Spray-Coated Electrostatic Chuck for Arcing-Free Lift Pin Coverage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate support assemblies in semiconductor manufacturing face challenges with inconsistent and incomplete coatings near lift pins, leading to potential arcing issues, which affect the reliability and consistency of substrate processing.
Innovation Solution
A substrate support assembly with a metal body featuring lift pin sleeves and dielectric coating, including chamfered lift pin holes and a patterned dielectric coating to ensure complete coverage and prevent arcing, suitable for use in electrostatic chucks at various temperature ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coatings are applied to prevent arcing, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to incomplete coating or porous areas in small feature regions
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support assembly is divided into distinct regions: a main body portion and a lift pin region. The coating process is segmented to apply different coating characteristics to different regions, allowing the lift pin region to have optimized coating properties for arcing prevention while maintaining overall assembly functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by providing the lift pin region with a coating that has different properties than the main body coating. Specifically, the lift pin region coating is designed with controlled thickness and porosity characteristics to ensure complete coverage and prevent arcing in this critical small feature region, while the main body maintains its own coating specifications.
2Manufacturing precision
If the substrate support assembly structure is modified to improve coating coverage, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lift pin region is prepared in advance before the final coating process. The region is designed with specific geometric features and pre-coated or pre-prepared surfaces that facilitate complete and uniform coating application during the subsequent coating process, ensuring manufacturing precision without requiring complex post-processing or assembly modifications.
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
The solution provides reliable and consistent coating coverage, enhancing the substrate support's performance and preventing arcing, thereby improving manufacturing throughput and yield in semiconductor processing.
Implementation Method 1
a dielectric coating disposed on the substrate face of the body
Implementation Method 2
electrostatic chuck assembly is configured to support a substrate when the substrate is disposed on an electrostatic chuck
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the disclosure include a substrate support including a metal body with a substrate face, a plurality of lift pin holes formed in the body, and a dielectric coating disposed on the substrate face of the body. Each of the plurality lift pin holes includes a through hole and a chamfer face configured to mate with a lift pin sleeve. The dielectric coating includes a substrate supporting surface, a thickness, and a pattern disposed in the substrate supporting surface.