Wafer placement table

The wafer mounting table design addresses cracking and temperature issues by using a ductile coupling member with restricted rotation, ensuring secure and efficient attachment and cooling of brittle materials.

JP7599451B2Active Publication Date: 2024-12-13NGK CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022072510
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-04-26
Publication Date
2024-12-13
Estimated Expiration
2042-04-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional wafer mounting tables using brittle materials face issues with cracking due to the downward pull of bolts and potential temperature singularities, especially when using female screw holes in cooling bases made of non-ductile materials.

Method used

A wafer mounting table design featuring a brittle cooling base material with a refrigerant flow path, a ductile coupling member housed in a storage hole with restricted axial rotation, and a male or female threaded portion for secure attachment to a mounting plate, preventing cracking and temperature singularities.

Benefits of technology

The design allows secure fastening of the wafer mounting table without cracking and prevents temperature singularities by using a ductile coupling member with restricted rotation, ensuring stable attachment and efficient cooling.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To fasten a wafer mounting table including a brittle cooling substrate to an installation plate without any problems and also prevent the occurrence of temperature singularities on a wafer.SOLUTION: A wafer mounting table 10 includes an alumina substrate 20, a brittle cooling substrate 30, and a ductile female screw member 38. The alumina substrate 20 has a wafer mounting surface 22a on the top surface and incorporates an electrode 26 therein. The cooling substrate 30 is joined to the bottom surface of the alumina substrate 20, and a coolant passage 32 is formed in the cooling substrate. The female screw member 38 is housed in a housing hole 36 that opens on the bottom surface of the cooling substrate 30 while axial rotation is restricted and while the female screw member is engaged with an engaging part of the housing hole 36. The female screw member 38 can be screwed with a male screw of a bolt 98 inserted from a bottom surface side of the cooling substrate 30. The housing hole 36 is provided inside the coolant passage 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wafer stage. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a wafer mounting table is known in which a ceramic base material having an electrode built therein and a cooling base material having a refrigerant flow path formed therein are bonded together via an adhesive. Patent Document 1 describes an example in which such a wafer mounting table is placed on a mounting plate and fixed with screws. Specifically, a female screw hole is provided on the lower surface of the cooling base material, and a male screw of a bolt inserted from below into a screw insertion hole that penetrates the mounting plate in the vertical direction is screwed into the female screw hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-150104 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a female screw hole is provided on the underside of the cooling substrate and a male screw of a bolt inserted into the installation plate is screwed into the female screw hole, if the cooling substrate is made of a ductile material (e.g., aluminum), there is no problem, but if the cooling substrate is made of a brittle material (e.g., metal matrix composite), there is a problem. Specifically, the female screw hole of the cooling substrate is pulled downward with a large force locally by the bolt, so if the material is not ductile, it may crack. There is also a demand to prevent temperature singularities from occurring on the wafer as much as possible.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and its main object is to enable a wafer mounting table equipped with a brittle cooling substrate to be fastened to a mounting plate without any hindrance, and to prevent the occurrence of temperature singularities on the wafer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] [1] The wafer mounting table of the present invention comprises: an alumina base having a wafer mounting surface on an upper surface thereof and an electrode built therein; A brittle cooling base material bonded to a lower surface of the alumina base material and having a refrigerant flow path formed therein; A ductile coupling member having a male screw portion or a female screw portion, which is accommodated in a storage hole that opens on a lower surface of the cooling base material in a state in which its axial rotation is restricted and which is engaged with an engagement portion of the storage hole; Equipped with The storage hole is provided in the refrigerant flow path. It is something.

[0007] In this wafer mounting table, a coupling member having a male screw portion or a female screw portion is stored in a storage hole that opens on the lower surface of the cooling substrate in a state where its axial rotation is restricted and in a state where it is engaged with an engagement portion of the storage hole. Since the axial rotation of the coupling member is restricted, it can be screwed into a coupled member having a female screw portion or a male screw portion that is arranged on the lower surface side of the cooling substrate. Furthermore, even if the coupling member is pulled toward the installation plate by a coupled member provided on the installation plate in a state where it is engaged with the engagement portion of the storage hole, it is difficult to break because it has ductility. Therefore, the wafer mounting table equipped with a brittle cooling substrate can be fastened to the installation plate without any problems. Furthermore, the storage hole is provided in the coolant flow path. When the coolant flow path is laid out to avoid the storage hole, the wafer is not sufficiently cooled in the vicinity of the storage hole, which is likely to become a temperature singularity, but here, since the storage hole is provided in the coolant flow path, it is possible to prevent such a temperature singularity from occurring.

