CN116457914A - Ceramic component with channels - Google Patents

Abstract

Methods for forming components of a plasma processing chamber are provided. An internal mold is provided. An outer mold surrounding the inner mold is provided. The outer mold is filled with a ceramic powder, wherein the ceramic powder surrounds the inner mold. Sintering the ceramic powder to form a solid part. The solid part is removed from the outer mold.

Description

Ceramic component with channels

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No.63/115,463 to 11/2020, U.S. application Ser. No.63/142,346 to 2021/1/27, and U.S. application Ser. No.63/247,187 to 2021/9/22, which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Background

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. The information described in this background section, as well as in aspects of the specification that are not identified as prior art at the time of filing, is neither expressly nor implying an admission that it is prior art against the present disclosure.

The present disclosure relates to components for use in a plasma processing chamber. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to plasma exposure components in a plasma processing chamber. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a power window that allows power to pass into a plasma processing chamber.

Some of the components of the plasma processing chamber (e.g., the power window) need to be cooled. Cooling may be provided by blowing cooling gas onto the backside of the power window. The capacity of the cooling method is limited. Insufficient cooling may result in uneven heating. Uneven heating may cause uneven processing throughout the wafer or from wafer to wafer.

Some components (e.g., power windows) in the plasma processing chamber are exposed to the plasma. The plasma may cause the power window to deteriorate. Degradation of the power window may create contaminants that may cause the semiconductor device to malfunction. Plasma resistant thermal spray coatings, physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings, chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) coatings, or Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) coatings may be applied to the power window. These coatings have a termination point that can be a source of contamination and corrosion. When these coatings are too thick, the coatings are more prone to chipping.

Disclosure of Invention

To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the purpose of the present disclosure, a method for forming a component of a plasma processing chamber is therefore provided. An internal mold is provided. An outer mold surrounding the inner mold is provided. The outer mold is filled with a ceramic powder, wherein the ceramic powder surrounds the inner mold. Sintering the ceramic powder to form a solid part. The solid part is removed from the outer mold.

In another embodiment, a component for use in a plasma processing chamber is provided. The spark plasma sintered ceramic component body has a plasma facing surface. At least one hollow structure is embedded in the ceramic member body.

In another embodiment, an apparatus for processing a wafer is provided. The process chamber has an inner side and an outer side. A substrate support supports a substrate located inside the process chamber. A gas inlet provides gas into the process chamber. The coil is located outside the process chamber. A power window is interposed between the coil and the inside of the process chamber. The power window includes: a spark plasma sintered ceramic component body having a plasma facing surface; and at least one serpentine thermal channel extending through the ceramic component body. A thermal control is in fluid connection with the at least one serpentine thermal channel, wherein the thermal control is adapted to flow a fluid through the at least one serpentine thermal channel.

These and other features of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures.

Drawings

The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a high-level flow chart of a process that may be used in an embodiment.

Fig. 2A is a top view of an internal mold used in an embodiment.

Fig. 2B is a top view of an external mold used in an embodiment.

Fig. 2C is a side view of an external mold used in an embodiment.

Fig. 2D is a top view of the inner mold in the outer mold.

Fig. 2E is a top view of the outer mold filled with powder in the base area.

Fig. 2F is a cross-sectional view of the outer mold shown in fig. 2E along cut line 2F-2F.

Fig. 2G is a top view of the outer mold filled with protective zone powder.

Fig. 2H is a cross-sectional view of the outer mold shown in fig. 2G along cut line 2H-2H.

Fig. 2I is a cross-sectional view of an external die located in a press machine and having a pulsed power source.

Fig. 2J is a top view of the solid part removed from the outer mold.

Fig. 2K is a cross-sectional view of the solid member shown in fig. 2J along cut line 2K-2K.

Fig. 2L is a top view of a solid part leaving an empty serpentine channel after dissolving the inner mold.

Fig. 2M is a cross-sectional view of the solid member shown in fig. 2L along cut line 2M-2M.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a plasma processing chamber used in an embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a more detailed flow chart of the filling step of the external mold used in the embodiment.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the present disclosure, several preferred embodiments of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present disclosure may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present disclosure.

