US 5,762,086 AGranted

Apparatus for delivering process gas for making semiconductors and method of using same

AssigneeVeriflo Corporation

InventorLouis A. Ollivier

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Abstract

An apparatus free of polymer material in contact with process gas for delivering process gas for making semiconductors includes a pressure regulator for regulating the pressure of the process gas to be delivered by the apparatus from a supply of pressurized process gas. The pressure regulator has a first valve seat and a first valve which cooperates with the first valve seat for controlling the flow of process gas through the regulator. Both the first valve seat and the first valve are formed of metal. The apparatus further includes a second valve having metal-to-metal dynamic seating for controlling the flow of the gas from the supply to the regulator. The second valve is provided immediately upstream of the pressure regulator along a flow path for the gas through the apparatus. A relatively high creep of the pressure regulator is significantly reduced by operating the regulator in conjunction with the pneumatically operated (on/off) second valve.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method of supplying process gas for making semiconductors, said method comprising providing an apparatus for delivering process gas for making semiconductors, said apparatus comprising a pressure regulator for regulating the pressure of process gas to be delivered by said apparatus from a supply of pressurized process gas through said pressure regulator, said pressure regulator comprising a first valve seat and a first valve which cooperates with said first valve seat for controlling the flow of pressurized process gas through said pressure regulator, both said first valve seat and said first valve being formed of metal, a second valve having metal-to-metal dynamic seating for opening and closing a gas passage through said second valve for controlling the flow of pressurized process gas from said supply of pressurized process gas through said gas passage of said valve to said pressure regulator, fluid passage means connecting said second valve and said pressure regulator for gas tightly flowing said process gas therebetween with said second valve being located immediately upstream of said pressure regulator along a flow path for said pressurized process gas through said apparatus, a mass flow controller for adjustably controlling the flow of pressurized gas delivered by said apparatus through said mass flow controller from zero flow to a desired, set flow, said mass flow controller being located in said apparatus downstream of said pressure regulator along said flow path for pressurized process gas through said apparatus, said method further including, for supplying process gas for making semiconductors utilizing said apparatus, opening said second valve and setting said mass flow controller at a desired flow at the same time, and for stopping supplying process gas closing said second valve and setting said mass flow controller at a zero flow setting at the same time.

An apparatus for delivering high purity process gas for making semiconductors while maintaining an acceptable creep value for pressure regulator of the apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a pressure regulator for regulating the pressure of process gas to be delivered by said apparatus from a supply of pressurized process gas through said pressure regulator, said pressure regulator comprising a first valve seat and a first valve which cooperates with said first valve seat for controlling the flow of pressurized process gas through said pressure regulator, both said first valve seat and said first valve being formed of metal and said pressure regulator itself having a creep value which is considered excessive from a practical standpoint;
a second valve having metal-to-metal dynamic seating for opening and closing a gas passage through said second valve for controlling the flow of pressurized process gas from said supply of pressurized process gas through said gas passage of said second valve to said pressure regulator, said second valve when closing said gas passage effecting a near absolute closure with a leakage rate less than 1.times.10.sup.-8 SCC/sec;
fluid passage means connecting said second valve and said pressure regulator for gas tightly flowing said process gas therebetween with said second valve being located immediately upstream of said pressure regulator along a flow path for said pressurized process gas through said apparatus;
and
means downstream of said pressure regulator along said flow path for shutting off the flow of process gas delivered by said apparatus, wherein the materials of said apparatus are selected so that no plastic or elastomer contacts said pressurized process gas flowing through said apparatus, and wherein the volume of pressurized process gas between said first valve of said pressure regulator and said second valve is relatively small as compared with the volume of pressurized gas between said first valve of said pressure regulator and said means downstream of said pressure regulator along said flow path for shutting off the flow of process gas delivered by said apparatus whereby a significant reduction of the creep value of the pressure regulator can be obtained by closing said second valve at the same time said means downstream of said pressure regulator shuts off the flow of the process gas delivered by said apparatus.

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