[0008] In this specification, the present invention may be described using terms such as up / down, left / right, front / back, etc., but these terms are merely relative positional relationships. Therefore, when the orientation of the wafer placement table is changed, up / down may become left / right, or left / right may become up / down, but such cases are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the "coolant flow path" may be a coolant flow path provided inside the cooling substrate, or a coolant flow path groove provided on the upper or lower surface of the cooling substrate.

[0009] [2] In the wafer supporting table of the present invention (the wafer supporting table described in [1] above), the connecting member may be a member having the female thread portion and capable of screwing into the male thread of a bolt inserted from the underside of the cooling substrate.

[0010] [3] In the wafer mounting table of the present invention (the wafer mounting table described in [1] or [2] above), the cooling base may be formed of a composite material of metal and ceramic or an alumina material. The composite material of metal and ceramic and the alumina material are brittle materials, so the application of the present invention is highly significant. For example, when a composite material of metal and ceramic is used, it is preferable to use a composite material having a thermal expansion coefficient equivalent to that of alumina.

[0011] [4] In the wafer mounting table of the present invention (the wafer mounting table described in any one of [1] to [3] above), the engaging portion may be a step or an inclined portion provided on the inner circumferential surface of the storage hole, and the coupling member may have an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion to prevent the coupling member from falling out of the storage hole. In this way, the engaging portion and the engaged portion can be produced relatively easily. For example, if the engaging portion is a step, the coupling member may be provided with an engaged portion that catches on the step. Also, if the engaging portion is an inclined portion, the coupling member may be provided with an inclined surface that matches the inclined portion as the engaged portion.

[0012] [5] In the wafer stage of the present invention (the wafer stage according to any one of [1] to [4] above), the coupling member may be configured to abut against a wall of the receiving hole when attempting to rotate about its axis, thereby restricting the axial rotation of the coupling member. In this way, the axial rotation of the coupling member can be restricted with a relatively simple structure.

[0013] [6] In the wafer stage of the present invention (the wafer stage according to any one of [1] to [5] above), the cooling base may have a single-layer structure. This eliminates the need to manufacture the cooling base by bonding, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the cooling base.

[0014] [7] In the wafer mounting table of the present invention (the wafer mounting table described in [6] above) having a single-layered cooling substrate, the coolant flow path may have a coolant flow groove provided on the upper or lower surface of the cooling substrate. For example, when the cooling substrate has a coolant flow groove on its upper surface, the coolant flow path is formed by covering the upper surface of the coolant flow groove with an alumina substrate (or a bonding layer bonding the alumina substrate and the cooling substrate). When the cooling substrate has a coolant flow groove on its lower surface, the coolant flow path is formed by covering the lower surface of the coolant flow groove with a plate member (e.g., a mounting plate).

[0015] [8] In the wafer mounting table of the present invention (the wafer mounting table described in any one of [1] to [7] above), the refrigerant flow path may have a plurality of lines each extending in a single stroke from one end to the other end in a plan view, and the storage hole may be provided in one or more of the plurality of lines. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the wafer mounting table 10 installed in the chamber 94. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the storage hole 36 and the female screw member 38. FIG. [Figure 4] 13 is a cross-sectional view of the storage hole 36 cut horizontally from above. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing the manufacturing process of the wafer mounting table 10. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the wafer mounting table 210. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the wafer mounting table 310. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in which a male screw member 80 is used as a connecting member. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a plan view of another example of the wafer mounting table 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a wafer mounting table 10 installed in a chamber 94 (a cross-sectional view taken along a plane including the central axis of the wafer mounting table 10), Fig. 2 is a plan view of the wafer mounting table 10, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the periphery of a storage hole 36 and a female screw member 38, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the storage hole 36 taken horizontally from above.

[0018] The wafer mounting table 10 is used for performing CVD, etching, and the like on a wafer W using plasma, and is fixed to a mounting plate 96 provided inside a semiconductor process chamber 94. The wafer mounting table 10 includes an alumina base 20, a cooling base 30, and a metal bonding layer 40.

[0019] The alumina base 20 has a central portion 22 having a circular wafer mounting surface 22a, and an outer peripheral portion 24 having an annular focus ring mounting surface 24a on the outer periphery of the central portion 22. Hereinafter, the focus ring may be abbreviated as "FR." The wafer W is mounted on the wafer mounting surface 22a, and the focus ring 12 is mounted on the FR mounting surface 24a. The FR mounting surface 24a is one step lower than the wafer mounting surface 22a.