Some components (e.g., power windows) in a plasma processing chamber are exposed to a plasma used to process semiconductor devices. The power window separates the interior of the plasma processing chamber from the exterior of the plasma processing chamber. The coil is located outside the power window. Power is transferred from the coil through the power window to the inside of the plasma processing chamber. The power window may be made of aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ) (also known as alumina) ceramic. Aluminum oxide ceramics have sufficient mechanical strength, thermal uniformity, low loss Radio Frequency (RF) transmission, low cost, high Direct Current (DC) resistance, and ease of processing. When exposed to a fluorine plasma, the aluminum oxide ceramic is fluorinated to produce particulate contaminants. Yttria (Y) ₂ O ₃ ) The ceramic is thermally sprayed onto the plasma-facing surface of the power window to provide a protective coating that renders the power window more etch resistant. The thermal spray coating has a limited thickness and thus the life of the coating is limited. In addition, the thermal coating has a termination (termination). Such terminals may be an additional source of particulate contamination. In addition, yttria coatings can have fluorination problems.

Some components (e.g., power windows) in a plasma processing chamber are required to be cooled. Heat from the power transmitted through the power window and heat from the plasma within the plasma processing chamber raise the temperature of the power window. Higher power window temperatures may result in power window degradation. Cooling may be provided by blowing cooling gas onto the backside of the power window to reduce degradation of the power window. The capacity of the cooling method is limited. Flowing a fluid coolant through such a power window may enhance heat transfer. However, the metal coolant tube may interfere with the inductive power transfer through the power window. Embodiments provide serpentine thermal channels, such as heating and/or cooling channels in a plasma processing component (e.g., a power window). The cooling channels may be used to improve thermal uniformity, resulting in improved process uniformity across the wafer.

Embodiments provide a more corrosion resistant dielectric member for use in a semiconductor processing chamber. In some embodiments, the protective layer is laminated rather than thermally sprayed to eliminate termination.

To facilitate understanding, FIG. 1 is a high-level flow chart of an embodiment of a method of making and using components of a plasma processing chamber. An internal mold is provided (step 104). Fig. 2A is a top view of an inner mold 204 provided in an embodiment. In this embodiment, the inner mold 204 is a hollow tube or pipe. For example, the inner mold 204 may be a ceramic hollow tube or a metal hollow tube, such as a titanium tube. In this embodiment, the inner mold 204 is serpentine. Within the scope of the present description and claims, the serpentine shape of the inner mold 204 represents that the inner mold has more than 180 ° bends (coiled) or at least four bends (coiled).

In addition to providing the inner mold (step 104), an outer mold is provided (step 108). Fig. 2B is a top view of a portion of the outer mold 208. In this example, the outer mold 208 includes an outer ring 212 and a lower punch 216. In this embodiment, the outer ring 212 and the lower punch 216 comprise graphite. Fig. 2C is a side view of the outer mold 208 showing a side view of the outer ring 212 and the lower punch 216.

The inner mold 204 is placed in the outer mold 208 (step 112). Fig. 2D is a top view of the inner mold 204 positioned in the outer mold 208. In this example, the inner mold 204 contacts the sides of the outer mold 208 at only two points.

The outer mold 208 is filled with a sintering powder that surrounds the inner mold 204 (step 116). Fig. 4 is a more detailed flow chart of the filling step of the outer mold 208 used in an embodiment. The outer mold 208 is filled with the base region powder (step 408). In this embodiment, the base region powder is a first dielectric material comprising a metal oxide powder. In this example, the metal oxide powder includes a mixture of aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide. In other embodiments, the window body dielectric powder may comprise aluminum nitride and aluminum oxide. Fig. 2E is a top view of the outer mold 208 filled with the base region powder 220. Fig. 2F is a cross-sectional view of the outer mold 208 of the filled substrate area powder 220 shown in fig. 2E along cut lines 2F-2F. A cross section of a portion of the inner mold 204 is shown.

