Chemical delivery system and method of operating the chemical delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11746413-B2
Application number	US-202217829007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2022
Priority date	Dec 7, 2017
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A chemical delivery system includes a bulk container, a run/refill chamber, a first conduit and a second conduit. The bulk container stores a precursor. The run/refill chamber includes a plurality of spaced tubes having a plurality of surfaces for receiving the precursor in vapor form and storing the precursor in solid form. The first conduit connects the bulk container to the run/refill chamber for transporting the precursor from the bulk container to the run/refill chamber in vapor form. The second conduit connects the run/refill chamber to a deposition chamber for transporting the precursor from the run/refill chamber to the deposition chamber in vapor form.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a chemical delivery system comprising at least one bulk container, at least one run/refill chamber, and at least one deposition chamber, the method comprising: storing a precursor in at least one of the bulk containers; transporting the precursor in vapor form from the bulk container to a first run/refill chamber; receiving the precursor in vapor form in the first run/refill chamber; condensing and storing the precursor in solid form in the first run/refill chamber; causing sublimation of the solid precursor within the first run/refill chamber; and transporting the sublimed precursor in vapor form from the first run/refill chamber to a first deposition chamber, wherein at least one of the run/refill chambers includes a plurality of spaced tubes having a plurality of surfaces configured to receive the precursor in vapor form and store the precursor in solid form.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
transporting the precursor in vapor form from the bulk container to a second run/refill chamber;
receiving the precursor in vapor form in the second run/refill chamber; and condensing and storing the precursor in solid form in the second run/refill chamber.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the precursor is received in vapor form in the second run/refill chamber while the solid precursor is sublimed within the first run/refill chamber.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
causing sublimation of the solid precursor within the second run/refill chamber; and
transporting the sublimed precursor in vapor form from the second run/refill chamber to the first deposition chamber.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the solid precursor is sublimed within the second run/refill chamber while the precursor is received in vapor form in the first run/refill chamber.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
causing sublimation of the solid precursor within the second run/refill chamber; and transporting the sublimed precursor in vapor form from the second run/refill chamber to a second deposition chamber.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein transporting the precursor in vapor form from the bulk container to the first run/refill chamber alternates with transporting the precursor in vapor form from the bulk container to the second run/refill chamber.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor stored in the bulk container is in a solid form in the bulk container.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein transporting the precursor in vapor form comprises heating the bulk container to sublimate the precursor and transporting the vapor through a heated conduit.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing the precursor in solid form includes storing the precursor in a fabrication area, and storing the precursor in the bulk container includes storing the precursor outside the fabrication area.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein
transporting the precursor in vapor form from the bulk container to the first run/refill chamber comprises heating the bulk container and transporting the vapor in a first heated conduit;
condensing and storing the precursor in solid form in the first run/refill chamber comprises cooling the first run/refill chamber; and
transporting the sublimed precursor in vapor form from the first run/refill chamber to a first deposition chamber comprises heating the first run/refill chamber and transporting the vapor in a second heated conduit.

12. A method of operating a chemical delivery system comprising at least one bulk container, multiple run/refill chambers, and at least one deposition chamber, the method comprising: storing a precursor in at least one of the bulk containers; transporting the precursor in vapor form from the bulk container(s) to a first run/refill chamber; receiving the precursor in vapor form in the first run/refill chamber; condensing and storing the precursor in solid form in the first run/refill chamber; causing sublimation of the solid precursor within the first run/refill chamber while transporting the precursor in vapor form from the bulk container(s) to a second run/refill chamber; and transporting the sublimed precursor in vapor form from the first run/refill chamber to a first deposition chamber, wherein at least one of the run/refill chambers includes a plurality of spaced tubes having a plurality of surfaces configured to receive the precursor in vapor form and store the precursor in solid form.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising causing sublimation of the solid precursor within the second run/refill chamber while transporting the precursor in vapor form from the bulk container(s) to the first run/refill chamber.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein condensing and storing the precursor in solid form in the first run/refill chamber comprises cooling the first run/refill chamber.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein causing sublimation of the solid precursor within the first run/refill chamber while transporting the precursor in vapor form from the bulk container(s) to a second run/refill chamber comprises heating the first run/refill chamber.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the multiple run/refill chambers provide an uninterrupted flow of precursor in vapor form to at least one deposition chamber.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one bulk container provides precursor in vapor form to the multiple run/refill chambers sequentially.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the run/refill chambers are located in a fabrication area, and the bulk container(s) is located outside the fabrication area.

Assignees

• Entegris Inc

Inventors

• Eldridge David James
• Peters David
• Wright Jr Robert
• Hendrix Bryan C
• Battle Scott L
• Gregg John

Classifications

• H10P14/6334

  using decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition (deposition by physical ablation of a target H10P14/6329) · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

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

• C23C16/448 Primary

  characterised by the method used for generating reactive gas streams, e.g. by evaporation or sublimation of precursor materials · CPC title

• C23C16/4487 Primary

  by using a condenser · CPC title

• C23C16/45512

  Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber · CPC title