Flow rate ratio variable type fluid supply apparatus

A flow rate ratio variable type fluid supply apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a flow rate control system, wherein the flow rate control system supplies gas of a flow rate Q;
• (b) a plurality of first flow diverting pipe passages connected to the flow rate control system so that gas of flow rate Q is diverted to flow to the plurality of first flow diverting pipe passages, wherein each first flow diverting pipe passage is supplied with a prescribed flow rate of diverted gas so that gas of flow rate Q is supplied to a chamber through a plurality of outlets;
• (c) a plurality of first orifice members installed on all but one of the plurality of first flow diverting pipe passages, wherein each first orifice member comprises a first orifice having a corresponding first opening area, and the one first flow diverting pipe passage without a first orifice member forms a second flow diverting pipe passage to which a plurality of branch pipe passages are connected in parallel, wherein the plurality of outlets consists of the outlets of the plurality of first flow diverting pipe passages and the outlet of the second flow diverting pipe passage so that the gas of flow rate Q is supplied to a plurality of positions in the chamber through the plurality of outlets;
• (d) a plurality of second orifice members installed on the plurality of branch pipe passages so that there is a second orifice member installed on each of the plurality of branch pipe passages, and each second orifice member comprises a second orifice having a corresponding second opening area;
• and
• (e) a plurality of open/close valves installed on all, or some of, the plurality of branch pipe passages so that gas of flow rate Q is diverted to flow to the plurality of first flow diverting pipe passages with a flow rate ratio equivalent to the ratio of the respective first opening area of the corresponding first orifice member on the corresponding first flow diverting pipe passage and a total opening area of a flow-passable orifices on the one second flow diverting pipe passage, wherein the total opening area of the flow-passable orifices on the second flow diverting pipe passage is regulated by open/close operation of the plurality of open/close valves installed on the plurality of branch pipe passages.

A flow rate ratio variable type fluid supply apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a chamber, wherein the chamber is a semiconductor manufacturing chamber, and wherein the chamber has two gas supply locations;
• (b) a flow rate control system, wherein the flow rate control system supplies gas of a flow rate Q to the chamber, and wherein the two gas supply locations are a first supply location and a second supply location;
• (c) a first flow diverting pipe passage and a second flow diverting pipe passage connected to the flow rate control system so that gas of flow rate Q is diverted to flow to the first flow diverting pipe passage so that gas of flow rate Q1 flows through the first flow diverting pipe passage and gas of flow rate Q0 flows through the second flow diverting pipe passage, wherein Q=Q1+Q0, so that gas of flow rate Q is supplied by the combined flow of gas through an outlet of the first flow diverting pipe passage and an outlet of the second flow diverting pipe passage, respectively, to the first supply location and the second supply location in the chamber at the gas flow rate Q;
• (d) a first orifice member installed on the first flow diverting pipe passage, wherein the first orifice member comprises a first orifice having a corresponding first opening area;
• (e) a plurality of branch pipe passages connected in parallel to the second flow diverting pipe passage;
• (f) a plurality of second orifice members installed on the plurality of branch pipe passages so that each branch pipe passage has a second orifice member installed thereon, wherein each second orifice member comprises a second orifice having a corresponding second opening area;
• and
• (g) a plurality of open/close valves installed on all, or some of the branch pipe passages so that gas of flow rate Q is diverted to flow to the first flow diverting pipe passage at the flow rate Q1 and to the second flow diverting pipe passage at the flow rate Q0 with a flow rate ratio Q1/Q0 equivalent to the ratio of the first opening area of the first orifice installed on the first flow diverting pipe passage and a total opening area of flow-passable orifices of the second flow diverting pipe passage, wherein the flow rate ratio Q1/Q0 is regulated by controlling the total opening area of the flow-passable orifices of the second flow diverting pipe passage by open/close operation of the open/close valves installed on the branch pipe passages.