System and Method for Rapid Process Chamber Pressure Modulation Using an Array of Small Valves and Pumps
AssigneeInspiring Atoms Pte Ltd
InventorYang Pan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a system for semiconductor manufacturing, designed for rapid chamber pressure modulation through an array of small valves and pumps. The system incorporates micro shutters to achieve precise and rapid gas flow regulation. A system controller adjusts motor currents to compensate for nonuniformities resulting from incoming substrates and design constraints within the process system, thereby ensuring improved substrate uniformity during semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Claims20
A process chamber for semiconductor manufacturing, comprising:
- a chamber body configured to maintain a vacuum environment;
- a gas distribution unit situated within the chamber body for introducing gases;
- an array of valves, wherein each valve comprises a micro shutter having one or more blades, and wherein the collective positions of the blades control the gas withdrawal rate into associated pumps;
- and
- a system controller configured to adjust currents supplied to motors connected to the micro shutters for modulating positions of the blades based on a chamber pressure measured by a manometer, and comparing to the target value, stipulated from a process recipe.
A method for modulating chamber pressure in a semiconductor manufacturing process chamber, the method comprising:
- maintaining a vacuum environment within a chamber body;
- introducing processing gases via a gas distribution unit;
- controlling gas withdrawal rate by modulating positions of one or more blades of micro shutters in an array of valves;
- adjusting current supplied to motors coupled to said micro shutters based on chamber pressures measured by a manometer and comparing the measured pressure to the target value;
- and
- using a system controller to adjust the blade positions of the micro shutters until the measured pressure matches the targeted value.
A method for achieving uniform results across a substrate in a semiconductor manufacturing process chamber, the method comprising:
- maintaining a vacuum environment within a chamber body;
- providing a substrate onto a chuck within the chamber body;
- introducing gases inside the chamber body via a gas distribution unit;
- gauging the substrate's nonuniformity using a uniformity engine;
- controlling gas withdrawal rate by modulating positions of one or more blades of micro shutters in an array of valves, wherein the modulation is based on the gauged nonuniformity;
- and
- adjusting, by the system controller, currents supplied to motors coupled to said micro shutters based on input from the uniformity engine to compensate for the gauged nonuniformity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.