[0020] The central portion 22 of the alumina base material 20 incorporates a wafer adsorption electrode 26 on the side close to the wafer placement surface 22a. The wafer adsorption electrode 26 is formed of a material containing, for example, W, Mo, WC, MoC, etc. The wafer adsorption electrode 26 is a disk-shaped or mesh-shaped monopolar electrostatic adsorption electrode. The layer of the alumina base material 20 above the wafer adsorption electrode 26 functions as a dielectric layer. A wafer adsorption DC power supply 52 is connected to the wafer adsorption electrode 26 via a power supply terminal 54. The power supply terminal 54 is provided so as to pass through an insulating tube 55 disposed in a through hole that vertically penetrates the cooling base material 30 and the metal bonding layer 40, and reach the wafer adsorption electrode 26 from the lower surface of the alumina base material 20. A low pass filter (LPF) 53 is provided between the wafer adsorption DC power supply 52 and the wafer adsorption electrode 26.

[0021] The cooling substrate 30 is a disk member made of a brittle conductive material. The cooling substrate 30 includes a refrigerant flow path 32 through which a refrigerant can circulate. As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant flow path 32 is provided so as to cover the entire surface of the alumina substrate 20 in a single stroke from one end (inlet) to the other end (outlet) in a plan view. One end and the other end of the refrigerant flow path 32 are connected to a refrigerant supply path and a refrigerant discharge path (not shown) provided on the installation plate 96, respectively, and the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant discharge path is returned to the refrigerant supply path after being temperature-adjusted. The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 32 is preferably a liquid and is preferably electrically insulating. An example of an electrically insulating liquid is a fluorine-based inert liquid. An example of a brittle conductive material is a composite material of metal and ceramic. An example of a composite material of metal and ceramic is a metal matrix composite (MMC) or a ceramic matrix composite (CMC). Specific examples of such composite materials include materials containing Si, SiC, and Ti, materials in which a porous SiC body is impregnated with Al and / or Si, and composite materials of Al2O3 and TiC. A material containing Si, SiC, and Ti is called SiSiCTi, a material in which a porous SiC body is impregnated with Al is called AlSiC, and a material in which a porous SiC body is impregnated with Si is called SiSiC. As a conductive material used for the cooling substrate 30, AlSiC, SiSiCTi, and the like, which have a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of alumina, are preferable. The cooling substrate 30 is connected to an RF power source 62 via a power supply terminal 64. A high-pass filter (HPF) 63 is disposed between the cooling substrate 30 and the RF power source 62. The cooling substrate 30 has a flange portion 34 on the lower surface side, which is used to clamp the wafer stage 10 to a mounting plate 96.

[0022] The cooling substrate 30 is provided with a plurality of storage holes 36, and the storage holes 36 store female screw members 38 (connecting members). The storage holes 36 are provided at substantially equal intervals (e.g., six or eight) along concentric circles (e.g., circles that are 1 / 2 or 1 / 3 the diameter of the wafer W) of the cooling substrate 30. That is, the storage holes 36 are provided in an area close to the center of the wafer mounting table 10, as shown in FIG. 2. The storage holes 36 open to the bottom surface of the cooling substrate 30 through insertion passages 37 that extend in the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 3. The storage holes 36 are rectangular parallelepiped spaces provided inside the refrigerant flow passage 32. The joint between the storage holes 36 and the insertion passages 37 is a step portion 36a. The step portion 36a is the horizontal bottom surface of the storage holes 36. The storage holes 36 store female screw members 38. The female screw member 38 is a nut having a rectangular shape in a plan view, and has a female screw hole 38a in the center. The female screw member 38 will not fall out of the storage hole 36 because the lower surface of the female screw member 38 engages (abuts) with the step portion 36a of the storage hole 36. When the female screw member 38 tries to rotate about its axis, as shown in Fig. 4, the female screw member 38 abuts against the side wall of the storage hole 36, restricting the axial rotation. The female screw member 38 is formed of a ductile material (e.g., Ti, Mo, W, etc.).

[0023] The metal bonding layer 40 bonds the lower surface of the alumina base 20 and the upper surface of the cooling base 30. The metal bonding layer 40 may be, for example, a layer formed of solder or a metal brazing material. The metal bonding layer 40 is formed, for example, by TCB (thermal compression bonding). TCB refers to a known method in which a metal bonding material is sandwiched between two members to be bonded, and the two members are pressure-bonded while being heated to a temperature equal to or lower than the solidus temperature of the metal bonding material.

[0024] The side surface of the outer periphery 24 of the alumina base 20, the outer periphery of the metal bonding layer 40, and the side surface of the cooling base 30 are covered with an insulating film 42. The insulating film 42 may be, for example, a sprayed film of alumina, yttria, or the like.

