Y2o3 to zro2 erosion resistant material for chamber components in plasma environments

Abstract

To provide a chamber component manufactured from an erosion-resistant ceramic material.SOLUTION: A chamber component for a processing chamber includes a ceramic body composed of a sintered ceramic material substantially composed of one or more phases Y2O3 to ZrO2. The ceramic material consists essentially of 55 to 65mol% Y2O3 and 35 to 45mol% ZrO2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to erosion-resistant ceramic materials comprised of Y2O3 and ZrO2, and particularly to chamber components fabricated from such erosion-resistant ceramic materials.

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, devices are produced by many manufacturing processes that produce structures of increasingly smaller size. Some manufacturing processes, such as plasma etching and plasma cleaning processes, expose a substrate to a high velocity plasma stream to etch or clean the substrate. Plasma can be highly corrosive and can corrode the processing chamber and other surfaces exposed to the plasma. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one embodiment, a chamber component for a processing chamber (e.g., for a semiconductor processing chamber) includes a ceramic body made of a sintered ceramic material consisting essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2, where the ceramic material consists essentially of 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2.

[0004] In one embodiment, a chamber component for a processing chamber includes a body and a ceramic coating on the body. The body includes at least one of a sintered ceramic material or a metal. The ceramic coating consists essentially of one or more phases of Y2O3-ZrO2, where the ceramic coating consists essentially of 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2.

[0005] In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a chamber component for a processing chamber can be performed. The method includes combining Y2O3 powder and ZrO2 powder to form a Y2O3-ZrO2 powder consisting essentially of 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2. The method further includes cold isostatic pressing the Y2O3-ZrO2 powder to form a green body. The method further includes forming the green body into the approximate shape of the chamber component. The method further includes subjecting the green body to a first heat treatment to burn off any organic binder in the green body. The method further includes subsequently subjecting the green body to a second heat treatment at a temperature of about 1750-1900°C to sinter the green body and produce a sintered ceramic body consisting essentially of one or more phases of Y2O3-ZrO2, wherein the sintered ceramic body consists essentially of 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2. The method further includes machining the sintered ceramic body. The method further includes performing a purification process on the sintered ceramic body to remove trace metals from the sintered ceramic body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements. It should be noted that different references to "one" or "an" embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily references to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a processing chamber. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates one embodiment of an electrostatic chuck assembly. [Figure 3A] ~ [Figure 3B] 1 illustrates a heater substrate assembly according to embodiments. [Figure 4A] ~ [Figure 4B]1A-1D illustrate top and bottom views, respectively, of a process kit ring according to various embodiments. [Figure 5A] ~ [Figure 5B] 1A-1D show top and bottom views, respectively, of a lid for a processing chamber, according to embodiments. [Figure 6A] ~ [Figure 6B] 1A-1D show top and bottom views, respectively, of a nozzle for a processing chamber according to embodiments. [Figure 7A] ~ [Figure 7B] 1A-1D show top and bottom views, respectively, of a GDP for a processing chamber, according to embodiments. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a process for manufacturing a solid sintered ceramic article according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide various chamber components for processing chambers, which are comprised of Y2O3-ZrO2, including 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2. The chamber components may be or include solid-sintered ceramic bodies comprised of Y2O3-ZrO2, including 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2. Examples of chamber components that benefit from the use of the disclosed solid-sintered ceramic bodies include nozzles, gas delivery plates, chamber doors, rings, lids, electrostatic chucks, and heater substrate supports. Forming chamber components using Y2O3-ZrO2, including 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2, offers advantages over chamber components comprised of other ceramic materials. In some applications, it offers advantages over chamber components comprised of approximately 70% Y2O3 and approximately 30 mol% ZrO2. Such advantages include increased hardness, increased tensile strength and / or increased wear resistance.

[0008] The term "heat treatment" is used herein to mean subjecting a ceramic article to high temperatures, for example, by furnace or other methods. Plasma-resistant materials refer to materials that are resistant to erosion and corrosion from exposure to plasma treatment conditions. Plasma treatment conditions include plasmas generated from halogen-containing gases such as C2F6, SF6, SiCl4, HBr, NF3, CF4, CHF3, CH2F3, F, NF3, Cl2, CCl4, BCl3, and SiF4, among others, and other gases such as O2 or N2O. The resistance of a material to plasma is measured by its "etch rate" (ER), which has units of angstroms per minute (Å / min) and is measured over the total time the coated component is in operation and exposed to the plasma. Plasma resistance can also be measured by its erosion rate, which has units of nanometers per radio frequency hour (nm / RFHr), where 1 RFHr represents 1 hour of treatment under the plasma treatment conditions. The treatment time before measurement can vary. For example, measurements may be taken before treatment, after 50 treatment hours, after 150 treatment hours, after 200 treatment hours, etc. For plasma-resistant coating materials, erosion rates below about 100 nm / RFHr are typical. A single plasma-resistant material may have multiple different plasma resistance or erosion rate values. For example, a plasma-resistant material may have a first plasma resistance or erosion rate associated with a first type of plasma and a second plasma resistance or erosion rate associated with a second type of plasma.