The protective zone powder is placed in the outer mold 208 (step 412) to provide a layer of protective zone powder in the outer mold 208. In this embodiment, the protective region powder is a second dielectric material comprising at least one of a mixed metal oxide and mixed metal oxyfluoride and a metal fluoride, wherein the first dielectric material is different from the second dielectric material. In this example, the protective zone powder includes at least one of aluminum oxide, yttrium oxide, zirconium oxide, and magnesium oxide, yttrium aluminum oxide, magnesium fluoride, and yttrium aluminum oxy fluoride. In this embodiment, the protective zone powder forms a layer having a thickness of between about 0.1mm and 10 mm. In other embodiments, the protective zone powder forms a layer having a thickness between about 0.5mm and 5 mm. Fig. 2G is a top view of the outer mold 208 after the protective area powder 224 has been placed in the outer mold 208. Fig. 2H is a cross-sectional view of the outer mold 208 of the filled base region powder 220 and the protective region powder 224 shown in fig. 2G along cut lines 2H-2H.

The sintered powder including the base region powder 220 and the protective region powder 224 is then sintered using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) to form a solid part (step 120). In this embodiment, an upper punch 226 is placed over the sintered powder, as shown in fig. 2I. A pulsed power source 228 is electrically connected between the lower punch 216 and the upper punch 226. The outer die 208 is placed between the lower press 232 and the upper press 236 in this embodiment.

The SPS process, also known as pulse current sintering (PECS), field Assisted Sintering (FAST), or plasma pressure compaction (P2C), involves the use of both pressure and high intensity, low voltage (e.g., 5-12V) pulse current to substantially reduce the treatment/heating time (e.g., 5-10 minutes (min) rather than hours) and produce high density components, as compared to conventional sintering processes. In an embodiment, pulsed DC current is delivered through the lower punch 216 and the upper punch 226 by the pulsed power source 228 to the sintered powder, while pressure (e.g., between 10 megapascals (MPa) up to 500MPa or higher) is applied axially to the sintered powder at the same time from the lower press 232 and the upper press 236 through the lower punch 216 and the upper punch 226 with a single-axis mechanical force. "uniaxial force" is defined herein to mean the application of force along a single axis or direction, thereby producing uniaxial compression. The outer mold 208 is typically placed under vacuum during at least a portion of the process. Pulsed current mode (ON: OFF), typically in milliseconds, enables high heating rates (up to 1000 c/min or more) and rapid cooling/quenching rates (up to 200 c/min or more) to heat the sintered powder to temperatures in the range of 1000 c to 2500 c.

In one embodiment of the SPS process (provided for exemplary purposes only), sintering of the composition of the sintered powder is performed under vacuum (6 < P pascal ((Pa)) < 14) while simultaneously subjecting to a pulsed current. SPS heat treatment may be implemented as follows: 1) The degassing treatment is performed for a period of time comprised between 3 minutes (min) and 10 minutes, preferably with the sintered powder being subjected to a limited applied load (for example between 10MPa and 20 MPa) for 3 minutes, and to an increased load of up to 40MPa and 100MPa for 2 minutes, and 2) at 100 ℃ for min under an applied load of between 40MPa and 100MPa ^-1 Heating to between 1000 ℃ and 1500 ℃ and soaking at maximum temperature for 5min, and cooling to room temperature. In other embodiments, the temperature ranges from 1100 ℃ to 1300 ℃. It will be appreciated that one or more of the SPS process parameters (including composition component ratios and particle size, pressure, temperature, process cycle, and current pulse sequence) may be varied as appropriate to optimize the SPS process.

The solid part formed by the sintering process is removed from the outer mold 208 (step 124). Fig. 2J is a top view of solid member 240. Fig. 2K is a cross-sectional view of the solid member 240 shown in fig. 2J along cut line 2K-2K. The solid component 240 includes a component body that includes a base region 244 formed from a base region powder, a protective region 248 formed from a protective region powder, and a transition region 252 formed from a mixture of the base region powder and the protective region powder. The transition region 252 may provide a gradient in which near the base region 244, the transition region 252 is almost entirely base region powder with a small amount of protective region powder, and the percentage of protective region powder increases as the protective region 248 is approached until the transition region 252 is almost entirely protective region powder with a small amount of base region powder. The gradient provided by the transition region provides a transition in Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) between the base region 244 and the protective region 248, thereby reducing cracking due to CTE mismatch. In addition, the transition regions form a rough interface that increases adhesion between the base region 244 and the protective region 248, thereby reducing delamination, peeling, and flaking. Solid member 240 is characterized by a high consistency, approaching 100% (e.g., a relative density above 99% and preferably between 99.5% and 100%) with an isotropic nature that reduces the diffusivity between grains and minimizes or prevents grain growth. In some embodiments, the average grain size is less than 10 micrometers (μm). In some embodiments, the average grain size is less than 5 microns. In some embodiments, a density of at least 99.5% results in a porosity of less than 0.5%, where porosity is defined as the volume of the pores divided by the total volume. The high density and low grain size form a higher strength component. The inner mold 204 is retained in the solid member 240.