[0025] The wafer mounting table 10 is attached via seal rings 76, 77 onto a mounting plate 96 provided inside a chamber 94. The seal rings 76, 77 are made of metal or resin. The seal ring 76 is disposed slightly inside the outer edge of the cooling substrate 30. The seal ring 77 is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the foot of a bolt 98, and prevents the coolant from leaking out of the seal ring 77.

[0026] The outer peripheral region of the wafer mounting table 10 is attached to the mounting plate 96 by using a clamp member 70. The clamp member 70 is an annular member having a cross section of a substantially inverted L-shape, and has an inner peripheral step surface 70a. With the inner peripheral step surface 70a of the clamp member 70 placed on the flange portion 34 of the cooling substrate 30 of the wafer mounting table 10, a bolt 72 is inserted from the upper surface of the clamp member 70 and screwed into a screw hole provided on the upper surface of the mounting plate 96. The bolt 72 is attached to a plurality of locations (e.g., 8 locations or 12 locations) that are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the clamp member 70. The clamp member 70 and the bolt 72 may be made of an insulating material or a conductive material (metal, etc.). The central region of the wafer mounting table 10 is attached to the mounting plate 96 by using a bolt 98 (a member to be joined). As shown in FIG. 3, a male screw 98a is provided on the foot of the bolt 98. The bolt 98 is inserted from the underside of the installation plate 96 into a through hole 97 provided in the installation plate 96 at a position facing the storage hole 36, and the male screw 98a is screwed into the screw hole 38a of the female screw member 38 in the storage hole 36. The through hole 97 has a small diameter at the top and a large diameter at the bottom, and has a step portion 97a between the top and bottom. The head of the bolt 98 is caught on the step portion 97a of the through hole 97 via the seal ring 78. The seal ring 78 is made of metal or resin and prevents the refrigerant in the storage hole 36 from leaking out through the insertion passage 37. Since the female screw member 38 is stored in the storage hole 36 in a state where its axial rotation is restricted, the bolt 98 can be screwed into the female screw member 38. When the bolt 98 is screwed into the female screw member 38, the female screw member 38 is pulled toward the installation plate 96 while engaged with the step portion 36a of the storage hole 36.

[0027] During use of the wafer mounting table 10, the wafer mounting surface 22a side of the alumina base 20 is in vacuum and the lower surface side of the cooling base 30 is in air, so that the wafer mounting table 10 tends to be convex upward. In addition, when processing the wafer W with high-power plasma, the wafer mounting surface 22a side of the alumina base 20 is at high temperature and the lower surface side is cooled to a low temperature, so that the wafer mounting surface 22a side tends to expand and the wafer mounting table 10 tends to be convex upward. However, in this embodiment, the central region of the wafer mounting table 10 is fixed by the bolt 98, so that the wafer mounting table 10 can be prevented from being convex upward. In addition, the seal rings 76, 77 are disposed between the central region of the lower surface of the cooling base 30 and the upper surface of the installation plate 96, but since the central region of the wafer mounting table 10 is fixed by the bolt 98, the seal rings 76, 78 are kept firmly pressed down. One end and the other end of the coolant flow path 32 are connected to a coolant supply path and a coolant discharge path, not shown, provided in the mounting plate 96, respectively, via seal rings arranged between the cooling substrate 30 and the mounting plate 96. These seal rings prevent the coolant from leaking out. These seal rings are also maintained in a firmly compressed state.

[0028] Next, a manufacturing example of the wafer mounting table 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a manufacturing process diagram of the wafer mounting table 10. First, a disk-shaped alumina sintered body 120, which is the base of the alumina base material 20, is produced by hot-pressing and sintering a compact of alumina powder (FIG. 5A). The alumina sintered body 120 has a built-in wafer adsorption electrode 26. Next, a hole 27 is opened from the lower surface of the alumina sintered body 120 to the wafer adsorption electrode 26 (FIG. 5B), and a power supply terminal 54 is inserted into the hole 27 to join the power supply terminal 54 and the wafer adsorption electrode 26 (FIG. 5C).

[0029] In parallel with this, two disk members 131, 133 are produced (FIG. 5D). Then, a groove 132 that will eventually become the refrigerant flow path 32 is formed on the lower surface of the upper disk member 131. A groove 136 that will eventually become the storage hole 36 is formed in part of the groove 132. Also, a through hole 137 that will eventually become the insertion passage 37 is formed in the lower disk member 133. Furthermore, through holes 154a, 154b that penetrate the two disk members 131, 133 in the vertical direction are formed (FIG. 5E). These through holes 154a, 154b will eventually become holes through which the power supply terminal 54 is inserted. The disk members 131, 133 are preferably made of SiSiCTi or AlSiC. This is because the thermal expansion coefficient of alumina is roughly the same as that of SiSiCTi or AlSiC.

