, 163, and 164 of the gas panel 160 into the chamber volume 101. After the process gas is introduced into the plasma processing chamber 100, the gas can be excited to form a plasma. One or more antennas 148, such as inductor coils, can be provided adjacent to the plasma processing chamber 100. The antenna power supply 142 supplies power to the antenna 148 via a matching circuit 141, inductively coupling energy such as RF energy to the processing gas, and maintaining the plasma formed from the processing gas in the chamber volume 101 of the plasma processing chamber 100. Alternatively, or in addition to the antenna power supply 142, process electrodes on the underside and / or upper side of the substrate 103 can be used to capacitively or inductively couple RF power to the processing gas, thereby maintaining the plasma in the chamber volume 101. The operation of the power supply 142 can be controlled by a controller such as a controller 165, which also controls the operation of other components in the plasma processing chamber 100.

[0019] The controller 165 can be used to control the process sequence, adjust the gas flow rate from the gas panel 160 to the plasma processing chamber 100, and adjust other process parameters. When the software routine is executed by a computing device having one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)) capable of data communication with one or more memory storage devices, it can transform the computing device into an application-specific computer such as a controller and control the plasma processing chamber 100 so that the process is executed in accordance with this disclosure. The software routine can also be stored and / or executed by one or more other controllers that can be associated with the plasma processing chamber 100.

[0020] In some embodiments, the controller 165 communicates with the characteristic evaluation device 172. The characteristic evaluation device 172 can include one or more sensors (e.g., an image sensor) operable to collect process data related to the processing chamber 100. For example, the characteristic evaluation device 172 can include an emission spectroscopy device configured to monitor signals (e.g., the emission light of the plasma) within the processing region of the processing chamber 100. For example, the signal can be the main wavelength of the emission light, i.e., the wavelength with the highest intensity. The characteristics (e.g., wavelength and intensity) of the emission light from the plasma within the processing region may depend in part on the etching gas mixture used to generate the plasma and the layer composition of the layer being etched. For example, each etching gas mixture and the corresponding layer composition being etched may have different signal signatures. By monitoring the emission wavelength unique or characteristic to each etching gas mixture and the corresponding layer composition, the etching state of the layer being etched can be determined. For example, it can be the remaining thickness of the layer to be etched, etc. The characteristics of the light emitted from the plasma may change, for example, based on the etching process. For example, the intensity of the monitored signal may change as material is removed from the layer being processed. The characteristic evaluation device 172 can be configured to collect process data including a signal corresponding to the etching gas mixture used in the wafer processing and a signal corresponding to the corresponding layer composition of the structure being processed within the processing chamber 100. The controller 165 can receive the process data from the characteristic evaluation device 172 and determine one or more actions to be performed based on the process data.

[0021] In some embodiments, at the end of the etching process of the wafer, an automatic or semi-automatic robot manipulator (not shown) can be used to transfer the wafer out of the process chamber from the substrate support, e.g., via the substrate access port 113. For example, the robot manipulator can transfer the wafer to another chamber (or another location) to perform other steps of the manufacturing process.

[0022] In some embodiments, a portion of the substrate support 135 (e.g., the electrostatic chuck 122) can be adapted to compensate for non-uniformities in the etching rate across the entire substrate held by the substrate support 135. Non-uniformities in the etching rate can be caused by non-uniformities in temperature across the entire substrate, for example, differences in plasma loading in the manufacturing tool. Non-uniformities in the etching rate across the entire substrate can be process-dependent and, for example, can be different for a dielectric etching process and a conductor etching process. Non-uniformities in the etching rate across the entire substrate can be manufacturing tool-dependent and, for example, can be different between manufacturing tools due to tolerances, aging, calibration, etc. of each manufacturing tool. By constructing an electrostatic chuck design that compensates for specific non-uniformities in the manufacturing tool, process, etc., the fidelity of the manufacturing process on the substrate can be improved, for example, the yield of the components being manufactured can be improved.

[0023] In some embodiments, an ESC design for improving process uniformity across the entire substrate includes adjusting various design parameters of the ESC. The relationships between the various design parameters in an ESC design can be complex, and one design parameter can potentially affect one or more other design parameters. By adapting various design parameters in the ESC design, an ESC-specific solution for improving process uniformity (e.g., temperature uniformity) across the entire substrate during the manufacturing process can be obtained.

[0024] Figure 2 shows an example of the operating environment 200 of the electrostatic chuck (ESC) design system 202. The ESC design system 202 includes an ESC model 204. The ESC model 204 may include, for example, a machine learning model. This machine learning model can be trained using supervised or unsupervised learning. Using one or more ESC models 204, the ESC design system 202 can generate simulations of the process behavior of an ESC design and model the influence of a set of variables on the performance results of the ESC design. For example, using one or more models 204, a simulation of the cooling behavior (e.g., temperature uniformity) of an ESC design can be generated based on a set of variables (e.g., design parameters and / or process variables). The ESC model 204 may be configured to accept (i) design parameters 206, (ii) process uniformity data 208, (iii) process variables 210, or (iv) any combination thereof as input. The ESC model 204 may generate predictions as output, for example, an ESC design 212. Predictions generated from ESC model 204 may result in ESC designs that are likely to improve performance, temperature uniformity, manufacturability, etc. (for example, those with a higher probability of improvement). For instance, ESC model 204 can generate predictions for ESC designs optimized for thermal management across the entire substrate surface during the manufacturing process.