The inner mold 204 is removed (step 128). The inner mold 204 may be removed by dissolving the inner mold 204. The inner mold 204 may be dissolved by subjecting the inner mold to a chemical reaction or a thermal reaction. In this embodiment, the inner mold 204 is a titanium tube and the inner mold is chemically dissolved. A hot hydrochloric acid solution may be passed through the inner die 204 to dissolve the titanium tube. Since the inner mold 204 is in contact with the outer mold 208 at two locations, a first location for introducing the hydrochloric acid solution into the titanium tube and a second location for draining the used solution from the titanium tube are provided where the inner mold 204 is in contact with the outer mold 208. Fig. 2L is a top view of the solid member 240 in dissolving the inner mold leaving an empty serpentine channel 246. Fig. 2M is a cross-sectional view of the solid member 240 shown in fig. 2L along cut line 2M-2M. The solid component 240 forms a spark plasma sintered ceramic component body. The serpentine channel wall is the surface of the spark plasma sintered ceramic component body.

In other embodiments, the inner mold 204 may be made of iron, zirconium, tungsten, or silicon. If the inner mold 204 is a tungsten tube, hydrogen peroxide may be used to chemically dissolve the tungsten tube. Hydrochloric acid (HCL) can be used to chemically dissolve iron and zirconium. Aqueous alkaline solutions can be used to chemically dissolve silicon. In this embodiment, the inner mold 204 is a titanium tube such that the inner mold 204 is a metallic material that does not melt at the sintering temperature and has a Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) closest to the CTE of aluminum oxide. The closer the CTE of the inner mold 204 is to the CTE of the solid part 240, the less stress is provided over a broad temperature range. Having the CTE of the inner mold 204 lower than the CTE of the solid member 204 provides less stress than having the CTE of the inner mold 204 greater than the CT of the solid member 240.

In other embodiments, the inner mold 204 may be removed by thermally dissolving the inner mold 204. Different methods of thermally dissolving the inner mold may be by melting the inner mold 204. For example, if the inner mold 204 is tin, graphite, wax, or a thermoplastic polymer, sufficient heat may be provided to melt the inner mold 204. The melted material may be discharged or vaporized. In another embodiment, the inner mold 204 may be graphite that is thermally vaporized or burned using heat to thermally dissolve the inner mold 204. In other embodiments, the inner mold 204 is not dissolved, but rather is used as a channel wall to flow coolant.

The solid component 240 may be further processed (e.g., polished, machined, chemically cleaned, physically cleaned, annealed, etc.) to tailor the solid component 240 specifically to the components used in the plasma processing chamber. In embodiments, the dielectric member is subjected to polishing to control the shape and/or size of the member. An example of a buffing machine to be used in an embodiment is a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) buffing machine.

In some embodiments, the further processing may also include thermal annealing, which is used to relieve internal mechanical stresses. The annealing process is performed after sintering. In some embodiments, multiple annealing processes may be provided. For example, a first annealing process may be provided before polishing, followed by a second annealing process after polishing. In an embodiment, the thermal annealing process is used to heat the dielectric member in ambient air to a temperature above 600 ℃ for a period of more than 3 hours. In some embodiments, an oxygen or nitrogen rich environment is provided during annealing. Different gases may affect the color of the dielectric window. In various embodiments, annealing is completed in a temperature range of 800 ℃ to 1400 ℃ for a period of 3 hours to 72 hours.