[0009] When the terms "about" and "approximately" are used herein, they are intended to mean that the nominal value presented is accurate to within ±10%. The nominal value may also be accurate to within ±2% in embodiments. Some embodiments are described herein with reference to chamber components and other articles installed in a plasma etcher for semiconductor manufacturing. However, it should be understood that such plasma etchers may also be used to fabricate microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices. Additionally, the articles described herein may be other structures exposed to plasma or other corrosive environments. The articles discussed herein may be chamber components for a processing chamber, such as a semiconductor processing chamber.

[0010] The present specification describes embodiments in connection with chamber components formed from bulk-sintered ceramic bodies, and provides properties of such bulk-sintered ceramic bodies. However, it should be noted that in some embodiments, the chamber components may be composed of metals and / or ceramics other than the described ceramic material composed of one or more phases of Y2O3-ZrO2, and may have a coating composed of a ceramic material composed of Y2O3-ZrO2 having 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2. The coating may be formed by sol-gel coating techniques, thermal spray coating techniques such as plasma spraying, ion-assisted deposition (IAD) techniques, physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques, and / or atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques. Thus, a chamber component discussed herein as a solid ceramic article composed of Y2O3-ZrO2 may instead be composed of Al2O3, AlN, Y2O3, or other materials coated with a coating of a ceramic material composed of Y2O3-ZrO2. The coating properties can be similar to bulk sintered ceramic properties of ceramic materials consisting of one or more phases of Y2O3-ZrO2 for coatings formed by IAD, PVD, CVD and / or ALD.

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a process chamber 100 (e.g., a semiconductor processing chamber) having one or more chamber components, including a plasma-resistant ceramic material consisting essentially of one or more phases of Y2O3-ZrO2, where, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the ceramic material consists essentially of 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 56-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-44 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 57-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-43 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 58-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-42 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 59-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-41 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 60-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-40 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 55-64 mol% Y2O3 and 36-45 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 55-63 mol% Y2O3 and 37-45 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 55-62 mol% Y2O3 and 38-45 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 55-61 mol% Y2O3 and 39-45 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 55-60 mol% Y2O3 and 40-45 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 56-64 mol% Y2O3 and 36-44 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 57-63 mol% Y2O3 and 37-43 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 58-62 mol% Y2O3 and 36-42 mol% ZrO2.In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of 59-61 mol% Y2O3 and 39-41 mol% ZrO2. In yet another embodiment, the ceramic material consists essentially of about 60 mol% Y2O3 and about 40 mol% ZrO2. A sintered ceramic body made of a Y2O3-ZrO2 ceramic material may have a porosity of about 0.1%, where porosity is the pore volume fraction.

[0012] The processing chamber 100 can be used for processes that generate a corrosive plasma environment. For example, the processing chamber 100 can be a chamber for a plasma etch reactor (also known as a plasma etcher), a plasma cleaner, etc. Examples of chamber components that can include or be formed from a ceramic material consisting essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2 include the lid 132, the nozzle 152, the chamber door 150, the puck 153 of the electrostatic chuck (ESC) 148, the ring (e.g., a process kit ring or a single ring) 134, a gas distribution plate (not shown), a heater substrate support (not shown), etc. Each of these chamber components benefits from the use of a ceramic material consisting essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2 for one or more reasons. For example, a Y2O3-ZrO2 ceramic material may contain 55-60 mol% Y2O3 and 40-45 mol% ZrO2, 56-64 mol% Y2O3 and 36-44 mol% ZrO2, 57-63 mol% Y2O3 and 37-43 mol% ZrO2, 58-62 mol% Y2O3 and 36-42 mol% ZrO2, 59-61 mol% Y2O3 and 39-41 mol% ZrO2, or about 60 mol% Y2O3 and about 4 Ceramic materials containing 0 mol% ZrO2 may have an optimal or near-optimal combination of hardness, erosion resistance, dielectric breakdown resistance, and / or tensile strength compared to other ceramic materials (including Y2O3-ZrO2 containing more than 65 mol% Y2O3 and less than 35 mol% ZrO2, and Y2O3-ZrO2 containing less than 55 mol% Y2O3 and more than 45 mol% ZrO2).

