Gas-pulsing-based shared precursor distribution system and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11520358-B2
Application number	US-202117521469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2021
Priority date	Apr 28, 2018
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

Gas distribution apparatus to provide uniform flows of gases from a single source to multiple processing chambers are described. A regulator is positioned at an upstream end of a shared volume having a plurality of downstream ends. A flow controller is positioned at each downstream end of the shared volume, the flow controller comprising an orifice and a fast pulsing valve. Methods of using the gas distribution apparatus and calibrating the flow controllers are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of calibrating a flow controller, the method comprising:
opening a pressure controller at an upstream end of a shared volume to pressurize the shared volume, the shared volume having an upstream end and a plurality of downstream ends, each downstream end having a flow controller comprising a fast pulsing valve and an orifice;
closing the pressure controller at the upstream end to isolate the shared volume;
measuring the pressure of the shared volume;
opening a fast pulsing valve of one flow controller a predetermined number of times;
measuring the pressure of the shared volume after opening the fast pulsing valve the predetermined number of times; and
determining a difference in the pressure of the shared volume per opening of the fast pulsing valve.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeating the method for each flow controller to calibrate the volume of gas delivered per pulse of each fast pulsing valve.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising adjusting a pulse window for one or more of the fast pulsing valves to compensate for differences in the orifices and/or fast pulsing valves.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Rice Michael
• Aubuchon Joseph
• Baluja Sanjeev
• Okada Ashley M
• Fernandez Alexander
• Xu Ming
• Josephson Marcel E
• Koshti Sushant Suresh
• Le Kenneth
• Brashear Kevin M

Classifications

• G01F25/17

  using calibrated reservoirs · CPC title

• G05D7/0652 Primary

  the plurality of throttling means being arranged in parallel · CPC title

• G01F25/00

  Testing or calibration of apparatus for measuring volume, volume flow or liquid level or for metering by volume · CPC title

• G05D7/0664 Primary

  the plurality of throttling means being arranged for the control of a plurality of diverging flows from a single flow (G05D7/0652 takes precedence; ratio control G05D11/13) · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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