Mass flow controller, apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor device, and method for maintenance thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019170563-A1
Application number	US-201816013199-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 1, 2017
Publication date	Jun 6, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are mass flow controllers, apparatuses for manufacturing semiconductor devices, and methods of maintenance thereof. The mass flow controller may control an amount of a gas provided into a chamber. The mass flow controller may be configured to obtain an absolute volume of the gas provided into the chamber at a standard flow rate when the mass flow controller is initially used. The mass flow controller may be configured to obtain a detected flow rate of the gas provided at a measured flow rate after the mass flow controller has been used for a predetermined time. The mass flow controller may be configured to compare the detected flow rate and the standard flow rate to verify a full-scale error in the measured flow rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mass flow controller for controlling an amount of a gas provided into a chamber,
the mass flow controller configured to: obtain an absolute volume of the gas provided into the chamber at a standard flow rate when the mass flow controller is initially used, obtain a detected flow rate of the gas provided at a measured flow rate after the mass flow controller has been used for a predetermined time, and compare the detected flow rate and the standard flow rate to verify a full-scale error in the measured flow rate.

2 . The mass flow controller of claim 1 , wherein the full-scale error is compared with a threshold value,
wherein, when the full-scale error is greater than the threshold value, the detected flow rate is used to calibrate the measured flow rate.

3 . The mass flow controller of claim 2 , wherein, when the full-scale error is equal to or less than the threshold value, the measured flow rate is used as the standard flow rate.

4 . The mass flow controller of claim 1 , wherein the full-scale error is a percentage that is determined by dividing a difference between the detected flow rate and the standard flow rate by a maximum scale of the mass flow controller.

5 . The mass flow controller of claim 1 , wherein the absolute volume is determined by dividing the standard flow rate by both a variation in pressure of the gas in the chamber and a standardized temperature of the gas.

6 . The mass flow controller of claim 5 , wherein a measured temperature in centigrade of the gas is detected by a first sensor in the chamber, and wherein the standardized temperature is determined by dividing an absolute temperature of zero centigrade by an absolute temperature converted from the measured temperature in centigrade of the gas.

7 . The mass flow controller of claim 6 , wherein the variation in pressure is detected by a second sensor in the chamber.

8 . The mass flow controller of claim 5 , wherein, when the chamber is used in an etching process, the variation in pressure is balanced with a variation in outgassing pressure of the gas in the chamber.

9 . The mass flow controller of claim 5 , wherein the detected flow rate is determined by multiplying the absolute volume by both the variation in pressure and the standardized temperature.

10 . The mass flow controller of claim 1 , wherein the absolute volume and the detected flow rate are obtained when a closing action is performed on a valve that discharges the gas from the chamber.

11 . An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the apparatus comprising:
a chamber; first and second mass flow controllers that are each configured to provide a gas into the chamber; and a controller communicatively connected to the first and second mass flow controllers, wherein the controller is configured to determine an absolute volume of the gas provided into the chamber at a standard flow rate of the first mass flow controller, to determine a detected flow rate of the gas provided at a measured flow rate of the second mass flow controller, and to compare the detected flow rate with the standard flow rate to verify a full-scale error in the measured flow rate.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising first and second sensors that respectively are configured to detect a temperature and a pressure of the gas in the chamber,
wherein the controller is configured to determine the absolute volume using a standardized temperature, a variation in pressure, and the standard flow rate of the gas, and to determine the detected flow rate using the absolute volume, the variation in pressure, and the standardized temperature.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a gas exhaust system that is configured to discharge the gas from the chamber,
wherein the gas exhaust system comprises:
a pump; and
a valve between the pump and the chamber,
wherein the valve is closed when the absolute volume is determined.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein, when the valve is closed, the controller operates such that the detected flow rate is determined as a mathematical product of the absolute volume, the variation in pressure, and the standardized temperature.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein, when the valve is open, the controller operates such that the detected flow rate is determined as a mathematical product of a pumping speed of the pump, the pressure of the gas, and the standardized temperature.

16 . A method for maintenance of an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
using a standard flow rate of a mass flow controller to obtain an absolute volume of a gas in a chamber; and periodically verifying a full-scale error in a measured flow rate of the mass flow controller using the absolute volume, wherein periodically verifying the full-scale error in the measured flow rate comprises:
providing the chamber with the gas at the measured flow rate;
determining a detected flow rate of the mass flow controller based on the absolute volume; and
comparing the detected flow rate with the standard flow rate to obtain the full-scale error in the measured flow rate.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein periodically verifying the full-scale error in the measured flow rate further comprises:
determining whether or not the full-scale error is equal to or less than a threshold value; and when the full-scale error is greater than the threshold value, using the detected flow rate to calibrate the measured flow rate.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein, when the full-scale error is equal to or less than the threshold value, implementing the measured flow rate as the standard flow rate.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein periodically verifying the full-scale error in the measured flow rate further comprises:
determining a variation in pressure of the gas in the chamber; and determining a standardized temperature of the gas by dividing an absolute temperature converted from a standard temperature in centigrade by a measured temperature of the gas in the chamber, wherein the detected flow rate is obtained as a mathematical product of the absolute volume, the variation in pressure, and the standardized temperature.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the absolute volume is determined by dividing the standard flow rate by both the variation in pressure at an initial time-in-use of the mass flow controller and by the standardized temperature.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sangkil
• Yang Yusin
• Ryu Sung Yoon
• Park Q-Han
• Lee Hyun

Classifications

• G01F15/04

  of gases to be measured · CPC title

• G01F15/02

  Compensating or correcting for variations in pressure, density or temperature · CPC title

• G01F25/0038 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01F25/15

  specially adapted for gas meters (G01F25/11 - G01F25/14, G01F25/17 take precedence) · CPC title

• G05D7/0635 Primary

  by action on throttling means (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence) · CPC title