Injection flange assemblies, semiconductor processing systems, and chamber arrangements including injection flange assemblies, and related methods of making injection flange assemblies and controlling fluid flow

Abstract

An injection flange assembly comprises a flange body having a first face having a recess and a second face separated by a thickness. A side slit extends through the thickness to join the faces. A fluid channel within the thickness fluidically connects the recess to the edge of the flange body, and the edge connects the first face and the second face. First and second threaded openings are defined within the first face, the first opening separates the edge from the second opening, and the second opening separates the first opening from the recess. The recess fluidly connects the fluid channel to the side slit. A semiconductor processing system and chamber arrangement comprising the injection flange assembly, a method of manufacturing the assembly, and a flow control method are also described.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to fluid systems, and more specifically to controlling fluid flow in fluid systems. Background Technology

[0002] In fluid systems, such as gas transfer systems, flow control devices are commonly used to control fluid flow within the system. Flow control devices typically include structures sized and dimensioned to impart desired flow characteristics, such as distribution and mass flow, to the fluid flowing through the system. In some fluid systems, the performance of a flow control device may change over time, for example, due to erosion of the structures sized and dimensioned to control fluid flow within the system and / or forces applied to the flow control structures. In such fluid systems, it may be necessary to shut down the fluid system to restore the performance of the flow control device to a desired state, such as by refurbishing or replacing the flow control structures. Shutting down the fluid system can consequently limit the system's uptime and / or increase ownership costs.

[0003] These systems and methods were generally suitable for their intended purposes. However, there remains a need for injection flange assemblies, semiconductor processing systems and chamber devices including injection flange assemblies, and methods for manufacturing injection flange assemblies and controlling fluid flow. The present disclosure provides a solution to this need.

[0004] An injection flange assembly is provided. The injection flange assembly comprises a flange body having a first surface and a second surface separated by a thickness. One or more recesses are defined within the first surface of the flange body. A lateral slit of the flange body extends through the thickness of the flange body and connects the first surface of the flange body and the second surface of the flange body. One or more fluid channels are defined within the thickness of the flange body and fluidly connect one or more recesses defined within the first surface of the flange body to the edge of the flange body. One or more first threaded openings and one or more second threaded openings are defined within the first surface of the flange body, one or more first threaded openings separate the edge from the second threaded openings, and one or more second threaded openings separate one or more first threaded openings from one or more recesses and / or the lateral slit of the flange body defined within the first surface of the flange body.

[0005] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include one or more conduits and one or more connecting pipes. One or more conduits may be connected to the edges of the flange body. One or more connecting pipes may be connected to one or more conduits. One or more connecting pipes may be fluidly connected to a lateral slit of the flange body through one or more recesses, one or more fluid channels, and one or more fluid channels confined within the flange body.

[0006] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include one or more first mass flow controller (MFC) devices and one or more second MFC devices. One or more first MFC devices may be connected to one or more connecting pipes. One or more second MFC devices may also be connected to one or more connecting pipes. One or more connecting pipes may be configured to mix a first fluid (e.g., a first gas) supplied by one or more first MFC devices with a second fluid (e.g., a second gas) supplied by one or more second MFC devices. One or more connecting pipes may mix the first fluid with the second fluid (at least partially) outside the flange body and then transfer the mixed first fluid and second fluid to one or more recesses defined within a first surface of the flange body.

[0007] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include a first fluid source and a second fluid source. The first fluid source may be connected to one or more connecting pipes, for example, through one or more first MFC devices. The first fluid source may be configured to deliver a first fluid to one or more connecting pipes and thereby to one or more recesses defined within a first surface of the plate body. The second fluid source may also be connected to one or more connecting pipes, for example, through a second MFC device. The second fluid source may be configured to deliver a second fluid to one or more connecting pipes. One or more connecting pipes may be configured to mix the second fluid with the first fluid and then deliver the first fluid and the second fluid to one or more recesses defined within the first surface of the flange body.

[0008] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include a plate body and one or more fastening mechanisms. The plate body may be in contact with a first face of the flange body. The plate body may extend further around a lateral slit of the flange body connecting the first face and the second face of the flange body. One or more fastening mechanisms may extend through the plate body. One or more fastening mechanisms may be mounted by screw connection to one or more first threaded openings confined within the first face of the plate body. One or more fastening mechanisms may press-fix the plate body to the first face of the flange body.

[0009] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include that one or more first threaded openings may be one of a plurality of first threaded openings. The plurality of first threaded openings may be laterally distributed on a first face of the flange body. The plurality of first threaded openings may separate the edge of the plate body from a flange lateral slit connecting the first face of the flange body and the second face of the flange body.

[0010] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include a second threaded opening being one of a plurality of second threaded openings and one or more fastening mechanisms being one of a plurality of fastening mechanisms. A plurality of fastening mechanisms may be mounted on one of the corresponding second threaded openings and may transmit the load of a gate valve suspended therefrom to the flange body without applying a bending moment to the plate body in contact with the flange body.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include one or more recesses having a triangular shape. The triangular shape may include a vertex, a base, a first side, and a second side. The vertex may be adjacent to a second face of the flange body. The base may be adjacent to a first face of the flange body. The first side and the second side may connect the base of the triangular shape and the vertex of the triangular shape.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of the injection flange assembly may include a fluid channel intersecting a recess at a fluid channel outlet. The fluid channel outlet may be spaced apart from the vertex of the triangular shape defined by the recess. The fluid channel outlet may be spaced apart from the base of the triangular shape defined by the recess.

[0013] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include a triangular shape further comprising a vertex arc-shaped side connecting a first side and a second side. The first base-side arc-shaped side connects the first side and the base of the triangular shape defined by a concave portion. The second base-side side-shaped side may connect the second side and the base of the triangular shape defined by a concave portion.

[0014] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include a recess being one of a plurality of recesses limited within a first face of a plate body. The plurality of recesses may be laterally distributed between the first face edge and the second face edge of the flange body, for example, such that the plurality of recesses separate the flange body lateral slit from the first threaded opening.

[0015] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include a concave portion not being limited within a second face of the flange body between a lateral slit of the flange body and an edge of the flange body. The second face may have a continuous and uninterrupted planar contour between a lateral slot of the flange body and an edge.

[0016] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of injection flange assemblies may include one or more threaded members and a gate valve. One or more threaded members may be mounted in one or more second threaded openings. The gate valve may be suspended from one or more threaded members and thereby suspended from the flange body of the injection flange assembly.

[0017] A chamber device is provided. The chamber device comprises a chamber body, a substrate support, and an injection flange assembly as described above. The chamber body has an injection end and an exhaust end, and the exhaust end of the chamber body is located longitudinally opposite to the injection end of the chamber body. The substrate support is supported within the chamber body so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation between the injection end and the exhaust end of the chamber body. The injection flange assembly contacts the injection end of the chamber body and includes a plate body, a fastening mechanism, a threaded member, and a gate valve. The plate body contacts a first face of the flange body and extends around a lateral slit of the flange body that extends through the thickness of the flange body. The fastening mechanism extends through the plate body and is mounted in a first threaded opening, and the fastening mechanism presses and secures the plate body to the first face of the plate body. The threaded member extends through the plate body and is mounted in a second threaded opening. The gate valve is suspended from the threaded member and is thereby directly supported by the flange body.

[0018] A semiconductor processing system is provided. The semiconductor processing system comprises an injection flange assembly as described above, a chamber body, a substrate support, a process fluid source, and a controller. The chamber body has an injection end and an exhaust end located longitudinally opposite thereto. The substrate support is disposed inside the chamber body. The injection flange assembly contacts the injection end of the chamber body and is separated from the exhaust end of the chamber body by the substrate support. The process fluid source contains a process fluid and is connected to the injection flange assembly. The controller is operably connected to the process fluid source and, in response to a command recorded in memory, uses the process fluid source to deliver the process fluid to a fluid channel, causes the process fluid to flow through the fluid channel into a recess, and discharges the process fluid from the recess into a lateral slit of the flange body to deposit a material layer on a substrate mounted on the substrate support.

