# US 9,517,539 B2 · Wafer susceptor with improved thermal characteristics

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,517,539 B2
- Document ID: US9517539B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/471,772
- Filed: 2014-08-28
- Published: 2016-03-03
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-08-28
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Yi-Hung Lin; Jr-Hung Li; Chang-Shen Lu; Tze-Liang Lee; Chii-Horng Li
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517539B2

## CPC

- C30B 25/12: Substrate holders or susceptors
- B23Q 3/18: for positioning only
- C23C 16/4583: {the substrate being supported substantially horizontally}
- C23C 16/46: characterised by the method used for heating the substrate (C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence)
- C30B 25/10: Heating of the reaction chamber or the substrate
- H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection}
- H10P 72/0436: {mainly by radiation}
- H10P 72/7606: {characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring}
- H10P 72/7611: {characterised by edge profile or support profile}
- H10P 72/7616: {characterised by a coating, a hardness or a material}
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR
- 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
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A substrate-retaining device with improved thermal uniformity is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the substrate-retaining device includes a substantially circular first surface with a defined perimeter, a plurality of contact regions disposed at the perimeter, and a plurality of noncontact regions also disposed at the perimeter. The contact regions are interspersed with the noncontact regions. Within each of the noncontact regions, the first surface extends past where the first surface ends within each of the contact regions. In some such embodiments, each region of the plurality of contact regions includes a contact surface disposed above the first surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate-retaining device comprising:
a substantially circular first surface having a perimeter defined thereupon;
a plurality of contact regions disposed at the perimeter; and
a plurality of noncontact regions disposed at the perimeter and interspersed with the plurality of contact regions,
wherein the contact regions extend above the noncontact regions towards a retained substrate,
wherein the first surface within each of the noncontact regions extends past the first surface within each of the contact regions, and
wherein a contact surface of each of the contact regions is configured to contact an edge of the retained substrate without contacting either of two surfaces of the retained substrate that extend from the edge.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 1, wherein for each contact surface, a portion radially outward is higher than a portion radially inward.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 1 further comprising a second surface extending from the first surface in each of the noncontact regions and, within each of the contact regions, extending from the respective contact surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 3, wherein the second surface terminates at a vertical location coplanar with a top surface of the retained substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 1, wherein each region of the plurality of contact regions includes:
a vertical surface that extends from the first surface at an angle of about 90° to the contact surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 5, wherein for each contact surface, a portion radially outward is higher than a portion radially inward.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of contact regions has an arc length that is substantially equal to an arc length of each of the plurality of non-contact regions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 1, wherein the first surface is conical having an apex aligned with a center of the retained substrate, and wherein the apex is further from the retained substrate than the perimeter of the first surface is from the retained substrate.

### Claim 9

A device comprising:
a base portion having a substantially circular first surface and a cylindrical surface extending from the first surface; and
a ring portion disposed within the base portion and having a contact surface defined thereupon,
wherein the contact surface is configured to contact an edge of a substrate without the device contacting any surface of the substrate extending from the edge.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the contact surface is curvilinear.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the contact surface is planar.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the ring portion defines an air gap between the base portion and the ring portion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the base portion includes a material different from a material of the ring portion.

### Claim 14

A substrate-retaining device comprising:
a non-linear first surface having a perimeter defined thereupon;
a plurality of contact regions disposed at the perimeter; and
a plurality of noncontact regions disposed at the perimeter and interspersed with the plurality of contact regions,
wherein the first surface within each of the noncontact regions extends past the first surface within each of the contact regions, and
wherein each of the contact regions includes a contact surface configured to contact an edge of a retained substrate without the substrate-retaining device contacting a circumferential surface of the retained substrate extending from the edge.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 14, wherein the contact surface of each region of the plurality of contact regions is disposed above the first surface.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 15 further comprising a second surface extending from the first surface in each of the noncontact regions and, within each of the contact regions, extending from the respective contact surface.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 16, wherein the second surface terminates at a vertical location coplanar with a top surface of a retained substrate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 14, wherein each region of the plurality of contact regions includes:
a second surface that extends from the first surface at an angle of about 90° to the contact surface.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of contact regions has an arc length that is substantially equal to an arc length of each of the plurality of non-contact regions.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The substrate-retaining device of claim 16, wherein the contact surface of each of the contact regions is sloped upward towards the retained substrate.