# US 12,224,192 B2 · Bowed substrate clamping method, apparatus, and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,224,192 B2 - Document ID: US12224192B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/984,357 - Filed: 2022-11-10 - Published: 2024-05-16 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-10 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Arvinder S. Chadha; Kartik Ramaswamy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224192B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/0616: {Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like} - H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks - H10P 72/722: {Details of electrostatic chucks} - H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder} - H01J 2237/2007: Holding mechanisms - 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 Methods and apparatus for clamping a substrate comprise i. placing a substrate on a clamping surface of a substrate support having a plurality of electrodes spaced from one another including a first electrode and a second electrode; ii. measuring substrate bow of the substrate; iii. determining, based on the measured substrate bow, a first voltage to be applied to the first electrode and a second voltage to be applied to the second electrode, wherein the first voltage is an AC voltage and the second voltage is an AC or a DC voltage; and iv. applying the first voltage to the first electrode and the second voltage to the second electrode to clamp the substrate to the substrate support. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for clamping a substrate, comprising, i. placing a substrate on a clamping surface of a substrate support having a plurality of electrodes spaced from one another including a first electrode and a second electrode; ii. measuring substrate bow of the substrate; iii. determining, based on the measured substrate bow, a first voltage to be applied to the first electrode and a second voltage to be applied to the second electrode, wherein the first voltage is an AC voltage and the second voltage is an AC or a DC voltage; iv. applying the first voltage to the first electrode and the second voltage to the second electrode to clamp the substrate to the substrate support; and repeating ii, iii, and iv until substrate bow of the substrate is determined to be optimized, wherein the substrate bow of the substrate is determined to be optimized when at least one of variation in clamp pressure or heat transfer flux are minimized. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a non-uniform coating to the substrate while the substrate is clamped to the substrate support. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are applied sequentially. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are applied simultaneously. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: discontinuing applying the first voltage to the first electrode and the second voltage to the second electrode; transferring the clamped substrate and substrate support together to a processing chamber having an electrostatic chuck and electrostatically coupling the substrate support to the electrostatic chuck; and after transferring, applying a third voltage to the first electrode and a fourth voltage to the second electrode, wherein the third voltage is an AC or DC voltage and the fourth voltage is an AC or DC voltage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second voltage is an AC voltage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein applying the second voltage to the second electrode includes simultaneously applying a DC voltage and an AC voltage to the second electrode. ### Claim 8 A system for clamping a substrate, comprising, a substrate support having a surface for supporting a substrate; a plurality of electrodes spaced from one another in or on the substrate support, the plurality of electrodes including a first electrode and a second electrode; and a controller configured to receive a measurement of substrate bow of a substrate and to determine, based on the substrate bow, a first voltage to be applied to the first electrode and a second voltage to be applied to the second electrode, and apply the first voltage to the first electrode and the second voltage to the second electrode, wherein the first voltage is an AC voltage and the second voltage is an AC or DC voltage, wherein the controller is configured to optimize substrate bow of the substrate by repeatedly receiving a measurement of substrate bow, determining the first voltage and the second voltage, and reapplying the first voltage and the second voltage based on the received measurements of substrate bow, and wherein the substrate bow of the substrate is determined to be optimized when at least one of variation in clamp pressure or heat transfer flux are minimized. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of electrodes are interdigitated. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to sequentially apply the first voltage and the second voltage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously apply the first voltage and the second voltage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising an electrostatic chuck, wherein the substrate support is configured to removably couple to the electrostatic chuck. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the second voltage is an AC voltage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously apply a DC voltage and an AC voltage to the second electrode. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a system for clamping a substrate having a substrate support with a plurality of electrodes spaced from one another including a first electrode and a second electrode, performs a method of clamping a substrate comprising: i. placing a substrate on a clamping surface of a substrate support having a plurality of spaced electrodes including a first electrode and a second electrode; ii. measuring substrate bow of the substrate; iii. determining, based on the measured substrate bow, a first voltage to be applied to the first electrode and a second voltage to be applied to the second electrode, wherein the first voltage is an AC voltage and the second voltage is an AC or DC voltage; iv. applying the first voltage to the first electrode and the second voltage to the second electrode; repeating ii, iii, and iv until substrate bow of the substrate is determined to be optimized, wherein the substrate bow of the substrate is determined to be optimized when at least one of variation in clamp pressure or heat transfer flux are minimized. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second voltage is an AC voltage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein applying the second voltage to the second electrode includes simultaneously applying a DC voltage and an AC voltage to the second electrode.