[0025] The design parameter 206 includes a feature or component of the ESC that can be set (e.g., adjusted) in response to process non-uniformity during the manufacturing process (e.g., temperature non-uniformity of the substrate held by the ESC). The design parameter 206 includes the material composition of one or more components of the ESC (e.g., the material composition of the ESC body). The ESC body may be made of a ceramic material such as Al2O3 and / or AlN.

[0026] Design parameter 206 may include the number of cooling regions on the surface of the ESC (e.g., the surface of the ceramic body of the ESC), which will be further illustrated with reference to Figures 3A, 3B, and 5B as examples. For example, the number of cooling regions can be three or more (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or more). Design parameter 206 may include the distance between the surface of the ceramic body of the ESC and the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC (e.g., held, chucked, fixed, etc.), which will be further illustrated with reference to Figures 4A and 4B as examples. For example, the heat transfer coefficient in the cooling region can be adjusted by changing the distance between the surface of the ceramic body of the ESC and the back surface of the substrate in the cooling region. Design parameter 206 may include the distribution and density of support structures (e.g., mesas) located on the surface of the ceramic body of the ESC and within each of the multiple cooling regions on the ESC surface, which will be further illustrated with reference to Figure 5A as an example. For example, by changing the density of the mesas, cooling can be made more favorable to contact cooling or gas cooling.

[0027] Process uniformity data 208 may include direct and / or indirect measurements of process uniformity in the manufacturing process of the manufacturing tool. Process uniformity data 208 can be generated for a manufacturing process that includes the corresponding process variables 210. Process uniformity data may include, for example, etching rate data corresponding to the etching rate of the entire substrate in a manufacturing process using a set of process variables 210. Etching rate data can be generated using, for example, measurement tools such as ellipsometry and interferometry, and can be used to characterize the etching performed on the substrate. Etching rate data may include an etching rate map of the substrate that includes multiple sample points, and the etching rate at each of the multiple sample points is determined. Process uniformity data may include, for example, temperature data at one or more points along the substrate during the manufacturing process. Temperature data can be generated, for example, by non-contact measurement of the back surface temperature of the substrate using an optical probe. In another example, temperature data can be generated by measuring the temperature of the center point on the surface of the substrate using interferometry (e.g., etalon interferometry).

[0028] The process variables 210 include, for example, the composition of the etching material and a recipe used to execute a manufacturing process such as an etching process. The recipe may include instructions for controlling the operation of the manufacturing tool, such as controlling plasma power, substrate temperature, etching time, etc., during the manufacturing process using the recipe.

[0029] The recipe also includes instructions for temperature control of one or more temperature control components of the ESC. In particular, the recipe may include instructions for controlling the operation of one or more electrodes within the ceramic body to generate localized heating. The one or more electrodes include, for example, multizone heaters, each of which is operable to heat a portion of the ESC. For example, the multizone heater may include two, three, or four zone heaters. In other examples, the multizone heaters may be microzone (e.g., pixel) heaters, and the ESC may include about 20, 40, 50, 100, 150, 200, or more microzone heaters, each operable to heat a portion of the ESC. The recipe may also include instructions for controlling the operation of cooling channels located in the cooling base of the substrate support (e.g., cooling base 139 of substrate support 135) (e.g., refrigerant flow rate, refrigerant temperature, etc.). In some embodiments, the recipe includes instructions for controlling the operation of the gas flow through multiple conduits within the ceramic body of the ESC to the cooling region on the surface of the ESC, as will be further described with reference to Figures 3A and 3B, for example.

[0030] The output of the ESC model 204 may include an ESC design 212 that specifies the implementation of one or more features / components of the design parameters 206. For example, the ESC design 212 may include the number of cooling regions, the density / distribution of support structures within each of the cooling regions, and the dimensions of the support structures within each of the cooling regions. In some embodiments, the ESC design 212 may include operational parameters such as the gas pressure supplied to each cooling region during the manufacturing process. In some embodiments, the generated ESC design 212 can be provided to a manufacturer 214 to manufacture an ESC based on the ESC design 212. Depending on the circumstances, the manufacture of the ESC can be carried out using one or more manufacturing techniques, such as wet casting, subtractive manufacturing, additive manufacturing, sintering, diffusion bonding, etc.

[0031] Figures 3A and 3B show various schematic diagrams of exemplary parts of the electrostatic chuck. Figure 3B shows a schematic plan view 350 of the top surface of the ceramic body of the exemplary electrostatic chuck 302. The top surface 301, having a diameter 313, faces the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is held in the ESC 302. As referred to herein, the back surface of the substrate is the surface opposite to the processing surface (e.g., the surface that undergoes etching in the manufacturing tool). In some cases, the back surface of the substrate is the surface opposite to the surface on which one or more films are formed on the wafer / carrier structure of the substrate.

[0032] The ESC302 may include one or more cooling regions defined between the back surface of the substrate and the top surface of the ESC. Each of the one or more cooling regions has an outer edge defined by a respective retaining ring formed on the top surface of the ESC. The retaining rings can be formed on the top surface of the same ceramic material composition as the ceramic body of the ESC. For example, the retaining rings can be formed using subtractive and / or additive manufacturing methods of the ceramic body, thereby creating a monolithic structure between the retaining rings and the ceramic body. A gas (e.g., helium) can be introduced into the cooling regions through the ESC body to cool the portion of the substrate corresponding to the cooling region. As shown in the figures, the ESC302 includes three cooling regions 304, 306, and 308 located on the top surface of the ceramic body of the ESC, with the outer edge of each cooling region defined by a respective retaining ring 310, 312, and 314. Although Figures 3A and 3B describe the configuration as including three cooling regions, the number of cooling regions may be greater or less. For example, there may be four, five, six, seven, or more cooling regions, each with its outer edge defined by a retaining ring. Positive-pressure gas can be introduced into each of the multiple cooling regions, and the flow rate of the introduced gas can be controlled individually (e.g., independently). Independent control of the gas flow rate to each of the multiple cooling regions includes controlling the gas flow rate using flow meters and valves to provide the same or different gas flow rates to each of the multiple cooling regions. In some embodiments, controlling the gas flow rate to a particular cooling region controls the degree of cooling applied to the portion of the substrate corresponding to that cooling region. In some cases, the controller can manipulate the gas flow to each cooling region to apply different amounts of cooling to different portions of the substrate corresponding to different cooling regions.

