# US 2013/0155569 A1 · High Conductivity Electrostatic Chuck > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0155569 A1 - Document ID: US20130155569A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/818,339 - Filed: 2011-09-08 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-08 - Assignees: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.; Entegris, Inc. - Inventors: David Suuronen; Lyudmila Stone; Julian Blake; Dale K. Stone; Richard A. Cooke; Steven Donnell; Chandra Venkatraman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155569A1 ## CPC - H02N 13/00: Clutches or holding devices using electrostatic attraction, e.g. using Johnson-Rahbek effect - B23Q 3/152: Rotary devices - H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks - H10P 72/722: {Details of electrostatic chucks} - H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is provided an electrostatic chuck comprising a conductive path covering at least a portion of a workpiece-contacting surface of a gas seal ring of the electrostatic chuck, the conductive path comprising at least a portion of an electrical path to ground; and a main field area of a workpiece-contacting surface of the electrostatic chuck comprising a surface resistivity in the range of from about 108 to about 1012 ohms per square. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrostatic chuck, comprising: a conductive path covering at least a portion of a workpiece-contacting surface of a gas seal ring of the electrostatic chuck, the conductive path comprising at least a portion of an electrical path to ground; and a main field area of a workpiece-contacting surface of the electrostatic chuck comprising a surface resistivity in the range of from about 108 to about 1012 ohms per square. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, wherein the conductive path comprises a surface resistivity of less than about 107 ohms per square. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 2, wherein the conductive path comprises a surface resistivity in the range of from about 105 ohms per square to about 107 ohms per square. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, wherein the conductive path comprises diamond-like carbon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 4, wherein the conductive path comprises doped diamond-like carbon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 5, wherein the conductive path comprises hydrogenated carbon doped with nitrogen. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, wherein the conductive path comprises a coating of a thickness less than about 1 micron. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, wherein the conductive path comprises a coating covering at least a portion of an outside edge of the electrostatic chuck. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 8, wherein the conductive path wraps underneath an insulator layer of the electrostatic chuck. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, wherein the main field area comprises silicon carbide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 10, wherein the main field area comprises a surface resistivity in the range of from about 109 to about 1011 ohms per square. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic chuck comprises a conductive grounding layer, at least a portion of which is underneath an insulator layer of the electrostatic chuck, the conductive grounding layer electrically contacting the conductive path. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the outside edge of the conductive grounding layer is covered by the conductive path. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 12, wherein the conductive grounding layer electrically contacts a grounding pin of the electrostatic chuck. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 12, further comprising an electrically conductive epoxy layer underlying at least a portion of the conductive grounding layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, wherein the main field area comprises at least one embossment extending above surrounding portions of the main field area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 16, further comprising a conductive coating on a workpiece-contacting surface of the at least one embossment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 17, wherein the conductive path of the electrostatic chuck and the conductive coating on the workpiece-contacting surface of the at least one embossment each comprise a diamond like carbon coating. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 17, wherein the electrostatic chuck comprises a conductive grounding layer, at least a portion of which is underneath an insulator layer of the electrostatic chuck, the conductive grounding layer electrically contacting the conductive path. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 17, wherein a base of the electrostatic chuck comprises a chamfered area on one or more edges of the base. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 20, wherein the conductive path electrically contacts the base through a conductive epoxy in the chamfered area. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 21, wherein the conductive path comprises a coating covering at least a portion of an outside edge of the electrostatic chuck, the conductive path wrapping underneath an insulator layer of the electrostatic chuck. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, further comprising at least one conductive pattern on the workpiece-contacting surface of the electrostatic chuck, the at least one conductive pattern electrically contacting the conductive path. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 23, wherein the at least one conductive pattern comprises a metal coated with a conductive coating. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 23, wherein the at least one conductive pattern comprises at least one of: a spoke extending towards the center of the electrostatic chuck; a ring around a gas hole of the electrostatic chuck; and a trace between at least one embossment on the workpiece-contacting surface of the electrostatic chuck. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 1, wherein the main field area of the electrostatic chuck comprises a polymer. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 26, wherein the main field area comprises at least one embossment extending above surrounding portions of the main field area, the at least one embossment comprising a polymer. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 26, wherein the main field area comprises a surface resistivity in the range of from about 108 to about 1010 ohms per square. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 26, wherein the conductive path comprises a conductive coating, the conductive coating also covering at least a portion of the main field area. ### Claim 30 An electrostatic chuck, comprising: a conductive path electrically connected to at least a portion of a workpiece-contacting surface of the electrostatic chuck, the conductive path comprising at least a portion of an electrical path to ground; and a main field area of a workpiece-contacting surface of the electrostatic chuck comprising a surface resistivity in the range of from about 108 to about 1010 ohms per square, the main field area comprising a polymer comprising carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) An electrostatic chuck according to claim 30, wherein the polymer comprises at least one of: carbon nanotube filled polyether imide; carbon nanotube filled polyether ether ketone; and carbon nanotube filled polyimide.