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AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsCharles N. Dornfest, John M. White, Craig A. Bercaw, Hiroyuki Steven Tomosawa, Mark A. Fodor
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Non-bonded ceramic protection is provided for metal surfaces in a plasma processing chamber, particularly heated metal electrode surfaces, in a plasma processing chamber, to prevent or inhibit attack of the heated metal surfaces by chemically aggressive species generated in the plasma during processing of materials, without bonding the ceramic material to the metal surface. In accordance with the invention the ceramic protection material comprises a thin cover material which is fitted closely, but not bonded, to the heated metal. This form of ceramic protection is particularly useful for protecting the surfaces of glow discharge electrodes and gas distribution apparatus in plasma process chambers used for processing semiconductor substrates to form integrated circuit structures. The particular ceramic material used to provide the desired protection from the gaseous species generated by the plasma are selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, crystalline aluminum oxide, magnesium fluoride, and sintered aluminum oxide.
A plasma processing chamber having aluminum surfaces including a planar aluminum surface and a sidewall aluminum surface on an aluminum susceptor therein protected from attack by species generated by a plasma generated in said chamber comprising ceramic surfaces, characterized by good dielectric properties, good thermal conductivity, and good thermal shock resistance, mounted between said aluminum surfaces and said plasma and in contact with said aluminum surfaces, but not bonded thereto, to thereby protect said aluminum surfaces while mitigating damage to said protective ceramic surfaces from thermal expansion rate mismatch between said aluminum surfaces and said ceramic surfaces, said aluminum susceptor provided with a ceramic disk on said planar aluminum surface of said aluminum susceptor, and a ceramic collar in peripheral contact with an exposed surface of said ceramic disk, said ceramic collar having a ceramic skirt depending therefrom extending over said sidewall aluminum surface of said aluminum susceptor to thereby inhibit contact of said aluminum surfaces on said aluminum susceptor by said species generated by said plasma.
A plasma processing chamber having an aluminum susceptor therein protected from attack by species generated by a plasma generated in said chamber by ceramic surfaces mounted between said aluminum susceptor and said plasma and in contact with said aluminum susceptor but not bonded thereto, said ceramic surfaces further comprising:
A process for treating semiconductor substrates in a plasma processing chamber having an aluminum susceptor electrode and an aluminum showerhead electrode therein while inhibiting attack of exposed aluminum surfaces of said aluminum electrodes by gaseous species generated in said chamber by a generated plasma which comprises covering said exposed aluminum surfaces on said aluminum susceptor and aluminum showerhead electrodes with a removable protective layer of a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, crystalline aluminum oxide, magnesium fluoride, and sintered aluminum oxide without bonding of said ceramic material to said aluminum surface to thereby protect said exposed aluminum surfaces from attack from said gaseous species generated by said plasma while inhibiting cracking of said ceramic material by thermal mismatching with said exposed aluminum surfaces, said aluminum susceptor provided with a ceramic disk on said planar aluminum surface of said aluminum susceptor, and a ceramic collar in peripheral contact with an exposed surface of said ceramic disk, said ceramic collar having a ceramic skirt depending therefrom extending over a sidewall aluminum surface of said aluminum susceptor to thereby inhibit contact of said exposed aluminum surfaces on said aluminum susceptor by said species generated by said plasma.
A plasma processing chamber having metal surfaces therein, including a planar metal surface and a sidewall metal surface on a metal susceptor therein, protected from attack by species generated by a plasma generated in said chamber by protective removable ceramic surfaces characterized by good dielectric properties, good thermal conductivity, and good thermal shock resistance, and mounted between said metal surfaces and said plasma, including said planar and sidewall metal surfaces of said metal susceptor, and in contact with said metal surfaces, but not bonded thereto, to thereby protect said planar and sidewall metal surfaces of said metal susceptor from said attack by species in said plasma, while mitigating damage to said protective removable ceramic surfaces from thermal expansion rate mismatch between said metal surfaces and said protective removable ceramic surfaces, said metal susceptor provided with a ceramic disk on said planar metal surface of said metal susceptor, and a ceramic collar in peripheral contact with an exposed surface of said ceramic disk, said ceramic collar having a ceramic skirt depending therefrom to extend over said sidewall metal surface of said metal susceptor to thereby inhibit contact of said metal surfaces on said metal susceptor by said species generated by said plasma.
A plasma processing chamber capable of generating, in a plasma therein, gaseous species capable of attacking aluminum surfaces in said chamber, said plasma processing chamber having an aluminum susceptor therein for mounting a semiconductor substrate thereon and an aluminum showerhead for introducing processing gases into said chamber, said aluminum susceptor provided with a generally circular ceramic disc with a first generally planar surface facing said aluminum showerhead and also having sidewall surfaces thereon, and a ceramic collar in peripheral contact with an exposed surface of said ceramic disk, said ceramic collar having a ceramic skirt depending therefrom extending over said sidewall surfaces of said aluminum susceptor to thereby inhibit contact of said aluminum susceptor surfaces by said gaseous species generated by said plasma, said aluminum showerhead also having a generally planar surface facing said aluminum susceptor and also having sidewall surfaces thereon, each of said aluminum susceptor and showerhead surfaces having mounted thereon a protective layer of a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, crystalline aluminum oxide, magnesium fluoride, and sintered aluminum oxide, without bonding of said ceramic material to said aluminum surface, to thereby protect said aluminum surfaces from attack from said gaseous species generated by said plasma while inhibiting cracking of said ceramic material by thermal mismatching with said aluminum surfaces.
A plasma processing chamber capable of generating, in a plasma therein, gaseous species capable of attacking aluminum surfaces in said chamber, said plasma processing chamber having an aluminum susceptor therein for mounting a semiconductor substrate thereon and an aluminum showerhead for introducing processing gases into said chamber;
A plasma processing chamber capable of generating, in a plasma therein, gaseous species capable of attacking aluminum surfaces in said chamber, said plasma processing chamber having an aluminum susceptor therein for mounting a semiconductor substrate thereon and an aluminum showerhead for introducing processing gases into said chamber;
A system for protecting the metal surfaces of a metal susceptor, including a planar metal surface and a sidewall metal surface on said metal susceptor, from attack by species generated by a plasma generated in a plasma processing chamber, comprising removable ceramic members having protective ceramic surfaces thereon characterized by good dielectric properties, good thermal conductivity, and good thermal shock resistance, and capable of being mounted between said metal surfaces of said metal susceptor and said plasma, including said planar metal surface and said sidewall metal surface on said metal susceptor, and in contact with said metal surfaces, but not bonded thereto, to thereby protect said planar and sidewall metal surfaces of said metal susceptor from said attack by species in said plasma, while mitigating damage to said protective ceramic surfaces from thermal expansion rate mismatch between said metal surfaces and said ceramic surfaces, said removable ceramic members including a ceramic disk mountable on said planar metal surface of said metal susceptor, and a ceramic collar in peripheral contact with an exposed surface of said ceramic disk, said ceramic collar having a ceramic skirt depending therefrom extending over said sidewall metal surface of said metal susceptor to thereby inhibit contact of said metal surfaces on said metal susceptor by said species generated by said plasma.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.