Plasma erosion resistant rare-earth oxide based thin film coatings

#Embodiments of the present invention relate, in general, to chamber components having a thin film plasma resistant protective layer.

#In the semiconductor industry, devices are fabricated by a number of manufacturing processes producing structures of an ever-decreasing size. Some manufacturing processes such as plasma etch and plasma clean processes expose a substrate to a high-speed stream of plasma to etch or clean the substrate. The plasma may be highly corrosive, and may corrode processing chambers and other surfaces that are exposed to the plasma.

#The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that different references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

#FIG. 1 depicts a sectional view of one embodiment of a processing chamber.

#FIGS. 2A-5 depict cross sectional side views of example articles with protective layer stacks on one surface.

#Embodiments of the present invention provide an article such as a chamber component for a processing chamber having a thin film protective layer on one or more surfaces of the article. The protective layer may have a thickness below approximately 20 microns, and may provide plasma corrosion resistance for protection of the article. The protective layer may be formed on the article using ion assisted deposition (IAD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD). The thin film protective layer may be used as a top coat over a thick film protective layer, which may have been formed using, for example, plasma spraying techniques. In some embodiments, a thin film protective layer stack comprising two or more thin film protective layers is formed on the article. In such embodiments, each thin film protective layer may be formed by IAD or PVD and may be around 20 microns or less in thickness. The thin film protective layer may be Y3Al5O12, Y4Al2O9, Er2O3, Gd2O3, Er3Al5O12, Gd3Al5O12, or a ceramic compound comprising Y4Al2O9 and a solid-solution of Y2O3—ZrO2. The improved erosion resistance provided by the thin film protective layer may improve the service life of the article, while reducing maintenance and manufacturing cost.

#FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a semiconductor processing chamber 100 having one or more chamber components that are coated with a thin film protective layer in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The processing chamber 100 may be used for processes in which a corrosive plasma environment is provided. For example, the processing chamber 100 may be a chamber for a plasma etcher or plasma etch reactor, a plasma cleaner, and so forth. Examples of chamber components that may include a thin film protective layer include a substrate support assembly 148, an electrostatic chuck (ESC) 150, a ring (e.g., a process kit ring or single ring), a chamber wall, a base, a gas distribution plate, a showerhead, a liner, a liner kit, a shield, a plasma screen, a flow equalizer, a cooling base, a chamber viewport, a chamber lid 104, and so on. The thin film protective layer, which is described in greater detail below, may include Y3Al5O12 (YAG), Y4Al2O9 (YAM), Er2O3, Gd2O3, Er3Al5O12 (EAG), Gd3Al5O12 (GAG) and/or a ceramic compound comprising Y4Al2O9 and a solid-solution of Y2O3—ZrO2. The thin film protective layer may also include Y2O3 and Y2O3 based ceramics, Er2O3 based ceramics, Gd2O3 based ceramics, and other rare earth oxides.

#The thin film protective layer may be an IAD or PVD coating applied over different ceramics including oxide based ceramics, Nitride based ceramics and Carbide based ceramics. Examples of oxide based ceramics include SiO2 (quartz), Al2O3, Y2O3, and so on. Examples of Carbide based ceramics include SiC, Si—SiC, and so on. Examples of Nitride based ceramics include AlN, SiN, and so on. IAD or PVD coating target material can be calcined powders, preformed lumps (e.g., formed by green body pressing, hot pressing, and so on), a sintered body (e.g., having 50-100% density), a machined body (e.g., can be ceramic, metal, or a metal alloy), or a pre-melt (100% density). The substrate can also be metal substrates such as Al, Ti, stainless steel, or anodized Al.