TW202445745A - Electrostatic substrate support - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrostatic chuck (ESC) including a ceramic body having a first surface with two or more regions defined on the first surface arranged concentrically with respect to each other on the first surface. Each region includes a retaining ring arranged on the first surface and defining an outer edge of the region, and structures arranged on the first surface and within the region configured to support a surface of a substrate when the substrate is retained by the electrostatic chuck. The ESC includes gas conduits configured to introduce a gas into the two or more regions through the ceramic body and to the first surface, and embedded electrodes within the ceramic body and arranged with respect to the first surface and configured to generate a retaining force on the surface of the substrate.

Description

Electrostatic substrate support

This application claims the benefit of priority under patent law to U.S. Patent Application No. 18/210,328 filed on June 15, 2023 and Indian Patent Application No. 202341032416 filed on May 8, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

This manual relates to semiconductor systems, processes, and equipment.

Plasma etching can be used in semiconductor processing to fabricate integrated circuits. Integrated circuits can be formed from layer structures that include multiple (e.g., two or more) layer compositions. Different etch gas chemistries (e.g., different mixtures of gases) can be used to form the plasma in the processing environment so that a given etch gas chemistry can have increased precision and higher selectivity for the layer composition to be etched. As scaling of integrated circuits continues toward smaller features and increased aspect ratios, the need for precision etching of layer structures is increasing.

This specification describes techniques for electrostatic chucks and related components. These techniques generally involve using additive manufacturing techniques to design and manufacture electrostatic chucks for use in substrate processing chambers.

As used in this specification, a substrate refers to a wafer or another carrier structure, such as a glass plate. A wafer may include a semiconductor material, such as silicon, GaAs, InP, or another semiconductor-based wafer material. A wafer may include an insulator material, such as silicon-on-insulator (SOI), diamond, etc. Sometimes, a substrate includes a film formed on the surface of the wafer/carrier structure. The film may be, for example, a dielectric film, a conductive film, or an insulating film. The film can be formed on the surface of the wafer using various deposition techniques, such as spin coating, atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), or other similar techniques for forming thin film layers on a wafer or another carrier structure. In some embodiments, the fabrication tools described in this specification are plasma-based etching tools, where the etching process can be performed on the surface of the wafer/carrier structure and/or on the layer formed on the wafer.

Generally, an innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in an electrostatic chuck (ESC) structure embodied in a machine-readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design. The ESC includes a ceramic body having a first surface and two or more regions defined on the first surface, wherein the two or more regions are concentrically arranged relative to each other on the first surface. Each region includes a retaining ring disposed on the first surface and defining an outer edge of the region, and a plurality of structures disposed on the first surface and within the region, the plurality of structures being configured to support a surface of a substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck. The ESC may include a sensor embedded within a portion of a ceramic body, wherein the portion of the sensor is disposed relative to a first surface of the ceramic body, and wherein the sensor is configured to collect measurements of a surface of a substrate (e.g., direct or indirect measurements of the surface of the substrate) while the substrate is held by an electrostatic chuck. The ESC includes one or more gas conduits configured to introduce gas through the ceramic body into two or more regions and into the first surface, wherein the two or more regions are configured to maintain positive gas pressure within the respective regions and the substrate surface while the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck. The ESC includes one or more embedded electrodes within the ceramic body and disposed relative to the first surface, wherein the one or more electrodes are configured to generate a holding force on the substrate surface while the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck.

Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding methods, computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices.

In general, another innovative aspect of the subject matter in the specification can be embodied in a method of manufacturing an electrostatic chuck (ESC) structure. The method includes forming a plurality of layers by an additive manufacturing system, the plurality of layers including a ceramic body having a first surface, two or more regions defined on the first surface, wherein the two or more regions are concentrically disposed relative to each other on the first surface, and wherein the region includes a retaining ring disposed on the first surface and defining an outer edge of the region, and a plurality of support structures disposed on the first surface and within the region and configured to support the surface of a substrate when the substrate is retained by the electrostatic chuck. The plurality of layers include gas conduits configured to introduce gas through the ceramic body into the two or more regions and to the first surface. The method includes embedding one or more embedded electrodes in a ceramic body and arranged relative to a first surface during formation of a plurality of layers, and embedding a sensor in a portion of the ceramic body, wherein a portion of the sensor is arranged relative to the first surface of the ceramic body.

Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the method.

The subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in these and other embodiments to achieve one or more of the following advantages. Using additive manufacturing (AM) technology to manufacture electrostatic chucks (ESCs) can overcome challenges in methods for manufacturing ESCs, improve yields and increase complexity, and open up material possibilities. The design flexibility of embedded electrodes used to apply clamping forces or generate local heating in the ceramic body of the ESC can be improved using AM. For example, AM can open up design space for features of the ESC. For example, AM can be used to open up design space for embedded electrodes, such as placement/alignment, size, and shape of the electrodes. In another example, AM can be used to introduce features that are unavailable or cost-prohibitive using traditional non-AM technologies, such as embedded sensors, complex internal channels/pipes, etc. AM techniques can be used to open up design space for support structures (e.g., mesas) on the surface of an ESC. For example, AM can be used to form mesas that are cost-prohibitive or unavailable using traditional non-AM techniques (e.g., pyramidal mesas).

AM-specific designs can be used to control heat transfer coefficients between a substrate and an ESC, where one or more of the type, shape, distribution (e.g., pattern), density, and size of the mesa is selected depending on the process requirements of the chamber and/or manufacturing process. For example, a tapered mesa design can be used to reduce the contact area with the substrate (low contact area) and increase the volume available for backside cooling gas for convective heat transfer and conduction with the substrate. In another example, diagnostic capabilities and closed-loop control and monitoring performance of ESC parameters can be improved using AM technology.

AM techniques can result in improved control over the fidelity of manufactured parts (e.g., reduced defects), which can lead to better performance of manufactured parts, such as reduced helium leaks, improved capacitance, tighter (critical) dimensional control, reduced cracking due to processing, etc. For example, AM can be used to improve the planarity of embedded electrodes that can be challenging using traditional non-AM techniques, which can improve the performance of the embedded electrodes operating as clamped electrodes by improving the shunt capacitance created by the embedded electrodes.

Furthermore, AM techniques can be used to refurbish/regenerate/modify existing ESCs, which can lead to increased lifespan and reduced costs of ESC components through reuse rather than complete replacement. The refurbishment/modification process can target localized degradation, e.g., due to use in a processing environment and exposure to plasma and etching chemicals, in order to restore functionality of the ESC for continued target performance and use. Localized AM-based regeneration techniques for refurbishment can reduce the cost, material consumption, and time of refurbishment. Furthermore, refurbishment/modification can be used to update existing components rather than manufacturing entirely new components to integrate new features.

Although the remainder of the disclosure will identify specific processes for etch-based fabrication tools using the disclosed technology, it will be readily understood that the systems and methods are equally applicable to a variety of other fabrication tools and chambers. Thus, the technology should not be considered limited to use with only the described etch fabrication tools. Prior to describing systems and methods or operations of exemplary fabrication sequences according to some embodiments of the technology, the disclosure will discuss one possible system and chamber that may be used with the technology. It will be understood that the technology is not limited to the described apparatus and that the processes discussed may be performed in any number of processing chambers and systems.

The present disclosure provides improved methods and assemblies for manufacturing an electrostatic chuck (ESC) for use in a substrate processing chamber using additive manufacturing. Embodiments of the present disclosure include an electrostatic chuck design enabled by additive manufacturing, wherein the design parameters of the ESC can be determined by the design window of the additive manufacturing system and process.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of an example processing chamber 100 suitable for etching one or more material layers disposed on a substrate 103 (e.g., also referred to as a “wafer”) in the processing chamber 100 (e.g., a plasma processing chamber). The processing chamber 100 includes a chamber body 105 defining a chamber volume 101 in which the substrate may be processed. The chamber body 105 has sidewalls 112 and a bottom 118 coupled to a floor 126. The sidewalls 112 may include liners 115 for protecting the sidewalls 112 and extending the time between maintenance cycles of the plasma processing chamber 100. The chamber body 105 supports a chamber lid assembly 110 to enclose the chamber volume 101. The chamber body 105 can be made of, for example, ceramic, aluminum, or other suitable materials. A substrate access port 113 is formed through a side wall 112 of the chamber body 105, which can facilitate transferring the substrate 103 into and out of the plasma processing chamber 100. The access port 113 can be coupled to a transfer chamber and/or other chambers (not shown) of a substrate processing system, for example, for performing other processes on the substrate. A pumping port 145 is formed through a bottom 118 of the chamber body 105 and is connected to the chamber volume 101. A pumping device can be coupled to the chamber volume 101 through the pumping port 145 to evacuate and control the pressure within the processing volume. The pumping device can include one or more pumps and a throttle valve.

