Spatially Tunable Heaters for Electrostatic Chuck Temperature Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in semiconductor manufacturing is achieving uniform temperature control across substrates due to the non-homogeneous construction of electrostatic chucks, which leads to local hot and cold spots, making it difficult to maintain stable and repeatable device performance.
Innovation Solution
A substrate support assembly with spatially tunable heaters and a PWM heater controller that allows for discrete tuning of the temperature profile, enabling incremental power adjustments to match a target temperature profile by determining deviation maps and storing tuning parameters for calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If uniform heating is applied across the electrostatic chuck, then overall temperature increase is achieved, but local hot and cold spots persist due to non-homogeneous chuck construction
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is divided into multiple independently controllable heating zones (first, second, third, and fourth heating zones) corresponding to different regions of the electrostatic chuck. Each zone can be controlled separately to compensate for local thermal variations caused by the non-homogeneous chuck construction, allowing precise temperature management in each region while maintaining overall temperature control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the electrostatic chuck structure is maintained as designed with gas holes and lift pin holes, then substrate processing functionality is preserved, but temperature distribution becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
Different heating zones are assigned different heating characteristics and control parameters to match the local structural properties of the electrostatic chuck. Regions with gas holes or lift pin holes receive adjusted heating power to compensate for their unique thermal properties, ensuring each local area achieves the required temperature uniformity while preserving the overall chuck functionality for substrate processing.
3Reliability
If chamber maintenance is performed, then system cleanliness and performance are improved, but temperature profile calibration is lost requiring re-calibration
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature sensors continuously monitor the actual temperature distribution across the electrostatic chuck, and this feedback is used by the control system to automatically adjust heating zone powers. After chamber maintenance, the system can quickly re-establish the correct temperature profile by responding to sensor feedback, reducing manual re-calibration time while maintaining system reliability through continuous temperature verification.
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 solution ensures precise temperature control and uniformity across the substrate, reducing temperature variations to within ±0.3 degrees Celsius, thereby enhancing processing results and stability.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element coupled to the pulse width modification (PWM) heater controller, wherein the heating element comprises a plurality of spatially tunable heaters
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations described herein provide a method for calibrating a temperature of a substrate support assembly which enables discrete tuning of the temperature profile of a substrate support assembly. In one embodiment, a system, comprises a memory, wherein the memory includes an application program configured to perform an operation on a substrate support assembly, a control board disposed in a substrate support assembly, wherein the control board comprises a processor having an wireless interface, a pulse width modification (PWM) heater controller, wherein the processor is connected with the memory to read and access the application program from the memory when in operation, and a heating element coupled to the pulse width modification (PWM) heater controller, wherein the heating element comprises a plurality of spatially tunable heaters that are individually tunable by the pulse width modification (PWM) heater controller.