Toto has been granted a patent for an electrostatic chuck that includes a ceramic dielectric substrate, a base plate, and a heater unit. The heater unit consists of a first heater element with multiple sub-zones, including a central region and an outer peripheral region. The sub-zones have a sub-heater line, a first sub-power feeding portion, and a second sub-power feeding portion. At least one of the power feeding portions is located in the central region. GlobalData’s report on Toto gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Toto, Reformer integrated fuel cells was a key innovation area identified from patents. Toto's grant share as of September 2023 was 23%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Electrostatic chuck with a ceramic dielectric substrate and heater
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11776836B2) describes an electrostatic chuck used in semiconductor manufacturing. The chuck includes a ceramic dielectric substrate with a first major surface for mounting a process object and a second major surface. The chuck also includes a base plate that supports the ceramic substrate and a heater unit that heats the substrate.
The heater unit consists of a first heater element with multiple sub-zones. One of these sub-zones, called the first sub-zone, has a sub-heater line that generates heat by allowing a current to flow. The first sub-zone also includes a first sub-power feeding portion and a second sub-power feeding portion, which supply power to the sub-heater line. The first sub-zone is surrounded by an inner peripheral end, an outer peripheral end, a first side end, and a second side end.
The central region of the first sub-zone is surrounded by radial and circumferential center lines. The first sub-power feeding portion and the second sub-power feeding portion are provided in the central region. Additionally, the patent describes the inclusion of a second heater element, a bypass layer for power feeding, a lift pin hole, a clamping electrode terminal hole, and a cooling gas hole in the chuck.
The patent also mentions that the first heater element can generate less heat than the second heater element, and its volume resistivity can be higher. The heater unit can be positioned between the ceramic dielectric substrate and the base plate or within the substrate itself.
Overall, this patent describes an electrostatic chuck with a specific configuration of sub-zones and power feeding portions. The inclusion of multiple heater elements and additional features like lift pin holes and cooling gas holes enhances the functionality of the chuck. This technology can be used in semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses to securely hold and heat process objects during the manufacturing process.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
