Applied Materials, Inc.

Kenneth Le

Ming Xu

Ashley M Okada

Michael Robert Rice

Sanjeev Baluja

Joseph F AuBuchon

Sushant Suresh Koshti

Marcel E Josephson

Kevin M Brashear

Alexander Fernandez

Dean C Hruzek

Mariusch Gregor

Yen-Kun Victor Wang

Abhijit Ashok Kangude

Balarabe Mohammed

Yuanhong Guo

Elizabeth Neville

Changgong Wang

Arun Chakravarthy Chakravarthy

Sohrab Zokaei

Syed A Alam

Alex J Tom

Raechel Chu-Hui Tan

Chahal Neema

Kurt R Langeland

Atilla Kilicarslan

Vishal S Jamakhandi

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

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

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a lid plate. The systems may include a gas splitter seated on the lid plate. The gas splitter may define a plurality of gas inlets and gas outlets. A number of gas outlets may be greater than a number of gas inlets. The systems may include a plurality of valve blocks that are interfaced with the gas splitter. Each valve block may define a number of gas lumens. An inlet of each of the gas lumens may be in fluid communication with one of the gas outlets. An interface between the gas splitter and each of the valve blocks may include a choke. The systems may include a plurality of output manifolds seated on the lid plate. The systems may include a plurality of output weldments that may couple an outlet of one of the gas lumens with one of the output manifolds.

Gas delivery system for a shared gas delivery architecture

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

A diaphragm valve includes an inlet port, an outlet port, and a valve seat proximate one of the inlet port or the outlet port. A diaphragm is positioned relative to the valve seat and has an open state wherein the diaphragm is spaced from the valve seat to enable a fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port. The diaphragm has a closed state wherein the diaphragm is seated on the valve seat to block the fluid path. A coupling member is coupled between the diaphragm and a reciprocatable member and configured to maintain the diaphragm in the open state while the reciprocatable member is in the opened position. The coupling member may have a clearance gap relative to the reciprocatable member when the reciprocatable member is in the closed position. Other diaphragm valves and methods of operating diaphragm valves are also disclosed.

Diaphragm valves and methods of operating same

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for controlling a flow rate of a gas including a flow restriction element configured to restrict a flow rate of a gas; a pressure regulator coupled to an inlet of the flow restriction element, wherein the pressure regulator is configured to control a pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the flow restriction element; a flow meter coupled to an outlet of the flow restriction element, wherein the flow meter is configured to measure the flow rate of the gas at an outlet of the flow restriction element; and a controller operatively coupled to the pressure regulator and the flow meter, wherein the controller is to receive a measurement of the flow rate by the flow meter, determine a pressure setting associated with a target flow rate, and cause the pressure regulator to have the pressure setting.

Methods and apparatus for reducing the power consumption of a pump are provided herein. In some embodiments, a pump power consumption reduction system for use in a substrate processing system may include a vacuum chamber having an exhaust port; a valve; a first pump having a pump inlet port coupled to the exhaust port via the valve and a pump exhaust port to couple the first pump to an exhaust handling system; and a second pump coupled to the pump exhaust port to selectively reduce an exhaust pressure of the first pump.

Pump power consumption enhancement

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Kenneth Le