(19)
(11) EP 1 511 077 A8

(12) CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(48) Corrigendum issued on:
20.07.2005 Bulletin 2005/29

(43) Date of publication:
02.03.2005 Bulletin 2005/09

(21) Application number: 04004357.2

(22) Date of filing: 26.02.2004
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7H01L 21/68, H01L 21/00, C23C 16/458
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK

(30) Priority: 27.02.2003 US 376857

(71) Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
Santa Clara, California 95054 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Nguyen, Andrew
    San Jose California 95132 (US)
  • Schneider, Gerhard
    Cupertino California 95014 (US)
  • Hosokawa, Akihiro
    Cupertino California 95014 (US)
  • Matsumoto, Takayuki
    Santa Clara California 95051 (US)

(74) Representative: Zimmermann, Gerd Heinrich et al
Zimmermann & Partner, P.O. Box 33 09 20
80069 München
80069 München (DE)

   


(54) Substrate support


(57) An apparatus for supporting a substrate is provided having a ball adapted to minimize damage between the substrate support and the substrate supported thereon. In one embodiment, an apparatus for supporting a substrate includes a ball disposed on an inclined ball support surface. The ball support surface is adapted to bias the ball toward one side of the ball support surface thereby providing space for the ball to roll as the substrate supported thereon changes in length when exposed to thermal influences. In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a cage adapted to capture the ball to the ball support surface.