[0019] A method for manufacturing an injection flange assembly is provided. The method comprises the steps of: defining a flange body lateral slit within a flange body, wherein the lateral slit extends through the thickness of the flange body and the flange body lateral slit connects a first surface of the flange body and a second surface of the flange body, and the second surface of the flange body is separated from the first surface of the flange body by the thickness of the flange body; defining a recess on the first surface of the flange body; defining a first threaded opening on the first surface of the flange body; defining a second threaded opening at a specific location on the first surface of the flange body, wherein the location is a position where the first threaded opening separates the edge of the flange body from the second threaded opening and the second threaded opening separates the first threaded opening from the recess. The method includes the step of forming a flange body by defining a fluid channel within the thickness of the flange body, wherein the fluid channel connects the edge of the flange body to a concave portion defined within the first surface of the flange body and the edge connects the first surface of the flange body to the second surface of the flange body, thereby fluidly connecting the fluid channel to a lateral slit of the flange body that extends through the thickness of the flange body.

[0020] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of the method may include the steps of connecting a first fluid conduit, having a connecting pipe disposed along the first fluid conduit, to the edge of a flange body so that the first fluid conduit is fluidly connected to a fluid channel, and connecting a second fluid conduit to the connecting pipe so that the second fluid conduit is fluidly connected to a fluid channel.

[0021] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of the method may include a step of defining a concave portion further comprising a step of defining a concave portion having a triangular shape, wherein the triangular shape comprises a vertex adjacent to a second face of the flange body and a base adjacent to a first face of the flange body.

[0022] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of the method may include the step of fixing a plate body to a flange body having a plate body lateral slit extending through the plate body, a fastening mechanism opening extending through the plate body, and a through hole extending through the plate body; the step of aligning the plate body lateral slit to the flange body lateral slit, wherein the fastening mechanism opening is aligned with a first threaded opening and the through hole is aligned with a second threaded opening; and the step of mounting a fastening mechanism by screw connection through a first threaded opening limited within a first surface of the flange body and through a fastening mechanism opening limited within the plate body.

[0023] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of the method may include the step of fixing a gate valve to a flange body, wherein the gate valve comprises a gate valve body that defines a gate valve lateral slit penetrating the gate valve. The step of fixing the gate valve to the flange body may further include the steps of inserting a threaded member into a through hole defined within a plate body, mounting the threaded member by screw connection into a second threaded opening of the flange body, mounting a clamp member by screw connection to the threaded member, aligning the gate valve lateral slit with the flange body lateral slit, and introducing the threaded member into the second threaded opening so that the clamp member compresses and fixes the gate valve against the plate body and the load of the gate valve is directly supported by the flange body.

[0024] A flow rate control method is provided. The method comprises, in an injection flange assembly as described above, the steps of delivering a process fluid to a fluid channel, flowing the process fluid through the fluid channel into a recess, and releasing the process fluid from the recess into a lateral slit of the flange body.

[0025] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of a flow control method may include a process fluid comprising a silicon-containing material layer precursor and a dopant-containing material layer precursor. The method may further include the step of mixing the dopant-containing material layer precursor with the silicon-containing material layer precursor before delivering the process fluid to a fluid channel.

[0026] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, additional examples of the flow rate control method may include the step of depositing a material layer on a substrate using a process fluid. By controlling the fluid velocity deviation using the shape of a recess limited within a first surface of the flange body, either (or both) of the film thickness deviation across the entire substrate and / or the dopant concentration deviation across the entire substrate can be limited.

[0027] The content of the present invention is provided to introduce selected concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are described in more detail in the following detailed description of the examples of the present disclosure. The content of the present invention is not intended to distinguish the principal or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0028] The following description should not be construed as limiting in any way. Refer to the attached drawings, similar elements are assigned the same number. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing system including a chamber device having an injection flange assembly according to the present disclosure, schematically illustrating a chamber device connecting a fluid supply source and an exhaust source. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a chamber device and a controller included in the semiconductor processing system of FIG. 1 according to an example of the present disclosure, schematically illustrating both the elements of the chamber device and the elements of the controller. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the fluid source and injection flange assembly of FIG. 1 according to an example of the present disclosure, schematically illustrating a mass flow controller (MFC) device that connects a plurality of fluid sources to the injection flange assembly. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the injection flange assembly of FIG. 1 according to an example of the present disclosure, schematically illustrating a plate body according to an example of the present disclosure, a gate valve disassembled from the plate body, a plurality of fastening mechanisms, and a plurality of threaded members. FIG. 5 is an end view of a flange body included in an injection flange assembly of FIG. 1 according to an example of the present disclosure, schematically illustrating a recess and a threaded opening laterally distributed between the edge of the flange body and the flange body inside a chamber body included in a chamber device. FIG. 6 is an end view of a plate body included in an injection flange assembly of FIG. 1 according to an example of the present disclosure, schematically illustrating a fastening mechanism opening and a threaded member penetration portion limited between the edge of the plate body and a lateral slit of the plate body. FIG. 7 is an end view of a gate valve included in an injection flange assembly according to one example of the present disclosure, schematically illustrating a mounting flange spanning the gate valve lateral slit of the gate valve to secure the gate valve to the flange body. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the injection flange assembly of FIG. 1 according to an example of the present disclosure, schematically illustrating a threaded member that cooperates with the flange body to directly support the load of the gate valve. FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the injection flange assembly of FIG. 1 according to an example of the present disclosure, schematically illustrating a concave portion within the surface of the flange body that is bounded by the plate body of the injection flange assembly. FIG. 10 is a partial side cross-sectional view of the injection flange assembly of FIG. 1 according to an example of the present disclosure, schematically illustrating fluid introduced into the recess from a fluid channel outlet discharged from a port limited between the plate body and the flange body according to the shape of the recess and the contour of the plate body. FIG. 11 is a chart showing a comparison of the fluid velocity discharged from the port of the injection flange assembly of FIG. 1 and the port of another injection flange assembly, illustrating the velocity deviation of the fluid discharged from the port of the injection flange assembly. FIGS. 12 to 15 are block diagrams of a method for manufacturing an injection flange assembly and a method for controlling fluid flow according to an example of the present disclosure, describing steps of the method according to non-limiting examples of the method. It should be understood that the elements of the drawings are depicted in a simplified and clear manner and are not necessarily depicted in actual proportion. For example, the relative sizes of some elements within the drawings may be exaggerated compared to other elements to aid in understanding exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0029] Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein similar reference numbers identify similar structural features or aspects of the present disclosure. For the purposes of illustration and not limitation, a partial view of an injection flange assembly according to the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1 and is denoted collectively by reference number 100. Other examples of an injection flange assembly according to the present disclosure, a chamber device, and a semiconductor processing system comprising the injection flange assembly, and related methods for manufacturing the injection flange assembly and methods for controlling fluid flow or aspects thereof are provided in FIG. 2 through 15, as described below. The systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used to control process fluids introduced into a chamber device for a semiconductor processing system, such as in a semiconductor processing system used to deposit a silicon-containing material layer on a substrate using epitaxial deposition technology, but the present disclosure is not limited to any specific type of material layer or general semiconductor processing systems.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, a semiconductor processing system (200) including an injection flange assembly (100) according to one example of the present disclosure is illustrated. In the illustrated example, the semiconductor processing system (200) includes a fluid source (300), a chamber device (400), an exhaust source (500), and a controller (600). The fluid source (300) includes a process fluid (302) and is connected to the chamber device (400) by a process fluid supply conduit (304), and is configured to deliver the process fluid (302) to the chamber device (400) through the process fluid supply conduit (304). The chamber device (400) includes an injection flange assembly (100) and is configured to contact the substrate (10) under conditions selected such that a material layer (12) is deposited on the substrate (10) supported inside the chamber device (400), e.g., temperature and / or pressure, and mass flow rate of the process fluid (302) introduced into the chamber device (400).

[0031] An exhaust source (500) is connected to a chamber device (400) by an exhaust conduit (502) and is configured to deliver exhaust fluid (402) discharged from the chamber device (400) to an external environment (504) outside the semiconductor processing system (200). In this regard, the exhaust source (500) is considered to include one or more of a vacuum pump (506) and a removal device (508), wherein the vacuum pump (506) is configured to maintain a preset deposition pressure inside the chamber device (400), and the removal device (508) is configured to remove residual process fluid and / or reaction byproducts from the exhaust fluid (402) before the exhaust fluid (402) is delivered to the external environment (504). In a specific example, the preset deposition pressure may be a preset atmospheric deposition pressure. The preset atmospheric deposition pressure may be, for example, about 760 Torr to about 700 Torr. According to a specific example, the preset deposition pressure may be a preset reduced pressure deposition pressure. The preset reduced pressure deposition pressure can be, for example, about 700 Torr to about 0.1 Torr.