[0033] In the example of the ESC302 shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the upper surface 301 of the ceramic body 303 is located outside the retaining ring 314 and includes an edge region 316 that is not included within the cooling regions 304, 306, or 308. The retaining rings 310, 312, and 314 are arranged concentrically with respect to the center point 318 of the upper surface 301 of the ESC302. In Figures 3A and 3B, the retaining rings are arranged at equal intervals, but they can also be arranged at uneven intervals. The heights 309 of each retaining ring 310, 312, and 314 are substantially equal, and when the substrate is held by the ESC302, an airtight seal is formed over each of the cooling regions 304, 306, and 308. In other embodiments, the ESC may not include an edge region.

[0034] The internal cooling region 304 defined by the retaining ring 310 encloses a circular space. Specifically, when the substrate is held by the ESC 302, the space is defined by the inner surface of the retaining ring 310, the upper surface 301 of the ESC 302, and the back surface of the substrate positioned on the plane 315, as shown in the partial cross-sectional view 300 of the ESC in Figure 3A.

[0035] The cooling regions are connected to one or more gas conduits (e.g., gas conduits 320, 322, 324) within the ceramic body 303 of the ESC 302, and are configured to introduce gas (e.g., gas flow 305) into each cooling region. The gas conduits can fluidly connect a gas source (e.g., from a subassembly of the ESC) to the upper surface 301 of the ESC 302 via a portion of the ceramic body 303. Each of the gas conduits (e.g., gas conduits 320, 322, 324) may include a porous plug. The porous plug may be made of a different material composition than the ceramic body of the ESC and / or may have a different internal structure (e.g., porosity). The porous plug may be configured to allow gas to flow through the porous plug to the upper surface of the ceramic body and to limit (e.g., prevent) the backflow of contaminants from the upper surface of the ceramic body to the gas conduit. The gas conduits may include gas outlet holes, for example, by laser drilling or AM forming, located in the gas flow path between the porous plug and the upper surface of the ceramic body. The gas outlet holes can be arranged in an array-like configuration on the porous plug. The gas outlet holes can be configured to allow gas to flow through the outlet holes to the surface of the ceramic body, and to limit (e.g., prevent) the backflow of contaminants from the upper surface of the ceramic body into the gas conduit.

[0036] Figure 3A illustrates a gas conduit for each cooling region, but a cooling region can have two or more gas conduits for introducing gas into it. The gas conduits can introduce helium, argon, nitrogen, or other inert gases into each cooling region. The gas pressure within the cooling region can be operated in a conductance zone where, for example, the turbulence generated in the cooling region by the gas during steady-state operation is small or negligible. The gas pressure in the cooling region can be selected based on the thermal conductivity requirements of the cooling region. For example, for a given gas, a higher gas pressure introduced into the cooling region results in higher thermal conductivity than a lower gas pressure.

[0037] The spaces defined within each cooling region are substantially airtight and can maintain positive pressure for a certain period of time. The positive pressure can range from approximately 1 Torr to approximately 50 Torr. For example, the positive pressure can be at least approximately 2 Torr, 5 Torr, 10 Torr, 15 Torr, 20 Torr, 25 Torr, or higher. The positive pressure can be based on the magnitude of the chucking force exerted on the back surface of the substrate by the electrode 121. For example, the positive pressure can be selected such that the force exerted on the back surface of the substrate is less than the chucking force exerted between the electrode and the back surface of the wafer during the manufacturing process.

[0038] In some embodiments, the cooling regions 304, 306, and 308 include one or more support structures (e.g., support structure 328). The support structure (e.g., mesa) is positioned on the upper surface 301 of the ceramic body 303 and extends to a plane 315 (e.g., height 309). The height 309 of the support structure is (e.g., substantially) equal in height and can further (e.g., substantially) equal in height to the retaining rings 310, 312, and 314. This ensures that each support structure contacts the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC.

[0039] Although Figures 3A and 3B show the support structures as sparsely distributed, the support structures may be distributed evenly or unevenly within the cooling regions 304, 306, and 308 and with respect to the retaining rings 310, 312, and 314. This will be explained in more detail in Figure 5A. In some embodiments, the support structure 328 includes a cylindrical shape having a circular cross-section parallel to the upper surface of the ceramic body of the ESC, as shown, for example, in Figure 3B. Other cross-sectional shapes, such as rectangles and polygons, are also possible. In some embodiments, it is also possible to use a combination of two or more different shapes, for example, each cooling region having a different shape, or to mix and use two or more shapes within a cooling region. The minimum density of support structures in the cooling region can be set based on the number of support structures required to maintain the flatness of the substrate at least at a threshold level when the substrate is held by the ESC. For example, the minimum density of support structures in the cooling region can be set to prevent warping or bending of the substrate when the substrate is chucked / dechucked by the electrode 121.

