Electrostatic chuck for clamping in high temperature semiconductor processing and method of making same

1. A method for the manufacture of an electrostatic chuck able to provide electrostatic clamping at high temperatures, said method comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of plate components into a stack in a process chamber, said plurality of plate components comprising:

a top plate layer, said top plate layer comprising sapphire;

a lower plate layer, said lower plate layer comprising ceramic;

a clamping electrode disposed between said top plate layer and said lower plate layer; and

a brazing layer disposed between said top plate layer and said lower plate layer around an outer periphery of said clamping electrode, said brazing layer comprising metallic aluminum at greater than 99% by weight;

removing oxygen from said process chamber; and

heating said plurality of plate components, thereby joining said top plate layer to said lower plate layer with a hermetically sealed joint.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of removing oxygen from said process chamber comprises applying vacuum to said plurality of plate components during the heating of said plurality of plate components, wherein a pressure is lower than 1×10E-4 Torr.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of heating the plurality of plate components comprises heating the plurality of plate components to a temperature between 800 C and 1200 C.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said step of heating the plurality of plate components comprises heating the plurality of plate components to a temperature between 800 C and 1200 C.

5. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 , wherein said lower plate layer comprises aluminum oxide.

6. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 , wherein said lower plate layer comprises aluminum nitride.

7. The electrostatic chuck of claim 2 , wherein said lower plate layer comprises aluminum oxide.

8. The electrostatic chuck of claim 2 , wherein said lower plate layer comprises aluminum nitride.

9. The electrostatic chuck of claim 3 , wherein said lower plate layer comprises aluminum oxide.

10. The electrostatic chuck of claim 3 , wherein said lower plate layer comprises aluminum nitride.

11. A method for the manufacture of an electrostatic chuck able to provide electrostatic clamping at high temperatures, said method comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of plate components into a stack in a process chamber, said plurality of plate components comprising:

a top plate layer, said top plate layer comprising sapphire;

a lower plate layer, said lower plate layer comprising ceramic;

a clamping electrode disposed between said top plate layer and said lower plate layer; and

a brazing layer disposed between said top plate layer and said lower plate layer around an outer periphery of said clamping electrode, said brazing layer comprising metallic aluminum at greater than 99% by weight; and

heating said plurality of plate components at a joining temperature at 770 C to 1200 C, thereby joining said top plate layer to said lower plate layer with a hermetically sealed joint.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said hermetically sealed joint has a vacuum leak rate of <1×10E-9 sccm He/sec.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said lower plate layer comprises at least one of aluminum nitride and aluminum oxide.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising removing oxygen from said process chamber, wherein the step of removing oxygen from said process chamber comprises applying vacuum to said plurality of plate components during the heating of said plurality of plate components, and wherein a pressure is lower than 1×10E-4 Torr.

15. A method for the manufacture of an electrostatic chuck able to provide electrostatic clamping at high temperatures, said method comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of plate components into a stack in a process chamber, said plurality of plate components comprising:

a top plate layer, said top plate layer comprising sapphire;

a middle plate layer, said middle plate layer comprising ceramic;

a bottom plate layer, said bottom plate layer comprising ceramic;

a first brazing layer disposed between said top plate layer and said middle plate layer, said first brazing layer comprising metallic aluminum at greater than 99% by weight; and

a second brazing layer disposed between said middle plate layer and said bottom plate layer, said second brazing layer comprising aluminum;

removing oxygen from said process chamber; and

heating said plurality of plate components, thereby joining said top plate layer to said middle plate layer with a first hermetically sealed joint and said middle plate layer to said bottom plate layer with a second hermetically sealed joint.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second hermetically sealed joints have a vacuum leak rate of <1×10E-9 sccm He/sec.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of heating said plurality of plate components comprises heating said plurality of plate components at a joining temperature of at least 770 C.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of heating said plurality of plate components comprises heating said plurality of plate components at a joining temperature at 770 C to 1200 C.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of said middle plate layer and said bottom plate layer comprise at least one of aluminum nitride and aluminum oxide.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of removing oxygen from said process chamber comprises applying vacuum to said plurality of plate components during the heating of said plurality of plate components, wherein a pressure is lower than 1×10E-4 Torr.