[0032] A controller (600) is considered to be operably connected to one or more of a fluid source (300), a chamber device (400), and an exhaust source (500) to control the deposition of a material layer (12) on a substrate (10). In this regard, the semiconductor processing system (200) may include a wired or wireless link (202). The wired or wireless link (202) may again connect the controller (600) to one or more of the fluid source (300), the chamber device (400), and / or the exhaust source (500). Although the semiconductor processing system (200) is illustrated and described herein as being configured for material layer deposition, it should be understood and recognized that the semiconductor processing system (200) may alternatively (or additionally) be configured for material removal, and that this falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0033] As used herein, the term “substrate” may refer to any underlying material(s) that can be deformed or on which an element, circuit, or film can be formed. The substrate may be continuous or discontinuous; rigid or flexible; non-porous or porous; and combinations thereof. The substrate may be in any form, such as (but not limited to) powder, plate, or workpiece. A substrate in the form of a plate may include wafers of various shapes and sizes, for example, a 300-millimeter wafer. The substrate may be formed from semiconductor materials, for example, silicon (Si), silicon germanium (SiGe), silicon oxide (SiO2), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), and silicon carbide (SiC). The substrate may include a pattern or be patternless, for example, a so-called blanket-type substrate. As an example, a substrate in the form of a powder may be applied in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The porous substrate may comprise one or more polymers. Examples of workpieces may include medical devices (e.g., stents and syringes), jewelry, tooling devices, components for battery manufacturing (e.g., anodes, cathodes, or separators), or components of solar cells. The continuous substrate may extend beyond the boundaries of the process chamber where the deposition process takes place. In some processes, the continuous substrate may move through the process chamber so that the process continues until the end of the substrate is reached. The continuous substrate may be supplied from a continuous substrate supply system to manufacture and produce the continuous substrate in any suitable form. Non-limiting examples of the continuous substrate may include sheets, nonwoven films, rolls, foils, webs, flexible materials, continuous filaments, or bundles of fibers (e.g., ceramic fibers or polymer fibers). The continuous substrate may also comprise a carrier or sheet upon which one or more discontinuous substrates are mounted.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 2, a chamber device (400) and a controller (600) according to an example of the present disclosure are illustrated. In the illustrated example, the chamber device (400) has a single substrate cross-flow structure (404) and includes an injection flange assembly (100), a chamber body (406), an exhaust flange (408), an upper heater element array (410), and a lower heater element array (412). The chamber body (406) is formed of a transparent material (414) (e.g., a ceramic material transparent to electromagnetic radiation in the infrared wavelength range) and is considered to have an injection end (416) and an exhaust end (418) longitudinally opposite to the injection end (416). The injection flange assembly (100) contacts the injection end (416) of the chamber body (406) and connects a supply conduit to the interior (420) of the chamber body (406). The exhaust flange (408) contacts the exhaust end (418) of the chamber body (406) and connects the chamber body (406) to the exhaust conduit (502). Non-limiting examples of suitable permeable materials (414) include quartz, fused silica, and sapphire. Although the chamber body (406) is generally depicted and described as having a planar shape, it should be understood and recognized that the chamber body (406) may have an arc-shaped or dome-shaped shape and / or may have a plurality of outer ribs extending laterally around the outer surface of the chamber body (406) and spaced longitudinally from each other between the injection end (416) and the exhaust end (418) of the chamber body (406).

[0035] The chamber device (400) is considered to include a process kit (422). In the illustrated example, the process kit (422) includes a splitter (424), a substrate support (426) (e.g., a susceptor), a support member (428), and a shaft member (430). The splitter (424) is fixed to the interior (420) of the chamber body (406) and is formed of a non-transparent material (432) (e.g., a material that is non-transparent to electromagnetic radiation within the infrared wavelength range) and divides the interior (420) of the chamber body (406) into an upper chamber (434) and a lower chamber (436). The splitter (424) further defines a splitter opening (438) that penetrates it, and the splitter opening (438) again connects the upper chamber (434) of the chamber body (406) and the lower chamber (436) of the chamber body (406). Specific examples of the impermeable material (432) may include bulk carbonaceous materials that may or may not have a ceramic coating. Non-limiting examples of suitable carbonaceous materials include graphite and pyrolytic carbon. Non-limiting examples of suitable ceramic materials include silicon carbide. The divider (424) is also considered to be formed from a bulk ceramic material such as silicon carbide as a non-limiting example.

[0036] The substrate support (426) may be formed of a non-transparent material (e.g., non-transparent material 432), disposed at least partially within the splitter opening (438), and configured to support the substrate (10) while depositing a material layer (12) on the substrate (10). The substrate support (426) may be supported to be rotatable (R) about a rotation axis (440) and configured to rotate the substrate (10) about the rotation axis (440) while depositing a material layer (12) on the substrate (10). The support member (428) is formed of a transparent material (e.g., transparent material (414)), disposed within the lower chamber (436) of the chamber body (406) along the rotation axis (440), fixed to the substrate support (426) about the rotation axis (440), and fixed even when rotated (R). The shaft member (430) may also be formed of a permeable material (e.g., permeable material (414)), is positioned along the rotation axis (440), is fixed when rotated (R) about the rotation axis (440) with respect to the support member (428), and extends within the lower chamber (436) and through the lower wall of the chamber body (406). The shaft member (430) is considered to operably connect the substrate support (426) to the lift and rotate module (442) via the support member (428). The lift and rotate module (442) is also considered to be further configured to rotate the substrate support (426) about the rotation axis (440) and to mount / detach the substrate (10) to / from the substrate support (426) using, for example, a lift pin actuator and a lift pin device. Examples of suitable lift pin actuators and lift pin devices include those shown and described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024 / 0112946 A1 filed September 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0037] An upper heater element array (410) is supported over a chamber body (406) and configured to heat a substrate (10) using electromagnetic radiation within the infrared wavelength range. In this regard, the upper heater element array (410) is considered to be configured to heat the substrate (10) to a preset material layer deposition temperature, for example, a preset material layer deposition temperature of about 200°C to about 1300°C. In the illustrated example, the upper heater element array (410) includes a plurality of filament-type linear lamps (444). The plurality of filament-type linear lamps (444) extend longitudinally upward over the chamber body (406) between the injection end (416) and the exhaust end (418) of the chamber body (406). Each of the plurality of filament-type linear lamps (444) may again be laterally spaced apart from each other between side walls opposite the lateral side of the chamber body (406) and may be substantially parallel to each other.

[0038] The lower heater element array (412) is similar to the upper heater element array (410) and is additionally supported on the lower side of the chamber body (406) and may further include a plurality of lower filament-type linear lamps (446). Each of the plurality of lower filament-type linear lamps (446) may be spaced longitudinally apart from one another between the injection end (416) and the exhaust end (418) of the chamber body (406), substantially orthogonal to the plurality of upper filament-type linear lamps (444), and substantially parallel to one another. Although the upper and lower heater element arrays are depicted and described herein as both including filament-type linear lamps, it should be understood and recognized that either (or both) of the upper heater element array (410) and the lower heater element array (412) may include bulk-type lamps and / or other types of heater elements, which fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0039] As also illustrated in FIG. 2, the controller (600) may include a device interface (602), a processor (604), a user interface (606), and a memory (608). The device interface (602) connects the processor (604) to a wired or wireless link (202) and thereby connects to one or more of a fluid source (300) (illustrated in FIG. 1), a chamber device (400), and an exhaust source (500) (illustrated in FIG. 1). The processor (604) is operably connected to the user interface (606) to, for example, provide user output and / or receive user input therefrom, and is configured to communicate with the memory (608). The memory (608) is considered to comprise a non-transient machine-readable medium on which a plurality of program modules (610) are recorded, which cause the processor (604) to execute a specific action when read by the processor (604). As described, among the steps is a method for depositing a material layer (800) (illustrated in FIG. 15). Although it is illustrated and described herein as having a specific architecture, the controller (600) may have other architectures, such as a distributed computing architecture in other examples of the present disclosure, and it should be understood and recognized that this falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 3, a fluid source (300) and an injection flange assembly (100) according to one example of the present disclosure are illustrated. In the illustrated example, the fluid source (300) includes a first fluid source (306), a second fluid source (308), a third fluid source (310), and a fourth fluid source (312). The first fluid source (306) may include one or more silicon-containing material layer precursors (314). The first fluid source (306) may also be connected to a chamber device (400) (illustrated in FIG. 1) via a first fluid source mass flow controller (MFC) device (316) and a process fluid supply conduit (304), and the first fluid source MFC device (316) is again operably connected to a controller (600) (illustrated in FIG. 1). The first fluid source (306) is considered to be further configured to deliver a flow of silicon-containing material layer precursor (314) into the interior (420) (illustrated in FIG. 2) of the chamber body (406) (illustrated in FIG. 2) through the injection flange assembly (100). In this regard, the first fluid source (306) may be configured to deliver the silicon-containing material layer precursor (314) to the chamber device (400) as a gas, for example, as a flow composed of gas (or essentially composed of gas). Examples of suitable first fluid source MFC devices include the 5850 EM Series MFC device available for purchase from Brooks Instrument, LLC, Hatfield, Pennsylvania.

