Electrostatic Chucking Voltage and Backside Pressure Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrostatic chucking methods in semiconductor manufacturing often result in excessive contact force between substrates and support surfaces, leading to substrate scratches and wear, which can contaminate active surfaces and reduce device yield due to particulate material transfer during handling and processing.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming a plasma in the processing chamber and simultaneously increasing the chucking voltage and backside pressure in the substrate support system, using a contact force measurement substrate to determine optimal voltages and pressures, thereby reducing the contact force between the substrate and the support surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electrostatic chucking methods are used to securely hold substrates, then substrate positioning stability is improved, but excessive contact force causes substrate scratches and wear leading to particulate contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the electrostatic chucking voltage and backside pressure parameters during the chucking and de-chucking cycles. By optimizing these parameters, the system maintains reliable substrate positioning while reducing contact force to prevent scratches and wear. The controlled reduction of chucking voltage during de-chucking minimizes the contact force that causes harmful substrate surface damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by transitioning from static chucking to dynamic control of chucking parameters. The system continuously adjusts electrostatic voltage and backside pressure during operation, enabling adaptive control that maintains substrate stability during processing while reducing contact force during loading and unloading operations to prevent substrate surface damage.
2Force
If high chucking voltage is applied to maintain substrate contact, then substrate holding force is improved, but contact force increases causing wear and particulate generation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the relationship between chucking voltage and backside pressure. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system maintains adequate substrate holding force during processing while reducing the contact force that generates wear particles. The controlled reduction of voltage during de-chucking specifically addresses the reduction of harmful contact forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces backside pressure as an intermediary parameter that mediates between substrate holding requirements and contact force reduction. By controlling the pressure differential across the substrate backside, the system can maintain substrate positioning stability while reducing the contact force at the substrate-support interface, thereby minimizing wear and particulate generation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If backside pressure is increased to reduce contact force, then substrate wear is reduced, but substrate holding stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by coordinating adjustments of both backside pressure and chucking voltage. By simultaneously optimizing these parameters, the system achieves the dual objective of reducing substrate wear through lower contact force while maintaining substrate holding stability. The coordinated parameter adjustment ensures that substrate stability is preserved even as contact force is reduced.
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 substrate scratches and wear, minimizing particulate contamination and enhancing device yield by optimizing the contact force during chucking and de-chucking operations.
Implementation Method 1
forming a plasma in the processing volume
Implementation Method 2
electrostatic chucking (ESC) force... The chucking force is a function of the potential between a DC voltage provided to a chucking electrode embedded in a dielectric material of the substrate support and a substrate disposed on a surface of the dielectric material
Implementation Method 3
a thermally conductive inert gas, such as helium, is introduced into a backside volume disposed between a non-active surface of the substrate and the substrate support to improve heat transfer therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for chucking and de-chucking a substrate from an electrostatic chucking (ESC) substrate support to reduce scratches of the non-active surface of a substrate include simultaneously increasing a voltage applied to a chucking electrode embedded in the ESC substrate support and a backside gas pressure in a backside volume disposed between the substrate and the substrate support to chuck the substrate and reversing the process to de-chuck the substrate.