Yttria-coated ceramic components of semiconductor material processing apparatuses and methods of manufacturing the components

• US 20050136188A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 7,220,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/421.100
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/10 based on aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/48 based on zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates, zircon or hafnates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/009 characterised by the material treated
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/4527 Plasma spraying deposition from the gas phase using plasma C04B41/4533
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/4556 coating or impregnating with a product reacting with the substrate, e.g. generating a metal coating by surface reduction of a ceramic substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/4578 Coating or impregnating of green ceramics or unset concrete
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5032 Aluminates aluminate spinels C04B41/5046
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5042 Zirconium oxides or zirconates; Hafnium oxides or hafnates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5045 Rare-earth oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/52 Multiple coating or impregnating multiple coating or impregnating with the same composition or with compositions only differing in the concentration of the constituents, is classified as single coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/522 Multiple coatings, for one of the coatings of which at least one alternative is described
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/87 Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4404 Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated, e.g. for coating on selected surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/04 characterised by the coating material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/10 Oxides, borides, carbides, nitrides or silicides; Mixtures thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/11 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32477 characterised by the means for protecting vessels or internal parts, e.g. coatings

Abstract

Yttria-coated ceramic components of semiconductor material processing apparatuses include a substrate and at least one yttria-containing coating on the substrate. The components are made by applying a first yttria-containing coating on a ceramic substrate, which can be a green body of the ceramic material. The coated green body is sintered. The first yttria-containing coating can be treated to remove attached yttria particles resulting from the sintering. In another embodiment, a second yttria-containing coating can be thermally sprayed on the first yttria-containing coating to cover the particles.

Claims

1. A yttria-coated ceramic component of a semiconductor material processing apparatus, comprising:

a substrate comprising a green body of a ceramic material; and

a thermal-sprayed yttria-containing coating on at least one surface of the substrate.

2. The component of claim 1, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a dielectric window, chamber wall, chamber liner, substrate support, baffle, gas distribution plate, plasma confinement ring, nozzle, fastener, heating element, plasma focus ring, chuck and a plasma screen, and/or the semiconductor material processing apparatus comprises a plasma etcher.

3. The component of claim 1, wherein the ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of alumina, quartz, zirconia, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, and mixtures thereof.

4. The component of claim 1, wherein the yttria-containing coating consists essentially of yttria, and/or the semiconductor material processing apparatus comprises a plasma etcher.

5. The component of claim 1, wherein the yttria-containing coating comprises an oxide, carbide, nitride, boride and/or carbonitride of at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu.

6. The component of claim 1, wherein the yttria-containing coating is applied over the entire outer surface of the substrate.

7. A yttria-coated ceramic component of a semiconductor material processing apparatus, comprising:

a substrate comprising a ceramic material;

a thermal-sprayed first yttria-containing coating on at least one surface of the substrate; and

a bond layer comprising a multi-phase oxide including the ceramic material and yttria at an interface between the substrate and the first yttria-containing coating, the bond layer having been formed by co-sintering the substrate and the as-thermal sprayed first yttria-containing coating;

wherein (i) the first yttria-containing coating includes an exposed surface that has been treated by a plasma conditioning treatment to reduce particles of yttria attached to the exposed surface after the co-sintering, or (ii) the component further comprises an as-thermal sprayed second yttria-containing coating on the sintered first yttria-containing coating and covering the particles of yttria attached to the exposed surface.

8. The component of claim 7, wherein:

when (i), the first yttria-containing coating has a porosity of less than about 20%, a crystal structure that is from about 95% to about 100% cubic, and a bond strength of from about 200 ksi to about 400 ksi; and

when (ii), the first yttria-containing coating and the second yttria-containing coating have a porosity of less than about 20%, a crystal structure that is from about 95% to about 100% cubic, and a bond strength of from about 200 ksi to about 400 ksi.

9. The component of claim 7, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a dielectric window, chamber wall, chamber liner, substrate support, baffle, gas distribution plate, plasma confinement ring, nozzle, fastener, heating element, plasma focus ring, chuck, and a plasma screen, and/or the semiconductor material processing apparatus comprises a plasma etcher.

