Low vapor pressure chemical delivery
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsAdib Khan, Qiwei Liang, Srinivas D. Nemani, Tobin Kaufman-Osborn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for delivering gases to a semiconductor processing system are provided. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a gas inlet line having an inlet valve; a gas outlet line having an outlet valve; a gas flow controller arranged to control the flow through the inlet valve; an orifice contained within at least one of the gas outlet line, the outlet valve, a chemical ampoule outlet valve, or outlet isolation valve; a chemical ampoule fluidly coupled to at least one of the gas inlet line and the gas outlet line; and a processing chamber. In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a check valve, one or more orifices, and/or a heated divert line.
Claims20
An apparatus for delivery of a gas to a semiconductor processing system, comprising:
- a gas inlet line having an inlet valve coupled to a chemical ampoule inlet of a chemical ampoule;
- a gas outlet line having an outlet valve disposed downstream of a chemical ampoule outlet valve, and an outlet isolation valve disposed downstream of the outlet valve;
- a gas flow controller arranged to control flow through the inlet valve;
- an orifice sized to fit and be contained within the gas outlet line downstream of the outlet isolation valve, wherein the area of the orifice is sized to provide a choked flow through the gas outlet line;
- and
- an orifice calibration circuit coupled to the gas outlet line downstream of a sensor, wherein the sensor is disposed downstream of the orifice.
An apparatus for delivery of a gas to a semiconductor processing system, comprising:
- a gas inlet line having an inlet valve coupled to a chemical ampoule;
- a gas outlet line having one or more of an outlet valve, a chemical ampoule outlet valve, or an outlet isolation valve for coupling the chemical ampoule to a processing chamber;
- a gas flow controller arranged to control flow through the inlet valve;
- an orifice fluidly coupled to the outlet valve, the gas outlet line, or a combination thereof;
- a hot can in fluid communication with the chemical ampoule;
- a check valve fluidly connected to the gas inlet line upstream of the chemical ampoule;
- a third outlet valve coupled to the gas outlet line and a heated divert line by-passing the chemical ampoule, wherein the processing chamber is coupled to the gas outlet line;
- and
- a fourth outlet valve in fluid communication with the gas outlet line, allowing a flow of chemical precursor and/or carrier gas from the chemical ampoule to the processing chamber.
An apparatus for delivery of a gas to a semiconductor processing system, comprising:
- a gas inlet line having an inlet valve coupled to a chemical ampoule;
- a gas outlet line having a first outlet valve coupled to the chemical ampoule and a process chamber;
- a gas flow controller arranged to control flow through the inlet valve;
- a hot can in fluid communication with the chemical ampoule;
- a check valve fluidly connected to the gas inlet line upstream of a heated divert line by-passing the chemical ampoule;
- an orifice fluidly coupled to the first outlet valve, gas outlet line, or a combination thereof;
- a second outlet valve coupled to the gas outlet line and the heated divert line;
- a third outlet valve in fluid communication with the gas outlet line, allowing a flow of chemical precursor and/or carrier gas from the chemical ampoule to the processing chamber;
- and a calibration circuit coupled to the first outlet valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.