Next, further processing may also include a surface grinding (layering) process to planarize the protective region 248. The abrading process rubs the abrasive compound against the surface of the dielectric member to remove a portion of the surface of the protective region 248, thereby reducing the depth of damage without causing additional damage. Grinding is a slower process than polishing (polishing) which uses finer materials to remove peaks produced by the polishing process, reducing the surface roughness without increasing the depth of damage. The grinding process may use fine diamond grit between the member and the friction providing plate or pad.

After the lapping is complete, the surface of the protective region 248 is polished. The polishing smoothes the surface of the protective region 248. Polishing is a slower material removal process than lapping. The purpose of polishing is not to remove material, but to reduce surface roughness. In an embodiment, a finer grit pad is used to remove peaks and valleys that remain after the grinding process. Polishing reduces surface roughness by reducing the number of peaks and valleys. In some embodiments, only a portion of the protective region 248 that is exposed to vacuum needs to undergo grinding and polishing.

The solid member 240 is installed as a component of the plasma processing chamber (step 132). For ease of understanding, fig. 3 schematically illustrates an example of a plasma processing chamber system 300 that may be used in an embodiment. The plasma processing chamber system 300 includes a plasma reactor 302 with a plasma processing chamber 304 in the plasma reactor 302. The plasma power supply 306, regulated by the power matching network 308, provides power to a Transformer Coupled Plasma (TCP) coil 310 near the dielectric inductive power window formed by the solid member 240. TCP coil 310 generates plasma 314 in plasma processing chamber 304 by providing inductively coupled power through solid member 240 into plasma reactor 302. The peaks 372 extend from the chamber walls 376 of the plasma processing chamber 304 to the dielectric inductive power window to form a peak ring. The peaks 372 are angled with respect to the chamber walls 376 and the dielectric inductive power window. For example, the interior angle between the peak 372 and the chamber wall 376, and the interior angle between the peak 372 and the dielectric inductive power window may each be greater than 90 ° and less than 180 °. As shown, the peaks 372 provide an angled ring near the top of the plasma processing chamber 304. The TCP coil (upper power source) 310 may be configured to create a uniform diffusion profile within the plasma processing chamber 304. For example, TCP coil 310 may be configured to generate a toroidal power distribution in plasma 314. A dielectric inductive power window is provided to separate TCP coil 310 from plasma processing chamber 304, but to allow energy to be transferred from TCP coil 310 to plasma processing chamber 304. When the process wafer 366 is positioned on the substrate support 364, the wafer bias power supply 316, regulated by the bias matching network 318, provides power to the substrate support 364 to set the bias voltage. The controller 324 controls the plasma power supply 306 and the wafer bias power supply 316.

The plasma power supply 306 and the wafer bias power supply 316 may be configured to operate at a particular radio frequency, such as 13.56 megahertz (MHz), 27MHz, 2MHz, 60MHz, 400 kilohertz (KHz), 2.54 gigahertz (GHz), or a combination thereof. The plasma power supply 306 and the wafer bias power supply 316 may be appropriately sized to supply a range of power to achieve the desired process performance. For example, in one embodiment, the plasma power source 306 may supply power in the range of 50 to 5000 watts, while the wafer bias power source 316 may supply a bias in the range of 20 to 2000 volts (V). In addition, the TCP coil 310 and/or the substrate support 364 may include two or more sub-coils or sub-electrodes. The sub-coils or sub-electrodes may be powered by a single power supply, or by multiple power supplies.

As shown in fig. 3, the plasma processing chamber system 300 further includes a gas source/gas supply mechanism 330. The gas source 330 is fluidly connected to the plasma processing chamber 304 through a gas inlet, such as a gas injector 340. The gas injector 340 has at least one bore 341 to allow gas to pass through the gas injector 340 into the plasma processing chamber 304. The gas injector 340 may be located at any advantageous location in the plasma processing chamber 304 and may take any form for injecting a gas. However, the gas inlet may preferably be configured to produce an "adjustable" gas injection profile. The adjustable gas injection profile allows for independent adjustment of the respective gas flow rates to multiple regions in the plasma processing chamber 304. More preferably, the gas injector is mounted to the dielectric inductive power window. The gas injector may be mounted on, in, or form part of the power window. Process gases and byproducts are removed from the plasma processing chamber 304 through a pressure control valve 342 and a pump 344. The pressure control valve 342 and pump 344 also serve to maintain a specific pressure in the plasma processing chamber 304. The pressure control valve 342 may maintain a pressure of less than 1 torr during processing. An edge ring 360 is disposed around the top of the substrate support 364. The gas source/supply mechanism 330 is controlled by the controller 324. Kiyo, strata, or Vector manufactured by Lam Research Corp (Fremont, calif.) may be used to practice the embodiments. In this embodiment, the solid member 240 has a serpentine channel 246. The thermal control 380 is in fluid connection with the serpentine channel 246 and is adapted to flow fluid through the serpentine channel 246. The thermal control 380 provides fluid through the serpentine channel 246. In this embodiment, the thermal control 380 flows a liquid coolant through the serpentine channel 246 to cool the solid component 240. In another embodiment, the thermal control 380 may be used to heat the solid member 240.