[0013] Table 1 below provides the properties of various bulk-sintered ceramic materials containing mixtures of various concentrations of Y2O3 and ZrO2. In this table, Sample A contains 100 mol% Y2O3, Sample B contains 73.2 mol% Y2O3 and 26.8 mol% ZrO2, Sample C contains 64.5 mol% Y2O3 and 35.5 mol% ZrO2, Sample D contains 60.3 mol% Y2O3 and 39.7 mol% ZrO2, and Sample E contains 57.7 mol% Y2O3 and 42.3 mol% ZrO2. As shown, optimal properties for some applications are achieved using 60.3 mol% Y2O3 and 39.7 mol% ZrO2. For example, a ceramic material consisting essentially of 60.3 mol% Y2O3 and 39.7 mol% ZrO2 exhibits the highest average flexural strength, highest Vickers hardness, and highest fracture toughness of any composition tested, as well as a high modulus of elasticity, density, dielectric breakdown resistance of approximately 500-600 V / mil, and plasma erosion resistance. Similar desirable properties can be achieved using 59-61 mol% Y2O3 and 39-41 mol% ZrO2, 58-62 mol% Y2O3 and 36-42 mol% ZrO2, 57-63 mol% Y2O3 and 37-43 mol% ZrO2, etc. However, the greater the deviation from 60.3 mol% Y2O3 and 39.7 mol% ZrO2, the less desirable the ceramic material's property combination becomes for this application. The thermal shock resistance coefficient (R') is calculated using the following equation: Equation 1

[0014] JPEG2026012177000002.jpg15124 [Table 1]

[0015] In one embodiment, the processing chamber 100 includes a chamber body 102 and a lid 132 that enclose an interior volume 106. The lid 132 may include a through-hole approximately in the center of the lid 132 to accommodate the nozzle 152. The chamber body 102 may be fabricated from aluminum, stainless steel, or other suitable material. The chamber body 102 generally includes a sidewall 108 and a bottom 110.

[0016] An outer liner 116 may be disposed adjacent the sidewall 108 to protect the chamber body 102. The outer liner 116 may be a material resistant to halogen-containing gases, such as Al2O3 or Y2O3.

[0017] An exhaust port 126 may be defined in the chamber body 102 and may connect the interior volume 106 to a pumping system 128. The pumping system 128 may include one or more pumps and a throttle valve and be used to vent and regulate the pressure in the interior volume 106 of the processing chamber 100.

[0018] The lid 132 may be supported on the sidewalls 108 of the chamber body 102 and / or on top of the chamber body. The lid 132 may seal the processing chamber 100. In some embodiments, the lid 132 may be open to allow access to the interior volume 106 of the processing chamber 100. A gas panel 158 may be connected to the processing chamber 100 to supply processing and / or cleaning gases to the interior volume 106 through gas delivery holes in the nozzle 152. Examples of processing gases that can be used to process substrates in the processing chamber 100 include halogen-containing gases such as C2F6, SF6, SiCl4, HBr, NF3, CF4, CHF3, CH2F3, F, Cl2, CCl4, BCl3, SiF4, and other gases such as O2 or N2O, among others. Examples of carrier gases include N2, He, Ar, and other gases that are inert to the processing gases (e.g., non-reactive gases).

[0019] A substrate support assembly, such as an electrostatic chuck 148 or heater substrate support (not shown), is disposed in the interior volume 106 of the processing chamber 100 below the lid 132 and the nozzle 152. The electrostatic chuck 148 holds a substrate 144 (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) during processing. The electrostatic chuck 148 can securely hold the substrate 144 during processing and may include a thermally conductive (e.g., metal) base 154 (also referred to as a thermally conductive plate) and / or an electrostatic puck 153 bonded to one or more additional components. The thermally conductive base 154 may be composed of Al. In various embodiments, the outer wall of the thermally conductive base 154 includes an anodized layer 156 (e.g., an Al2O3 anodized layer). In various embodiments, a ring 134, such as a process kit ring, may be disposed on the electrostatic chuck at the outer periphery of the electrostatic puck 153.

[0020] The chamber body 102 may have a hole in its sidewall. In various embodiments, the hole may be covered by the chamber door 150. The internal volume 106 may be filled with plasma during processing and / or cleaning. The hole may cause non-uniformity in the radio frequency (RF) field generated within the chamber body 102 to accelerate the plasma. This non-uniformity may cause arcing and increased plasma intensity at the hole. The chamber door 150 may be made of a ceramic material consisting essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2, with 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2, which provides high resistance to the plasma within the internal volume 106 and has high dielectric breakdown resistance. The high dielectric breakdown resistance may eliminate or reduce any non-uniformity in the RF field, and may also eliminate and / or suppress arcing. A ceramic material consisting essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2, having 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2, has high flexural strength, which reduces or eliminates breakage of the chamber door 150. A ceramic material consisting essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2, having 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2, has high hardness, which reduces wear on the chamber door 150. In one embodiment, the chamber door 150 is a curved flip-up door including a metal component attached to a ceramic body, the metal component including and / or attached to a hinge mechanism. In one embodiment, the chamber door has a thickness of about 0.5-1.5 inches, a first dimension (e.g., length) of about 3-6 inches (e.g., about 4-5 inches), and a second dimension (e.g., height) of about 8-16 inches (e.g., about 10-14 inches).

