COATINGS FOR ENHANCEMENT OF PROPERTIES AND PERFORMANCE OF SUBSTRATE ARTICLES AND APPARATUS
Coatings applicable to a variety of substrate articles, structures, materials, and equipment are described. In various applications, the substrate includes metal surface susceptible to formation of oxide, nitride, fluoride, or chloride of such metal thereon, wherein the metal surface is configured to be contacted in use with gas, solid, or liquid that is reactive therewith to form a reaction product that is deleterious to the substrate article, structure, material, or equipment. The metal surface is coated with a protective coating preventing reaction of the coated surface with the reactive gas, and/or otherwise improving the electrical, chemical, thermal, or structural properties of the substrate article or equipment. Various methods of coating the metal surface are described, and for selecting the coating material that is utilized.
1 . (canceled)
2 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the metal oxide comprises at least one oxide of one or more of Cr, Fe, Co, and Ni.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the metal surface comprises stainless steel surface, aluminum surface, or anodized aluminum surface.
4 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the gas that is reactive with the metal oxide to form a reaction product that is deleterious to the apparatus and its use or operation, comprises Al 2 Cl 6 .
5 . (canceled)
6 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the protective coating comprises Al 2 O 3 .
7 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the protective coating comprises one or more of coating material selected from the group consisting of oxides of the formula MO, wherein M is Ca, Mg, or Be, and oxides of the formula M′O 2 , wherein M′ is a stoichiometrically acceptable metal.
8 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the protective coating comprises one or more of coating material selected from the group consisting of oxides of the formula Ln 2 O 3 , wherein Ln is a lanthanide element.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein Ln is La, Sc, or Y.
10 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the protective coating comprises a metal oxide for which the free energy of reaction with the gas that is contacted with the metal surface in the use or operation of said structure, material, or apparatus, is greater than or equal to zero.
11 . A method of improving performance of a structure, material, or apparatus comprising metal surface susceptible to formation of oxide, nitride, or halide of said metal thereon, wherein the metal surface is configured to be contacted in use or operation of said apparatus with gas, solid, or liquid that is reactive with said metal oxide, nitride, or halide to form a reaction product that is deleterious to said apparatus and its use or operation, said method comprising coating the metal surface with a protective coating capable of preventing reaction of the coated surface with the reactive gas, solid, or liquid,
wherein the coating comprises multiple layers formed by atomic layer deposition, and
wherein the protective coating comprises one or more of coating materials selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 ; oxides of the formula MO, wherein M is Ca, Mg, or Be; oxides of the formula M′O 2 , wherein M′ is a stoichiometrically acceptable metal; and oxides of the formula Ln 2 O 3 , wherein Ln is a lanthanide element.
12 - 38 . (canceled)
39 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the protective coating comprises at least two metal oxides selected from the group consisting of titania, alumina, zirconia, oxides of the formula MO wherein M is Ca, Mg, or Be, oxides of the formula M′O 2 , wherein M′ is a stoichiometrically acceptable metal, and oxides of the formula Ln 2 O 3 wherein Ln is a lanthanide element, La, Sc, or Y.
40 . The apparatus claim 88 , wherein the protective coating comprises least one layer of alumina.
41 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the protective coating comprises least one layer of titania.
42 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the protective coating comprises at least one layer of zirconia.
43 .- 55 . (canceled)
56 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the apparatus comprises a vapor deposition furnace.
57 . The apparatus of claim 88 comprising a vessel defining an interior volume including support surface therein for solid material to be vaporized, wherein at least a portion of the support surface has the protective coating thereon.
58 . The apparatus of claim 57 , wherein the support surface comprises interior surface of the vessel.
59 . The apparatus of claim 57 , wherein the support surface comprises surface of a support member in the interior volume.
60 . The apparatus of claim 59 , wherein the support member comprises a tray providing support surface for the solid material.
61 . (canceled)
62 . The apparatus of claim 57 , wherein the vessel contains an array of vertically spaced apart trays, each providing support surface for the solid material.
63 .- 65 . (canceled)
66 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the protective coating has a thickness in a range of from 2 to 500 nm.
67 .- 78 . (canceled)
79 . The apparatus of claim 88 , wherein the surface is a surface of a substrate part that has at least one high aspect ratio feature.
80 . The apparatus of claim 79 , wherein the at least one high aspect ratio feature comprises a feature selected from the group consisting of deep holes, channels, 3-dimensional features, hardware, screws, nuts, porous membranes, filters, 3-dimensional network structures, and structures with connected pore matrices.
81 .- 87 . (canceled)
88 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising metal surface susceptible to formation of oxide of said metal thereon, the metal surface configured to be contacted in operation of said apparatus with gas, solid, or liquid that is reactive with said metal oxide to form a reaction product that is deleterious to said apparatus and its operation, wherein the metal surface is coated with a protective coating capable of preventing reaction of the coated surface with the reactive gas, solid, or liquid
wherein the protective coating comprises multiple layers formed by atomic layer deposition, and
wherein the protective coating comprises one or more of coating materials selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 ; oxides of the formula MO, wherein M is Ca, Mg, or Be; oxides of the formula M′O 2 , acceptable metal; and oxides of the formula Ln 2 O 3 , wherein Ln is a lanthanide element.
89 .- 134 . (canceled)