[0030] The SiSiCTi disk member can be manufactured, for example, as follows. First, silicon carbide, metal Si, and metal Ti are mixed to produce a powder mixture. Next, the obtained powder mixture is uniaxially pressed to produce a disk-shaped compact, which is then hot-press sintered in an inert atmosphere to obtain the SiSiCTi disk member.

[0031] Next, a first metal bonding material is placed on the upper surface of the lower disk member 133. At positions of the first metal bonding material facing the through hole 137 and the through hole 154b, holes are provided through the first metal bonding material in the vertical direction. Next, a female screw member 38 is placed on the hole of the first metal bonding material facing the through hole 137, and the upper disk member 131 is placed on the first metal bonding material. At this time, the female screw member 38 is accommodated in the groove 136 of the disk member 131. Next, a second metal bonding material is placed on the upper surface of the disk member 131. A hole is provided through the second metal bonding material in the vertical direction at a position facing the through hole 154a. Next, the alumina sintered body 120 is placed on the second metal bonding material while inserting the power supply terminal 54 of the alumina sintered body 120 into the through holes 154a and 154b of the disk members 131 and 133. This produces a laminate in which, from the bottom up, the disk member 133, the first metal bonding material, the disk member 131, the second metal bonding material, and the alumina sintered body 120 are stacked. This laminate is heated and pressurized (TCB) to produce the bonded body 110 (FIG. 5F).

[0032] The bonded body 110 is formed by bonding an alumina sintered body 120 to the upper surface of a circular block 130, which is the base of the cooling base material 30, via a metal bonding layer 40. The circular block 130 is a laminated structure in which an upper circular plate member 131 and a lower circular plate member 133 are bonded to each other via a metal bonding layer. The circular block 130 has a refrigerant flow path 32 and a storage hole 36 inside. A female screw member 38 is stored in the storage hole 36.

[0033] For example, TCB is performed as follows. That is, the laminate is pressed and bonded at a temperature equal to or lower than the solidus temperature of the metal bonding material (for example, a temperature equal to or higher than the solidus temperature minus 20°C and equal to or lower than the solidus temperature), and then returned to room temperature. This causes the metal bonding material to become a metal bonding layer. As the metal bonding material, an Al-Mg based bonding material or an Al-Si-Mg based bonding material can be used. For example, when TCB is performed using an Al-Si-Mg based bonding material, the laminate is pressed in a heated state under a vacuum atmosphere. It is preferable to use a metal bonding material with a thickness of about 100 μm.

[0034] Next, the outer periphery of the alumina sintered body 120 is ground to form a step, thereby obtaining the alumina base material 20 having a central portion 22 and an outer periphery portion 24. The outer periphery of the circular block 130 is ground to form a step, thereby obtaining the cooling base material 30 having a flange portion 34. An insulating tube 55 is placed in an insertion hole for a power supply terminal 54 provided in the circular block 130 and the metal bonding layer 40. Furthermore, an insulating film 42 is formed by spraying the side surface of the outer periphery portion 24 of the alumina base material 20, the periphery of the metal bonding layer 40, and the side surface of the cooling base material 30 with alumina powder (FIG. 5G). In this way, the wafer mounting table 10 is obtained.

[0035] Next, an example of use of the wafer mounting table 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As described above, the outer peripheral region of the wafer mounting table 10 is fixed to the mounting plate 96 of the chamber 94 by the clamp members 70, and the central region of the wafer mounting table 10 is fixed by the bolts 98. A shower head 95 that ejects process gas into the chamber 94 from a large number of gas injection holes is disposed on the ceiling surface of the chamber 94. The mounting plate 96 is formed of an insulating material such as alumina.

[0036] A focus ring 12 is placed on the FR mounting surface 24a of the wafer mounting table 10, and a disk-shaped wafer W is placed on the wafer mounting surface 22a. The focus ring 12 has a step along the inner circumference of the upper end so as not to interfere with the wafer W. In this state, a DC voltage from a wafer suction DC power supply 52 is applied to the wafer suction electrode 26 to suction the wafer W onto the wafer mounting surface 22a. Then, the interior of the chamber 94 is set to a predetermined vacuum atmosphere (or reduced pressure atmosphere), and an RF voltage from an RF power supply 62 is applied to the cooling substrate 30 while a process gas is supplied from a shower head 95. Then, a plasma is generated between the wafer W and the shower head 95. Then, the plasma is used to perform CVD film formation or etching on the wafer W. The focus ring 12 is also worn out as the wafer W is subjected to plasma processing. However, since the focus ring 12 is thicker than the wafer W, the focus ring 12 is replaced after processing a plurality of wafers W.

