# US 2026/0100342 A1 · Rapid Process Chamber Pressure Modulation Using Chamber Pressure Control Ring with Micro Shutters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0100342 A1 - Document ID: US20260100342A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/908,712 - Filed: 2024-10-07 - Published: 2026-04-09 - Earliest claimed: 2024-10-07 - Assignees: Inspiring Atoms Pte Ltd - Inventors: Yang Pan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260100342A1 ## CPC - H01J 37/32834: {Exhausting} - H01J 37/32449: {Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow} - H01J 37/32495: {Means for protecting the vessel against plasma} - H01J 2237/0213: Avoiding deleterious effects due to interactions between particles and tube elements - H01J 2237/1825: Evacuating means - 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 The present disclosure relates to a system and method for semiconductor manufacturing that utilizes a chamber pressure control ring equipped with integrated micro shutters. The system, managed by a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control, enables rapid and precise modulation of chamber pressure, significantly outperforming conventional vacuum valve-based methods. This innovation improves process efficiency and reduces cycle times, particularly in advanced semiconductor processes such as atomic layer etching (ALE) and atomic layer deposition (ALD). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process chamber, comprising: a chamber body configured for a vacuum environment; a gas distribution unit configured to receive gases from a gasbox and disperse received gases within the process chamber; a chuck configured to support a substrate; a pump configured to extract gases from the chamber; and a chamber pressure control ring, operational for chamber pressure modulation, wherein said chamber pressure control ring integrates a plurality of shutters, each of said shutters incorporates several blades, wherein positions of said blades determine gas conductance, wherein said positions of said blades are controlled by a rotational-to-linear conversion mechanism, which is connected to both a motor and an actuator, both of which direct the motion of said blades. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The chamber of claim 1, wherein the chamber pressure control ring is coupled to a system controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The chamber of claim 2, wherein the system controller includes a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The chamber of claim 1, wherein the placement of the chamber pressure control ring is placed within a gap separating the chuck from the chamber body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The chamber of claim 1, wherein the chamber pressure control ring is located in an interspace between the chuck's a supporting structure and the chamber body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The chamber of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum valve with a movable part that defines the gas conductance, wherein the position of the movable part remains unchanged during processing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The chamber of claim 1, wherein the vacuum valve is absent. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The chamber of claim 1, wherein the chamber pressure control ring further comprises a shutter layer, an actuation layer and an electronics layer. ### Claim 9 A method for regulating pressure within a process chamber, comprising: providing a chamber pressure control ring, placed in a space between a chuck or a chuck support structure and a chamber body, wherein the ring comprises a plurality of shutters for modulating gas conductance by positioning of one or multiple blades, each shutter being coupled to a motor; determining an initial current for each motor through a system controller; deploying determined current to said motor by the system controller; introducing one gas or more gases into the chamber, stipulated from the process recipe; measuring chamber pressures using a manometer; and adjusting the current delivered to said motor in response to the pressures measured by the manometer, wherein the current supplied to the motor dictates positions of blades, and the chamber pressure control ring including multiple orifices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising positioning a movable part of a vacuum valve located over a pump to a predetermined location prior to injecting gas into the process chamber, ensuring the position of the vacuum valve remains static throughout a processing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method as described in claim 9, further comprising a periodic measurement of the chamber pressures at a set frequency. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprising supplying identical current to each motor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprising distinct current to different motors. ### Claim 14 An apparatus for modulating pressure of a process chamber, comprising: a ring-shaped structure containing multiple shutters, each shutter comprising one or multiple blades, wherein orientation of the blades being dictated by the current provided to an associated motor; a shutter layer hosting the multiple shutters; an actuation layer containing multiple motors coupled to the shutters through multiple rotation-to-linear movement mechanisms; and an electronics layer for hosting electronic components and interconnects. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is powered by a power supply including a battery. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, where positions of the blades are controlled by a synchronized operation of a shutter actuator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus located in an interspace between a chamber's chuck and its main body. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is located in an interspace between the chamber's chuck support structure and the chamber body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus determines the chamber pressure through a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control provided by a system controller involving additionally a vacuum valve, a pump and a manometer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus further comprises plasma resistance surface, and the blades are heated.