Backside Carbon Coating for Electrostatic Chuck Damage Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional semiconductor processing systems face challenges with backside damage and particle generation due to electrostatic chucking, which affect substrate quality and subsequent processing steps like lithography, leading to issues such as scratches and defects.

Innovation Solution

The method involves forming a plasma of a carbon-containing material on the backside of a substrate within a semiconductor processing chamber, maintaining the front side free of carbon-containing material, and performing an etch process, followed by removing the carbon-containing material using an oxygen-containing plasma, to create protective films that prevent backside damage and particle formation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If electrostatic chucking is used to retain substrate during processing, then substrate holding stability is improved, but backside damage and particle generation occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubstrate holding stabilityVSAvoidbackside damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A protective coating is deposited on the backside of the substrate before electrostatic chucking occurs. This preliminary protective layer prevents direct contact between the substrate and the chucking mechanism, thereby preventing backside damage and particle generation while maintaining substrate holding stability during subsequent processing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If carbon-containing material is deposited on backside of substrate, then backside protection is improved, but front side contamination may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackside protectionVSAvoidfront side cleanliness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The deposition process is configured to apply carbon-containing material selectively to the backside of the substrate only. The processing chamber and deposition parameters are controlled so that the front side of the substrate remains substantially free of carbon-containing material, achieving local protection without compromising front side cleanliness for subsequent processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If protective coating is deposited on substrate backside, then substrate protection during processing is improved, but additional processing steps are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubstrate protectionVSAvoidprocessing steps

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The deposition of carbon-containing material on the substrate backside is integrated into the existing semiconductor processing sequence. The protective coating is deposited in-situ within the processing chamber, combining the protection step with the overall processing flow rather than requiring separate external coating equipment, thereby minimizing additional process complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach reduces backside particles, limits film formation on the front side, and enhances substrate protection during processing, improving the integrity and quality of semiconductor substrates by preventing scratches and defects.

Implementation Method 1

forming a plasma of a carbon-containing material within a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlasma: Plasma

Implementation Method 2

depositing a carbon-containing material on a backside of a substrate housed within the processing region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChemical Vapour Deposition: Chemical Vapour Deposition

Implementation Method 3

forming a plasma of an oxygen-containing material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlasma: Plasma

Implementation Method 4

removing the carbon-containing material from the backside of the substrate may include etching the carbon-containing material from the backside of the substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEtching:

Implementation Method 5

An embedded electrode may electrostatically chuck a wafer or substrate to the substrate support. A voltage may be applied to the electrode, which provides the clamping force

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrostatics: Electrostatics

Data Source

PatentUS20240404835A1Chambers and coatings for reducing backside damage

Publication Date: 2024.12.05 APPLIED MATERIALS INC

AI summary

Methods of semiconductor processing may include forming a plasma of a carbon-containing material within a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a carbon-containing material on a backside of a substrate housed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A front side of the substrate may be maintained substantially free of carbon-containing material. The methods may include performing an etch process on the front-side of the substrate. The methods may include removing the carbon-containing material from the backside of the substrate.