Electrostatic chuck for clamping in high temperature semiconductor processing and method of making same

An electrostatic chuck able to provide electrostatic clamping at high temperatures, said electrostatic chuck comprising:

• a plate assembly, said plate assembly comprising:
• a top plate layer, said top plate layer comprising a material having a bulk resistivity in the range of 10E9 ohm-cm to 10E11 ohm-cm over the temperature range of 500C. to 750C;
• a lower plate layer, said lower plate layer comprising ceramic;
• a clamping electrode disposed between said top plate layer and said lower plate layer;
• and
• a first sealing joint, said first sealing joint joining said top plate layer to said lower plate layer around an outer periphery of said clamping electrode with a hermetic joint, wherein said first sealing joint comprises metallic aluminum at greater than 89% by weight.

A method for the manufacture of a multi-layer plate device used in semiconductor processing, said method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a plurality of plate components into a stack, wherein said plurality of plate components comprise an top plate layer, said top layer comprising sapphire, a lower plate layer, said lower plate layer comprising ceramic, and a brazing layer disposed between said top plate layer and said lower plate layer, said brazing layer comprising aluminum of greater than 89% aluminum by weight;
• joining said top plate layer to said lower layer portion, wherein said step of joining said upper plate layer to said lower plate layer comprises the steps of:
• placing the components into a process chamber;
• removing oxygen from the process chamber;
• and
• heating the stack of plate components, thereby joining said top plate layer to said lower plate layer with a hermetically sealed joint.