An electrostatic chuck includes a base having a surface on which an object is to be placed, and a through hole extending through the base, wherein a porous material containing angular ceramic particles is disposed in the through hole.

Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to an improved substrate support pedestal assembly. In one implementation, the substrate support pedestal assembly includes a shaft. The substrate support pedestal assembly further includes a substrate support pedestal, mechanically coupled to the shaft. The substrate support pedestal comprises substrate support plate coated on a top surface with a ceramic material.

Methods and apparatus for preventing or reducing arcing of an electrostatic chuck in a process chamber. In some embodiments, a method of preventing or reducing arcing of an electrostatic chuck includes forming a first recess in at least a portion of a sidewall of the electrostatic chuck and filling the first recess with a conformable dielectric material that remains conformable (elastic) over a temperature range of at least approximately zero degrees Celsius to approximately 80 degrees Celsius. In some embodiments, the first recess is filled with the conformable dielectric material such that the conformable dielectric material does not bond to at least one surface of the first recess. The conformable dielectric material may also be used to fill a second recess in a dielectric sleeve adjacent to the electrostatic chuck.

A semiconductor wafer carrier structure is provided. The semiconductor wafer carrier structure includes a susceptor and a patterned heat conduction part disposed on the susceptor. At least a portion of the patterned heat conduction part has a different heat conduction coefficient than the susceptor. A metal-organic chemical vapor deposition equipment is also provided. The metal-organic chemical vapor deposition equipment includes a carrier body having a plurality of carrier units. The above semiconductor wafer carrier structure is placed in at least one of the carrier units.

Exemplary semiconductor processing chambers may include a chamber body. The chambers may include a showerhead. The chambers may include a substrate support. The substrate support may include a platen characterized by a first surface facing the showerhead. The substrate support may include a shaft coupled with the platen along a second surface of the platen opposite the first surface of the platen. The shaft may extend at least partially through the chamber body. A coating may extend conformally about the first surface of the platen, the second surface of the platen, and about the shaft.

A susceptor has a circular pocket portion, an annular ledge portion, and an annular rim ledge portion. The circular pocket portion is arranged along a rotation axis and has a perforated surface. The annular ledge portion extends circumferentially about pocket portion and has ledge surface that slopes axially upward from the perforated surface. The rim portion extends circumferentially about the ledge portion and is connected to the pocket portion by the ledge portion of the susceptor. The susceptor has one or more of a tuned pocket, a contact break, a precursor vent, and a purge channel located radially outward of the perforated surface to control deposition of a film onto a substrate supported by the susceptor. Semiconductor processing systems, film deposition methods, and methods of making susceptors are also described.

A lithographic apparatus comprising: a clamping surface for supporting a substrate, wherein a property of the clamping surface is defined by at least one clamping surface parameter, and wherein the property of the clamping surface has been selected to exhibit low wear; a clamping apparatus for actuating a clamping operation between the clamping surface and the substrate, wherein the clamping operation is defined at least in part by at least one interface characteristic between the clamping surface and the substrate; and a processing station, operable to apply an adjustment to a first property of the substrate to optimize at least one interface characteristic of a particular clamping operation in dependence on the clamping surface parameter and at least one substrate surface parameter which defines a second property of the substrate.

Disclosed is a susceptor for high-temperature use having a shaft with low thermal conductivity, wherein in a susceptor including a plate for wafer mounting and a shaft coupled to the plate, the plate and the shaft each include a sintered body having 90 wt % or more of an AlN phase, the sintered body of the plate is a magnesium-containing AlN sintered body having a volume resistance of 5*10.sup.8 Ω.Math.cm or more at 650° C., and the sintered body of the shaft is an AlN sintered body having a room-temperature thermal conductivity of 100 W/mK or less.

A semiconductor wafer carrier structure includes a carrier body having a surface; a protective film covering the surface; a susceptor disposed on the carrier body; and a patterned coating film on the susceptor, wherein the patterned coating film has two or more different thicknesses, wherein patterns of the patterned coating film are symmetrically distributed with respect to a center of the susceptor.

A substrate processing system includes a first chamber including a substrate support. A showerhead is arranged above the first chamber and is configured to filter ions and deliver radicals from a plasma source to the first chamber. The showerhead includes a heat transfer fluid plenum, a secondary gas plenum including an inlet to receive secondary gas and a plurality of secondary gas injectors to inject the secondary gas into the first chamber, and a plurality of through holes passing through the showerhead. The through holes are not in fluid communication with the heat transfer fluid plenum or the secondary gas plenum.