IP Library Granted Patent US 9,870,934
Granted Patent B2
US 9,870,934 · App. 14/810,492 · Granted Jan 16, 2018

Electrostatic chuck and temperature-control method for the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,870,934
App. No.
14/810,492
Granted
Jan 16, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electrostatic chuck includes a chuck base and cooling pipes. The chuck base has at least four cooling zones, in which the cooling zones viewed at a direction normal to the chuck base are fan-shaped. The cooling pipes are respectively disposed in the cooling zones of the chuck base. Therefore, the cooling pipes disposed in the different cooling zones can be controlled individually.

Claims (31)

1. An electrostatic chuck, comprising:

a chuck base having at least four cooling zones, wherein the cooling zones viewed at a direction normal to the chuck base are fan-shaped;

a plurality of cooling pipes respectively disposed in the cooling zones of the chuck base;

a plurality of additional cooling pipes respectively disposed in the cooling zones of the chuck base;

wherein each of the additional cooling pipes is surrounded by a corresponding cooling pipe in each of the cooling zones.

2. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 , wherein the number of the cooling zones is 2N+2, where N is a positive integer.

3. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 , wherein the cooling zones are symmetric to a center of the chuck base.

4. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 , wherein the cooling zones comprise a plurality of first cooling zones and a plurality of second cooling zones, the first cooling zones and the second cooling zones are arranged alternately, and an area of each of the first cooling zones is greater than an area of each of the second cooling zones.

5. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 , wherein the cooling zones viewed at a direction normal to the chuck base have the same area.

6. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 , wherein the number of the cooling zones is four, and the cooling zones comprise a first cooling region, a second cooling region, a third cooling region, and a fourth cooling region arranged clockwise in sequence, wherein the first cooling zone and the third cooling zone are symmetric to a center of the chuck base, and the second cooling zone and the fourth cooling zone are symmetric to the center of the chuck base.

7. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 , wherein the number of the cooling zones is four, and each of the cooling zones viewed at a direction normal to the chuck base occupies a quarter area of the chuck base.

8. An electrostatic chuck, comprising:

a chuck base having at least four cooling zones, wherein the cooling zones viewed at a direction normal to the chuck base are fan-shaped; and

a plurality of cooling pipes respectively disposed in the cooling zones of the chuck base;

wherein a first group and a second group of the cooling pipes are respectively provided with a first cooling liquid and a second cooling liquid, and a liquid velocity of the first cooling liquid is different from a liquid velocity of the second cooling liquid.

9. The electrostatic chuck of claim 8 , wherein the liquid velocity of the first cooling liquid is faster than the liquid velocity of the second cooling liquid.

10. An electrostatic chuck, comprising:

a chuck base having two first cooling zones and two second cooling zones, wherein the first cooling zones and the second cooling zones viewed at a direction normal to the chuck base are fan-shaped and are arranged alternately;

a plurality of first cooling pipes disposed in the first cooling zones of the chuck base, wherein the first cooling pipes are provided with cooling liquids with a first liquid velocity; and

a plurality of second cooling pipes disposed in the second cooling zones of the chuck base, wherein the second cooling pipes are provided with cooling liquids with a second liquid velocity, and the first liquid velocity is greater than the second liquid velocity.

11. The electrostatic chuck of claim 10 , wherein the two first cooling zones are symmetrical to a center of the chuck base, and the two second cooling zones are symmetrical to the center of the chuck base.

12. The electrostatic chuck of claim 10 , wherein each of the first cooling zones and the second cooling zones viewed at a direction normal to the chuck base occupies a quarter area of the chuck base.

13. The electrostatic chuck of claim 10 , wherein the number of the first cooling pipes disposed in each of the first cooling zones is two, and one of the first cooling pipes is surrounded by another of the first cooling pipes.

14. The electrostatic chuck of claim 10 , wherein the number of the second cooling pipes disposed in each of the second cooling zones is two, and one of the second cooling pipes is surrounded by another of the second cooling pipes.

15. A temperature-control method for an electrostatic chuck, comprising:

individually controlling temperatures of at least four cooling zones of a chuck base, wherein the cooling zones viewed at a direction normal to the chuck base are fan-shaped;

providing a first group of a plurality of cooling pipes disposed in the cooling zones with first cooling liquid;

providing a second group of a plurality of cooling pipes disposed in the cooling zones with second cooling liquid; and

controlling liquid velocity of the first cooling liquid to be V 1 and controlling liquid velocity of the second cooling liquid to be V 2 , and V 1 >V 2 .

16. The temperature-control method of claim 15 , further comprising:

controlling the liquid velocities of the first cooling liquid and the second cooling liquid to be distant from or closer to each other.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050695/0825 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2017
From: INOTERA MEMORIES, INC.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 041820/0815 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 3 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 10, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 041675/0105 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 29, 2015
From: CHANG, YI
To: INOTERA MEMORIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 036200/0965 →