The chamber volume 101 includes a processing region 107, such as a station for processing a substrate. A substrate support 135 can be disposed in the processing region 107 of the chamber volume 101 to support a substrate 103 during processing. The substrate support 135 can include an electrostatic chuck 122 for holding the substrate 103 during processing. The electrostatic chuck ("ESC") 122 can use electrostatic attraction to hold the substrate 103 to the substrate support 135. The ESC 122 can be powered by an RF or DC power supply 125 integrated with a matching circuit 124. The ESC 122 can include an electrode 121 embedded in a dielectric body. The electrode 121 may be coupled to an RF or DC power supply 125 and may provide a bias to the ESC 122 and the substrate 103 mounted on the susceptor that attracts plasma ions formed by the process gas in the chamber volume 101. The RF or DC power supply 125 may be cycled on and off, or pulsed, during processing of the substrate 103. The ESC 122 may have an isolator 128 to reduce the attraction of the plasma by the side walls of the ESC 122 to extend the maintenance life cycle of the ESC 122. In addition, the substrate support 135 may have a cathode pad 136 for protecting the sidewalls of the substrate support 135 from the plasma and extending the time between maintenance of the plasma processing chamber 100.

The electrode 121 can be coupled to a DC power supply 150. The power supply 150 can provide a clamping voltage of about 5000 volts to about -5000 volts to the electrode 121. The power supply 150 can also include a system controller for controlling the operation of the electrode 121 by directing a DC current to the electrode 121 for clamping and unclamping the substrate 103. The ESC 122 can include a heater disposed within the ceramic and connected to the power supply for heating the substrate, and a cooling base 129 supporting the ESC 122 can include conduits for circulating a heat transfer fluid to maintain the temperature of the ESC 122 and the substrate 103 disposed thereon. The ESC 122 can be configured to operate within a temperature range required by the thermal budget of the components fabricated on the substrate 103. For example, the ESC 122 can be configured to maintain the substrate 103 at a temperature of about -150° C. or less to about 500° C. or more, depending on the process being performed. A cover ring 130 can be disposed on the ESC 122 and along the periphery of the substrate support 135. The cover ring 130 can be configured to confine the etching gas to a desired portion of the exposed top surface of the substrate 103 while shielding the top surface of the substrate support 135 from the plasma environment inside the plasma processing chamber 100.

A gas panel 160 (e.g., also referred to herein as a "gas distribution manifold") can be coupled to the chamber body 105 via gas lines 167 through the chamber lid assembly 110 to supply process gases into the chamber volume 101. The gas panel 160 can include one or more process gas sources 161, 162, 163, 164 and can additionally include inert gases, non-reactive gases, and reactive gases that can be used for any number of suitable processes. Examples of process gases that can be provided by the gas panel 160 include, but are not limited to, hydrocarbon-containing gases, including methane, sulfur hexafluoride, silicon chloride, silicon tetrachloride, carbon tetrafluoride, and hydrogen bromide. The process gas that can be provided by the gas panel can include, but is not limited to, argon, chlorine, nitrogen, helium, or oxygen, sulfur dioxide, and any number of additional materials. In addition, the process gas can include a gas containing nitrogen, chlorine _, fluorine, oxygen, or hydrogen, including, for example, _BCl3 , _C2F4 , _C4F8 , _C4F6 , _CHF3 , _CH2F2 , _CH3F , _NF3 , _NH3 , _CO2 , _{SO2 ,} CO, _{N2 , NO2} , _N2O , and _H2 , as well as any number of additional suitable precursors. The process gases from the process gas sources (e.g., sources 161 _, 162, 163, 164) can be combined to form one or more etching gas mixtures. For example, the gas panel 160 includes one or more process gas sources specific to oxide-based etch chemistries. In another example, the gas panel 160 includes one or more process gas sources specific to nitride-based etch chemistries.

The gas panel 160 includes various valves, pressure regulators (not shown), and mass flow controllers (not shown) arranged relative to the gas sources 161, 162, 163, 164 to control the flow of process gas from the sources. Valve 166 can control the flow of process gas from the sources 161, 162, 163, 164 of the gas panel 160. The operation of the valves, pressure regulators, and/or mass flow controllers can be controlled by a controller 165. The controller 165 can be operably coupled to an electro-valve (EV) manifold (not shown) to control the actuation of one or more of the valves, pressure regulators, and/or mass flow controllers. The cap assembly 110 can include a gas delivery nozzle 114. The gas delivery nozzle 114 may include one or more openings for introducing process gases from sources 161, 162, 163, 164 of a gas panel 160 into the chamber volume 101. After the process gases are introduced into the plasma processing chamber 100, the gases may be excited to form a plasma. An antenna 148 (e.g., one or more inductor coils) may be provided adjacent to the plasma processing chamber 100. An antenna power supply 142 may power the antenna 148 via a matching circuit 141 to inductively couple energy (e.g., RF or DC energy) to the process gases to maintain a plasma formed from the process gases in the chamber volume 101 of the plasma processing chamber 100. Instead of or in addition to the antenna power supply 142, processing electrodes below and/or above the substrate 103 may be used to capacitively couple RF or DC power to the process gas to maintain the plasma within the chamber volume 101. The operation of the power supply 142 may be controlled by a controller, such as the controller 165, which also controls the operation of other components in the plasma processing chamber 100.

The controller 165 can be used to control the process sequence, thereby regulating the gas flow from the gas panel 160 to the plasma processing chamber 100, and other process parameters. When executed by a computing device having one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)) in data communication with one or more memory storage devices, the software routine transforms the computing device into a dedicated computer, such as a controller, which can control the plasma processing chamber 100 so that the process is performed according to the present disclosure. The software routine can also be stored and/or executed by one or more other controllers, which (these) controllers can be associated with the plasma processing chamber 100.

In some embodiments, the controller 165 is in data communication with a characterization device 172. The characterization device 172 may include one or more sensors (e.g., image sensors) operable to collect process data associated with the processing chamber 100. For example, the characterization device 172 includes an optical emission spectrometer configured to monitor a signal, such as emitted light from a plasma, within a processing region of the processing chamber 100. For example, the signal may be emitted light of a primary or peak intensity wavelength. The characteristics (e.g., wavelength and intensity) of the emitted light from the plasma within the processing region may depend in part on the etching gas mixture used to generate the plasma and the layer composition of the etched layer. For example, each etching gas mixture and the corresponding layer composition etched can have a corresponding signal characteristic. Emission wavelengths that are unique or distinguishable for each etching gas mixture and the corresponding layer composition can be monitored to determine the etching conditions of the etched layer. For example, the remaining thickness of the etched layer. The characteristics of the emitted light from the plasma can change, for example, based on the etching process. For example, the intensity of the monitored signal can change when material is removed from the processed layer. The characterization device 172 can be configured to collect processing data, including corresponding signals corresponding to the etching gas mixtures utilized in wafer processing and the corresponding layer compositions of the structures being processed in the processing chamber 100. The controller 165 may receive processing data from the characterization device 172 and determine one or more actions to be performed from the processing data.

In some embodiments, at the end point of the etching process for the wafer, an automatic or semi-automatic robotic manipulator (not shown) may be used to move the wafer from the substrate support out of the processing chamber, such as through the substrate access port 113. For example, the robotic manipulator may move the wafer to another chamber (or another location) to perform another step in the manufacturing process.

In some embodiments, the ESC design may be selected to improve process uniformity across substrates, including adapting various design parameters of the ESC. The relationships between the various design parameters in the ESC design may be complex, where a design parameter may affect one or more other design parameters. Adapting the various design parameters into the ESC design may result in unique solutions for the ESC to improve process uniformity (e.g., temperature uniformity) across substrates during the manufacturing process. Furthermore, as discussed in further detail below, AM techniques may be used in place of or in addition to traditional non-AM manufacturing techniques to expand the design window of ESC designs that may be achievable for manufacturing.

FIGS. 2A to 2D illustrate various views of an example electrostatic chuck (ESC) for substrate processing. FIG. 2A illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example portion of an ESC 200. The ESC 200 includes a ceramic body 202 having a top surface 201. Several cooling zones are arranged on the top surface 201, for example, an inner cooling zone 204a and an outer cooling zone 204b. One or more cooling zones each have an outer edge defined by a corresponding retaining ring 206a, 206b formed on the top surface 201 of the ESC 200. In some embodiments, the retaining rings 206a, 206b are formed on the top surface of the same ceramic material composition as the ceramic body of the ESC. For example, the retaining rings 206a, 206b and the ceramic body 202 may be formed as a single body using subtractive manufacturing and/or additive manufacturing of the ceramic body.

A gas (e.g., helium) may be introduced via a gas conduit (e.g., gas conduit 208). A portion of the gas conduit is disposed within the ceramic body 202 and is configured to facilitate gas flow through the ceramic body of the ESC 200 into the cooling regions 204a, 204b for providing cooling to a portion of the substrate corresponding to the cooling region. The gas conduit (e.g., gas conduit 208) may include a porous plug. The porous plug may be composed of a different material composition than the ceramic body of the ESC and/or have a different internal structure (e.g., porosity). The porous plug may be configured to allow gas to flow through the porous plug to the top surface of the ceramic body and to limit (e.g., prevent) contaminants from flowing back from the top surface of the ceramic body into the gas conduit. The gas conduit may include gas holes, e.g., laser drilled holes or AM defined holes, in a gas flow path between the porous plug and the top surface of the ceramic body. The gas holes may be configured to allow gas to flow through the gas holes to the surface of the ceramic body, but to limit (e.g., prevent) contaminants from flowing back into the gas conduit from the top surface of the ceramic body.