[0037] When processing the wafer W with high-power plasma, it is necessary to efficiently cool the wafer W. In the wafer mounting table 10, a metal bonding layer 40 with high thermal conductivity is used as a bonding layer between the alumina base material 20 and the cooling base material 30, instead of a resin layer with low thermal conductivity. Therefore, the ability to draw heat from the wafer W (heat extraction ability) is high. In addition, since the difference in thermal expansion between the alumina base material 20 and the cooling base material 30 is small, even if the stress relaxation property of the metal bonding layer 40 is low, problems are unlikely to occur.

[0038] In the wafer mounting table 10 described above, the female screw member 38 is stored in the storage hole 36 that opens on the lower surface of the cooling substrate 30 in a state where its axial rotation is restricted and in a state where it is engaged with the step portion 36a (engagement portion) of the storage hole 36 so as not to fall from the storage hole 36. Since the axial rotation of the female screw member 38 is restricted, the male screw 98a of the bolt 98 inserted from the lower surface side of the cooling substrate 30 can be screwed into the female screw member 38. Furthermore, even if the female screw member 38 is pulled toward the installation plate 96 by the bolt 98 inserted into the installation plate 96 in a state where it is engaged with the step portion 36a of the storage hole 36, it is difficult to break because it has ductility. Therefore, the wafer mounting table 10 equipped with the brittle cooling substrate 30 can be fastened to the installation plate 96 without any problems.

[0039] Moreover, the storage hole 36 is provided inside the coolant flow path 32. If the coolant flow path 32 is laid out to avoid the storage hole 36, the area of ​​the wafer W directly above the storage hole 36 is not sufficiently cooled and is prone to become a temperature singularity, but since the storage hole 36 is provided inside the coolant flow path 32 here, the occurrence of such a temperature singularity can be prevented.

[0040] Furthermore, since the cooling substrate 30 is made of a brittle conductive material, the application of the present invention is highly significant.

[0041] Furthermore, the storage hole 36 has a step portion 36a as an engaging portion, and the female screw member 38 has a bottom surface as an engaged portion. Therefore, the engaging portion and the engaged portion can be produced relatively easily.

[0042] Furthermore, when the female screw member 38 attempts to rotate, the axial rotation is restricted by hitting the side wall of the accommodation hole 36. Therefore, the axial rotation of the female screw member 38 can be restricted with a relatively simple structure.

[0043] The female screw member 38 is stored in a free state without being joined to the cooling substrate 30 in the storage hole 36. When manufacturing the wafer mounting table 10, it is only necessary to insert the female screw member 38 into the storage hole 36, which does not require much work.

[0044] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0045] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the cooling substrate 30 has a laminated structure in which two disk members 131, 133 are joined as shown in FIG. 5, but is not particularly limited thereto. For example, a single-layered cooling substrate 230 may be used as in the wafer mounting table 210 shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are given the same reference numerals. The cooling substrate 230 has a coolant flow groove 282 that opens on the upper surface. The coolant flow groove 232 is formed by covering the upper opening of the coolant flow groove 282 with the metal bonding layer 40. A storage hole 236 is provided inside the coolant flow path 232 (coolant flow groove 282). The storage hole 236 is similar to the storage hole 36 except that the ceiling surface of the storage hole 236 is formed by the metal bonding layer 40. In manufacturing the wafer mounting table 210, the coolant flow groove 282, the insertion passage 37, and a hole for passing the power supply terminal 54 are formed in one disk member, and then the alumina substrate 20 is bonded to the coolant flow groove 282 by TCB using a metal bonding material. Since the cooling substrate 230 has a single-layer structure, the manufacturing costs (material costs and manufacturing costs) of the cooling substrate 230 can be reduced compared to a laminated structure.

