U.S. patent application number 10/965601 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-13 for heated substrate support and method of fabricating same.
Invention is credited to Rolf A. Guenther, Curtis B. Hammill.
Application Number | 20060075970 10/965601 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36144021 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060075970 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Guenther; Rolf A. ; et
al. |
April 13, 2006 |
Heated substrate support and method of fabricating same
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a substrate support is
provided herein. In one embodiment, the substrate support includes
a body having a support surface and at least one groove. A heater
element clad with a malleable heat sink is disposed in the groove.
Substantially no air is trapped between the clad heater element and
the groove. An insert is disposed in the groove above the heater.
The insert substantially completely covers and contacts the clad
heater element and the sides of the groove. A cap is disposed in
the groove above the insert. The cap covers and contacts the insert
and has an upper surface disposed substantially flush with the
support surface.
Inventors: |
Guenther; Rolf A.; (Monte
Sereno, CA) ; Hammill; Curtis B.; (Los Gatos,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PATTERSON & SHERIDAN, LLP
3040 POST OAK BOULEVARD, SUITE 1500
HOUSTON
TX
77056
US
|
Family ID: |
36144021 |
Appl. No.: |
10/965601 |
Filed: |
October 13, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
118/725 ;
118/728 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 29/49194 20150115;
Y10T 29/49925 20150115; Y10T 29/49083 20150115; Y10T 29/49915
20150115; Y10T 29/49162 20150115; C23C 16/4586 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
118/725 ;
118/728 |
International
Class: |
C23C 16/00 20060101
C23C016/00 |
Claims
1. A substrate support comprising: a body having a support surface;
at least one groove formed in the body; a heater element disposed
within the groove; and a heat sink circumscribing the heater
element and in contact with the heater element and the body.
2. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the heat sink
comprises: aluminum having a greater thermal conductivity than the
body.
3. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the heat sink
comprises: an aluminum alloy selected from series 1100 to series
3000-100 aluminum.
4. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the heat sink
comprises aluminum 3004.
5. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is
annealed.
6. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein substantially no air
is disposed between the heat sink and the heater element.
7. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein opposing walls of the
groove are flared outward.
8. The substrate support of claim 7, wherein the walls of the
groove are angled outward at an enclosed angle of less than about
three degrees.
9. The substrate support of claim 1, further comprising: a channel
formed proximate the bottom of the groove, wherein the channel is
substantially filled with the heat sink.
10. The substrate support of claim 1, further comprising: an insert
disposed in the groove above the heater element.
11. The substrate support of claim 10 further comprising: one or
more air relief holes formed through the insert.
12. The substrate support of claim 10, wherein the insert comprises
the same material as the heat sink.
13. The substrate support of claim 1, further comprising: a cap
disposed in the groove.
14. The substrate support of claim 13, wherein the cap has an outer
surface disposed substantially co-planar with the support
surface.
15. The substrate support of claim 13, wherein the cap comprises
the same material as the body.
16. The substrate support of claim 13, wherein the cap is at least
one of welded or forged in place.
17. The substrate support of claim 13, wherein the cap forms a
pressure seal between the heater element and an atmosphere outside
of the substrate support.
18. The substrate support of claim 1, further comprising: a
pressure seal disposed between the heater element and an atmosphere
disposed outside of the substrate support.
19. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of
the groove is roughened.
20. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the support surface
has a support area that is greater than or equal to about 550 by
about 650 millimeters.
21. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the support surface
has a support area that is greater than or equal to about 1500 by
about 1800 millimeters.
22. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the support surface
has a support area that is substantially polygonal.
23. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the body comprises
aluminum.
24. A substrate support, comprising: an aluminum body having a
support surface and at least one groove; a heater element clad with
a malleable heat sink and press fit into the groove; an insert
disposed in the groove, wherein the insert contacts the heater
element and the sides of the groove; and a cap disposed in the
groove, the cap having an outer surface disposed substantially
flush with the body.
25. The substrate support of claim 24, wherein the heat sink
comprises: an aluminum alloy in the range of from about aluminum
1100 to about aluminum 3000-100 series.
26. The substrate support of claim 24, wherein the heat sink
comprises: aluminum 3004.
27. A method of forming a substrate support, comprising: providing
a body having at least one groove formed in a surface thereof;
inserting a heater element into the groove, wherein the heater
element is encased in an outer cladding having substantially no air
pockets trapped between the cladding and the heater element, the
cladding adapted to be a heat sink; disposing an insert in the
groove over the clad heater element; and inserting a cap into the
groove, wherein an outer surface of the cap is disposed
substantially flush with the body.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the cladding comprises: an
aluminum alloy in the range of from about aluminum 1100 to about
aluminum 3000-100 series.
