Lam Research Corporation

Eashwar Ranganathan

Shankar Swaminathan

Ramesh Chandrasekharan

Frank Loren Pasquale

Chloe Baldasseroni

Tuan Anh Nguyen

Adrien Lavoie

Jennifer Leigh Petraglia

Karl Frederick Leeser

Purushottam Kumar

Hu Kang

David Charles Smith

Jun Qian

Mohamed Sabri

Adrien LaVoie

Andrew Duvall

Jeremiah Baldwin

Jeongseok Ha

Ingi Bae

Heather Landis

Methods and apparatus for use of a fill on demand ampoule are disclosed. The fill on demand ampoule may refill an ampoule with precursor concurrent with the performance of other deposition processes. The fill on demand may keep the level of precursor within the ampoule at a relatively constant level. The level may be calculated to result in an optimum head volume. The fill on demand may also keep the precursor at a temperature near that of an optimum precursor temperature. The fill on demand may occur during parts of the deposition process where the agitation of the precursor due to the filling of the ampoule with the precursor minimally effects the substrate deposition. Substrate throughput may be increased through the use of fill on demand.

Fill on demand ampoule refill

A vapor delivery system includes an ampoule to store liquid precursor and a heater to partially vaporize the liquid precursor. A first valve communicates with a push gas source and the ampoule. A second valve supplies vaporized precursor to a heated injection manifold. A valve manifold includes a first node in fluid communication with an outlet of the heated injection manifold, a third valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the first node and an outlet in fluid communication with vacuum, a fourth valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the first node and an outlet in fluid communication with a second node, a fifth valve having an outlet in fluid communication with the second node, and a sixth valve having an outlet in fluid communication with the second node. A gas distribution device is in fluid communication with the second node.

Systems and methods for vapor delivery in a substrate processing system

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Tigard, OR, United States of America

Eashwar Ranganathan