Applied Materials, Inc.

Ashley M Okada

Ming Xu

Marcel E Josephson

Kevin M Brashear

Zhiyuan Ye

Jaidev Rajaram

Dennis L Demars

Kenneth Le

Michael Robert Rice

Sanjeev Baluja

Joseph F AuBuchon

Sushant Suresh Koshti

Srikanth Krishnamurthy

Justin Hough

Alexander Fernandez

Vijay D Parkhe

Michael D Willwerth

Dean C Hruzek

Michael C Kutney

Yen-Kun Victor Wang

Benjamin Schwarz

Yuanhong Guo

Changgong Wang

Jeffrey Ludwig

Arvinder Manmohan Singh Chadha

Ramachandra Murthy Gunturi

Alex J Tom

Raechel Chu-Hui Tan

Atilla Kilicarslan

Duc Dang Buckius

Aditi Mithun

Sai Padhy

Robert A Medure

Disclosed are implementations for minimizing substrate contamination during pressure changes in substrate processing systems. Over a duration of a pressure change (increase or decrease) in a chamber of a substrate processing system, a flow rate is adjusted multiple times to reduce occurrence of contaminant particles in an environment of the chamber. In some instances, the flow rate is changed continuously using at least one dynamic valve that enable continuous control over the pressure dynamics of the chamber.

Prevention of contamination of substrates during pressure changes in processing systems

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a sensor assembly including a substrate, a housing, and a sensor die. In certain embodiments, the substrate includes an outer region, an inner region, and a middle region between the outer region and the inner region. In certain embodiments, the substrate includes electrical contact pads on at least the inner region. In certain embodiments, the housing is coupled to the substrate at the middle region or the outer region to provide a hermetic seal. In certain embodiments, the sensor die is coupled to the substrate at the inner region via the electrical contact pads. The sensor die is aligned to the substrate via aligning features that align the sensor die relative to the substrate in at least one of a first plane or a second plane.

Packaging for a sensor and methods of manufacturing thereof

A flow ratio controller (FRC) valve includes a displacement device configured to control fluid flow through the FRC valve, a displacement sensor coupled to the displacement device, and a processing device. The processing device is to: identify an input signal indicative of a first setpoint to preposition the displacement device for a process of a recipe; commence, based on the input signal, adjustment of physical displacement of the displacement device; determine, based on a feedback signal received from the displacement sensor during the adjustment, whether the physical displacement of the displacement device matches the first setpoint; and responsive to determining that the physical displacement of the displacement device matches the first setpoint, stop the adjustment of the physical displacement of the displacement device.

Piezo position control flow ratio control

A master controller identifies a flow ratio setpoint for at least one of a process gas or a carrier gas flow to a process chamber through a set of mass flow controllers. The master controller determines a flow setpoint for the at least one of the process gas or the carrier gas through the set of mass flow controllers based on the identified flow ratio setpoint. The master controller controls the at least one of the process gas flow or the carrier gas flow through each of the set of mass flow controllers according to the determined flow setpoint for each of the set of mass flow controllers and based on a back pressure reading provided by a back pressure sensor.

Methods and assemblies for gas flow ratio control

A gas distribution apparatus is provided having a first reservoir with a first upstream end and a first downstream end and a second reservoir with a second upstream end and a second downstream end. A reservoir switch valve is in fluid communication with the first downstream end of the first reservoir and the second downstream end of the second reservoir. The reservoir switch valve operable to selectively couple the first reservoir to an outlet of the reservoir switch valve when in a first state, and couple the second reservoir to the outlet of the reservoir switch valve when in a second state. A plurality of proportional flow control valves are provided having inlets coupled in parallel to the outlet of the reservoir switch valve The plurality of proportional flow control valves have outlets configured to provide gas to a processing chamber.

Fast gas exchange apparatus, system, and method

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a sensor assembly, methods of manufacturing the same, and methods of using the same. In one embodiment, a sensor assembly comprises a substrate comprising an outer region, an inner region, and a middle region positioned between the outer region and the inner region, the substrate further comprising electrical contact pads on at least the inner region. The sensor assembly further comprises a housing coupled to the substrate at the outer region or at the middle region to form a hermetic seal. The sensor assembly further comprises a sensor device coupled to the substrate, via the electrical contact pads, at the inner region. In certain embodiments, the sensor assembly further comprises a conformal coating deposited on at least a portion of the sensor assembly.