[0040] In some embodiments, for example, a controller can operate flow regulators, valves, etc., to introduce gases of different pressures into the cooling region via gas conduits 320, 324, and 326. Gases of different pressures can be used during the manufacturing process, for example, to counteract uneven heating of the substrate by plasma. For example, during the manufacturing process, the central and / or edge regions of the substrate may become hotter than the intermediate regions of the substrate.

[0041] During the operation of a manufacturing tool including an ESC, the manufacturing process recipe may include high pressure to the inner region 304 and low pressure to the outer region 308. For example, the gas pressure in the inner region 304 may be 20 Torr, the gas pressure in the outer cooling region 308 may be 10 Torr, and the intermediate cooling region 306 may be pressurized to 15 Torr.

[0042] In some embodiments, gas at the same pressure can be introduced from each gas conduit to each cooling region during the manufacturing process. In some embodiments, the pressure of the gas introduced from each gas conduit to one or more cooling regions can be dynamically adjusted during the manufacturing process, for example, by a manufacturing process recipe instruction. Dynamic pressure adjustment in the cooling regions can be used to adjust the processing temperature of the substrate held by the ESC302, and the etching rate in each cooling region can be adjusted.

[0043] For simplification and to highlight the features described above, Figures 3A and 3B show only a portion of the ESC 302, and some components, particularly electrodes embedded within the ceramic body of the ESC (e.g., multiple heating elements and / or microzone heaters), are not shown. Figure 3A shows electrode 330 (e.g., electrode 121 shown in Figure 1) embedded within the ceramic body of the ESC. This electrode provides a holding force (e.g., chuck force) to the substrate when the substrate is held / chucked by the ESC.

[0044] Design parameter 206 includes the distance between the surface of the ceramic body of the ESC and the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is held (e.g., held, chucked, fixed, etc.) by the ESC. For example, the heat transfer coefficient in the cooling region can be adjusted by the distance between the surface of the ceramic body of the ESC and the back surface of the substrate in the cooling region.

[0045] Figures 4A and 4B show various schematic diagrams and parts of an example of an electrostatic chuck. As shown in the cross-sectional view 400 of Figure 4A and the plan view 450 of Figure 4B, the ceramic body 403 has a top surface 401 with a diameter 413 and includes several layers having diameters 417, 419, and 421, each of which defines a cooling region. For example, in cooling regions 404, 406, and 408, each cooling region has retaining rings 410, 412, and 414 that define the outer edge of the cooling region. Each cooling region 404, 406, and 408 has distances 416, 418, and 420, respectively, from the top surface 401 of the ESC 402 to a plane 422 that is co-plane with the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC 402. Therefore, the retaining rings 410, 412, and 414 each have heights corresponding to the distances 416, 418, and 420 between the cooling regions 404, 406, and 408.

[0046] The cooling regions are configured to include one or more gas conduits (e.g., gas conduits 424, 426, and 428) within the ceramic body of the ESC, and to introduce gas (e.g., gas flow 430) into each cooling region. Although Figure 4A shows one gas conduit for each cooling region, a cooling region may have two or more gas conduits for introducing gas into the cooling region. For example, the gas conduits may introduce helium or other gas into each cooling region.

[0047] In some embodiments, the cooling regions 404, 406, and 408 include one or more support structures, e.g., support structure 432. The support structure (e.g., mesa) is positioned on the upper surface of the ceramic body. The support structure is (e.g., substantially) equal in height to the distances 416, 418, and 420 of the corresponding regions, and can further be (e.g., substantially) equal in height to the retaining rings 410, 412, and 414. This ensures that each surface of the support structure contacts the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC, e.g., on a plane 422. In one example, the distances 416, 418, and 420 can be associated with sizes X, 2X, and 4X, respectively, where distance 416 is distance X, distance 418 is distance 2X, and distance 420 is the distance 4X from the upper surface 401 to the plane 422.

[0048] Although the support structures are depicted as sparsely distributed in Figures 4A and 4B, they may be evenly or unevenly distributed within the cooling regions 404, 406, and 408 and with respect to the retaining rings 410, 412, and 414, as will be explained in more detail with respect to Figure 5A.

[0049] The distances 416, 418, and 420 between the cooling regions 404, 406, and 408 between the top surface 401 and the plane 422 of the ESC 402 can be selected based on partially counteracting localized heating of the substrate held by the ESC during the manufacturing process. For example, as shown in Figure 6, a shallow distance between the top surface 401 and the plane 422 results in a higher heat transfer coefficient than a larger distance between the top surface 401 and the plane 422. Figure 6 shows the relationship between the heat transfer coefficient and the gap between the back surface of the substrate and the top surface of the ESC (e.g., referred to as the "wafer chuck gap") with respect to different gas pressures introduced into the volume defined by the cooling regions and including the gaps between them. Simply put, in a given wafer chuck gap, an increase in positive pressure within the cooling region also increases the heat transfer coefficient, resulting in improved heat removal efficiency from that region. Furthermore, for a given positive pressure introduced into the cooling region, a smaller wafer chuck gap results in a higher heat transfer coefficient than a larger wafer chuck gap (and consequently, improved heat removal efficiency). Depending on the circumstances, by selecting the interaction between the wafer chuck gap and the positive pressure of the gas flow in the cooling region, a threshold heat transfer coefficient and the resulting heat removal efficiency can be achieved.

[0050] As shown in cross-sectional view 400, the edge region may be located at a distance 434 from the plane 422, and the edge region 436 may or may not include a support structure. In some embodiments, the distance 434 from the top surface 401 to the plane 422 in the edge region 436 is greater than each of the distances 416, 418, and 420.