29. A method of forming a substrate support, comprising: providing
a body having at least one groove formed in a support surface
thereof; inserting a heater element into the groove, the heater
element clad with a material softer than the body and adapted to be
a heat sink; covering the clad heater element with an insert
disposed in the groove; and capping the groove with a cap having an
upper surface disposed substantially flush with the upper support
surface.
30. The method of claim 29, further comprising: venting gas from
between the heater element and the body through a channel provided
proximate a bottom of the groove.
31. The method of claim 29, further comprising: venting gas from
between the heater element and the insert through a plurality of
holes formed in and extending through the insert.
32. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of providing a body
further comprises: providing a body having at least one groove, the
groove having walls that taper outwardly from a bottom of the
groove to the upper support surface.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein the outwardly taping walls of
the groove form an enclosed angle less than about three
degrees.
34. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of cladding the heater
element further comprises: wrapping a conformable sheet of cladding
material around the heater element.
35. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of cladding the heater
element further comprises: drawing a tubing of the cladding
material having a larger diameter than the heating element through
a die and swaging the tubing around the heater element.
36. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of cladding the heater
element further comprises: cladding the heater element with a
material comprising an aluminum alloy in the range of from about
aluminum 1100 to about aluminum 3000-100 series.
37. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of cladding the heater
element further comprises: removing substantially all air between
the cladding and the heater element to form an integral bond
between the heater element and the cladding.
38. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of cladding the heater
element further comprises: annealing the cladding material.
39. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of inserting the clad
heater element into the groove further comprises: removing a native
oxide layer from surfaces of the groove prior to inserting the clad
heater element.
40. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of inserting the clad
heater element into the groove further comprises: working the
cladding to provide integral contact between the cladding and the
body.
41. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of inserting the clad
heater element into the groove further comprises: press-fitting the
clad heater element into the groove.
42. The method of claim 29, wherein at least a bottom portion of
the groove has a diameter which lies between the diameter of the
clad heater element prior to insertion into the groove and the
diameter of the unclad heater element.
43. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of providing a body
having at least one groove further comprises: roughening a bottom
surface of the groove.
44. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of capping the groove
further comprises: welding the cap in place.
45. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of capping the groove
further comprises: forging the cap in place.
46. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of capping the groove
further comprises: forming a seal between the heater element and an
atmosphere outside of the substrate support.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] Embodiments of the invention generally provide a substrate
support utilized in substrate processing and a method of
fabricating the same.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Liquid crystal displays or flat panels are commonly used for
active matrix displays such as computer and television monitors.
Generally, flat panels comprise two glass plates having a layer of
liquid crystal material sandwiched therebetween. At least one of
the glass plates includes at least one conductive film disposed
thereon that is coupled to a power supply. Power supplied to the
conductive film from the power supply changes the orientation of
the crystal material, creating a pattern such as text or graphics
that can be seen on the display. One fabrication process frequently
used to produce flat panels is plasma enhanced chemical vapor
deposition (PECVD).
[0005] Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is generally
employed to deposit thin films on a substrate such as a silicon or
quartz wafer, large area glass or polymer workpiece, and the like.
Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is generally accomplished
by introducing a precursor gas into a vacuum chamber that contains
the substrate. The precursor gas is typically directed through a
distribution plate situated near the top of the chamber. The
precursor gas in the chamber is energized (e.g., excited) into a
plasma by applying RF power to the chamber from one or more RF
sources coupled to the chamber. The excited gas reacts to form a
layer of material on a surface of the substrate that is positioned
on a temperature controlled substrate support. In applications
where the substrate receives a layer of low temperature
polysilicon, the substrate support may be heated in excess of 400
degrees Celsius. Volatile by-products produced during the reaction
are pumped from the chamber through an exhaust system.
[0006] Generally, the substrate support utilized to process flat
panel displays are large, most often exceeding 550 mm.times.650 mm.
The substrate supports for high temperature use are typically
forged or welded, encapsulating one or more heating elements and
thermocouples in an aluminum body. The substrate supports typically
operate at elevated temperatures (i.e., in excess of 350 degrees
Celsius and approaching 500 degrees Celsius). Due to these high
operating temperatures, the heating elements encapsulated in the
substrate supports are susceptible to failure due to local hot
spots that may form if the heat is not properly carried away and
distributed throughout the substrate support.
