IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,537,173
Granted Patent B2
US 12,537,173 · App. 17/953,205 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Substrate support pedestal

Inventors: Steven Joseph Larosa (Mission Viejo, CA); Stephen Prouty (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
H01J37/32724H01J37/3244H01L21/6833H01J2237/002
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,537,173
App. No.
17/953,205
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The systems and methods discussed herein are associated with substrate support pedestals used in processing chambers to manufacture semiconductors, electronics, optics, and other devices. The substrate support pedestals include an electrostatic chuck body bonded to a cooling base via a bond layer. A gas flow passage is formed between a top surface of the electrostatic chuck body and a bottom surface of the cooling base, and a porous plug is positioned in the gas flow passage. The gas flow passage passes through a hole in the bond layer and the porous plug and has a swept volume physically shielded from an inside edge of the hole in the bond layer, protecting the bond layer from erosion.

Claims (48)

1 . A substrate support pedestal, comprising:

a cooling base having a top surface;

an electrostatic chuck body having a bottom surface disposed over the top surface of the cooling base;

a bond layer securing the electrostatic chuck to the cooling base;

a gas flow passage formed between a top surface of the electrostatic chuck body and a bottom surface of the cooling base, the gas flow passage passing through the bond layer;

a porous plug disposed in the gas flow passage, the porous plug extending past a portion of the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck that is in contact with the bond layer, through a hole in the bond layer, and past a portion of the top surface of the cooling base that is in contact with the bond layer;

a sleeve disposed around the porous plug; and

a dead volume defined between the sleeve and the inside edge of the bond layer.

2 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 1 , wherein the porous plug is at least partially disposed in a chuck cavity formed in a bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck body.

3 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 2 , wherein the porous plug is at least partially disposed in a base cavity formed in a top surface of the cooling base.

4 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 1 , wherein the porous plug is coupled to the electrostatic chuck body via an adhesive layer or via a press fit.

5 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 1 further comprising:

a seal extending across a gap formed between the electrostatic chuck body and the cooling base, wherein an inside edge of the hole formed in the bond layer physically shielded from a swept volume of the gas flow passage by the sleeve.

6 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 1 , wherein the electrostatic chuck body further comprises:

a ring extending from a bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck body, the gas flow passage extending through the ring.

7 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 6 further comprising:

a sleeve positioned between the ring and the porous plug residing in the ring.

8 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 7 , wherein the sleeve extends from the ring to the cooling base, wherein an inside edge of the hole formed in the bond layer physically shielded from a swept volume of the gas flow passage by the ring and the sleeve.

9 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 1 , wherein a ring extends across a gap formed between the electrostatic chuck body and the cooling base, wherein an inside edge of the hole formed in the bond layer physically shielded from a swept volume of the gas flow passage by the ring.

10 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 1 further comprising:

a ring coupled to at least one of a bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck body and a top surface of the cooling base, the gas flow passage passing through the ring, the ring extending across a gap formed between the electrostatic chuck body and the cooling base, wherein an inside edge of the hole formed in the bond layer physically shielded from a swept volume of the gas flow passage by the ring.

11 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 1 , further comprising:

a ring extending from a top surface of the cooling base, the gas flow passage extending through the ring.

12 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 11 , wherein the ring extends across a gap formed between the electrostatic chuck body and the cooling base, wherein an inside edge of the hole formed in the bond layer physically shielded from a swept volume of the gas flow passage by the ring.

13 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 11 further comprising:

a sleeve positioned between the ring and the porous plug residing in the ring.

14 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 13 , wherein the sleeve extends from the ring to the electrostatic chuck body, wherein an inside edge of the hole formed in the bond layer physically shielded from a swept volume of the gas flow passage by the ring and the sleeve.

15 . A substrate support pedestal, comprising:

an electrostatic chuck body having a bottom surface bonded to a top surface of a cooling base via a bond layer, the bond layer having a thickness defining a gap between the electrostatic chuck body and the cooling base;

a gas flow passage formed between a top surface of the electrostatic chuck body and a bottom surface of the cooling base; and

a porous plug disposed in the gas passage and extending into the electrostatic chuck body from within the cooling base;

a sleeve disposed around the porous plug; and

a dead volume defined between the sleeve and the inside edge of the gas passage.

