Gas input system for a substrate processing chamber
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsTejas Ulavi, Thuy Britcher, Amit Kumar Bansal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber that includes a substrate support positioned therein. The substrate processing system includes a valve system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to control flow of gas into the processing chamber. The valve system includes a primary flow line and a first gas source flow line fluidly coupled to the primary flow line through a first gas source valve. The valve system includes a second gas source flow line fluidly coupled to the primary flow line through a second gas source valve. The first gas source valve and the second gas source valve are positioned in series within the primary flow line.
Claims19
A valve system to control flow of gas, the valve system comprising;
- a gas manifold;
- a primary flow line partially formed in the gas manifold and partially formed in a plurality of gas source valves removably attached to the gas manifold;
- a first gas source flow line formed in the gas manifold and fluidly coupled to the primary flow line through a first gas source valve of the plurality of gas source valves;
- a second gas source flow line formed in the gas manifold and fluidly coupled to the primary flow line through a second gas source valve of the plurality of gas source valves, the first gas source valve and the second gas source valve being positioned in series along the primary flow line;
- and
- a third gas source flow line formed in the gas manifold and fluidly blocked from the primary flow line by an adapter plate removably attached to the gas manifold.
A substrate processing system, comprising:
- a processing chamber comprising a substrate support positioned therein;
- and
- a valve system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to control flow of gas into the processing chamber, the valve system comprising;
- a primary flow line;
- an oxygen (O2) flow line fluidly coupled to the primary flow line through an oxygen source valve;
- a tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) (Si(OC2H5)4) flow line fluidly coupled to the primary flow line through a TEOS source valve;
- a silane (SiH4) flow line fluidly coupled to the primary flow line through a silane source valve;
- and
- a carrier gas flow line fluidly coupled to the primary flow line through a carrier gas source valve;
- wherein the oxygen source valve, the TEOS source valve, the silane source valve, and the carrier gas source valve are positioned in series along the primary flow line;
- and
- wherein the carrier gas source valve is positioned upstream within the primary flow line with respect to the oxygen source valve, the TEOS source valve, and the silane source valve;
- and
- a controller comprising software that, when executed, causes:
- maintaining the carrier gas source valve in a source open position while maintaining one or more of the oxygen source valve, the TEOS source valve, or the silane source valve in a source open position.
A method of distributing gas into a processing chamber, comprising:
- positioning a substrate upon a substrate support within a processing chamber;
- providing a first gas to the processing chamber through a first gas source valve that fluidly couples a first gas source flow line to a primary flow line;
- providing a second gas to the processing chamber through a second gas source valve that fluidly couples a second gas source flow line to the primary flow line, the first gas source valve and the second gas source valve being positioned in series along the primary flow line;
- replacing the first gas source valve with an adapter plate that fluidly decouples the first gas source flow line from the primary flow line;
- and
- providing a third gas to the processing chamber through a third gas source valve that fluidly couples a third gas source flow line to the primary flow line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.