Component temperature control using a combination of proportional control valves and pulsed valves
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorChetan Mahadeswaraswamy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber with a combination of proportional and pulsed fluid control valves. A heat transfer fluid loop is thermally coupled to a chamber component, such as a chuck. The heat transfer fluid loop includes a supply line and a return line to each of hot and cold fluid reservoirs. In an embodiment, an analog valve (e.g., in the supply line) is controlled between any of a closed state, a partially open state, and a fully open state based on a temperature control loop while a digital valve (e.g., in the return line) is controlled to either a closed state and a fully open state.
Claims13
A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
- a process chamber including a temperature controlled component;
- a first heat transfer fluid reservoir at a first temperature;
- a first heat transfer fluid loop comprising a first supply line and a first return line coupling the first heat transfer fluid reservoir to the temperature controlled component;
- a first electronic supply valve in the first supply line and a first electronic return valve in the first return line to control conduction of a first heat transfer fluid between the first heat transfer fluid reservoir and the temperature controlled component, wherein one of the first electronic supply valve and first electronic return valve has a closed state, a fully open state, and a partially open state, and wherein the other of the first electronic supply valve and the first electronic return valve has only a closed and fully open state, wherein the first electronic supply valve is a pulsed valve;
- a second heat transfer fluid reservoir at a second temperature;
- a second supply line and a second return line coupling the second heat transfer fluid reservoir to the temperature controlled component;
- and
- a second electronic supply valve in the second supply line and a second electronic return valve in the second return line to control conduction of a second heat transfer fluid between the second heat transfer fluid reservoir and the temperature controlled component, wherein one of the second electronic supply valve and second electronic return valve has a closed state, a fully open state, and a partially open state, and wherein the other of the second electronic supply valve and the second electronic return valve has only a closed and a fully open state.
A plasma etch apparatus for processing of microelectronic devices, comprising:
- a process chamber including a chuck for supporting a workpiece during processing, the chuck having a first and second temperature zone;
- a first heat transfer fluid reservoir at a first temperature;
- a first heat transfer fluid loop comprising a first supply line and a first return line thermally coupling the first heat transfer fluid reservoir with the first temperature zone;
- a first electronic supply valve in the first supply line and a first electronic return valve in the first return line to control conduction of the first heat transfer fluid between the first heat transfer fluid reservoir and the first temperature zone;
- a second heat transfer fluid reservoir at a second temperature;
- a second supply line and a second return line thermally coupling the second heat transfer fluid reservoir to the second temperature;
- a second electronic supply valve in the second supply line and a second electronic return valve in the second return line to control conduction of the second heat transfer fluid between the second heat transfer fluid reservoir and the second temperature zone,
- wherein the first and second electronic supply valves each have a closed state, a partially open state and a fully open state, and wherein the first and second electronic return valves each have only closed and fully open states, wherein the first and second electronic supply valves are pulsed valves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.