Tungsten Ceramic Substrate Composition for Lower-Temperature Sintering
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in manufacturing ceramic substrates for electrostatic chucks in semiconductor devices is the difficulty in sintering tungsten due to its high melting point, requiring appropriate sintering aids which are hard to obtain, limiting the selection of materials for this purpose.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic substrate with a conductor pattern containing tungsten, where nickel and manganese, nickel and niobium, or nickel and indium are solid-solved in tungsten, using sintering aids like nickel oxide and manganese oxide, nickel oxide and niobium oxide, or nickel oxide and indium oxide, which lower the liquid phase formation temperature to facilitate sintering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If tungsten is sintered under the same conditions as ceramic, then the sintering process is simplified, but the high melting point of tungsten makes it difficult to sinter
Solution Approach 1:
A sintering aid comprising nickel oxide and at least one of manganese oxide, niobium oxide, or indium oxide is introduced as an intermediary substance to facilitate the sintering of tungsten. The sintering aid forms a liquid phase at sintering temperature that promotes particle bonding and densification of tungsten, enabling successful sintering despite tungsten's high melting point of 3300°C or higher
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional sintering aids are used, then sintering can be achieved, but the materials are relatively difficult to obtain, limiting selection
Solution Approach 1:
The sintering aid system based on nickel oxide combined with manganese oxide, niobium oxide, or indium oxide provides universal applicability for sintering tungsten-based conductor patterns. This combination offers multiple selectable materials that can be obtained more easily than conventional sintering aids, expanding material selection flexibility while maintaining effective sintering capability
Solution Approach 2:
The sintering aid is formulated as a composite material system combining nickel oxide with at least one of manganese oxide, niobium oxide, or indium oxide. This composite approach creates synergistic effects that improve sintering performance and provides multiple composition options, thereby enhancing both manufacturability and material selection versatility
3Manufacturing precision
If high sintering temperature is used to sinter tungsten, then complete sintering is achieved, but excessive sintering occurs with poor adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The sintering aid system enables sintering at lower temperatures than conventional methods by forming a liquid phase that promotes bonding. This parameter change in sintering temperature, facilitated by the nickel oxide-based sintering aid, achieves complete sintering of tungsten while preventing excessive sintering that would degrade adhesion properties of the conductor pattern
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 approach allows for the successful sintering of tungsten at lower temperatures, improving the sinterability and reducing the risk of excessive sintering, thereby enhancing the adhesion and electrical characteristics of the conductor pattern.
Implementation Method 1
a ceramic and tungsten are sintered under the same conditions, but since tungsten has a high melting point (3300° C. or higher), it is difficult to sinter the sintered body, and it is necessary to add an appropriate sintering aid
Implementation Method 2
nickel oxide, aluminum oxide, and silicon dioxide function as the sintering aid... nickel oxide and manganese oxide, nickel oxide and niobium oxide, or nickel oxide and indium oxide, which lower the liquid phase formation temperature to facilitate sintering
Implementation Method 3
the conductor pattern includes, as a main component, a solid solution of a body-centered cubic lattice structure in which nickel and manganese are solid solved in tungsten, a solid solution of a body-centered cubic lattice structure in which nickel and niobium are solid solved in tungsten, or a solid solution of a body-centered cubic lattice structure in which nickel and indium are solid solved in tungsten
Data Source
AI summary
A ceramic substrate includes a base, and a conductor pattern incorporated in the base. The base is a ceramic, and the conductor pattern includes, as a main component, a solid solution of a body-centered cubic lattice structure in which nickel and manganese are solid solved in tungsten, a solid solution of a body-centered cubic lattice structure in which nickel and niobium are solid solved in tungsten, or a solid solution of a body-centered cubic lattice structure in which nickel and indium are solid solved in tungsten.