Lam Research Corporation
Ceramic foam for helium light-up suppression

Abstract:

A substrate support assembly for use in an electrostatic chuck (ESC) in a chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is presented for eliminating thermal conductance gas light-up. In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly includes a dielectric block having an upper surface for interfacing with a substrate support surface and a lower surface configured for interfacing with a baseplate. The assembly further includes a plurality of plug channels for introducing gas through the dielectric block to a temperature conduction region between the substrate support surface and a lower surface of the substrate. Each of plug channels contains a ceramic foam plug having a body and a pre-formed pore matrix that is integrally distributed through the body for reducing the mean free path of the gas.