# US 12,601,057 B2 · Soaking and ESC clamping sequence for high bow substrates > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,601,057 B2 - Document ID: US12601057B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/714,638 - Filed: 2022-12-05 - Published: 2025-01-23 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2021-12-11 - Assignees: Lam Research Corporation - Applicants: Lam Research Corporation - Inventors: Feng Bi; Kapu Sirish Reddy; Niraj Rana; Ateeq Junaid Suria; Toshisato Ono - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601057B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/45557: {Pulsed pressure or control pressure} - H10P 72/722: {Details of electrostatic chucks} - C23C 16/0209: {by heating} - C23C 16/4583: {the substrate being supported substantially horizontally} - C23C 16/505: using radio frequency discharges - H10P 72/0432: {mainly by conduction} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A method for processing a substrate comprises a) delivering a substrate to a pedestal of an electrostatic chuck (ESC) of a processing chamber; b) increasing a pressure in the processing chamber to a first predetermined pressure in a first predetermined pressure range; c) soaking the substrate at the first predetermined pressure for a first predetermined period without clamping the substrate; d) after the first predetermined period, ramping a clamping voltage supplied to the ESC to a first clamping voltage during a second predetermined period; e) after the second predetermined period, increasing the pressure in the processing chamber to a predetermined process pressure greater than the first predetermined pressure; and f) performing a treatment on the substrate at the predetermined process pressure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing a substrate, comprising: a) delivering the substrate to a pedestal of an electrostatic chuck (ESC) of a processing chamber; b) increasing a pressure in the processing chamber to a first predetermined pressure in a first predetermined pressure range; c) soaking the substrate at the first predetermined pressure for a first predetermined period without clamping the substrate; d) after the first predetermined period, ramping a clamping voltage supplied to the ESC to a first clamping voltage during a second predetermined period; e) after the second predetermined period, increasing the pressure in the processing chamber to a predetermined process pressure greater than the first predetermined pressure; and f) performing a treatment on the substrate at the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, after e) and before f), reducing the clamping voltage to a second clamping voltage less than the first clamping voltage when the pressure is greater than a second predetermined pressure that is greater than the first predetermined pressure and less than the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, during the second predetermined period, the pressure is maintained at the first predetermined pressure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a bowed substrate with bowing greater than 200 um at ambient temperature without clamping. ### Claim 5 A method for soaking and clamping a substrate, comprising: a) delivering a substrate to a pedestal of an electrostatic chuck (ESC) of a processing chamber; b) increasing a pressure in the processing chamber to a first predetermined pressure in a first predetermined pressure range during a first predetermined period, wherein the first predetermined pressure is greater than a predetermined process pressure; c) clamping the substrate using a first clamping voltage for a second predetermined period; d) decreasing pressure in the processing chamber to a second predetermined pressure in a second predetermined pressure range during the second predetermined period; e) increasing the first clamping voltage to second clamping voltage during a third predetermined period and increasing the pressure in the processing chamber; and f) performing a treatment on the substrate at the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the substrate comprises a bowed substrate with bowing greater than 200 um at ambient temperature without clamping. ### Claim 7 A method for soaking and clamping a substrate, comprising: a) delivering a substrate to a pedestal of an electrostatic chuck (ESC) of a processing chamber; b) increasing a pressure in the processing chamber to a first predetermined pressure in a first predetermined pressure range during a first predetermined period; c) after the first predetermined period, clamping the substrate at a first clamping voltage for a second predetermined period; d) after the second predetermined period, de-clamping the substrate during a third predetermined period; e) after the third predetermined period, clamping the substrate at a second clamping voltage for a fourth predetermined period; f) after the fourth predetermined period, increasing the pressure in the processing chamber to a predetermined process pressure; and g) processing the substrate at the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising after e) and before f) reducing the second clamping voltage to a third clamping voltage that is less than the second clamping voltage when the pressure is greater than a second predetermined pressure, wherein the second predetermined pressure is greater than the first predetermined pressure and less than the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the pressure during the second predetermined period is the first predetermined pressure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the pressure during the third predetermined period is the first predetermined pressure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first