Electrostatic Chuck Vent Plug Sintering for Stable Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical breakdown occurs in the gas holes of electrostatic chucks during semiconductor manufacturing due to potential differences and plasma injection, and existing solutions like porous plugs with ceramic materials face issues with dimensional gaps and adhesive intrusion affecting gas flow rates.
Innovation Solution
An electrostatic chuck design featuring a vent plug with a porous ceramic section and a dense ceramic section formed together as a single piece by sintering, eliminating gaps and adhesive intrusion, thereby preventing electrical breakdown and maintaining consistent gas flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesive is used to join the porous member and tubular member to remove gaps, then the structural integrity is improved, but uncured adhesive intrudes into the porous member during adhesion, decreasing the cross sectional area of the flow path and increasing flow rate variation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for adhesive joining by integrating the porous member and tubular member as a single component, thereby preventing adhesive intrusion into the porous structure and maintaining consistent gas flow paths without requiring chemical bonding.
2Reliability
If the porous member is covered by a dense tubular member to prevent electrical breakdown, then the withstand voltage is increased, but the device complexity increases due to multiple individually manufactured components requiring precise assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces device complexity by merging the porous member and tubular member into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of multiple parts while maintaining the electrical insulation and structural integrity functions.
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 effectively prevents electrical breakdown and reduces variations in gas flow rates, ensuring reliable operation and improved performance in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
a porous section (410) which is a section made of a porous ceramic with air permeability
Implementation Method 2
a dense section (420) which is a section made of a dense ceramic without air permeability, and which surrounds a whole circumference of the porous section (410) from an outer circumference side
Implementation Method 3
The porous section (410) and the dense section (420) are formed together into one piece by sintering without sandwiching a joining material made of a material other than a ceramic
Data Source
AI summary
An electrostatic chuck includes a dielectric substrate, a base plate which is a metallic member joined to the dielectric substrate and in which a gas hole is formed, and a vent plug arranged inside the gas hole. The vent plug has a porous section which is a section made of a porous ceramic with air permeability, and a dense section which is a section made of a dense ceramic without air permeability, and which surrounds a whole circumference of the porous section from an outer circumference side. The porous section and the dense section are formed together into one piece by sintering without sandwiching a joining material made of a material other than a ceramic.