Electrostatic Chuck Sealing for Gas Hole Patency Under Plasma
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Solution Overview
Problem
The adhesive material used to bond the base plate and ceramic plate in substrate fixing devices can flow into the gas holes, causing clogging or narrowing, and plasma can damage the adhesive, leading to reduced gas flow rates and premature device damage.
Innovation Solution
A substrate fixing device with a base plate and ceramic plate bonded by an adhesive, featuring a through-hole connection sealed by an insulating plug and a sealing member to prevent adhesive ingress and plasma contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesive material is used to bond the base plate and ceramic plate, then the base plate and ceramic plate can be securely bonded, but the adhesive material flows into the gas hole causing clogging or narrowing
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing member (ring-shaped component) is introduced as an intermediary element between the adhesive material and the gas hole. This sealing member prevents the adhesive from flowing into the gas hole during the bonding process, thereby maintaining gas hole patency while still allowing the base plate and ceramic plate to be securely bonded with adhesive.
2Productivity
If the substrate fixing device is used under plasma environment, then the wafer can be processed, but plasma flows into the gas hole and damages the adhesive material
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member acts as a protective intermediary that shields the adhesive material from direct exposure to plasma. During plasma processing, the sealing member blocks plasma from flowing into the gas hole and contacting the adhesive, thereby preventing adhesive degradation while allowing the wafer processing to proceed normally.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member provides preliminary protection by preventing plasma from reaching the adhesive material before damage can occur. This proactive barrier ensures the adhesive's long-term durability in plasma environments.
3Reliability
If the gas hole is sealed to prevent adhesive ingress, then adhesive durability is improved, but gas flow rate may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is designed with selective sealing properties - it seals the periphery of the gas hole to prevent adhesive and plasma ingress, while maintaining the central gas flow path open. This localized sealing approach protects the adhesive durability while preserving sufficient gas flow rate for wafer temperature control.
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
Secures a sufficient gas flow rate while preventing premature device damage by isolating the adhesive from plasma and maintaining hole integrity.
Implementation Method 1
When the substrate fixing device is used under a plasma environment, there is also a problem that plasma flows into the gas hole TH
Implementation Method 2
the adhesive material for bonding the base plate and the ceramic plate flows into the gas hole
Implementation Method 3
configured to apply a voltage to the electrode embedded in the ceramic plate, thereby adsorbing the wafer on a surface of the ceramic plate by using an electrostatic force
Implementation Method 4
the temperature of the wafer may rise during processing. Therefore, in order to keep the temperature of the wafer constant, the inert gas such as He is introduced between the surface of the ceramic plate on which the wafer is adsorbed and the wafer and the wafer comes into contact with the inert gas, so that the temperature rise of the wafer is suppressed
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate fixing device includes a base plate having a first through-hole penetrating through the base plate in a thickness direction of the base plate, a ceramic plate adhering to the base plate, having an electrode embedded in the ceramic plate and a second through-hole formed to communicate with the first through-hole, and configured to adsorb an adsorption target object by an electrostatic force that is generated when a voltage is applied to the electrode, an insulating plug arranged at a connection portion in the first through-hole connecting to the second through-hole, and a sealing member attached to the insulating plug and configured to seal a periphery of the connection portion.