Electrostatic Chuck Dielectric Layer Thickness Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing electrostatic chucks result in significant warpage of the electrostatic electrode and variation in the thickness of the dielectric layer due to co-firing of sintered and molded bodies, leading to inconsistent chucking force during wafer processing, especially as dielectric layers become thinner.
Innovation Solution
The method involves creating ceramic molded bodies using a gel casting process with a ceramic slurry containing ceramic powder, solvent, and gelling agents, followed by calcination and hot-press firing to produce uniform ceramic calcined bodies that are then stacked and fired together, ensuring consistent thickness and reduced warpage, with the option to include a heater electrode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If co-firing of sintered body and molded body is performed to produce electrostatic chuck, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but warpage of electrostatic electrode occurs and thickness variation of dielectric layer increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into separate steps: first producing the sintered body with electrostatic electrode, then separately producing the molded body, and finally assembling them together. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, preventing warpage and thickness variation while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The sintered body and molded body are prepared in advance as separate completed components before final assembly. The sintered body is fully sintered and the molded body is fully formed before they are combined, ensuring both components have stable dimensions and shapes that will not change during co-firing, thus preventing thickness variation.
2Measurement precision
If dielectric layer is made thinner to improve chucking precision, then wafer contact precision is improved, but warpage and thickness variation have more significant impact on chucking force uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the production of the sintered body and molded body into independent steps, each component can be precisely controlled for thickness. This allows the dielectric layer to be made thinner with better uniformity, improving wafer contact precision while maintaining chucking force uniformity through independent optimization of each component.
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 significantly reduces the variation in the thickness of the dielectric layer, ensuring a consistent chucking force and improved dimensional accuracy, with the added benefit of increased breakdown voltage and reduced particle generation.
Implementation Method 1
gelatinizing the ceramic slurry by a chemical reaction induced by the gelling agent in the molding die
Implementation Method 2
drying, debinding, and then calcining the first and second ceramic molded bodies
Implementation Method 3
subjecting the first and second calcined bodies in such a state to hot-press firing so as to prepare a ceramic sintered body
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing an electrostatic chuck includes the steps of (a) placing a ceramic slurry in a molding die, the ceramic slurry containing a ceramic powder, a solvent, a dispersing agent, and a gelling agent, gelatinizing the ceramic slurry in the molding die, and removing the molding die to obtain first and second ceramic molded bodies; (b) drying, debinding, and calcining the first and second molded bodies to obtain first and second ceramic calcined bodies; (c) printing an electrostatic electrode paste on a surface of one of the first and second ceramic calcined bodies to form an electrostatic electrode while assuming the first ceramic calcined body is to form a dielectric layer of an electrostatic chuck; and (d) superposing the first and second ceramic calcined bodies on each other to sandwich the electrostatic electrode and subjecting the first and second calcined bodies to hot-press firing.