Method of forming a composite substrate for layered heaters

1. A method of forming a heater assembly for use in semiconductor processing comprising the following steps in sequence:

individually forming a heater substrate and an application substrate such that the heater substrate is separated from the application substrate when the heater substrate is formed;

securing the heater substrate to the application substrate at an elevated temperature using a thermal bonding process to form a bonding layer after the heater substrate and the application substrate are formed;

applying a first dielectric layer onto the heater substrate by a layered process after the heater substrate is secured to the application substrate; and

applying a resistive heating layer onto the first dielectric layer by the layered process after the first dielectric layer is applied onto the heater substrate,

wherein the layered process is selected from a group consisting of thick film, thin film, thermal spray, and sol-gel processes and at a temperature lower than the elevated temperature at which the heater substrate is secured to the application substrate using the thermal bonding process, and

wherein the heater substrate defines a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is matched to a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material of the first dielectric layer, the material of the first dielectric layer not being capable of withstanding the elevated temperature of the thermal bonding process.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

applying a bond coat layer onto the heater substrate by the layered process after the heater substrate is secured to the application substrate;

applying the first dielectric layer onto the bond coat layer; and

applying a second dielectric layer onto the resistive heating layer.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal bonding process is selected from the group consisting of brazing, welding, soldering, diffusion bonding, epoxying, and vulcanizing.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the application substrate and the heater substrate form a composite substrate with at least two substrates.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the application substrate forms an integral part of a heating target to which heat from the heater assembly is transferred.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein each of the layers are applied by a thermal spray process.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein a circuit pattern is formed in the resistive heating layer by a laser removal process.

8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first dielectric layer is an alumina material, the heater substrate is a molybdenum material, and the application substrate is an austenitic stainless steel material.

9. The method according to claim 2 further comprising applying a topcoat layer over the second dielectric layer and subsequently removing portions of the topcoat with a process to achieve a predetermined surface flatness.

10. The method according to claim 2 , wherein each of the steps is performed in sequence.

11. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the resistive heating layer is formed of a material having sufficient temperature coefficient of resistance such that the heating layer functions as both a heater and a temperature sensor.

12. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the heater substrate is brazed to the application substrate.

13. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the composite substrate further comprises more than two substrates such that there is a gradual transition over the composite substrate in terms of coefficient of thermal expansion.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the topcoat is non-uniform, such that a predetermined level of surface flatness is achieved.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein a silver brazing material is used.

16. A method of forming a heated electrostatic chuck, the method comprising:

providing an electrostatic chuck having a chuck top;

securing an application substrate to the chuck top; and

forming a heater assembly, comprising:

forming a heater substrate, wherein the heater substrate and the application substrate are individually formed such that the heater substrate is separated from the application substrate when the heater substrate is formed;

securing the heater substrate to the application substrate at an elevated temperature using a thermal bonding process to form a bonding layer after the heater substrate and the application substrate are formed;

applying a first dielectric layer onto the heater substrate by a layered process after the heater substrate is secured to the application substrate; and

applying a resistive heating layer onto the first dielectric layer by the layered process after the first dielectric layer is applied onto the heater substrate,

wherein the layered process is selected from a group consisting of thick film, thin film, thermal spray, and sol-gel processes and at a temperature lower than the elevated temperature at which the heater substrate is secured to the application substrate using the thermal bonding process, and

wherein the heater substrate defines a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is matched to a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material of the first dielectric layer, the material of the first dielectric not being capable of withstanding the elevated temperature of the thermal bonding process.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:

applying a bond coat layer onto the heater substrate by the layered process after the heater substrate is secured to the application substrate;

applying the first dielectric layer onto the bond coat layer; and

applying a second dielectric layer onto the resistive heating layer.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the thermal bonding process is selected from the group consisting of brazing, welding, soldering, diffusion bonding, epoxying, and vulcanizing.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein each of the layers are applied by a thermal spray process.