Substrate Stage Surface Thermocouple for Vacuum-Safe Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate stages face challenges in accurately controlling the temperature of the substrate placing surface due to the limitations of traditional thermocouple placement methods, particularly when using electrostatic chucks, which can lead to insufficient thermal responsiveness and vacuum leakage issues.
Innovation Solution
The substrate stage incorporates a thermocouple with a temperature measuring unit formed by stacking a first metal film and a second metal film on the substrate placing surface, allowing for surface-contact measurement and eliminating the need for hole drilling, thereby enhancing temperature control accuracy and preventing vacuum leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a thermocouple is inserted into a hole from below the stage body, then the temperature can be measured, but the thermal responsiveness is insufficient and vacuum leakage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the temperature measurement function from the traditional inserted thermocouple and relocates it to the substrate placing surface. The thermocouple is now formed as a film structure on the surface rather than being inserted through the stage body, eliminating the hole that causes vacuum leakage while maintaining temperature measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical insertion method of traditional thermocouples with a film formation process. Instead of physically inserting a thermocouple wire through a hole, the thermocouple is formed by stacking metal films on the substrate placing surface using deposition techniques, substituting mechanical assembly with a more integrated fabrication approach
2Measurement precision
If a thermocouple is inserted into a hole in the stage body, then temperature measurement is possible, but the thermal responsiveness to substrate temperature is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by positioning the thermocouple directly on the substrate placing surface where temperature measurement is most critical. The thermocouple films are deposited specifically at the location where they can directly sense substrate temperature, creating a localized high-precision measurement point with optimal thermal coupling
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a three-dimensional insertion approach to a two-dimensional surface-mounted approach. Instead of inserting the thermocouple through the thickness of the stage body, the thermocouple is formed as a planar film structure on the surface, changing the spatial dimension of temperature measurement from depth-oriented to surface-oriented for improved thermal responsiveness
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional thermocouple insertion methods are used, then temperature measurement can be implemented, but the substrate stage becomes more complex and vacuum leakage risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the thermocouple formation process with the stage body manufacturing process. The thermocouple films are deposited directly on the substrate placing surface during the same fabrication sequence, combining two separate operations (stage body fabrication and thermocouple installation) into one integrated process, thereby reducing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies preliminary action by forming the thermocouple films on the substrate placing surface before final assembly and operation. The thermocouple structure is pre-formed as part of the stage body fabrication process, eliminating the need for subsequent installation steps and reducing the risk of vacuum leakage during assembly
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 enables precise temperature control of the substrate placing surface and the substrate itself, particularly in electrostatic chuck systems where traditional methods fail, ensuring high accuracy and preventing vacuum leakage.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature measuring unit 3a which is configured to detect a temperature near the substrate placing surface 10a
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate stage includes: a stage body having a substrate placing surface on which a substrate is placed in a processing apparatus that performs a processing on the substrate; and a thermocouple configured to detect a temperature near the substrate placing surface of the stage body. The thermocouple includes a temperature measuring unit formed by stacking a first metal film and a second metal film, on a surface on a side of the substrate placing surface of the stage body.