Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Limi Ted

Risako Miyoshi

Norihiko Amikura

Jun Hirose

Kazuyuki Miura

Nobukazu Ikeda

Kouji Nishino

Masaaki Nagase

Yohei Sawada

Satoru Yamashita

Norikazu Sasaki

Yasuhiro Shoji

Kimihiro Fukasawa

Shinobu Onodera

Yoshiyuki Kato

Hiroshi Yazaki

A method of obtaining the output flow rate of the flow rate controller according to an aspect is provided. The method including a first step of outputting gas whose flow rate is adjusted according to a designated set flow rate from the flow rate controller, in a state where the diaphragm mechanism is opened; a second step of adjusting the diaphragm mechanism so that the pressure in the second pipe is the target pressure value, in a state where the output of gas from the flow rate controller is continued in the first step; and a third step of obtaining the output flow rate of the flow rate controller by using a pressure value and a temperature value in the tank, after the pressure in the second pipe is set to the target pressure value in the second step.

Method of obtaining output flow rate of flow rate controller and method of processing workpiece

A substrate processing system includes a gas supply unit having a first gas flow channel. A second gas flow channel of a flow rate measurement system is connected to the first gas flow channel. The flow rate measurement system further includes a third gas flow channel connected to the second gas flow channel, and a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor that measure a pressure and a temperature, respectively, in the third gas flow channel. In a method, a flow rate of a gas output from a flow rate controller of the gas supply unit is calculated using a build-up method. The flow rate of a gas is calculated without using the total volume of the first gas flow channel and the second gas flow channel and temperatures in the first gas flow channel and the second gas flow channel.

Method of determining flow rate of a gas in a substrate processing system

A substrate processing system includes a substrate processing apparatus and a measurement apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes a gas supply unit. The gas supply unit includes a flow rate controller and a secondary valve. The secondary valve is connected to a secondary side of the flow rate controller. The secondary valve is opened when a voltage is output from a first controller of the substrate processing system through a wiring. The measurement apparatus measures the flow rate of the gas output from the flow rate controller according to the instruction from the first controller. The measurement apparatus includes a second controller. The measurement apparatus includes a relay provided on the wiring. The second controller is configured to control the relay.

Substrate processing system and method of determining flow rate of gas

Disclosed is a method of inspecting a flow rate measuring system used in a substrate processing system. The flow rate measuring system provides a gas flow path used for calculating a flow rate in a build-up method. A gas output by a flow rate controller of a gas supply unit of the substrate processing system may be supplied to the gas flow path. In the method, apart from a previously obtained initial value of a volume of the gas flow path, a volume of the gas flow path is obtained at the time of inspection of the flow rate measuring system. Then, the obtained volume is compared to the initial value.

Method of inspecting flow rate measuring system

A method includes a step of increasing or decreasing a flow rate of a gas of the a second gas supply system, by a predetermined time from a start of a gas treatment step of the process recipe or a by a predetermined time before a start of the gas treatment step, by using apparatus information regarding a first gas supply system of the first substrate treatment apparatus and the second gas supply system of the second substrate treatment apparatus, and arranging the treatment process, and in this step, the treatment process of the second substrate treatment apparatus performed using the process recipe conforms to the treatment process of the first substrate treatment apparatus performed using the process recipe.

Method of arranging treatment process

A method according to an aspect includes a first step of connecting a reference device to the other end of a connecting pipe, a second step of supplying a gas from one flow controller into piping, a third step of acquiring measured values of a first pressure gauge and a first thermometer, a fourth step of supplying a portion of the gas in piping into a tank, a fifth step of acquiring measured values of the first pressure gauge and the first thermometer or measured values of a second pressure gauge and a second thermometer, and a sixth step of using a Boyle-Charles' law to calculate a volume of the piping on the basis of the measured values acquired in the third step, the measured values acquired in the fifth step, and a volume of a closed space including a space in the tank when the third valve is closed.

Method of inspecting gas supply system, method of calibrating flow controller, and method of calibrating secondary reference device

In one embodiment, a vaporizer is connected to a chamber of a substrate processing apparatus through a gas supply line and a gas introduction port. An exhaust device is connected to the gas supply line. The substrate processing apparatus includes a pressure sensor that obtains a measurement value of a pressure of the gas supply line. A method according to the embodiment includes supplying a processing gas to the chamber from the vaporizer through the gas supply line, and monitoring a change of the measurement value obtained by the pressure sensor in a state in which supply of the processing gas to the gas supply line is stopped.

Method of inspecting gas supply system

In one embodiment, a gas supply line is connected to a chamber of a substrate processing apparatus. A vaporizer is connected to the gas supply line. A flow rate controller is connected to the gas supply line in parallel with the vaporizer through a secondary valve. A primary valve is provided on a primary side of the flow rate controller. A method of the embodiment includes supplying a processing gas to the chamber from the vaporizer through the gas supply line in a state in which the primary valve is closed, the secondary valve is opened, and an exhaust device is operated to set a pressure of the chamber to a predetermined pressure and determining a time-average value of a measurement value obtained by a pressure sensor of the flow rate controller while the supplying the processing gas is performed.