Gas at a positive pressure may be introduced into each of the plurality of cooling zones, wherein the pressure of the introduced gas may be individually (e.g., independently) controlled. Independent control of the gas pressure to each of the plurality of cooling zones may include controlling the gas flow using a flow meter and valve (not shown) to provide the same or different gas pressures to each of the plurality of cooling zones. In some embodiments, controlling the pressure of the gas to a given cooling zone controls the degree of cooling applied to a portion of the substrate corresponding to the cooling zone. Sometimes, by operating a controller of the gas pressure to each cooling zone, different amounts of cooling may be applied to different portions of the substrate corresponding to different cooling zones.

The top surface 201 of the ceramic body 202 includes an edge region 210 that is located outside the retaining ring 206b and is not included in the cooling regions 204a, 204b. The retaining rings 206a, 206b are concentrically arranged relative to the center point of the top surface 201 of the ESC 200. Although depicted as being evenly spaced in Figures 2A and 2B, the retaining rings may be unevenly spaced. The height 209 of each retaining ring 206a, 206b is substantially equal from the top surface 201 to the plane 212, so that when the substrate is held at the plane 212 by the ESC 200, an airtight seal is formed in each cooling region 204a, 204b. In other embodiments, the ESC may not include edge region 210.

The inner cooling area 204a defined by the retaining ring 206a encloses a circular volume, wherein when the substrate is retained by the ESC 200, the volume is defined by the inner surface of the retaining ring 206a, the top surface 201 of the ESC 200, and the back side of the substrate aligned on the plane 212, for example, as depicted in the partial cross-sectional view of the ESC 200 in Figure 2A.

The cooling zones are coupled to one or more gas conduits, e.g., gas conduits 208, which are partially embedded within the ceramic body 202 of the ESC 200 and are configured to introduce a gas (e.g., gas stream 205) into each of the cooling zones. Although depicted in FIG. 2A as a respective gas conduit in each cooling zone, the cooling zones may have two or more gas conduits that introduce gas into the cooling zones, e.g., as depicted in FIGS. 4A to 4C. The gas conduits may introduce helium or another gas into each of the cooling zones. The gas pressure within the cooling zones may be operated in a conduction region, e.g., when operating under steady-state conditions, the turbulence introduced into the cooling zones by the gas is low to negligible. The gas pressure in the cooling zone can be selected based in part on the thermal conductivity requirements of the cooling zone. For example, for a given gas, a higher gas pressure introduced into the cooling zone can produce a greater thermal conductivity than a lower gas pressure.

The volume defined in each of the cooling zones is substantially airtight and can maintain a positive pressure for a period of time. The positive pressure can include between about 1 Torr and about 50 Torr. For example, the positive pressure can include at least about 2 Torr, 5 Torr, 10 Torr, 15 Torr, 20 Torr, 25 Torr, or more. The positive pressure can be based on the amount of clamping force applied to the back side of the substrate by the electrode 230. For example, the positive pressure can be selected to apply a force on the back side of the substrate that is less than the clamping force applied between the electrode and the back side of the wafer during the manufacturing process.

In some embodiments, the ESC 200 includes one or more sensors, such as sensors 214a, 214b, which are configured to capture temperature measurements. A portion of the sensor 214a can be embedded in the ceramic body 202 of the ESC 200. A portion of the sensor 214a can be in contact with the top surface 201 of the ceramic body 202 and can be configured to collect (e.g., directly) measurements of the top surface 201 and/or back surface of a substrate held by the ESC 200 at the plane 212. For example, the sensors 214a, 214b can be temperature measurement sensors, such as thermocouples. The temperature measurement results at the back side of the substrate can have improved accuracy and may be less prone to line of sight issues associated with optical probes. The sensors 214a, 214b can be configured to directly measure the temperature of the top surface 201 and/or the ceramic body 202 in the same or different cooling zones. In another example, the sensors 214a, 214b can be configured to measure (e.g., non-contact) the temperature of the back side of the substrate held by the ESC 200. In another example, the sensors 214a, 214b can be configured to measure (e.g., contact) the temperature of the back side of the substrate held by the ESC 200.

In some embodiments, the ESC 200 includes one or more sensors, such as sensors 214a, 214b configured to capture measurements related to the state of a substrate held by the ESC. For example, sensor 214a can be an acoustic emission sensor configured to measure acoustic feedback from the back side of the substrate. The acoustic emission sensors can be embedded at various points within the ESC 200 so that acoustic feedback can be measured at different points, for example, to determine the structural integrity of the substrate (e.g., whether the substrate is damaged), and/or whether a portion of the ESC ceramic is cracked. The embedded sensors can be used to provide feedback to the manufacturing tool to prevent contamination of the manufacturing process that can result when the substrate is damaged during the manufacturing process. In another example, the sensors 214a, 214b may be voltage sensors or charge sensors configured to measure the residual charge on the substrate in order to know when the substrate is sufficiently discharged during the dechucking process and can be safely lifted without risk of damage.

In some embodiments, the ESC 200 may include a sensor, wherein a portion of the sensor includes a printed circuit. The printed circuit of the sensor may be printed directly into/onto the ceramic body, for example, using additive manufacturing techniques, screen printing, deposition, etc.

In some embodiments, the cooling regions 204a, 204b include one or more support structures, such as support structure 216. The support structure (e.g., a table) is disposed on the top surface 201 of the ceramic body 202 and extends to the plane 212, such as a height 209. The height 209 of the support structure can be (e.g., substantially) equal to the height of the retaining rings 206a, 206b, and can be (e.g., substantially) equal to the height of the retaining rings 206a, 206b, so that the support structures each contact the back surface of the substrate when the substrate is retained by the ESC 200.

In some embodiments, the density of the support structure in the cooling zone can be higher than a threshold density so that the cooling of the cooling zone is contact-dominated in that zone. In other words, when the substrate is held by the ESC, the dominant contributors to cooling in the zone are concentrated at the contact points between the support structure and the holding ring and the back side of the substrate. In a contact-dominated cooling scheme, a gas cooling mechanism is a secondary cooling mechanism for the cooling zone.

In some embodiments, one or more cooling zones may include non-uniformly distributed support structures. FIG. 3 depicts a cooling zone including a gradient 304 of density of support structures (e.g., pyramidal table 302) disposed relative to a top surface 301 of a ceramic body 306 of an ESC 300. A higher density of support structures may be located adjacent to one or more retention rings defining the cooling zone and gradually transition to a lower density of support structures in a central region of the cooling zone. The density gradient of the support structures may reduce the sharpness of the boundary between contact-dominated cooling at the retention rings and gas-dominated cooling in the central region of the cooling zone. Although support structures, such as support structure 216, are depicted as sparsely distributed in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the support structures may be uniformly or non-uniformly distributed within the cooling regions 204a, 204b and relative to the retaining rings 206a, 206b.

In some embodiments, support structure 216 comprises a cylindrical shape with a circular cross-section parallel to the top surface of the ceramic body of the ESC, for example, as depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The minimum density of support structures in the cooling region can be set based on the number of support structures required to maintain at least threshold flatness of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC. For example, the minimum density of support structures in the cooling region can be set to prevent the substrate from bending or buckling when the substrate is clamped/unclamped, for example, by electrode 121.

In some embodiments, other cross-sectional shapes are possible, e.g., rectangular, polygonal, and the like. In some embodiments, a combination of two or more different types of shapes may be used, e.g., each cooling zone having a corresponding type of shape, or a mix of two or more types of shapes in the cooling zones. In some embodiments, the support structure may include a pyramidal structure, e.g., a pyramidal table. For example, when the substrate is held by the ESC, the support structure may have a first diameter at the base of the support structure contacting the top surface of the ceramic body of the ESC, and a second, smaller diameter at the contact point where the support structure contacts the back surface of the substrate.

The cooling zones 204a, 204b include one or more gas conduits, such as gas conduit 208, within the ceramic body of the ESC and configured to introduce a gas (e.g., gas stream 205) into each of the cooling zones. Although depicted in FIG. 2A as respective gas conduits in each cooling zone, the cooling zones may have two or more gas conduits that introduce gas into the cooling zones. For example, the gas conduits may introduce helium or another inert gas into each of the cooling zones.

In some embodiments, as depicted in FIGS. 4A to 4C , a gas conduit (e.g., gas conduit 400) can be embedded within a ceramic body 402 of an ESC. The gas conduit can include an embedded branching structure, wherein each starting conduit (e.g., from a gas chamber) can branch one or more times within the ceramic body to introduce gas into the cooling region at two or more points. For example, as depicted in FIGS. 4A and 4C , the gas conduit 400 can branch at least four times to produce 16 outlets of the gas conduit to the top surface of the ceramic body. FIG. 4B depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a ceramic body 402 including an embedded gas conduit (e.g., gas conduit 400). The gas conduit can be embedded in the ceramic body so that a portion of the gas conduit passes transversely through the ceramic body and is parallel to the top surface of the ceramic body.

In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 3 , one or more cooling zones may include support structures of varying densities. The density of the support structures in the cooling zones may be below a threshold density such that cooling of the cooling zones is gas-dominated in that zone. In other words, the dominant contributor to cooling in the cooling zones is due to positive gas pressure, e.g., helium pressure, introduced into the cooling zones through the gas line when the substrate is held by the ESC. In a gas-dominated cooling scheme, the support structures and the contact points between the holding ring and the back side of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC are secondary cooling mechanisms for the cooling zones.