The plasma processing chamber is used to plasma process the wafer (step 136). The plasma processing performed by the plasma processing chamber may include one or more of etching, deposition, passivation, or another plasma process. The plasma treatment may also be performed in combination with a non-plasma treatment. The delivery of inductive power through solid member 240 may cause the solid member to heat. The solid member 240 is cooled to prevent degradation of the solid member 240. Providing cooling gas on the backside of the solid component 240 may not provide adequate cooling. Flowing the liquid through the serpentine channel helps improve process uniformity by providing a more uniform temperature throughout the solid member 240. The protective region 248 protects the solid member 240 from plasma erosion.

Protective region 248 is more plasma etch resistant than base region 244. For example, if the plasma 314 is a fluorine-containing plasma, the protective region 248 may be a ceramic comprising magnesium aluminum oxide and the substrate region may be a ceramic comprising zirconia toughened alumina. Magnesia alumina is more resistant to corrosion by fluorine-containing plasmas than zirconia toughened alumina. Thus, the protective region 248 can reduce contaminants formed from the solid member 240 caused by the fluorine-containing plasma 314 and mitigate corrosion of the solid member 240. In various embodiments, the protective region 248 may be made of at least one of mixed metal oxides, mixed metal oxyfluorides, and metal fluorides. In various embodiments, the mixed metal oxide, mixed metal oxyfluoride, and metal fluoride may include at least one of yttrium aluminum oxide, magnesium fluoride, and yttrium aluminum oxyfluoride.

The use of zirconia toughened alumina ceramic for the substrate region 244 provides enhanced mechanical strength, thermal uniformity, low loss RF (radio frequency) transmission, and has a high DC resistance. The DC resistance of the zirconia toughened alumina is greater than 10 ⁶ Ohmic. In addition, zirconia toughened alumina ceramics are easy to machine. In addition, zirconia toughened alumina ceramics have low cost. Since only a majority of the solid member 240 needs to have good mechanical strength and only a small thickness of the solid member 240 needs to improve plasma etch resistance, the thickness of the base region 244 is several times thicker than the protective region 248. In this embodiment, the protective region 248 has a thickness between 0.1mm and 10 mm. In other embodiments, the protective region 248 has a thickness of between about 0.5mm and 5 mm. The solid member 240 may have a thickness of between about 10mm and 100 mm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the dielectric member 240 is between about 20mm and 50 mm. The transition region 252 may have a thickness of between about 1 μm and 40 μm. Since the spark plasma sintering process is much faster than other sintering processes, there is less diffusion between the different materials, making the transition region 252 of the spark plasma sintering process thinner than the transition regions of other sintering processes that are heated for a longer period of time. Furthermore, the transition region 252 will be much thicker than the transition region resulting from the thermal spray process. The thermal spray process has a small amount of diffusion so that the transition region will be much thinner than the transition region created by the SPS process. Some other sintering processes may result in cracking due to mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients. In some embodiments, greater than 90% of solid member 240 is formed from base region 244. In various embodiments, the base region 244 is made of at least one of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, yttrium stabilized zirconia, and zirconium toughened alumina.

In other embodiments, the solid component 240 may form other components of the plasma processing chamber system 300. For example, the solid member 240 may be a wall of a plasma processing chamber. More specifically, the solid member 240 may be a wall of the plasma processing chamber system 300, wherein inductive power passes through the solid member 240 from outside the plasma processing chamber system 300 into the plasma processing chamber system 300.

