Reduction of Copper or Trace Metal Contaminants in Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Coatings
AssigneeMKS Instruments, Inc.
InventorsXing Chen, Chengxiang Ji, Chiu-Ying Tai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for creating an oxide layer having a reduced copper concentration over a surface of an object comprising aluminum and copper for use in a semiconductor processing system. The oxide layer produced using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process has a reduced copper peak concentration, which decreases a risk of copper contamination, and includes magnesium oxides that can be converted to magnesium halide upon exposure to an excited halogen-comprising gas or halogen-comprising plasma to increase the erosion/corrosion resistance of the oxide layer.
Claims41
A method of creating an oxide layer over a surface of an object comprising aluminum, copper and magnesium for use in a semiconductor processing system, the method comprising:
- providing the object, the object comprising a bulk material having:
- a bulk copper concentration between about 0% and about 0.1% by weight;
- and
- a bulk magnesium concentration greater than about 1.5% by weight;
- and
- oxidizing the surface of the object using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process to form the oxide layer comprising alumina and an oxide of magnesium.
A method of creating a protective layer over a surface of an object comprising aluminum, magnesium and copper for use in a semiconductor processing system, the method comprising:
- providing the object, the object including:
- a bulk material having a bulk copper concentration;
- and
- an oxide layer produced using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process, the oxide layer having:
- a copper concentration varying as a function of depth in the oxide layer with a maximum copper concentration being about or less than about 5000 ppm;
- and
- a magnesium concentration varying as a function of depth in the oxide layer with a minimum magnesium concentration being more than about 4000 ppm;
- and
- exposing a surface of the oxide layer to an excited gas comprising a halogen or to a plasma comprising a halogen to form magnesium halide in the oxide layer thereby creating the protective layer.
A method for creating an oxide layer over a surface of an object comprising aluminum, copper and magnesium, the method comprising:
- providing the object, the object including a bulk material having a bulk copper concentration by weight;
- depositing a layer of a second material on the surface of the object, the second material having a second copper concentration smaller than the bulk copper concentration;
- and
- oxidizing at least an outer thickness of the deposited layer using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process.
A method for creating an oxide layer over a surface of an object comprising aluminum, copper and magnesium, the method comprising:
- providing the object, the object including a bulk material having a bulk copper concentration by weight and a bulk magnesium concentration by weight;
- contacting the object with a layer of second material, the second material having a second copper concentration smaller than the bulk copper concentration;
- heating the object to diffuse copper from the bulk material into the layer of second material;
- removing the layer of second material from the object;
- and
- oxidizing the surface of the object using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process.
A method for treating a surface of an object comprising aluminum, copper and magnesium for use in a semiconductor processing system, the method comprising:
- providing the object, the object comprising:
- a bulk region comprising copper aluminum and magnesium;
- and
- an oxide layer produced by a plasma electrolytic oxidation process and having:
- a magnesium concentration that varies as a function of depth in the oxide layer;
- and
- a copper concentration that each varies as a function of depth in the oxide layer with a maximum copper concentration of greater than about 5000 ppm at a first depth;
- and
- removing a portion of the oxide layer beyond the first depth to a second depth, wherein the copper concentration at the second depth is about less than about 5000 ppm and the magnesium concentration at the second depth is greater than about 4000 ppm.
A method for treating a surface of an object comprising aluminum, copper and magnesium for use in a semiconductor processing system, the method comprising:
- providing the object, the object including:
- a bulk region comprising copper and aluminum;
- and
- an oxide layer produced by a plasma electrolytic oxidation process and having a copper concentration varying as a function of depth in the oxide layer;
- and
- extracting copper from the oxide layer until a maximum copper concentration in the oxide layer is about or less than about 4000.
A method for treating a surface of an object, the method comprising:
- providing an object, the object including:
- a bulk region including aluminum and having a bulk copper concentration;
- and an oxide layer produced by a plasma electrolytic oxidation process and having:
- a magnesium concentration varying as a function of depth in the oxide layer;
- and
- a copper concentration varying as a function of depth in the oxide layer with a maximum copper concentration greater than the bulk copper concentration;
- and
- applying energy to the object to diffuse copper at least until a maximum copper concentration of the protective layer is about or less than about 5000 ppm.
A plasma chamber for use with a reactive gas source, the plasma chamber comprising:
- an inlet for receiving a gas;
- at least one plasma chamber wall for containing the gas, the plasma chamber wall comprising:
- a bulk material having a bulk copper concentration;
- and
- an oxide layer produced using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process, the oxide layer having:
- a copper concentration varying as a function of depth in the oxide layer with a maximum copper concentration being about or less than about 5000 ppm;
- a magnesium concentration varying as a function of depth in the oxide layer with a minimum magnesium concentration being more than about 4000 ppm;
- and
- an outlet for outputting a reactive gas generated by the interaction of the plasma and the gas.
A semiconductor process chamber for use with a reactive gas source, the process chamber comprising:
- an inlet for receiving an excited gas or a plasma;
- and
- at least one process chamber wall for containing the gas, the process chamber wall comprising:
- a bulk material having a bulk copper concentration;
- and
- an oxide layer produced using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process, the oxide layer having:
- a copper concentration varying as a function of depth in the oxide layer with a maximum copper concentration being about or less than about 5000 ppm;
- and
- a magnesium concentration varying as a function of depth in the oxide layer with a minimum magnesium concentration being more than about 4000 ppm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.