Electrostatic Substrate Carrier with Conductive Drainage Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate support systems in low-pressure ion implantation processes face mechanical unsatisfaction due to limited surface area for implanting current, leading to potential pin melting and substrate contamination, especially under pulsed bias voltage conditions.
Innovation Solution
The support system includes an electrically conductive biased table, an insulating electrostatic substrate carrier with a bearing plane, and a conductive clamping collar, featuring conductive elements such as strips and electrodes to increase the surface area for electrical contact and current drainage, potentially replacing or reconfiguring existing electrodes for improved current handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a small number of electrodes are used for electrostatic clamping, then the device complexity is reduced, but the surface area for implanting current drainage is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from point-contact electrodes to a continuous planar contact surface. The bearing plane extends the contact area from discrete electrode points to a two-dimensional surface, enabling distributed current drainage across the entire substrate backside area while maintaining mechanical simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the electrical contact mechanism (electrodes) with a mechanical contact surface (bearing plane). Instead of using electrical fields for clamping and current drainage, the system uses direct mechanical contact between the substrate and the bearing plane, eliminating the need for complex electrode systems.
2Manufacturing precision
If pulsed bias voltage is applied for ion implantation, then the implantation precision is improved, but the risk of pin melting and substrate contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful concentration effect from the system by removing the discrete electrodes that caused current density peaks. By replacing point-contact electrodes with a distributed planar contact surface, the system eliminates the localized heat generation that led to pin melting while preserving the pulsed bias voltage benefits for implantation precision.
3Device complexity
If the substrate is held solely at the periphery of the substrate carrier, then the device complexity is reduced, but the mechanical stability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extends the support contact from a one-dimensional periphery ring to a two-dimensional bearing plane. This planar contact surface distributes the mechanical load across the entire substrate backside area, providing superior mechanical stability while maintaining a simple structural design without additional complex holding mechanisms.
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 configuration enhances the surface area for implanting current drainage, reducing the risk of pin melting and substrate contamination, while maintaining effective electrical and thermal contact, thus improving the mechanical stability and efficiency of the ion implantation process.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating electrostatic substrate carrier in the form of a cylinder having a shoulder, the bottom face of the substrate carrier facing the biased table
Implementation Method 2
the support also includes at least one electrically conductive element for connecting the bearing plane to the shoulder
Implementation Method 3
immersing the substrate in a plasma and in biasing it with a negative voltage lying in the range several tens of volts to several tens of kilovolts (generally less than 100 kV), for the purpose of creating an electric field capable of accelerating the ions of the plasma towards the substrate
Implementation Method 4
implanting ions in a substrate consists in immersing the substrate in a plasma and in biasing it with a negative voltage
Implementation Method 5
The space that exists between the substrate and the substrate carrier is filled with a refrigerating gas
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a support that comprises:an electrically conductive biased table;an insulating electrostatic substrate carrier 20 in the form of a cylinder having a shoulder 21, the bottom face of the substrate carrier 20 facing the biased table and its top face 22 presenting a bearing plane designed to receive a substrate; andan electrically conductive clamping collar for clamping the shoulder 21 against the biased table.The support also has at least one electrically conductive element 201-202-203 for connecting the bearing plane to the shoulder 211.