Aluminum nitride sintered bodies and semiconductor-producing members including same

• US 6,486,085 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Inventors: Katsuda, Yuji, Masuda, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): SAMPLE, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US09/659,529
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 501/98.4, 501/152, 279/128, 428/472, 428/698, 428/699
• US Class Current: 501/98.4
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/581 based on aluminium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/15 Ceramic or glass substrates H01L23/142, H01L23/145, H01L23/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/23 with magnetic or electrostatic means

Abstract

An aluminum nitride sintered body is provided. The aluminum nitride has a polycrystalline structure of aluminum nitride crystals having an average particle diameter in a range of 5 μm to 20 μm and cerium in a range of 0.01 wt % 1.0 wt %, when calculated as an oxide thereof. The aluminum nitride sintered body has a room temperature volume resistivity in a range of 1×10⁸ Ω·cm to 1×10¹² Ω·cm under the application of 500 V/mm, and a value of a in the I-V relational equation, I=kV^α, is in a range of 1.0 to 1.5, V being a voltage in a range of 100 V/mm to 1000 V/mm, I being a leak current when V is applied to said aluminum nitride body, k being a constant, and α being a non-linear coefficient.

Claims

1. An aluminum nitride sintered body, comprising:

aluminum nitride having a polycrystalline structure of aluminum nitride crystals, said aluminum nitride crystals having an average particle diameter in a range of 5 μ

m to 20 μ

m; and

cerium in a range of 0.01 wt % to 1.0 wt %, when calculated as an oxide thereof;

wherein said aluminum nitride sintered body has a room temperature volume resistivity in a range of 1×

10⁸ Ω

·

cm to 1×

10¹² Ω

·

cm under the application of 500 V/mm, and a value of a in an I-V relational equation, I=kV^α

, is in a range of 1.0 to 1.5, V being a voltage in a range of 100 V/mm to 1000 V/mm, I being a leak current when V is applied to said aluminum nitride body, k being a constant, and a being a non-linear coefficient.

2. The aluminum nitride sintered body set forth in claim 1, wherein the content of a metal element or elements, excluding aluminum and cerium, is not more than 100 ppm.

3. The aluminum nitride sintered body set forth in claim 1, wherein the content of a rare earth element or elements excluding cerium, when calculated as oxide or oxides thereof, is in a range of 0.01 wt % to 0.5 wt %.

4. The aluminum nitride sintered body set forth in claim 3, wherein the content of a metal element or elements, excluding aluminum and the rare earth element or elements, is not more than 100 ppm.

5. The aluminum nitride sintered body set forth in claim 3, wherein the rare earth element is yttrium.

6. The aluminum nitride sintered body set forth in claim 4, wherein the rare earth element is yttrium.

7. The aluminum nitride sintered body set forth in claim 1, wherein the content of carbon is not more than 0.05 wt %.

8. The aluminum nitride sintered body set forth in claim 1, comprising a single phase of aluminum nitride when observed by an X-ray diffraction method.

9. The aluminum nitride sintered body set forth in claim 1, comprising a phase of aluminum nitride and at least one of a phase of cerium aluminate and a phase of CeAl¹¹O¹⁸ when observed by an X-ray diffraction method.

10. A semiconductor-producing member at least partially comprising the aluminum nitride sintered body set forth in claim 1.

11. The semiconductor-producing member set forth in claim 10, further comprising a substrate made of said aluminum nitride sintered body and having a metallic part buried in said substrate.

12. The semiconductor-producing member set forth in claim 11, wherein said metallic part comprises an electrostatic chuck electrode.