Wafer placement table

Abstract

To improve thermal uniformity of a wafer and to prevent electrical discharge in a gas intermediate passage.SOLUTION: A wafer mounting table 10 includes: a ceramic plate 20 incorporating an electrode 22; a conductive plate 30 provided on a lower surface side of the ceramic plate 20; a conductive bonding layer 40 for bonding the ceramic plate 20 and the conductive plate 30; and a gas intermediate passage 50 provided at an interface between the conductive bonding layer 40 and the conductive plate 30; a plurality of gas supply passages 52 extending from the gas intermediate passage 50 to a wafer mounting surface 21 penetrating the conductive bonding layer 40 and the ceramic plate 20; and gas introduction passages 54 which are provided so as to penetrate the conductive plate 30 in a vertical direction and communicate with the gas intermediate passage 50, and the number of which is smaller than the number of the gas supply passages 52 communicating with the gas intermediate passage 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a wafer mounting table including a ceramic plate with an electrode built-in and a wafer mounting surface on the upper surface, and a metal cooling plate bonded to the lower surface of the ceramic plate is known. In Patent Document 1, in such a wafer mounting table, a plurality of gas supply passages opening on the wafer mounting surface are provided to penetrate the ceramic plate and the cooling plate in the vertical direction. A gas (for example, a thermally conductive gas such as He gas) introduced from the outside into the gas supply passage is supplied to the lower surface of the wafer from the gas supply passage. In this case, the gas supply passage passes between the coolant channels of the cooling plate in the vertical direction. Therefore, the heat transfer around the opening of the gas supply passage on the wafer mounting surface is insufficient, and hot spots are likely to occur, and the uniform heating of the wafer may be impaired. On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, a gas intermediate passage is provided inside the ceramic plate parallel to the wafer mounting surface, the lower ends of the plurality of gas supply passages are connected to the gas intermediate passage, and gas introduction passages less than the number of the gas supply passages are provided from the gas intermediate passage to the lower surface of the metal cooling plate. As a result, the number of gas introduction passages passing vertically between the coolant passages is smaller than the number of gas supply passages, and thus the temperature uniformity of the wafer is improved compared to Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 088204 Brochure [Patent Document 2] JP 2003-188247 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 2, when a high-frequency voltage is applied between the cooling plate and the plasma generating electrode disposed above the wafer to generate plasma, a potential gradient is generated above and below the intermediate gas passage, which may cause discharge in the intermediate gas passage. Discharge in the intermediate gas passage is undesirable because it may cause the lower surface of the wafer to burn or particles to be generated in the intermediate gas passage.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its main object to improve the temperature uniformity of the wafer and prevent discharge within the intermediate gas passage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] [1] The wafer mounting table of the present invention comprises: a ceramic plate having a wafer mounting surface on an upper surface thereof and incorporating an electrode; a conductive plate provided on the lower surface side of the ceramic plate; a conductive bonding layer that bonds the ceramic plate and the conductive plate; a gas intermediate passage embedded in the conductive bonding layer or provided at the interface between the conductive bonding layer and the conductive plate; a plurality of gas supply passages extending from the intermediate gas passage through the conductive bonding layer and the ceramic plate to the wafer mounting surface; a number of gas introduction passages which are smaller than the number of the gas supply passages which are connected to the gas intermediate passage and which extend vertically through the conductive plate and communicate with the gas intermediate passage; It is equipped with the following:

[0007] In this wafer mounting table, when gas is introduced from a gas introduction passage opening on the lower surface of the conductive plate, the gas passes through the gas intermediate passage, is distributed to a plurality of gas supply passages, and is supplied to the lower surface of the wafer. In this wafer mounting table, the number of gas introduction passages penetrating the conductive plate is smaller than the number of gas supply passages. Therefore, the temperature uniformity of the wafer is improved compared to when the number of gas introduction passages penetrating the conductive plate is the same as the number of gas supply passages. In addition, the upper surface of the gas intermediate passage is a conductive bonding layer, and the lower surface is a conductive plate, and the conductive bonding layer and the conductive plate are in contact with each other and have the same potential. Therefore, no potential gradient is generated above and below the gas intermediate passage, and discharge in the gas intermediate passage can be prevented.