[0007] Although substrate supports configured in this manner have
demonstrated good processing performance, manufacturing such
supports has proven difficult and expensive. Moreover, as the cost
of materials and manufacturing the substrate support is great,
failure of the substrate support is highly undesirable.
Additionally, if the substrate support fails during processing, a
substrate supported thereon may be damaged. As this may occur after
a substantial number of processing steps have been preformed
thereon, the resulting loss of the in-process substrate may be very
expensive. Furthermore, replacing a damaged support in the process
chamber creates a costly loss of substrate throughput while the
process chamber is idled during replacement or repair of the
substrate support. Moreover, as the size of the next generation
substrate supports are increased to accommodate substrates in
excess of 2 square meters at operating temperatures approaching 500
degrees Celsius, the aforementioned problems become increasingly
more important to resolve.
[0008] Therefore, there is a need for an improved substrate
support.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Embodiments of a heated substrate support are provided
herein. In one embodiment, the substrate support includes a body
having a support surface and at least one groove. A heater element
clad with a malleable heat sink is disposed in the groove.
Substantially no air is trapped between the clad heater element and
the groove. An insert is disposed in the groove above the heater
element. The insert substantially covers and contacts the clad
heater element and the sides of the groove. A cap is disposed in
the groove above the insert. The cap covers and contacts the insert
and has an upper surface disposed substantially flush with the
support surface.
[0010] In another embodiment, a method of forming a substrate
support is provided. The method of forming the substrate support
includes the steps of providing a body having at least one groove
formed in an upper support surface thereof and cladding a heater
element with a material softer than the body, the material adapted
to be a heat sink. The clad heater element is inserted into the
groove. At least a bottom portion of the groove has a diameter
which lies between the diameter of the clad heater element and the
diameter of the unclad heater element. An insert is disposed in the
groove over the clad heater element and a cap is inserted into the
groove over the insert. An upper surface of the cap is disposed
substantially flush with the upper support surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] So that the manner in which the above recited features of
the present invention can be understood in detail, a more
particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above,
may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are
illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however,
that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of
this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of
its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective
embodiments.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of one embodiment of a
processing chamber having a substrate support of the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment
of the substrate support assembly of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a flow chart depicting an inventive method for
fabricating a substrate support; and
[0015] FIGS. 4-7 are partial cross-sectional views of a substrate
support assembly in varying stages of fabrication as described by
the method of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The invention generally provides a heated substrate support
and methods of fabricating the same. The invention is
illustratively described below in reference to a PECVD system, such
as a PECVD system available from AKT, a division of Applied
Materials, Inc., located in Santa Clara, Calif. However, it should
be understood that the invention has utility in other system
configurations such as physical vapor deposition systems, ion
implant systems, etch systems, other chemical vapor deposition
systems and other systems in which use of a heated substrate
support is desired.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of a
plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system 100. The system
100 generally includes a chamber 102 coupled to a gas source 104.
The chamber 102 has walls 106, a bottom 108, and a lid assembly 110
that define a process volume 112. The process volume 112 is
typically accessed through a port (not shown) in the walls 106 that
facilitates movement of the substrate 140 into and out of the
chamber 102. The walls 106 and bottom 108 are typically fabricated
from a unitary block of aluminum or other material compatible for
processing. The lid assembly 110 contains a pumping plenum 114 that
couples the process volume 112 to an exhaust port (that includes
various pumping components, not shown).
[0018] The lid assembly 110 is supported by the walls 106 and can
be removed to service the chamber 102. The lid assembly 110 is
generally comprised of aluminum. A distribution plate 118 is
coupled to an interior side 120 of the lid assembly 110. The
distribution plate 118 is typically fabricated from aluminum. The
center section includes a perforated area through which process and
other gases supplied from the gas source 104 are delivered to the
process volume 112. The perforated area of the distribution plate
118 is configured to provide uniform distribution of gases passing
through the distribution plate 118 into the chamber 102.
[0019] A heated substrate support assembly 138 is centrally
disposed within the chamber 102. The support assembly 138 supports
a substrate 140 during processing. In one embodiment, the substrate
support assembly 138 comprises an aluminum body 124 that
encapsulates at least one embedded heating element 132 and a
thermocouple 190. The body 124 may optionally be coated or
anodized. Alternatively, the body 124 may be made of ceramics or
other materials compatible with the processing environment.
