# US 12,191,119 B2 · Substrate processing apparatus and gas switching method for substrate processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,191,119 B2 - Document ID: US12191119B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/395,529 - Filed: 2021-08-06 - Published: 2022-02-24 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-18 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Nobutaka Sasaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191119B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/32449: {Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow} - H01J 37/32834: {Exhausting} - H01J 2237/24585: Other variables, e.g. energy, mass, velocity, time, temperature - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber configured to execute a processing on a substrate by an introduced gas; an exhaust chamber configured to exhaust a gas existing in the processing chamber; a partition plate having a plurality of gas passing holes for bringing the processing chamber and the exhaust chamber into communication with each other therethrough; a measuring instrument configured to measure a state in the processing chamber; a first pipe configured to connect the processing chamber and the measuring instrument; a second pipe configured to bring the exhaust chamber and the measuring instrument into communication with each other therethrough via a first valve; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control the substrate processing apparatus so as to control the first valve. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a processing chamber configured to execute a processing on a substrate by an introduced gas; an exhaust chamber configured to exhaust a gas existing in the processing chamber; a partition plate having a plurality of gas passing holes for bringing the processing chamber and the exhaust chamber into communication with each other therethrough; a measuring instrument configured to measure a state in the processing chamber; a first pipe configured to connect the processing chamber and the measuring instrument; a second pipe configured to bring the exhaust chamber and the measuring instrument into communication with each other therethrough via a first valve; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control the substrate processing apparatus to open the first valve to discharge a first gas into the exhaust chamber through the second pipe while allowing a second gas to reach the measuring instrument through the first pipe, when switching from a first processing condition to a second processing condition, and wherein the first gas is different from the second gas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the substrate processing apparatus so as to close the first valve after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the first valve is opened. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein one end of the second pipe is connected to an intermediate portion of the first pipe. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first pipe has a second valve provided between the intermediate portion to which the one end of the second pipe is connected and the processing chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first pipe has one or more holes having a conductance value lower than a conductance value per unit length of the first pipe at a location where the first pipe is connected to the processing chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the measuring instrument is a pressure gauge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the partition plate is an exhaust ring. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein a plasma is generated in the processing chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein one end of the second pipe is connected to an intermediate portion of the first pipe. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein one end of the second pipe is connected to the measuring instrument at a location different from a location where the first pipe is connected to the measuring instrument. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second pipe and the first pipe communicate with each other inside the measuring instrument. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first pipe has one or more holes having a conductance value lower than a conductance value per unit length of the first pipe at a location where the first pipe is connected to the processing chamber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measuring instrument is a pressure gauge. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the partition plate is an exhaust ring. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plasma is generated in the processing chamber. ### Claim 16 A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a processing chamber configured to execute a processing on a substrate by an introduced gas; an exhaust chamber configured to exhaust a gas existing in the processing chamber; a vacuum pump configured to evacuate the exhaust chamber; a partition plate having a plurality of gas passing holes for bringing the processing chamber and the exhaust chamber into communication with each other therethrough; a measuring instrument configured to measure a state in the processing chamber; a first pipe configured to connect the processing chamber and the measuring instrument; a second pipe configured to bring the exhaust chamber of the vacuum pump and the measuring instrument into communication with each other therethrough via a first valve; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control the substrate processing apparatus to open the first valve to discharge a first gas into the exhaust chamber through the second pipe while allowing a second gas to reach the measuring instrument through the first pipe, when switching from a first processing condition to a second processing condition, and wherein the first gas is different from the second gas.