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A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a reactor chamber, an electrostatic chuck within the chamber for supporting a workpiece, an RF plasma bias power generator coupled to apply RF power to the electrostatic chuck and a refrigeration loop having an evaporator inside the electrostatic

A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a reactor chamber, an electrostatic chuck within the chamber for supporting a workpiece, an RF plasma bias power generator coupled to apply RF power to the electrostatic chuck and a refrigeration loop having an evaporator inside the electrostatic chuck with a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet. Preferably, the evaporator includes a meandering passageway distributed in a plane beneath a top surface of the electrostatic chuck. Preferably, refrigerant within the evaporator is apportioned between a vapor phase and a liquid phase. As a result, heat transfer between the electrostatic chuck and the refrigerant within the evaporator is a constant-temperature process. This feature improves uniformity of temperature distribution across a diameter of the electrostatic chuck.

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1. A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, comprising: a reactor chamber;an electrostatic chuck within said chamber comprising an upper insulating puck layer having a top surface for supporting a workpiece and a lower conductive base layer, and an axial cylindrical probe hole extending through

1. A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, comprising: a reactor chamber;an electrostatic chuck within said chamber comprising an upper insulating puck layer having a top surface for supporting a workpiece and a lower conductive base layer, and an axial cylindrical probe hole extending through said base layer and into said puck layer, and a temperature probe in said electrostatic chuck, said temperature probe comprising: (I) an upper probe in said upper insulating puck layer and comprising: (A) an opaque insulative cylindrical upper probe sleeve and a cap at a top of said upper probe sleeve, said upper probe sleeve extending axially into said probe hole, a top end of said upper probe sleeve being located at a top end of said probe hole beneath said top surface;(B) an optically responsive temperature transducer within said upper probe sleeve at said top end of said upper probe sleeve;(C) an upper optical fiber having a top end coupled to said optically responsive temperature transducer and extending axially through said upper probe sleeve;(II) a lower probe below said lower conductive base layer and comprising: (A) an elongate cylindrical lower probe sleeve having a top end facing and contacting a bottom end of said upper probe;(B) a lower optical fiber having a top end facing a bottom end of said upper optical fiber and extending axially through said lower probe sleeve;(III) an upper coil spring biasing said upper probe sleeve toward said top end of said probe hole; and(IV) a lower coil spring biasing said lower probe sleeve toward the bottom end of said upper probe, said upper coil spring having greater stiffness than said lower coil spring, wherein said upper probe further comprises a receptacle opening coaxial with said upper optical fiber and shaped to receive a top end of said lower probe sleeve. 2. A workpiece support comprising an insulating puck layer and a conductive base layer under said insulating puck layer, a probe hole extending through said conductive base layer and into said insulating puck layer, and a temperature probe, said temperature probe comprising: an elongate upper probe sleeve extending into said insulating puck layer and a cap at a top of said upper probe sleeve, an optically responsive temperature transducer within said upper probe sleeve at a top end thereof, and an upper optical fiber extending axially through said upper probe sleeve and coupled to said optically responsive temperature transducer;an elongate lower probe sleeve below said conductive base layer and coaxial with said upper probe sleeve and having a top end adjacent a bottom end of said upper probe sleeve, a lower optical fiber having a top end facing a bottom end of said upper optical fiber and extending axially through said lower probe sleeve;an upper coil spring biasing said upper probe sleeve toward a top end of said probe hole; anda lower coil spring biasing said lower probe sleeve toward the bottom end of said upper probe sleeve. 3. The workpiece support of claim 2 wherein said upper coil spring has a greater stiffness than said lower coil spring. 4. The workpiece support of claim 3 wherein said upper probe sleeve comprises a receptacle opening coaxial with said upper optical fiber and shaped to receive a top end of said lower probe sleeve. 5. The workpiece support of claim 2 wherein said upper probe sleeve is non-conductive and said lower probe sleeve is formed of a conductive material. 6. The workpiece support of claim 2 wherein said lower coil spring biases the top end of said lower optical fiber against the bottom end of said upper optical fiber. 7. The workpiece support of claim 4 wherein said top end of said lower probe sleeve has a convex truncated conical shape and said receptacle opening of said upper probe sleeve has a concave truncated conical shape. 8. The workpiece support of claim 2 wherein said upper probe sleeve comprises: an upper mounting plate fastened at a bottom surface of said conductive base layer and having a passage through which said upper optical fiber extends, said upper mounting plate defining an upper mounting plate shoulder;an upper annular ring fastened around a portion of said upper probe sleeve, said upper coil spring compressed between said upper mounting plate shoulder and said upper annular ring. 9. The workpiece support of claim 8 wherein said electrostatic chuck further comprises a host layer underlying said conductive base layer, and wherein said lower probe sleeve comprises: a lower mounting plate fastened at a bottom surface of said host layer and having a passage through which said lower optical fiber extends, said lower mounting plate defining a lower mounting plate shoulder;a lower annular ring fastened around a portion of said lower probe housing, said lower coil spring compressed between said lower mounting plate shoulder and said lower annular ring.