Polycrystalline Ceramic Coating for Low Particle Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ceramic coatings in semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, despite low porosity, fail to effectively suppress particle generation under advanced refinement and plasma densification, indicating a need for a more precise control of particle generation beyond porosity alone.
Innovation Solution
A composite structure with a polycrystalline ceramic coating, characterized by specific indexes such as hydrogen amount measured by D-SIMS or RBS-HFS methods, and a refractive index, is developed to enhance plasma resistance and reduce particle generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ceramic coating porosity is reduced to 0.01-0.1%, then plasma resistance is improved, but particle generation is not sufficiently suppressed under advanced refinement and plasma densification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from porosity (SEM-based) to hydrogen atom concentration (D-SIMS or RBS-HFS based), enabling more precise control and detection of fine structure characteristics that affect particle generation. This parameter transformation allows achieving both low particle generation and high plasma resistance by targeting hydrogen concentration at ≤7 atom%.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional SEM-based porosity measurement with advanced spectroscopic methods (D-SIMS or RBS-HFS) to measure hydrogen atom concentration. This substitution enables detection of finer structural characteristics that correlate more directly with particle generation mechanisms, allowing more effective optimization of coating performance.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional ceramic coatings are used with low porosity, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but performance precision under advanced refinement is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces hydrogen atom concentration as a new control parameter that can be measured with high precision using D-SIMS or RBS-HFS methods. This enables precise characterization and control of the coating's fine structure without fundamentally changing the coating deposition process, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving superior precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism by measuring hydrogen atom concentration in the ceramic coating and using this information to optimize coating parameters. This feedback loop enables continuous improvement of fine structure control while maintaining the simplicity of the overall manufacturing process.
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 composite structure achieves a high level of low-particle generation and improved plasma resistance, effectively addressing the limitations of existing technologies by controlling the fine structure and composition to optimize performance in corrosive plasma environments.
Implementation Method 1
a hydrogen atom number per unit volume of the structure in a measurement depth at any one of 500 nm and 2 μm which are measured with a dynamic-secondary ion mass spectrometry (D-SIMS method)
Implementation Method 2
a hydrogen atom concentration of the structure, which is measured with a hydrogen forward scattering spectrometry (HFS)-Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS)
Implementation Method 3
superior in low-particle generation and used in an environment exposed to corrosive plasma
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is provision of a ceramic coat having an excellent low-particle generation as well as a method for assessing the low-particle generation of the ceramic coat. A composite structure including a substrate and a structure which is formed on the substrate and has a surface, wherein the structure includes a polycrystalline ceramic and the composite structure has luminance Sa satisfying a specific value calculated from a TEM image analysis thereof, can be suitably used as an inner member of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus required to have a low-particle generation.