SiC-Coated Silicon Nitride Electrostatic Chuck for Plasma Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrostatic chucks used in semiconductor manufacturing face challenges with durability due to damage from halogen corrosive gases and thermal shock, requiring materials with excellent heat dissipation, plasma resistance, and thermal shock resistance.
Innovation Solution
An electrostatic chuck featuring a silicon nitride sintered body with a silicon carbide surface modification layer, providing corrosion and plasma resistance, and an electrostatic electrode, formed through carburizing or oxidizing processes, enhancing thermal conductivity and mechanical strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If aluminum nitride is used as the electrostatic chuck substrate, then heat dissipation characteristics are excellent, but plasma resistance is poor and durability is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining silicon nitride sintered body (providing plasma resistance) with aluminum nitride layers (providing heat dissipation). This composite approach allows the material to simultaneously achieve excellent heat dissipation characteristics and high plasma resistance, resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
2Temperature
If aluminum nitride is used as the electrostatic chuck substrate, then heat dissipation characteristics are excellent, but thermal shock resistance is poor and cracks are frequently generated
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-layer composite structure combines silicon nitride sintered body with aluminum nitride layers, where the silicon nitride provides superior thermal shock resistance while the aluminum nitride provides heat dissipation. This composite design resolves the contradiction between heat dissipation and thermal shock resistance.
3Reliability
If silicon nitride sintered body is used, then plasma resistance is improved, but heat dissipation characteristics are reduced compared to aluminum nitride
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure where silicon nitride sintered body (high plasma resistance) is combined with aluminum nitride layers (high heat dissipation). This allows the overall structure to achieve both high plasma resistance and excellent heat dissipation characteristics, overcoming the limitation of using pure silicon nitride.
4Productivity
If electrostatic chuck is used in plasma etching process, then semiconductor manufacturing is enabled, but durability is reduced due to plasma damage and thermal shock
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure of silicon nitride sintered body and aluminum nitride layers provides simultaneous resistance to plasma damage and thermal shock, significantly improving the durability and replacement cycle of the electrostatic chuck while maintaining its functionality in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies a silicon oxide layer and silicon nitride layer as protective coatings on the aluminum nitride substrate before exposure to plasma and thermal shock. These protective layers act as cushioning barriers that prevent direct damage to the underlying material, thereby extending the service life of the electrostatic chuck.
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 offers improved heat dissipation, plasma resistance, and thermal shock resistance, extending the replacement cycle of electrostatic chucks while maintaining performance comparable to aluminum nitride-based chucks.
Implementation Method 1
a silicon carbide (SiC) surface modification layer covering at least a portion of the external surface of the silicon nitride sintered body and having corrosion resistance and plasma resistance
Implementation Method 2
a silicon carbide (SiC) surface modification layer covering at least a portion of the external surface of the silicon nitride sintered body and having corrosion resistance and plasma resistance
Implementation Method 3
an electrostatic electrode laid inside the silicon nitride sintered body
Implementation Method 4
aluminum nitride, which is widely used as a material for an electrostatic chuck substrate, has excellent heat dissipation characteristics
Implementation Method 5
the modification may be performed by carburizing or oxidizing
Implementation Method 6
the modification may be performed by carburizing or oxidizing
Data Source
AI summary
An electrostatic chuck is provided. Implemented according to an embodiment of the present invention is an electrostatic chuck comprising: a silicon nitride sintered body; a silicon carbide (SiC) surface modification layer covering at least a portion of the external surface of the silicon nitride sintered body and having corrosion resistance and plasma resistance; and an electrostatic electrode laid inside the silicon nitride sintered body. Therefore, the electrostatic chuck includes a ceramic sintered body of silicon nitride, and thus has excellent plasma resistance, chemical resistance, and thermal shock resistance while exhibiting an equivalent or similar level of heat dissipation performance compared to ceramic sintered bodies of aluminum nitride that have been conventionally widely used, so that the electrostatic chuck can be widely used in semiconductor processes.