In some embodiments, the ESC 200 includes cooling channels, such as cooling channels 220, embedded within the ceramic body 202. Figures 9A to 9F illustrate example cross-sectional schematic diagrams of cooling channels. The cooling channels can produce additional localized cooling, which can (i) overcome the limitations of bonding materials used to bond the ceramic disk to the cooling subassembly (e.g., composed of different materials), and (ii) improve cooling at the boundaries of the top surface of the ESC to provide more thermal control. The cooling channels can form complex internal structures within the ceramic body, for example, to provide uniform and localized cooling within the ceramic body. The internal structure of the cooling channel can be selected to maximize the contact of the coolant with the surface area of the internal structure of the cooling channel. In addition, a cooling channel may define a cooling path (e.g., a coolant flow path) within the ceramic body of the ESC for providing local cooling across the back side of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC. The cooling channel may be located within the ceramic body of the ESC, for example, under the heating electrodes 222, 224 of the ESC. Figures 11A to 11C illustrate various example plan view schematics of cooling channels. The cooling channel may include one or more defined paths for coolant flow. For example, the cooling channel may include an inner flow path and an outer flow path as depicted in Figure 11B. In another example, the cooling channel may include two or more flow paths, for example, quadrant flow paths, as depicted in Figure 11A. The coolant path for the cooling channel may be selected to accommodate one or more other internal structures of the ESC, such as lift pins, electrical feeds, gas ducts, or the like. Sometimes, the internal structure of the cooling channel and/or the cooling path defined by the cooling channel embedded in the ceramic body may only be possible using additive manufacturing techniques (e.g., may not be cost-effective or achievable using subtractive or other traditional manufacturing techniques).

The ESC 200 includes one or more heater electrodes, such as heater electrode 222, within a ceramic body for generating localized heating. The one or more electrodes may include, for example, a multi-zone heater, wherein each of the multi-zone heaters is operable to heat a portion of the ESC. For example, the multi-zone heater may include a two-zone, three-zone, or four-zone heater. In another example, the multi-zone heater may be a micro-zone (e.g., pixel) heater, wherein the ESC may include approximately 20, 40, 50, 100, 150, 200, or more micro-zone heaters, each of which is operable to heat a portion of the ESC.

As depicted in FIG. 2A , an ESC can include multiple heating zones (e.g., multiple heating electrodes) 222, 224 that can produce secondary temperature regulation during a manufacturing process, wherein a heating zone can locally (and independently) regulate the temperature of a substrate in the heating zone during a manufacturing process. Multiple heating zones (e.g., four heating zones) can be located within a ceramic body and further spaced apart from a top surface of the ceramic body of the ESC. Thus, the respective effects of the multiple heating zones can (sometimes) be less than the effect of a gas pressurized cooling zone as described above.

In some embodiments, the ESC may include (e.g., further include) micro-area heaters (not shown) that can produce three levels of temperature regulation during the manufacturing process, wherein the micro-area heaters can locally (and independently) regulate the temperature of the substrate in "pixel-like" areas of the micro-area heaters during the manufacturing process. The micro-area heaters can be located within the ceramic body and further spaced apart from the top surface of the ceramic body of the ESC from multiple heater zones. Therefore, the corresponding effect of the micro-area heaters can (sometimes) be less than the effect of multiple heating zones and gas pressurized cooling zones as described above.

In some embodiments, the ESC 200 can include (e.g., further include) an edge heating zone, such as edge heater electrode 226, for integrating additional control of the temperature across the substrate surface maintained by the ESC 200. Sometimes, one or more heater electrodes (e.g., electrodes 222, 224, 226) can have a different size (e.g., area/shape) than another heater electrode. For example, the edge heater electrode 226 can include a ring shape corresponding to the edge region 210 of the ESC 200.

The ESC 200 includes a clamping electrode, such as a clamping electrode 230, embedded within a ceramic body 202 of the ESC 200. The clamping electrode may include a direct current (DC) grid. In some embodiments, the DC grid may be composed of tungsten, molybdenum, or another metal material. In some embodiments, the ESC 200 may include two or more clamping electrodes, such as a dual clamping grid. The two or more clamping electrodes may have different or the same shapes, grid densities, etc., which may be used to adjust the power/area (density) of the clamping force on a specific area of a substrate held by the ESC 200. For example, embedded grids of different shapes may be used to adjust the amount of force applied to the substrate by the corresponding clamping electrode. In some embodiments, the ESC may include additional edge clamping electrodes 232 in the edge region 210 for active edge control. The DC grid of edge clamping electrodes in the edge region 210 may be embedded in the ceramic body, for example, using additive manufacturing techniques.

The clamping electrode 230 may include through holes, such as through holes 234 depicted in FIG. 2D, to allow components to pass through the clamping electrode without contacting the clamping electrode. For example, to allow a gas line to pass through the clamping electrode 230. In another example, to allow a lift pin to pass through the clamping electrode 230.

The ESC 200 includes terminal leads 228, such as DC and/or AC leads. Portions of the terminal leads 228 may be embedded within the ceramic body 202 of the ESC 200 (e.g., feed-through) and embedded into corresponding electrodes, sensors, etc. For example, the terminal leads 228 may be in electrical contact with corresponding heater electrodes 222, 224, 226, sensors 214a, 214b, and clamping electrodes 230, 232. The terminal leads 228 may pass through the base of the ceramic body 202 of the ESC, for example, as depicted in the plan view of the bottom surface of the ESC 200 in FIG. 2C. Terminal leads 228 may be fed from a subcomponent of the ESC through the base of the ceramic body (e.g., as the cooling base 129 described in FIG. 1 ), through a portion of the ceramic body 202 to a point within the ceramic body (e.g., to provide voltage/current to an electrode), or to the top surface 201 of the ceramic body (e.g., to read out a sensor).

The ESC 200 includes lift pin holes, such as lift pin holes 233 depicted in FIG. 2B , through which lift pins can pass through the ceramic body 202 and contact the back side of the substrate. The lift pin holes can have a diameter large enough to allow the lift pins to pass freely through the holes. The lift pins can be configured to contact the back side of the substrate and lift the substrate to a second position away from the ESC 200.

In some embodiments, a controller of a manufacturing tool (e.g., controller 165) can execute a recipe that includes instructions for a manufacturing process. The recipe can include temperature control instructions executable by controller 165 to control the operation of various temperature-dependent components of the manufacturing tool. For example, the temperature-dependent components can include (A) gas pressure introduced into each of the cooling zones of the ESC, (B) temperature settings of each of a plurality of heaters having corresponding heating zones within the ceramic body of the ESC, (C) temperature settings of each of the micro-area heaters within the ceramic body of the ESC, (D) coolant flow into a cooling channel located in the base of the substrate support, or (E) any combination thereof. In addition to the operation of the ESC, the recipe instructions may additionally include executable instructions related to other processing parameters to operate components of the manufacturing tool to control, for example, plasma power, flow rate of etching gas, etc.

In some embodiments, additive manufacturing (e.g., three-dimensional printing (or 3D printing)) can be used to produce (or make) the electrostatic chuck (ESC) described herein. In one embodiment, a computer (CAD) model of the desired part is first made and then a slicing algorithm maps the information of each layer. The layer starts with a thin powder distribution scattered above the surface of the powder bed. The selected binder material then selectively combines the particles, where the object will be formed. Subsequently, the piston supporting the powder bed and the semi-finished product is lowered to form the next powder layer. After each layer, the same process is repeated, followed by a final heat treatment to make the object. Since 3D printing allows for local control over material composition, microstructure, and surface texture, a wide variety of (and previously unattainable) geometries can be realized using this method.

In one embodiment, an ESC as described herein may be represented by a data structure readable by a computer presentation device or a computer display device. FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a computer system having a computer readable medium according to one embodiment. The computer readable medium may contain a data structure representing the ESC. The data structure may be a computer file and may contain information about the structure, material, texture, physical properties, or other characteristics of one or more items. The data structure may also contain code, such as a computer executable code or device control code that participates in the selected functionality of the computer presentation device or the computer display device. The data structure may be stored on a computer readable medium. Computer-readable media may include physical storage media such as magnetic memory, floppy disks, or any known physical storage media. Physical storage media can be read by a computer system to present an object represented by a data structure on a computer screen or a physical presentation device (which may be an additive manufacturing device such as a 3D printer).

In some embodiments, additive manufacturing techniques may be used in conjunction with other manufacturing techniques (e.g., subtractive manufacturing). For example, subtractive manufacturing may be used to modify/remove portions of an ESC, and additive manufacturing may be used to add/modify portions of an ESC. The combination of techniques may be used during the initial manufacturing process of manufacturing an ESC or modifying/refurbishing/regenerating an existing ESC to repair damage or change the configuration of ESC features.

In some embodiments, additive manufacturing techniques may be used to regenerate/refurbish portions of an ESC, e.g., to repair operational damage or manufacturing damage. For example, additive manufacturing techniques may be used to regenerate/refurbish a support structure (e.g., a table) of an ESC. In another example, additive manufacturing techniques may be used to regenerate/refurbish a retaining ring. In some embodiments, additive manufacturing techniques may be used to modify/adapt portions of an ESC to add features. Features may be added using additive manufacturing techniques to compensate for uneven etching processes measured across a substrate during a manufacturing process in a manufacturing tool that includes the ESC. For example, a support structure may be added or modified to compensate for uneven temperature control during a manufacturing process.

