Abstract: A protective cover for an electrostatic chuck may include a conductive wafer and a plasma resistant ceramic layer on at least one surface of the conductive wafer. The plasma resistant ceramic layer covers a top surface of the conductive wafer, side walls of the conductive wafer and an outer perimeter of a bottom surface of the conductive wafer. Alternatively, a protective cover for an electrostatic chuck may include a plasma resistant bulk sintered ceramic wafer and a conductive layer on a portion of a bottom surface of the plasma resistant bulk sintered ceramic wafer, wherein a perimeter of the bottom surface is not covered. The protective layer may be used to protect an electrostatic chuck during a plasma cleaning process.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic plate and a cooling base coupled to the ceramic plate. A light absorbing object is disposed in the ceramic plate and a light transmission media is disposed in the cooling base. The light carrying medium is to direct light onto the light absorbing object to heat the light absorbing object.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic plate, a cooling plate coupled to the ceramic plate, and an optical guide coupled to the cooling plate. The ceramic plate comprises a top surface, a bottom surface and a first channel, wherein the top surface is to support a substrate. The cooling plate comprises a second channel. The optical guide is to direct light onto the substrate. At least a portion of the optical guide is disposed in the first channel in the ceramic plate and the second channel in the cooling plate.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for measuring the thermal performance of a wafer chuck, such as an electrostatic chuck. In one example, the apparatus ha a chamber, a base to support a wafer chuck in the chamber, a heater to heat the chuck, a window through the exterior of the chamber, and an infrared imaging system to measure the temperature of the chuck while the chuck is heated.

Abstract: A protective cover for an electrostatic chuck may include a conductive wafer and a plasma resistant ceramic layer on at least one surface of the conductive wafer. The plasma resistant ceramic layer covers a top surface of the conductive wafer, side walls of the conductive wafer and an outer perimeter of a bottom surface of the conductive wafer. Alternatively, a protective cover for an electrostatic chuck may include a plasma resistant bulk sintered ceramic wafer and a conductive layer on a portion of a bottom surface of the plasma resistant bulk sintered ceramic wafer, wherein a perimeter of the bottom surface is not covered.

Abstract: A control system that includes deflection sensors which can control clamping forces applied by electrostatic chucks, and related methods are disclosed. By using a sensor to determine a deflection of a workpiece supported by an electrostatic chuck, a control system may use the deflection measured to control a clamping force applied to the workpiece by the electrostatic chuck. The control system applies a clamping voltage to the electrostatic chuck so that the clamping force reaches and maintains a target clamping force. In this manner, the clamping force may secure the workpiece to the electrostatic chuck to enable manufacturing operations to be performed while preventing workpiece damage resulting from unnecessary higher values of the clamping force.

Abstract: Embodiments of substrate carriers and method of making the same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate carrier includes a substantially planar body; and a plurality of holding elements arranged on a surface of the substantially planar body, wherein the plurality of holding elements are configured to hold a plurality of substrates on the surface of the substantially planar body, and wherein the plurality of holding elements includes at least three holding elements disposed around a corresponding position of each of the plurality of substrates.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes a dielectric disk having a support surface to support a substrate and an opposing second surface, wherein at least one chucking electrode is disposed within the dielectric disk; a radio frequency (RF) bias plate disposed below the dielectric disk; a plurality of lamps disposed below the RF bias plate to heat the dielectric disk; a metallic plate disposed below the lamps to absorb heat generated by the lamps; a shaft coupled to the second surface of the dielectric disk at a first end of the shaft to support the dielectric disk in a spaced apart relation to the RF bias plate and extending away from the dielectric disk and through the RF bias plate and the metallic plate; and a rotation assembly coupled to the shaft to rotate the shaft and the dielectric disk with respect to the RF bias plate, lamps, and metallic plate.

