# US 2014/0154819 A1 · Power switching system for esc with array of thermal control elements > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154819 A1 - Document ID: US20140154819A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,745 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Lam Research Corporation - Applicants: Lam Research Corporation - Inventors: Keith William Gaff; Tom Anderson; Keith Comendant; Ralph Jan-Pin Lu; Paul Robertson; Eric A. Pape; Neil Benjamin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154819A1 ## CPC - H10P 74/207: {Electrical properties, e.g. testing or measuring of resistance, deep levels or capacitance-voltage characteristics} - H10P 72/0432: {mainly by conduction} - H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection} - H10P 72/0602: {Temperature monitoring} - H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A semiconductor substrate support for supporting a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing chamber includes a heater array comprising thermal control elements operable to tune a spatial temperature profile on the semiconductor substrate, the thermal control elements defining heater zones each of which is powered by two or more power supply lines and two or more power return lines wherein each power supply line is connected to at least two of the heater zones and each power return line is connected to at least two of the heater zones. A power distribution circuit is mated to a baseplate of the substrate support, the power distribution circuit being connected to each power supply line and power return line of the heater array. A switching device is connected to the power distribution circuit to independently provide time-averaged power to each of the heater zones by time divisional multiplexing of a plurality of switches. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor substrate support for supporting a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing chamber, comprising: a heater array comprising thermal control elements operable to tune a spatial temperature profile on the semiconductor substrate, the thermal control elements defining heater zones each of which is powered by two or more power supply lines and two or more power return lines wherein each power supply line is connected to at least two of the heater zones and each power return line is connected to at least two of the heater zones, a power distribution circuit mated to a baseplate of the substrate support, the power distribution circuit connected to each power supply line and power return line of the heater array; and a power switching device connected to the power distribution circuit to independently supply power to each one of the heater zones via one of the power supply lines and one of the power return lines so as to provide time-averaged power to each of the heater zones by time divisional multiplexing of a plurality of switches. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 1, wherein the power distribution circuit is formed on a first circuit board, the first circuit board having a conductive common plane that is attached to the baseplate and is at a electrical potential of the baseplate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 1, wherein the power switching device comprises a switching circuit and a control circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 2, wherein the power switching device is formed on the first circuit board. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 3, wherein the power switching device is formed on the first circuit board ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 1, comprising: a facilities plate attached to the baseplate of the substrate support such that at least the power distribution circuit is located in an electrostatically-shielded volume between the baseplate and the facilities plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 6, wherein the power distribution circuit is formed on a first circuit board, the first circuit board having a conductive common plane that is attached to the baseplate and is at a electrical potential the baseplate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 7, wherein the switching device is formed on a second circuit board, the second circuit board having a conductive common plane that is attached to the facilities plate and is at a DC electrical of the facilities plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 8, wherein the second circuit board is attached to an upper surface of the facilities plate and in a recess of the facilities plate, such that the second circuit board is within the RF-shielded volume between the baseplate and the facilities plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 6, wherein the RF-shielded volume between the baseplate and the facilities plate is a first RF-shielded volume, the substrate support further comprising: a metal cage attached to the facilities plate such that a second RF-shielded volume is formed between the metal cage and the facilities plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 10, wherein the second RF-shielded volume is below the first RF-shielded volume. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 11, wherein the power distribution circuit is formed on a first circuit board, the first circuit board having a conductive common plane that is attached to the baseplate wherein the conductive common plane is at a DC electrical of the baseplate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 12, wherein the power switching device is formed on a second circuit board, the second circuit board is DC isolated from ground and having a conductive common plane that is floated from ground and electrically connected to the facilities plate to maintain substantially the same DC potential of the facilities plate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 13, wherein the second circuit board is attached to a lower surface of the facilities plate, such that the second circuit board is within the second RF-shielded volume between the metal cage and the facilities plate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 6, further comprising: an electrically conductive gasket between outer peripheries of the baseplate and the facilities plate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 8, wherein the second circuit board of the power switching device is attached to a first surface of the facilities plate and comprises the plurality of switches as transistors on at least one surface of the second circuit board, each transistor extending between the first surface of the facilities plate and a second surface of the facilities plate, and wherein at a point of termination on the second surface of the facilities plate, the plural transistors are sealed from RF with a sealing member. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 1, comprising: at least one capacitor between each return line and the baseplate to shunt RF between the baseplate and the heater array so that the baseplate and the heater array are at a same RF potential. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 1, comprising: at least one RF filter configured to receive one of electrical power from a source and provide conditioned electrical power, respectively to the heater array via the switching device and the distribution circuit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second circuit boards comprise plural signal wiring or traces and filtering elements connected between each trace and respective conductive common voltage planes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 1, wherein the power distribution circuit includes memory that stores at least one of configuration data, identification data, operating data of the power switching device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 1, comprising: a communication module that provides wireless communication between the power switching device and a processor external to the plasma processing chamber. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The semiconductor substrate support of claim 21, wherein the power switching device is configured to encrypt and decrypt data signals communicated with the external processor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 9) The semiconductor substrate of claim 9, wherein the first circuit board is attached to a lower surface of the baseplate and in a recess of the baseplate. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The semiconductor substrate of claim 23, wherein the recesses of the baseplate and the facilities plate establish an RF shielded volume such that when RF is applied to the facilities plate RF current flows around the first and second circuit boards along outer surfaces of the facilities plate and the baseplate. ### Claim 25 A method of etching a semiconductor substrate in a plasma processing chamber, the plasma processing chamber having an electrostatic chuck assembly for supporting the substrate during plasma processing, the electrostatic chuck assembly including a baseplate and a heater array comprising thermal control elements operable to tune a spatial temperature profile on the semiconductor substrate, the thermal control elements defining heater zones each of which is powered by two or more power supply lines and two or more power return lines wherein each power supply line is connected to at least two of the heater zones and each power return line is connected to at least two of the heater zones, the electrostatic chuck assembly being mated to a power distribution assembly via the baseplate, the power distribution assembly including a power distribution circuit connected to each power supply line and power return line of the heater array and a power switching device connected to the power distribution circuit, the method comprising: independently supplying power to each one of the heater zones via one of power supply lines and one of power return lines to provide time-averaged power to each of the heater zones by time-divisional multiplexing of a plurality of switches of the power switching device. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, further comprising: communicating command and control messages between the power distribution assembly and an external processor. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein electrostatic chuck assembly comprises a facilities plate and the power distribution assembly is mounted to at least the baseplate in an RF-shielded enclosure between the baseplate and the facilities plate, the method further comprising: supplying RF power to the facilities plate such that RF current flows along outer surfaces of the facilities plate and the baseplate and around the RF-shielded enclosure. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, comprising: monitoring various parameters including at least one of temperature, voltage, and current via sensors of the power distribution assembly. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, comprising: storing values associated with the monitored parameters in memory.