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US 2009/0214779 A1Published application
Multiple ampoule delivery systems
OwnerDemetrius Sarigiannis, Cynthia A. Hoover +4inventors
InventorsDemetrius Sarigiannis, Cynthia A. Hoover, Michael Joseph Krause, Edward Pryor, Stephen Chesters, Ronald Spohn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to an integrated vapor or liquid phase reagent dispensing apparatus having a plurality of vessels and a plurality of carrier or inert gas feed/vapor or liquid phase reagent delivery manifolds, that may be used for continuously dispensing vapor or liquid phase reagents such as precursors for deposition of materials in the manufacture of semiconductor materials and devices.
Claims20
An integrated vapor phase reagent dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of vessels, each vessel comprising a top wall member, a sidewall member and a bottom wall member configured to form an internal vessel compartment to hold a source chemical;
- and a portion of the top wall member having a vapor phase reagent outlet opening through which a vapor phase reagent can be dispensed from said vessel;
- a plurality of vapor phase reagent delivery manifolds, each of said vapor phase reagent delivery manifolds interconnected with each other;
- each vessel connected to at least one vapor phase reagent delivery manifold;
- each vapor phase reagent delivery manifold comprising a vapor phase reagent discharge line;
- and said vapor phase reagent discharge line extending from the vapor phase reagent outlet opening upwardly and exteriorly from the top wall member for removal of vapor phase reagent from said vessel, the vapor phase reagent discharge line optionally containing one or more vapor phase reagent flow control valves therein for control of flow of the vapor phase reagent therethrough;
- and
- one or more controllers for directing communication with each of said vapor phase reagent delivery manifolds and each of said vessels, in such a way that each of said vapor phase reagent delivery manifolds are operable independently of one another, and each of said vessels are operable independently of one another.
5 more elements
A method for delivery of a vapor phase reagent to a deposition chamber comprising:
- (a) providing an integrated vapor phase reagent dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of vessels, each vessel comprising a top wall member, a sidewall member and a bottom wall member configured to form an internal vessel compartment to hold a source chemical;
- and a portion of the top wall member having a vapor phase reagent outlet opening through which a vapor phase reagent can be dispensed from said vessel;
- a plurality of vapor phase reagent delivery manifolds, each of said vapor phase reagent delivery manifolds interconnected with each other;
- each vessel connected to at least one vapor phase reagent delivery manifold;
- each vapor phase reagent delivery manifold comprising a vapor phase reagent discharge line;
- and
- said vapor phase reagent discharge line extending from the vapor phase reagent outlet opening upwardly and exteriorly from the top wall member for removal of vapor phase reagent from said vessel, the vapor phase reagent discharge line optionally containing one or more vapor phase reagent flow control valves therein for control of flow of the vapor phase reagent therethrough;
- a plurality of carrier gas feed manifolds;
- each carrier gas feed manifold connected to at least one vapor phase reagent delivery manifold;
- each carrier gas feed manifold comprising a carrier gas feed line;
- the carrier gas feed line containing one or more carrier gas flow control valves therein for control of flow of a carrier gas therethrough, and a pressure transducer for monitoring and controlling the pressure of the carrier gas feed manifold;
- and
- one or more controllers for directing communication with each of said carrier gas feed manifolds, each of said vapor phase reagent delivery manifolds and each of said vessels, in such a way that each of said carrier gas feed manifolds are operable independently of one another, each of said vapor phase reagent delivery manifolds are operable independently of one another, and each of said vessels are operable independently of one another;
- (b) adding source chemical to one or more of said vessels;
- (c) optionally heating the source chemical in one or more of said vessels to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the source chemical to provide vapor phase reagent;
- (d) withdrawing the vapor phase reagent from one of said vessels, independently of any other of said vessels, through said vapor phase reagent discharge line;
- (e) feeding a carrier gas into one or more of said vapor phase reagent delivery manifolds through said carrier gas feed line to mix with said vapor phase reagent;
- and
- (f) feeding the vapor phase reagent and carrier gas into said deposition chamber.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.