In Situ Ceramic Coating for Plasma-Resistant Chamber Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor manufacturing processes face challenges in protecting chamber components from damage during high-power cleaning processes, leading to substrate film property drift.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the introduction of a treatment gas mixture containing silane and oxygen gases to form a silicon oxide film over process chamber components, followed by the introduction of a carbon-containing gas to create a silicon-carbon-containing film, which provides protective coating and emissivity control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If substrate cleaning processes are performed using plasmas to remove film deposits, then substrate film property drift is avoided, but internal components of the process chamber are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
A protective coating is deposited on chamber components before cleaning processes. This preliminary protective layer absorbs the damaging effects of high-power plasma cleaning, preventing direct damage to the chamber components while allowing the cleaning process to proceed effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective coating acts as an intermediary between the plasma cleaning process and the chamber components. It mediates the interaction by absorbing ion bombardment and sputtering damage, protecting the underlying chamber components from direct exposure to harmful plasma effects.
2Productivity
If high power plasma cleaning is used to clean the process chamber, then film deposit removal is effective, but damage to chamber components occurs leading to substrate film property drift
Solution Approach 1:
The protective coating is applied in advance to chamber components before cleaning operations. This preliminary protective layer enables effective high-power cleaning while preventing damage that would otherwise occur, thus maintaining both cleaning efficiency and substrate film property stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective coating serves as a cushioning layer that absorbs the mechanical and chemical stress of high-power plasma cleaning. This beforehand cushioning prevents the transmission of damaging forces to the chamber components, maintaining system reliability over extended operational cycles.
3Strength
If a protective coating is applied to chamber components, then damage during cleaning is reduced, but additional process steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The protective coating deposition is combined with the existing process chamber workflow. The coating can be deposited using standard PECVD equipment already present in semiconductor manufacturing facilities, integrating the protective function into the existing process infrastructure rather than requiring separate specialized equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective coating process uses controlled variations in gas flow ratios and power levels to achieve optimal coating properties. By adjusting the silane-to-oxygen gas flow ratio and controlling the silane flow to power ratio, the process forms coatings with desired characteristics such as low surface roughness and appropriate thickness, balancing protection effectiveness with process simplicity.
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
The silicon-carbon-containing film effectively protects chamber components from ion sputtering and high-energy ion bombardment, maintaining film quality and reducing the risk of device property drift while providing efficient emissivity control.
Implementation Method 1
Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) are processes used to deposit a film on a substrate
Implementation Method 2
The silane gas is energized to form a silicon oxide (SiOx) film over a process chamber component
Implementation Method 3
A carbon-containing gas is introduced to the process volume to deposit a carbon-containing film on the process chamber component
Implementation Method 4
Electromagnetic energy, such as radio frequency (RF) power is used to activate the process gases in the process chamber to generate plasma
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for in situ seasoning of process chamber components, such as electrodes are described. In an embodiment, the method includes depositing a silicon oxide film over the process chamber component and converting the silicon oxide film to a silicon-carbon-containing film. The silicon-carbon-containing film forms a protective film over the process chamber components and is resistant to plasma processing and/or dry etch cleaning. The coatings has high density, good emissivity control, and reduces risk of device property drift.