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AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsYixing Lin, Brian T. West, Hong Wang, Shun Jackson Wu, Jennifer Y. Sun, Clifford C. Stow, Senh Thach
Estimating the term…
We have discovered that the formation of particulate inclusions at the surface of an aluminum alloy article, which inclusions interfere with a smooth transition from the alloy surface to an overlying aluminum oxide protective film can be controlled by maintaining the content of mobile impurities within a specific range and controlling the particulate size and distribution of the mobile impurities and compounds thereof; by heat-treating the aluminum alloy at a temperature less than about 330° C.; and by creating the aluminum oxide protective film by employing a particular electrolytic process. When these factors are taken into consideration, an improved aluminum oxide protective film is obtained.
A high purity aluminum alloy with controlled particulate size and distribution of mobile impurities present in said alloy, said high purity aluminum alloy being employed in the manufacture of semiconductor processing apparatus where exposure to corrosive environments would degrade an aluminum alloy which does not exhibit controlled mobile impurity particulate size and distribution, said high purity aluminum alloy having mobile impurity particulates within specific limits so that at least 95% of all particles are 5 μm or less in size, no more than 5% of said particles range between 20 μm and 5 μm, and no more than 0.2% of said particles range between 50 μm and 20 μm.
A method of producing a corrosion-resistant article for use in semiconductor processing apparatus, wherein said article comprises a body formed from high purity aluminum alloy, and wherein at least a surface of said body which is to be exposed to a corrosive environment is covered with an aluminum-oxide-comprising film, and wherein at least said surface of said body which is covered said aluminum-oxide-comprising film is an aluminum alloy having mobile impurity particulates controlled within limits so that at least 95% of all particles are 5 μm or less in size, no more than 5% of said particles range between 20 μm and 5 μm, and no more than 0.2% of said particles range between 50 μm and 20 μm.
10 A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein no more than 0.1% of said particles range between 40 μm and 20 μm.
A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein no more than 0.2% of said particles range between 40 μm and 20 μm.
12 A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said particulates are formed from mobile impurities selected from the group consisting of magnesium, silicon, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, chromium, titanium, and compounds thereof.
A method of creating an aluminum oxide protective film on the surface of a high purity aluminum alloy, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.