In some embodiments, additive manufacturing techniques can be used to form components of an ESC and/or a processing chamber using two or more material compositions (e.g., simultaneously or sequentially). The different material compositions can include, for example, AlN and Al ₂ O ₃ . The different material compositions can include, for example, different porosities or another material structure difference of the same material composition. For example, a gas conduit can include a porous plug to deliver helium to a top surface of the ESC, wherein the porous plug is formed of a different material composition than the ceramic body of the ESC (or has a different material structure of the same material composition). The different materials can include, for example, a ceramic material and a metal material, such as AlN and aluminum.

In some embodiments, additive manufacturing techniques may include ceramic-based additive manufacturing, including a binder, such as a polymer binder, to form a slurry including a ceramic powder, and wherein a photosensitizer may be included in the slurry that is sensitive to (e.g., curable by) a wavelength of light. For example, photopolymerization techniques using ultraviolet (UV) light may be used to form a ceramic green body, which may then be consolidated from the green body into a ceramic part using a sintering process.

In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing technique may include a coating process, where the bulk layer is formed in a layer-by-layer process using a coating technique (e.g., plasma spraying, screen printing, etc.). The plasma spraying process may be used to coat the exposed surface from a powder (e.g., a ceramic powder, a metal powder, or a combination of ceramic and metal powders). Screen printing may be used to form metal-based electrodes, such as those described in this specification.

In some embodiments, a sintering (e.g., firing) process can be used to consolidate ceramic powder/particles of a green state ceramic part (e.g., remove porosity and densify the ceramic material). For example, the sintering process can be performed at an elevated temperature below the melting point of the ceramic material, where the material of an individual particle diffuses toward neighboring powder particles to form a dense ceramic body. In some embodiments, the sintering process includes a preheating process to remove organic materials, such as polymers, lubricants, binders, etc. In some embodiments, the sintering process includes a cooling process to cool the ceramic part to reduce cracking/stress formation.

In some embodiments, a rapid sintering process (e.g., a flash sintering process) may be performed on a set of green ceramic layers of a green ceramic body. For example, the sintering process may be alternating with a forming/AM process, wherein a set of layers of a plurality of layers and/or a set of layers of combined thickness are formed by AM and then sequentially sintered, and then another set of layers are formed by AM on an exposed surface of the body. In other words, portions of the ceramic body are formed in a green state and sintered sequentially, wherein the end result of the process is a densified ceramic body. For example, a flash sintering process may be used to sinter layers of a green ceramic body between about 0.025 mm and about 0.8 mm.

In some embodiments, a refurbished part (e.g., an ESC where at least a portion of the ESC is regenerated by additive manufacturing) may be sintered such that the regenerated layers of the refurbishment process are densified, e.g., to match the properties of the original ESC.

5 is a flow chart of an example process 500 for making an electrostatic chuck for substrate processing. For convenience, the process 500 will be described with respect to an additive manufacturing system that performs at least some steps of the process.

The additive manufacturing system forms a plurality of layers including a ceramic body having a first surface (502). The additive manufacturing system may receive a data structure representing the ESC from a computer system and use the data structure to form the plurality of layers of the ESC.

The additive manufacturing system forms a plurality of layers including two or more regions defined on a first surface, wherein the two or more regions are disposed concentrically relative to each other on the first surface, and wherein each region includes a retaining ring disposed on the first surface and defining an outer edge of the region, and a plurality of support structures disposed on the first surface and within the region, the support structures being configured to support a substrate surface when the substrate is held by an electrostatic chuck (504).

The additive manufacturing system forms a plurality of layers including gas conduits configured to introduce gas through the ceramic body into two or more regions and into the first surface (506). Each of the gas conduits may include a corresponding porous plug, wherein the porous plug may be made of a different material composition (e.g., a different ceramic) than the ceramic body and/or have different structural properties (e.g., different porosity, internal structure). Forming the layer including the porous plug may include additive manufacturing techniques, including forming the layer including two different material compositions simultaneously or sequentially.

During the forming of the plurality of layers by the additive manufacturing system, one or more embedded electrodes are embedded in the ceramic body and positioned relative to the first surface (508). The embedding of the one or more embedded electrodes can be performed by a human operator or an automated system (e.g., a robotic arm, a metal-based additive manufacturing system). The embedding of the one or more embedded electrodes can include delaying (e.g., pausing) the forming of the plurality of layers by the additive manufacturing system, inserting the one or more embedded electrodes, and restarting the forming of the plurality of layers above/around the embedded electrodes.

During formation of multiple layers by an additive manufacturing system, a sensor is embedded in a portion of a ceramic body, wherein the portion of the sensor is disposed relative to a first surface of the ceramic body (510). Embedding the sensor can be performed by a human operator or an automated system (e.g., a robotic arm, a metal-based additive manufacturing system). Embedding the sensor can include delaying (e.g., pausing) formation of multiple layers by the additive manufacturing system, inserting the sensor, and restarting formation of multiple layers above/around the sensor. In one example, the portion of the sensor can be a printed circuit, wherein the metal-based additive manufacturing system can be used to print the printed circuit of the sensor onto the formation layer of the ESC.

In some embodiments, the ceramic body of the ESC can be formed directly onto the surface of a cooling substrate (e.g., cooling substrate 129) using various additive manufacturing techniques and can be performed without an intermediate bonding layer. The material composition of the ESC can be different from the material composition of the cooling substrate. For example, the ESC can be composed of a ceramic material ( _e.g. , AlN or _Al2O3 ) and the cooling substrate can be composed of a metal (e.g., aluminum or an aluminum alloy). For example, a ceramic-based ESC can be formed on a metal-cooled substrate without an elastomer/binder layer between the ceramic and the metal layer. For example, a ceramic-based ESC can be formed on a metal-cooled substrate without a metal bonding layer between the ceramic body of the ESC and the metal-cooled substrate.

In some embodiments, the ceramic body of the ESC can be formed on a cooling substrate using a set of transition layers that include a composition gradient between the corresponding composition of the cooling substrate and the ESC. FIG. 8 is an exemplary schematic diagram of an ESC 802 and a portion of a cooling substrate 804 for substrate processing. The ESC 802 is supported by the cooling substrate 804, wherein a transition region 806 is located between the ESC 802 and the cooling substrate 804. As described above, the transition region 806 includes a plurality of transition sub-regions, for example, sub-regions 808, 810, 812, and 814. Each sub-region can include one or more layers formed using additive manufacturing techniques. The cooling substrate 804, the transition region 806, and the ESC 802 are formed as an integral structure, wherein the ESC 802 is attached to the cooling substrate 804 via the transition region 806. In other words, no additional adhesive layer is used to attach the ESC 802 and the cooling substrate 804. The cooling substrate 804 includes coolant channels, such as coolant channels 816, to facilitate the flow of coolant into and out of the cooling substrate 804.

In some embodiments, the transition region 806 includes a composition gradient between a first sub-region (including one or more layers) adjacent to the cooling substrate and a last sub-region (including one or more layers) adjacent to the ESC. The composition gradient may include a composition ratio between composition A and composition B. In some embodiments, composition A includes a composition of materials of the cooling substrate and composition B includes a composition of materials of the ESC. For example, the composition gradient may include a ratio of composition A to composition B between aluminum and AlN or Al ₂ O _3. Each sub-region of the transition region 806 may include a different ratio of composition A to composition B. Although the transition region 806 is depicted in FIG. 8 as including four sub-regions 808, 810, 812, and 814, more or fewer transition sub-regions may be included in the transition region 806.

In some embodiments, subregions of transition region 806 include a composition gradient, each subregion having a different ratio of composition A to composition B than its adjacent subregion. For example, a first subregion (e.g., subregion 808) located adjacent to cooling substrate 804 includes a material composition that aligns with (e.g., matches or has a larger portion of) the material composition of cooling substrate 804, and a fourth subregion (e.g., subregion 814) located adjacent to ESC 802 includes a material composition that aligns with (e.g., has a larger portion of) the material composition of ESC 802. Table 1 includes an example composition gradient of transition region 806, which includes five subregions, e.g., layers 1-5. Table 1 Layer Composition A Composition B ESC 100 0 1 80 20 2 60 40 3 50 50 4 40 60 5 20 80 Cooling base 0 100

Each transition sub-region has a corresponding coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), where the CTE depends in part on the composition of the layers, e.g., the ratio of composition A to composition B. For example, as the composition shifts toward more ceramic and less metal, the CTE of the sub-regions of the transition region will approach the CTE of the ceramic body of the ESC 802.

In some embodiments, the last transition sub-region (e.g., 814) of transition region 806 may be a different composition than the ceramic body composition of ESC 802, for example, and may still include a percentage of the composition of the cooling substrate. The composition of transition sub-region 814 adjacent to ESC 802 may be selected to have a CTE within a threshold deviation of the CTE of the ceramic body of ESC 802. The CTE of the composition may be calculated using equation (1) as a linear relationship between the respective CTEs of the composite materials and their ratio. (1)

Where CTE _A is the CTE of material A (e.g., aluminum) of the composition and CTE _B is the CTE of material B (e.g., AlN) of the composition, and X represents the percentage of material A in the composition of the transition sub-region. For example, the transition sub-region 814 can have a CTE that deviates from the CTE of the ceramic body of the ESC 802 by about <10%, <5%, <2%, or less. In another example, the CTE of the sub-region 814 has a CTE selected to be about <2x the CTE of the ceramic body of the ESC 802.