[0051] In some embodiments, different distances can be selected between the upper surface 401 and the plane 422 of the ESC to address uneven heating of the substrate held by the ESC during the manufacturing process.

[0052] Figure 4A shows electrode 438 (e.g., electrode 121 shown in Figure 1) for applying a holding force (e.g., chuck force) to the substrate when the substrate is held / chucked in the ESC. For simplification and to highlight the features described above, Figure 4A shows only a portion of the ESC 402, and some components, particularly heater electrodes (e.g., multiple heating elements and / or microzone heaters), are not depicted.

[0053] In some embodiments, design parameters may include the distribution and density of support structures (e.g., mesas) located on the surface of the ceramic body of the ESC and in each of the multiple cooling regions on the ESC surface. For example, by changing the density of the mesas, cooling primarily by contact cooling or gas cooling can be achieved.

[0054] Figure 5A is a plan view 500 showing part of an example of an electrostatic chuck. The plan view 500 of the top surface 501 of an example of an ESC 502 includes several cooling regions 504, 506, and 508. The cooling regions 504, 506, and 508 are defined by their outer edges by retaining rings 510, 512, and 514, respectively. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5A, an edge region 516 is defined by the outer edge of the retaining ring 514, and the edge region 516 is not included in the cooling region.

[0055] Cooling regions 504, 506, and 508 include support structures (e.g., support structure 528). The support structures (e.g., mesa) are positioned on the upper surface of the ceramic body and extend (e.g., substantially) to the same height, and further (e.g., substantially) to the height of the retaining rings 510, 512, and 514. This ensures that the support structures each contact the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC, as described with reference to Figures 3A and 3B, for example.

[0056] In some embodiments, one or more cooling regions may include support structures of different densities. The density of the support structures in a cooling region can be below a threshold density, thereby making the cooling in that region gas-dominant. That is, the main factor in cooling in a cooling region is the positive gas pressure (e.g., helium pressure) introduced into the cooling region by the gas conduit when the substrate is held by the ESC. In a gas-dominant cooling system, the contact points between the support structures and the retaining ring and the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC become a secondary cooling mechanism for the cooling region.

[0057] In some embodiments, when the density of the support structure in the cooling region exceeds a threshold density, contact cooling can be prioritized for cooling in this region. That is, the main contributions to cooling in the region are concentrated at the contact points between the support structure and the retaining ring, and on the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC. In a cooling method that primarily relies on contact cooling, the gas cooling mechanism becomes a secondary cooling mechanism in the cooling region.

[0058] In Figure 5A, the density of the support structure is shown to be equal in each cooling region; however, in some embodiments, the density of the support structure may differ between the central and outer cooling regions of the ESC. For example, the density of the support structure can be 0.75 times in the central cooling region (e.g., cooling region 504), 1 times in the intermediate cooling region (e.g., cooling region 506), and 1.25 times in the outer cooling region (e.g., cooling region 508). In other examples, the density of the support structure can be the same in both cooling regions.

[0059] In some embodiments, one or more cooling regions may include a non-uniform distribution of support structures. For example, a cooling region may include a density gradient of support structures positioned relative to the upper surface 501 of the ceramic body of the ESC. Higher density support structures are positioned adjacent to one or more retaining rings surrounding the cooling region, and the density of support structures gradually decreases in the central region of the cooling region. The density gradient of support structures can mitigate the sharpness of the boundary between the cooling of the contact bodies at the retaining rings and the cooling of the gas bodies in the central region of the cooling zone.

[0060] In some embodiments, the multiple cooling regions included in the ESC design include four or more cooling regions located on the top surface 551 of the ESC 552. For example, as shown in the plan view 550 of the ESC 552 in Figure 5B, the ESC 552 includes four cooling regions (e.g., 554, 556, 558, and 560). The cooling regions 554, 556, 558, and 560 are defined by their outer edges by their respective retaining rings 562, 564, 566, and 568. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5D, an edge region 570 is defined by the outer edge of the retaining ring 568, and the edge region 570 is not included in the cooling regions.

[0061] In some embodiments, it may be considered to incorporate one or more of the features described with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5 into the ESC design. In some embodiments, it may be considered to incorporate all of the features described with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5 into the ESC design.

[0062] As described herein, primary temperature control of the substrate can be achieved during the manufacturing process by introducing gas into the cooling region of the ESC. In some embodiments, as illustrated with reference to Figure 1, the ESC includes one or more heaters. Optionally, the ESC may include multiple heating zones (e.g., by multiple heating elements) that allow for secondary temperature adjustment during the manufacturing process. These heating zones can locally (and independently) adjust the temperature of the substrate within the heating zone during the manufacturing process. Multiple heating zones (e.g., four heating zones) can be located within the ceramic body and further spaced apart from the upper surface of the ceramic body of the ESC. Thus, the effect of each of the multiple heating zones may (optionally) be smaller than the effect of the gas-pressurized cooling zone described above.

[0063] In some embodiments, the ESC may include (for example, further include) a microzone heater capable of generating tertiary temperature control during the manufacturing process, which can locally (and independently) adjust the temperature of the substrate within the "pixel-like" zones of the microzone heater during the manufacturing process. The microzone heater is located within the ceramic body and can be further spaced from the top surface of the ceramic body of the ESC to multiple heater zones. Thus, the effect of each microzone heater may (in some cases) be smaller than the effect of the multiple heating zones and gas-pressurized cooling zones described above.