[0041] In certain examples, one or more silicon-containing material layer precursors (314) may comprise a silicon-containing chlorinated material layer precursor. Non-limiting examples of suitable silicon-containing chlorinated material layer precursors include dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2), trichlorosilane (SiHCl3), and silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4). According to certain examples, one or more silicon-containing material layer precursors (314) may comprise a silicon-containing non-chlorinated material layer precursor. Non-limiting examples of suitable silicon-containing material layer precursors include silane (SiH4), disilane (Si2H6), and trisilane (Si3H8). As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of this disclosure, higher-order silicon-containing chlorinated material layer precursors and / or silicon-containing non-chlorinated material layer precursors may be used in a semiconductor processing system (200), which falls within the scope of this disclosure.

[0042] The second fluid source (308) may be similar to the first fluid source (306) and additionally includes a dopant-containing material layer precursor (318). The second fluid source (308) is additionally connected to the chamber device (400) (shown in FIG. 1) by a process fluid supply conduit (304) connected to the second fluid source MFC device (320) and the injection flange assembly (100), and the second fluid source MFC device (320) is again operably connected to the controller (600) (shown in FIG. 1). The second fluid source (308) is configured to deliver the dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) and is considered to be configured to deliver a flow of the dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) to the chamber device (400).

[0043] In a specific example, the dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) may include an n-type dopant such as phosphorus (P) and / or arsenic (As) and, as a non-limiting example, may be delivered using a flow of arsine (AsH3) and / or phosphine (PH3). According to a specific example, the dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) may include a p-type dopant such as boron (B) and, as a non-limiting example, may include a dopant-containing material layer precursor such as diborane (B2H6). Additionally, the dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) may include carbon (C) and / or tin (Sn) and, as a non-limiting example, may be delivered using methylsilane (H3SiCH3) and / or tin tetrachloride (SnCl4). Additionally, the second fluid source (308) may include, as a non-limiting example, an alloy component such as germanium (Ge) delivered using germanium (GeH4) and / or germanium tetrachloride (GeCl4), which is considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0044] The third fluid source (310) and the fourth fluid source (312) may also be similar to the first fluid source (306) and may each additionally include an etchant-containing fluid (322) (e.g., an etchant mixed with a carrier fluid) and a carrier / purge fluid (324). In this regard, the third fluid source (310) may be connected to a chamber device (400) (shown in FIG. 1) through an injection flange assembly (100) by means of one or more third fluid source MFC devices (326) and one or more process fluid supply conduits (304). One or more third fluid source MFC devices (326) may be operably connected to a controller (600) (shown in FIG. 1), and the third fluid source (310) is configured to deliver a flow of the etchant-containing fluid (322) to the chamber device (400) through the injection flange assembly (100). The fourth fluid source (312) may be connected to the chamber device (400) (shown in FIG. 1) through the injection flange assembly (100) by means of one or more fourth fluid source MFC devices (328) and one or more process fluid supply conduits (304). One or more fourth fluid source MFC devices (328) may be additionally operably connected to a controller (600) (shown in FIG. 1) and may be configured, for example, to independently and / or mixed with one or more of a silicon-containing material layer precursor (314), a dopant-containing material layer precursor (318), and an etchant-containing fluid (322) to deliver a transport / purge fluid (324) to the chamber device (400) through the injection flange assembly (100). In a particular example, the etchant-containing fluid (322) may include a halide-containing material. Non-limiting examples of suitable halides include fluorine (F) and chlorine (Cl) containing materials such as chlorine trifluoride (ClF3), hydrogen chloride (HCl) acid, and chlorine (Cl2) gas. According to certain examples, the carrier / purge fluid (324) may include hydrogen (H2) gas or an inert gas.Non-limiting examples of suitable inert gases include nitrogen (N2) gas as well as noble gases such as argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), and helium (He).

[0045] Referring to FIG. 4 and continuing to FIG. 3, the injection flange assembly (100) comprises a flange body (102), a plate body (104), a gate valve (106), a fastening mechanism (108), a threaded member (110), and a clamp member (112). As illustrated and described herein, the injection flange assembly (100) also comprises a first fluid conduit (114), a second fluid conduit (116), a third fluid conduit (118), a connecting pipe (120), a first MFC device (122), a second MFC device (124), and a third MFC device (126). The plate body (104) contacts the flange body (102) and is fixed to the flange body by the fastening mechanism (108). The gate valve (106) is in contact with the plate body (104), separated from the flange body (102) by the plate body (104), and is suspended from the threaded member (110), which extends through the plate body (104) and is mounted to the flange body (102) by a screw connection. The clamp member (112) is mounted to the threaded member (110) on the opposite side of the flange body (102) and presses the gate valve (106) against the plate body (104). In the illustrated example, the fastening mechanism (108) is one of a plurality of fastening mechanisms (108) that join the plate body (104) and the flange body (102), the threaded member (110) is one of a plurality of threaded members (110) to which the gate valve (106) is suspended, and the clamp member (112) is one of a plurality of clamp members (112) that press the gate valve (106) against the plate body (104). Although a specific number of fastening mechanisms (108), threaded members (110), and clamp members (112) are illustrated, it should be understood and recognized that in other examples, fewer or more fastening mechanisms (108), threaded members (110), and / or clamp members (112) may be included in the injection flange assembly (100), and this falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0046] The first fluid conduit (114) connects the first MFC device (122) to the flange body (102), and the first MFC device (122) then connects the second fluid source (308) to the first fluid conduit (114) and through it to the flange body (102). A connecting pipe (120) is arranged along a first fluid conduit (114) to mix a first fluid (e.g., a silicon-containing material layer precursor (314) supplied from a first MFC device (122)) and a second fluid (e.g., a dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) supplied from a second MFC device (124)) and then deliver them to a recess (186) (shown in FIG. 4) limited to a first surface (130) of a flange body (102), and a second fluid conduit (116) is considered to connect a second MFC device (124) to a flange body (102) through the connecting pipe (120), and the second MFC device (124) is considered to connect a first fluid source (306) to a flange body (102). The third fluid conduit (118) connects the third MFC device (126) to the flange body (102), and the third MFC device (126) further connects the first fluid source (306) to the flange body (102). In the illustrated example, the first fluid conduit (114) is one of one or more first fluid conduits (114), the second fluid conduit (116) is one of one or more second fluid conduits (116), and the third fluid conduit (118) is one of more third fluid conduits (118); the first MFC device (122) is one of more first MFC devices (122), the second MFC device (124) is one of more second MFC devices (124), and the third MFC device (126) is one of more third MFC devices (126); The connecting pipe (120) is one of a plurality of connecting pipes (120). In the illustrated example, a specific number of each element is illustrated, but in other examples of the injection flange assembly (100), a different number of elements may be used, and it should be understood and recognized that this falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 5 and continuing to FIG. 4, a flange body (102) according to one example of the present disclosure is shown. The flange body (102) is formed from a flange body material (128) (shown in FIG. 8), and a first surface (130) and a second surface (132) are separated by a thickness (158) (shown in FIG. 4) of the flange body (102). The second surface (132) is configured to form a boundary of the interior (420) (illustrated in FIG. 2) of the chamber body (406) (illustrated in FIG. 2), and the first surface (130) is configured to have a plate body (104) (illustrated in FIG. 3) mounted thereon, and the first surface (130) and the second surface (132) are considered to define a flange body lateral slit (136) that penetrates between them and connects the first surface (130) of the flange body (102) and the second surface (132) of the flange body (102). In this regard, the second surface (132) may be generally flat and may extend continuously without interruption between the flange body lateral slit (136) and the edge (138) of the flange body (102), and the first surface (130) defines the first threaded opening (140) and the second threaded opening (142) within the plate body sheet (144), and the flange body lateral slit (136) is considered to have a size and dimension through which the substrate (10) (shown in FIG. 1) can be transported. In a specific example, the flange body material (128) may include (or be composed of, or essentially be composed of) a stainless steel material. According to a specific example, the flange body material (128) may be a stainless steel material with a low copper content, which limits the possibility of copper (Cu) being incorporated into the substrate (10) and / or the material layer (12) (shown in FIG. 1).