[0020] The heating element 132, such as an electrode disposed in
the support assembly 138, is coupled to a power source 130 and
controllably heats the support assembly 138 and substrate 140
positioned thereon to a predetermined temperature. Typically, the
heating element 132 maintains the substrate 140 at a uniform
temperature of from about 150 to at least about 460 degrees
Celsius.
[0021] Generally, the support assembly 138 has a lower side 126 and
an upper surface 134 that supports the substrate. In one
embodiment, the upper support surface 134 is configured to support
a substrate greater than or equal to about 550 by about 650
millimeters. In one embodiment, the upper support surface 134 has a
plan area greater than or equal to about 0.35 square meters for
supporting substrates having a size greater than or equal to about
550 by 650 millimeters. In one embodiment, the upper support
surface 134 has a plan area of greater than or equal to about 2.7
square meters (for supporting substrates having a size greater than
or equal to about 1500 by 1800 millimeters). The upper support
surface 134 may generally have any shape or configuration. In one
embodiment, the upper support surface 134 has a substantially
polygonal shape. In one embodiment, the upper support surface is a
quadrilateral.
[0022] The lower side 126 has a stem cover 144 coupled thereto. The
stem cover 144 generally is an aluminum ring coupled to the support
assembly 138 that provides a mounting surface for the attachment of
a stem 142 thereto. Generally, the stem 142 extends from the stem
cover 144 and couples the support assembly 138 to a lift system
(not shown) that moves the support assembly 138 between an elevated
position (as shown) and a lowered position. A bellows 146 provides
a vacuum seal between the chamber volume 112 and the atmosphere
outside the chamber 102 while facilitating the movement of the
support assembly 138. The stem 142 additionally provides a conduit
for electrical and thermocouple leads between the support assembly
138 and other components of the system 100.
[0023] The support assembly 138 has a plurality of holes 128
disposed therethrough that accept a plurality of lift pins 150. The
lift pins 150 are typically comprised of ceramic or anodized
aluminum. Generally, the lift pins 150 have first ends 160 that are
substantially flush with or slightly recessed from an upper surface
134 of the support assembly 138 when the lift pins 150 are in a
normal position (i.e., retracted relative to the support assembly
138). The first ends 160 are generally flared to prevent the lift
pins 150 from falling through the holes 128. A second end 164 of
the lift pins 150 extends beyond the lower side 126 of the support
assembly 138. The lift pins 150 may be displaced relative to the
support assembly 138 by a lift plate 154 to project from the
support surface 134, thereby placing the substrate in a
spaced-apart relation to the support assembly 138.
[0024] The support assembly 138 generally is grounded such that RF
power supplied by a power source 122 to the distribution plate 118
(or other electrode positioned within or near the lid assembly of
the chamber) may excite the gases disposed in the process volume
112 between the support assembly 138 and the distribution plate
118. The RF power from the power source 122 is generally selected
commensurate with the size of the substrate to drive the chemical
vapor deposition process.
[0025] The support assembly 138 additionally supports a
circumscribing shadow frame 148. Generally, the shadow frame 148
prevents deposition at the edge of the substrate 140 and support
assembly 138 so that the substrate does not stick to the support
assembly 138.
[0026] FIG. 2 depicts a partial cross-sectional view of the heater
element 132 disposed in a groove 204 formed in the substrate
support assembly 138. The heater element 132 generally includes a
plurality of conductive elements 224 encased in a dielectric 222
and covered with a protective sheath 220. The heater element 132
further includes a cladding 210 which surrounds the sheath 220. The
cladding 210 forms an integral bond with the sheath 220, having
substantially no air pockets trapped between the cladding 210 and
the sheath 220. In one embodiment, the heater element 132 may be
clad by tightly wrapping a conformable sheet of the cladding 210
around the sheath 220. Alternatively, the cladding 210 may be
formed of a larger diameter tubing than the sheath 220, which is
then drawn through a die and swaged around the sheath 220 of the
heater element 132. It is contemplated that the heater element 132
may also comprise a conduit (not shown) for flowing a heat transfer
fluid therethrough having the cladding 210 circumscribing the
conduit.