The present disclosure provides a method for inspecting a shower plate of a plasma processing apparatus. In the plasma processing apparatus, a gas ejection unit includes a shower plate. A plurality of gas ejection holes are formed on the shower plate. This method includes (i) setting a flow rate of gas output from a first flow rate controller, and (ii) acquiring a measurement value indicating a pressure in a flow path inside a second pressure control type flow rate controller by using a pressure gauge of the second flow rate controller in a state where the gas output from the first flow rate controller at the set flow rate is supplied to the gas ejection unit and branched between the first flow rate controller and the gas ejection unit so as to be supplied to the flow path inside the second flow rate controller.

Method for inspecting shower plate of plasma processing apparatus

A flow rate of a gas supplied into a processing vessel of a substrate processing apparatus is controlled according to a set flow rate of a first flow rate controller. The gas is also supplied into a second flow rate controller. When an output flow rate of the first flow rate controller is in a steady state, a first pressure measurement value of a first pressure gauge and a second pressure measurement value of a second pressure gauge of the second flow rate controller are obtained. A difference absolute value between the first pressure measurement value and a reference pressure value and a difference absolute value between the second pressure measurement value and a reference pressure value are calculated, and then, an average value of the difference absolute values is calculated. The difference absolute values and the average value are respectively compared with a first to third threshold value.

Disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus in which a main control unit is capable of managing the processing situation of an exhaust gas in an exhaust gas processing unit through a dilution controller. The exhaust gas processing unit includes a detoxifying device connected to the outlet of a vacuum pump through an exhaust pipe, a dilution gas source connected to the exhaust pipe near the outlet of the vacuum pump through a dilution gas supply pipe, an MFC and an opening/closing valve installed at the middle of the dilution gas supply pipe, a gas sensor attached to the exhaust pipe on the downstream side of an end (node N) of the dilution gas supply pipe, and a dilution controller configured to control the MFC.

Method for preventing explosion of exhaust gas in decompression processing apparatus

A gas, whose flow rate is adjusted by a flow rate controller as a measurement target, is supplied into a processing vessel in a state that a third valve of the gas supply system provided at an upstream side of the processing vessel is opened. While the gas is continuously supplied, the third valve is closed after a pressure measurement value of a pressure gauge within a flow rate controller for pressure measurement is stabilized. After the third valve is closed, an output flow rate of the flow rate controller as the measurement target is calculated from a previously known volume of the gas supply system in which the gas supplied through the flow rate controller as the measurement target is collected and a rise rate of the pressure measurement value of the pressure gauge within the flow rate controller for pressure measurement with respect to time.

Method of calculating output flow rate of flow rate controller

Disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus including a mounting table within a processing container. The mounting table includes a lower electrode. A shower head constituting an upper electrode is provided above the mounting table. A gas inlet tube is provided above the shower head. The shower head includes a plurality of downwardly opened gas ejection holes, and first and second separate gas diffusion chambers on the gas ejection holes. The first gas diffusion chamber extends along a central axis that passes through a center of the mounting table. The second gas diffusion chamber extends circumferentially around the first gas diffusion chamber. The gas inlet tube includes a cylindrical first tube wall and a cylindrical second tube wall provided outside the first tube wall, and defines a first gas inlet path inside the first tube wall, and a second gas inlet path between the first and second tube walls.

Plasma processing apparatus

It is possible to prevent processing gases from being mixed when alternately supplying the processing gases while alternately switching the processing gases and to suppressed a transient phenomenon more efficiently as compared to conventional cases. When supplying at least two kinds of processing gases (e.g., a CFgas and a CFgas) into a processing chamber while alternately switching the at least two kinds of processing gases during a plasma process on a wafer, the supply of each processing gas can be alternately turned on and off by alternately setting an instruction flow rate of a mass flow controller to be a predetermined flow rate and a zero flow rate while a downstream opening/closing valve provided at a downstream side of the mass flow controller is open.

Plasma processing apparatus and gas supply method therefor

An exhausting method includes determining an exhaust flow rate of a process gas to be a predetermined value that is less than or equal to a gas flow rate corresponding to a maximum process capability of a purification system when the process gas is diluted to a lower explosive limit; calculating a pressure drop amount per unit time to maintain the determined exhaust flow rate of the process gas, based on a relation between the exhaust flow rate and the pressure drop amount per unit time; and evacuating an inside of the chamber to maintain the determined exhaust flow rate, while controlling the pressure through an automatic pressure control valve by setting a target pressure value to be updated as a control value of the automatic pressure control valve at every predetermined time interval so as to achieve a calculated pressure drop amount per unit time.

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Miyagi, Japan

Risako Miyoshi