[0048] In a specific example, the flange body (102) may have a generally rectangular shape. In this regard, the edge (138) may be a first longitudinal edge (138), and the flange body (102) may have a second longitudinal edge (146), a first lateral edge (148), and a second lateral edge (150). The first longitudinal edge (138) may be separated from the second longitudinal edge (146) by a flange body lateral slit (136) and connected thereto by the first lateral edge (148) and the second lateral edge (150). The second longitudinal edge (146) may be substantially parallel to the first longitudinal edge (138). The second longitudinal edge (146) may be substantially orthogonal to either (or both) the first lateral edge (148) and the second lateral edge (150) of the flange body (102). The second lateral edge (150) of the flange body (102) is considered to be substantially parallel to the first lateral edge (148) of the flange body (102). Although it has been illustrated and described herein as having a substantially rectangular shape, in other examples the flange body (102) may have other shapes, such as polygons and / or arcs, and it should be understood and recognized that this falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0049] In a specific example, the second surface (132) of the flange body (102) may have a substantially flat contour. In this regard, the second surface (132) is considered to be substantially flat (e.g., continuous and uninterrupted) between the flange body lateral slit (136) and the first longitudinal edge (138). Additionally, in this regard, the second surface (132) of the flange body (102) is also considered to be substantially flat (e.g., continuous and uninterrupted) between the flange body lateral slit (136) and the second longitudinal edge (146). According to a specific example, the first surface (130) of the flange body (102) may contain a plate body sealing member sheet (151) within it. The plate body sealing member sheet (151) may extend around the flange body lateral slit (136) and may be fitted with a flange body-plate body sealing member (153) (shown in FIG. 8) therein. As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of this disclosure, the use of the flange body-plate body sealing member (153) allows the flange body (102) to be formed with a relatively relaxed flatness tolerance, thereby simplifying the fabrication of the injection flange assembly (100) (shown in FIG. 1) and / or reducing costs.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 6 and continuing to refer to FIG. 4, a plate body (104) according to an example of the present disclosure is illustrated. The plate body (104) is formed from a plate body material (152) (illustrated in FIG. 8), and is considered to have a first surface (154) and a second surface (156) separated by the thickness (158) (illustrated in FIG. 4) of the plate body (104). Additionally, the plate body (104) is considered to have a plate body fastening mechanism opening (160), a through hole (162), and a plate body lateral slit (164) that extends through the thickness (158) of the plate body (104) and connects the first surface (154) of the plate body (104) and the second surface (156) of the plate body (104). The plate body fastening mechanism opening (160) is configured to receive, through it, a fastening mechanism (108) for fixing the plate body (104) to the flange body (102) when the plate body (104) is aligned with the flange body (102) (shown in FIG. 3). In this regard, the plate body fastening mechanism opening (160) is configured to contain a head portion seat (131) within it, and the head portion seat (131) is configured to be formed at a selected depth such that the head of the fastening mechanism (108) (shown in FIG. 3) is recessed below the first surface (154) of the plate body (104). As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, by recessing the head of the fastening mechanism (108), the gate valve (106) (shown in FIG. 3) can be embedded in the plate body (104), making it easier to seal the lateral slit (164) of the plate body from the external environment (504) (shown in FIG. 1) outside the injection flange assembly (100). Additionally, it is considered that the manufacturing of the plate body (104) can be simplified because there are no threads in the opening (160) of the fastening mechanism of the plate body.In a specific example, the fastening mechanism (108) may be fixed within the plate body fastening mechanism opening (160) to simplify the assembly and / or maintenance of the injection flange assembly (100), which falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] The through hole (162) is configured to receive the threaded member (110) through it when the plate body (104) is aligned with the flange body (102). In this regard, the flange body (102) is of the same size and dimension as the plate body seat (144) (shown in FIG. 5), so that when the plate body (104) is received in the plate body seat (144), the plate body fastening mechanism opening (160) is aligned with the first threaded opening (140) limited within the first surface (130) of the flange body (102) to fix the plate body (104) to the flange body (102), and the through hole (162) is aligned with the second threaded opening (142) limited within the first surface (130) of the flange body (102) to directly support the gate valve (106) to the flange body (102) while limiting (or eliminating) the bending moment M (shown in FIG. 8) applied to the plate body (104), and the substrate (10) (shown in FIG. 1) It is considered that the plate body lateral slit (164) (shown in FIG. 3) is aligned with the flange body lateral slit (136) so that it can be transported through the plate body (104) and the flange body (102). In a specific example, the through hole (162) may be threadless to simplify the fabrication of the plate body (104). According to a specific example, a threaded member (110) (shown in FIG. 3) may be secured within the through hole (162), which may also simplify the assembly and / or maintenance of the injection flange assembly (100) (shown in FIG. 1).

[0052] In certain examples, the plate body material (152) may include (or be composed of, or essentially composed of) a stainless steel material. Non-limiting examples of suitable stainless steel materials include 308 stainless steel, 310 stainless steel, and 318 stainless steel. According to certain examples, the plate body material (152) may differ in composition from the flange body material (128). In this regard, the plate body material (152) is considered to have a different heat transfer coefficient from the flange body material (128). For example, the flange body material (128) may include stainless steel, and the plate body material (152) may, as a non-limiting example, be Hastelloy. ® It may include (or be composed of, or essentially composed of) a nickel-based material such as. As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, this may simplify the injection flange assembly (100) by limiting heat transfer between the flange body (102) and the gate valve (106), thereby limiting (or eliminating) the need to cool either (or both) the flange body (102) and the gate valve (106) separately.

[0053] In a specific example, the plate body fastening mechanism opening (160) may be one of a plurality of plate body fastening mechanism openings (160) limited within the plate body (104), and the plurality of plate body fastening mechanism openings (160) correspond to the number and spacing of a plurality of first threaded openings (166) limited within the first surface (130) of the flange body (102). The through hole (162) may be one of a plurality of through holes (162) limited within the plate body (104), and the plurality of through holes (162) are considered to correspond to the number and spacing of a plurality of second threaded openings (168) limited within the first surface (130) of the flange body (102). Although the present invention has been illustrated and described as having a specific number of plate body fastening mechanism openings (160) and through holes (162), in other examples, the plate body (104) may have a different number of plate body fastening mechanism openings (160) and through holes (162), and it should be understood and recognized that this falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 7 and continuing to FIG. 4, a gate valve (106) according to one example of the present disclosure is illustrated. In the illustrated example, the gate valve (106) includes a gate valve body (172), a gate (174), and a gate actuator (176). The gate valve body (172) has a first surface (178) and a second surface (180), and a gate valve lateral slit (182) is defined to connect the first surface (178) of the gate valve body (172) and the second surface (180) of the gate valve body (172) by penetrating the gate valve lateral slit, and a flange portion (184) is provided that protrudes laterally across the gate valve body (172), and the flange portion is configured to accommodate a clamp member (112) thereon to fix the gate valve (106) to the flange body (102) with the plate body (104) pressed and fixed between them.

