Monolithic Ceramic Substrate Support With Integrated Porous Plugs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing substrate supports in processing chambers suffer from premature arching failures and particle contamination due to erosion of bonding materials exposed to process gases and byproducts, which are typically addressed by porous plugs secured with glue, leading to inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

The method involves forming porous regions in ceramic green sheets, stacking them to create a ceramic laminate, and sintering to form a monolithic ceramic body with embedded porous plugs, or creating radiation-induced micro-cracks and etching to integrate porous features directly into the dielectric body, eliminating the need for adhesive-based porous plugs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If porous plugs are inserted with glue to prevent gas passage, then the filtering function is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to glue erosion and arching failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas and byproduct filtrationVSAvoidarching failure resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The porous plug is merged with the ceramic green sheet to form a monolithic integrated structure. The porous regions are formed directly within the ceramic matrix during sintering, eliminating the need for separate porous plugs and adhesive materials. This integration removes the weak interface between glue and ceramic, preventing arching failures while maintaining the filtration function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses a composite ceramic structure where porous regions are embedded within the dense ceramic matrix. This composite architecture provides both the filtration capability of porous materials and the mechanical strength of dense ceramic, achieving reliable gas blocking without requiring additional adhesive materials that would erode over time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If porous plugs are inserted with glue to prevent gas passage, then the filtering function is improved, but particle contamination increases due to glue erosion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas and byproduct filtrationVSAvoidparticle contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The porous plug and ceramic body are merged into a single monolithic structure formed by sintering ceramic green sheets with embedded porous regions. This eliminates the separate glue layer that would otherwise erode and generate particles, while the porous regions continue to provide effective filtration of process gases and byproducts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If traditional porous plugs with glue are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to alignment and bonding issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidporous plug alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The porous regions are formed as integral parts of the ceramic green sheets before stacking and sintering. This eliminates the need for separate porous plug insertion and alignment steps, achieving both manufacturing precision and process simplicity through in-situ formation of the porous structure within the ceramic matrix.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 prevents premature arching failures and particle contamination by integrating porous features in-situ, enhancing the durability and cleanliness of substrate supports in processing chambers.

Implementation Method 1

sintering the ceramic laminate to form a monolithic ceramic body having a porous plug formed therein

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSintering: Sintering

Implementation Method 2

forming radiation-induced micro-cracks in a dielectric body

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadiation-induced micro-cracks: Radiation

Implementation Method 3

removing portions of the dielectric body having the radiation-induced micro-cracks by wet etching

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWet etching: Erosion

Data Source

PatentUS12600682B2Monolithic substrate support having porous features and methods of forming the same

Publication Date: 2026.04.14 APPLIED MATERIALS INC

AI summary

A method of forming a substrate support for use in a processing chamber includes forming a porous region in each of a plurality of ceramic green sheets, stacking the plurality of ceramic green sheets, each having the porous region formed therein, to form a ceramic laminate, and sintering the ceramic laminate to form a monolithic ceramic body having a porous plug formed therein. The porous plug includes the porous regions in the plurality of ceramic green sheets that are sintered.