IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,512,358
Granted Patent B2
US 12,512,358 · App. 18/377,752 · Granted Dec 30, 2025

Electrostatically secured substrate support assembly

Inventor: Arvinder Manmohan Singh Chadha (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H01L21/6833H01L21/67109H01L21/68742H01L21/68757H01L21/68785B23Q3/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,512,358
App. No.
18/377,752
Granted
Dec 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate support assembly includes a cooling plate and a chuck disposed on the cooling plate. The chuck includes one or more heating electrodes, and one or more clamp electrodes to electrostatically secure the chuck to the cooling plate. Another substrate support assembly includes a cooling plate, a first puck plate bonded to the cooling plate, and a second puck plate disposed on the first puck plate. The second puck plate includes one or more clamp electrodes to electrostatically secure the second puck plate to the first puck plate.

Claims (50)

1 . A substrate support assembly, comprising:

a cooling plate, wherein the cooling plate comprises one or more first clamping electrodes to electrostatically secure a chuck to the cooling plate; and

the chuck disposed on the cooling plate, the chuck comprising:

one or more heating electrodes; and

one or more second clamping electrodes to electrostatically secure the chuck to the cooling plate.

2 . The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cooling plate is a metal cooling plate, and the substrate support assembly further comprising:

a dielectric layer on the cooling plate.

3 . The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cooling plate comprises a dielectric material.

4 . The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the chuck is an electrostatic chuck comprising one or more third clamping electrodes to electrostatically chuck a substrate.

5 . The substrate support assembly of claim 4 , wherein the one or more clamping electrodes and the one or more third clamping electrodes are connected to a same power source.

6 . The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cooling plate further comprises:

one or more holes formed in a body of the cooling plate; and

one or more lift pins configured to pass through the one or more holes, wherein the one or more lift pins are to at least partially lift the chuck away from the cooling plate when actuated.

7 . The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

an o-ring at least partially surrounding an interface layer between the cooling plate and the chuck.

8 . The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

an interface layer between the chuck and the cooling plate.

9 . The substrate support assembly of claim 8 , wherein the interface layer comprises one or more gas channels that align with one or more channels in the cooling plate, and wherein a controller is to pump gas into the interface layer to facilitate separation of the chuck from the cooling plate during a chuck replacement operation.

10 . The substrate support assembly of claim 8 , wherein the interface layer has a texture on at least one of a top surface or a bottom surface to increase electrostatic coupling of the chuck to the cooling plate.

11 . The substrate support assembly of claim 8 , wherein the interface layer comprises at least one of a polymer, flexible graphite, an organic elastomer, Al, In, Ni, Ti, or an alloy comprising Ni—Ti or Mo—Mg.

12 . The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cooling plate further comprises:

a first dielectric plate comprising one or more third clamping electrodes to electrostatically clamp the chuck on the cooling plate; and

a second dielectric plate at least partially bonded to the first dielectric plate, wherein the second dielectric plate comprises one or more through vias for connecting the one or more second clamping electrodes or the one or more third clamp electrodes to a power source.

13 . The substrate support assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:

a bonding layer at least partially bonding the first dielectric plate to the second dielectric plate; and

an o-ring at least partially surrounding the bonding layer.

14 . The substrate support assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first dielectric plate and the second dielectric plate comprise at least one of a ceramic or an Al—SiC composite.

15 . The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the chuck and a top surface of the cooling plate comprise a mating feature to align the chuck with the cooling plate.

16 . A substrate support assembly comprising:

a cooling plate, wherein the cooling plate comprises one or more first clamping electrodes to electrostatically secure a chuck to the cooling plate;

a first puck plate bonded to the cooling plate; and

a second puck plate disposed on the first puck plate, the second puck plate comprising one or more second clamping electrodes to electrostatically secure the second puck plate to the first puck plate.

17 . The substrate support assembly of claim 16 , wherein the cooling plate is a ceramic cooling plate, and wherein the ceramic cooling plate is separated from the first puck plate by an interface layer.

18 . A method comprising:

disposing one or more plates of a substrate support assembly onto a cooling plate;

electrostatically securing the one or more plates of the substrate support assembly to the cooling plate; and

pumping a gas into one or more channels at an interface between a bottom plate of the one or more plates and the cooling plate to facilitate separation of the one or more plates from the cooling plate.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

extending lift pins in the cooling plate to lift the one or more plates above the cooling plate;

removing the one or more plates from the lift pins using a robotic arm;

placing one or more replacement plates onto the cooling plate; and

electrostatically securing the one or more replacement plates to the cooling plate.

20 . A method comprising:

disconnecting a power source powering a clamp electrode in a puck plate or a cooling plate;

pumping a gas into one or more channels of an interface between the puck plate and the cooling plate to facilitate separation of the puck plate from the cooling plate;

extending lift pins in the cooling plate to lift the puck plate above the cooling plate;

removing the puck plate from the lift pins using a robotic arm;

placing a replacement puck plate onto the lift pins;

lowering the lift pins to position the replacement puck plate on the cooling plate; and

electrostatically securing the replacement puck plate to the cooling plate.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2023
From: CHADHA, ARVINDER MANMOHAN SINGH
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 065488/0090 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250118586A1 · Apr 10, 2025
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