16 . The substrate support of claim 15 further comprising:

a ring extending from one of the electrostatic chuck body and the cooling base, and wherein the gas flow passage having a swept volume physically shielded from an inside edge of a hole formed in the bond layer by at least one of the sleeve.

17 . A substrate processing chamber, comprising:

chamber walls and a lid defining a processing volume; and

a substrate support pedestal disposed in the processing volume, the substrate support pedestal configured to support a substrate thereon, the substrate support pedestal, comprising:

a cooling base having a top surface;

an electrostatic chuck body having a bottom surface disposed over the top surface of the cooling base;

a bond layer securing the electrostatic chuck to the cooling base;

a gas flow passage formed between a top surface of the electrostatic chuck body and a bottom surface of the cooling base, the gas flow passage passing through the bond layer;

a porous plug disposed in the gas flow passage, the porous plug extending past a portion of the bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck that is in contact with the bond layer, through a hole in the bond layer, and past a portion of the top surface of the cooling base that is in contact with the bond layerU;

a sleeve disposed around the porous plug; and

a dead volume defined between the sleeve and the inside edge of the bond layer.

18 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 17 , wherein the porous plug is coupled to the electrostatic chuck body via at least one of an adhesive layer or via a press fit.

19 . The substrate support pedestal of claim 17 further comprising:

a seal extending across a gap formed between the electrostatic chuck body and the cooling base, wherein an inside edge of the hole formed in the bond layer physically shielded from a swept volume of the gas flow passage by the sleeve.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2022
From: LAROSA, STEVEN JOSEPH; PROUTY, STEPHEN
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 061278/0599 →
Continuity (3)
Division 16422692 · May 24, 2019
Provisional Application 62680224 · Jun 4, 2018
Related Publication 20230019718A1 · Jan 19, 2023
References Cited (51)
US 6490144B1 · Narendrnath et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6917508B2 · Kim · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 8449786B2 · Larson et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 9627240B2 · Yamaguchi et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9685356B2 · Parkhe et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9960067B2 · Anada et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10688750B2 · Parkhe et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20040120095A1 · Yanagida · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20040196614A1 · Miyaji et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20090034149A1 · Lubomirsky et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20090229753A1 · Ohmi et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100156054A1 · Sun et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20110272899A1 · Shimazu · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20130088808A1 · Parkhe et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20130308244A1 · Shiraiwa et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140376148A1 · Sasaki et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150279714A1 · Yamaguchi et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150332942A1 · Peh et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160276196A1 · Parkhe · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160276198A1 · Anada et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160352260A1 · Comendant · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170243726A1 · Kellogg · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170256431A1 · Parkhe · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180025933A1 · Ishimura et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180090361A1 · Sasaki et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190099977A1 · Parkhe et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190267277A1 · Sasaki et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200105568A1 · Pilgrim · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200279765A1 · Furukawa · 2020 [cited by examiner]
CN 101533763A · 2009 [cited by applicant]
CN 104952779A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP 2001102436A · 2001 [cited by applicant]
JP 2004088063A · 2004 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008047657A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2013131541A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
JP 2013243267A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015195346A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP 6110159B2 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017162899A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017206974A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018101773A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
KR 20150112777A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
TW 526521B · 2003 [cited by applicant]
Search Report /Office Action for Taiwan Application No. 108119261 dated Jan. 10, 2023. [cited by applicant]
Korean Office Action for Application No. 10-2019-0065387 dated Jan. 22, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action for Application No. 2019-103453 dated May 23, 2023. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2019/018589 dated May 31, 2019. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2020/029211 dated Aug. 12, 2020. [cited by applicant]
Chinese Office Action for Application No. 201910484041.5 dated Nov. 28, 2023. [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action for Application No. 2019-103453 dated Feb. 26, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Korean Office Action for Application No. 10-2024-0190662 dated Jun. 30, 2025. [cited by applicant]