TEXTURING AND PLATING NICKEL ON ALUMINUM PROCESS CHAMBER COMPONENTS

• US 20190323127A1
• Filed: 04/19/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kalita, Laksheswar, Park, Soonam, Lubomirsky, Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US15/957,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20190323127A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/017 one layer being formed of aluminium or an aluminium alloy, another layer being formed of an alloy based on a non ferrous metal other than aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1603 coating on selected surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1637 metallic substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1692 Heat-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1806 by mechanical pretreatment, e.g. grinding, sanding
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1834 Use of organic or inorganic compounds other than metals, e.g. activation, sensitisation with polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1848 by electrochemical pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/32 Coating with nickel, cobalt or mixtures thereof with phosphorus or boron C23C18/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/36 using hypophosphites
• CPC Class Codes: C25F 3/04 of light metals

Abstract

Systems and methods may be used to produce coated components. Exemplary chamber components may include an aluminum plate defining a plurality of apertures. The plate may include a nickel coating on a textured aluminum plate to provide for adhesion. Implementing the present technology, the nickel coating may be firmly affixed with or without first applying an intermediate adhesion layer. Deleterious components from the intermediate adhesion layer (if present) may not contaminate substrates as readily as a consequence of the texturing of the aluminum plate. The contamination from the intermediate adhesion layer is undesirable and may electrically compromise semiconductor devices during processing.

Claims

1. A method of coating a showerhead, the method comprising:

removing aluminum oxide from the showerhead, wherein removing the aluminum oxide exposes aluminum portions of the showerhead and wherein the showerhead comprises through-holes extending from a top of the showerhead to a bottom of the showerhead;

electrochemically anchoring the aluminum portions of the showerhead by exposing the showerhead to an electrochemically anchoring chemical; and

forming a nickel layer on the aluminum portions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochemically anchoring chemical comprises at least one of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, oxalic acid, propionic acid, succinic acid, glycolic acid, or an organic acid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the showerhead to the electrochemically anchoring chemical comprises submerging the showerhead in a liquid bath.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a temperature of the liquid bath is between −

20°

C. and 120°

C.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the nickel layer consists of nickel or consists of nickel and phosphorus.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an adhesion layer after electrochemically anchoring the aluminum portions and before forming the nickel layer.

7. The method of claim 6, a thickness of the adhesion layer is less than 5 μ

m.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein no adhesion layer is included between the aluminum portions and the nickel layer.

9. A method of coating a component of a semiconductor processing chamber, the method comprising:

texturing an exposed surface of the component, wherein the component defines a plurality of apertures including a taper extending at least partially through a first section of each aperture of the plurality of apertures, and wherein the taper is characterized by an angle of taper through the first section of each aperture of the plurality of apertures; and

applying a protective coating onto the component, wherein the protective coating comprises nickel and phosphorus.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the exposed surface of the component is aluminum or aluminum oxide.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a thickness of the protective coating is less than 200 μ

m.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein texturing the exposed surface is performed to a depth of at least 10 nm.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the protective coating comprises nickel and phosphorus and comprises between 3% and 16% phosphorus by weight.

14. A method of coating a showerhead, the method comprising:

removing aluminum oxide from the showerhead, wherein removing the aluminum oxide exposes aluminum portions of the showerhead and wherein the showerhead comprises apertures extending from a top of the showerhead to a bottom of the showerhead;

electrochemically anchoring the aluminum portions of the showerhead by exposing the showerhead to an electrochemically anchoring chemical in a liquid bath;

applying a voltage between the showerhead and an anode, wherein the showerhead and the anode are disposed within the liquid bath;

texturing the aluminum portions of the showerhead;

electroless nickel plating a nickel layer onto the aluminum portions of the showerhead.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the voltage is between 0.1 volts and 500 volts.