# US 12,009,228 B2 · Low temperature chuck for plasma processing systems

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- Number: US 12,009,228 B2
- Document ID: US12009228B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/175,104
- Filed: 2023-02-27
- Published: 2023-07-13
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-03
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Toan Q. Tran; Zilu Weng; Dmitry Lubomirsky; Satoru Kobayashi; Tae Seung Cho; Soonam Park; Son M. Phi; Shankar Venkataraman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009228B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching}
- H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder}
- H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials}
- H10P 72/0432: {mainly by conduction}
- H10P 72/0602: {Temperature monitoring}
- H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks
- H10P 72/7616: {characterised by a coating, a hardness or a material}
- H10P 72/7624: {characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support}
- H10P 72/7626: {characterised by the construction of the shaft}
- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H10P 50/287: {by chemical means}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A wafer chuck assembly includes a puck, a shaft and a base. The puck includes an electrically insulating material that defines a top surface of the puck; a plurality of electrodes are embedded within the electrically insulating material. The puck also includes an inner puck element that forms one or more channels for a heat exchange fluid, the inner puck element being in thermal communication with the electrically insulating material, and an electrically conductive plate disposed proximate to the inner puck element. The shaft includes an electrically conductive shaft housing that is electrically coupled with the plate, and a plurality of connectors, including electrical connectors for the electrodes. The base includes an electrically conductive base housing that is electrically coupled with the shaft housing, and an electrically insulating terminal block disposed within the base housing, the plurality of connectors passing through the terminal block.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wafer chuck assembly, comprising:
a shaft;
a puck coupled with the shaft, the puck comprising:
an electrically insulating material defining a top surface of the puck, wherein the electrically insulating material defines a recessed ledge extending to an outer radius of the electrically insulating material;
a plurality of electrodes embedded within the electrically insulating material;
an inner puck element that forms one or more channels for a heat exchange fluid; and
an electrically conductive plate comprising a body disposed in contact with the inner puck element and defining a recessed cavity, wherein the inner puck element is seated within the recessed cavity, wherein the electrically conductive plate defines an outer radius of the puck, and wherein the electrically conductive plate defines an exterior housing of the shaft; and
a ring element seated atop the top surface of the puck, the ring element comprising a body extending about the puck, wherein a first downward-facing portion of the ring element is disposed on and in contact with the recessed ledge of the electrically insulating material and a second downward-facing portion of the ring element is disposed on and in contact with an upward-facing portion of the electrically conductive plate defining the recessed cavity within the electrically conductive plate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
an electrically conductive base housing extending about the shaft housing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 2, wherein:
the electrically conductive base housing defines one or more channels for the heat exchange fluid.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 2, further comprising:
an electrically insulating terminal block disposed within the electrically conductive base housing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 4, wherein:
the terminal block comprises polyether ether ketone.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the shaft comprises a plurality of connectors comprising electrical connectors for the electrodes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 6, wherein:
the plurality of connectors further comprise one or more connectors for a thermocouple or a resistance temperature detector.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 6, wherein:
the plurality of connectors further comprise one or more fluid conduits.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 8, wherein:
at least one of the one or more fluid conduits is configured to provide a heat transfer gas; and
the electrically insulating material defines channels for the heat transfer gas to spread between the top surface and a bottom surface of a wafer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 6, wherein:
each of the electrical connectors for the plurality of electrodes comprises an inner conductor, an insulating layer about the inner conductor, a ground tube about the insulating layer, and a ceramic tube about the ground tube.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 6, further comprising:
a DC probe that extends through the top surface of the puck, wherein the plurality of connectors further comprise a connector for the DC probe.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
a connective element disposed between the inner puck element and the electrically insulating material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 12, wherein:
the connective element is at least partially seated within the cavity of the electrically conductive plate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 12, wherein:
the connective element extends fully across a surface of the inner puck element facing the electrically insulating material.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 12, wherein:
the connective element comprises aluminum silicon carbide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the one or more channels each comprise a spiral configuration.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the exterior housing of the shaft forms an outer surface of the shaft; and
the shaft comprises a ceramic liner disposed within the exterior housing of the shaft that electrically insulates internal components of the shaft from the exterior housing of the shaft.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 17, wherein:
the ceramic liner is integrally formed with the inner puck element.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The wafer chuck assembly of claim 1, wherein:
each of the one or more channels defines an internal fin.