[0046] Alternatively, a single-layered cooling base 330 may be used, as in the wafer placement table 310 shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. The cooling base 330 has a refrigerant flow groove 382 that opens on the lower surface. The refrigerant flow path 332 is formed by covering the lower opening of the refrigerant flow groove 382 with the installation plate 96. Seal rings 74 to 77 are disposed between the cooling base 330 and the installation plate 96. The seal ring 74 is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the power supply terminal 54, and prevents the refrigerant from entering inside the seal ring 74. The seal ring 75 is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the power supply terminal 64, and prevents the refrigerant from entering inside the seal ring 75. The seal rings 76 and 77 have already been described. A storage hole 336 is provided inside the refrigerant flow path 332 (the refrigerant flow groove 382). The portion of the refrigerant flow groove 382 where the storage hole 336 is provided is closed at the bottom and open at the top. The storage hole 336 is similar to the storage hole 36, except that the ceiling surface is formed by the metal bonding layer 40. In manufacturing the wafer mounting table 310, the coolant flow groove 382, ​​the insertion passage 37, holes for the power supply terminal 54, and the like are formed in one disk member, and then the alumina base 20 is bonded to the disk member by TCB using a metal bonding material. Since the cooling base 330 has a single-layer structure, the manufacturing cost (material cost and manufacturing cost) of the cooling base 330 can be reduced compared to a laminated structure. Note that a seal member that separates adjacent coolant flow grooves 382 may be disposed between the lower surface of the cooling base 330 and the upper surface of the mounting plate 96.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the female screw member 38 is used as the connecting member, and the bolt 98 is used as the connected member. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the male screw member 80 may be used as the connecting member, and the nut 82 may be used as the connected member. In FIG. 8, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals. The male screw member 80 is made of a ductile material. The head of the male screw member 80 has the same shape as the female screw member 38. The foot of the male screw member 80 is inserted into the insertion passage 37 and the through hole 97, and the thread groove provided at the tip of the foot of the male screw member 80 is screwed into the screw hole of the nut 82. The nut 82 is adapted to be caught on the step portion 97a of the through hole 97 via the seal ring 78. The male screw member 80 does not fall from the storage hole 36 because the lower surface of the male screw member 80 is engaged with the step portion 36a of the storage hole 36. When the male screw member 80 tries to rotate axially, the head hits the side wall of the storage hole 36, restricting the axial rotation. Therefore, the nut 82 can be screwed into the thread groove provided in the foot of the male screw member 80. When the nut 82 is screwed into the thread groove of the male screw member 80, the male screw member 80 is pulled toward the installation plate 96 with the head engaged with the step portion 36a of the storage hole 36. Even when the configuration of Fig. 8 is adopted, the same effect as in the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained.

[0048] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the cooling medium 30 is provided with one coolant flow passage 32 (one system), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cooling medium flow passage 32 may be provided with two or more lines, with the storage hole 36 provided inside one line, and the other lines may not be provided with the storage hole 36. FIG. 9 shows an example of this. FIG. 9 is a plan view of another example of the wafer mounting table 10, and the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are given the same reference numerals. The cooling medium flow passage 432 has a first line 432a and a second line 432b. The first line 432a and the second line 432b are provided from one end (inlet) to the other end (outlet) in a single stroke in a plan view without intersecting with each other. The one end (inlet) and the other end (outlet) are provided at different positions in a plan view. The first line 432a and the second line 432b are supplied with and discharged from each other individually. The second line 432b has a storage hole 36 therein, but the first line 432a does not have a storage hole 36. When the configuration of FIG. 9 is adopted, the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained. Note that some of the multiple storage holes 36 may be provided in the first line 432a, and the rest may be provided in the second line 432b. Alternatively, a line may be provided for each storage hole 36, and the refrigerant may be supplied and discharged separately for each line.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, the female screw member 38 may be engaged with the step portion 36a of the storage hole 36 via a stress buffering member having a lower Young's modulus than the female screw member 38. For example, the female screw member 38 may be made of a Ti alloy, and the stress buffering member may be made of pure Al. In this way, even if the female screw member 38 is pulled toward the installation plate 96 by the bolt 98 provided on the installation plate 96, stress is easily dispersed because the stress buffering member is interposed between the female screw member 38 and the step portion 36a. The stress buffering member may be, for example, a ring having a hole in the center through which the foot of the bolt 98 is inserted.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the shape of the female screw member 38 is rectangular in plan view, but is not particularly limited to this. For example, the shape of the female screw member 38 may be polygonal, such as triangular or pentagonal, or may be a plus (+) shape or an ellipse in plan view. The shape of the storage hole 36 may be such that the female screw member 38 hits the side wall when it tries to rotate around its axis.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, holes may be provided through the wafer mounting table 10 so as to extend from the lower surface of the cooling substrate 30 to the wafer mounting surface 22a. Examples of such holes include gas supply holes for supplying a thermally conductive gas (e.g., He gas) to the rear surface of the wafer W, and lift pin holes for inserting lift pins for moving the wafer W up and down relative to the wafer mounting surface 22a. The thermally conductive gas is supplied to a space formed by the wafer W and a number of small protrusions (not shown) provided on the wafer mounting surface 22a. When the wafer W is supported by three lift pins, for example, three lift pin holes are provided. Resin or metal seal rings (e.g., O-rings) may be provided between the lower surface of the cooling substrate 30 and the upper surface of the mounting plate 96 at positions facing such holes. Since the central region of the wafer mounting table 10 is fixed by the bolts 98, these seal rings are maintained in a firmly crushed state. Therefore, these seal rings can ensure sufficient sealing performance.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the cooling substrate 30 is made of a brittle conductive material, but the cooling substrate 30 may be made of another brittle material (for example, an alumina material).

