Electrostatic Chuck Heater Zone Gas Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrostatic chuck systems for semiconductor manufacturing lack effective means to achieve uniform wafer heating, leading to temperature nonuniformity issues.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of zone heater electrodes and zone gas grooves in the electrostatic chuck, allowing for independent power supply to heating zones and gas supply to corresponding zones, enabling precise temperature adjustment by controlling heat exchange through gas pressure and thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If zone heater electrodes are incorporated to enable individual power supply to heater zones, then temperature adjustment for each zone becomes possible, but thermal uniformity of the wafer still cannot be sufficiently improved due to hot and cool spots
Solution Approach 1:
The wafer placement surface is divided into multiple heater zones, each with its own zone heater electrode that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows different regions of the wafer to be heated independently, enabling correction of thermal non-uniformity across the wafer surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the wafer placement surface are provided with different thermal characteristics through the zone heater electrodes. Each zone can be independently controlled to provide the specific heating needed for that local region, addressing hot and cool spots with targeted heating.
2Manufacturing precision
If gas pressure is increased to improve heat escape from hot spots, then thermal uniformity improves, but device complexity increases due to multiple gas supply control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply system is segmented into multiple independent gas grooves that correspond to different zones of the wafer placement surface. Each gas groove can be independently controlled to supply gas at different pressures to different regions, enabling localized thermal management without requiring a complex overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
Gas is used as a thermal management medium to facilitate heat transfer from the wafer to the chuck. By controlling gas pressure and flow in different zones, the system leverages pneumatic principles to achieve thermal uniformity through heat conduction and convection.
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 solution enhances thermal uniformity of the wafer by allowing for targeted heat management, improving temperature control and reducing hot and cool spots through adjustable gas supply and power distribution.
Implementation Method 1
An electrostatic chuck heater attracts a wafer placed on a wafer placement surface by utilizing an electrostatic force
Implementation Method 2
zone heater electrodes which are embedded in the ceramic plate, corresponding to respective multiple heater zones into which the wafer placement surface is divided, and allow electric power to be individually supplied to the heater zones
Implementation Method 3
the pressure of heat conducting gas to be supplied to each closed space can be individually controlled
Data Source
AI summary
An electrostatic chuck heater includes a ceramic plate, an electrostatic electrode, first and second zone heater electrodes, and first and second zone gas grooves. The ceramic plate includes, on its surface, a wafer placement surface. The electrostatic electrode is embedded in the ceramic plate. The first and second zone heater electrodes are embedded in the ceramic plate, corresponding to respective multiple heater zones into which the wafer placement surface is divided, and allow electric power to be individually supplied to the heater zones. Zone gas grooves are provided corresponding to respective multiple gas supply zones into which the wafer placement surface is divided independently of the heater zones, and allow a gas to be individually supplied to the gas supply zones.