[0008] [2] In the above-mentioned wafer mounting table (the wafer mounting table described in [1] above), the intermediate gas passage may have at least one of a first recess provided on the upper surface of the conductive plate and a second recess provided on the lower surface of the conductive bonding layer. In this way, the wafer mounting table of the present invention can be manufactured relatively easily.

[0009] [3] In the above-mentioned wafer mounting table (the wafer mounting table according to the above [1] or [2]), the gas introduction passage may be provided in the intermediate gas passage. In this way, the number of gas introduction passages for the intermediate gas passage is minimized (to one), and thus the temperature uniformity of the wafer is improved.

[0010] [4] In the above-described wafer stage (the wafer stage described in any one of [1] to [3] above), the depth of the intermediate gas passage may be 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less.

[0011] [5] In the above-mentioned wafer mounting table (the wafer mounting table described in any one of [1] to [4] above), the gas intermediate passage may be annular in a planar view, and the gas supply passage and the gas intermediate passage may be connected by an auxiliary passage provided on the same plane as the gas intermediate passage.

[0012] [6] In the above-mentioned wafer stage (the wafer stage according to any one of the above [1] to [5]), the gas supply passage may have an electrically insulating porous plug, which can suppress discharge in the gas supply passage.

[0013] [7] In the above-mentioned wafer mounting table (the wafer mounting table described in [6] above), the lower end of the porous plug may be in contact with at least one of the conductive bonding layer and the conductive plate. In this way, the lower end of the porous plug has the same potential as the conductive bonding layer and the conductive plate. Therefore, no potential gradient is generated between the lower end of the porous plug and the conductive bonding layer or between the lower end of the porous plug and the conductive plate, and discharge can be suppressed around the lower end of the porous plug.

[0014] [8] In the above-mentioned wafer mounting table (the wafer mounting table described in [7] above), the gas supply passage may have a bonding layer through-hole that penetrates the conductive bonding layer and a ceramic plate through-hole that penetrates the ceramic plate, the diameter of the bonding layer through-hole may be smaller than the diameter of the ceramic plate through-hole, and the lower end of the porous plug may be in contact with the conductive bonding layer around the bonding layer through-hole. In this way, when inserting the porous plug into the gas supply passage, the lower end of the porous plug can be brought into contact with the bonding layer simply by inserting it until it hits the bonding layer. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] Cross section AA of Figure 1. [Diagram 3] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer stage 10 cut by a horizontal plane passing through the intermediate gas passage 50 as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer mounting table 10 cut by a horizontal plane passing through a coolant flow path 32 as viewed from above. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram in which a coolant flow path 32 and the like are drawn on a plan view of the wafer mounting table 10. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing the manufacturing process of the wafer mounting table 10. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of the bonding layer penetrating portion 52a. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of the bonding layer penetrating portion 52a. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the wafer mounting table 110. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the wafer mounting table 210. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the wafer mounting table 10, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 1 taken along the line AA, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer mounting table 10 cut on a horizontal plane passing through the gas intermediate passage 50, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer mounting table 10 cut on a horizontal plane passing through the refrigerant flow path 32, Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram in which the refrigerant flow path 32 and the like are drawn on the plan view of the wafer mounting table 10. In this specification, "upper" and "lower" do not represent absolute positional relationships, but represent relative positional relationships. Therefore, "upper" and "lower" may become "lower" and "upper", "left" and "right", or "front" and "rear" depending on the orientation of the wafer mounting table 10.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the wafer mounting table 10 includes a ceramic plate 20, a conductive plate 30, a conductive bonding layer 40, a gas intermediate passage 50, a gas supply passage 52, and a gas introduction passage .

