US 12,685,071 B2Granted

Semiconductor wafer processing tool with improved leak check

AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

InventorsChih-Wei Chou, Yuan-Hsin Chi, Chih-Hao Yang, Hung-Chih Wang, Yu-Chi Liu, Sheng-Yuan Lin

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A leak check is performed on a semiconductor wafer processing tool that includes a process chamber and process gas lines, and a semiconductor wafer is processed using the semiconductor wafer processing tool if the leak check passes. Each gas line includes a mass flow controller (MFC) and normally closed valves including an upstream and downstream valves upstream and downstream of the MFC. Leak checking includes: leak checking up to the downstream valves of the gas lines with the upstream valves closed and the downstream valves of the gas lines closed; and leak checking up to the upstream valve of each the process gas line with the upstream valves of the of the process gas lines closed and with the downstream valve of the of the process gas line being leak checked open and the downstream valve of every other process gas line closed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

performing a leak check on a semiconductor wafer processing tool that includes a process chamber having a process gas line that includes a mass flow controller (MFC), normally closed pneumatic valves including an upstream valve that is upstream of the MFC and a downstream valve that is downstream of the MFC, a pneumatic control line having a trunk, an upstream branch connected to deliver pneumatic pressure to the upstream valve, and a downstream branch connected to deliver pneumatic pressure to the downstream valve, an electrically actuated valve controlling pneumatic pressure through the trunk that is switchable between a closed position and an open position, and an electrically actuated relay controlling pneumatic pressure through the upstream branch;
and
in response to passing the leak check, performing processing on the semiconductor wafer using the semiconductor wafer processing tool;
wherein the performing of the leak check includes:
performing a leak check up to the downstream valve with the electrically actuated valve closed;
and
performing a leak check up to the upstream valve with the electrically actuated valve open and the electrically actuated relay open.

4 more elements

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

performing a leak check on a semiconductor wafer processing tool that includes a process chamber and a plurality of process gas lines, each process gas line including a mass flow controller (MFC) and normally closed valves including an upstream valve that is upstream of the MFC and a downstream valve that is downstream of the MFC;
and
in response to passing the leak check, depositing at least one material on the semiconductor wafer using the semiconductor wafer processing tool;
wherein the performing of the leak check includes:
performing a leak check up to the downstream valves of the process gas lines with the upstream valves of the process gas lines closed and the downstream valves of the process gas lines closed;
and
performing a leak check up to the upstream valve of each the process gas line with the upstream valves of the of the process gas lines closed and with the downstream valve of the of the process gas line being leak checked open and the downstream valve of every other process gas line closed.

4 more elements

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

performing a leak check on a process gas line of a semiconductor wafer processing tool, the process gas line including a mass flow controller (MFC) and normally closed valves including an upstream valve that is upstream of the MFC and a downstream valve that is downstream of the MFC;
and
in response to passing the leak check, depositing at least one material on the semiconductor wafer using the semiconductor wafer processing tool;
wherein the performing of the leak check includes:
performing a leak check up to the downstream valve of the process gas line with the upstream valve of the process gas line closed and the downstream valve of the process gas line closed;
and
performing a leak check up to the upstream valve of the process gas line with the upstream valve of the of the process gas line closed and with the downstream valve of the of the process gas line open.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/093,010Filed 4 Jan 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 9 Sep 2022
Published: US 2024/0084445 A114 Mar 2024
Granted: 14 Jul 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H10P 72/0604
Apparatus for monitoring, sorting, marking, testing or measuring: process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
C23C 16/303
AIII BV compounds, where A is Al, Ga, In or Tl and B is N, P, As, Sb or Bi: nitrides
C23C 16/34
Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides: nitrides
C23C 16/4482
By evaporation using carrier gas in contact with the source material: by bubbling of carrier gas through liquid source material