Polishing ESC Substrate Support Edges to Reduce Scratches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrostatic chuck (ESC) substrate supports in semiconductor manufacturing suffer from undesirable scratching of substrates and wear of the support surfaces due to the contact between the substrate and elevated features, leading to particulate transfer and reduced yield.
Innovation Solution
A method of polishing the patterned surface of the ESC substrate support using a rotating polishing platen with a polishing pad and diamond abrasives to remove material from the protrusions and recessed surfaces, reducing the substrate contacting surface area and smoothing the edges, thereby minimizing scratches and wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the substrate contacts the elevated features of the substrate support, then the substrate is securely held in position, but scratches and wear occur on the substrate and support surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The edges of the elevated features are pre-polished to be rounded and smooth before the substrate contact process. This preliminary surface preparation prevents scratching and wear during subsequent substrate handling and processing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface geometry parameters of the elevated features are modified by removing material to create rounded edges with specific radius of curvature. This changes the contact mechanics from sharp-edge contact to distributed rounded contact, eliminating stress concentration and scratching.
2Ease of manufacture
If the edges of elevated features are sharp, then manufacturing is simpler, but particulate generation and wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
A polishing step is performed as a preliminary action after manufacturing the elevated features but before substrate processing. This removes sharp edges and creates smooth rounded surfaces, preventing particulate generation during subsequent operations while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If material is removed from elevated features to reduce contact area, then scratching is reduced, but substrate support stability may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
Material removal is applied locally and selectively to the edges and surfaces of the elevated features that contact the substrate. The polishing process targets specific regions to create smooth, rounded contact surfaces while preserving the overall geometry and load-bearing capacity of the elevated features, maintaining positioning stability.
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 polishing method effectively reduces surface roughness and contact area between the substrate and the support, decreasing scratches and wear, and preventing particulate transfer, thereby enhancing the yield and reliability of semiconductor processing.
Implementation Method 1
A method of polishing the patterned surface of the ESC substrate support using a rotating polishing platen with a polishing pad and diamond abrasives to remove material from the protrusions and recessed surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of polishing a patterned surface of an electrostatic chucking (ESC) substrate support to be used in plasma assisted or plasma enhanced semiconductor manufacturing chambers are provided herein. In particular, embodiments described herein, provide polishing methods that round and debur the edges of elevated features and remove dielectric material from the non-substrate contacting surfaces of a patterned substrate support to reduce defectivity associated therewith.