Stress balanced electrostatic substrate carrier with contacts

An electrostatic substrate carrier to carry a silicon wafer, the carrier comprising:

• a silicon substrate having a size configured for a silicon wafer;
• a first dielectric layer over the substrate;
• an electrostatic conductive electrode over the first dielectric layer to electrostatically hold the wafer;
• an electrical contact coupled to the electrode;
• a second dielectric layer over the electrode to electrically isolate the wafer from the electrode;
• and
• a third dielectric layer under the substrate to counter thermal stress applied to the substrate by the first and second dielectric layers, the silicon substrate and the third dielectric layer defining a through hole to allow external physical contact with the electrical contact.

A plasma processing chamber comprising:

• a plasma chamber;
• a plasma source to generate a plasma containing gas ions in the plasma chamber;
• and
• workpiece carrier to carry a workpiece for processing within the chamber, the carrier having a rigid substrate configured to support a workpiece to be carried for processing, a first dielectric layer over the substrate, an electrostatic conductive electrode over the first dielectric layer to electrostatically hold the workpiece to be carried, a second dielectric layer over the electrode to electrically isolate the workpiece from the electrode, and a third dielectric layer under the substrate to counter thermal stress applied to the substrate by the first and second dielectric layers.