The invention relates to a device 10 for holding workpieces 30 in a process chamber. The invention additionally relates to a coating system 20 and to a method for coating a workpiece 30. In order to allow for precise adjustment of the height of the position of workpieces 30 while supporting same in a secure and stable manner, the holding device 10 comprises a tray 72 for the workpieces 30, a height-adjustable first support element 22 and a height-adjustable second support element 48 for the tray 72, wherein each of the support elements 22, 48 comprises at least one first and one second limb element 26, 56, wherein the respective first and the respective second limb element 26, 56 are coupled so as to be pivotable relative to one another about a pivot axis X, Y, and wherein the pivot axis X of the first support element 22 is arranged at an angle to the pivot axis Y of the second support element 48.

The invention relates to a holding device (2) for holding a magnetizable substrate (8) during machining of at least one substrate surface, in particular of a magnetizable tool to be machined, comprising a magnetic holding unit (4) arranged at the end for fixing the substrate (8) at the end by forming a magnetic field, a receiving unit (6) arranged on the holding unit (4) for receiving the substrate (8), a replaceable adapter unit (10) arranged within the receiving unit (6) for guiding and shielding the substrate (8), the adapter unit (10) having at least one recess (12) for the feedthrough of the substrate (8), the substrate (8) being fixable within the holding device (2) in a laterally supported manner by means of the recess (12).

A method of producing an epitaxial silicon wafer, including: loading a wafer into a chamber; performing epitaxial growth; unloading the epitaxial silicon wafer from the chamber; and then cleaning the inside of the chamber using hydrochloric gas. After the cleaning is performed, whether components provided in the chamber are to be replaced or not is determined based on the cumulative amount of the hydrochloric gas supplied. The components have a base material that includes graphite and is coated with a silicon carbide film.

A baseplate of a substrate support assembly for supporting a semiconductor substrate in a processing chamber comprises a first component made of a first material including a metal and a nonmetal. The first material has a first coefficient of thermal expansion. A layer coating the first component is made of a second material. The second material has a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The first and second coefficients of thermal expansion are different.

Provided by the invention disclosure is a coating equipment. The coating equipment comprises a reaction chamber body provided with a reaction chamber, a gas supply part configured to supply gas to the reaction chamber, a pumping device configured to communicate with the reaction chamber, a pulse power supply adapted to provide the reaction chamber body with a pulsed electric field and a radio frequency power supply adapted to provide the reaction chamber body with a radio frequency electric field, wherein the reaction chamber is adapted to accommodate a plurality of workpiece. When the pulse power supply and the radio frequency power supply are turned on, the gas in the reaction chamber body is ionized under the radio frequency electric field and the pulsed electric field to generate plasma, and the plasma is deposited on the surface of the workpieces.

Forming a protective coating ex situ in an atomic layer deposition process to coat one or more chamber components subsequently installed in a reaction chamber provides a number of benefits over more conventional coating methods such as in situ deposition of an undercoat. In certain cases the protective coating may have a particular composition such as aluminum oxide, aluminum fluoride, aluminum nitride, yttrium oxide, and/or yttrium fluoride. The protective coating may help reduce contamination on wafers processed using the coated chamber component. Further, the protective coating may act to stabilize the processing conditions within the reaction chamber, thereby achieving very stable/uniform processing results over the course of processing many batches of wafers, and minimizing radical loss. Also described are a number of techniques that may be used to restore the protective coating after the coated chamber component is used to process semiconductor wafers.

Methods and apparatus for surface profiling and texturing of chamber components for use in a process chamber, such surface-profiled or textured chamber components, and method of use of same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method includes measuring a parameter of a reference substrate or a heated pedestal using one or more sensors and modifying a surface of a chamber component physically based on the measured parameter.

A tool such as a wafer handler or wafer chuck can include a surface having at least one protrusion. A diamond coating is formed from diamond grains sized so that 90% of the grains are between 200 and 300 nanometers, with the diamond coating being deposited on the surface at a temperature below 500 degrees Celsius over the at least one protrusion. Dopants can be used to provide electrical conductivity needed for electrostatic wafer chuck.

A substrate support assembly includes a ground shield and a heater that is surrounded by the ground shield. The ground shield includes a plate. In one embodiment, the ground shield is composed of a ceramic body and includes an electrically conductive layer, a first protective layer on the upper surface of the plate. In another embodiment, the ground shield is composed of an electrically conductive body and a first protective layer on the upper surface of the plate.

An assembly for use in a process chamber for depositing a film on a wafer. The assembly includes a pedestal having a pedestal top surface extending from a central axis of the pedestal to an outer edge, the pedestal top surface having a plurality of wafer supports for supporting a wafer. A pedestal step having a step surface extending from a step inner diameter towards the outer edge of the pedestal. A focus ring rests on the step surface and having a mesa extending from an outer diameter of the focus ring to a mesa inner diameter. A shelf steps downwards from a mesa surface at the mesa inner diameter, and extends between the mesa inner diameter and an inner diameter of the focus ring. The shelf is configured to support at least a portion of a wafer bottom surface of the wafer at a process temperature.