In other embodiments, the component may be part of other types of plasma processing chambers (e.g., bevel edge plasma processing chambers or the like). Examples of components of a plasma processing chamber that may be provided in various embodiments are a power window, a wall, a liner (e.g., a peak), a showerhead, a gas injector, and an edge ring of the plasma processing chamber. In various embodiments, the power window may be flat, or dome-shaped, or have other shapes.

In other embodiments where the inner mold 204 is chemically reacted, the inner mold 204 is formed from a mold powder that includes an alkaline powder and an acidic powder. The water is supplied to the inner mold in order for the inner mold to chemically react. The water neutralizes the acidic powder with the basic powder, thereby dissolving the inner mold 204.

Various embodiments may provide walls between the plurality of channels that are greater than 6mm thick. With current technology, similar parts with walls having a thickness greater than 6mm will fracture if they are manufactured using 3D printing. In addition, this 3D printing component will have other undesirable properties. Therefore, the 3D printing component should not have walls with a thickness of greater than 6mm between the plurality of thermal channels.

In other embodiments, plasma spraying, thermal spraying, or other deposition or shaping processes may be used to form a plasma resistant coating on the plasma-facing surface of the solid component 240. It should be appreciated that the mold and/or SPS process may be constructed such that no further processing of the solid part 240 is required. In some embodiments, no plasma resistant coating is provided.

In some embodiments, the protective zone powder 224 may be placed in the mold prior to the base zone powder 220. When a thicker layer of base region powder 220 is newly added, it may be difficult to provide a uniform and thin layer of protective region powder 224.

In various embodiments, the ternary ceramic can be formed in at least one of two different ways. Ternary ceramic powders may be used in some embodiments. In other embodiments, two binary ceramic powders may be used. For example, to form the magnesium aluminum oxide protective region 248, the protective region powder may include two binary ceramic powders of magnesium oxide and aluminum oxide. During sintering, a reactive sintering process is performed such that the two binary ceramic powders form a ternary ceramic of magnesium aluminum oxide. In another embodiment, the protective zone powder is a ternary ceramic powder of magnesium aluminum oxide powder. The magnesium aluminum oxide powder is sintered to form a magnesium aluminum oxide part. In another embodiment, the magnesium aluminum oxide powder is sintered in the presence of fluorine gas to form a magnesium aluminum oxy-fluoride ceramic part.

The different base region 244 and protective region 248 cooperate to form a stacked layer by co-firing the different base region powder 220 and protective region powder 224. These stacked layers have joints that avoid separation and termination. The low porosity of the solid member 240 further mitigates corrosion.

In various embodiments, the protective region may have a thickness of about 5 mm. In some embodiments, the protective area eroded at 10000RF hours of use is less than 4mm. This embodiment allows the use of the solid member 240 for about 10000RF hours without the need to replace the solid member 240. Maintaining the parts in good condition 10000RF hours reduces maintenance costs, contaminants, process drift, and downtime.

In some embodiments, the base region 244 of zirconium toughened alumina is used with a protective region 248 of yttrium aluminum oxide. The coefficients of thermal expansion of the zirconium toughened alumina and yttrium aluminum oxide are sufficiently close to reduce cracking.

While this disclosure has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and various substitute equivalents, which fall within the scope of this disclosure. It should also be noted that there are many alternative implementations of the methods and apparatuses of the present disclosure. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and various substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the phrase "A, B OR C" should be interpreted as meaning logic (a OR B OR C) using a non-exclusive logical "OR (OR)", and should not be interpreted as meaning only one of "A, B OR C". The various steps within the process may be optional steps, and are not necessary. Different embodiments may remove one or more steps, or may provide steps in a different order. Furthermore, various embodiments may provide different steps simultaneously rather than sequentially.

Claims (20)

1. A method for forming a component of a plasma processing chamber, comprising:

providing an inner mold;

providing an outer mold surrounding the inner mold;

filling the outer mold with ceramic powder, wherein the ceramic powder surrounds the inner mold;

sintering the ceramic powder to form a solid part; and

the solid part is removed from the outer mold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sintering the ceramic powder is spark plasma sintering.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic powder is a metal oxide.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner mold is in contact with the outer mold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the inner mold by a process comprising dissolving, melting, chemical reacting, vaporizing, thermal reacting, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner mold comprises at least one hollow tube, and the method further comprises removing the inner mold comprising flowing a fluid through the at least one hollow tube, wherein the fluid chemically dissolves the at least one hollow tube.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling the outer mold with ceramic powder, wherein the ceramic powder surrounds the inner mold, comprises:

providing a base region powder in a mold, wherein the base region powder comprises a first dielectric material, wherein the base region powder surrounds the inner mold; and

providing a layer of protective region powder in the mold, wherein the protective region powder comprises a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material, wherein the sintering the ceramic powder is co-sintering the base region powder and the protective region powder.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second dielectric material comprises at least one of yttrium aluminum oxide, magnesium aluminum oxide, yttrium oxide, magnesium fluoride, and yttrium aluminum oxy fluoride, and wherein the first dielectric material comprises at least one of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, yttrium stabilized zirconia, and zirconium toughened alumina.

9. A component for use in a plasma processing chamber, comprising:

a spark plasma sintered ceramic component body having a plasma facing surface; and

at least one hollow structure embedded in the ceramic member body.

10. The component of claim 9, wherein the hollow structure comprises a serpentine thermal channel extending through the ceramic component body.

11. The member of claim 10, wherein walls between the serpentine thermal channels have a thickness greater than 6 mm.

12. The component of claim 9, wherein the at least one hollow structured wall is formed from the spark plasma sintered ceramic component body.

13. The component of claim 9, wherein the ceramic component body forms at least one of a power window, a gasket, a showerhead, and an edge ring.

14. The component of claim 9, wherein the ceramic component body comprises:

a base region, wherein the base region comprises a first dielectric material;

a protective region on a first side of the substrate region, wherein the protective region comprises a second dielectric material that is at least one of a mixed metal oxide and mixed metal oxy-fluoride and a metal fluoride, wherein the first dielectric material is different from the second dielectric material; and

a transition region between the protective region and the base region, wherein the transition region has a thickness of between about 1 μιη and about 40 μιη, and wherein the transition region comprises the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material.

15. An apparatus for processing a wafer, comprising:

a process chamber having an inner side and an outer side;

a substrate support for supporting a substrate located inside the process chamber;

a gas input for providing a gas into the process chamber;

a coil located outside the process chamber;

a power window between the coil and the inside of the process chamber, wherein the power window comprises:

a spark plasma sintered ceramic component body having a plasma facing surface; and

at least one serpentine thermal channel extending through the ceramic member body; and

a thermal control in fluid connection with the at least one serpentine thermal channel, wherein the thermal control is adapted to flow a fluid through the at least one serpentine thermal channel.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein a wall of the at least one serpentine thermal channel is formed by the ceramic member body.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the spark plasma sintered ceramic member body comprises:

a base region, wherein the base region comprises a first dielectric material;

a protective region on a first side of the substrate region, wherein the protective region comprises a second dielectric material that is at least one of a mixed metal oxide and mixed metal oxy-fluoride and a metal fluoride, wherein the first dielectric material is different from the second dielectric material; and

a transition region between the protective region and the base region, wherein the transition region has a thickness of between about 1 μιη and about 40 μιη, and wherein the transition region comprises the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material.

18. A power window for use in a plasma processing chamber, comprising:

a spark plasma sintered ceramic component body having a plasma facing surface and having a density of at least 99.5% and an average grain size of less than 10 microns; and

a serpentine channel within the ceramic member body.

19. The power window of claim 18, wherein the serpentine channel is defined by a serpentine channel wall, wherein the serpentine channel wall is a surface of the spark plasma sintered ceramic member body.

20. The power window of claim 18, wherein the spark plasma sintered ceramic member body comprises:

a base region, wherein the base region comprises a first dielectric material;

a protective region on a first side of the substrate region, wherein the protective region comprises a second dielectric material that is at least one of a mixed metal oxide and mixed metal oxy-fluoride and a metal fluoride, wherein the first dielectric material is different from the second dielectric material; and

a transition region between the protective region and the base region, wherein the transition region has a thickness of between about 1 μιη and about 40 μιη, and wherein the transition region comprises the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material.