High-precision dispense system with meniscus control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10354872-B2
Application number	US-201715675385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2017
Priority date	Aug 11, 2016
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

Techniques herein include a bladder-based dispense system using an elongate bladder configured to selectively expand and contract to assist with dispense actions. This dispense system compensates for filter-lag, which often accompanies fluid filtering for microfabrication. This dispense system also provides a high-purity and high precision dispense unit. A meniscus sensor monitors a position of a meniscus of process fluid at a nozzle. The elongate bladder unit is used to maintain a position of the meniscus at a particular location by selectively expanding or contracting the bladder, thereby moving or holding a meniscus position. Expansion of the elongate bladder is also used for a suck-back action after completing a dispense action.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing fluid, the apparatus comprising:
a hydraulic fluid housing defining a chamber having a chamber inlet opening and a chamber outlet opening;
an elongate bladder positioned within the chamber, the elongate bladder extending from the chamber inlet opening to the chamber outlet opening, the elongate bladder defining a fluid flow path that is linear between the chamber inlet opening and the chamber outlet opening, the elongate bladder being configured to laterally expand and laterally contract within the chamber such that when the elongate bladder contains a volume of process fluid, the volume of process fluid within the elongate bladder is increasable and reducible;
a process fluid conduit that connects the chamber outlet opening to a dispense nozzle;
a meniscus sensor configured to continuously monitor a position of a meniscus of the process fluid within a nozzle region of the apparatus, the meniscus sensor configured to continuously transmit meniscus position data; and
a controller configured to receive the meniscus position data and configured to maintain the position of the meniscus of the process fluid at a predetermined location within the nozzle region by activating a pressure-control system that selectively decreases hydraulic fluid pressure on an exterior surface of the elongate bladder causing expansion of the elongate bladder, and that selectively increases hydraulic fluid pressure on the exterior surface of the elongate bladder causing contraction of the elongate bladder,
wherein the apparatus is further configured to initiate dispensing of the process fluid from the dispense nozzle by increasing hydraulic fluid pressure exerted on an exterior surface of the elongate bladder, and wherein the apparatus is further configured to stop dispensing of the process fluid from the dispense nozzle and suck-back the process fluid position of the meniscus to the predetermined location within the nozzle region by reducing hydraulic fluid pressure exerted on the exterior surface of the elongate bladder.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to continuously adjust hydraulic fluid pressure on the exterior surface of the elongate bladder, based on continuously-received meniscus position data from the meniscus sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the meniscus sensor includes a sensor selected from the group consisting of optical sensor, capacitive sensor, vision camera system, ultra-sonic sensor, and time-domain reflectometer.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the optical sensor includes a camera mounted on the nozzle region of the dispense nozzle.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the optical sensor is positioned to view the nozzle region of the dispense nozzle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the meniscus sensor is configured to capture position data of the meniscus at a frequency greater than 10 samples per second.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the meniscus sensor is positioned on the dispense nozzle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to execute a suck-back action by reducing hydraulic fluid pressure exerted on an exterior surface of the elongate bladder.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle region at least includes a tapered portion of the dispense nozzle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongate bladder is configured to expand and collect a charge of process fluid while no process fluid is being dispensed from the dispense nozzle and while maintaining the position of the meniscus of the process fluid at the predetermined location within the nozzle region.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a process fluid valve and a process fluid filter, the process fluid filter being positioned upstream from the elongate bladder, and the process fluid valve being positioned upstream from the process fluid filter, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the meniscus within the predetermined region while the process fluid valve is in an open state.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to suck-back the process fluid to the predetermined meniscus position while the process fluid valve is in an open state.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is free of valves between the elongate bladder and the dispense nozzle that are capable of completely blocking process fluid flow through the process fluid conduit.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an evaporation prevention device that partially encloses or fully encloses the dispense nozzle without contacting process fluid within the dispense nozzle.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a solvent delivery unit configured to deliver a solvent in gas phase to an opening region of the dispense nozzle such that the solvent can be flowed to be in contact with the meniscus of the process fluid.

16. An apparatus for dispensing fluid, the apparatus comprising:
a hydraulic fluid housing defining a chamber having a chamber inlet opening and a chamber outlet opening;
an elongate bladder positioned within the chamber, the elongate bladder extending from the chamber inlet opening to the chamber outlet opening, the elongate bladder defining a fluid flow path that is linear between the chamber inlet opening and the chamber outlet opening, the elongate bladder being configured to laterally expand and laterally contract within the chamber such that when the elongate bladder contains a volume of process fluid, the volume of process fluid within the elongate bladder is increasable and reducible;
a process fluid conduit that connects the chamber outlet opening to a dispense nozzle;
a meniscus sensor configured to continuously monitor a position of a meniscus of the process fluid within a nozzle region of the apparatus, the meniscus sensor configured to continuously transmit meniscus position data;
a controller configured to receive the meniscus position data and configured to maintain the position of the meniscus of the process fluid at a predetermined location within the nozzle region by activating a pressure-control system that selectively decreases hydraulic fluid pressure on an exterior surface of the elongate bladder causing expansion of the elongate bladder, and that selectively increases hydraulic fluid pressure on the exterior surface of the elongate bladder causing contraction of the elongate bladder; and
a displacement member that is insertable into the chamber and retractable from the chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to activate a volume-control system that selectively decreases hydraulic fluid pressure on the elongate bladder causing expansion of the elongate bladder by retracting a portion of the displacement member from the chamber, the controller configured to activate the volume-control system that selectively increases hydraulic fluid pressure on the elongate bladder causing contraction of the elongate bladder by inserting a portion of the displacement member into the hydraulic fluid housing.

18. An apparatus for dispensing fluid, the apparatus comprising:
a hydraulic fluid housing defining a chamber having a chamber inlet opening and a chamber outlet opening;
an elongate bladder positioned within the chamber, the elongate bladder extending from the chamber inlet opening to the chamber outlet opening, the elongate bladder defining a fluid flow path that is linear between the chamber inlet opening and the c

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Devilliers Anton J
• Robison Rodney L
• Nasman Ronald
• Travis David
• Grootegoed James
• Jacobson Jr Norman A
• Hetzer David
• Huli Lior
• Hooge Joshua S

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0448

  Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0404

  for general liquid treatment, e.g. etching followed by cleaning · CPC title

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title