Polar regions for electrostatic de-chucking with lift pins
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorJennifer Fangli Hao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for electrostatic chucking and dechucking of a semiconductor wafer includes an electrostatic chuck with a number of zones. Each zone includes one or more polar regions around a lift pin that contacts a bottom surface of the semiconductor wafer. The apparatus also includes one or more controllers that control the lift pins and one or more controllers that control the polar regions. The controller for the lift pins receives data from one or more sensors and uses the data to adjust the upward force of the lift pins. Likewise, the controller for the polar regions receives data from the sensors and uses the data to adjust the voltage in the polar regions.
Claims28
An apparatus for electrostatic chucking and dechucking, comprising:
- an electrostatic chuck with a plurality of zones, wherein each zone includes one or more polar regions around a lift pin for contacting a bottom surface of a substrate;
- one or more controllers that control the lift pins;
- and
- one or more controllers that control the polar regions.
An automated method for processing a substrate for manufacturing integrated circuits, comprising operations of:
- placing the substrate on an electrostatic chuck in a process chamber, wherein the electrostatic chuck includes a plurality of zones and wherein each zone includes one or more polar regions around a lift pin moved by pneumatic pressure;
- clamping the substrate to the electrostatic chuck by applying a voltage to the one or more polar regions;
- processing the substrate;
- terminating the processing operation;
- applying another voltage to the one or more polar regions of the one or more zones to initiate dechucking;
- causing one or more lift pins to come into contact with a bottom surface of the substrate;
- and
- measuring, with a sensor, an electrostatic force between the substrate and the electrostatic chuck.
A chamber for processing a semiconductor wafer, the chamber comprising:
- an electrostatic chuck defined to support a substrate, the electrostatic chuck having a plurality of bores for receiving lift pins for engaging the substrate when present, the electrostatic chuck including a plurality of polar regions that are defined to at least partially surround each of the plurality of bores.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.