[0064] In some embodiments, a controller of the manufacturing tool (e.g., controller 165) can execute a recipe that includes instructions for the manufacturing process. The recipe includes temperature control instructions that can be executed by controller 165 and can control the operation of various temperature-related components of the manufacturing tool. For example, temperature-related components may include (A) the gas pressure introduced into each cooling area of ​​the ESC, (B) the temperature setting of each of several heaters, each having a heating zone within the ceramic body of the ESC, (C) the temperature setting of each of the microzone heaters within the ceramic body of the ESC, (D) the flow rate of refrigerant to the cooling channels located at the base of the substrate support, or (E) any combination thereof. In addition, the recipe instructions may also include executable instructions related to other process parameters for operating components of the manufacturing tool to control, for example, plasma power, etching gas flow rate, etc., in addition to the operation of the ESC.

[0065] Figure 7 shows an exemplary process flow diagram for performing substrate processing. For convenience, process 700 is described as being performed by a system consisting of one or more computing devices located in one or more locations and appropriately programmed according to this specification. An appropriately programmed controller (e.g., controller 172 in Figure 1) can perform process 700.

[0066] The system receives control commands for each of the three or more cooling regions defined on the first surface of the ceramic body, including the gas pressure to be supplied to the cooling region (702). In some embodiments, receiving control commands for the gas pressure to be supplied to each of the three or more cooling regions includes receiving control commands defined in a recipe for performing substrate processing. In some embodiments, the recipe may include a target temperature (e.g., substrate processing temperature) for the portion of the substrate corresponding to the cooling region, and the system may determine the gas pressure to be supplied to the cooling region from the target temperature using, for example, the substrate back gas cooling plot shown in Figure 6.

[0067] The system controls the back surface temperature of the substrate by supplying a gas flow to three or more regions defined on the first surface of the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck through multiple conduits within the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck, thereby establishing a predetermined gas pressure in the three or more cooling regions. The three or more cooling regions are configured to maintain a positive gas pressure within their respective regions and on the surface of the substrate held by the electrostatic chuck (704). The three or more regions are arranged concentrically on the first surface, and the outer edge of each of the three or more regions is defined by a respective retaining ring located on the first surface. The gas flow to each of the three or more regions can be supplied independently to each of the three or more regions. The gas flow can be independently controlled by the system to supply a selected gas pressure to each cooling region.

[0068] In some embodiments, supplying gas to three or more regions defined on a first surface of the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck via multiple conduits within the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck includes supplying different gas pressures to each of the three or more regions. Optionally, supplying gas to three or more regions defined between the first surface of the ceramic body and the surface of the substrate held by the electrostatic chuck via multiple conduits within the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck includes cooling the surface of the substrate by cooling the contact body.

[0069] In some embodiments, supplying gas through conduits within the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck to three or more regions defined between the first surface of the ceramic body and the surface of the substrate held by the electrostatic chuck includes cooling the surface of the substrate by gas-based cooling.

[0070] The system provides a holding force to the surface of the substrate (706) by one or more electrodes located within the ceramic body and positioned relative to the first surface.

[0071] In some embodiments, the process 700 may further include supporting the surface of the substrate by a plurality of support structures disposed on the first surface of the ceramic body and located within at least one of three or more regions. Optionally, supporting the surface of the substrate by a plurality of support structures disposed on the first surface of the ceramic body may include supporting the surface of the substrate by structures of different densities within at least one of three or more regions.

[0072] In some embodiments, the process 700 may further include heating the surface of the substrate by one or more heating elements disposed within the ceramic body.

[0073] As explained with reference to Figure 2, the model can be used to determine the design parameter set of the ESC and improve temperature uniformity across the entire substrate surface in the manufacturing process of the manufacturing system. Figure 8 shows a flowchart of process example 800 for modeling the parameters of the electrostatic chuck design.

[0074] The system receives data describing multiple manufacturing processes performed in the manufacturing system. This data includes (i) temperature non-uniformity across the substrate surface in the manufacturing process in the manufacturing system, and the use of different electrostatic chuck configurations, each having a set of design parameters, and (ii) process parameters of the manufacturing process in the manufacturing system. The system trains a model to generate parameter values ​​used to predict the design parameters of the ESC in response to specific inputs (802).

[0075] The system provides temperature non-uniformity data collected about the manufacturing process performed in the manufacturing system, and process parameters of the manufacturing process, as input to the model (804).

[0076] The system receives a set of predicted design parameters from the model. The set of predicted parameters includes (A) the number of three or more regions defined on a first surface of the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck, each region having an outer edge defined by a retaining ring positioned on the first surface, and (B) the distribution of multiple support structures positioned on the first surface and within each of the three or more regions, which are received from the model (806).

[0077] In some embodiments, when the substrate is held by the ESC, the first surface of the ceramic body is aligned along a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, the three or more regions can be oriented such that the surface of each of the three or more regions along the first surface of the ceramic body is at different distances perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. The support structure for each of the three or more regions can have a height corresponding to the distance of each of the three or more regions from the surface of the substrate.

[0078] In some embodiments, each of the three or more regions may include a support structure of a different density.

[0079] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the process 800 includes design parameters including (C) one or more heating elements (e.g., multiple heating zones, microheaters) located within the ceramic body, and / or (D) one or more electrodes (e.g., chucking electrodes) located within the ceramic body and positioned relative to the first surface.

[0080] The system provides, for example, one or more manufacturing systems for manufacturing electrostatic chucks with a predicted set of design parameters for manufacturing electrostatic chucks (808).

