Protective metal oxy-fluoride coatings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017323772-A1
Application number	US-201715498383-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 26, 2017
Priority date	May 3, 2016
Publication date	Nov 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An article comprises a body having a protective coating. The protective coating is a thin film that comprises a metal oxy-fluoride. The metal oxy-fluoride has an empirical formula of M x O y F z , where M is a metal, y has a value of 0.1 to 1.9 times a value of x and z has a value of 0.1 to 3.9 times the value of x. The protective coating has a thickness of 1 to 30 microns and a porosity of less than 0.1%.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A thin film comprising:
a metal oxy-fluoride having an empirical formula of M x O y F z , where M is a metal, y has a value of 0.1 to 1.9 times a value of x and z has a value of 0.1 to 3.9 times the value of x; wherein the thin film has a thickness of 1 to 30 microns and a porosity of less than 0.1%.

2 . The thin film of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises at least one of yttrium, gadolinium, aluminum, cerium, dysprosium, zirconium, calcium, magnesium, erbium, lanthanum, neodymium, ytterbium or strontium.

3 . The thin film of claim 1 , wherein the thin film coats at least one surface of a chamber component for semiconductor processing equipment.

4 . The thin film of claim 1 , wherein the metal has a valence of 2 and the metal oxy-fluoride comprises approximately 37-48 at. % of the metal, approximately 10-43 at. % oxygen, and approximately 10-53 at. % fluorine.

5 . The thin film of claim 1 , wherein the metal has a valence of 3 and the metal oxy-fluoride comprises approximately 27-38 at. % of the metal, approximately 10-52 at. % oxygen, and approximately 10-63 at. % fluorine.

6 . The thin film of claim 1 , wherein the metal has a valence of 4 and the metal oxy-fluoride comprises approximately 22-32 at. % of the metal, approximately 10-58 at. % oxygen, and approximately 10-68 at. % fluorine.

7 . A method comprising:
providing a metal oxy-fluoride source material having an empirical formula of M x O y _ source F z _ source , wherein y_source has a value of 0.1 to 1.9 times a value of x and z_source has a value of 0.1 to 3.9 times the value of x; and performing one of sputter deposition or evaporation deposition of the metal oxy-fluoride source material to form a metal oxy-fluoride coating on an article, the metal oxy-fluoride coating having an empirical formula of M x O y _ coating F z _ coating , wherein y_coating has a value of 0.1 to 1.9 times the value of x and z_coating has a value of 0.1 to 3.9 times the value of x, and wherein the metal oxy-fluoride coating has a thickness of 1 to 30 microns and a porosity of less than 0.1%.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the metal comprises at least one of yttrium, gadolinium, aluminum, cerium, dysprosium, zirconium, calcium, magnesium, erbium, lanthanum, neodymium, ytterbium or strontium.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the article comprises a semiconductor process chamber component.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising heating the article to 15 to 150 degrees Celsius.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sputter deposition or the evaporation deposition is performed in a chamber having a pressure of 0.1 to 100 mTorr.

12 . A method comprising:
providing a source material comprising a metal; and performing one of sputter deposition or evaporation deposition of the source material to form a metal oxy-fluoride coating on an article, comprising:
introducing at least one of oxygen ions or radicals or fluorine ions or radicals to the sputtered or evaporated source material during the sputter deposition or the evaporation deposition, wherein the metal oxy-fluoride coating formed on the article has an empirical formula M x O y _ coating F z _ coating , wherein y_coating has a value of 0.1 to 1.9 times a value of x and z_coating has a value of 0.1 to 3.9 times the value of x;
wherein the coating has a thickness of 1 to 30 microns and a porosity of less than 0.1%.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the source material comprises a metal oxide having an empirical formula M x O y _ source , wherein y_source has a value of 0.1 to 2 times the value of x.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the source material comprises a metal fluoride having an empirical formula M x F z _ source , wherein z_source has a value of 0.1 to 4 times the value of x.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the metal comprises at least one of yttrium, gadolinium, aluminum, cerium, dysprosium, zirconium, calcium, magnesium, erbium, lanthanum, neodymium, ytterbium or strontium.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein introducing at least one of the oxygen ions or radicals or the fluorine ions or radicals to the sputtered or evaporated source material comprises bombarding at least one of the article or the sputtered or evaporated source material with at least one of the oxygen ions or radicals or the fluorine ions or radicals.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the bombarding comprises forming a plasma adjacent to the article, wherein the plasma comprises the oxygen ions and radicals or the fluorine ions and radicals.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising heating the article in a range from 15 to 150 degrees Celsius.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the sputter or evaporation deposition is performed in a chamber having a pressure of 0.1 to 100 mTorr.

20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of:
a) the metal has a valence of 2 and the metal oxy-fluoride comprises approximately 37-48 at. % of the metal, approximately 10-43 at. % oxygen, and approximately 10-53 at. % fluorine; b) the has a valence of 3 and the metal oxy-fluoride comprises approximately 27-38 at. % of the metal, approximately 10-52 at. % oxygen, and approximately 10-63 at. % fluorine; or c) the metal has a valence of 4 and the metal oxy-fluoride comprises approximately 22-32 at. % of the metal, approximately 10-58 at. % oxygen, and approximately 10-68 at. % fluorine.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Fenwick David
• Lee Chengtsin
• Sun Jennifer Y
• Chen Yikai

Classifications

• C23C14/0021

  Reactive sputtering or evaporation · CPC title

• C23C16/4404

  Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof · CPC title

• C23C14/46

  by ion beam produced by an external ion source · CPC title

• C23C14/06

  characterised by the coating material ({C23C14/0021} , C23C14/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/32495 Primary

  Means for protecting the vessel against plasma · CPC title