[0055] The gate (174) is housed within the gate valve body (172) and has a first position in which the gate valve lateral slit (182) is opened so that the substrate (10) (shown in FIG. 1) can be transported through the gate valve (106) (shown in FIG. 1), and a second position in which the gate (174) seals the gate valve lateral slit (182) so that the atmosphere inside (420) (shown in FIG. 2) is separated from the external environment (504) (shown in FIG. 1) outside the chamber body (406) (shown in FIG. 2) by the gate (174). A gate actuator (176) is operably connected to the gate (174) and is configured to move the gate (174) between the first position and the second position as needed during the operation of the semiconductor processing system. In a specific example, the gate valve body (172) may be formed from a stainless steel material (e.g., composed of stainless steel or essentially composed of it). Non-limiting examples of suitable stainless steel materials include stainless steel materials with low copper content, such as 308 stainless steel, 310 stainless steel, and 316 stainless steel. Examples of suitable gate valves include the V74 series rectangular gate valve available for purchase from Kurt J. Lesker Company in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania.

[0056] Referring to FIGS. 8 through 11 and continuing to FIG. 3, an injection flange assembly (100) according to one example of the present disclosure is illustrated. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the flange body (102) defines a recess (186), a fluid channel (188), and an injection port (190) within it. The recess (186) is considered to be one of a plurality of recesses (186) defined within a first surface (130) of the flange body (102), for example, a first recess (186A) (illustrated in FIG. 5) and a second recess (186B) (illustrated in FIG. 5). Additionally, the fluid channel (188) is considered to be one of a plurality of fluid channels (188) limited within a thickness (158) (shown in FIG. 4), for example, a first fluid channel (188A) (shown in FIG. 5) and a second fluid channel (188B) (shown in FIG. 5). Additionally, the injection port (190) may be one of a plurality of injection ports (190), for example, a first injection port (190A) and a second injection port (190B) (Fig. 9), and each injection port is considered to fluidly connect one of the plurality of fluid channels (188) to a flange body lateral slit (136) through one of the plurality of recesses (186) limited within a first surface (130) of the flange body (102).

[0057] The first concave portion (186A) is considered to be confined within the first surface (130) of the flange body (102) and bounded by the second surface (156) of the plate body (104). The first concave portion (186A) is fluidly connected to the edge (138) of the flange body (102) by the first fluid channel (188A), bounded by the second surface (156) of the plate body (104), and fluidly connected to the flange body lateral slit (136) by the first injection port (190A). The first fluid channel (188A) is confined within the thickness (158) of the flange body (102) and extends between the first recess (186A) and the edge (138), and may be substantially orthogonal to either (or both) the flange body lateral slit (136) and the edge (138) of the flange body (102). Additionally, the second recess (186B) and the second fluid channel (188B) are each similar to the first recess (186A) and the first fluid channel (188A), additionally spaced laterally from the first recess (186A) and the first fluid channel (188A), and are considered to be additionally connected to the flange body lateral slit (136) by a second injection port (190B). In this regard, the second concave portion (186B) is confined within the first surface (130) of the flange body (102) and fluidly connected to the edge (138) of the flange body (102) by the second fluid channel (188B), and additionally fluidly connected to the flange body lateral slit (136) by the second injection port (190B) when the plate body (104) is fixed to the flange body (102).In the illustrated example, the first recess (186A) is one of four first recesses (186A) confined within the first surface (130) of the flange body (102), the second recess (186B) is one of three second recesses (186B) confined within the first surface (130) of the flange body (102), and the first fluid channel (188A) and the second fluid channel (188B) are two of seven fluid channels (188) confined within the thickness (158) of the flange body (102). As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, the flange body (102) may have fewer or more recesses and fluid channels in other examples, which fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0058] Referring further to FIG. 3, the injection flange assembly (100) may include a plurality of fluid supply headers (192), for example, a first fluid supply header (192A) and a second fluid supply header (192B). In the illustrated example, the first fluid supply header (192A) connects (e.g., fluid connection) a first fluid source (306) to the flange body (102) through a first fluid conduit (114) via a first MFC device (122). As illustrated and described herein, the first fluid supply header (192A) also connects a first fluid source (306) to the flange body (102) through a third fluid conduit (118) and a third MFC device (126). The second fluid supply header (192B) connects the second fluid source (308) to the flange body (102) (e.g., fluid connection) through the second fluid conduit (116) and the second MFC device (124), and the second fluid conduit (116) is again considered to be connected to the flange body (102) through the connecting pipe (120). Additionally, the connecting pipe (120) is arranged along the first fluid conduit (114), and the connecting pipe (120) is again considered to connect both the first MFC device (122) and the second MFC device (124) to the flange body (102) (e.g., fluid connection). In a specific example, the first fluid source (306) can deliver a silicon-containing material layer precursor (314) mixed with a dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) from both (a) the second fluid source (308) (e.g., through the connecting pipe (120)) and (b) the third fluid conduit (118) to the flange body lateral slit (136). As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of this disclosure, the dopant concentration throughout the substrate can be controlled while limiting (or substantially eliminating) cross-interference with the material layer thickness profile throughout the substrate by delivering the dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) only through the third MFC device (126) while delivering the silicon-containing material layer precursor (314).

[0059] In a specific example, the third fluid source (310) may be connected to the flange body (102) through either (or both) the first fluid supply header (192A) and the second fluid supply header (192B). In this regard, the third fluid source (310) is considered capable of delivering an etchant-containing fluid (322) to the flange body lateral slit (136). Delivering the etchant-containing fluid (322) to the flange body lateral slit (136) may be accomplished through one or more of the first fluid conduit (114), the second fluid conduit (116), and the third fluid conduit (118). The delivery of the etchant-containing fluid (322) to the flange body lateral slit (136) may be further accomplished through the first fluid channel (188A) and the second fluid channel (188B), and through the first recess (186A) and the second recess (186B). As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, the etchant-containing fluid (322) may be introduced into the interior (420) (illustrated in FIG. 2) of the chamber body (406) (illustrated in FIG. 2) to selectively deposit a material layer (12) on the substrate (10) and / or etch a structure inside the chamber body (406) by delivering the etchant-containing fluid (322) to the flange body lateral slit (136).

[0060] In a specific example, the fourth fluid source (312) may be connected to the flange body (102) through either (or both) the first fluid supply header (192A) and the second fluid supply header (192B), so that the fourth fluid source (312) may deliver the transport / purge fluid (324) to the flange body lateral slit (136). In this regard, it is considered that the transport / purge fluid (324) may be mixed with either (or both) the silicon-containing material layer precursor (314) and the dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) and delivered to the flange body lateral slit (136). Additionally, in this regard, it is also considered that the transport / purge fluid (324) may be mixed with the etchant-containing fluid (322) or delivered to the flange body lateral slit (136) independently of the one or more process fluids mentioned above. As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, by mixing the transport / purge fluid (324) with either (or both) of the silicon-containing material layer precursor (314) and / or the dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) and delivering it to the flange body lateral slit (136), the mass flow rate can be controlled independently of the volume of fluid delivered to the interior (420) of the chamber body (406), as well as the interior (420) of the chamber body (406) can be purged using the transport / purge fluid (324) in a manner suitable for the mode of the semiconductor processing system (200) (shown in FIG. 1).

[0061] In a specific example, the first fluid conduit (114) may be one of a plurality of first fluid conduits (114), the second fluid conduit (116) may be one of a plurality of second fluid conduits (116), and the third fluid conduit (118) may be one of a plurality of third fluid conduits (118). In this example, a plurality of first fluid conduits (114) may connect a first fluid supply header (192A) to a flange body (102), a plurality of second fluid conduits (116) may connect a second fluid supply header (192B) to a flange body (102) through a plurality of connecting pipes (120) individually arranged along each of the plurality of first fluid conduits (114), and a plurality of third fluid conduits (118) may connect a second fluid supply header (192B) to a flange body (102). In this example, the first MFC device (122) may be one of a plurality of first MFC devices (122), the second MFC device may be one of a plurality of second MFC devices (124), and the third MFC device may be one of a plurality of third MFC devices (126). Individual devices among the plurality of first MFC devices (122) may be arranged along each of a plurality of first fluid conduits (114), individual devices among the plurality of second MFC devices (124) may be arranged along each of a plurality of second fluid conduits (116), and individual devices among the plurality of third MFC devices (126) may be arranged along each of a plurality of third fluid conduits (118).