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of one embodiment of an electrostatic chuck 148. The electrostatic chuck 148 includes an electrostatic puck 153 bonded to a thermally conductive base 154. The electrostatic puck 153 has a disk-like shape with an annular periphery that can approximately conform to the shape and size of the substrate 144 disposed thereon. The electrostatic puck 153 may include one or more embedded heating elements and / or one or more embedded chucking electrodes. In some embodiments, the heating elements may be configured to heat the supported substrate to a temperature of up to approximately 350° C. The electrostatic puck 153 may further include a mesa and one or more gas delivery holes on the surface of the electrostatic puck 153 for supplying a thermally conductive gas (e.g., He) between the surface of the electrostatic puck and the backside of the supported substrate.

[0022] In one embodiment, the electrostatic puck 166 can be a sintered ceramic body made of a ceramic material consisting essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2. In some embodiments, the electrostatic puck 166 can have a thickness of 0.04 to 0.25 inches and a diameter of 7.85 to 12.90 inches. In one embodiment, the electrostatic puck 153 includes a first ceramic body formed of a ceramic material consisting essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2 having 55 to 65 mol% Y2O3 and 35 to 45 mol% ZrO2, and bonded to a second ceramic body consisting essentially of AlN or Al2O3. The use of a ceramic material consisting essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2 having 55 to 65 mol% Y2O3 and 35 to 45 mol% ZrO2 (e.g., about 60 mol% Y2O3 and about 40 mol% ZrO2) provides the electrostatic puck 153 with an optimal or near-optimal combination of dielectric breakdown resistance, plasma erosion resistance, and hardness. Dielectric breakdown resistance and resistivity can be useful properties of the electrostatic puck 153 for both Coulomb force-type and Johnsen-Rahbek (JR) force-type electrostatic chucks. Additionally, high erosion resistance is essential to minimize particle contamination and maximize the life of the ESC 148. Furthermore, the electrostatic puck 153 comes into physical contact with many substrates during use, which can cause wear on the electrostatic puck 153. Its high hardness of 9.4 GPa allows it to withstand wear during substrate or wafer processing (e.g., due to relative motion caused by mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients between the supported substrate and the electrostatic puck 153). Such wear is minimized thanks to the high hardness of a ceramic material composed essentially of Y2O3-ZrO2, with approximately 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and approximately 35-45 mol% ZrO2.

[0023] The thermally conductive base 154 mounted below the electrostatic puck 153 may have a disk-shaped body. In some embodiments, the thermally conductive base 154 may be fabricated from a material having thermal properties that substantially match those of the overlying electrostatic puck 153. In one embodiment, the thermally conductive base 154 may be fabricated from a metal such as aluminum, stainless steel, or other suitable material. Alternatively, the thermally conductive base 154 may be fabricated from a composite material of ceramic and metal materials, which provides good heat transfer properties along with good strength and durability. The composite material may have a thermal expansion coefficient that substantially matches that of the overlying electrostatic puck 153 to mitigate thermal expansion mismatch in some embodiments.

[0024] In various embodiments, the thermally conductive base 154 may be bonded to the electrostatic puck 153 with a silicone bond. In some embodiments, the electrostatic puck 153 is formed from a first ceramic body of AlN or Al2O3. AlN may be used for Johnsen-Rahbek electrostatic chucks, and Al2O3 may be used for Coulomb electrostatic chucks. The first ceramic body may include one or more chucking electrodes and / or one or more heating electrodes embedded therein. A second ceramic body (e.g., a thin wafer) formed from Y2O3-ZrO2, having approximately 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and approximately 35-45 mol% ZrO2, may be bonded to the first ceramic body by diffusion bonding. Diffusion bonding may be performed using a temperature of approximately 120-130°C and a pressure of up to approximately 300 pounds per square inch (PSI).

[0025] Diffusion bonding between a first ceramic body (of AlN or Al2O3) and a second ceramic body (formed from Y2O3-ZrO2 having about 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and about 35-45 mol% ZrO2) will result in the formation of an interfacial layer between the first and second ceramic bodies. This interfacial layer may be composed of Y, Zr, Al, and O.

[0026] 3A and 3B illustrate a heater assembly 305 according to embodiments. In some embodiments, the heater assembly 305 may be used as an alternative substrate support assembly for the ESC 148. The heater assembly 305 comprises a flat ceramic heater plate 310 having one or more embedded heating elements (not shown). In some embodiments, the ceramic heater plate 310 may have a thickness of 0.3 to 0.9 inches and a diameter of 7.9 to 14.8 inches. In some embodiments, the ceramic heater plate 310 may include one or more mesas on an upper surface of the ceramic heater plate 310. The ceramic heater plate 310 may support a substrate during processing and may be configured to heat the substrate to a temperature of up to approximately 650°C.

