Granted Patent B2

US 12,392,040 · App. 17/125,539 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Inventors: Carlo Waldfried (Middleton, MA); Bryan C. Hendrix (Danbury, CT)

Assignee: ENTEGRIS, INC.

C23C22/02C22C21/08C23C22/73

Abstract

Claims (12)

1. A method of forming a magnesium fluoride surface passivation region at a surface of a metal body comprising: separately adding a solid fluorinated polymer and a magnesium-containing metal body to a process chamber; heating the solid fluorinated polymer to generate a molecular fluorine source vapor; exposing the magnesium-containing metal body to the molecular fluorine source vapor at a temperature of at least 200 degrees Celsius for a period of time ranging from 1 to 15 hours, wherein fluorine from the molecular fluorine vapor source reacts with magnesium within the magnesium-containing metal body to form the magnesium fluoride surface passivation region at the surface of the metal body at a desired thickness.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorinated polymer comprises: polymerized perfluoroalkylethylene having a C 1 -C 10 perfluoroalkyl group; polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoro (alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer (PFA); a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP); a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoro (alkyl vinyl ether)/hexafluoropropylene copolymer (EPA); polyhexafluoropropylene; an ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE); poly trifluoroethylene; polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF); polyvinyl fluoride (PVF); polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE); an ethylene/chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE); or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molecular fluorine source vapor comprises CF 4 , C 2 F 4 , C 3 F 6 , C 4 F 8 , CHF 3 , C 2 H 2 F 2 , C 2 F 6 , HF, CH 3 F, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising exposing the surface of the metal body to the molecular fluorine source vapor at a temperature of at least 350 degrees Celsius.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising exposing the surface to the molecular fluorine source vapor at the elevated temperature for a time period in a range from 3 hours to 12 hours.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnesium-containing metal body comprises an aluminum alloy.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired thickness of the magnesium fluoride surface passivation layer ranges from 1 to 200 nm.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the magnesium-containing metal body comprises high aspect ratio features having an aspect ratio ranging from 20:1 to 500:1, and wherein the surface passivation region is formed such that it has a uniform thickness on the high aspect ratio features.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the magnesium containing metal body is any one of an opening, an aperture, a channel, a tunnel, a threaded screw, a threaded nut, a porous membrane, a filter, or a three-dimensional network.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the magnesium containing metal body is a three-dimensional network.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the magnesium containing body is a porous membrane.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnesium-containing body is a process chamber component.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (59)