[0062] In the illustrated example, the injection flange assembly (100) includes four first fluid conduits (114) and three third fluid conduits (118) that respectively connect a first fluid source (306) to the flange body (102) through a second fluid supply header (192B). As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, this provides the ability to adjust the thickness of the material layer over the entire substrate (e.g., uniformity of the thickness of the material layer (12) over the entire substrate) by controlling the lateral mass flow rate of a silicon-containing material layer precursor (314) introduced into the flange body lateral slit (136) by using a plurality of first MFC devices (122) and third MFC devices (126) in cooperation with the lateral spacing and / or shape of a plurality of recesses (186) defined within the first surface (130) of the flange body (102). In the illustrated example, the injection flange assembly (100) also includes three second fluid conduits (116) each connecting a second fluid source (308) to the flange body (102) through a first fluid supply header (192A). Additionally, as understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, by using a plurality of second MFC devices (124) in cooperation with the lateral spacing and / or shape of a subset of a plurality of recesses (186) confined within the first face (130) of the flange body (102), a dopant concentration throughout the substrate (e.g., for uniformity independent of the thickness uniformity of the material layer (12)) is provided by controlling the lateral mass flow rate of a dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) introduced into the flange body lateral slit (136) by using a plurality of second MFC devices (124). Although the present invention is illustrated and described as having a specific number of first fluid conduits (114), second fluid conduits (116), and third fluid conduits (118), in other examples the injection flange assembly (100) may have fewer or more first fluid conduits (114), second fluid conduits (116), and / or third fluid conduits (118), and it should be understood and recognized that this falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 9, the concave portion (186) may generally be triangular. In this regard, the concave portion (186) is considered to be able to define a triangular shape (194). The triangular shape (194) may extend longitudinally within the flange body (102) in the general direction of flow of the process fluid (302) (illustrated in FIG. 1), and in a general direction opposite to the flow of the process fluid (302) within the chamber device (400) (illustrated in FIG. 1) between the process fluid supply conduit (304) (illustrated in FIG. 1) and the exhaust conduit (502) (illustrated in FIG. 1). In this regard, the triangular shape (194) is considered to be spaced apart from the second surface (132) of the flange body (102) and partially bounded by the first surface (130) of the flange body (102). Additionally, in this regard, the triangular shape (194) may be substantially orthogonal to the first face (130) and the second face (132) of the flange body (102). In the illustrated example, the recess (186) is one of a plurality of recesses (186) laterally distributed within the flange body (102), for example, between the first lateral edge (148) and the second lateral edge (150) of the flange body (102). Although the invention is illustrated and described as having seven recesses (186), it should be understood and recognized that the flange body (102) may have fewer or more recesses (186) and that this falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0064] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the triangular shape (194) defined by the concave portion (186) is considered to have a vertex (196), a base (198), a first side (101), and a second side (103). The vertex (196) is located within the thickness (158) (illustrated in FIG. 4) of the flange body (102) and is adjacent to the second surface (132) (illustrated in FIG. 5) of the flange body (102), the base (198) of the triangular shape (194) is located on the longitudinal opposite side of the vertex (196) of the triangular shape (194), and the base (198) of the triangular shape (194) is considered to be adjacent to the first surface (130) of the flange body (102). In this regard, the base can be separated from the second surface (156) of the plate body (104) by an injection port (190), and the injection port (190) is again limited between the first surface (130) of the flange body (102) and the second surface (156) of the plate body (104).

[0065] The first side (101) of the triangular shape (194) may extend between the base (198) and the vertex (196). The first side (101) may additionally be oblique to the first face (130) and the second face (132) of the flange body (102). The second side (103) of the triangular shape (194) may also extend between the base (198) of the triangular shape (194), be oblique to the first face (130) and the second face (132) of the flange body (102), and be laterally spaced from the first side (101) of the triangular shape (194) within the thickness (158) (shown in FIG. 4) of the flange body (102).

[0066] The fluid channel (188) (shown in FIG. 5) is considered to be fluidly connected to the recess (186) through the fluid channel outlet (105). The fluid channel outlet (105) may be located along the flow axis (107) defined by the fluid channel (188), may extend around the flow axis (107), and may overlap with the triangular shape (194) of the recess (186). The fluid channel outlet (105) may additionally be located longitudinally between the vertex (196) and the base (198) of the triangular shape (194), for example, at a longitudinal midpoint between the vertex (196) and the base (198) of the triangular shape (194). In a particular example, the fluid channel outlet (105) may be spaced longitudinally from the vertex (196) of the triangular shape (194). According to a specific example, the fluid channel outlet (105) may be spaced longitudinally from the base (198) of the triangular shape (194). Additionally, the fluid channel outlet (105) is considered to be able to connect the fluid channel (188) to the recess (185) at a location within the thickness (158) of the flange body (102) at the longitudinal midpoint between the vertex (196) and the base (198) of the triangular shape (194).

[0067] In a specific example, the fluid channel outlet (105) may be located at about 10% to about 90% of the height (109) of the triangular shape (194). According to a specific example, the fluid channel outlet (105) may be located at about 30% to about 60% of the height (109) of the triangular shape (194). Additionally, the fluid channel outlet (105) is considered to be located at about 30% to about 50% of the height (109) of the triangular shape (194). Advantageously, this relationship between the location of the fluid channel outlet (105) and the shape of the recess (186) can promote lateral uniformity of the velocity of the fluid discharged from the recess (186) through the injection port (190) within the total mass flow control range of the first MFC device (122) and the second MFC device (124), for example. As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, the lateral uniformity of the fluid velocity discharged from the injection port (190) promotes laminar flow within the interior (420) (illustrated in FIG. 2) of the chamber body (406) (illustrated in FIG. 2), thereby limiting variation across the substrate in the material layer (12) deposited on the substrate (10) using the fluid delivered to the chamber device (400) (illustrated in FIG. 1) associated with non-laminar flow within the interior (420) of the chamber body (406).

[0068] In a specific example, the concave portion (186) may be bounded by one or more arc-shaped surfaces. In this regard, the base (198) of the triangle shape (194) defined by the concave portion (186) may be connected to the first side side (101) of the triangle shape (194) by a first base-side arc-shaped side (111). The base (198) may be connected to the second side side (103) by a second base-side arc-shaped side (113). The first side side (101) of the triangle shape (194) is considered to be connected to the second side side (103) by a vertex arc-shaped side (115). The fluid channel (188) is considered to be able to meet the recess (186) at an arc-shaped surface, such as a fluid channel outlet chamfer (117) (shown in FIG. 8), which extends around the flow axis (107) and connects the fluid channel outlet (105) to the upper inner surface of the flange body (102) that forms the boundary of the recess (186). Additionally, the recess (186) is considered to meet the injection port (190) at an arc-shaped surface (119) between the recess and the injection port. The arc-shaped surface (119) between the recess and the injection port may connect the inner surface of the flange body (102) that sets the boundary of the recess (186) to a flange body lateral slit (136). Advantageously, these arc-shaped surfaces limit (or eliminate) the corner features where surfaces defining the boundaries of the concave portion (186) meet each other, thereby reducing or completely preventing turbulence and / or local recirculation regions that may occur in the fluid flow within the concave portion (186) due to these corner features.As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, limiting (or eliminating) turbulent and local recirculation regions in the fluid passing through the recess (186) can promote lateral uniformity of the fluid velocity discharged from the injection port (190), which promotes laminar flow in the interior (420) (illustrated in FIG. 2) of the chamber body (406) (illustrated in FIG. 2), thereby further limiting variations across the substrate in the material layer (12) deposited on the substrate (10) using the fluid delivered to the chamber device (400) (illustrated in FIG. 1) associated with non-laminar flow in the interior (420) of the chamber body (406).

