COATINGS FOR COMPONENTS OF SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER FABRICATION EQUIPMENT
A method of forming a high wear resistance coating on a substrate having a low coefficient of thermal expansion is described. The method may include providing the low CTE substrate, where a surface of the substrate includes a plurality of protrusions raised above the surface. A high wear resistance layer is formed on a top portion of protrusions, where the layer is not contiguous between adjacent protrusions on the substrate. Also, a wafer support component to support a wafer during, for example, a photolithography or inspection process. The wafer support component includes a substrate that has a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, where the substrate has a surface with a plurality of protrusions raised about the surface. A high wear resistance layer is formed on a top surface of each of the protrusions.
1 . A method of forming a high wear resistance coating on a substrate having a low coefficient of thermal expansion, the method comprising:
providing the low CTE substrate, wherein a surface of the substrate comprises a plurality of protrusions raised above the surface;
forming a high wear resistance layer on a top portion of protrusions, wherein the layer is not contiguous between adjacent protrusions on the substrate.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high wear resistance layer is formed on the substrate at a temperature that is less than a phase transition temperature of the substrate.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes polishing the protrusions before forming the high wear resistance layer on the top portions of the protrusions.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the protrusions are polished to a surface an average surface roughness of about 1 to about 2 nm root mean squared.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes performing an acid etch on the protrusions before forming the high wear resistance layer on the top portions of the protrusions.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the protrusions have a substantially square, rectangular, conical, or trapezoidal cross-sectional profile.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the top portion of the protrusions comprise a top surface that is substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the high wear resistance layer is formed on the top surface of the protrusions, and also extends down a portion of at least one side of the protrusion that is adjacent to the top surface.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high wear resistance layer is formed with an ion beam deposition process.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the ion beam deposition process is performed at a temperature of about 250° C. or less.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the high wear resistance layer has a thickness of about 20 μm or less.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high wear resistance layer is formed with a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the high wear resistance layer has a thickness of about 150 μm or less.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high wear resistance layer is formed with a laser deposition process.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high wear resistance layer is formed with a high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition process which comprises both etching the substrate and depositing the high wear resistance layer.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE substrate comprises a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of 1.0×10 −6 K −1 or less at 23° C.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE substrate comprises a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of 0.1×10 −6 K −1 or less at 23° C.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE substrate comprises a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of 0.01×10 −6 K −1 or less at 23° C.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE substrate comprises a glass ceramic.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE substrate comprises cordierite.
21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE substrate comprises a metal silicate glass.
22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE substrate comprises a titanium silicate glass.
23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE substrate comprises Zerodur® or ULE™ Zero Expansion Glass.
24 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high wear resistance layer is made from a material comprising silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, diamond-like carbon, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, or tungsten carbide.
25 . A method of forming a discontinuous silicon carbide layer on a Zerodur substrate used as a wafer support, the method comprising:
providing the Zerodur substrate, wherein a surface of the substrate comprises a plurality of protrusions raised above the surface;
polishing top portions of the protrusions;
contacting the Zerodur substrate with an acid etchant;
aligning a deposition mask between an ion beam source and the Zerodur substrate, wherein the mask is aligned to allow the silicon carbide layer to form on the protrusions;
forming the silicon carbide layer on the top portions and a portion of at least one side of the protrusions with an ion beam deposition performed at a temperature of about 100° C. or less, wherein the silicon carbide layer is not contiguous between adjacent protrusions on the substrate.
26 . A wafer support component to support a wafer in a wafer processing chamber, the wafer support component comprising:
a substrate comprising a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the substrate has a surface with a plurality of protrusions raised about the surface; and
a high wear resistance layer formed on a top surface of each of the protrusions.
27 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein at least a portion of the protrusions make contact with the wafer during a wafer processing operation in the processing chamber.
28 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the protrusions have a substantially square, rectangular, conical, or trapezoidal cross-sectional profile.
29 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the top portion of the protrusions comprise a top surface that is substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate.
30 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the high wear resistance layer is formed on the top surface of the protrusions, and also extends down a portion of at least one side of the protrusion that is adjacent to the top surface.
31 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the material with the low coefficient of thermal expansion has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 1.0×10 −6 K −1 or less at 23° C.
32 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the material with the low coefficient of thermal expansion has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 0.1×10 −6 K −1 or less at 23° C.
33 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the material with the low coefficient of thermal expansion has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 0.05×10 −6 K −1 or less at 23° C.
34 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the material with the low coefficient of thermal expansion has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 0.01×10 −6 K −1 or less at 23° C.
35 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the material with the low coefficient of thermal expansion comprises a glass ceramic.
36 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the material with the low coefficient of thermal expansion comprises cordierite.
37 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the material with the low coefficient of thermal expansion comprises a metal silicate glass.
38 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the material with the low coefficient of thermal expansion comprises a titanium silicate glass.
39 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the material with the low coefficient of thermal expansion comprises Zerodur® or ULE™ Zero Expansion Glass.
40 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the high wear resistance layer is not contiguous between adjacent protrusions on the substrate.
41 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the high wear resistance layer comprises silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, diamond-like carbon, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, or tungsten carbide.
42 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the high wear resistance layer has a thickness of about 20 μm or less.
43 . The wafer support component of claim 26 , wherein the high wear resistance layer has a thickness of about 150 μm or less.