Heated electrostatic chuck and semiconductor wafer heater and methods for manufacturing same

A support for at least one of a semiconductor wafer heater, a semiconductor wafer electrostatic chuck, and a semiconductor wafer heated electrostatic chuck, the support comprising:

• a metal base having an upper surface and peripheral side surfaces, the upper surface being adapted to support the at least one of a semiconductor wafer heater, a semiconductor wafer electrostatic chuck, and a semiconductor wafer heated electrostatic chuck;
• a heating element formed at least on portions of the outermost vertical peripheral side surfaces of the metal base;
• an electrically insulating layer between the metal base and the heating element;
• and
• a protective layer covering the heating element and any exposed portions of the peripheral side surfaces of the metal base.

A semiconductor wafer heater comprising:

• a base having at least one continuous, circuitous recess formed in an upper surface thereof;
• a thermal barrier coating layer formed by plasma spraying directly on the upper surface of the base and in the recess;
• a heating element formed directly and only on first portions of the thermal barrier coating layer that are arranged in the recess such that second portions of the thermal barrier coating layer that are arranged on the upper surface of the base electrically isolate adjacent portions of the heating element from one another;
• and
• an electrically insulating layer formed on the heating element and the second portions of the thermal barrier coating layer;
• wherein the thermal barrier coating layer is a ceramic material select from the group consisting of yttria-stabilized zirconia, alumina, zirconia, cerin, gadolinia, yttria, and mixtures thereof;
• and
• wherein a porosity of the thermal barrier layer coating decreases from a side adjacent the base toward a side adjacent the electrically insulating layer to provide a decreasing porosity gradient and decreasing coefficient of thermal expansion gradient with increasing distance from the base member within the thermal barrier coating layer.

A method of manufacturing a heated electrostatic chuck, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a base member having an upper surface and peripheral side surfaces;
• forming a recess pattern for at least one heating element on at least the upper surface of the base member;
• forming a continuous thermal barrier coating layer on the upper surface and the peripheral side surfaces of the base member by plasma deposition having a decreasing porosity gradient and decreasing coefficient of thermal expansion gradient with increasing distance from the base member within the thermal barrier coating layer in a thickness direction of the thermal barrier coating layer;
• forming a heating element layer directly on the thermal barrier coating layer at least on said upper surface by plasma deposition;
• removing portions of the heating element layer by grinding to expose portions of said thermal barrier coating layer between adjacent portions of the heating element layer and to control a thickness of the heating element layer;
• forming an electrically insulating layer by plasma deposition to cover the heating element layer and the thermal barrier coating layer on the upper surface of the base member;
• forming an electrostatic chucking electrode on at least a portion of the electrically insulating layer by plasma deposition;
• removing a portion of the electrostatic chucking layer by grinding to control the thickness thereof;
• forming a protective layer, comprising an electrically insulating material, by plasma deposition, over the electrostatic chucking layer;
• and
• removing a portion of the protective layer by grinding to control the thickness thereof.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer heater, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a base member having an upper surface and peripheral side surfaces;
• forming a recess pattern for at least one heating element on at least the upper surface of the base member;
• forming a continuous thermal barrier coating layer on at least the upper surface of the base member by plasma deposition;
• forming a heating element layer directly on said thermal barrier coating layer at least on the upper surface by plasma deposition;
• removing portions of the heating element layer to expose portions of the thermal barrier coating layer between adjacent portions of the heating element layer and to control a thickness of the heating element layer;
• forming a protective layer, comprising an electrically insulating material, by plasma deposition, over thermal barrier coating layer and the heating element on at least the upper surface of the base member;
• and
• removing a portion of the protective layer by grinding to control the thickness thereof;
• wherein the thermal barrier coating layer is a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of yttria-stabilized zirconia, alumina, zirconia, ceria, gadolinia, yttria, and mixtures thereof;
• and
• wherein a porosity of the thermal barrier coating layer decreases from a side adjacent the base member toward a side adjacent the protective layer to provide a decreasing porosity gradient and decreasing coefficient of thermal expansion gradient with increasing distance from the base member within the thermal barrier coating layer.

A method for manufacturing a support for at least one of a semiconductor wafer heater, a semiconductor wafer electrostatic chuck, and a semiconductor wafer heated electrostatic chuck, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a base member having an upper surface and peripheral side surfaces;
• forming a recessed pattern for at least one heating element on at least the peripheral side surfaces of the base member;
• forming a continuous thermal barrier coating layer by plasma deposition on the peripheral side surfaces of the base member by plasma deposition;
• forming a heating element layer directly on said thermal barrier coating layer on said peripheral side surfaces of the base member;
• removing portions of said heating element layer to expose portions of the base member between adjacent portions of said heating element layer, so that the heating element is located in positions corresponding to the recessed portions of the recess pattern and to control an overall thickness of the heating element;
• and
• forming a protective layer, comprising an electrically insulating, gas-tight material, by plasma deposition, over the heating element any exposed portions of the peripheral side surfaces of the base member;
• wherein the protective layer covers the heating element and any exposed portions of the thermal barrier coating layer on the peripheral side surfaces of the base member;
• wherein the thermal barrier coating layer is a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of yttria-stabilized zirconia, alumina, zirconia, ceria, gadolinia, yttria, and mixtures thereof;
• and
• wherein a porosity of the thermal barrier coating layer decreases from a side adjacent the base member toward a side adjacent the protective layer to provide a decreasing porosity gradient and decreasing coefficient of thermal expansion gradient with increasing distance from the base member within the thermal barrier coating layer.