In some embodiments, the composition of the transition sub-region 814 adjacent to the ESC 802 can be selected to have a CTE that is within a tolerance threshold of the CTE of the ESC 802 and meets a minimum structural stability threshold, for example, a loading of ceramic solids in the metal matrix of about 55-70%. For example, the composition of the ceramic powder in the metal matrix can be selected so that the contact between the ceramic particles of the ceramic powder is limited to the metal matrix. In another example, the composition of the ceramic powder in the metal matrix can be selected based in part on the volume ratio of the ceramic powder in the metal matrix.

In some embodiments, the composition of the transition sub-region 814 adjacent to the ESC 802 can be selected based in part on the temperature of the deposited layer, and can be selected based in part on the range of operating temperatures of the ESC within the processing chamber. The composition of the transition sub-region 814 can be selected so that the stress induced in the layer due to heating of the ESC during operation is below a threshold stress. For example, the composition of the transition sub-region 814 can be selected so that during operation, the deposited layer of the sub-region is in a near zero stress state. The operating temperature of the ESC can include, for example, 90 to 120 degrees Celsius.

In some embodiments, the transition region 806 can be formed using additive manufacturing techniques. In one example, the additive manufacturing technique includes spraying, such as plasma spraying. Spraying can be used to form multiple layers of the transition region, each layer having a thickness along the z-direction between about 10-30 microns. The distribution ratio of composition A and composition B (e.g., ceramic powder and metal powder) can be adjusted to adjust the composition of each of the sub-regions of the transition region 806. Additive manufacturing techniques can be used to form a layer including a metal matrix having ceramic particles distributed within the metal matrix. In some embodiments, the layer includes ceramic particles having at least a threshold dispersion randomness within the metal matrix, wherein the CTE of the layer is related to the volume ratio of the ceramic powder relative to the metal matrix. In some embodiments, the porosity of the gradient layer of the transition region 806 may be varied in addition to or in lieu of varying the material composition of the layer.

In some embodiments, the surface of the cooled substrate 804 may be pre-treated before forming the layer of transition region 806 on the exposed surface of the cooled substrate. The pre-treatment may include, for example, surface roughening, texturing, etc. The roughening of the surface may be, for example, a surface RMS roughness of about 1 to 5 microns.

In some embodiments, after forming the transition region 806, a ceramic body can be formed in a layer-by-layer process to form the ESC 802. In one example, the ceramic body can be formed in a green state using a binder and photopolymerization with periodic flash sintering, where the technique can include periodically using a flash sintering process to densify a set of green state layers of the ceramic body during the formation of the ESC 802. In another example, the ceramic body can be formed using direct sintering of ceramic powder.

In some embodiments, one or more layers of an ESC, a cooling substrate, and/or a transition zone can be formed from corresponding powder compositions using an additive manufacturing system. The additive manufacturing system includes a dispensing subsystem for dispensing a starting material (e.g., a powder or slurry), and an energy source (e.g., a laser, LED, UV light source, etc.) for curing or melting the starting material. The additive manufacturing system can further include a sintering subsystem for sintering one or more layers of a green state ceramic body, such as a flash sintering subsystem. FIG. 10 illustrates an example schematic diagram of an additive manufacturing system 1000 for manufacturing a portion of an electrostatic chuck for substrate processing. The starting materials for forming multiple layers of an ESC, a cooling substrate, and/or a transition zone can be prepared from a starting material 1002 (e.g., aluminum powder). The system 1000 can react the starting material 1002, for example, using applied heat and/or corresponding temperatures T1, T2, and T3 of the gas source N2 to produce an exothermic reaction to produce other starting materials. For example, a direct nitridation process can apply heat and nitrogen to aluminum powder to produce: Heat is used to produce aluminum nitride (AlN). In another example, a metal matrix composite can be formed, such as an AlN shell with an Al core particle, or a partially fused Al/AlN particle. The starting material 1004 produced thereby can be further processed, such as ground into a powder distribution 1006, and maintained 1008 to be provided to a processing chamber 1010 for an additive manufacturing process to form a part 1012. The aluminum powder can be provided (A) to form an aluminum layer, such as an aluminum layer of a cooling substrate and/or a transition region. The metal matrix composite powder can be provided (B) to form a layer of a transition region. The AlN ceramic powder can be provided (C) to form a ceramic layer, such as a ceramic layer of an ESC or a transition region. The provided materials of (A), (B), and (C) can be used to form one or more layers of part 1012 using an additive manufacturing process, as described herein. In some embodiments, any of the materials of (A), (B), and (C) can be combined in a selected ratio in an additive manufacturing process to form a layer. The selected ratio can be adjusted using corresponding valves.

In some embodiments, additional features of the ESC can be formed, for example, using additive manufacturing techniques (as described above), during the formation of the ceramic body of the ESC 802. For example, a heater (e.g., heater 818) and a clamping electrode (e.g., clamping electrode 820) can be formed within the ceramic body using screen printing techniques.

In some embodiments, additive manufacturing techniques may be used to refurbish and/or modify an ESC. For example, an additive manufacturing system may be used to add one or more layers of ceramic of an ESC. The one or more layers may include one or more partially formed layers, for example, layers used to reform a portion of an ESC. An additive manufacturing system may be used to refurbish an ESC that may have worn or degraded at least a portion of the ESC, for example, due to a manufacturing process, etching chemicals, plasma, etc. For example, an additive manufacturing system may be used to regenerate a portion of one or more support structures (e.g., a table) of an ESC. In another example, an additive manufacturing system may be used to regenerate a portion of a gas duct, such as a porous plug. In another example, an additive manufacturing system may be used to regenerate a portion of a retaining ring.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of an example process 600 for regenerating an electrostatic chuck for substrate processing. For convenience, process 600 will be described with respect to an additive manufacturing system that performs at least some steps of the process. In some embodiments, the refurbishment process may include using a metrology tool to determine that a feature of the ESC is outside a threshold tolerance range for the feature of the ESC (602). For example, a three-dimensional mapping/scanning system may be used to generate a three-dimensional map of the ESC. For example, a table may be degraded such that a dimension (e.g., height) of the table is outside a threshold range for the height of the table. Determining that the feature of the ESC is outside the threshold tolerance range may include, for example, comparing the three-dimensional map of the ESC to a computer-generated model (e.g., CAD model) of the ESC. In some embodiments, a computer system can receive a three-dimensional map and compare it to a computer-generated model and identify one or more features that need renovation. The computer system can generate instructions, including forming one or more layers to add to the one or more features.

In some embodiments, the method includes a pre-treatment step of preparing a surface of the ESC prior to the regeneration process. For example, the pre-treatment step may include surface preparation (e.g., texturing, scribing, cleaning, etc.) of a surface where one or more layers will be formed by additive manufacturing. In another example, the pre-treatment step may include preparing a flat surface, for example, flattening a surface on which at least one of the multiple layers will be formed.

In some embodiments, the pre-processing step may include removing at least a portion of the features determined to be outside the threshold tolerance range. For example, the pre-processing step may include removing a plurality of features from the top surface of the ceramic body, for example, both the features determined to be within the threshold tolerance range and the features determined to be outside the threshold tolerance range. In another example, the pre-processing step may include removing a retaining ring and a support structure (e.g., a terrace) from the top surface of the ceramic body.

In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing system can receive the ESC and instructions for forming one or more layers, wherein the layers form at least a regenerated portion of the feature by an additive manufacturing process (604). For example, the additive manufacturing system can form the one or more layers onto the identified one or more features such that a dimension of the one or more features is within a threshold tolerance range of the corresponding feature.

In some embodiments, a metrology tool may be used to verify the refurbished ESC, including verifying that the dimensions of one or more features of the ESC are within a threshold tolerance range for the corresponding feature (606). For example, verification may include capturing another three-dimensional image of the ESC and comparing the image to a computer-generated model of the part.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example computer system 700 that can be used to perform the operations described above. For example, operations performed by an electrostatic chuck model. System 700 includes a processor 710, a memory 720, a storage device 730, and an input/output device 740. Each of components 710, 720, 730, and 740 can be interconnected, for example, using a system bus 750. Processor 710 is capable of processing instructions for execution within system 700. In one embodiment, processor 710 is a single-thread processor. In another embodiment, processor 710 is a multi-thread processor. The processor 710 is capable of processing instructions in the memory 720 or stored on the storage device 730 .

The memory 720 stores information within the system 700. In one implementation, the memory 720 is a computer-readable medium. In one implementation, the memory 720 is a volatile memory unit. In another implementation, the memory 720 is a non-volatile memory unit.

The storage device 730 can provide mass storage for the system 700. In one embodiment, the storage device 730 is a computer-readable medium. In various embodiments, the storage device 730 may include, for example, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, a storage device shared by multiple computing devices via a network (e.g., a cloud storage device), or some other mass storage device.

