Abstract
The parts of equipment in a process chamber for semiconductors are protected with an anodic aluminum-oxide (AAO) film to prevent plasma corrosion. We added cerium(IV) ions to sulfuric acid in the anodizing of an AAO film to improve the plasma corrosion resistance, and confirmed that the AAO film thickness increased by up to ~20% when using 3 mM cerium(IV) ions compared with general anodizing. The α-Al2O3 phase increased with increasing cerium(IV) ion concentration. The breakdown voltage and etching rate improved to ~35% and 40%, respectively. The film’s performance regarding the generation of contamination particles reduced by ~50%.
Highlights
Aluminum (Al) is often used as a material in semiconductor equipment parts because it has high ductility and excellent machinability
Plasma corrosion resistance can be improved by coating processes such as anodizing [6,7], spark-plasma sintering [8], and atmospheric plasma spraying [9]
Anodic oxidation is an electrochemical method that is conducted in a solution, such as sulfuric acid, oxalic acid, or chromic acid [10,11,12,13]
Summary
Aluminum (Al) is often used as a material in semiconductor equipment parts because it has high ductility and excellent machinability. Al is corroded when exposed to fluorine plasma, which is used for semiconductor components and displays because it is a highly reactive metal. It is defined as contaminant particles when corroded Al particles fall on the surface. Contamination particles are a major cause of decreased process yield [3,4,5] To resolve this problem, plasma corrosion resistance can be improved by coating processes such as anodizing [6,7], spark-plasma sintering [8], and atmospheric plasma spraying [9]. Sulfuric acid is used widely in anodizing, as it is inexpensive and yields a relatively thick anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) film that is composed of a self-sealing layer, an outer (porous) layer, and an inner (barrier) layer [14]
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