# US 12,191,120 B2 · Multilayer coating for corrosion resistance

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,191,120 B2
- Document ID: US12191120B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/691,384
- Filed: 2022-03-10
- Published: 2023-09-14
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2022-03-10
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Amir H. Tavakoli; Tony S. Kaushal; Peter Reimer; David Jorgensen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191120B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/32495: {Means for protecting the vessel against plasma}
- C04B 35/10: based on aluminium oxide
- C04B 35/12: based on chromium oxide (C04B35/047 and C04B35/105 take precedence)
- C04B 35/14: based on silica
- C04B 35/62222: {obtaining ceramic coatings (coating of mortars, concrete, artificial or natural stone or ceramics C04B41/45; laminated ceramic products B32B18/00; coating of glass C03C17/00, applying ceramic coatings on silicon for semi-conductor purposes H10W; coating metallic materials C23)}
- C23C 16/402: {Silicon dioxide}
- C23C 16/403: {of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium}
- C23C 16/405: {of refractory metals or yttrium}
- C23C 16/45525: {Atomic layer deposition [ALD]}
- C23C 16/45553: {characterized by the use of precursors specially adapted for ALD}
- C04B 2235/3217: Aluminum oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bauxite, alpha-alumina
- C04B 2235/3241: Chromium oxides, chromates, or oxide-forming salts thereof
- C04B 2235/3418: Silicon oxide, silicic acids or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. silica sol, fused silica, silica fume, cristobalite, quartz or flint
- C04B 2235/9669: Resistance against chemicals, e.g. against molten glass or molten salts
- H01J 2237/332: Coating
- H01J 2237/334: Etching
- H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching}
- H10P 72/0422: {for wet etching}
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Exemplary methods of coating a metal-containing component are described. The methods are developed to increase corrosion resistance and improve coating adhesion to a metal substrate. The methods include forming a bonding layer on a metal substrate, where the bonding layer includes an oxide of a metal in the metal substrate. The coating methods further include depositing a stress buffer layer on the bonding layer, where the stress buffer layer is characterized by a stress buffer layer coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is less than a metal substrate CTE and a bonding layer CTE. The coating methods also include depositing an environmental barrier layer on the stress buffer layer, where a ratio of the metal substrate CTE to an environmental barrier layer CTE is greater than or about 20:1, and where the environmental barrier layer includes silicon oxide. The metal-containing components may be used in fabrication equipment for electronic devices.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A coating method comprising:
forming a bonding layer on a metal substrate, wherein the bonding layer comprises an oxide of a metal in the metal substrate;
depositing a stress buffer layer on the bonding layer, wherein the stress buffer layer comprises a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal substrate and a coefficient of thermal expansion of the bonding layer;
depositing an environmental barrier layer on the stress buffer layer, wherein a ratio of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal substrate to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the environmental barrier layer is greater than or about 20:1, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the environmental barrier layer is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the stress buffer layer, and wherein the environmental barrier layer comprises silicon oxide.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The coating method of claim 1, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal substrate is greater than or about 10×10−6/° C.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The coating method of claim 1, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the environmental barrier layer CTE is less than or about 0.5×10−6/° C.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The coating method of claim 1, wherein the metal substrate comprises stainless steel and the oxide of the metal in the bonding layer comprises chromium oxide.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The coating method of claim 1, wherein the bonding layer is formed on the metal substrate by thermal oxidation of the metal in the metal substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The coating method of claim 5, wherein the forming of the bonding layer further comprises exposing the metal substrate to an atmosphere comprising ozone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The coating method of claim 1, wherein the stress buffer layer comprises aluminum oxide.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The coating method of claim 1, wherein the stress buffer layer and the environmental barrier layer are deposited by atomic layer deposition.

### Claim 9

A method of forming a multilayer coating on a metal substrate, the method comprising:
forming a bonding layer on the metal substrate, wherein the bonding layer is characterized by a thickness of less than or about 10 nm;
depositing a stress buffer layer on the bonding layer, wherein the stress buffer layer is characterized by a thickness of less than or about 50 nm;
depositing an environmental barrier layer on the stress buffer layer, wherein the environmental barrier layer is characterized by a thickness of greater than or about 50 nm,
wherein the multilayer coating increases corrosion resistance of the metal substrate to at least one halogen, a coefficient of thermal expansion of the environmental barrier layer is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the stress buffer layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the metal substrate comprises stainless steel and the bonding layer comprises chromium oxide.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the stress buffer layer comprises aluminum oxide, and wherein the stress buffer layer is characterized by a CTE that is greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the environmental barrier layer and less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the environmental barrier layer comprises silicon dioxide and-the multilayer coating increases the corrosion resistance of the metal substrate to chlorine.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the environmental barrier layer comprises hafnium oxide and the multilayer coating increases the corrosion resistance of the metal substrate to halogen-containing compounds.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the metal substrate is incorporated into a component of a semiconductor fabrication apparatus that is exposed to the at least one halogen.