Packaging design for a flow sensor and methods of manufacturing thereof

A method and system for monitoring and detecting a gas leak in a gas stick assembly is provided. The method includes measuring a pressure in a mass flow controller of the gas stick assembly at different time points and determining whether there is a difference in pressure at the different time points that exceeds a difference threshold.

Leak detection for gas sticks

A master controller determines a first flow setpoint for a process flow gas and/or a carrier gas flow through a first mass flow controller. The master controller obtains a back pressure setpoint of a distribution manifold and determines a second flow setpoint for the process gas flow and/or the carrier gas flow through a second mass flow controller or a back pressure controller based on the determined first flow setpoint and the obtained back pressure setpoint. The master controller controls the process gas flow and/or the carrier gas flow through the first mass flow controller to the first flow setpoint and the second mass flow controller and/or the back pressure controller to the second flow setpoint. The master controller controls the back pressure of the distribution manifold to the back pressure set point in view of a back pressure reading from a back pressure sensor of the distribution manifold.

A method includes receiving, for a first pipe, first pressure values corresponding to first valve positions of a first valve coupled to the first pipe. The method further includes receiving, for a second pipe routed in parallel with the first pipe, second pressure values corresponding to second valve positions of a second valve coupled to the second pipe. The method further includes generating a fluid conductance map based on the first valve positions, the first pressure values, the second valve positions, and the second pressure values. The method further includes causing, by a processing device based on a recipe and the fluid conductance map, the first valve to be in a first valve position and the second valve to be in a second valve position for a process of the recipe.

A manufacturing system includes a processing chamber, an gas supply, and a mass flow control apparatus coupled to the gas supply and the processing chamber. The mass flow control apparatus includes a flow restriction element configured to restrict a flow rate of a gas, a bypass flow element configured to control the flow rate of the gas in parallel to the flow restriction element, and a pressure regulator configured to control a pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the flow restriction element and/or a pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the flow restriction element. The manufacturing system further includes a controller that is configured to flow gas from the gas supply to the processing chamber via the mass flow control apparatus in view of a first pressure setting. The controller further determines to modify the flow of the gas from a first flow rate associated with the first pressure setting to a second flow rate. The controller further determines a second pressure setting associated with the second flow rate and causes the pressure regulator to modify the pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the flow restriction element and/or the pressure regulator and the bypass flow element in view of the second pressure setting.

Pressure regulated flow controller

Gas distribution apparatus to provide uniform flows of gases from a single source to multiple processing chambers are described. A regulator is positioned at an upstream end of a shared volume having a plurality of downstream ends. A flow controller is positioned at each downstream end of the shared volume, the flow controller comprising an orifice and a fast pulsing valve. Methods of using the gas distribution apparatus and calibrating the flow controllers are also described.

Gas-pulsing-based shared precursor distribution system and methods of use

Mass flow verification systems and apparatus may verify mass flow rates of mass flow controllers (MFCs) based on choked flow principles. These systems and apparatus may include a plurality of differently-sized flow restrictors coupled in parallel. A wide range of flow rates may be verified via selection of a flow path through one of the flow restrictors based on an MFC's set point. Mass flow rates may be determined via pressure and temperature measurements upstream of the flow restrictors under choked flow conditions. Methods of verifying a mass flow rate based on choked flow principles are also provided, as are other aspects.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for mass flow verification based on choked flow

In embodiments, a process gas supply provides a carrier gas and one or more process gases to a distribution manifold. A back pressure sensor senses back pressure in the distribution manifold and provides a signal to the first controller based at least in part on the back pressure. The first controller determines a back pressure set point based at least in part on the signal. One or more mass flow controllers control the flow of the gas mixture comprising the carrier gas and the one or more process gases into one or more zones of the process chamber. An upstream pressure controller fluidly and operatively connected to the distribution manifold controls flow of the carrier gas based on the back pressure set point.

Methods and apparatus for a flow ratio controller are provided herein. In some embodiments, a flow ratio controller includes an inlet; a plurality of channels extending from the inlet to a corresponding plurality of outlets; a bypass pipe extending from each channel of the plurality of channels that diverts a small portion of a flow from that channel and then returns the small portion of the flow back to that channel; and a thermal mass flow meter coupled to the bypass pipe having a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a heating element disposed therebetween. A controller is configured to determine a flow rate through each of the plurality of channels based on a measured temperature difference between the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Ashley M Okada