IP Library Granted Patent US 12,347,659
Granted Patent B2
US 12,347,659 · App. 18/735,379 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Electrostatic chuck assembly for cryogenic applications

Inventor: Vijay D. Parkhe (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H01J37/32724H01L21/6833H01J2237/2007H01J2237/334H01L21/67069
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,347,659
App. No.
18/735,379
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an electrostatic chuck assembly suitable for use in cryogenic applications. In one or more embodiments, an electrostatic chuck assembly is provided and includes an electrostatic chuck having a substrate supporting surface opposite a bottom surface, a cooling plate having a top surface, where the cooling plate contains an aluminum alloy having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of less than 22 ppm/° C., and a bonding layer securing the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck and the top surface of the cooling plate.

Claims (37)

1. An electrostatic chuck assembly, comprising:

an electrostatic chuck having a workpiece supporting surface opposite a bottom surface;

a cooling plate having a top surface, the cooling plate further comprising:

a stack of alternating layers comprising a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer comprises an aluminum alloy having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of less than 22 parts per million/° C. (ppm/° C.) and wherein the second layer comprises one or more metals selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, iron, nickel, zirconium, iron-nickel-cobalt alloys, alloys thereof, and any combination thereof; and

a bonding layer securing the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck and the top surface of the cooling plate.

2. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises about 80 atomic percent (at %) to about 90 at % of aluminum and about 5 at % to about 20 at % of silicon.

3. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises aluminum, silicon, and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, and alloys thereof.

4. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises about 30 at % to about 60 at % of aluminum, about 30 at % to about 60 at % of molybdenum, and about 5 at % to about 30 at % of silicon.

5. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy has a coefficient of thermal expansion of less than 20 ppm/° C.

6. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the first layer and the second layer independently contain a metal different from the other, and each metal has a different CTE.

7. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first layer comprises one or more metals selected from the group consisting of copper, indium, magnesium, alloys thereof, and any combination thereof.

8. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises about 5 at % to about 40 at % of silicon.

9. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stack comprises about 5 first layers to about 50 first layers and about 5 second layers to about 50 second layers.

10. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first layer has a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm, and wherein the second layer has a thickness of about 0.5 mm to about 2.5 mm.

11. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bonding layer comprises a silicone material.

12. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 11 , wherein the silicone material has a CTE of less than 150 ppm/° C., a glass transition of less than −60° C., and a Young's modulus of less than 1 MPa.

13. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrostatic chuck comprises about 50 heaters to about 200 heaters disposed therein, and wherein each heater is independently enabled to control temperature in a respective zone.

14. An electrostatic chuck assembly, comprising:

an electrostatic chuck having a workpiece supporting surface opposite a bottom surface;

a cooling plate comprising a stack of alternating layers comprising a first layer and a second layer, and wherein the first layer comprises an aluminum alloy and the second layer comprises a metal different than the aluminum alloy selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, iron, nickel, zirconium, iron-nickel-cobalt alloys, alloys thereof, and any combination thereof, and wherein the aluminum alloy comprises aluminum and silicon and has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of less than 22 parts per million/° C. (ppm/° C.); and

a bonding film disposed between the electrostatic chuck and the cooling plate.

15. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 14 , wherein the bonding film comprises a bonding layer.

16. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 15 , wherein the bonding layer comprises a silicone material.

17. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 15 , wherein the bonding film further comprises a secondary metal layer disposed between the bonding layer and the cooling plate, and wherein the secondary metal layer comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, iron, nickel, titanium, zirconium, iron-nickel-cobalt alloys, alloys thereof, and any combination thereof.

18. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 17 , wherein the secondary metal layer comprises metallic molybdenum, a molybdenum alloy, metallic tungsten, a tungsten alloy, metallic chromium, or a chromium alloy.

19. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 17 , wherein the secondary metal layer has a thickness of about 3 mm to about 12 mm and a CTE of less than 12 ppm/° C.

20. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 17 , wherein the bonding film further comprises an indium-containing layer disposed between the secondary metal layer and the cooling plate.

21. The electrostatic chuck assembly of claim 20 , wherein the indium-containing layer comprises metallic indium or an indium alloy and has a thickness of about 100 μm to about 1,000 μm.

22. An electrostatic chuck assembly, comprising:

an electrostatic chuck having a workpiece supporting surface opposite a bottom surface;

a cooling plate comprising a stack of alternating layers comprising a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer comprises an aluminum alloy and the second layer comprises a metal different than the aluminum alloy selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, iron, nickel, zirconium, iron-nickel-cobalt alloys, alloys thereof, and any combination thereof, and wherein the aluminum alloy comprises aluminum and silicon and has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of less than 22 parts per million/° C. (ppm/° C.); and

a bonding film disposed between the electrostatic chuck and the cooling plate, wherein the bonding film comprises a secondary metal layer disposed between a bonding layer and an indium-containing layer.

23. An electrostatic chuck assembly, comprising:

an electrostatic chuck having a workpiece supporting surface opposite a bottom surface;

a cooling plate having a top surface, the cooling plate further comprising:

a stack of alternating layers comprising a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer comprises an aluminum alloy having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of less than 22 parts per million/° C. (ppm/° C.) and wherein the second layer comprises molybdenum; and

a bonding layer securing the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck and the top surface of the cooling plate.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2024
From: PARKHE, VIJAY D.
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 068513/0193 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18237673 · Aug 24, 2023
Continuation 17317816 · May 11, 2021
Provisional Application 63151294 · Feb 19, 2021
Related Publication 20240331987A1 · Oct 3, 2024
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Cited By (3)
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