[0018] The ceramic plate 20 is a circular plate (e.g., 300 mm in diameter and 5 mm in thickness) made of ceramic such as sintered alumina or sintered aluminum nitride. The upper surface of the ceramic plate 20 is a wafer mounting surface 21 on which a wafer W is mounted. The ceramic plate 20 has an electrode 22 built in. As shown in FIG. 1, a ring-shaped seal band 21a is formed along the outer edge of the wafer mounting surface 21 of the ceramic plate 20, and a plurality of small circular protrusions 21b are formed on the entire inner surface of the seal band 21a. The seal band 21a and the small circular protrusions 21b have the same height, and the height is, for example, several μm to several tens of μm. The electrode 22 is a flat mesh electrode used as an electrostatic electrode, and is connected to an external DC power source via a power supply member (not shown). A low-pass filter may be disposed midway along the power supply member. The power supply member is electrically insulated from the conductive bonding layer 40 and the conductive plate 30. When a DC voltage is applied to this electrode 22, the wafer W is attracted and fixed to the wafer mounting surface 21 (specifically, the upper surface of the seal band and the upper surfaces of the small circular protrusions) by electrostatic attraction, and when the application of the DC voltage is stopped, the wafer W is released from the attraction and fixation to the wafer mounting surface 21. The portion of the wafer mounting surface 21 on which the seal band 21a and the small circular protrusions 21b are not provided is referred to as the reference surface 21c.

[0019] The conductive plate 30 is a disk (having the same diameter as or larger than the ceramic plate 20) with good thermal conductivity. A refrigerant flow path 32 is formed inside the conductive plate 30, through which a refrigerant circulates. The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 32 is preferably a liquid, and is preferably electrically insulating. Examples of electrically insulating liquids include fluorine-based inert liquids. The refrigerant flow path 32 is formed in a single stroke from one end (inlet) to the other end (outlet) over the entire conductive plate 30 in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerant flow path 32 is provided so as to be drawn in a single stroke from one end to the other end based on multiple circles (circles C1 to C4 of dashed lines, here, the circles C1 to C4 are concentric circles) having different diameters in a plan view and arranged so as not to overlap each other. Specifically, when the refrigerant flow passage 32 is laid out from one end to the other in a single stroke, the refrigerant flow passage 32 is laid out so as to trace the imaginary circles while connecting two imaginary circles that are in an inner and outer relationship among the multiple circles. A supply port and a recovery port of an external refrigerant device (not shown) are connected to one end and the other end of the refrigerant flow passage 32, respectively. The refrigerant supplied to one end of the refrigerant flow passage 32 from the supply port of the external refrigerant device passes through the refrigerant flow passage 32, returns to the recovery port of the external refrigerant device from the other end of the refrigerant flow passage 32, and is supplied again to one end of the refrigerant flow passage 32 from the supply port after being temperature-adjusted. The conductive plate 30 is connected to a radio frequency (RF) power source and is also used as an RF electrode.

[0020] Examples of the material of the conductive plate 30 include metal materials and composite materials of metal and ceramic. Examples of the metal materials include Al, Ti, Mo, and alloys thereof. Examples of the composite materials of metal and ceramic include metal matrix composite materials (MMC) and ceramic matrix composite materials (CMC). Specific examples of such composite materials include a material containing Si, SiC, and Ti (also called SiSiCTi), a material in which a porous SiC body is impregnated with Al and / or Si, and a composite material of Al2O3 and TiC. It is preferable to select a material for the conductive plate 30 that has a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the material of the ceramic plate 20.

[0021] The conductive bonding layer 40 is, for example, a metal bonding layer, and bonds the lower surface of the ceramic plate 20 and the upper surface of the conductive plate 30. The conductive bonding layer 40 is formed, for example, by thermal compression bonding (TCB). TCB is 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.

