Low contamination components for semiconductor processing apparatus and methods for making components

Abstract

Components of semiconductor processing apparatus are formed at least partially of erosion, corrosion and/or corrosion-erosion resistant ceramic materials. Exemplary ceramic materials can include at least one oxide, nitride, boride, carbide and/or fluoride of hafnium, strontium, lanthanum oxide and/or dysprosium. The ceramic materials can be applied as coatings over substrates to form composite components, or formed into monolithic bodies. The coatings can protect substrates from physical and/or chemical attack. The ceramic materials can be used to form plasma exposed components of semiconductor processing apparatus to provide extended service lives.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
   
   
       41 . A method of plasma processing a semiconductor substrate in a semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising:
 supporting the semiconductor substrate on a substrate support in a vacuum chamber of the apparatus;   introducing processing gas into the chamber;   energizing the processing gas into a plasma state; and   plasma processing the semiconductor substrate;   the chamber including at least one component having an outermost surface of ceramic material wherein the outermost surface is exposed to the plasma, and the ceramic material comprising a material selected from the group consisting of strontium oxide, strontium nitride, strontium boride, strontium carbide, lanthanum oxide, lanthanum nitride, lanthanum boride, lanthanum carbide, lanthanum, dysprosium oxide, dysprosium nitride, dysprosium boride and dysprosium carbide as a single largest constituent of the ceramic material.   
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic material comprises one of strontium oxide, lanthanum oxide and dysprosium oxide as the single largest constituent. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic material is a coating on a substrate. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the coating has a thickness of from about 0.001 in. to about 0.050 in. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the coating consists essentially of the ceramic material. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising:
 at least one intermediate layer on the substrate;   wherein the coating is over the at least one intermediate layer.   
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic material further comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of (i) oxides, nitrides, borides, fluorides and carbides of the elements of Groups IIA, IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA, VIIIA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, and VB of the periodic table, and (ii) oxides, nitrides, borides, fluorides and carbides of the elements of the actinide series of the periodic table. 
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the component is a chamber wall, a chamber liner, a gas distribution plate, a gas ring, a pedestal, a dielectric window, an electrostatic chuck and/or a plasma focus ring. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the apparatus is a plasma etching reactor and the plasma processing comprises plasma etching. 
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the processing gas is selected from one or more of Cl 2 , HCl 1 , BCl 3 , Br, HBr, CF 4 , CH 3 F, CHF 3 , CH 2 F 2 , O 2 , H 2 O, SO 2 , N 2 , He, Ar, SF 6  and NF 3 . 
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the plasma processing comprises plasma etching an oxide layer on the semiconductor substrate. 
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the chamber is maintained at a pressure 0 to 100 mTorr. 
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic material is a coating on a metallic substrate. 
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic material is a coating on a sealed anodized surface of an aluminum substrate. 
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic material is a coating over at least one intermediate layer. 
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic material is a coating applied on a substrate by thermal spraying. 
   
   
       57 . A method of  claim 41  wherein the component is a monolithic part which consists essentially of the ceramic material. 
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic material is a coating on at least one of a chamber wall, a chamber liner, a gas distribution plate, a gas ring, a pedestal, a dielectric window, an electrostatic chuck and a plasma focus ring. 
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ceramic material is a coating on a substrate of alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide or boron nitride. 
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the semiconductor substrate is a wafer.