IP Library Patent Application 11703417
Patent Application
App. No. 11/703,417

Disposable liners for etch chambers and etch chamber components

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
11/703,417
Abstract

Disposable liners for shielding semiconductor reactor chamber components from erosion in the reactor chamber. More specifically, disposable metal liners and a method of forming such liners wherein the disposable liners have a dielectric material on a surface of the liners to protect semiconductor reactor chamber components from erosion. The disposable liners are formed from a metal sheet that conforms to a surface of a chamber component wherein the metal sheet is subsequently oxidized in an electrolyte free from contaminants using plasma electrolytic oxidation.

Claims (46)

1 . A method of producing disposable liners for internal chamber components or internal walls of reactor chambers comprising the steps of:

forming a metal sheet to conform to a surface of the internal wall or the chamber component; and

coating a surface of the liner with a dielectric material for protecting the internal walls or chamber components from erosion when exposed to the reactor chamber environment.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming comprises forming an aluminum sheet.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the dielectric material comprises aluminum oxide.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming comprises hydro forming.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming comprises spinning.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming comprises vacuum forming.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coating is a hard coat anodizing process.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coating is a plasma electrolytic oxidation process.

9 . The method as in claim 7 wherein the metal sheet has a thickness greater than 0.030 inch.

10 . The method as in claim 8 wherein the metal sheet has a thickness greater than 0.010 inch.

11 . The method as in claim 1 wherein the metal sheet comprises titanium.

12 . The method as in claim 11 wherein the dielectric material comprises titanium oxide.

13 . A method of forming a disposable liner for a semiconductor reactor chamber component comprising:

forming a metal sheet to conform to a surface of the component; and

forming a dielectric coating on a surface of the metal sheet by using plasma electrolytic oxidation.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the metal sheet comprises using a mandrel to apply force to the metal sheet.

15 . The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the metal sheet comprises hydro forming.

16 . The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the metal sheet comprises spinning.

17 . The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the metal sheet comprises forming aluminum or aluminum alloy to conform to a surface of the component.

18 . The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the metal liner comprises forming titanium or titanium alloy to conform to a surface of the component.

19 . The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the metal liner comprises forming magnesium or magnesium alloy to conform to a surface of the component.

20 . The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the metal liner comprises forming the metal liner to conform to a surface of a component selected from the group of components consisting of chamber liners, gas distribution plates, focus rings, windows, bellows assembly covers, baffle plates, upper electrodes, and lower electrodes.

21 . The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming the dielectric coating comprises immersing the metal liner in an electrolyte that is substantially free of fluoride, potassium, phosphorous, sodium, boron, iron, copper, sulfur or calcium or materials that may produce these substances.

22 . A liner for use as a disposable shield for internal walls or chamber components exposed to reactor chambers, comprising:

an aluminum sheet to conform to a surface of the internal wall or chamber component; and

a dielectric material coating on a surface of the aluminum sheet for protecting the internal walls or chamber components from erosion when exposed to the reactor chamber environment.

23 . The liner as in claim 22 wherein the dielectric material is aluminum oxide.

24 . The liner as in claim 22 wherein the aluminum sheet has a thickness greater than 0.030 inch.

25 . The liner as in claim 22 wherein the aluminum sheet has a thickness greater than 0.010 inch.

26 . The liner as in claim 22 wherein the coating is applied by a hard coat anodizing process.

27 . The liner as in claim 25 wherein the coating is applied by a plasma electrolytic oxidation process.

28 . A disposable liner for a semiconductor reactor chamber component comprising:

a metal sheet to conform to a surface of the component; and

a dielectric coating on a surface of the metal sheet for protecting the component from erosion when exposed to the reactor chamber environment.

29 . The disposable liner of claim 28 wherein the metal sheet comprises aluminum or aluminum alloy.

30 . The disposable liner of claim 28 wherein the metal sheet comprises titanium or titanium alloy.

31 . The disposable liner of claim 28 wherein the metal sheet comprises magnesium or magnesium alloy.

32 . The disposable liner of claim 28 wherein the component is selected from the group of components consisting of chamber liners, gas distribution plates, focus rings, windows, bellows assembly covers, baffle plates, upper electrodes, and lower electrodes

33 . The disposable liner of claim 28 wherein the dielectric coating comprises aluminum oxide.

34 . The disposable liner of claim 28 wherein the dielectric coating comprises titanium oxide.

35 . The disposable liner of claim 28 wherein the dielectric coating comprises magnesium oxide.

36 . The disposable liner of claim 33 wherein the aluminum oxide coating comprises a nanocrystalline structure of alpha phase aluminum oxide surrounded by a matrix of amorphous alumina.

37 . The disposable liner of claim 28 wherein the dielectric coating has a roughness of about 32 Ra to about 300 Ra.

38 . The disposable liner of claim 28 wherein the dielectric coating has a thickness of about 10 μm to about 75 μm.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2008
From: BOC EDWARDS, INC.
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 020365/0934 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2007
From: LAUBE, DAVID P
To: THE BOC GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 019290/0603 →