[0027] The ceramic heater plate 310 may be bonded to a funnel-shaped body 320, which has larger inner and outer diameters at the top of the funnel-shaped body 320 than at the bottom of the funnel-shaped body 320. In various embodiments, the bond between the ceramic heater plate 310 and the funnel-shaped body 320 may be achieved by diffusion bonding at temperatures exceeding 1000°C (e.g., up to 1800°C) and pressures up to approximately 800 PSI (e.g., 300-800 PSI). In various embodiments, the funnel-shaped body 320 may be constructed of AlN and may be hollow to minimize heat transfer between the ceramic heater plate 310 and other components of the chamber housing the ceramic heater plate 310. The AlN funnel-shaped body 320 may be doped with one or more dopants to adjust its thermal conductivity. Examples of such dopants include samarium, yttrium, and magnesium.

[0028] For diffusion bonding between the ceramic heater plate 310 and the funnel-shaped body 320, an interface layer may be formed between the ceramic heater plate 310 and the funnel-shaped body. This interface layer may be composed of Y, Zr, Al, and O.

[0029] In some embodiments, ceramic heater plate 310 is coupled to an additional ceramic heater plate 315. Additional ceramic heater plate 315 may be comprised of AlN. In some embodiments, ceramic heater plate 310 does not include a heating element, and instead additional ceramic heater plate 315 includes a heating element. Ceramic heater plate 310 may be coupled to additional ceramic heater plate 315 by, for example, diffusion bonding or bolts.

[0030] In embodiments, this diffusion bonding may occur at temperatures greater than 1000°C (e.g., up to 1800°C) and pressures of up to about 800 PSI (e.g., 300-800 PSI). The additional ceramic heater plate 315 may be bonded to a funnel-shaped body 320, which has larger inner and outer diameters at the top of the funnel-shaped body 320 than at the bottom of the funnel-shaped body 320. In embodiments, the bonding between the additional ceramic heater plate 315 and the funnel-shaped body 320 may occur at temperatures greater than 1000°C (e.g., up to 1800°C) and pressures of up to about 800 PSI (e.g., 300-800 PSI). Due to the diffusion bonding between the ceramic heater plate 310 and the additional ceramic heater plate 315, an interface layer may be formed between the ceramic heater plate 310 and the additional ceramic heater plate 315. The interfacial layer may be composed of Y, Zr, Al and O.

[0031] The ceramic heater 310 may be exposed to a fluorine-based plasma at high temperatures (e.g., up to about 650°C). Fluorine may form on the surface of the ceramic heater 310 and react with any trace metals, such as Al, in the ceramic heater 310 (e.g., to form AlF). AlF has a low vapor pressure and may vaporize or sublime at temperatures up to about 650°C. The AlF may then condense on other chamber components within the chamber, potentially resulting in particle contamination of processed substrates. Therefore, in various embodiments, a highly pure Y2O3-ZrO2 ceramic material, devoid of Al and trace metals, is used to prevent fluoride buildup on the chamber components. Because the ceramic heater 310 supports a substrate (similar to the electrostatic chuck 148), a composition for the ceramic material of Y2O3-ZrO2, having 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2, is optimal or near optimal because it provides the highest hardness, highest flexural strength, highest fracture toughness, and high plasma erosion resistance.

[0032] 4A and 4B illustrate top and bottom views, respectively, of a process kit ring 405 according to various embodiments. The process kit ring 405 may correspond to ring 134 in various embodiments. In various embodiments, the process kit ring 405 may have a thickness of approximately 0.5 to 1.5 inches, an inner diameter (ID) dimension of approximately 11 to 15 inches (e.g., approximately 11.8 to 14 inches), and an outer diameter (OD) dimension of approximately 12 to 16 inches. In various embodiments, the outer edge of the top of the process kit ring 405 may be rounded. In various embodiments, the width of the ring (the difference between the ID and OD) may be approximately 1 to 2.5 inches. The process kit ring 405 may come into contact with the substrate being supported and, therefore, may be subject to wear due to such contact. Furthermore, the process kit ring 405 has a relatively large diameter, a relatively thin thickness, and a relatively narrow width. These factors may result in damage to the process kit ring 405 during handling and / or use. Additionally, the process kit ring 405 may be exposed to plasma during processing, and therefore benefits from the combined plasma resistance, hardness, flexural strength, and fracture toughness advantages offered by a Y2O3-ZrO2 ceramic material having 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2 (e.g., a Y2O3-ZrO2 ceramic material containing about 60 mol% Y2O3 and about 40 mol% ZrO2).

[0033] 5A and 5B illustrate top and bottom views, respectively, of a lid 505 for a processing chamber, according to embodiments. The lid 505 may correspond to the lid 132 in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the lid 505 may have a thickness of approximately 1-2 inches and a diameter of approximately 19-23 inches. The lid 505 may come into contact with other chamber components that may have different thermal expansion coefficients, and may be subject to wear due to such contact. Additionally, the lid 505 has a relatively large diameter and is relatively thin. These factors may cause the lid 505 to break during handling and / or use. Additionally, the lid 505 may be exposed to plasma during processing. Thus, the lid 505 benefits from the combined plasma resistance, hardness, flexural strength, and fracture toughness advantages offered by a Y2O3-ZrO2 ceramic material having 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2 (e.g., a Y2O3-ZrO2 ceramic material containing about 60 mol% Y2O3 and about 40 mol% ZrO2).

