Precursor delivery system and method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12546006-B2
Application number	US-202217880090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2022
Priority date	Aug 6, 2021
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

A semiconductor processing system for delivering large capacity vaporized precursor from solid or liquid precursor source is disclosed. The system utilizes a carrier gas to feed the vaporized precursor to a remotely located process zone where multiple process modules are disposed. The system comprises a first and second buffer volumes configured to reduce pressure drop and increase delivery rates. A method for delivering a large capacity vaporized precursor to the remotely located process zone are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A semiconductor processing system, comprising:
a precursor source vessel configured to contain a precursor, wherein the precursor source vessel is configured to be in fluid communication with a pressure flow controller (PFC) through at least one vessel inlet control valve to provide a carrier gas to the precursor source vessel, and wherein the PFC is configured to maintain carrier gas pressure constant based on a ratio of precursor vapor pressure to carrier control pressure; a first buffer volume disposed in a subfab zone, the precursor source vessel configured to supply the vaporized precursor to the first buffer volume; a second buffer volume located in a processing zone separate from the subfab zone, the first buffer volume configured to convey the vaporized precursor to the second buffer volume; and a reaction chamber located in the processing zone, the second buffer volume configured to convey the vaporized precursor to the reaction chamber.

2 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of precursor source vessels.

3 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1 , wherein an inlet of the first buffer volume is in fluid communication with the precursor source vessel through one or more vessel outlet control valves, and an outlet of the first buffer volume is in fluid communication with the second buffer volume, and
wherein the second buffer volume is configured to distribute the vaporized precursor to the reaction chamber.

4 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure transducer configured to measure the pressure in the first buffer volume, and a controller configured to control operation of at least one of the at least one vessel inlet control valve and one or more vessel outlet control valves based at least on feedback of measured pressure in the first buffer volume.

5 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to fill the first buffer volume when the pressure in the first buffer volume falls below a predetermined value.

6 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the precursor source vessel is disposed in a vessel temperature zone to be maintained at a first temperature and the subfab zone is disposed in a cabinet temperature zone to be maintained at a second temperature.

7 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the second buffer volume is heated with radiant, convective or contact heating.

8 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second buffer volumes are sized to store five to ten times a precursor load used for one (1) cycle for the reaction chamber.

9 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

10 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first buffer volume is connected to the second buffer volume by a heated pipe.

11 . A semiconductor processing system comprising:
a precursor source vessel configured to contain a vaporized precursor, wherein the precursor source vessel is configured to be in fluid communication with a pressure flow controller (PFC) through at least one vessel inlet control valve to provide a carrier gas to the precursor source vessel, and wherein the PFC is configured to maintain carrier gas pressure constant based on a ratio of precursor vapor pressure to carrier control pressure; a first buffer volume configured to receive the vaporized precursor from the precursor source vessel; a second buffer volume configured to receive the vaporized precursor from the first buffer volume; and a plurality of reaction chambers located in fluid communication with the second buffer volume.

12 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 11 , wherein an inlet of the first buffer volume is in fluid communication with the precursor source vessel through one or more vessel outlet control valves, and an outlet of the first buffer volume is in fluid communication with the second buffer volume, and
wherein the vaporized precursor delivered to the second buffer volume is distributed to each reaction chamber through a platform hub.

13 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second buffer volumes are sized to store 5-10 times a precursor load used for one (1) cycle for all the plurality of reaction chambers on the platform hub running simultaneously.

14 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 13 , wherein a third buffer volume is connected to the platform hub.

15 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of precursor source vessels, wherein each precursor source vessel is configured to be in fluid communication with respective pressure flow controllers (PFC) through at least one vessel inlet control valve of each precursor source vessel to provide a carrier gas to the precursor source vessel.

16 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a pressure transducer configured to measure the pressure in the first buffer volume, and a controller controlling operation of the at least one vessel inlet control valve of each precursor source vessel and one or more vessel outlet control valves of each precursor source vessel based at least on feedback of measured pressure in the first buffer volume.

17 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 11 , wherein the first buffer volume is disposed in a subfab zone at a first temperature and the second buffer volume is located in a processing zone physically separate from the subfab zone and at a second temperature.

18 . The semiconductor processing system according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a pressure transducer configured to measure the pressure in the second buffer volume, and a controller controlling operation of at least one of the at least one vessel inlet control valve and the one or more vessel outlet control valves based at least on feedback of measured pressure in the first buffer volume, wherein the controller is configured to fill the second buffer volume when the pressure in the first buffer volume falls below a predetermined value.

19 . A semiconductor processing system comprising:
a precursor source vessel configured to contain a vaporized precursor, wherein the precursor source vessel is configured to be in fluid communication with a pressure flow controller (PFC) through at least one vessel inlet control valve to provide a carrier gas to the precursor source vessel, and wherein the PFC is configured to maintain carrier gas pressure constant based on a ratio of precursor vapor pressure to carrier control pressure; a first buffer volume disposed in a subfab zone at a first temperature and configured to receive the vaporized precursor from the precursor source vessel; a second buffer volume disposed in a processing zone at a second temperature and configured to receive the vaporized precursor from the first buffer volume, wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature; and a plurality of reaction chambers located in fluid communication with the second buffer volume.

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Winkler Jereld Lee
• Shero Eric James

Classifications

• H10P72/0402 Primary

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

• C23C16/45557

  Pulsed pressure or control pressure · CPC title

• C23C16/4481

  by evaporation using carrier gas in contact with the source material (C23C16/4486 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C16/45561

  Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber · CPC title

• C23C16/455

  characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber · CPC title