[0022] The gas intermediate passage 50 is provided at the interface between the conductive bonding layer 40 and the conductive plate 30 in parallel with the wafer mounting surface 21. In addition, "parallel" refers to a completely parallel state, and also refers to a state where the completely parallel state is within a range of an allowable error (e.g., tolerance). The gas intermediate passage 50 has a groove 31 (first recess) provided on the upper surface of the conductive plate 30, and is formed by covering the upper surface of the groove 31 with the conductive bonding layer 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the gas intermediate passage 50 is provided in an annular shape so as to overlap with any one of a plurality of imaginary circles C1 to C4 in a plan view. Specifically, of the three gas intermediate passages 50, the first gas intermediate passage 50 from the outer periphery of the wafer mounting table 10 overlaps with the imaginary circle C1 with the largest diameter, the second gas intermediate passage 50 overlaps with the imaginary circle C2 with the second largest diameter, and the third gas intermediate passage 50 5) that overlaps with the refrigerant passage 32 along the refrigerant passage 32 in plan view.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the gas supply passage 52 is a passage that passes through the conductive bonding layer 40 and the ceramic plate 20 in the vertical direction from the gas intermediate passage 50 to the reference surface 21c (FIG. 1) of the wafer mounting surface 21. The gas supply passage 52 has a bonding layer penetration part 52a that penetrates the conductive bonding layer 40 and a ceramic plate penetration part 52b that penetrates the ceramic plate 20. In this embodiment, the diameter of the bonding layer penetration part 52a is equal to or larger than the diameter of the ceramic plate penetration part 52b. A plurality of gas supply passages 52 (here, 12) are provided for one gas intermediate passage 50. The gas supply passage 52 has an electrically insulating porous plug 55 that allows gas to flow. Here, the porous plug 55 is filled and fixed in the ceramic plate penetration part 52b of the gas supply passage 52. Specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the porous plug 55 may be bonded to the inner peripheral surface of the ceramic plate through-hole 52b, or the male screw provided on the outer peripheral surface of the porous plug 55 may be screwed into the female screw provided on the inner peripheral surface of the ceramic plate through-hole 52b. The upper surface of the porous plug 55 is at the same height as the reference surface 21c of the wafer mounting surface 21, and the lower surface of the porous plug 55 is at the same height as the lower surface of the ceramic plate 20. As the porous plug 55, a porous bulk body obtained by sintering ceramic powder can be used. As the ceramic, for example, alumina or aluminum nitride can be used. The porosity of the porous plug 55 is preferably 30% or more, and the average pore diameter is preferably 20 μm or more.

[0024] The gas introduction passage 54 penetrates the conductive plate 30 in the vertical direction and is provided so as to communicate with the gas intermediate passage 50 via the gas auxiliary passage 53 (FIG. 3). The gas auxiliary passage 53 is a passage that connects the gas introduction passage 54 and the gas intermediate passage 50, and is provided parallel to the wafer mounting surface 21 at the interface between the conductive bonding layer 40 and the conductive plate 30. A plurality of gas supply passages 52 are provided for one gas intermediate passage 50, but the number of gas introduction passages 54 provided is less than the number of gas supply passages 52 (here, one). The gas introduction passage 54 penetrates between the refrigerant channels 32 of the conductive plate 30 in the vertical direction.

[0025] Next, an example of use of the wafer mounting table 10 thus configured will be described. First, the wafer W is mounted on the wafer mounting surface 21 with the wafer mounting table 10 installed in a chamber (not shown). Then, the chamber is depressurized by a vacuum pump to adjust the chamber to a predetermined vacuum level, and a DC voltage is applied to the electrode 22 of the ceramic plate 20 to generate an electrostatic adsorption force, so that the wafer W is adsorbed and fixed to the wafer mounting surface 21 (specifically, the upper surface of the seal band 21a or the upper surface of the small circular protrusion 21b). Next, the chamber is made into a reactive gas atmosphere with a predetermined pressure (for example, several tens to several hundreds of Pa), and in this state, an RF voltage is applied between an upper electrode (not shown) provided on the ceiling of the chamber and the conductive plate 30 of the wafer mounting table 10 to generate plasma. The surface of the wafer W is treated by the generated plasma. A coolant is circulated through the coolant flow passage 32 of the conductive plate 30. A backside gas is introduced into the gas introduction passage 54 from a gas cylinder (not shown). A thermally conductive gas (for example, He gas, etc.) is used as the backside gas. The backside gas introduced into the gas introduction passage 54 passes through the intermediate gas passage 50 and is distributed to the multiple gas supply passages 52, and is supplied to and sealed in the space between the back surface of the wafer W and the reference surface 21c of the wafer mounting surface 21. The presence of this backside gas allows efficient thermal conduction between the wafer W and the ceramic plate 20.

[0026] Next, a manufacturing example of the wafer mounting table 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a manufacturing process diagram of the wafer mounting table 10. Here, a case where the conductive plate 30 is manufactured using MMC is illustrated. First, the ceramic plate 20 incorporating the electrode 22 is prepared (FIG. 6A). For example, a ceramic powder compact incorporating the electrode 22 is manufactured, and the compact is hot-pressed and fired to obtain the ceramic plate 20. The ceramic plate through-hole 52b that will eventually become part of the gas supply passage 52 is formed in the ceramic plate 20 (FIG. 6B). The ceramic plate through-hole 52b is formed to penetrate the ceramic plate 20 in the vertical direction while avoiding the electrode 22.

