Ceramic Chamber Apertures Polished to Reduce Plasma Defects
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Solution Overview
Problem
The semiconductor industry faces challenges in achieving smooth internal surfaces of apertures in ceramic components used in processing chambers, leading to on-wafer defects due to rough interior finishes, which are difficult to clean and require extensive RF conditioning.
Innovation Solution
The use of an abrasive flow system that introduces a polymer-based abrasive media with particles like silicon carbide, diamond, or boron nitride through the apertures to polish the interior surfaces, reducing surface roughness and mitigating defects caused by drilling and reaming processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If apertures are drilled after sintering process, then gas flow functionality is achieved, but rough internal surface finish is produced causing on-wafer defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing abrasive flow polishing on the internal aperture surfaces immediately after drilling and reaming, before the component is assembled into the semiconductor processing chamber. This preliminary polishing action removes the rough surfaces created by drilling and reaming, preventing on-wafer defects before they can occur during actual semiconductor processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical polishing methods with abrasive flow machining, where abrasive-laden fluid flows through the apertures to polish internal surfaces. This substitution allows for more effective removal of rough surfaces in complex internal geometries that are difficult to reach with conventional mechanical polishing tools.
2Reliability
If thermal oxidation and RF conditioning are applied to remove particulates, then on-wafer defect performance improves, but processing time increases to more than 100 hours
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary abrasive flow polishing to remove rough surfaces and reduce particulate generation potential before assembly, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for extended RF conditioning processes. This preliminary action addresses the root cause of particulates rather than treating symptoms afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the problematic rough surfaces and particulates through abrasive flow polishing before assembly, separating the cleaning function from the subsequent RF conditioning process. This extraction of defects before assembly prevents them from contributing to on-wafer defects during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If rough internal surfaces are left in apertures, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but particulates are generated causing on-wafer defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical drilling and reaming with abrasive flow machining, where abrasive-laden fluid flows through the apertures to polish internal surfaces. This substitution effectively removes rough surfaces and particulates while maintaining manufacturing efficiency, particularly for complex internal geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface roughness parameter of internal aperture surfaces by applying abrasive flow polishing, transforming rough surfaces into smooth surfaces. This parameter change eliminates particulate generation while maintaining the functional integrity of the apertures for gas flow.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly improves the surface finish of apertures, reducing particulates and processing times, and enables more robust fabrication of ceramic articles for semiconductor processing chambers by smoothing interior surfaces to less than 32 μin roughness.
Implementation Method 1
polishing the at least one aperture based on flowing an abrasive media through the at least one aperture of the article
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a plasma-resistant chamber component and a method for manufacturing the same. A plasma-resistant chamber component of a semiconductor processing chamber that generates a plasma environment includes a ceramic article having multiple polished apertures. A roughness of the multiple polished apertures is less than 32 μin.