Liporace, James W.; Seirmarco, James A.;

Electrostatic chuck with diamond coating

An electrostatic chuck includes a body of refractory metal, preferably molybdenum, sized to support a semiconductor wafer. A first layer of diamond having a thickness in the range of 0.1-5.0 microns coats the refractory metal body. A pair of generally planar electrodes, preferably formed by molybdenum, are disposed on the first layer of diamond. A second layer of diamond, of like thickness as the first layer, conformally coats the pair of electrodes. A dc voltage applied across the pair of electrodes develops an electrostatic force to hold the wafer against the second diamond layer.

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What is claimed is:

1. An electrostatic chuck for supporting a wafer, comprising:

a conductive body;

a layer of diamond coating at least a portion of said conductive body; and

means for developing an electrostatic force, including two electrodes supported on said body between said body and said layer of diamond coating to hold said wafer against said layer of diamond.

2. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 wherein said conductive body comprises a refractory metal.

3. The electrostatic chuck of claim 1 wherein said means for developing an electrostatic force includes means for applying an electrical potential to said body.

4. An electrostatic chuck for supporting a wafer, comprising:

a body of conductive material;

a first layer of diamond coating at least a portion of said body;

two electrodes disposed on said first layer of diamond; and

a second layer of diamond over said two electrical conductors.

5. The electrostatic chuck of claim 4 wherein said two electrodes are generally planar.

6. The electrostatic chuck of claim 4 wherein said body of conductive material comprises a refractory metal.

7. The electrostatic chuck of claim 4 wherein each of said two electrodes comprises a refractory metal.

8. The electrostatic chuck of claim 4 wherein said first and second diamond layers each have a thickness in the range of 0.1-5.0 microns.

9. The electrostatic chuck of claim 8 wherein said first and second diamond layers each have a thickness in the range of 1.0-2.0 microns.

10. The electrostatic chuck of claim 4 and further including means for developing an electrostatic force for holding said wafer against said second layer of diamond.

11. The electrostatic chuck of claim 10 wherein said means for developing an electrostatic force includes means for applying an electric potential between said two electrodes.

12. An electrostatic chuck for supporting a wafer comprising:

a body of refractory metal including at least one planar surface sized to support said wafer;

a first layer of diamond coating at least said planar surface;

at least two generally planar refractory metal electrical conductors disposed on said first layer of diamond; and

a second layer of diamond coating said at least two electrical conductors.

13. The electrostatic chuck of claim 12 wherein said second layer of diamond is situated conformally to cover said at least two conductors and any regions of said first layer of diamond exposed between said two conductors.

14. The electrostatic chuck of claim 13 and further including means for developing an electrostatic force to support said wafer against said second layer of diamond.

15. The electrostatic chuck of claim 14 wherein said means for developing an electrostatic force includes means for applying a dc voltage potential between said at least two conductors.

16. The electrostatic chuck of claim 12 wherein each of said first and second layers of diamond are between 0.1 and 5.0 microns in thickness.

17. The electrostatic chuck of claim 16 wherein each of said first and second layers of diamond are between 1.0 and 2.0 microns in thickness.

18. The electrostatic chuck of claim 12 wherein said body and each of said at least two electrical conductors comprise molybdenum.

19. The electrostatic chuck of claim 12 and further including means for applying an rf signal to said body.

20. A method of forming an electrostatic chuck for supporting a wafer, comprising the steps of:

providing a conductive body;

forming a layer of diamond over at least a portion of said conductive body; and

developing an electrostatic force to hold said wafer against said layer of diamond, including the step of providing two electrical conductors supported on said body between said body and said layer of diamond.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said conductive body comprises a refractory metal.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of developing an electrostatic force includes applying an electrical potential between said two electrical conductors.

23. A method of manufacturing an electrostatic chuck for supporting a wafer, comprising:

providing a body of conductive material;

forming a first layer of diamond coating at least a portion of said body;

forming two generally planar electrical conductors on said first layer of diamond; and

forming a second layer of diamond over said two electrical conductors.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said body of conductive material comprises a refractory metal.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein each of said two electrical conductors comprises a refractory metal.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein said first and second diamond layers each have a thickness in the range of 0.1-5.0 microns.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said first and second diamond layers each have a thickness in the range of 1.0-2.0 microns.

28. The method of claim 23 and further including the step of developing an electrostatic force for holding said wafer against said second layer of diamond.

29. The method of a claim 28 wherein said step of developing an electrostatic force includes applying an electric potential between said two electrical conductors.

30. A method of fabricating an electrostatic chuck for supporting a wafer comprising the steps of:

providing a body of refractory metal including at least one planar surface sized to support said wafer;

forming a first layer of diamond over at least said planar surface;

forming at least two generally planar electrical conductors on said first layer of diamond; and

forming a second layer of diamond over said at least two electrical conductors.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said second layer of diamond is situated conformally to cover said two electrical conductors and any regions of said first layer of diamond exposed between said two electrical conductors.

32. The method of claim 31 and further including the step of developing an electrostatic force to support said wafer against said second layer of diamond.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said step of developing an electrostatic potential includes the step of applying a dc voltage potential between said first and second electrical conductors.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein each of said first and second layers of diamond are between 0.1 and 5.0 microns in thickness.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein each of said first and second layers of diamond are between 1 and 2 microns in thickness.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein said body and said layer of refractory metal each comprise molybdenum.

37. The method of claim 30 and further including the step of selectively applying an rf signal to said conductive body.