IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,211,672
Granted Patent B2
US 12,211,672 · App. 18/632,060 · Granted Jan 28, 2025

Apparatus and method for plasma etching

Inventors: Jongwoo Sun (Hwaseong-si, KR); Kyohyeok Kim (Seoul, KR); Taehwa Kim (Hwaseong-si, KR); Haejoong Park (Yongin-si, KR); Jewoo Han (Hwaseong-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H01J37/32724H01J2237/2001H01J2237/334
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,211,672
App. No.
18/632,060
Granted
Jan 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for plasma etching having an electrostatic chuck including a base layer, a bonding layer, an adsorption layer including a plurality of protrusions on the bonding layer and contacting a lower surface of a substrate, and an edge ring spaced apart from and surrounding a lateral surface of the substrate; a plurality of coolant suppliers injecting a coolant between the plurality of protrusions; a plurality of pipes supplying the coolant to the plurality of coolant suppliers to circulate the coolant in a predetermined direction; a cooling device in which the plasma etching process includes first and second operations, wherein the coolant is injected to cause the electrostatic chuck to reach a first temperature during the first operation, and reach a second temperature during the second operation; and a controller controlling a valve connected to the plurality of pipes to determine a circulation direction of the coolant.

Claims (21)

1. An apparatus for plasma etching comprising: an electrostatic chuck disposed in a chamber in which a plasma etching process is performed, and including a base layer, a bonding layer disposed on the base layer, and an adsorption layer including a plurality of protrusions, the adsorption layer disposed on the bonding layer and contacting a lower surface of a substrate to be subjected to the plasma etching process; a plurality of pipes configured to supply coolant to the base layer to adjust a temperature of the electrostatic chuck; a cooling device configured to supply the coolant to cause the electrostatic chuck to reach a first temperature between about −40° C. and −5° C. during a first operation of the plasma etching process, and configured to supply the coolant to cause the electrostatic chuck to reach a second temperature between about 30° C. and90° C. during a second operation of the plasma etching process after the first operation; and a controller configured to control a valve connected to the plurality of pipes to control a circulation of the coolant, wherein the base layer includes a first region having a second diameter greater than a first diameter of the substrate, and a second region having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter, wherein the diameter of the bonding layer is equal to the third diameter, and wherein the adsorption layer has a fourth diameter smaller than the first diameter and equal to or greater than the third diameter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the substrate comprises a lower substrate and a molded layer stacked on an upper surface of the lower substrate, and

wherein the first operation is a main etching operation in which etching of the molded layer is performed, and the second operation is an over etching operation of forming a recess in the lower substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a direction of the circulation of the coolant during the first operation is different from a direction of the circulation of the coolant during the second operation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the controller determines a direction of the circulation of the coolant during the first operation, based on a process parameter of the plasma etching process, and

wherein the process parameter comprises at least one of a predetermined process period of time, a predetermined cycle of changing a circulation direction, or a critical dimension of an etched lower hole.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the controller determines a direction of the circulation of the coolant during the first operation, based on a sensor value included in the electrostatic chuck, and

wherein the sensor value comprises at least one of a temperature distribution of the electrostatic chuck or a pressure distribution of the coolant.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a pipe, through which the coolant passes among the plurality of pipes, is determined by a direction of the circulation of the coolant.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an edge ring disposed on the base layer to be spaced apart from a lateral surface of the substrate and to surround the lateral surface of the substrate; and

a ring bonding layer disposed between the edge ring and the base layer.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the ring bonding layer is formed of the same material as the base layer.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the ring bonding layer is formed of aluminum (Al).

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrostatic chuck further comprises a heat transfer block disposed on a lateral surface of the second region of the base layer between the first region of the base layer and the adsorption layer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein a diameter of the adsorption layer has a value between about 297 mm and 299 mm, and

wherein a width of an outermost protrusion among the plurality of protrusions has a value between about 1.5 mm to 4 mm.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0046956 · Apr 12, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17543794 · Dec 7, 2021
Related Publication 20240258084A1 · Aug 1, 2024
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