Gas mixture supplying method and apparatus

A gas mixture supplying method for supplying a gas mixture to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising:

• supplying plural kinds of gases through gas supply lines connected to a common pipeline;
• supplying the plural kinds of gases from a gas outlet of the common pipeline to a gas mixture supply pipeline, and supplying a gas mixture from the gas mixture supply pipeline to a processing chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus where the gas mixture is used;
• and
• arranging the gas supply lines, the common pipeline, and the gas mixture supply pipeline so as to reduce a stabilization time of the gas mixture at the processing chamber by:
• (a) providing a first gas having a relatively low flow rate which is supplied from a first gas supply line of the gas supply lines at a first position which is closer to the gas outlet than a second position at which a second gas supply line of the gas supply lines supplies a second gas having a relatively high flow rate;
• and
• (b) reducing the gas mixture stabilization time of a gas mixture of the first gas and the second gas compared to an arrangement in which an inner diameter at a portion of the common pipeline upstream from the gas outlet is set to be the same as an inner diameter of the gas mixture supply pipeline by providing the inner diameter at the portion of the common pipeline that is upstream from the gas outlet to be smaller than the inner diameter of the gas mixture supply pipeline,
• wherein the gas mixture supply pipeline is disposed between the processing chamber and the common pipeline, and
• wherein the common pipeline has a constant inner diameter along an entire length of the common pipeline, the common pipeline extending from the gas supply lines to the gas outlet.