Semiconductor processing equipment with high temperature resistant nickel alloy joints and methods for making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12128494-B2
Application number	US-202318317571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2023
Priority date	Nov 29, 2017
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A method for the joining of ceramic pieces includes applying a layer of titanium on a first ceramic piece and applying a layer of titanium on a second ceramic piece; applying a layer of nickel on each of the layers of titanium on the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece; applying a layer of nickel phosphorous to each of the layers of nickel on the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece; assembling the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece with the layers of titanium, nickel, and nickel phosphorous therebetween; pressing the layer of nickel phosphorous of the first ceramic piece against the layer of nickel phosphorous of the second ceramic piece; heating the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece to a joining temperature in a vacuum; and cooling the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece. A hermetic seal is formed between the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for joining of ceramic pieces, the method comprising:
applying a layer of titanium on a first ceramic piece;
applying a layer of titanium on a second ceramic piece;
applying a layer of nickel on each of the layers of titanium on the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece;
applying a layer of nickel phosphorous to each of the layers of nickel on the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece;
assembling the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece with the layers of titanium, nickel, and nickel phosphorous therebetween;
pressing the layer of nickel phosphorous of the first ceramic piece against the layer of nickel phosphorous of the second ceramic piece;
heating the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece, with the layers of titanium, nickel, and nickel phosphorous, to a joining temperature in a vacuum; and
cooling the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece, with the layers of titanium, nickel, and nickel phosphorous,
wherein a hermetic seal is formed between the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the layers of nickel phosphorous each comprise about 8-13 wt. % phosphorous.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the layers of titanium are applied by sputtering.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the layers of nickel are applied by sputtering.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the layers of nickel phosphorous are applied by electroless plating.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece are an aluminum nitride material.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the layers of titanium are not diffused into each of the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the layers of titanium are about 0.1 microns thick.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the layers of nickel are about 10 microns thick.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the layers of nickel phosphorous are about 1,000-2,000 microns thick.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing is at about 20 psi in the vacuum at or lower than 5×10E −5 Torr, at a temperature of about 880-940° C. for about 1-4 hours to create the hermetic seal.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hermetic seal has a vacuum leak rate of <1×10E −9 sccm He/sec.

13. A ceramic assembly formed by the method according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Watlow Electric Mfg

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H10P72/7626 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the shaft · CPC title

• 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

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/0441

  Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like · CPC title