Patent ID: 6496350
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: B23Q,H01L,H02N

Abstract:
An electrostatic chuck for holding a substrate for processing, the chuck comprising:a chuck body defining: (i) a wafer-mounting surface configured to contact an under-surface of a substrate whenever the substrate is electrostatically mounted to the chuck, (ii) a gap between the under-surface of the substrate and the chuck whenever the substrate is mounted to the wafer-mounting surface, (iii) multiple feed-through holes extending through a thickness dimension of the chuck body; (iv) a gas-inlet port situated and configured to conduct a heat-transfer gas to the gap so as to allow the heat-transfer gas to contact the under-surface of the substrate whenever the substrate is mounted to the wafer-mounting surface, (v) a gas-exhaust port situated and configured to conduct the heat-transfer gas away from the gap, and (vi) a respective first protrusion surrounding each feed-through hole, the protrusion being configured to separate the respective feed-through hole from the gap; and a respective lift pin situated in each feed-through hole, the lift pins configured to extend from the chuck body across the gap to the under-surface of the substrate, the lift pins being actuatable relative to the chuck body so as to contact the under-surface of the substrate and cause lifting of the substrate relative to the wafer-mounting surface.