Electrostatic Carrier With Dielectric Coating For Semiconductor Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for supporting semiconductor substrates during processing, such as temporary adhesives and electrostatic carriers, face challenges with high temperature stability, outgassing, and limitations in wet immersion processing like electroplating and wafer cleaning, due to the creation of electric paths that disrupt electrostatic attraction forces.
Innovation Solution
The use of electrostatic carriers with a dielectric material over the conductive electrode to prevent electrical shorting, allowing for electrostatic bonding and subsequent processing, including wet immersion techniques, by applying a dielectric material that can be self-healing or hydrophobic to maintain the electrostatic charge and prevent liquid contact with the electrode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If temporary adhesive is used to bond substrate to carrier, then substrate can be retained for processing, but bonding and de-bonding time is long and cleaning processes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical adhesive bonding with electrostatic bonding. The electrostatic carrier uses an electric field to attract and hold the semiconductor substrate, eliminating the need for chemical adhesives. This allows for rapid bonding and de-bonding operations without the time-consuming steps of adhesive application and solvent cleaning, directly addressing the productivity and time loss issues.
2Temperature
If temporary adhesive is used for substrate bonding, then substrate can be supported, but adhesive outgasses at high temperature affecting substrate treatment
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing chemical adhesive with electrostatic field-based bonding, the system eliminates the outgassing problem entirely. The electrostatic carrier maintains bonding through electric field attraction rather than chemical adhesion, allowing high-temperature processing without the harmful outgassing effects that plague adhesive-based systems.
3Loss of time
If electrostatic carrier is used for substrate retention, then bonding and de-bonding time is reduced, but wet immersion processing creates electric paths that remove electrostatic attraction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dielectric coating as an intermediary layer between the conductive electrostatic carrier and the semiconductor substrate. This dielectric layer acts as a barrier that prevents liquid from creating direct electrical contact between the carrier and substrate during wet immersion processing. The dielectric material allows the electrostatic field to penetrate and maintain attraction while blocking the harmful conductive path that would otherwise short out the electrostatic charge in liquid environments.
4Force
If electrostatic carrier without dielectric coating is used, then electrostatic bonding is achieved, but liquid contact with electrode creates electric path and de-bonds substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric coating serves as a protective intermediary that shields the conductive electrode from direct contact with liquid. This coating prevents liquid-induced shorting while allowing the electrostatic field to penetrate through the dielectric material and maintain attraction to the substrate. The dielectric layer thus preserves both the electrostatic force and the reliability of the charge in wet environments.
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 enables efficient high-temperature processing without outgassing or blistering, allows for wet immersion processes like electroplating and cleaning, and simplifies the de-bonding process by maintaining electrostatic attraction forces, reducing the need for solvent cleaning and minimizing processing time.
Implementation Method 1
suitable positive voltage is applied to a conductive electrode on the electrostatic carrier to provide a positive/negative electrostatic attraction force at an interface of the semiconductor substrate and electrostatic carrier
Implementation Method 2
The electrostatic carrier comprises a carrier substrate having a conductive electrode adapted for physical contact with a conductor that applies a voltage effective to generate an electrostatic charge
Data Source
AI summary
A method of processing a substrate includes physically contacting an exposed conductive electrode of an electrostatic carrier with a conductor to electrostatically bond a substrate to the electrostatic carrier. The conductor is removed from physically contacting the exposed conductive electrode. Dielectric material is applied over the conductive electrode. The substrate is treated while it is electrostatically bonded to the electrostatic carrier. In one embodiment, a conductor is forced through dielectric material that is received over a conductive electrode of an electrostatic carrier to physically contact the conductor with the conductive electrode to electrostatically bond a substrate to the electrostatic carrier. After removing the conductor from the dielectric material, the substrate is treated while it is electrostatically bonded to the electrostatic carrier. Electrostatic carriers for retaining substrates for processing, and such assemblies, are also disclosed.