Planar heating chuck to improve temperature uniformity of plasma processing equipment

Semiconductor fabrication has increasingly demanded improved control of process parameters related to equipment temperature, such as heating and cooling speed and temperature uniformity of the wafer chuck. We perform preliminary thermal-electrical analysis of a heating chuck with a planar heating element, to investigate the feasibility of a planar heating element for plasma-assisted deposition equipment. We propose and optimize circular electrode patterns for the planar heating element of a 6 inch heating chuck design to improve temperature uniformity of the wafer chuck. Using an Analysis System numerical study, we achieve a superior temperature uniformity profile compared to conventional coil-type heating elements.