Patent ID: 7394640

Claim:
An electrostatic chuck, comprising: a main body where a substrate is placed and held on a surface thereof: a first electrode group including one pair or more of electrodes arranged in a center region of the main body, the electrodes being electrically insulated from one another by the main body; and a second electrode group including one pair or more of electrodes arranged in an outer peripheral portion surrounding the center region, the electrodes being electrically insulated from one another by the main body; wherein the main body is integrally formed and the pairs of electrodes in the first and second electrode groups are embedded in the main body; wherein one or more pairs of the first electrode group receive a first voltage in a case where a substrate to be fixed by the electrostatic chuck has same thickness throughout; and wherein one or more pairs of the second electrode group receive a second voltage in a case where a substrate to be fixed by the electrostatic chuck has thickness that is thinner at its center portion than that at its peripheral portion where an amount of the second voltage corresponds to the peripheral portion.