[0053] In the above-described embodiment, the wafer attracting electrode 26 is built into the central portion 22 of the alumina base material 20, but instead of or in addition to this, an RF electrode for generating plasma or a heater electrode (resistance heating element) may be built in. Also, a focus ring (FR) attracting electrode, an RF electrode or a heater electrode may be built in the outer circumferential portion 24 of the alumina base material 20.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, the alumina sintered body 120 in FIG. 5A was produced by hot-press sintering an alumina powder compact. However, the compact may be produced by stacking a plurality of tape compacts, by a mold casting method, or by compressing alumina powder.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, the alumina base 20 and the cooling base 30 are bonded to each other by the metal bonding layer 40. However, instead of the metal bonding layer 40, a resin bonding layer may be used.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the step 36a of the storage hole 36 (the horizontal bottom surface of the storage hole 36) is used as the engagement portion, but instead of the step 36a, an inclined portion (a surface that slopes downward toward the insertion passage 37) may be used as the engagement portion. In that case, the bottom surface of the female screw member 38 may be an inclined surface that matches this inclined portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10 wafer mounting table, 12 focus ring, 20 alumina base material, 22 center portion, 22a wafer mounting surface, 24 outer periphery, 24a focus ring mounting surface, 26 wafer suction electrode, 27 hole, 30 cooling base material, 32 coolant flow path, 34 flange portion, 36 storage hole, 36a step portion, 37 insertion passage, 38 female screw member, 38a screw hole, 40 metal bonding layer, 42 insulating film, 52 wafer suction DC power source, 53 low pass filter, 54 power supply terminal, 55 insulating tube, 62 RF power source, 63 high pass filter, 64 power supply terminal, 70 clamp member, 70a inner peripheral step surface, 72 bolt, 76-78 seal ring, 80 male screw member, 82 nut, 94 chamber, 95 shower head, 96 installation plate, 97 through hole, 97a Step portion, 98 bolt, 98a male screw, 110 joint, 120 alumina sintered body, 130 circular block, 131, 133 disk member, 132, 136 groove, 137, 154a, 154b through hole, 210 wafer mounting base, 230 cooling base material, 232 refrigerant flow path, 236 storage hole, 282 refrigerant flow path groove, 310 wafer mounting base, 330 cooling base material, 332 refrigerant flow path, 336 storage hole, 382 refrigerant flow path groove, 432 refrigerant flow path, 432a, 432b line.

Claims

1. an alumina base having a wafer mounting surface on an upper surface thereof and an electrode built therein; A brittle cooling base material bonded to a lower surface of the alumina base material and having a refrigerant flow path formed therein; A ductile coupling member having a male screw portion or a female screw portion, which is accommodated in a storage hole that opens on a lower surface of the cooling base material in a state in which its axial rotation is restricted and which is engaged with an engagement portion of the storage hole; Equipped with The storage hole is provided in the refrigerant flow path. Wafer placement stage.

2. The connecting member has the female thread portion and is a member that can be screwed into a male thread of a bolt that is inserted from the lower surface side of the cooling base material. The wafer stage according to claim 1 .

3. The cooling substrate is formed of a metal matrix composite material or an alumina material. The wafer stage according to claim 1 .

4. The engagement portion is a step portion or an inclined portion provided on an inner circumferential surface of the storage hole, The connecting member has an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion to prevent the connecting member from falling out of the storage hole. The wafer stage according to claim 1 .

5. When the connecting member tries to rotate, the connecting member hits the wall of the receiving hole and the rotation of the connecting member is restricted. The wafer stage according to claim 1 .

6. The cooling substrate has a single layer structure. The wafer stage according to claim 1 .

7. The refrigerant flow path has a refrigerant flow path groove provided on the upper surface or the lower surface of the cooling substrate. The wafer stage according to claim 6 .

8. The refrigerant flow path includes a plurality of lines each extending from one end to the other end in a single stroke in a plan view, The storage hole is provided in one or more of the plurality of lines. The wafer stage according to claim 1 .

Citation Information

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