[0027] In parallel with this, two MMC disk members 81 and 82 are prepared (FIG. 6C). Then, by machining, grooves and holes are appropriately formed in these MMC disk members 81 and 82 (FIG. 6D). Specifically, a groove 32a that will eventually become the refrigerant flow path 32 is formed in the lower surface of the upper MMC disk member 81, and a groove 31 that will eventually become the gas intermediate passage 50 is formed in the upper surface of the MMC disk member 81. In addition, a through hole 54a that will eventually become a part of the gas introduction passage 54 is formed so as to reach the lower surface of the MMC disk member 81. Furthermore, a through hole 54b that will eventually become a part of the gas introduction passage 54 is formed in the lower MMC disk member 82. When the ceramic plate 20 is made of alumina, it is preferable that the MMC disk members 81 and 82 are made of SiSiCTi or AlSiC. This is because the thermal expansion coefficient of alumina can be made approximately the same as that of SiSiCTi or AlSiC.

[0028] 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.

[0029] Next, the ceramic plate 20, the MMC disk member 81, and the MMC disk member 82 are TCB-bonded, and then the overall shape is adjusted and a porous plug 55 is attached to obtain the wafer mounting table 10 (FIGS. 6E and 6F). Specifically, a metal bonding material 83 is sandwiched between the upper surface of the lower MMC disk member 82 and the lower surface of the upper MMC disk member 81, and a metal bonding material 90 is sandwiched between the upper surface of the upper MMC disk member 81 and the lower surface of the ceramic plate 20 to obtain a laminate. A through hole that will eventually become a part of the gas introduction passage 54 is formed in advance in the metal bonding material 83, and a through hole that will eventually become a part of the gas supply passage 52 (bonding layer penetration portion 52a) is formed in the metal bonding material 90. Next, the laminate is pressurized and bonded at a temperature lower than the solidus temperature of the metal bonding materials 83 and 90 (for example, a temperature higher than the solidus temperature minus 20° C. and lower than the solidus temperature), and then returned to room temperature. As a result, the two MMC disk members 81, 82 are bonded by the metal bonding material 83 to form the conductive plate 30. The ceramic plate 20 and the conductive plate 30 are bonded by the metal bonding material 90. The metal bonding material 90 forms the conductive bonding layer 40. The metal bonding materials 83, 90 may be Al-Mg based bonding materials or Al-Si-Mg based bonding materials. For example, when TCB is performed using an Al-Si-Mg based bonding material, the laminate is pressurized in a heated state under a vacuum atmosphere. The metal bonding materials 83, 90 preferably have a thickness of about 100 μm.

[0030] In the wafer mounting table 10 described above, when a backside gas is introduced from the gas introduction passage 54 opening on the lower surface of the conductive plate 30, the gas passes through the gas intermediate passage 50 and is distributed to the multiple gas supply passages 52 and supplied to the lower surface of the wafer W. In this wafer mounting table 10, the number of gas introduction passages 54 penetrating the conductive plate 30 is smaller than the number of gas supply passages 52. Therefore, the temperature uniformity of the wafer W is improved compared to the case where the number of gas introduction passages 54 penetrating the conductive plate 30 is the same as the number of gas supply passages 52. In addition, the upper surface of the gas intermediate passage 50 is the conductive bonding layer 40, and the lower surface is the conductive plate 30, and the conductive bonding layer 40 and the conductive plate 30 are in contact with each other, so that they have the same potential. Therefore, no potential gradient is generated above and below the gas intermediate passage 50, and discharge in the gas intermediate passage 50 can be prevented.

[0031] Moreover, the gas intermediate passage 50 has a recessed groove 31 (first recess) provided on the upper surface of the conductive plate 30. Therefore, by closing the upper opening of the recessed groove 31 with the conductive bonding layer 40, the gas intermediate passage 50 can be manufactured relatively easily.

[0032] Furthermore, one gas introduction passage 54 is provided for one gas intermediate passage 50. Therefore, the number of gas introduction passages 54 for one gas intermediate passage 50 is minimized (one). Therefore, the temperature uniformity of the wafer is further improved.

