Method of determining thermal stability of a substrate support assembly

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, perform a method of determining thermal stability of an upper surface of a substrate support assembly in a plasma processing apparatus, the method comprising:

• before processing of at least one substrate in the plasma processing apparatus and while powering an array of thermal control elements of the substrate support assembly to achieve a desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly, recording pre-process temperature data of the substrate support assembly,
• wherein the array of thermal control elements (i) form independently controllable zones of the substrate support assembly and (ii) are operable to control spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly, and
• wherein at least some of the thermal control elements generate heat when powered;
• after the processing of the at least one substrate in the plasma processing apparatus and while powering the array of thermal control elements to achieve the desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly, recording post-process temperature data;
• comparing the post-process temperature data to the pre-process temperature data;
• and
• determining if the post-process temperature data is within a predetermined tolerance range of the pre-process temperature data.

A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

• a substrate support assembly having an upper surface;
• an array of thermal control elements that (i) form independently controllable zones of the substrate support assembly and (ii) are operable to control spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, perform a method of determining thermal stability of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly, the method comprising:
• before processing of at least one substrate in the plasma processing apparatus and while powering the array of thermal control elements of the substrate support assembly to achieve a desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly, recording pre-process temperature data of the substrate support assembly;
• after the processing of the at least one substrate in the plasma processing apparatus and while powering the array of thermal control elements to achieve the desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly, recording post-process temperature data;
• comparing the post-process temperature data to the pre-process temperature data;
• and
• determining whether the post-process temperature data is within a predetermined tolerance range of the pre-process temperature data.

A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

• a substrate support assembly having an upper surface;
• an array of thermal control elements that (i) form independently controllable zones of the substrate support assembly and (ii) are operable to control spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly;
• and
• a circuit configured to:
• before processing of at least one substrate in the plasma processing apparatus:
• power the array of thermal control elements of the substrate support assembly to achieve a desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly;
• and
• while powering the array of thermal control elements to achieve the desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly, record pre-process temperature data of the substrate support assembly;
• after the processing of the at least one substrate in the plasma processing apparatus:
• power the array of thermal control elements of the substrate support assembly to achieve a desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly;
• and
• while powering the array of thermal control elements to achieve the desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the substrate support assembly, record post-process temperature data;
• compare the post-process temperature data to the pre-process temperature data;
• and
• determine whether the post-process temperature data is within a predetermined tolerance range of the pre-process temperature data.