Fluid mixing hub for semiconductor processing tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10022689-B2
Application number	US-201514809041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2015
Priority date	Jul 24, 2015
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A mixing hub for use in semiconductor processing tools is provided. The hub may include a plurality of ports arranged about an axis, a mixing chamber, and a plurality of flow paths. Each of the flow paths may fluidically connect a corresponding one of the ports to the mixing chamber and each flow path may include a first passage, a second passage, and a valve interface. Each valve interface may be configured to interface with a valve such that the valve, when installed in the valve interface, is able to regulate fluid flow between the first passage and the second passage. Each valve interface may be located between a first reference plane that is perpendicular to the axis and passes through the corresponding port and a second reference plane that is perpendicular to the axis and passes through the mixing chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first hub that is a single piece and includes:
a plurality of first ports arranged about a first axis,
a plurality of first valve interfaces, each first valve interface includes one or more surfaces,
a plurality of first passages,
a plurality of second passages,
a first mixing chamber offset from one of the first ports in a direction parallel to the first axis by a first distance, and
a plurality of first flow paths, wherein each of the first flow paths fluidically connects a corresponding one of the first ports to the first mixing chamber and each first flow path comprises one first passage, one second passage, and one first valve interface, and wherein, for each first flow path of the first hub:
the first passage extends through a surface of the first valve interface, extends through the first hub, and fluidically connects the corresponding first port with the first valve interface,
the second passage extends through a surface of the first valve interface, extends through the first hub, and fluidically connects the first valve interface with the first mixing chamber,
the first valve interface is fluidically interposed between the first passage and the second passage,
each first valve interface is configured to interface with a first valve such that the first valve, when installed, is able to regulate fluid flow between the first passage and the second passage, and
the first valve interface is located between a first reference plane that is perpendicular to the first axis and passes through the corresponding first port and a second reference plane that is perpendicular to the first axis and passes through the first mixing chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first ports are arranged in a first radial pattern around the first axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first hub includes at least three first ports, three first valve interfaces, three first passages, three second passages, and three first flow paths.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mixing chamber is hemispherical in shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each first valve interface includes a valve mounting feature selected from the group consisting of a threaded bore and a pattern of threaded holes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the threaded bore or threaded holes have a center axis or center axes that are within 10° of perpendicular to the first axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first hub further comprises one or more first surfaces and one or more second surfaces, wherein:
each first port is located on one of the one or more first surfaces,
each second surface is substantially perpendicular to the first surface, and
each first valve interface extends through one of the one or more second surfaces.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first hub further comprises a first outflow pipe, wherein the first outflow pipe is fluidically connected to the first mixing chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first hub further includes first mounting features configured to mount a plurality of first fluid flow components to the first hub such that each first fluid flow component is fluidically connected with a corresponding one of the first flow paths via one of the first ports.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first mounting features and the first valve interfaces are configured such that when one of the first valves is interfaced with one of the first valve interfaces and one of the first fluid flow components is mounted to the first hub using the first mounting features such that the first valve and the first fluid flow component fluidically interface with a corresponding one of the first flow paths, the first fluid flow component and the first valve overlap, at least in part, when viewed from a direction parallel to the first axis.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a plurality of first fluid flow components, and
a plurality of first valves, wherein:
each first fluid flow component is mounted to the first hub using the first mounting features such that each first fluid flow component is fluidically connected with a corresponding one of the first ports, and
each first valve is interfaced with a corresponding one of the first valve interfaces.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first passages are at a first oblique angle off the first reference plane, and
the second passages are at a second oblique angle off the first reference plane.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the absolute value of the difference between the first oblique angle and the second oblique angle is 20° or less.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first hub further comprises a third surface, wherein:
the third surface is offset from one of the first ports in a direction parallel to the first axis by a first distance,
the first mixing chamber extends through the third surface, and
the third surface is configured to fluidically connect the first mixing chamber with a first mixing chamber of another hub.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second hub that is a single piece and includes:
a plurality of second ports arranged about a second axis,
a plurality of second valve interfaces, each second valve interface includes one or more surfaces,
a plurality of third passages,
a plurality of fourth passages,
a second mixing chamber offset from one of the second ports in a direction parallel to the second axis by a second distance,
a plurality of second flow paths, wherein each of the second flow paths fluidically connects a corresponding one of the second ports to the second mixing chamber and each second flow path comprises one third passage, one fourth passage, and one second valve interface, and wherein, for each second flow path of the second hub:
the third passage extends through a surface of the second valve interface, extends through the first hub, and fluidically connects the corresponding second port with the second valve interface,
the fourth passage extends through a surface of the second valve interface, extends through the first hub, and fluidically connects the second valve interface with the second mixing chamber,
the second valve interface is fluidically interposed between the third passage and the fourth passage,
each second valve interface is configured to interface with a second valve such that the second valve, when installed, is able to regulate fluid flow between the third passage to the fourth passage, and
the second valve interface is located between a third reference plane that is perpendicular to the second axis and passes through the corresponding second port, and a fourth reference plane that is perpendicular to the second axis and passes through the second mixing chamber; and

an outflow pipe that is fluidically connected to an item selected from the group consisting of the first mixing chamber and the second mixing chamber, wherein the first hub and the second hub are assembled together such that the first mixing chamber is fluidically connected to the second mixing chamber.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a plate that is sandwiched between the first hub and the second hub when the first hub and the second hub are assembled together.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the first hub further includes first mounting features configured to mount a plurality of first fluid flow components to the first hub such that each first fluid flow component is fluidically c

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Shareef Iqbal A
• Taskar Mark

Classifications

• B01F15/0222

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F3/02

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F13/1058

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2215/0096

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/0226 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic