Method for joining quartz pieces and quartz electrodes and other devices of joined quartz

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12020971-B2
Application number	US-202117532988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2021
Priority date	Aug 14, 2017
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A method for joining quartz pieces using metallic aluminum as the joining element. The aluminum may be placed between two quartz pieces and the assembly may be heated in the range of 500 C to 650 C. The joining atmosphere may be non-oxygenated. A method for the joining of quartz pieces which may include barrier layers on the quartz pieces. The barrier layers may be impervious to aluminum diffusion and may be of a metal oxide or metal nitride. The quartz pieces with the barrier layers may then be joined at temperatures higher than 650 C and less than 1200 C. A device such as an RF antenna or electrode in support of semiconductor processing using joined quartz pieces wherein the aluminum joining layer which has joined the pieces and also functions as antenna electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for the joining of quartz, said method comprising the steps of:
creating a first aluminum layer on a joining surface of a first quartz piece;
creating a second aluminum layer on a joining surface of a second quartz piece;
placing together the first aluminum layer of said first quartz piece to the second aluminum layer of said second quartz piece; and
heating the quartz pieces to a joining temperature;

thereby joining said quartz pieces to form an electrostatic chuck configured to clamp a wafer supported on a top surface of the top quartz piece.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first aluminum layer and said second aluminum layer comprise greater than 99% by weight aluminum.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said first aluminum layer and said second aluminum layer comprise greater than 99.99% by weight aluminum.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said joining temperature is in the range of 590 C-610 C.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said joining temperature is in the range of 590 C-610 C.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said joining temperature is in the range of 550 C-650 C.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said joining temperature is in the range of 550 C-650 C.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of heating the quartz pieces to a joining temperature comprises heating the quartz pieces in a vacuum with a pressure lower than 1×10E-4 Torr.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of heating the quartz pieces to a joining temperature comprises heating the quartz pieces in a vacuum with a pressure lower than 1×10E-4 Torr.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of heating the quartz pieces to a joining temperature comprises heating the quartz pieces in inert gas.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of heating the quartz pieces to a joining temperature comprises heating the quartz pieces in inert gas.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein said first aluminum layer and said second aluminum layer are in the range of 10-50 microns.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein said first aluminum layer and said second aluminum layer are in the range of 10-50 microns.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of heating the quartz pieces to a joining temperature comprises heating the quartz pieces for a duration in the range of 30 minutes to 3 hours.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of heating the quartz pieces to a joining temperature comprises heating the quartz pieces for a duration in the range of 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Assignees

• Watlow Electric Mfg

Inventors

• Elliot Brent
• Hussen Guleid
• Stephens Jason
• Parker Michael

Classifications

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/7616

  characterised by a coating, a hardness or a material · CPC title

• H10P72/722 Primary

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• B32B15/04

  comprising metal as the main or only constituent of a layer, {which is} next to another layer of {the same or of} a {different material (next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/08; next to a water-setting substance layer B32B13/06; next to a glass layer B32B17/061; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/042)} · CPC title

• B32B17/061

  of metal · CPC title