Ichor Systems, Inc.

Other

Reno Technologies, Inc.

Patti J Mudd

Daniel Thomas Mudd

Sean Joseph Penley

Michael Maeder

Marshall B Grill

Norman L Batchelor, Ii

Zachariah Ezekiel McIntyre

Matthew Eric Kovacic

Christopher Bryant Davis

Tyler James Wright

A gas flow control system for delivering a plurality of gas flows. The gas flow control system has a gas flow path extending from a gas inlet to first and second gas outlets. First and second flow restrictors are operably coupled to the gas flow path. First and second valves are operably coupled to the gas flow path such that when both first and second valves are in a fully open state, flows of gas from the first and second gas outlets are split according to the impedances of the first and second flow restrictors.

Flow control system, method, and apparatus

In one embodiment, a method for delivering a gas at a predetermined rate includes providing a gas flow control apparatus comprising a gas flow path extending from a gas inlet to a gas outlet, a proportional valve coupled to the gas flow path, an on/off valve coupled to the gas flow path, a volume being defined between the proportional valve and the on/off valve, and a flow restrictor having a flow impedance located downstream of the proportional valve. The volume is pressurized with the gas to a target set point by opening the proportional valve while the on/off valve is in an off state. Finally, the on/off valve is moved to the on state, delivering gas to the gas outlet.

Apparatuses for controlling gas flow are important components for delivering process gases for semiconductor fabrication. In one embodiment, a gas flow control system for achieving improved transient response in apparatuses for controlling gas flow is disclosed. Specifically, by providing a command to an apparatus to deliver a predetermined mass flow rate at a future turn on time, the apparatus is able to pre-pressurize a P1 volume so that the response time of the apparatus is no longer dependent on the speed of the apparatus's control valves and the limitations of the control loop.

Method of achieving improved transient response in apparatus for controlling flow and system for accomplishing same

A mass flow control apparatus having a monolithic base. The monolithic base has a gas inlet, a gas outlet, a first flow component mounting region, a second flow component mounting region, and a third flow component mounting region. The first flow component mounting region has a first inlet port and a first outlet port, the first inlet port being fluidly coupled to the gas inlet of the monolithic base. The third flow component mounting region has a first sensing port fluidly coupled to the gas outlet of the monolithic base.

A flow node includes characterized restrictor in series and adjacent with a valve to provide a primary flow restriction with a minimized volume between the two. A conductance of the characterized restrictor is low enough relative to the valve seat to cause a pressure drop that is sufficiently large relative to the pressure drop across the valve seat that a pressure measurement device is located upstream of the valve is used to determine the pressure to the inlet of the restrictor. A vent can be included to reduce bleed time. Multiple flow nodes in parallel increase a dynamic range.

Controlled delivery of process gas using a remote pressure measurement device

In one embodiment, a system for controlling the delivery of process gas has a first mass flow device and a pressure transducer. The first mass flow device has a substrate block with an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit. A proportional valve having a first valve body is mounted to the substrate block and fluidly connected to the inlet conduit. A characterized restrictor is fluidly connected to the proportional valve and the outlet conduit.

Apparatuses for controlling gas flow are important components for delivering process gases for semiconductor fabrication. In one embodiment, a method of achieving improved transient response in apparatuses for controlling gas flow is disclosed. Specifically, by providing a command to the apparatus to deliver a predetermined mass flow rate at a future turn on time, the apparatus is able to pre-pressurize a P1 volume so that the response time of the apparatus is no longer dependent on the speed of the apparatus's control valves and the limitations of the control loop.

A gas flow control showerhead with integrated characterized restrictions for a gas delivery system. An input distribution disk with a plurality of inputs is fluidly coupled to a plurality of conduits each conduit exhausting a process gas to the input distribution disk from a controllable pressure regulator in a gas box. A plurality of restriction flow paths is formed by one or more stacked triples of plenum disks, restriction disks, and outlet diffuser disks that are grouped with each group providing a pressure drop used in control of a mass flow rate of a process gas. Each outlet diffuser disk having a plurality of outputs distributed around different locations of the outlet diffuser disks exhausting the process gases for application to a wafer being processed within a process chamber at designated mass flow rates.

Flow control showerhead with integrated flow restrictors for improved gas delivery to a semiconductor process

A mass flow meter utilizes both positive and negative slopes of operating curves for first and second thermal sensors for a wider dynamic range. First and second interfaces receive first and second signal readings from first and second thermal sensors. A selection module identifies a zone from the first and second output signals and determines an assigned thermal sensor for the zone from the zone table, regardless of whether the thermal sensor output signals from a positive or negative slope of an operating curve.

Wider dynamic accuracy range for gas delivery devices

In one embodiment, a control apparatus for delivery of a process gas includes an inlet conduit; a valve operably coupled to the inlet conduit and alterable between an open condition and a closed condition, the valve having a first conductance and being downstream of the inlet conduit; a characterized restrictor operably coupled to the valve, the characterized restrictor having a second conductance and being downstream of the valve; and an outlet conduit operably coupled to the characterized restrictor and being downstream of the characterized restrictor; wherein a ratio of the first conductance to the second conductance is 10:1 or higher.

A mass flow controller (MFC) has a standard envelope with an enclosure and a corresponding base. A pressure transducer is communicatively coupled to a process gas in a proportional inlet valve without being physically coupled to the base. The space formerly occupied by the pressure transducer is available for additional component integration, or reduction of the standard envelope size. A second pressure transducer is located remotely and shared by multiple MFCs. A relief valve can quickly relieve a Ppressure of a Pvolume of process gas. A first laminar flow element (LFE) and a second LFE and in series high conductance valve configured in parallel to produce a wide-range MFC that maintains accuracy.

Pressure based mass flow controller

A wave generation component during an off cycle when the on-off valve is closed to build pressure from the process gas in an accumulation volume. During an on cycle when the on-off valve is open the wave generation component releases the process gas according to a time constant. A flow restrictor installed downstream in a throat of the on-off valve, outputs the rapid square waves to the conduit at a predefined magnitude. The flow restrictor is selected to have an impedance that is high enough to significantly raise the time constant during the on cycle such that pressure decay in each square wave pulse over the on cycle decreases to within a tolerance, wherein the time constant is at least in part a function of the flow restrictor impedance.

Gas delivery system for outputting fast square waves of process gas during semiconductor processing

A flow node includes characterized restrictor in series and adjacent with the valve seat to provide a primary flow restriction with a minimized volume between the two. A conductance of the characterized restrictor is low enough relative to the valve seat to cause a pressure drop that is sufficiently large relative to the pressure drop across the valve seat that a pressure measurement device is located upstream of the valve seat and poppet assembly is used to determine the pressure to the inlet of the restrictor. A vent can be included to reduce bleed time. Multiple flow nodes in parallel increase a dynamic range.

Flow node to deliver process gas using a remote pressure measurement device

A low flow injector controls remote delivery of low flows of gas. A higher flow carrier gas is provided by an MFC to a conduit. A remote flow restrictor is located to exhaust a critical process gas directly into the conduit. An electronic regulator controls a pressure of the critical gas responsive to a pressure point received from a controller corresponding to a desired mass flow. Also, a large flow restrictor vents the critical process gas.

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Reno, NV, United States of America

Patti J Mudd