10. The component of claim 7, wherein the substrate comprises a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of alumina, quartz, zirconia, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, and mixtures thereof.

11. The component of claim 7, wherein the component includes the second yttria-containing coating, and the first yttria-containing coating and the second yttria-containing coating comprise an oxide, carbide, nitride, boride and/or carbonitride of at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu.

12. The component of claim 7, wherein the component includes the second yttria-containing coating, and the first yttria-containing coating and the second yttria-containing coating are disposed on the entire outer surface of the substrate.

13. The component of claim 7, wherein the component includes the second yttria-containing coating, and the first yttria-containing coating and the second yttria-containing coating consist essentially of yttria.

14. The component of claim 7, wherein the component includes the second yttria-containing coating which includes an exposed surface having a roughness effective to enhance adhesion of polymer particles that deposit on the exposed surface.

15. The component of claim 7, wherein:

the substrate consists essentially of alumina;

the first coating consists essentially of yttria;

the bond layer comprises yttrium aluminum garnet; and

the component includes the second yttria-containing coating which consists essentially of yttria.

16. A semiconductor material processing apparatus comprising at least one component according to claim 7.

17. A method of processing a semiconductor material in a semiconductor material processing apparatus, comprising processing a semiconductor material with a plasma in a plasma chamber of a semiconductor material processing apparatus which contains at least one component according to claim 7.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the processing comprises plasma etching a polysilicon semiconductor material in the plasma chamber.

19. A method of making a yttria-coated ceramic component of a semiconductor material processing apparatus, comprising thermal spraying a first yttria-containing coating on at least one surface of a substrate, the substrate comprising a green body of a ceramic material.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising co-sintering the substrate and the as-thermal sprayed first yttria-containing coating to form a bond layer comprising a multi-phase oxide including the ceramic material and yttria at an interface between the substrate and the first yttria-containing coating.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising, after the co-sintering, thermal spraying a second yttria-containing coating on the first yttria-containing coating.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising, after the co-sintering, treating an exposed surface of the first yttria-containing coating by a plasma conditioning treatment to reduce particles of yttria attached to the exposed surface after the co-sintering.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the ceramic material is alumina, and the first yttria-containing coating and the second yttria-containing coating consist essentially of yttria.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the substrate and the first yttria-containing coating are co-sintered at a temperature of from about 800°

C. to about 1600°

C. for a time period up to about 7 days.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a dielectric window, chamber wall, chamber liner, substrate support, baffle, gas distribution plate, plasma confinement ring, nozzle, fastener, heating element, plasma focus ring, chuck, and a plasma screen, and/or the semiconductor material processing apparatus comprises a plasma etcher.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the substrate comprises a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of alumina, quartz, zirconia, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, yttria, and mixtures thereof.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the first yttria-containing coating and the second yttria-containing coating comprise an oxide, carbide, nitride, boride and/or carbonitride of at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the first yttria-containing coating and the second yttria-containing coating are thermal sprayed on the entire outer surface of the substrate.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the second ytrria-containing coating includes an exposed surface having a roughness effective to enhance adhesion of plasma etch by-products in the form of polymer particles deposited on the exposed surface.

30. A method of making a yttria-coated ceramic component of a semiconductor material processing chamber, comprising:

partially sintering a substrate comprising a ceramic material;

thermal spraying a first yttria-containing coating on at least one surface of the substrate;

co-sintering the substrate and the as-thermal sprayed first yttria-containing coating to form a a bond layer comprising a multi-phase oxide of the ceramic material and yttria at an interface between the substrate and the first yttria-containing coating; and

(i) treating an exposed surface of the first yttria-containing coating by a plasma conditioning treatment to reduce particles of yttria attached to the exposed surface after the co-sintering, or (ii) thermal spraying a second yttria-containing coating on the sintered first yttria-containing coating to cover the particles of yttria attached to the exposed surface after the co-sintering.