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US 10,472,717 B2Granted
Gas supply system, plasma processing apparatus, and operation method for plasma processing apparatus
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsAtsushi Sawachi, Norikazu Sasaki, Jun Yamashima, Yoshiyasu Sato, Kenichi Nogami
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas supply system includes a first device to a third device. A plurality of integral units of the first device is configured to select one or more gases from one or more gas sources and supply the selected gases. The second device is configured to distribute plural gases from the integral units and supply the distributed gases while controlling flow rates of the distributed gases. The third device is configured to exhaust the gases within the gas supply system to a gas exhaust device.
Claims21
A gas supply system of supplying a gas into a plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
- a first device including a plurality of integral units each of which is configured to select one or more gases from one or more gas sources and supply the selected gases;
- a second device configured to distribute plural gases from the integral units and supply the distributed gases while controlling flow rates of the distributed gases;
- and
- a third device configured to exhaust the gases from the gas supply system;
- and
- a controller configured to control the first device, the second device and the third device,
- wherein the first device comprises:
- a plurality of first pipelines respectively connected to the gas sources;
- a plurality of first valves respectively provided at the first pipelines;
- and
- a multiplicity of second pipelines, the number of the second pipelines being smaller than the number of the first pipelines,
- wherein each of the integral units comprises:
- a single second pipeline among the second pipelines;
- one or more first pipelines, among the first pipelines, which are branched from the single second pipeline and respectively connected to one or more gas sources;
- and
- one or more first valves, among the first valves, which are provided at the one or more first pipelines,
- wherein the second device comprises:
- a plurality of flow rate control unit groups each having multiple flow rate control units, the number of the flow rate control units being equal to the number of the second pipelines;
- and
- a multiplicity of third pipelines through which the gases from the second pipelines are distributed into corresponding flow rate control units of each of the flow rate control unit groups,
- wherein the third device comprises:
- a gas exhaust line equipped with a second valve connected to a source of a purge gas and a third valve connected to a gas exhaust device;
- a multiplicity of fourth pipelines configured to connect the gas exhaust line and the second pipelines individually between the second valve and the third valve;
- and
- a multiplicity of fourth valves respectively provided at the fourth pipelines,
- wherein the controller is further configured to, when changing gases to be supplied from the gas supply system, close all the first valves and open the second valve, the third valve and all the fourth valves.
23 more elements
An operation method of replacing a gas within a gas supply system supplying gas into a plasma processing apparatus which performs a plasma processing on a processing target object, the plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- the gas supply system;
- a processing vessel in which a space for accommodating the processing target object therein is provided;
- and
- a plurality of gas discharging units configured to discharge gases into a plurality of zones within the processing vessel, the number of the zones being equal to the number of the flow rate control unit groups,
- wherein the gas supply system comprises:
- a first device including a plurality of integral units each of which is configured to select one or more gases from one or more gas sources and supply the selected gases;
- a second device configured to distribute plural gases from the integral units and supply the distributed gases while controlling flow rates of the distributed gases;
- and
- a third device configured to exhaust the gases from the gas supply system,
- wherein the first device comprises:
- a plurality of first pipelines respectively connected to the gas sources;
- a plurality of first valves respectively provided at the first pipelines;
- and
- a multiplicity of second pipelines, the number of the second pipelines being smaller than the number of the first pipelines,
- wherein each of the integral units comprises:
- a single second pipeline among the second pipelines;
- one or more first pipelines, among the first pipelines, which are branched from the single second pipeline and respectively connected to one or more gas sources;
- and
- one or more first valves, among the first valves, which are provided at the one or more first pipelines,
- wherein the second device comprises:
- a plurality of flow rate control unit groups each having multiple flow rate control units, the number of the flow rate control units being equal to the number of the second pipelines;
- and
- a multiplicity of third pipelines through which the gases from the second pipelines are distributed into corresponding flow rate control units of each of the flow rate control unit groups,
- wherein the third device comprises:
- a gas exhaust line equipped with a second valve connected to a source of a purge gas and a third valve connected to a gas exhaust device;
- a multiplicity of fourth pipelines configured to connect the gas exhaust line and the second pipelines individually between the second valve and the third valve;
- and
- a multiplicity of fourth valves respectively provided at the fourth pipelines wherein the second device further comprises a plurality of joint lines respectively connected to the flow rate control unit groups and each configured to merge the gases from the flow rate control units for the corresponding flow rate control unit group;
- wherein the joint lines are respectively connected to the gas discharging units,
- wherein the gas supply system of the plasma processing apparatus further comprises a pressure gauge connected to the gas exhaust line, and
- wherein the operation method comprises:
- stopping the flow rate control units;
- closing the first valves;
- opening the second valve, the third valve and the fourth valves;
- closing the second valve, the third valve and the fourth valves when a pressure of the gas exhaust line measured by the pressure gauge is equal to or less than a threshold value;
- opening a first valve, among the first valves, which is connected to a preset gas source;
- and
- controlling a flow rate of a gas by the flow rate control units.
35 more elements
An operation method of detecting a leakage of the first valves in a plasma processing apparatus which performs a plasma processing on a processing target object, the plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- the gas supply system;
- a processing vessel in which a space for accommodating the processing target object therein is provided;
- and
- a plurality of gas discharging units configured to discharge gases into a plurality of zones within the processing vessel, the number of the zones being equal to the number of the flow rate control unit groups,
- wherein the gas supply system comprises:
- a first device including a plurality of integral units each of which is configured to select one or more gases from one or more gas sources and supply the selected gases;
- a second device configured to distribute plural gases from the integral units and supply the distributed gases while controlling flow rates of the distributed gases;
- and
- a third device configured to exhaust the gases from the gas supply system,
- wherein the first device comprises:
- a plurality of first pipelines respectively connected to the gas sources;
- a plurality of first valves respectively provided at the first pipelines;
- and
- a multiplicity of second pipelines, the number of the second pipelines being smaller than the number of the first pipelines,
- wherein each of the integral units comprises:
- a single second pipeline among the second pipelines;
- one or more first pipelines, among the first pipelines, which are branched from the single second pipeline and respectively connected to one or more gas sources;
- and
- one or more first valves, among the first valves, which are provided at the one or more first pipelines,
- wherein the second device comprises:
- a plurality of flow rate control unit groups each having multiple flow rate control units, the number of the flow rate control units being equal to the number of the second pipelines;
- and
- a multiplicity of third pipelines through which the gases from the second pipelines are distributed into corresponding flow rate control units of each of the flow rate control unit groups,
- wherein the third device comprises:
- a gas exhaust line equipped with a second valve connected to a source of a purge gas and a third valve connected to a gas exhaust device;
- a multiplicity of fourth pipelines configured to connect the gas exhaust line and the second pipelines individually between the second valve and the third valve;
- and
- a multiplicity of fourth valves respectively provided at the fourth pipelines wherein the second device further comprises a plurality of joint lines respectively connected to the flow rate control unit groups and each configured to merge the gases from the flow rate control units for the corresponding flow rate control unit group;
- wherein the joint lines are respectively connected to the gas discharging units,
- wherein the gas supply system further comprises a pressure gauge connected to the gas exhaust line, and the pressure gauge is connected to the gas exhaust line at an upstream side of the third valve, and
- wherein the operation method comprises:
- stopping the flow rate control units;
- closing the first valves, the second valve and the third valve;
- opening the fourth valves;
- and
- measuring a pressure of the gas exhaust line by the pressure gauge.
33 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.