Valve and semiconductor fabricating equipment using the same

A semiconductor fabricating equipment wherein a second chamber is disposed in a first chamber, a wafer to grow a semiconductor thin film layer is mounted on a sample stage within said second chamber, and reaction gas is supplied within said second chamber by at least one gas supplying means, to thereby form a semiconducting thin film on the surface of said wafer,

• said gas supplying means comprising:
• a first passage for introducing gas within said chamber;
• a gas valve provided on the extreme end of said passage;
• and
• a second passage for introducing an unnecessary gas which does not contribute to forming the semiconducting film and which is within said gas valve to outside of said chamber,
• and said gas valve comprising:
• a port for releasing a necessary gas which contributes to forming the semiconducting film among the gases supplied through said first passage to said wafer;
• a port for releasing the unnecessary gas to said second passage;
• and
• gas amount controlling means for controlling a ratio of said necessary gas to said unnecessary gas,
• and said second chamber further comprising:
• a valve for controlling the communication of gas between said first chamber and second chamber;
• and
• a pipe for introducing gas within said second chamber to outside of said first chamber.

A semiconductor fabricating equipment comprising:

• a semiconducting thin film growth chamber;
• and
• an integrated valve having a plurality of valves integrated on a unit structure, wherein each of said valves comprises:
• gas supply;
• gas exhaust ports;
• gas outlet ports;
• a bendable film;
• electrodes covered with insulating layer for operating said film by an electrostatic force;
• a piping for supplying gas to said gas supply ports;
• a piping for exhausting gas from said gas exhaust ports;
• and
• operating means for applying a voltage to said electrodes of each of said valves thereby operating said film.

A process for fabricating a micro-valve including a plurality of ports on a wall of a vessel, and a film having an inflexion plane movable within said vessel, electrodes covered with insulating layer in the wall of said vessel for opening and closing the plurality of ports by movement of said inflexion plane of said film, comprising:

• a. a first step of preparing a first substrate including a channel having at least one port and an electrode on the bottom thereof;
• b. a second step of forming a soluble sacrifice layer on the bottom portion of said channel;
• c. a third step of laminating a conductive material on said sacrifice layer, and then removing said sacrifice layer, thereby forming such a conductive film member that both ends thereof is supported by the first substrate near said channel and a supporting portion thereof is separated from the bottom portion of said channel;
• and
• d. a fourth step of aligning and bonding a second substrate having an insulating layer, an electrode and port to said first substrate on a side thereof opposed to the bottom portion of said channel with respect to said film member, to thereby form a vessel.

A process for fabricating a micro-valve including a plurality of ports on a wall surface of a vessel, and a film having at least one inflexion plane within said vessel, and electrodes covered with an insulating layer for opening and closing a plurality of ports by movement of said inflexion plane of said film, comprising:

• a. a first step of forming a hole serving as the interior of said vessel on a first substrate;
• b. a second step of forming a first sacrifice layer on a second substrate, and aligning said first substrate on said first sacrifice layer;
• c. a third step of forming a second sacrifice layer on the bottom of a hole portion where said first sacrifice layer obtained in said second step is bottomed;
• d. a fourth step of laminating a conductive material on said second sacrifice layer, then removing said first and second sacrifice layers and also said second substrate, thereby forming such a conductive film that both ends of said conductive material is supported by the substrate near the side walls of said hole;
• e. a fifth step of preparing said third and fourth substrates each having an electrode and at least one port;
• and
• f. a sixth step of rigidly fixing said third and fourth substrates on both sides of said conductive film, respectively.