Pressure Control Strategies to Provide Uniform Treatment Streams in the Manufacture of Microelectronic Devices
AssigneeTel Fsi, Inc.
InventorsKevin Siefering, Edward Hanzlik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides techniques to more accurately control the process performance of treatments in which microelectronic substrates are treated by pressurized fluids that are sprayed onto the substrates in a vacuum process chamber. control strategies are used that adjust mass flow rate responsive to pressure readings in order to hold the pressure of a pressurized feed constant. In these embodiments, the mass flow rate will tend to vary in order to maintain pressure uniformity.
Claims31
A method of treating a substrate, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a microelectronic substrate in a vacuum process chamber, wherein the vacuum process chamber has a controlled vacuum pressure;
- b) supplying an incoming pressurized fluid to a flow restriction device,
- c) using the flow restriction device to dispense the incoming pressurized fluid into the vacuum process chamber as a stream such that the stream impacts the microelectronic substrate;
- and
- d) adjusting the flow rate of the incoming pressurized fluid in a manner effecting to maintain the incoming pressurized fluid as supplied to the flow restriction device at a controlled pressure.
A method of treating a substrate, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a microelectronic substrate in a vacuum process chamber, wherein the vacuum process chamber has a controlled vacuum pressure;
- b) supplying an incoming pressurized fluid to a flow restriction device,
- c) using the flow restriction device to dispense the incoming pressurized fluid into the vacuum process chamber as a stream such that the stream impacts the microelectronic substrate;
- d) providing a pressure signal that is indicative of an incoming pressure of the incoming, pressurized fluid supplied to the flow restriction device;
- e) providing a setpoint pressure indicative of a desired incoming pressure of the incoming pressurized fluid supplied to the flow restriction device;
- f) determining a control signal based at least in part on a comparison of the incoming pressure signal and the setpoint pressure, said control signal being an indication of a difference between the incoming pressure signal and the setpoint pressure;
- and
- g) adjusting the flow rate of the incoming pressurized fluid to help control the pressurized incoming fluid at the desired pressure setpoint.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a) a sub-atmospheric process chamber comprising an interior volume having a chamber vacuum pressure;
- b) a substrate chuck disposed within the interior volume;
- and
- c) a fluid supply line that delivers a pressurized fluid to the interior volume at a controllable flow rate and a controllable pressure, the fluid supply line comprising:
- i) a flow control device that controls the flow rate of the fluid through the supply line;
- and
- ii) a flow restriction device through which the fluid is dispensed into the process chamber from the supply line;
- and
- iii) a pressure transducer that measures the controllable pressure of the pressurized fluid in the supply line;
- d) a vacuum pump coupled to the process chamber in a manner effective to control the chamber vacuum pressure;
- and
- e) a control system that includes the flow control device and the pressure transducer and that is configured to adjust the flow rate of the pressurized fluid in the supply line as a function of pressure readings obtained by the pressure transducer in order to control the pressure of the pressurized fluid in the supply line at a desired pressure setpoint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.