[0033] Furthermore, the conductive plate 30 has the coolant flow passages 32 that are provided from one end to the other end in a single stroke across the entire conductive plate 30 in a plan view, and the gas introduction passages 54 are provided to pass in the vertical direction between the coolant flow passages 32. With this structure, the number of gas introduction passages 54 can be reduced, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the wafer W.

[0034] Gas supply passage 52 has electrically insulating porous plug 55. Therefore, discharge in gas supply passage 52 can be suppressed. For example, without porous plug 55, electrons generated as a result of ionization of gas molecules by application of RF power are accelerated and collide with other gas molecules, causing glow discharge and eventually arc discharge. However, with porous plug 55, the electrons hit porous plug 55 before colliding with other gas molecules, suppressing discharge.

[0035] Furthermore, because the gas intermediate passage 50 is hollow, the portion where the gas intermediate passage 50 is formed is less susceptible to thermal conduction than the portion where the gas intermediate passage 50 is not formed. The portion of the wafer W directly above the refrigerant flow path 32 is likely to become colder due to the refrigerant, but in the above-described embodiment, the overlapping portion 50p (shaded in FIG. 5 ) of the gas intermediate passage 50 that overlaps with the refrigerant flow path 32 along the refrigerant flow path 32 in a plan view suppresses the temperature from becoming low. As a result, the temperature uniformity of the wafer W is improved.

[0036] Furthermore, the width of the gas intermediate passage 50 is preferably 1 mm or more, and the depth of the gas intermediate passage 50 is preferably 0.1 mm or more. If the width of the gas intermediate passage 50 is 1 mm or more, the diameter of the grindstone used to form the recessed groove 31 is not too small, so that the processing time is shortened and the processing cost can be reduced. If the depth of the gas intermediate passage 50 is 0.1 mm or more, the gas flows easily through the gas intermediate passage 50. In addition, the thickness of the upper part of the conductive plate 30 above the refrigerant flow path 32 is preferably 3 mm or less. In this way, a large temperature difference is unlikely to occur in the vertical direction in the upper part of the conductive plate 30 above the refrigerant flow path 32, and stress is unlikely to occur in that part, so that damage due to stress can be prevented. In this case, the depth of the gas intermediate passage 50 is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less.

[0037] Incidentally, it is also conceivable to incorporate the gas intermediate passage 50 into the conductive plate 30. However, if the gas intermediate passage 50 is provided in the conductive plate 30 below the coolant flow passage 32, all of the gas supply passages 52 pass between the coolant flow passages 32, which impairs the uniform heating of the wafer W. On the other hand, if the gas intermediate passage 50 is provided in the conductive plate 30 above the coolant flow passages 32, this portion must be thickened, which causes problems such as a decrease in cooling efficiency. For this reason, it is preferable to provide the gas intermediate passage 50 at the interface between the conductive bonding layer 40 and the conductive plate 30, as in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0038] 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.

[0039] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the lower end of the porous plug 55 may be in contact with the conductive bonding layer 40. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the hole diameter of the bonding layer penetrating portion 52a of the gas supply passage 52 may be made smaller than the hole diameter of the ceramic plate penetrating portion 52b, so that the lower end of the porous plug 55 is in contact with the conductive bonding layer 40. The hole diameter of the bonding layer penetrating portion 52a is preferably 5 mm or less. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, the bonding layer penetrating portion 52a of the gas supply passage 52 may be configured with a plurality of small holes 40a whose hole diameter is smaller than the hole diameter of the ceramic plate penetrating portion 52b, so that the lower end of the porous plug 55 is in contact with the conductive bonding layer 40. The hole diameter of the small holes 40a is preferably 5 mm or less. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In both FIGS. 7 and 8, no potential gradient is generated between the lower end of the porous plug 55 and the conductive bonding layer 40 or between the lower end of the porous plug 55 and the conductive plate 30. This makes it possible to suppress discharge from occurring around the lower end of porous plug 55. Furthermore, when inserting porous plug 55 into gas supply passage 52, the lower end of porous plug 55 can be brought into contact with conductive bonding layer 40 simply by inserting porous plug 55 until it hits the periphery of bonding layer penetrating portion 52a of conductive bonding layer 40.