Abstract: A gas distribution plate assembly for a processing chamber is provided that in one embodiment includes a body made of a metallic material, a base plate comprising a silicon infiltrated metal matrix composite coupled to the body, and a perforated faceplate comprising a silicon disk coupled to the base plate by a bond layer.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck is described that has radio frequency coupling suitable for use in high power plasma environments. In some examples, the chuck includes a base plate, a top plate, a first electrode in the top plate proximate the top surface of the top plate to electrostatically grip a workpiece, and a second electrode in the top plate spaced apart from the first electrode, the first and second electrodes being coupled to a power supply to electrostatically charge the first electrode.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck is described to carry a workpiece for processing such as high power plasma processing. In embodiments, the chuck includes a top plate to carry the workpiece, the top plate having an electrode to grip the workpiece, a cooling plate under the top plate to cool the top plate, a gas hole through the cooling plate and the top plate to feed a gas to the workpiece through the top plate, and an aperture-reducing plug in the cooling plate gas hole to conduct gas flow through the hole.

Abstract: A workpiece carrier suitable for high power processes is described. It may include a top plate to support a workpiece, a lift pin to lift a workpiece from a top plate, a lift pin hole through the top plate to contain the lift pin, and a connector to the lift pin hole to connect to a source of gas under pressure to deliver a cooling gas, for example helium, to the back side of the workpiece.

Abstract: A workpiece carrier suitable for high power processes is described. It may include a puck to carry the workpiece, a plate bonded to the puck by an adhesive, a mounting ring surrounding the puck and the cooling plate, and a gasket between the mounting ring and the plate, the gasket configured to protect the adhesive.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck comprises a ceramic body having a first surface and a second surface that is on an opposite side of the ceramic body to the first surface, the ceramic body comprising a through-hole between the first surface and the second surface. The electrostatic chuck further comprises a thermally conductive base that supports the ceramic body and comprises a second hole that lines up with the through-hole, wherein the second hole is to fluidly couple to a source of heat transfer gas. The electrostatic chuck further comprises a bonding layer between the ceramic body and the thermally conductive base, the bonding layer comprising a space between an opening of the through-hole on the second surface and the gas introduction path.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for measuring the thermal performance of a wafer chuck, such as an electrostatic chuck. In one example, the apparatus ha a chamber, a base to support a wafer chuck in the chamber, a heater to heat the chuck, a window through the exterior of the chamber, and an infrared imaging system to measure the temperature of the chuck while the chuck is heated.

Abstract: A gas is received through an inlet. A portion of the gas is supplied to an electrostatic chuck. A portion of the gas is re-circulated through a compressor. A pressure of the second portion of the gas is increased. The second portion of the gas is stored in a gas storage.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic plate having an optical transmittance of at least 60% at a predetermined wavelength, the ceramic plate comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface is to support a substrate. The substrate support assembly further includes a cooling base coupled to the bottom surface of the ceramic plate. The substrate support assembly further includes a light carrying medium disposed in the base, the light carrying medium to direct light having the predetermined wavelength onto the bottom surface of the ceramic plate, wherein a majority of energy from the light is to pass through the ceramic plate or light carrying medium attached inside holes of ceramic plate and be absorbed by the substrate.

Abstract: Implementations described herein provide a chucking circuit for a pixilated electrostatic chuck which enables both lateral and azimuthal tuning of the RF coupling between an electrostatic chuck and a substrate placed thereon. In one embodiment, a chucking circuit for an electrostatic chuck (ESC) has one or more chucking electrodes disposed in a dielectric body of the ESC, a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed in the dielectric body, and a chucking circuit having the one or more chucking electrodes and the plurality of pixel electrodes, the chucking circuit operable to electrostatically chuck a substrate to a workpiece support surface of the ESC, the chucking circuit having a plurality of secondary circuits, wherein each secondary circuit includes at least one capacitor of a plurality of capacitors, each secondary circuit is configured to independently control an impedance between one of the pixel electrodes and a ground.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a heated substrate support pedestal is provided. In one embodiment, the heated substrate support pedestal includes a body comprising a ceramic material, a plurality of heating elements encapsulated within the body A stem is coupled to a bottom surface of the body. A plurality of heater elements, a top electrode and a shield electrode are disposed within the body. The top electrode is disposed adjacent a top surface of the body, while the shield electrode is disposed adjacent the bottom surface of the body. A conductive rod is disposed through the stem and is coupled to the top electrode.

Abstract: A substrate support includes a plate comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface is to support a substrate. The plate further comprises an electrode, one or more resistive heating elements, a first plurality of channels, and a plurality of optical fibers in the first plurality of channels, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are removable from the substrate support.