Aluminum nitride ceramic and semiconductor manufacturing member
AssigneeNGK Insulators, Ltd.
InventorsYoshimasa Kobayashi, Naohito Yamada, Toru Hayase
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Abstract
An aluminum nitride ceramic including aluminum nitride grains and grain boundary phases comprises a grain boundary phase-rich layer including more amount of the grain boundary phases in a surface layer of the aluminum nitride ceramic than in an inside of the aluminum nitride ceramic. The grain boundary phases in the grain boundary phase-rich layer include at least one of rare earth element and alkali earth element.
Claims8
An aluminum nitride ceramic including aluminum nitride grains and grain boundary phases, the aluminum nitride ceramic comprising:
- a grain boundary phase-rich layer having a higher grain boundary phase content in a surface layer of the aluminum nitride ceramic than a grain boundary phase content in an inside of the aluminum nitride ceramic, wherein the grain boundary phase content in the grain boundary phase-rich layer is in a range of about 10 to about 70 % by volume;
- wherein substantially all aluminum nitride grains in the grain boundary phase-rich layer are covered by the grain boundary phases in the surface layer thereof;
- wherein grain boundary phases in the grain boundary phase-rich layer include at least one of a rare earth element and an alkali earth element;
- and
- wherein the aluminum nitride ceramic exhibits an amount of corrosion wastage of 3.2 μm or less.
A semiconductor manufacturing member at least partly comprising an aluminum nitride ceramic including aluminum nitride grains and grain boundary phases, the aluminum nitride ceramic comprising a grain boundary phase-rich layer having a higher grain boundary phase content in a surface layer of the aluminum nitride ceramic than a grain boundary phase content in an inside of the aluminum nitride ceramic, wherein the grain boundary phase content in the grain boundary phase-rich layer is in a range of about 10 to about 70% by volume;
- wherein substantially all aluminum nitride grains in the grain boundary phase-rich layer are covered by the grain boundary phases in the surface layer thereof;
- wherein grain boundary phases in the grain boundary phase-rich layer include at least one of a rare earth element and an alkali earth element;
- and
- wherein the aluminum nitride ceramic exhibits an amount of corrosion wastage of 3.2 μm or less.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.