[0040] In the above-described embodiment, the porous plug 55 is filled in the ceramic plate penetration portion 52b of the gas supply passage 52, but is not particularly limited thereto. For example, the porous plug 55 may be filled in the entire gas supply passage 52 (the bonding layer penetration portion 52a and the ceramic plate penetration portion 52b), or the lower end of the porous plug 55 may reach the lower surface of the intermediate gas passage 50. Even in this case, as in Figs. 7 and 8, no potential gradient is generated between the lower end of the porous plug 55 and the conductive bonding layer 40 or between the lower end of the porous plug 55 and the conductive plate 30. Therefore, it is possible to suppress discharge around the lower end of the porous plug 55.

[0041] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the conductive plate 30 has the coolant flow passage 32, but is not particularly limited thereto. For example, as in the wafer mounting table 110 shown in FIG. 9, the conductive plate 130 may have a coolant flow passage groove 134 on the lower surface, and the lower opening of the coolant flow passage groove 134 may be closed by a circular plate 136 arranged on the lower surface of the conductive plate 130 to form the coolant flow passage 32. In FIG. 9, the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are given the same reference numerals. The conductive plate 130 and the circular plate 136 are integrated by a clamp mechanism (not shown) in a liquid-tight sealed state so that the coolant does not leak from the coolant flow passage 32 to the outer periphery. The gas introduction passage 54 is composed of a portion passing through the conductive plate 130 and a portion passing through the circular plate 136, and the joint between both portions (between the conductive plate 130 and the circular plate 136) is airtight sealed. The conductive plate 130 and the circular plate 136 may both be made of the same material (e.g., MMC), but the conductive plate 130 may be made of an expensive material (e.g., MMC) and the circular plate 136 may be made of a cheaper material (e.g., metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, ceramic such as alumina, etc.) The circular plate 136 may be a component on the wafer mounting table side or a component on the chamber side.

[0042] Alternatively, as in the wafer mounting table 210 shown in FIG. 10, the conductive plate 230 may have neither a refrigerant flow passage nor a refrigerant flow passage groove, and a refrigerant flow passage groove 234 may be provided on the upper surface of a circular plate 236 disposed on the lower surface of the conductive plate 230, and an upper opening of the refrigerant flow passage groove 234 may be closed by the conductive plate 230 to form the refrigerant flow passage 32. In FIG. 10, the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are given the same reference numerals. The conductive plate 230 and the circular plate 236 are integrated by a clamping mechanism (not shown) in a liquid-tight sealed state so that the refrigerant does not leak from the refrigerant flow passage 32 to the outer periphery. The gas introduction passage 54 is composed of a portion passing through the conductive plate 230 and a portion passing through the circular plate 236, and the joint between both portions (between the conductive plate 230 and the circular plate 236) is sealed airtight. The conductive plate 230 and the circular plate 236 may both be made of the same material (e.g., MMC), but the conductive plate 230 may be made of an expensive material (e.g., MMC) and the circular plate 236 may be made of a cheaper material (e.g., metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, ceramic such as alumina, etc.) The circular plate 236 may be a component on the wafer mounting table side or a component on the chamber side.

[0043] In the embodiment described above, the porous plug 55 is disposed in the gas supply passage 52 , but the porous plug 55 does not necessarily have to be disposed in the gas supply passage 52 .

[0044] In the above embodiment, the gas intermediate passage 50 has a groove 31 (first recess) provided on the upper surface of the conductive plate 30, and is formed by placing the lower surface (flat surface) of the conductive bonding layer 40 on the groove 31, but is not particularly limited to this. For example, the gas intermediate passage 50 may be formed by having a groove (second recess) provided on the lower surface of the conductive bonding layer 40, and placing the upper surface (flat surface) of the conductive plate 30 below the groove. In addition, the conductive bonding layer 40 may have a two-layer structure, with a groove (groove penetrating in the vertical direction) that will eventually become the gas intermediate passage 50 provided in the lower layer, and the above-mentioned bonding layer penetration part 52a provided in the upper layer. In this way, the wafer mounting table 10 can be manufactured relatively easily.