[0027] Generally, the cladding 210 has good thermal conductivity
and is thick enough to be a heat sink at high heating rates to
substantially prevent hot spots on the heater element 132 during
operation. As such, the cladding 210 generally may comprise any
material with high thermal conductivity such that the cladding 210
is a sink for the heat produced by the conductive elements 224
during operation. The thickness of the cladding 210 required for a
given application may be computed based upon the required heat load
of the heater element 132. The cladding 210 is also generally
softer, or more malleable, than the body 124 of the substrate
support assembly 138 to prevent deformation of the groove 204 upon
insertion of the heater element 132. In one embodiment, the
cladding 210 may be made from a high purity, super plastic aluminum
material, such as aluminum 1100 up to about aluminum 3000-100
series. The cladding 210 may be fully annealed. In one embodiment,
the cladding 210 is formed from aluminum 1100-O. In another
embodiment, the cladding 210 is formed from aluminum 3004.
[0028] The heater element 132 is disposed in the groove 204, or
multiple grooves, formed in an upper surface 134 of the substrate
support assembly 138. Alternatively, the grooves 204 for receiving
the heater element 132 may be formed in the lower side 126 of the
substrate support. The groove 204 has walls 206 and a bottom 230
that are generally not held to tight tolerances during fabrication.
The groove 204 may be formed in the body 124 of the substrate
support assembly 138 in any number, size, or pattern as required to
produce a desired heat distribution profile utilizing the heater
element. 132. The groove 204 is generally deep enough such that the
heater element 132 is positioned in a desired location upon
insertion into the groove 204 and the depth may vary depending upon
the application. In one embodiment, the depth of the groove 204 is
calculated such that the heater element 132 is substantially
centered in the body 124 of the substrate support assembly 138.
[0029] In one embodiment, the groove 204 is wider in diameter than
the sheath 220 of the heater element 132 but narrower than the
diameter of the cladding 210 prior to insertion, as depicted in
FIG. 4. The heater element 132 is press-fit into the groove 204
such that the malleable cladding 210 deforms upon insertion into
the groove 204 and disrupt the native oxide layers, thereby
providing integral contact between the heater element 132 and the
groove 204. As the groove 204 is wider than the diameter of the
sheath 220, the conductive elements 224 and the dielectric 222 will
remain undamaged by the insertion of the heater element 132 into
the groove 204.
[0030] The walls 206 of the groove 204 may be substantially
straight and parallel. Optionally, the walls 206 of the groove 204
may be formed at a slight angle or taper, such that the bottom 230
of the groove 204 is slightly narrower than the top portion of the
groove 204. The angle of taper between the walls 206 is generally
less than 3 degrees, although larger taper angles are also
contemplated. The tapered walls 206 advantageously allows for
easier insertion of the heater element 132, while still being
narrow enough proximate the bottom 230 of the groove 204 to work
the cladding 210 and the body 124 to form integral contact
therebetween.
[0031] The bottom 230 of the groove 204 may be radiused to conform
with the shape of the heater element 132. Alternatively, or in
combination, the bottom 230 of the groove 204 may be roughened, or
textured, to facilitate forming a more tightly interlocking seal or
bond between the cladding 210 of the heater element 132 and the
body 124 of the substrate support assembly 138. The textured
surface further prevents movement between the heater element 132
and the body 124 of the substrate support assembly 138.
[0032] A channel 228 may also be provided in the bottom 230 of the
groove 204. The channel 228 allows air to escape during insertion
of the heating element 132 and further interlocks the heater
element 132 and the groove 204. Upon insertion of the heater
element 132 in the groove 204, a portion 232 of the cladding 210
deforms to fill the channel 228 to be in complete, integral contact
with the body 124 of the substrate support assembly 138.
Substantially no air pockets remain trapped between the cladding
210 and the groove 204, further enhancing heat transfer from the
heater element 138 to the body 124 of the substrate support
assembly 138. Optionally, prior to inserting the heater element
132, the groove 204 may be cleaned to remove any native oxide that
may be present on the exposed surfaces of the groove 204. For
example, the oxide layer may be abraded, etched with a caustic
material, or removed by coating the exposed surfaces of the groove
204 with a sub-micron thick inhibitor layer prior to insertion of
the heater element 132.
[0033] An insert 214 is disposed in the groove 204 above the heater
element 132 and in close contact with the cladding 210 and the body
124 of the substrate support assembly 138. The insert 214 is
generally made of the same materials as the cladding 210 and
further improves the heat transfer away from the heater element
132. A bottom portion 234 of the insert 214 may be curved or
otherwise shaped to conform more uniformly with the upper surface
of the cladding 210 of the heating element 132. A plurality of air
escape holes 226 may be formed in the insert 214 to allow air to
escape from between the bottom portion 234 of the insert 214 and
the heating element 132 during fabrication to further ensure
integral contact between the insert 214 and the cladding 210 of the
heating element 132. In one embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 6, the
insert 214 has a lower portion 602 in contact with the walls 206 of
the groove 204 and an upper portion 604 which is slightly relieved
and not in contact with the walls 206. For example, the upper
portion 604 may be relieved by several thousands of an inch. The
reduced surface contact between the insert 214 and the walls 206 of
the groove 204 facilitates easier insertion of the insert 214 into
the groove 204. The relief is removed when the insert 214 is
peened, rolled, pressed, or forged into the groove 204. The
softness of the material of the insert 214 allows this process to
occur without substantial yielding of the material of the body 124.
