Methods and apparatus for providing a gas mixture to a pair of process chambers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9587789-B2
Application number	US-201314091942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Apr 30, 2010
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for supplying a gas mixture to a load lock chamber is described. In one embodiment, the apparatus supplies a gas mixture to a pair of process chambers, comprising a first ozone generator to provide a first gas mixture to a first process chamber, a second ozone generator to provide a second gas mixture to a second process chamber, a first gas source coupled to the first ozone generator via a first mass flow controller and a first gas line, and coupled to the second ozone generator via a second mass flow controller and a second gas line, and a second gas source coupled to the first ozone generator via a third mass flow controller and a third gas line and coupled to the second ozone generator via fourth mass flow controller and a fourth gas line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for supplying a gas mixture to a pair of process chambers, comprising:
providing a first gas comprising oxygen from a first gas source to a first ozone generator via a first mass flow controller and to a second ozone generator via a second mass flow controller;
while providing the first gas, providing a second gas comprising nitrogen from a second gas source to the first ozone generator via a third mass flow controller and to the second ozone generator via a fourth mass flow controller;
forming a first ozone containing gas mixture in the first ozone generator and a second ozone containing gas mixture in the second ozone generator, wherein a composition of the first ozone containing gas mixture and a composition of the second ozone containing gas mixture are independently controllable; and
providing the first ozone containing gas mixture to a first process chamber and the second ozone containing gas mixture to a second process chamber, wherein the first and second process chambers are coupled to a common processing platform.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gas is oxygen gas (O 2 ).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second gas is nitrogen gas (N 2 ).

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the first gas and the second gas to the first ozone generator via a common inlet to the first ozone generator, wherein the first gas and the second gas join together into the common inlet downstream of the first mass flow controller and the third mass flow controller; and
providing the first gas and the second gas to the second ozone generator via a common inlet to the second ozone generator, wherein the first gas and the second gas join together into the common inlet downstream of the second mass flow controller and the fourth mass flow controller.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first ozone generator and the second ozone generator are disposed in a common ozone rack coupled between the first and second gas sources and the first and second process chambers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second process chambers are load lock chambers.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first process chamber and the second process chamber are each coupled to a central transfer chamber having a plurality of process chambers coupled thereto to process substrates therein.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
processing a substrate in one of the plurality of process chambers; and
subsequently transferring the substrate to the first process chamber, wherein the substrate is disposed within the first process chamber for at least a portion of time while the first ozone containing gas mixture is provided to the first process chamber.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
processing a first substrate and a second substrate in one or more of the plurality of process chambers; and
subsequently transferring the first substrate to the first process chamber and the second substrate to the second process chamber, wherein the first substrate is disposed within the first process chamber for at least a first portion of time while the first ozone containing gas mixture is provided to the first process chamber, and wherein the second substrate is disposed within the second process chamber for at least a second portion of time while the second ozone containing gas mixture is provided to the second process chamber.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first substrate is disposed in the first process chamber for a first period of time and the second substrate is disposed in the second process chamber for a second period of time, and wherein the first and second periods of time overlap.

11. A method for supplying a gas mixture to a pair of process chambers, comprising:
providing a first gas comprising oxygen gas (O 2 ) from a first gas source to a first ozone generator via a first mass flow controller and to a second ozone generator via a second mass flow controller;
while providing the first gas, providing a second gas comprising nitrogen gas (N 2 ) from a second gas source to the first ozone generator via a third mass flow controller and to the second ozone generator via a fourth mass flow controller;
forming a first ozone containing gas mixture in the first ozone generator and a second ozone containing gas mixture in the second ozone generator, wherein a composition of the first ozone containing gas mixture and a composition of the second ozone containing gas mixture are independently controllable; and
providing the first ozone containing gas mixture to a first process chamber and the second ozone containing gas mixture to a second process chamber, wherein the first and second process chambers are coupled to a common processing platform, and wherein a flow rate of the first ozone containing gas mixture and a flow rate of the second ozone containing gas mixture are independently controllable.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing the first gas and the second gas to the first ozone generator via a common inlet to the first ozone generator, wherein the first gas and the second gas join together into the common inlet downstream of the first mass flow controller and the third mass flow controller; and
providing the first gas and the second gas to the second ozone generator via a common inlet to the second ozone generator, wherein the first gas and the second gas join together into the common inlet downstream of the second mass flow controller and the fourth mass flow controller.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first ozone generator and the second ozone generator are disposed in a common ozone rack coupled between the first and second gas sources and the first and second process chambers.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and second process chambers are load lock chambers.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first process chamber and the second process chamber are each coupled to a central transfer chamber having a plurality of process chambers coupled thereto to process substrates therein.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
processing a substrate in one of the plurality of process chambers; and
subsequently transferring the substrate to the first process chamber, wherein the substrate is disposed within the first process chamber for at least a portion of time while the first ozone containing gas mixture is provided to the first process chamber.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
processing a first substrate and a second substrate in one or more of the plurality of process chambers; and
subsequently transferring the first substrate to the first process chamber and the second substrate to the second process chamber, wherein the first substrate is disposed within the first process chamber for at least a first portion of time while the first ozone containing gas mixture is provided to the first process chamber, and wherein the second substrate is disposed within the second process chamber for at least a second portion of time while the second ozone containing gas mixture is provided to the second process chamber.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing an abatement process on a substrate disposed within the first process chamber while providing the first ozone containing gas mixture.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jared Ahmad
• Salinas Martin Jeffrey
• Gold Ezra Robert
• Cruse James P

Classifications

• H10P72/0466

  characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P70/273

  the processing being a delineation of conductive layers, e.g. by RIE · CPC title

• Y10T137/877

  With flow control means for branched passages · CPC title

• H01J37/32899

  Multiple chambers, e.g. cluster tools · CPC title