Slurry Plasma Spray Ceramic Coating for Erosion Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor processing chamber components face corrosion and erosion issues due to exposure to high-speed, corrosive plasma, leading to reduced performance and shorter lifetimes, with existing coatings having inherent porosity, cracks, and rough surfaces that detract from their protective effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The development of ultra-dense and ultra-smooth ceramic coatings using slurry plasma spray deposition, where a slurry of ceramic particles is fed into a plasma plume to form a stream of particles that deposit a ceramic coating on chamber components, enhancing erosion resistance and service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If typical plasma spray coatings are applied to protect chamber components, then erosion resistance is improved, but the coatings exhibit inherent porosity, cracks, and rough surface finishes that reduce performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the coating process by using slurry plasma spray instead of conventional plasma spray. The slurry contains ceramic particles suspended in a liquid carrier, which are sprayed in a plasma environment. This parameter change enables the formation of ultra-dense coatings with minimal porosity and ultra-smooth surface finishes while maintaining high erosion resistance, directly resolving the contradiction between protective strength and surface quality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite ceramic materials in the slurry formulation, combining different ceramic particles with specific size distributions and material compositions. This composite approach allows the coating to achieve both high erosion resistance from the ceramic content and ultra-smooth surface finish from the optimized particle morphology and size distribution, simultaneously addressing both requirements of the contradiction
2Reliability
If conventional coatings are used on chamber components, then component protection is provided, but defect performance deteriorates due to porosity and cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The slurry plasma spray process changes key parameters including particle size distribution (bimodal or multimodal distributions), slurry viscosity, and plasma power density. These parameter changes result in coatings with dramatically reduced porosity and elimination of cracks, achieving both superior component protection and high defect performance. The controlled evaporation of the liquid carrier and optimized particle deposition create an ultra-dense structure that satisfies both reliability and precision requirements
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 new coatings significantly improve the erosion resistance and service life of semiconductor processing chamber components, reducing maintenance and manufacturing costs while maintaining defect performance.
Implementation Method 1
feeding a slurry of ceramic particles into a plasma plume to generate a stream of particles directed toward the substrate
Implementation Method 2
exposure to a high-speed stream of plasma to etch or clean the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods for producing an ultra-dense and ultra-smooth ceramic coating. A method includes feeding a slurry of ceramic particles into a plasma sprayer. The plasma sprayer generates a stream of particles directed toward the substrate, forming a ceramic coating on the substrate upon contact.