predetermined pressure is less than an arcing pressure. ### Claim 12 A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising: a processing chamber including an electrostatic chuck with electrodes; a gas delivery system configured to deliver a gas mixture to the processing chamber; a voltage source configured to supply a clamping voltage to the electrodes; and a controller configured to cause the gas delivery system and the voltage source to: a) increase a pressure in the processing chamber in one or more steps to a first predetermined pressure in a first predetermined pressure range; b) soak the substrate at the first predetermined pressure for a first predetermined period without clamping the substrate; c) after the first predetermined period, increase the clamping voltage supplied to the electrostatic chuck to a first clamping voltage during a second predetermined period; d) after the second predetermined period, increase the pressure in the processing chamber to a predetermined process pressure greater than the first predetermined pressure; and e) perform a treatment on the substrate at the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The substrate processing system of claim 12, further comprising, after e) and before f), the controller is further configured to reduce the clamping voltage to a second clamping voltage less than the first clamping voltage when the pressure is greater than a second predetermined pressure that is greater than the first predetermined pressure and less than the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The substrate processing system of claim 12, wherein, during the second predetermined period, the pressure is maintained at the first predetermined pressure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The substrate processing system of claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises a bowed substrate with bowing greater than 200 um at ambient temperature without clamping. ### Claim 16 A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising: a processing chamber including an electrostatic chuck with electrodes; a gas delivery system configured to deliver a gas mixture to the processing chamber; a voltage source configured to supply a clamping voltage to the electrodes; and a controller configured to cause the gas delivery system and the voltage source to: a) increase a pressure in the processing chamber in one or more steps to a first predetermined pressure in a first predetermined pressure range during a first predetermined period, wherein the first predetermined pressure is greater than a predetermined process pressure; b) clamp the substrate using a first clamping voltage for a second predetermined period; c) decrease pressure in the processing chamber to a second predetermined pressure in a second predetermined pressure range during the second predetermined period; d) increase the first clamping voltage to second clamping voltage during a third predetermined period and increasing the pressure in the processing chamber; and e) perform a treatment on the substrate at the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The substrate processing system of claim 16, further comprising after e) and before f), the controller is further configured to reduce the second clamping voltage to a third clamping voltage that is less than the second clamping voltage when the pressure is greater than a second predetermined pressure, wherein the second predetermined pressure is greater than the first predetermined pressure and less than the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The substrate processing system of claim 16, wherein the substrate comprises a bowed substrate with bowing greater than 200 um ambient temperature without clamping. ### Claim 19 A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising: a processing chamber including an electrostatic chuck with electrodes; a gas delivery system configured to deliver a gas mixture to the processing chamber; a voltage source configured to supply a clamping voltage to the electrodes; and a controller configured to cause the gas delivery system and the voltage source to: a) increase a pressure in the processing chamber in one or more steps to a first predetermined pressure in a first predetermined pressure range during a first predetermined period; b) after the first predetermined period, clamp the substrate at a first clamping voltage for a second predetermined period; c) after the second predetermined period, de-clamp the substrate during a third predetermined period; d) after the third predetermined period, clamp the substrate at a second clamping voltage for a fourth predetermined period; e) after the fourth predetermined period, increase the pressure in the processing chamber to a predetermined process pressure; and f) process the substrate at the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The substrate processing system of claim 19, further comprising, after e) and before f), the controller is further configured to reduce the clamping voltage to a third clamping voltage less than the first clamping voltage when the pressure is greater than a second predetermined pressure that is greater than the first predetermined pressure and less than the predetermined process pressure. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The substrate processing system of claim 19, wherein, during the second predetermined period, the controller is configured to maintain the pressure at the first predetermined pressure. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The substrate processing system of claim 19, wherein the substrate comprises a bowed substrate with bowing greater than 200 um at ambient temperature without clamping.