Sublimation control using downstream pressure sensing
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsMarvin Clayton BREES, Davinder SHARMA, Panya WONGSENAKHUM
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system to control gas flow includes an ampoule to store a solid precursor. A heater is to heat the ampoule and to sublimate the solid precursor into a gaseous precursor. A mass flow controller is to regulate a flow of gaseous precursor from the ampoule to a substrate processing chamber. A pressure sensor is to measure a pressure of the gaseous precursor input to the mass flow controller. A controller is to apply power to the electric heater using closed loop control based on the pressure and a pressure setpoint.
Claims20
A system to control gas flow, the system comprising:
- an ampoule to store a solid precursor material;
- a heater to heat the ampoule and to sublimate the solid precursor material into a gaseous precursor;
- a mass flow controller to regulate a flow of the gaseous precursor from the ampoule to a processing chamber;
- a pressure sensor to measure a pressure of the gaseous precursor input to the mass flow controller;
- and
- a controller to apply power to the heater using closed loop control based on the pressure and a pressure setpoint.
A method of controlling gas flow, the method comprising:
- storing a solid precursor material in an ampoule;
- heating the ampoule and sublimating the solid precursor material into a gaseous precursor;
- by a mass flow controller, regulating a flow of the gaseous precursor from the ampoule to a substrate processing chamber;
- by a pressure sensor, measuring a pressure of the gaseous precursor input to the mass flow controller;
- and
- applying power to the heater using closed loop control based on the pressure and a pressure setpoint.
A system to control gas flow, the system comprising:
- an ampoule to store a solid precursor material;
- a heater to heat the ampoule and to sublimate the solid precursor material into a gaseous precursor;
- and
- a controller to apply power to the heater using closed loop control based on (a) a pressure of the gaseous precursor between the ampoule and a mass flow controller and (b) a pressure setpoint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.