[0045] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the upper surface of the porous plug 55 is set to the same height as the reference surface 21c of the wafer mounting surface 21, but is not particularly limited thereto. For example, the difference obtained by subtracting the height of the upper surface of the porous plug 55 from the height of the reference surface 21c of the wafer mounting surface 21 may be set to a range of 0.5 mm or less (preferably 0.2 mm or less, more preferably 0.1 mm or less). In other words, the upper surface of the porous plug 55 may be disposed at a position lower than the reference surface 21c of the wafer mounting surface 21 by a range of 0.5 mm or less (preferably 0.2 mm or less, more preferably 0.1 mm or less). Even in this way, the height of the space between the lower surface of the wafer W and the upper surface of the porous plug 55 is kept relatively low. Therefore, it is possible to prevent glow discharge and therefore arc discharge from occurring in this space.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the ceramic plate 20 has an electrostatic electrode built in as the electrode 22, but instead of or in addition to this, a heater electrode (resistance heating element) may be built in. In this case, a heater power source is connected to the heater electrode. The ceramic plate 20 may have one layer of electrodes built in, or two or more layers of electrodes spaced apart from each other.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, lift pin holes may be provided penetrating the wafer mounting table 10. The lift pin holes are holes for inserting lift pins that move the wafer W up and down relative to the wafer mounting surface 21. When the wafer W is supported by, for example, three lift pins, the lift pin holes are provided in three locations.

[0048] In the above-described embodiment, the ceramic plate 20 is produced by hot-pressing and sintering a ceramic powder compact. However, the compact may be produced by stacking multiple tape compacts, by a mold casting method, or by compressing ceramic powder.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the intermediate gas passage 50 is provided at the interface between the conductive bonding layer 40 and the conductive plate 30 . However, the intermediate gas passage 50 may be embedded in the conductive bonding layer 40 . [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 wafer mounting table, 20 ceramic plate, 21 wafer mounting surface, 21a seal band, 21b circular small protrusion, 21c reference surface, 22 electrode, 30 conductive plate, 31 groove, 32 coolant flow path, 32a groove, 34, 35 coolant flow path groove, 36 circular plate, 40 conductive bonding layer, 40a small hole, 50 gas intermediate passage, 50p overlapping portion, 52 gas supply passage, 52a bonding layer penetration portion, 52b ceramic plate penetration portion, 53 gas auxiliary passage, 54 gas introduction passage, 54a through hole, 54b through hole, 55 porous plug, 81, 82 MMC disc member, 83, 90 metal bonding material.

Claims

1. a ceramic plate having a wafer mounting surface on an upper surface thereof and incorporating an electrode; a conductive plate provided on the lower surface side of the ceramic plate; a conductive bonding layer that bonds the ceramic plate and the conductive plate; a gas intermediate passage embedded in the conductive bonding layer or provided at the interface between the conductive bonding layer and the conductive plate; a plurality of gas supply passages extending from the intermediate gas passage through the conductive bonding layer and the ceramic plate to the wafer mounting surface; a number of gas introduction passages which are smaller than the number of the gas supply passages which are connected to the gas intermediate passage and which extend vertically through the conductive plate and communicate with the gas intermediate passage; A coolant flow path formed inside the conductive plate; Equipped with the gas intermediate passage has an overlapping portion that overlaps with the refrigerant flow path along the refrigerant flow path in a plan view; Wafer placement stage.

2. The gas intermediate passage provided at the interface between the conductive bonding layer and the conductive plate has at least one of a first recess provided on an upper surface of the conductive plate and a second recess provided on a lower surface of the conductive bonding layer. The wafer stage according to claim 1 .

3. The gas introduction passage is provided in the gas intermediate passage. The wafer stage according to claim 1 .

4. The depth of the gas intermediate passage is 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less. The wafer mounting table according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The gas intermediate passage is annular in a plan view, The gas introduction passage and the gas intermediate passage are connected to each other through an auxiliary passage provided on the same surface as the gas intermediate passage. The wafer mounting table according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the gas supply passage has an electrically insulating porous plug; The wafer mounting table according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. a lower end of the porous plug contacting at least one of the conductive bonding layer and the conductive plate; The wafer stage according to claim 6 .

8. the gas supply passage has a bonding layer penetrating portion penetrating the conductive bonding layer and a ceramic plate penetrating portion penetrating the ceramic plate, a diameter of the bonding layer penetration portion is smaller than a diameter of the ceramic plate penetration portion; a lower end of the porous plug contacts a periphery of the bonding layer penetrating portion of the conductive bonding layer; The wafer stage according to claim 7 .

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