The input/output device 740 provides input/output operations for the system 700. In one embodiment, the input/output device 740 may include one or more of a network interface device (e.g., an Ethernet card), a serial communication device (e.g., and an RS-232 port), and/or a wireless interface device (e.g., and an 802.11 card). In another embodiment, the input/output device may include a drive device configured to receive input data and send output data to a peripheral device 760 (e.g., a keyboard, a printer, and a display device). However, other embodiments may also be used, such as a mobile computing device, a mobile communication device, a set-top box TV client device, etc.

Although an example processing system has been described in FIG. 7 , the subject matter and implementation of the functional operations described in this specification may be implemented in other types of digital electronic circuits, in computer software, firmware, or hardware (including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents), or in a combination of one or more thereof.

The subject matter and aspects of actions and operations described in this specification (e.g., computing devices, such as controller 165, and processes executed by controller 165, such as controlling the switching of etching gases in a plasma processing chamber) can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, in tangibly embodied computer software or firmware, in computer hardware (including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents), or in one or more combinations thereof. The subject matter and aspects of actions and operations described in this specification can be implemented as or in one or more computer programs, for example, one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer program carrier, for executing or controlling the operation of a data processing device by a data processing device. The carrier may be a tangible, non-transitory computer storage medium. Alternatively or additionally, the carrier may be an artificially generated propagated signal, such as a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, which is generated to encode information for transmission to appropriate receiver equipment for execution by data processing equipment. Computer storage media may be a machine-readable storage device, a mechanically readable storage substrate, a random or serial access memory device, or a combination of one or more of the foregoing or a portion of the foregoing. Computer storage media are not propagated signals.

The term "data processing device" covers all kinds of equipment, devices, and machines used to process data, including, for example, a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. Data processing equipment may include special-purpose logic circuit systems, such as FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), or GPUs (graphics processing units). In addition to hardware, equipment may also include code that establishes the execution environment of computer programs, such as code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them.

Computer programs may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative or procedural languages; and they may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program, for example, as an application, or as a module, component, engine, subroutine, or other unit suitable for execution in a computing environment that may include one or more computers in one or more locations interconnected by a data communications network.

A computer program may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. A computer program may be stored as part of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that hold one or more modules, subroutines, or portions of code).

The processes and logic flows described in this specification may be performed by one or more computers executing one or more computer programs to perform operations by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows may also be performed by dedicated logic circuit systems (e.g., FPGAs, ASICs, or GPUs), or by a combination of dedicated logic circuit systems and one or more programmed computers.

A computer suitable for executing a computer program may be based on a general or special purpose microprocessor, or both, and a central processing unit of any other kind. Typically, the central processing unit will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory, or both. The basic elements of a computer are a central processing unit for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. The central processing unit and the memory may be supplemented by or integrated into special purpose logic circuitry.

Typically, the computer will also include, or be operably coupled to, one or more mass storage devices and be configured to receive data from or transfer data to the mass storage devices. The mass storage device may be, for example, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical or optical disk, or a solid-state drive. However, the computer need not have such a device. In addition, the computer may be embedded in another device, such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game console, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, or a portable storage device, such as a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, to name a few.

To provide interaction with a user, the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented on one or more computers having a display device (e.g., an LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, or a virtual-reality (VR) or augmented-reality (AR) display) for displaying information to the user, and an input device (e.g., a keyboard and a pointing device, such as a mouse, trackball, or touchpad) through which the user can provide input to the computer, or the computer is configured to communicate with the display device and the input device. Other types of devices may also be used to provide interaction with a user; for example, feedback and responses provided to a user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual, auditory, voice, or tactile; and input from a user may be received in any form, including acoustic, voice, or tactile input, including touch movements or gestures, or dynamic movements or gestures, or directional movements or gestures. In addition, a computer may interact with a user by sending files to and receiving files from a device used by the user; for example, by a web browser on a user's device sending web pages in response to a request received from the web browser, or by interacting with an application running on a user's device (e.g., a smartphone or electronic tablet). Additionally, a computer may interact with a user by sending text messages or other forms of messaging to a personal device (e.g., a smartphone running a messaging application) and then receiving response messages from the user.

This specification uses the term "configured to" in connection with systems, devices, and computer program components. A system of one or more computers configured to perform a specific operation or action means that the system has installed thereon software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof that, in operation, causes the system to perform the operation or action. A computer program or programs configured to perform a specific operation or action means that the program or programs include instructions that, when executed by a data processing device, cause the device to perform the operation or action. A dedicated logic circuit system configured to perform a specific operation or action means that the circuit system has electronic logic to perform the operation or action.

Although this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed invention as defined by the claims themselves, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment of a particular invention. Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may be described above as functioning in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, in some cases one or more features from a claimed combination may be deleted from that combination, and the claims may involve subcombinations or variations of subcombinations.

Similarly, although operations are depicted in the drawings and described in the claims in a particular order, this should not in itself be construed as a requirement to perform such operations in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or to perform all of the operations shown, to achieve the desired results. In some cases, multiplexing and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of various system modules and components in the embodiments described above should not be construed as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems may generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

Specific embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the actions recited in the claims may be performed in a different order and still achieve the desired results. As an example, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the specific order shown, or sequential order, to achieve the desired results. In some cases, multiplexing and parallel processing may be advantageous.

100: Processing chamber 101: Chamber volume 103: Substrate 105: Chamber body 107: Processing area 110: Chamber cover assembly 112: Sidewalls 113: Substrate access port 114: Gas delivery nozzle 115: Pad 118: Bottom 121: Electrode 122: Electrostatic chuck (“ESC”) 124: Matching circuit 125: RF or DC power supply 126: Ground 128: Isolator 129: Cooling substrate 130: Cover ring 135: Substrate support 136: Cathode pad 141: Matching circuit 142: Antenna power supply 145: Pumping port 148: Antenna 150: DC power supply 160: Gas panel 161: Process gas source 162: Process gas source 163: Process gas source 164: Process gas source 165: Controller 166: Valve 167: Gas line 172: Characterization device 200: ESC 201: Top surface 202: Ceramic body 204a: Internal cooling area 204b: External cooling area 205: Gas flow 206a: Retaining ring 206b: Retaining ring 208: Gas pipeline 209: Height 210: edge area 212: plane 214a: sensor 214b: sensor 216: support structure 220: cooling channel 222: heating electrode 224: heating electrode 226: edge heater electrode 228: terminal lead 230: clamping electrode 232: clamping electrode 233: lifting pin hole 234: through hole 300: ESC 301: top surface 302: conical table 304: gradient 306: ceramic body 400: gas pipeline 402: ceramic body 500: process 600: process 700: Computer system 710: Processor 720: Memory 730: Storage device 740: Input/output device 750: System bus 760: Peripheral device 802: ESC 804: Cooling base 806: Transition zone 808: Sub-zone 810: Sub-zone 812: Sub-zone 814: Sub-zone 816: Coolant channel 818: Heater 820: Clamping electrode 1002: Starting material 1004: Starting material 1006: Powder distribution 1008: Holding 1010: Processing chamber 1012: Parts T1: Temperature T2: Temperature T3: Temperature

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of an example plasma processing chamber.

2A-2D illustrate various example schematic diagrams of various portions of an electrostatic chuck for substrate processing.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example schematic diagram of a portion of an electrostatic chuck for substrate processing.

4A-4C illustrate various example schematic diagrams of various portions of an electrostatic chuck for substrate processing.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an example process for manufacturing an electrostatic chuck.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of an example process for regenerating an electrostatic chuck.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example general purpose computer system.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an example of an electrostatic chuck and portions for cooling the substrate for use in substrate processing.

Figures 9A to 9F illustrate various example cross-sectional schematics of cooling channels.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example schematic diagram of an additive manufacturing system for manufacturing multiple portions of an electrostatic chuck for substrate processing.

Figures 11A to 11C illustrate various example plan view schematics of cooling channels.

Like element symbols and names in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Domestic storage information (please note in the order of storage institution, date, and number) None Foreign storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) None

200:ESC

201: Top surface

202: Ceramic body

204a: Internal cooling area

204b: External cooling area

205: Gas flow

206a:Retention ring

206b:Retention ring

208: Gas pipeline

209: Height

210: Marginal area

212: Plane

214a:Sensor

214b:Sensor

216: Support structure

220: Cooling channel

222: Heating electrode

224: Heating electrode

226:Edge heater electrode

228: Terminal lead

230: Clamping electrode

232: Clamping electrode

Claims (42)

