Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus, LLP
Electrostatic chuck, and method of and apparatus for processing sample using the chuck
 An electrostatic chuck includes a pair of electrodes having different polarities, and a dielectric film, formed on top surfaces of the pair of electrodes, on which a sample to be electrostatically attracted and held when a DC voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes, wherein the respective amounts of electric charges stored on attracting portions of the dielectric film corresponding to the pair of electrodes, directly before stopping supply of the DC voltage applied between the pair of electrodes, are substantially equal to each other. With this chuck, the electric charges stored on the attracting portions of the dielectric film after stopping supply of the DC voltage can be eliminated due to the balance between the electric charges having different polarities. The electrostatic chuck is subjected to a significantly reduced residual attracting force. 
Hitachi, Ltd.
H Y
H01L Y10T
inventional additional
Youichi Tatehito Ken Seiichiro Saburo
Itou Usui Yoshioka Kanno Kanai