[0034] 6A and 6B show top and bottom views, respectively, of a nozzle 605 for a processing chamber, according to embodiments. The nozzle 605 may correspond to the nozzle 152 in embodiments. The nozzle 605 may include multiple gas delivery holes. The nozzle 605 may fit into a hole at or near the center of the lid 505.

[0035] In some embodiments, the chamber may include a gas delivery plate (GDP) rather than a lid and nozzles. FIGS. 7A and 7B show top and bottom views, respectively, of a GDP 705 for a processing chamber, according to various embodiments. The GDP 705 may include numerous (e.g., thousands) of gas delivery holes. In various embodiments, the GDP 705 may have a thickness of about 1 mm (e.g., 0.04 mm) to about 1 inch and a diameter of about 18-22 inches. In one embodiment, the GDP 705 has a thickness of about 1-6 mm. The GDP 705 may be a load-bearing component and may have a relatively large diameter and be relatively thin. These factors may cause the GDP 705 to break during handling and / or use. Additionally, the GDP 705 may be exposed to plasma during processing. Thus, GDP705 benefits from the combined plasma resistance, hardness, flexural strength, and fracture toughness advantages of a Y2O3-ZrO2 ceramic material having 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2 (e.g., about 60 mol% Y2O3 and about 40 mol% ZrO2). The beneficial dielectric breakdown resistance of a Y2O3-ZrO2 ceramic material having 55-65 mol% Y2O3 and 35-45 mol% ZrO2 (e.g., about 60 mol% Y2O3 and about 40 mol% ZrO2) can also reduce arcing when used in GDP705. In some embodiments, the GDP 705 is bonded to a backing plate (e.g., a metal backing plate, such as an Al backing plate) for additional mechanical strength. The GDP 705 may be mechanically fastened to the backing plate or may be bonded (e.g., by diffusion bonding) to the backing plate.

[0036] 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method 800 for manufacturing a solid sintered ceramic article according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. At block 855, YO and ZrO ceramic powders to be used to form the ceramic article are selected. The amounts of the selected ceramic powders are also selected. In various embodiments, the YO ceramic powder may have a purity of at least 99.99% and the ZrO ceramic powder may have a purity of at least 99.8%.

[0037] At block 858, a refining process may be performed on the selected powder.

[0038] At block 860, the selected ceramic powder is mixed. In one embodiment, the selected ceramic powder is mixed with water, a binder, and a deflocculating agent to form a slurry. In one embodiment, the ceramic powder is mixed using a grinding process, such as ball milling. The grinding may cause the ceramic particles to agglomerate into agglomerates having a target particle size and particle size distribution. Notably, in embodiments, the ceramic powder mixture does not include any additional sintering aids. In one embodiment, the ceramic powder is combined with the granular powder by spray drying. The spray drying process may volatilize the liquid or solvent in the agglomerates.

[0039] At block 865, a green body (unsintered ceramic article) is formed from the mixed powder (e.g., from a slurry formed from a mixture of selected ceramic powders). The green body can be formed using techniques including, but not limited to, slip casting, tape casting, cold isostatic pressing, unidirectional mechanical pressing, injection molding, and extrusion. For example, in one embodiment, the slurry can be spray dried, placed in a mold, and pressed to form the green body. In one embodiment, the green body is formed by cold isostatic pressing. The green body can have the approximate shape of the chamber component to be fabricated.

[0040] In one embodiment, the green body may be subjected to green processing at block 866. Green processing may include, for example, drilling holes in the green body.

[0041] At block 868, the green body is subjected to a first heat treatment to burn out the organic binder in the green body. In one embodiment, the first heat treatment is performed by exposing the green body to a high temperature of about 950° C. for a period of about 1-2 weeks.

[0042] At block 870, the green body is subjected to a second heat treatment to sinter the green body to produce a sintered ceramic body consisting essentially of 55-65 mol % Y2O3 and 35-45 mol % ZrO2 (e.g., consisting essentially of about 60 mol % Y2O3 and about 40 mol % ZrO2). Sintering the green body may include heating the green body to an elevated temperature below the melting points of Y2O3 and ZrO2. In embodiments, the second heat treatment process may be carried out at a temperature of about 1750-1900°C for about 3-30 hours. In embodiments, sintering may be carried out in the presence of air, oxygen, and / or hydrogen (e.g., by flowing any of these gases through a furnace in which the green body is being heated). In the sintering process, the green body is densified to produce a solid sintered ceramic article having a porosity of about 0.1, the solid sintered ceramic article including at least one Y2O3-ZrO2 phase (e.g., a Y2O3-ZrO2 solid solution). In embodiments, the sintering process may be a pressureless sintering process.