[0081] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a computer system 900 that can be used to perform the operations described above. For example, operations performed by an electrostatic chuck model. The system 900 includes a processor 910, memory 920, storage device 930, and input / output device 940. Each component 910, 920, 930, and 940 can be interconnected using, for example, a system bus 950. The processor 910 can process instructions executed within the system 900. In one embodiment, the processor 910 is a single-threaded processor. In other embodiments, the processor 910 is a multi-threaded processor. The processor 910 can process instructions stored in memory 920 or storage device 930.

[0082] The memory 920 stores information within the system 900. In one embodiment, the memory 920 is a computer-readable medium. In one embodiment, the memory 920 is a volatile memory unit. In other embodiments, the memory 920 is a non-volatile memory unit.

[0083] The storage device 930 can provide high-capacity storage to the system 900. In one embodiment, the storage device 930 is a computer-readable medium. In various embodiments, the storage device 930 may include, for example, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, a storage device shared by multiple computing devices over a network (e.g., a cloud storage device), or other high-capacity storage devices.

[0084] The input / output device 940 provides input / output operations to the system 900. In one embodiment, the input / output device 940 may include one or more network interface devices (e.g., an Ethernet card), serial communication devices (e.g., an RS-232 port), and / or wireless interface devices (e.g., an 802.11 card). In other embodiments, the input / output device may include a driver device configured to receive input data and transmit output data to peripheral devices 960 (e.g., a keyboard, printer, and display device). However, other embodiments such as mobile computing devices, mobile communication devices, and set-top box television client devices are also available.

[0085] Figure 9 illustrates an example of a processing system, but the subject matter and functional operations described herein can be implemented in other types of digital electronic circuits, including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, or a combination of one or more of these.

[0086] The subjects, behaviors, and operations described herein (e.g., computing devices such as controller 165, and processes performed by controller 165) can be implemented by digital electronic circuits, tangibly embodied computer software or firmware, computer hardware including structures described herein and their structural equivalents, or one or more combinations thereof. The subjects, behaviors, and operations described herein can be implemented as one or more computer programs encoded on a computer program carrier, for example, as one or more modules of computer program instructions, or executed by a data processing device, or to control the operation of a data processing device. The carrier may be a tangible, non-temporary computer storage medium. Alternatively or additionally, the carrier may be an artificially generated propagating signal, such as a machine-generated electrical signal, optical signal, or electromagnetic signal. This is generated to encode information for transmission to a suitable receiving device executed by a data processing device. The computer storage medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage board, a random-access memory device, or a serial-access memory device, or any or part thereof, one or more combinations thereof. The computer storage medium is not a propagating signal.

[0087] The term "data processing device" encompasses all types of devices, machines, and equipment that process data, including, for example, programmable processors, computers, or multiple processors or computers. A data processing device may include specialized logic circuits such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). In addition to hardware, the device may also include code that creates the execution environment for computer programs (e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, protocol stacks, database management systems, operating systems, or one or more combinations thereof).

[0088] Computer programs can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled languages, interpreted languages, declarative languages, and procedural languages. They can also be deployed in any form, either as standalone programs (such as applications) or as modules, components, engines, subroutines, or other units suitable for execution in a computing environment. A computing environment may include one or more computers interconnected by a data communication network in one or more locations.

[0089] Computer programs can, but do not necessarily, be associated with files in a file system. They can be stored as part of a file containing other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), as a single file dedicated to the program itself, or as part of a series of interconnected files (e.g., one or more modules, subprograms, or files containing parts of code).

[0090] The processes and logic flows described herein can be executed by one or more computers running one or more computer programs, performing calculations based on input data, and generating outputs. Alternatively, the processes and logic flows can be executed by dedicated logic circuits (e.g., FPGAs, ASICs, GPUs), or by a combination of dedicated logic circuits and one or more programmed computers.

[0091] Computers suitable for running computer programs can be built on a general-purpose microprocessor, a dedicated microprocessor, or both, and other types of central processing units (CPUs). Generally, the central processing unit receives instructions and data from read-only memory, random-access memory, or both. The basic components of a computer are the central processing unit that executes instructions and one or more memory devices that store instructions and data. The central processing unit and memory can be complemented by or integrated into dedicated logic circuits.

[0092] Generally, a computer includes one or more mass storage devices, or is operationally coupled with them, and is configured to send and receive data to and from these mass storage devices. Mass storage devices may be, for example, magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, or solid-state drives. However, a computer does not necessarily need to have these devices. Furthermore, computers may be integrated into other devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable audio / video players, game consoles, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, or portable storage devices such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drives.

[0093] To provide user interaction, the subject matter described herein can be implemented on one or more computers having, or configured to communicate with, a display device for displaying information to the user (e.g., an LCD monitor, a virtual reality (VR) display, or an augmented reality (AR) display) and an input device for the user to provide input to the computer (e.g., a keyboard, and a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball, or touchpad). Other types of devices can also be used to provide user interaction. For example, the feedback and responses provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual, auditory, vocal, or tactile. Input from the user can also be received in any form, including acoustic, vocal, or haptic input, including touch actions or gestures, motor actions or gestures, or directional actions or gestures. Furthermore, the computer can interact with the user by sending and receiving documents to and from the user's device. For example, this can be achieved by sending a web page to a web browser on the user's device in response to a request received from a web browser, or by interacting with an application running on the user's device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Furthermore, computers can interact with users by sending text messages and other types of messages to personal devices such as smartphones running messaging applications, and by receiving response messages from users.

[0094] In this specification, the term “configured” is used in relation to systems, devices, and computer program components. A system consisting of one or more computers is configured to perform a particular operation or action to mean that the system has software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof installed on it that causes the operation or action to be performed when it is in operation. A computer program is configured to perform a particular operation or action to mean that the program contains instructions that, when executed by a data processing device, cause that device to perform the operation or action. A dedicated logic circuit is configured to perform a particular operation or action to mean that the circuit has electronic logic that performs the operation or action.

