Abstract
Johnsen-Rahbek electrostatic chuck (ESC) for holding a silicon wafer in semiconductor processing is investigated in inductively coupled plasma (ICP). Bi-layer model of the ESC consisting of a thick bulk layer and a thin interface layer is proposed. The resistance of each layer is obtained by measuring the ESC voltage-current (V-I) characteristic with and without the wafer in ICP, along with the voltage effectively applied to the interface layer. Surface charges stored in the interface layer capacitance are found by the time-integration of current in a turn-on phase of a ramped voltage. On the other hand, the chuck holding force is in situ obtained in a turn-off phase of slowly ramped voltage, from the critical conditions of helium gas pressurization for wafer de-chuck. The electrostatic force predicted on a basis of equivalent circuit in the bi-layer model coincides with the mechanical force obtained in the wafer de-touch experiments.