[0043] In various embodiments, the solid sintered ceramic article may be used in another chamber component of a plasma etch reactor or other chamber. Depending on the particular chamber component being fabricated, the green body may have different shapes. For example, if the final chamber component is to be a process kit ring, the green body may be ring-shaped. If the chamber component is to be an electrostatic puck for an electrostatic chuck, the green body may be disk-shaped. The green body may also have other shapes depending on the chamber component being fabricated.

[0044] The sintering process typically changes the size of the ceramic article by an uncontrollable amount. Due, at least in part, to this size change, the ceramic article is typically machined at block 875 after the sintering process is complete. Machining may include grinding and / or polishing the surface of the ceramic article, drilling holes in the ceramic article, cutting and / or shaping the ceramic article, grinding the ceramic article, polishing the ceramic article (e.g., using chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), fire polishing, or other polishing techniques), roughening the ceramic article (e.g., roughening by bead blasting), forming mesas on the ceramic article, etc.

[0045] After sintering, the sintered ceramic body may exhibit color non-uniformity. Color non-uniformity can result in defects that cause chamber components formed from the sintered ceramic body to be returned by customers. Therefore, in one embodiment, at block 880, the sintered ceramic body is subjected to a third heat treatment to homogenize the color of the sintered ceramic body. In various embodiments, the sintered ceramic body has a uniform white color after the third heat treatment. The third heat treatment may be performed at a temperature of approximately 1000-1400°C for 2-12 hours.

[0046] In one embodiment, the machining process of blocks 866 and / or 875 is a rough machining process, resulting in the sintered ceramic body having an approximate target shape and characteristics. In one embodiment, at block 885, the solid sintered ceramic body is again machined by a further machining process. The further machining process may be a fine machining process, resulting in the sintered ceramic body having a target shape, roughness, and / or characteristics. The ceramic article may be machined to a shape suitable for a particular application. Prior to machining, the ceramic article may have an approximate shape and size suitable for a particular purpose (e.g., use as a lid for a plasma etcher). However, machining may also be performed to precisely adjust the size, shape, dimensions, hole sizes, etc. of chamber components.

[0047] The machining process of blocks 866, 875, and / or 885 may introduce trace metal impurities into the sintered ceramic article. Additionally, the sintered ceramic article may contain very small amounts of trace metal impurities carried over from the initial ceramic powder and / or other manufacturing processes. For chamber components that will be exposed to fluorine-based plasmas, even small amounts of metal impurities may be harmful to the processed substrate. Therefore, in block 890, the sintered ceramic body may be subjected to a final purification process. After purification, metal contaminants may be removed to ensure that no metal contaminants are present in the ceramic body at levels of 100 ppm or greater. Thus, the ceramic body may have an overall purity of 99.9% after the purification process. In one embodiment, the final purification process includes a wet cleaning process and / or a dry cleaning process. In various embodiments, the final purification process may remove trace metal contaminants from the surface of the sintered ceramic body. In other embodiments, the final purification process may remove trace metal contaminants from the interior of the ceramic body as well as from the surface of the ceramic body.

[0048] Table 2 below lists the metallic impurities of ceramic bodies produced according to method 800. The metallic impurities were determined by GDMS analysis and are expressed in parts per million by weight (wtppm). [Table 2]

[0049] Depending on the particular chamber component being fabricated, additional processing operations may be performed. In one embodiment, the additional processing operations include bonding the solid sintered ceramic body to a metal or other body (block 895). In some cases, the solid sintered ceramic body is both machined and bonded to the metal body. The machining may be performed first, followed by bonding. In other instances, the solid sintered ceramic article may be bonded to the metal body first, and then machined. In other embodiments, some machining may be performed both before and after bonding. Additionally, in some embodiments, the solid sintered ceramic article may be bonded to other ceramic articles.

[0050] In a first example, the ceramic article is used in a showerhead or GDP. In such an embodiment, the ceramic article may be perforated and bonded to an aluminum gas distribution plate. In a second example, the ceramic article is used in an electrostatic chuck. In such an embodiment, helium pinholes may be drilled in the ceramic article (e.g., by laser drilling), and the ceramic article may be bonded to an aluminum base plate by silicone adhesive or diffusion bonding. In another example, the ceramic article is a ceramic lid. Because of the large surface area of ​​the ceramic lid, ceramic lids formed from the new sintered ceramic material can have high structural strength to prevent cracking or buckling during processing (e.g., when a vacuum is drawn on the processing chamber of a plasma etch reactor). In other examples, nozzles, process kit rings, or other chamber components are formed.

[0051] The above description provides numerous specific and detailed descriptions of examples of particular systems, components, methods, and the like, for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without such specific and detailed descriptions. In other instances, well-known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in simple block diagram form to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Therefore, the specific and detailed descriptions are merely exemplary. Particular implementations may differ from these exemplary descriptions and still be considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] References throughout this specification to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" mean that a particular configuration, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in one embodiment" in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or."

[0053] Although the operations of the methods herein are shown and described in a particular order, the order of the operations of each method may be changed such that certain operations are performed in reverse order or certain operations are performed at least partially in parallel with other operations. In alternative embodiments, instructions or sub-operations of different operations may be performed intermittently and / or alternately.