After insertion into the groove 204, the insert 214 may be machined
back to provide a true surface for a cap 218 that covers the insert
214.
[0034] The cap 218 covers the insert 214 and is disposed
substantially flush with the upper surface 134 of the substrate
support assembly 138. The cap 218 may comprise the same materials
as the body 124 and is generally affixed to the walls 206 of the
groove 204 to secure it in place. In one embodiment, the cap 218
may be welded to the body 124. Alternatively, the cap 218 may be
forged in place. It is contemplated that other methods of
affixation of the cap 218 to the body 124 of the substrate support
assembly 138 may be utilized equally as well as long as the union
between the cap 218 and body 124 can withstand the processing
conditions that the substrate support assembly 138 is subjected to.
Optionally, the cap 218 and/or the body 124 may be machined
coplanar to provide a smooth upper surface 134 for supporting a
substrate thereon. The substrate support assembly 138 may also be
machined on the lower side 126 to balance the heat distribution
from the embedded heater element 132.
[0035] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of one embodiment of a method 300 of
fabricating a substrate support assembly as described above. The
method depicted in FIG. 3 is further illustrated with reference to
FIGS. 4-7. The method 300 includes a step 302, wherein a heater
element 132 is encased with a cladding 210. At step 304, the heater
element 132 is inserted into a groove 204 formed in the substrate
support assembly 138. The heater element 132 may be forced into the
groove 204 by, for example, a mechanical or hydraulic press. It is
contemplated that other means may be utilized to insert the clad
heater element 132 into the groove 204. As shown in FIG. 4, the
groove 204 is generally slightly narrower than the diameter of the
heating element 132 due to the thickness of the cladding 210. The
malleable cladding 210 will deform upon the forced insertion into
the groove 204. This advantageously allows for substantially
complete contact between the cladding 210 and the groove 204, as
shown in FIG. 5. As also depicted in FIG. 5, in one embodiment, a
portion 232 of the cladding 210 will be forced into the channel 228
formed in the groove 204.
[0036] Next, at step 306, an insert 214 is inserted into the groove
204 to cover the heating element 132, as depicted in FIG. 6. The
insert 214 substantially fills the remainder of the groove 204 not
occupied by the heating element 132. The insert 214 may generally
be press-fit into the groove 204 by the same methods used in step
304 to insert the heater element 132. Upon installation of the
insert 214, there may be a net positive force on the heater element
132. As shown in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, an upper
surface 610 of the insert 214 remains slightly higher than the
upper surface 134 of the substrate support assembly 138 at the end
of step 306.
[0037] Finally, at step 308, a cap 218 (depicted in FIG. 7) is
inserted into the groove 204. The cap 218 may be inserted into the
groove by the same means used above in steps 304 and 308. The cap
218 compresses the insert 214 to apply a net positive force against
the heating element 132. Upon compression of the insert 214, the
relieved portion 604 of the insert 214 expands to come into contact
with the wall 206 of the groove 204. The amount of relief provided
to the upper portion 604 of the insert 214 and the extent to which
the upper surface 610 of the insert 214 extends above the upper
surface 134 of the substrate support assembly 138 may be calculated
based upon the amount of compression and deformation which will
occur upon inserting the cap 218 completely into the groove 204 and
flush with the upper surface 134 of the substrate support assembly
138. The expansion of the insert 214 should be calculated such that
it will fill the groove 204 to insure integral contact between the
insert 214 and the wall 206 of the groove 204 while not forcing the
groove 204 to open up, widen, or otherwise deform.
[0038] The step 308 of inserting the cap 218 into the groove 204 is
completed by affixing the cap 218 to the body 124 of the substrate
support assembly 138. Optionally, the upper surface 134 of the
substrate support assembly and the cap 218 may be machined to
improve the upper surface 134 for supporting a substrate
thereon.
[0039] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the
present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention
may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and
the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
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