An electrostatic chuck (ESC) structure for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design embodied in a machine-readable medium, the ESC structure comprising: a ceramic body comprising a first surface; two or more regions defined on the first surface, wherein the two or more regions are concentrically disposed relative to each other on the first surface, wherein each region comprises: a retaining ring disposed on the first surface and defining an outer edge of the region; and a plurality of structures disposed on the first surface and within the region, the plurality of structures being configured to support a surface of a substrate when the substrate is retained by the electrostatic chuck; One or more gas conduits configured to introduce a gas through the ceramic body into the two or more regions and to the first surface, wherein the two or more regions are configured to maintain a positive gas pressure in a corresponding region and the surface of a substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck; and One or more embedded electrodes disposed within the ceramic body and relative to the first surface, wherein the one or more embedded electrodes are configured to generate a holding force on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC structure. The ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 1 further includes a sensor embedded in a portion of the ceramic body, wherein a portion of the sensor is arranged relative to the first surface of the ceramic body, and wherein the sensor is configured to collect a measurement result of the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 2, wherein the sensor includes a thermocouple configured to measure a temperature of the first surface of the ceramic body or a temperature of the surface of the substrate. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 2, wherein the sensor includes an embedded acoustic emission sensor. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of structures of at least one of the two or more regions include pyramidal table surfaces, and wherein when the substrate is held by the ESC structure, the pyramidal table surfaces include a first cross-sectional diameter at a base of the pyramidal table surfaces contacting the first surface and a second different cross-sectional diameter at a contact point between the pyramidal table surfaces and the surface of the substrate. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 5, wherein the first cross-sectional diameter is greater than the second different cross-sectional diameter. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more embedded electrodes include a first electrode having a first shape disposed relative to a central portion of the ceramic body, and a second electrode having a second different shape disposed relative to an outer portion of the ceramic body. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 7, wherein the second electrode is configured to generate a retaining force on an outer edge of the surface of the substrate. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more embedded electrodes include two electrodes, wherein the two electrodes include grid layers embedded in the ceramic body, which differ from each other in at least one of (i) a shape and (ii) a density of the grid layers. The ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 1 further includes a cooling channel within a portion of the ceramic body and configured to promote the flow of coolant through a portion of the ceramic body. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 1, wherein the gas conduits further include a porous plug within at least one of the gas conduits, and wherein the ceramic body comprises a first material composition, and wherein the porous plug comprises a second material composition. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 1, wherein the structure is retained on the storage medium as a data format for an exchange of layout data. The ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 1 further includes a transition region formed on a surface of a cooling substrate, the transition region comprising a plurality of layers including a gradient of a material composition between the cooling substrate and the ceramic body. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 13, wherein the transition region comprises: Two or more transition sub-regions, each transition sub-region comprising a different material composition, wherein each material composition of the transition sub-region comprises a ratio between a first material composition of the cooling substrate and a second material composition of the ceramic body. An ESC structure embodied in the machine-readable medium as described in claim 14, wherein each transition sub-region comprises a ceramic powder dispersed in a metal matrix, wherein a volume of the ceramic powder in the metal matrix is different for each of the two or more transition sub-regions. A method of manufacturing an electrostatic chuck (ESC) structure, the method comprising the following steps: Forming a plurality of layers by an additive manufacturing system, the plurality of layers comprising: A ceramic body comprising a first surface; Two or more regions defined on the first surface, wherein the two or more regions are concentrically disposed relative to each other on the first surface, and Each region comprises: A retaining ring disposed on the first surface and defining an outer edge of the region; and A plurality of support structures disposed on the first surface and within the region, the plurality of support structures being configured to support a surface of a substrate when the substrate is retained by the electrostatic chuck; and A gas conduit configured to introduce a gas through the ceramic body into the two or more regions and to the first surface, wherein during the step of forming the plurality of layers, the methods further comprise the steps of: embedding one or more embedded electrodes into the ceramic body and arranging them relative to the first surface. A method as described in claim 16, wherein during the step of forming the plurality of layers, the methods further include the step of embedding a sensor into a portion of the ceramic body, wherein the portion of the sensor is arranged relative to the first surface of the ceramic body. The method of claim 16 further comprises the following steps: Forming a transition region on a surface of a cooling substrate, the transition region comprising a plurality of layers, the layers comprising a gradient of material composition between the cooling substrate and the ceramic body, wherein the step of forming the plurality of layers of the ceramic body comprises the following steps: forming at least one layer on the transition region. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of forming the transition region comprises the following steps: Forming two or more transition sub-regions, each transition sub-region comprising a different material composition, wherein each material composition of the transition sub-region comprises a ratio between a first material composition of the cooling substrate and a second material composition of the ceramic body. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the step of forming the transition region comprises the following steps: Forming the two or more transition sub-regions, each transition sub-region comprising a ceramic powder dispersed in a metal matrix, wherein a volume of the ceramic powder in the metal matrix is different for each of the two or more transition sub-regions. A method as described in claim 20, wherein the step of forming the transition region on the surface of the cooled substrate includes the following step: forming the plurality of layers by spraying. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of forming the plurality of layers comprises the following steps: For each subgroup of the plurality of layers, forming the subgroup of the plurality of layers by the additive manufacturing system; and densifying the subgroup of layers by flash sintering. An electrostatic chuck (ESC) structure for substrate processing, the electrostatic chuck comprising: a ceramic body comprising a first surface; two or more regions defined on the first surface, wherein the two or more regions are concentrically arranged relative to each other on the first surface, wherein each region comprises: a retaining ring disposed on the first surface and defining an outer edge of the region; and a plurality of structures disposed on the first surface and within the region, the plurality of structures being configured to support a surface of a substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck; One or more gas conduits configured to introduce a gas through the ceramic body into the two or more regions and to the first surface, wherein the two or more regions are configured to maintain a positive gas pressure in a corresponding region and the surface of a substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck; and One or more embedded electrodes disposed within the ceramic body and relative to the first surface, wherein the one or more electrodes are configured to generate a holding force on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the ESC structure. The ESC structure as described in claim 23 further includes a sensor embedded in a portion of the ceramic body, wherein the portion of the sensor is arranged relative to the first surface of the ceramic body, and wherein the sensor is configured to collect a measurement result of the surface of the substrate when the substrate is held by the electrostatic chuck. An ESC structure as described in claim 24, wherein the sensor comprises (A) a thermocouple configured to measure a temperature of the first surface of the ceramic body or a temperature of the surface of the substrate, or an embedded acoustic emission sensor. An ESC structure as described in claim 23, wherein the plurality of structures of at least one of the two or more regions include pyramidal table surfaces, and wherein when the substrate is held by the ESC structure, the pyramidal table surfaces include a first cross-sectional diameter at a base of the pyramidal table surfaces contacting the first surface and a second different cross-sectional diameter at a contact point between the pyramidal table surfaces and the surface of the substrate. An ESC structure as described in claim 26, wherein the first cross-sectional diameter is greater than the second cross-sectional diameter. An ESC structure as described in claim 23, wherein the one or more embedded electrodes include a first electrode having a first shape disposed relative to a central portion of the ceramic body, and a second electrode having a second different shape disposed relative to an outer portion of the ceramic body. An ESC structure as described in claim 28, wherein the second electrode is configured to generate a retaining force on an outer edge of the surface of the substrate. An ESC structure as described in claim 23, wherein the one or more embedded electrodes include two electrodes, wherein the two electrodes include grid layers embedded in the ceramic body, which differ from each other in at least one of (i) a shape and (ii) a density of the grid layers. The ESC structure of claim 23 further comprises a cooling channel within a portion of the ceramic body and configured to facilitate flow of coolant through a portion of the ceramic body, wherein the gas conduits further comprise a porous plug within at least one of the gas conduits, and wherein the ceramic body comprises a first material composition, and wherein the porous plug comprises a second material composition. The ESC structure of claim 23 further comprises a transition region formed on a surface of a cooling substrate, the transition region comprising a plurality of layers comprising a gradient of a material composition between the cooling substrate and the ceramic body. An ESC structure as described in claim 32, wherein the transition region comprises: Two or more transition sub-regions, each transition sub-region comprising a different material composition, wherein each material composition of the transition sub-region comprises a ratio between a first material composition of the cooling substrate and a second material composition of the ceramic body. An ESC structure as described in claim 33, wherein each transition sub-region comprises a ceramic powder dispersed in a metal matrix, wherein a volume of the ceramic powder in the metal matrix is different for each of the two or more transition sub-regions. A method for regenerating an electrostatic chuck (ESC) structure, the method comprising the steps of: Using a metrology tool to determine that a feature of the ESC is outside a threshold tolerance range of the feature of the ESC; Forming a plurality of layers by an additive manufacturing system, wherein at least one layer is formed on a surface of the ESC, and wherein the plurality of layers form at least a regenerated portion of the feature; and Verifying by the metrology tool that a dimension of the feature including the regenerated portion is within the threshold tolerance range of the feature. The method as described in claim 35 further includes the following step: preparing the surface of the ESC before the step of forming the plurality of layers on the surface. A method as described in claim 36, wherein the step of preparing the surface includes the steps of: (A) texturing, (B) scribing, and (C) cleaning the surface. A method as described in claim 35, wherein the step of preparing the surface includes the step of: planarizing the surface. A method as described in claim 35, wherein the step of preparing the surface includes the step of removing at least a portion of the feature determined to be outside the threshold tolerance range of the feature. A method as described in claim 35, wherein the step of preparing the surface includes the step of removing from the ESC at least one feature determined to be within the threshold tolerance range and at least one feature determined to be outside the threshold tolerance range. The method of claim 40, wherein the step of determining that the feature of the ESC is outside the threshold tolerance range comprises the following steps: Receiving a three-dimensional mapping of the ESC including the feature; Generating a comparison graph from the three-dimensional mapping of the ESC and a computer-generated model; and Identifying one or more features that need to be regenerated from the comparison graph. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of verifying that the size of the feature including the regeneration portion is within the threshold tolerance range of the feature comprises the following steps: Receiving a three-dimensional mapping of the ESC including the regeneration portion; Generating a comparison graph from the three-dimensional mapping of the ESC and a computer-generated model; and Verifying from the comparison graph that the size of the feature including the regeneration portion is within the threshold tolerance range of the feature.

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