Gas supply method and gas supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020278084-A1
Application number	US-202016803467-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 27, 2020
Priority date	Feb 28, 2019
Publication date	Sep 3, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provide a gas supply method including: preparing a gas container filled with an easy-to-liquefy gas; and supplying the easy-to-liquefy gas from the gas container to a processing container in which a substrate process is performed using the easy-to-liquefy gas, via a gas supply path, wherein a pressure and a temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas are controlled such that in the gas supply path, the pressure of the easy-to-liquefy gas decreases in a step-by-step manner and the temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas increases from the gas container toward the processing container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gas supply method comprising:
preparing a gas container filled with an easy-to-liquefy gas; and supplying the easy-to-liquefy gas from the gas container to a processing container in which a substrate process is performed using the easy-to-liquefy gas, via a gas supply path, wherein a pressure and a temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas are controlled such that in the gas supply path, the pressure of the easy-to-liquefy gas decreases in a step-by-step manner and the temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas increases from the gas container toward the processing container.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure and the temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas are controlled based on a saturated vapor pressure curve of the easy-to-liquefy gas.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas is increased by dividing a region from the gas container to the processing container into a plurality of heating regions and heating each of the plurality of heating regions with a heater unit.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the pressure of the easy-to-liquefy gas is adjusted by a regulator.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the pressure and the temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas are controlled such that even when the easy-to-liquefy gas is cooled down by an adiabatic expansion caused by the regulator, a relationship between the pressure and the temperature is on a lower side of a saturated vapor pressure curve.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the easy-to-liquefy gas is a gas having a saturated vapor pressure of 100 kPa or less at a room temperature of 20 degrees C.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the easy-to-liquefy gas is an HF gas or a ClF 3 gas.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas is increased by dividing a region from the gas container to the processing container into a plurality of heating regions and heating each of the plurality of heating regions with a heater unit.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the easy-to-liquefy gas is adjusted by a regulator.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the easy-to-liquefy gas is a gas having a saturated vapor pressure of 100 kPa or less at a room temperature of 20 degrees C.

11 . A gas supply system comprising:
a gas container filled with an easy-to-liquefy gas; a gas supply path through which the easy-to-liquefy gas is supplied from the gas container to a processing container in which a substrate process is performed using the easy-to-liquefy gas; a plurality of regulators provided in the gas supply path, a plurality of heater units configured to heat a plurality of heating regions obtained by dividing the gas container and the gas supply path into plural regions; a controller configured to control the plurality of regulators and the plurality of heater units such that in the gas supply path, a pressure of the easy-to-liquefy gas decreases in a step-by-step manner and a temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas increases from the gas container toward the processing container.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller controls the pressure and the temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas based on a saturated vapor pressure curve of the easy-to-liquefy gas.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller controls the pressure and temperature of the easy-to-liquefy gas such that even when the easy-to-liquefy gas is cooled down by an adiabatic expansion caused by the plurality of regulators, a relationship between the pressure and the temperature is on a lower side of the saturated vapor pressure curve.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the easy-to-liquefy gas is a gas having a saturated vapor pressure of 100 kPa or less at a room temperature of 20 degrees C.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the easy-to-liquefy gas is an HF gas or a ClF 3 gas.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the easy-to-liquefy gas is a gas having a saturated vapor pressure of 100 kPa or less at a room temperature of 20 degrees C.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Saito Yukimasa
• FURUYA Naohiro
• Kawaguchi Shinichi

Classifications

• Y02E60/32

  Hydrogen storage · CPC title

• F17C2205/0146

  with details of the manifold · CPC title

• F17C7/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass · CPC title

• F17C2205/0323

  Valves · CPC title

• F17C2201/056

  Small (<1 m3) · CPC title