[0095] This specification includes many specific details of implementation, but these should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the claims (as defined by the claims themselves), but rather as descriptions of features specific to a particular embodiment of a particular invention. Certain features described herein in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, even if features are described above as functioning in a particular combination and are initially claimed in that manner, one or more features may be removed from the claimed combination, and the claims may cover a subcombination or a variation of a subcombination.

[0096] Similarly, while operations are described in a specific order in the drawings and claims, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in a specific order or sequence as illustrated, or that all illustrated operations be performed, in order to obtain the desired results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of various system modules and components in embodiments should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and the described program components and systems can generally be integrated into a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0097] Specific embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are also within the scope of the following claims. For example, the operations described in the claims can be performed in a different order to obtain the desired results. As an example, the processes shown in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific illustrated order, i.e., a sequential order, to obtain the desired results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

Claims

1. It is an electrostatic chuck (ESC), A ceramic body including one or more embedded electrodes, comprising a ceramic body having a first surface having a first diameter, Three or more regions defined on the first surface, arranged concentrically on the first surface, and each region is A retaining ring positioned on the first surface and defining the outer edge of the region, A region comprising three or more regions including a plurality of support structures arranged on a first surface, which are configured to support the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by an electrostatic chuck, The ceramic body is formed and comprises multiple conduits configured to independently introduce gas to a first surface through the ceramic body, in each of three or more regions. Each of the three or more regions is configured to maintain a corresponding positive gas pressure within the region and on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck. One or more embedded electrodes are configured to generate a holding force on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck.

2. The ESC according to claim 1, comprising one or more heating elements disposed within a ceramic body and configured to heat at least a portion of the surface of a substrate when the substrate is held by an electrostatic chuck.

3. The ESC according to claim 1, wherein each of the three or more regions includes a plurality of support structures of uniform density.

4. The ESC according to claim 3, wherein each of the three or more regions includes a plurality of support structures of different densities arranged within the region.

5. The ESC according to claim 1, wherein at least one of three or more regions includes a plurality of support structures of non-uniform density.

6. The ESC according to claim 5, wherein the non-uniform density of the multiple support structures includes a density gradient in which the density is higher in the portion adjacent to the retaining ring defining the outer edge of the region and lower in the central point of the region.

7. The ESC according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the three or more regions includes a mesa having a central height trend different from the central height trends of one or more other regions of the three or more regions.

8. The ESC according to claim 1, comprising a second surface and a third surface having second and third diameters, respectively, wherein each of the three or more regions is defined on its respective surface.

9. The ESC according to claim 1, wherein the density of multiple support structures within at least one region of three or more regions is a threshold density for contact-preferential cooling.

10. The ESC according to claim 1, wherein the density of multiple support structures within at least one region of three or more regions is the threshold density for gas-dominant cooling.

11. The ESC according to claim 1, wherein, when the substrate is held by the ESC, the plurality of conduits are configured to independently introduce different gas pressures to each of three or more regions.

12. The ESC according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement of retaining rings and multiple support structures in each of the three or more cooling regions is defined by parameters generated by a machine learning model.

13. A method for cooling an electrostatic chuck during plasma processing, A process of supplying gas to three or more regions through multiple conduits within the ceramic body of an electrostatic chuck, wherein the regions are defined on a first surface of the ceramic body and configured to maintain positive pressure of gas within the regions and the surface of the substrate held by the electrostatic chuck. Three or more regions are arranged concentrically on the first surface. The outer edge of each of the three or more regions is defined by a retaining ring placed on the first surface, A method comprising the step of providing a retaining force to the surface of a substrate by one or more electrodes located within a ceramic body and positioned relative to a first surface.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of supplying gas to three or more regions defined on a first surface of a ceramic body through a plurality of conduits within the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck includes the step of supplying a different gas pressure to each of the three or more regions.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of supporting the surface of a substrate by a plurality of support structures arranged in at least one region of three or more regions on a first surface of a ceramic body.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of supporting the surface of a substrate with a plurality of support structures arranged on the first surface of a ceramic body includes supporting the surface of the substrate with structures of different densities in at least one of three or more regions.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein supplying gas to three or more regions defined between a first surface of the ceramic body and the surface of the substrate held by the electrostatic chuck via a conduit in the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck is to cool the surface of the substrate by contact-preferential cooling.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein supplying gas to three or more regions defined between a first surface of the ceramic body and the surface of the substrate held by the electrostatic chuck via a conduit in the ceramic body of the electrostatic chuck is to cool the surface of the substrate by gas-dominant cooling.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of heating the surface of a substrate with one or more heating elements arranged within a ceramic body.

20. It is a system, A plasma processing chamber surrounds the processing area, A gas source configured to introduce one or more etching gases into the processing area, A plasma source configured to generate plasma within a processing area using one or more etching gases introduced into the processing area, An electrostatic chuck, positioned within a plasma processing chamber and configured to hold a substrate in the processing area of ​​the plasma processing chamber during plasma processing, One or more embedded electrodes configured to generate a holding force on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by an electrostatic chuck, Three or more regions defined on the first surface of the ceramic body, including regions arranged concentrically on the first surface and regions including retaining rings that are located on the first surface and define the outer edge of the regions, A system comprising an electrostatic chuck formed within a ceramic body, each of which includes multiple conduits configured to independently introduce gas to a first surface via the ceramic body into three or more regions.

Images