Patent ID: 8902561

Claim:
An electrostatic chuck, comprising: a clamping surface comprising a dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a field and a plurality of zones defined therein, wherein the plurality of zones comprise a central zone associated with a center of the clamping surface and a peripheral zone associated with a periphery of the clamping surface, wherein the field is comprised of a first dielectric material, and wherein the plurality of zones are comprised of a second dielectric material, wherein each of the first dielectric material and second dielectric material have different dielectric constants associated therewith, and wherein the central zone comprises a ring of the second dielectric material generally surrounded by the field; and one or more electrodes associated with the dielectric layer, wherein a voltage supplied to the one or more electrodes is configured to induce an electrostatic attraction force associated with each of the field and the plurality of zones, and wherein the electrostatic attraction force varies based on the dielectric material of each of the field and plurality of zones.