[0054] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not limiting. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. The scope of the present disclosure should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a chamber component for a processing chamber, Y ２ O ３ powder and ZrO ２ powder are mixed to form Y ２ O ３ with 35 to 45 mol% of ZrO ２ substantially composed of ２ O ３ -ZrO ２ powder, and Y ２ O ３ -ZrO ２ A process of forming a green body with almost the same shape as the chamber component by applying cold isostatic pressure using powder, A first heat treatment is performed on the green body in order to heat-remove the organic binder in the chamber component, The green body is subjected to a second heat treatment at a temperature of approximately 1750 to 1900°C, and the green body is sintered, Y ２ O ３ -ZrO ２ A process for producing a substantially sintered ceramic body from one or more phases of Y, wherein the sintered ceramic body comprises 55 to 65 mol% Y ２ O ３ and 35-45 mol% ZrO ２ The process that is essentially derived from, The process of machining a sintered ceramic body, A method comprising the step of carrying out a purification process for removing trace metals from a sintered ceramic body, wherein the purity of the sintered ceramic body after the purification process is 99.9% or higher.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of machining a sintered ceramic body and then performing a third heat treatment on the sintered ceramic body, wherein the third heat treatment is performed at a temperature of approximately 1000 to 1400°C to make the color of the sintered ceramic body uniform.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of performing additional machining on the sintered ceramic body after the third heat treatment and before the refining step.

4. The sintered ceramic body contains 59-61 mol% Y ２ O ３ and 39-41 mol% ZrO ２ The method according to claim 1, comprising substantially the same.

5. Y ２ O ３ The powder purity is 99.99% or higher, ZrO ２ The method according to claim 1, wherein the purity of the powder is 99.8% or higher.

6. Sintered ceramic body contains 57-63 mol% Y ２ O ３ and 37-43 mol% ZrO ２ The method according to claim 1, comprising substantially the same.

7. Sintered ceramic body contains 58-62 mol% Y ２ O ３ and 38-42 mol% ZrO ２ The method according to claim 1, comprising substantially the same.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the chamber component is a nozzle made of a sintered ceramic body, and the nozzle has a plurality of through-gas supply holes.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the chamber component is a curved door of the processing chamber, and the sintered ceramic body is approximately 0.5 to 1.5 inches thick, approximately 3 to 6 inches long, and approximately 10 to 14 inches high.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the chamber component is a lid made of a sintered ceramic body, the sintered ceramic body having a thickness of approximately 1 to 2 inches and a diameter of approximately 19 to 23 inches.

11. The chamber component is an electrostatic chuck, the sintered ceramic body is a pack for the electrostatic chuck, and the method is, A process for bonding a thermally conductive base to the lower surface of a sintered ceramic body, wherein the thermally conductive base is substantially composed of Al, and the side walls of the thermally conductive base are Al ２ O ３ The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of including an anodic oxide layer.

12. The chamber component is a heater configured to support and heat a wafer, the sintered ceramic body is a flat ceramic heater plate, and the method is The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of bonding a funnel-shaped shaft to a flat ceramic heater plate.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sintered ceramic body has a Vickers hardness of approximately 9.1 to 9.4 GPa.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of the sintered ceramic body is approximately 9.4 to 9.

6.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sintered ceramic body has an dielectric breakdown resistance of approximately 500 to 600 V / mil.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the average bending strength of the sintered ceramic body is approximately 139.4 to 150 MPa.

17. A method for manufacturing a chamber component for a processing chamber, 65 mol% Y ２ O ３ and 35-45 mol% ZrO ２ Y is essentially composed of ２ O ３ -ZrO ２ A process of forming a green body using powder, Sinter the green body, Y ２ O ３ -ZrO ２ A process for manufacturing a sintered ceramic body substantially composed of one or more phases of Y, wherein the sintered ceramic body comprises 55 to 65 mol% Y ２ O ３ and 35-45 mol% ZrO ２ A method comprising a process having a purity exceeding 99.9%, substantially consisting of the above.

18. The process of machining a sintered ceramic body, The method according to claim 17, comprising the step of performing a purification process on a sintered ceramic body in order to remove trace metals from the sintered ceramic body, wherein the purity of the sintered ceramic body after the purification process is 99.9% or higher.

19. The process of forming the green body is, Y ２ O ３ Powder and ZrO ２ Mix the powders to make 55-65 mol% Y ２ O ３ and 35-45 mol% ZrO ２ Y is essentially composed of ２ O ３ -ZrO ２ The process of forming the powder, Y ２ O ３ -ZrO ２ The method includes a step of using powder to perform cold isostatic pressing to form a green body that is approximately the same shape as the chamber component, A first heat treatment is applied to the green body to remove the organic binder in the green body by heating before sintering, The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of performing a second heat treatment at a temperature of 1750 to 1900°C.

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