Coating architecture for plasma sprayed chamber components

Abstract

A method of plasma spraying an article comprises inserting the article into a vacuum chamber for a low pressure plasma spraying system. A low pressure plasma spray process is then performed by the low pressure plasma spraying system to form a first plasma resistant layer having a thickness of 20-500 microns and a porosity of over 1%. A plasma spray thin film, plasma spray chemical vapor deposition or plasma spray physical vapor deposition process is then performed by the low pressure plasma spraying system to deposit a second plasma resistant layer on the first plasma resistant layer, the second plasma resistant layer having a thickness of less than 50 microns and a porosity of less than 1%.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of plasma spraying an article comprising:
 inserting the article into a vacuum chamber for a low pressure plasma spraying system;   performing a low pressure plasma spray (LPPS) process by the low pressure plasma spraying system to form a first plasma resistant ceramic layer on the article, the first plasma resistant ceramic layer having a thickness of 20-500 microns and a porosity of over 1%; and   performing a plasma spray chemical vapor deposition (PSCVD) process by the low pressure plasma spraying system to deposit a second plasma resistant ceramic layer on the first plasma resistant ceramic layer, the second plasma resistant ceramic layer having a thickness of approximately 1-50 microns and a porosity of less than 1%;   wherein at least one of the first plasma resistant ceramic layer or the second plasma resistant ceramic layer comprises Y 2 O 3  in a range of 40 mol % to below 100 mol % and ZrO 2  in a range of above 0 mol % to 60 mol %.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the first plasma resistant ceramic layer or the second plasma resistant ceramic layer consists essentially of Y 2 O 3  in a range of 40 mol % to below 100 mol %, ZrO 2  in a range of above 0 mol % to 60 mol % and Al 2 O 3  in a range of 0-10 mol %. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first plasma resistant ceramic layer and the second plasma resistant ceramic layer each consists essentially of Y 2 O 3  in a range of 40 mol % to below 100 mol % and ZrO 2  in a range of above 0 mol % to 60 mol %. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first plasma resistant ceramic layer comprises a coloring agent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the article is a chamber component comprising at least one of a metal or a sintered ceramic. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a first set of plasma spray parameters are used while performing the LPPS process and a second set of plasma spray parameters are used while performing the PSCVD process. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the LPPS process and the PSCVD process are performed in the vacuum chamber as part of a single plasma spray recipe. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 performing the LPPS process comprises reducing a pressure of the vacuum chamber to about 20-200 mbar and injecting a powder feedstock into a plasma jet; and   performing the PSCVD process comprises reducing the pressure of the vacuum chamber to about 0.1-1.0 mbar, setting a power of the low pressure plasma spraying system to less than about 10 kW, and injecting a liquid feedstock or a vapor feedstock into the plasma jet.   
     
     
         9 . A method of plasma spraying an article comprising:
 inserting the article into a vacuum chamber for a low pressure plasma spraying system;   performing a low pressure plasma spray (LPPS) process by the low pressure plasma spraying system to form a first plasma resistant ceramic layer on the article, the first plasma resistant ceramic layer having a thickness of 20-500 microns and a porosity of over 1%; and   performing a plasma spray physical vapor deposition (PSPVD) process by the low pressure plasma spraying system to deposit a second plasma resistant ceramic layer on the first plasma resistant ceramic layer, the second plasma resistant ceramic layer having a thickness of about 10-100 microns and a porosity of less than 1%;   wherein at least one of the first plasma resistant ceramic layer or the second plasma resistant ceramic layer comprises Y 2 O 3  in a range of 40 mol % to below 100 mol % and ZrO 2  in a range of above 0 mol % to 60 mol %.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 performing the LPPS process comprises reducing a pressure of the vacuum chamber to about 20-200 mbar and injecting a powder feedstock into a plasma jet; and   performing the PSPVD process comprises reducing the pressure of the vacuum chamber to about 0.1-50 mbar, and injecting the powder feedstock into the plasma jet.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the first plasma resistant ceramic layer or the second plasma resistant ceramic layer consists essentially of Y 2 O 3  in a range of 40 mol % to below 100 mol %, ZrO 2  in a range of above 0 mol % to 60 mol % and Al 2 O 3  in a range of 0-10 mol %. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first plasma resistant ceramic layer and the second plasma resistant ceramic layer each consists essentially of Y 2 O 3  in a range of 40 mol % to below 100 mol % and ZrO 2  in a range of above 0 mol % to 60 mol %. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first plasma resistant ceramic layer comprises a coloring agent. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the article is a chamber component comprising at least one of a metal or a sintered ceramic. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a first set of plasma spray parameters are used while performing the LPPS process and a second set of plasma spray parameters are used while performing the PSPVD process. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the LPPS process and the PSPVD process are performed in the vacuum chamber as part of a single plasma spray recipe. 
     
     
         17 . A method of plasma spraying an article comprising:
 inserting the article into a vacuum chamber for a low pressure plasma spraying system;   performing a low pressure plasma spray (LPPS) process by the low pressure plasma spraying system to form a first plasma resistant ceramic layer on the article, wherein performing the LPPS process comprises:
 reducing a pressure of the vacuum chamber to around 20-200 mbar; 
 melting a powder feedstock into molten droplets by a plasma jet; and 
 propelling the molten droplets towards the article by the plasma jet, wherein upon impacting the article, the molten droplets flatten, solidify, and form the first plasma resistant ceramic layer having a thickness of 20-500 microns and a porosity of over 1%; and 
   performing a plasma spray thin film (PSTF) process by the low pressure plasma spraying system to deposit a second plasma resistant ceramic layer on the first plasma resistant ceramic layer, wherein performing the PSTF process comprises:
 adjusting the pressure of the vacuum chamber to below around 50 mbar; 
 injecting the powder feedstock or an additional powder feedstock into the plasma jet; 
 melting the powder feedstock or the additional powder feedstock into additional molten droplets by the plasma jet; and 
 propelling the additional molten droplets towards the article by the plasma jet, wherein upon impacting the article, the additional molten droplets flatten, solidify, and form the second plasma resistant ceramic layer having a thickness of less than 100 microns and a porosity of less than 1%; 
   wherein at least one of the first plasma resistant ceramic layer or the second plasma resistant ceramic layer consists essentially of Y 2 O 3  in a range of 40 mol % to below 100 mol % and ZrO 2  in a range of above 0 mol % to 60 mol %.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each of the first plasma resistant layer and the second plasma resistant layer consists essentially of Y 2 O 3  in a range of 40 mol % to below 100 mol %, ZrO 2  in a range of above 0 mol % to 60 mol % and Al 2 O 3  in a range of 0-10 mol %. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the LPPS process and the PSTF process are performed in the vacuum chamber as part of a single plasma spray recipe. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the article is a chamber component comprising at least one of a metal or a sintered ceramic.