Ceramic composition for an apparatus and method for processing a substrate

• US 6,123,791 A
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Yuan, Jie, Shih, Hong, Lu, Danny, Han, Nianci, Ma, Diana
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Shrive
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASSANZADEH, PARVIZ
• Application Number:
  US09/124,323
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345, 118/723 I, 118/715, 118/716, 118/723 E, 501/127, 501/152
• US Class Current: 156/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32467 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32642 Focus rings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 156/914 Differential etching apparatus including particular materials of construction

Abstract

A ceramic composition of matter for a process kit and a dielectric window of a reactor chamber wherein substrates are processed in a plasma of a processing gas. The ceramic composition of matter contains a ceramic compound (e.g. Al₂ O₃) and an oxide of a Group IIIB metal (e.g., Y₂ O₃). A method for processing (e.g. etching) a substrate in a chamber containing a plasma of a processing gas. The method includes passing processing power through a dielectric window which is formed from the ceramic composition of matter.

Claims

1. A plasma reactor for processing substrates comprising a reactor chamber including a chamber wall;

a dielectric window supported by said chamber wall and comprising a ceramic composition including a ceramic compound and an oxide of a Group IIIB metal said ceramic composition of said dielectric window comprising from about 30% by weight to about 95% by weight of said ceramic compound and from about 5% by weight to about 70% by weight of said oxide of a Group IIIB metal;

a pedestal assembly disposed in said reactor chamber for supporting substrates in said reactor chamber;

a processing power source;

a processing gas-introducing assembly, engaged to said reactor chamber, for introducing a processing gas into said reactor chamber; and

a processing power-transmitting member disposed in proximity to said reactor chamber and connected to said processing power source for transmitting power into the reactor chamber to aid in sustaining a plasma from a processing gas within the reactor chamber.

2. The plasma reactor of claim 1 additionally comprising a wafer-capture ring member supported by said pedestal assembly, said wafer-capture ring member comprising said ceramic composition including said ceramic compound and said oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

3. The plasma reactor of claim 2 additionally comprising a focus ring member disposed in said reactor chamber and releasably engaging the wafer-capture ring member, said focus ring member comprising said ceramic composition including said ceramic compound and said oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

4. The plasma reactor of claim 3 wherein said ceramic compound consists essentially of aluminum oxide and said oxide of a Group IIIB metal consists essentially of yttrium oxide.

5. The plasma reactor of claim 3 wherein said focus ring comprises a major proportion of said ceramic compound and a minor proportion of said oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

6. The plasma reactor of claim 5 wherein said ceramic compound is selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, and mixtures thereof.

7. The plasma reactor of claim 3 wherein said ceramic composition of said focus ring member comprises from about 30% by weight to about 95% by weight of said ceramic compound and from about 5% by weight to about 70% by weight of said oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

8. The plasma reactor of claim 3 wherein said ceramic composition of said focus ringer member comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 15% by weight to about 60% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

9. The plasma reactor of claim 3 wherein said ceramic composition of said focus ring member comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

10. The plasma reactor of claim 2 wherein said ceramic composition of said wafer-capture ring member comprises from about 30% by weight to about 95% by weight of said ceramic compound and from about 5% by weight to about 70% by weight of said oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

11. The plasma reactor of claim 2 wherein said ceramic composition of said wafer-capture ring member comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 15% by weight to about 60% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

12. The plasma reactor of claim 2 wherein said ceramic composition of said wafer-capture ring member comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

13. The plasma reactor of claim 1 wherein said ceramic compound is selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, and mixtures thereof.

14. The plasma reactor of claim 1 wherein said ceramic compound consists essentially of aluminum oxide and said oxide of a Group IIIB metal consists essentially of yttrium oxide.

15. The plasma reactor of claim 1 wherein said ceramic composition of said dielectric wall comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 15% by weight to about 60% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

16. The plasma reactor of claim 1 wherein said ceramic composition of said dielectric window comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

17. The plasma reactor of claim 1 wherein said ceramic composition of said dielectric window comprises from about 60% by weight to about 65% by weight of Al₂ O₃ and from about 35% by weight to about 40% by weight Y₂ O₃.

18. The plasma reactor of claim 1 additionally comprising transmitted power from said processing power-transmitting member passing through said dielectric window including said ceramic composition.

19. An inductively coupled RF plasma reactor for processing semiconductor wafers comprising:

a reactor chamber having a chamber wall and a dome-shaped ceiling supported by said chamber wall, said dome-shaped ceiling comprising a first ceramic composition including a first ceramic compound and a first oxide of a Group IIIB metal, said first ceramic composition of said dome-shaped ceiling comprising from about 30% by weight to about 95% by weight of said, first ceramic compound and from about 5% by weight to about 70% by weight of said first oxide of a Group IIIB metal;

a wafer pedestal assembly disposed in said reactor chamber for supporting semiconductor wafers in said reactor chamber;

an inductively coupled RF power source;

means, engaged to said reactor chamber, for introducing a processing gas into said reactor chamber;

a coil inductor disposed adjacent to said reactor chamber and connected to said inductively coupled RF power source; and

a bias RF source connected to said wafer pedestal assembly.

20. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 19 additionally comprising a high density plasma of a processing gas disposed in said reactor chamber.

21. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 20 additionally comprising RF processing power passing through said dome-shaped ceiling.

22. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 19 additionally comprising a wafer-capture ring member supported by said wafer pedestal assembly, said wafer-capture ring member comprising a second ceramic composition including a second ceramic compound and a second oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

23. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 22 additionally comprising a focus ring member ring member disposed in said reactor chamber and releasably engaging the wafer-capture ring member, said focus ring member comprising a third ceramic composition including a third ceramic compound and a third oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

24. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 23 wherein said first ceramic composition comprises a major proportion of said first ceramic compound and a minor proportion of said first oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

25. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 23 wherein said second ceramic compound is selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, and mixtures thereof.

26. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 23 wherein said second ceramic compound consists essentially of aluminum oxide and said second oxide of a Group IIIB metal consists essentially of yttrium oxide.

27. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 23 wherein said third ceramic composition of said focus ring member comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the third ceramic compound and from about 15% by weight to about 60% by weight of the third oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

28. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 23 wherein said third ceramic composition of said focus ring member comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the third ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the third oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

29. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 23 wherein said third ceramic composition of said focus ring member comprises from about 60% by weight to about 65% by weight of Al₂ O₃ and from about 35% by weight to about 40% by weight of Y₂ O₃.

30. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 22 wherein said second ceramic composition of said wafer-capture ring member comprises from about 30% by weight to about 95% by weight of the second ceramic compound and from about 5% by weight to about 70% by weight of the second oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

31. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 22 wherein said second ceramic composition of said wafer-capture ring member comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the second ceramic compound and from about 15% by weight to about 60% by weight of the second oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

32. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 22 wherein said second ceramic composition of said wafer-capture ring member comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the second ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the second oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

33. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 19 wherein said first ceramic compound is selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, and mixtures thereof.

34. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 19 wherein said first ceramic compound consists essentially of aluminum oxide and said first oxide of a Group IIIB metal consists essentially of yttrium oxide.

35. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 19 wherein said first ceramic composition of said dielectric window comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the first ceramic compound and from about 15% by weight to about 60% by weight of the first oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

36. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 19 wherein said ceramic composition of said dielectric window comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the first oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

37. The inductively coupled RF plasma reactor of claim 19 wherein said first ceramic composition of said dielectric window comprises from about 60% by weight to about 65% by weight of Al₂ O₃ and from about 35% by weight to about 40% by weight Y₂ O₃.

38. A process kit for processing semiconductor substrates comprising a first ring member having a first ceramic composition including a first ceramic compound and a first oxide of a Group IIIB metal said first ceramic composition comprises from about 30% by weight to about 95% by weight of said first ceramic compound and from about 5% by weight to about 70% by weight of said first oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

39. The process kit of claim 38 additionally comprising a second ring member releasably engaging a second ring member and including a second ceramic composition comprising said ceramic compound and a second oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

40. The process kit of claim 39 wherein said first ceramic compound consists essentially of aluminum oxide and said first oxide of a Group IIIB metal consists essentially of yttrium oxide.

41. The process kit of claim 39 wherein said second ceramic composition comprises from about 30% by weight to about 95% by weight of said second ceramic compound and from about 5% by weight to about 70% by weight of said second oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

42. The process kit of claim 39 wherein said second ceramic composition comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the second ceramic compound and from 15% by weight to ab out 60% by weight of the second oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

43. The process kit of claim 39 wherein said second ceramic composition comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the second ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the second oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

44. The process kit of claim 38 wherein said first ceramic composition comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the first ceramic compound and from about 15% by weight to about 60% by weight of the first oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

45. The process kit of claim 38 herein said first ceramic composition comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the first ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the first oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

46. A dielectric member having a high erosion resistance during processing of a substrate in a high density plasma of a processing gas comprising a ceramic composition including a ceramic compound and an oxide of a Group IIIB metal, said ceramic composition comprises from about 30% by weight to about 95% by weight of said ceramic compound and from about 5% by weight to about 70% by weight of said oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

47. The dielectric member of claim 46 additionally comprising processing power passing through said ceramic composition.

48. The dielectric member of claim 47 wherein said ceramic composition comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 15% by weight to about 60% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

49. The dielectric member of claim 47 wherein said ceramic composition comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

50. The dielectric member of claim 46 wherein said ceramic compound consists essentially of aluminum oxide and said oxide of a Group IIIB metal consists essentially of yttrium oxide.

51. The dielectric member of claim 46 wherein said ceramic composition comprises from about 40% by weight to about 85% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 15% by weight to about 60% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.

52. The dielectric member of claim 46 wherein said ceramic composition comprises from about 50% by weight to about 75% by weight of the ceramic compound and from about 30% by weight to about 40% by weight of the oxide of a Group IIIB metal.