[0069] Referring to FIG. 11, a chart (700) is shown comparing the lateral variation of the fluid discharge velocity from the first injection flange assembly (100) (shown in FIG. 1) to other injection flange assemblies, for example, an injection flange assembly having a displacement and / or distorted plate body and one or more non-triangular concave portions. As shown in comparison with the assembly-wide velocity distribution A and the flange-wide velocity distribution B, the injection flange assembly (100) may exhibit 40% less variation in the fluid velocity discharged from the injection flange assembly (100) compared to other injection flange assemblies. As shown in comparison with the injection port-wide velocity distribution C and the injection port-wide velocity distribution D, the injection flange assembly (100) may exhibit approximately 40% less variation in the fluid velocity discharged from individual injection ports. As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of the present disclosure, a relatively low velocity variation of the fluid discharged from the injection flange assembly (100) promotes laminar flow of the fluid within the chamber device (400), thereby limiting either (or both) of the thickness variation of the material layer (12) deposited on the substrate (10) across the substrate and / or the dopant concentration variation across the substrate within the material layer (12).

[0070] In a specific example, one or more of the fastening mechanisms configured to press-fix the plate body to the flange body (e.g., the fastening mechanism (108) shown in FIG. 4) and / or one or more of the threaded members configured to directly support the load of the gate valve through the flange body (e.g., the threaded member (110) shown in FIG. 8) may be formed of a nickel-based superalloy material to improve preload retention under repetitive thermal conditions. Non-limiting examples of suitable nickel-based superalloys include Inconel® 625, Inconel® 718 and equivalents thereof. Advantageously, the nickel-based superalloy fastening mechanism exhibits improved high-temperature strength and reduced stress relaxation characteristics compared to an austenitic stainless steel fastening mechanism (e.g., 316 stainless steel), thereby maintaining the fastening force to the plate body (104) and limiting the formation of micro-gap at the interface that could cause instability of the flow discharged through one or more injection ports (190).

[0071] When a nickel-based superalloy fastening mechanism is used, it is considered that a preset fastening mechanism load can be selected in consideration of the higher high-temperature strength and stress relaxation resistance of the fastening mechanism material. In a specific example, a preset fastening mechanism load value (135) can be achieved by tightening each of the plurality of fastening mechanisms (108) to a target torque greater than the reference torque suitable for an austenitic stainless steel fastening mechanism. According to a specific example, the plurality of fastening mechanisms (108) can be tightened to a target torque of about 4.0 Newton meters (Nm), for example, in the range of about 3.0 Nm to about 4.0 Nm, whereas a reference torque of about 2.0 Nm may be suitable for a 316 stainless steel fastening mechanism. As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of this disclosure, the specific torque value may be adjusted according to the size of the fastening mechanism, thread pitch, surface finish, coating and / or lubrication condition, and is therefore presented as a non-limiting example.

[0072] In a specific example, a preset fastening mechanism tightening sequence (133) may be implemented in a stepwise cross sequence (e.g., a star pattern) to evenly distribute the clamping load around the bolt circle and to bring the plate body (104) into complete and uniform contact with the first face (130) of the flange body (102). In one example, a plurality of fastening mechanisms (108) are tightened in three stages at approximately 30%, 60%, and 100% of the target torque, repeating the cross sequence at each stage. Advantageously, the stepwise cross tightening limits distortion of the plate body during assembly, promotes uniform compression of any sealing member (153) mounted around the flange body lateral slit (136), and reduces lateral fluctuations in the fluid velocity discharged from the plurality of injection ports (190).

[0073] Additionally, it is considered that replacing the material of the threaded member (110) with a nickel-based superalloy similarly improves the maintenance of the preset threaded member full load (139) under thermal cycling conditions, thereby limiting the tendency of the gate valve (106) to apply a bending moment to the plate body (104) through the relaxation of the threaded member (110). In a specific example, the threaded member (110) formed of a nickel-based superalloy can be tightened to a preset full load selected to maintain a fastening force on the flange portion (184) of the gate valve body (172) while maintaining a gap within the through hole (162) to avoid applying a reaction force to the plate body (104). As is understood, maintaining the fastening force during operation improves the stability of the lateral fluid velocity profile by maintaining the shape of the injection port (190) limited between the plate body (104) and the flange body (102).

[0074] In a specific example, by implementing a nickel-based superalloy fastening mechanism and threaded member as described herein with a preset fastening mechanism tightening sequence (133) and a preset fastening mechanism full load value (135), pocket-to-pocket leakage and flow cross-interference that may occur due to incomplete contact between the plate body (104) and the flange body (102) can be reduced or eliminated. Advantageously, improved contact uniformity at the matching interface limits local recirculation and turbulence within the recess (186), thereby promoting laminar flow through the injection port (190) and reducing wafer-to-wafer and point-to-point variation in material layer thickness and sheet resistance (Rs) in the semiconductor processing system.

[0075] In a specific example, for instance, if the size and thread specifications of the fastening mechanism are not changed, the austenitic stainless steel fastening mechanism can be replaced with a nickel-based superalloy fastening mechanism without changing the shape of the plate body fastening mechanism opening (160) or the first thread opening (166). In this example, the head portion seat (131) confined within the plate body (104) can continue to recess the head of the fastening mechanism (108) below the first surface (154) of the plate body (104) to enable the embedded mounting of the gate valve (106), and the enhanced high-temperature strength of the fastening mechanism material maintains the fastening force even after repeated thermal cycles.

[0076] Although specific nickel-based superalloys are specified herein, it is considered that other high-temperature fastening mechanism materials exhibiting similar high-temperature yield strength, creep resistance, and relaxation behavior may be used instead of austenitic stainless steel to obtain substantially similar advantages. Suitable alternatives may include precipitation-hardened stainless steel and other nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloys, provided that the risk of contamination to the substrate (10) and material layer (12) is maintained at an acceptable level under intended semiconductor process conditions.

[0077] Referring to FIGS. 12 through 14, a method (800) for manufacturing an injection flange assembly, e.g., an injection flange assembly (100) (shown in FIG. 1) is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 12, the method (800) may include the step of forming a flange body, e.g., a flange body (102) (shown in FIG. 3), as described in Box 802. The method (800) also includes the step of fixing a plate body, e.g., a plate body (104) (shown in FIG. 3), to the flange body, as described in Box 804. The method (800) further includes the step of fixing a gate valve, e.g., a gate valve (106) (shown in FIG. 3), to the flange body, as described in Box 806. Additionally, the method (800) is considered to include the step of connecting a chamber device for a semiconductor processing system to a substrate transfer module of a semiconductor processing system, as described in Box 808, for example, connecting the chamber device (400) (illustrated in FIG. 1) to a substrate transfer module (204) (illustrated in FIG. 2). Although the method is described herein as including specific steps and specific sequences, it should be understood and recognized that the method (800) may include additional work and / or exclude specific work described herein, or that the steps described herein may be performed in a different order than described herein, and that this is within the scope of the disclosure.

[0078] As illustrated in FIG. 13, the step (802) of forming a flange body may include the step of defining a flange body lateral slit, e.g., a flange body lateral slit (136) (illustrated in FIG. 4), within the flange body as described in Box 810. The step (802) of forming a flange body may include the step of defining one or more concave portions, e.g., a concave portion (186), within a first surface of the flange body as described in Box 812. The step (802) of forming a flange body may include the step of defining one or more fluid channels, e.g., a fluid channel (188) (illustrated in FIG. 5), within the thickness of the flange body as described in Box 814. The step of forming a flange body (802) may include the step of defining one or more first threaded openings within a first surface of the flange body, e.g., a first threaded opening (166) (illustrated in FIG. 5) within the first surface (130) (illustrated in FIG. 5) of the flange body, as described in Box 816. The step of forming a flange body (802) may include the step of forming one or more second threaded openings within the first surface of the flange, e.g., a second threaded opening (168) (illustrated in FIG. 4), as described in Box 818. In a particular example, the step of forming a flange body (802) may include the step of forming a flange body from a flange body material, e.g., a flange body material (128) (illustrated in FIG. 8), as described in Box 810. In this example, the metal material may include a metal material with a low copper content, such as a metal material with a relatively high heat transfer coefficient, as also described in Box 810. One or more of the aforementioned features are considered to be confined within the flange body using a cutting process such as milling and / or drilling, and / or an additive manufacturing technique such as powder bed fusion technology, as also indicated by bracket (802).

[0079] The step (804) of fixing the plate body to the flange body may include the step of forming the plate body as indicated by the bracket (804). The step of forming the plate body may include the step of defining a plate body lateral slit, e.g., a plate body lateral slit (164) (illustrated in FIG. 6), within the plate body as also indicated by the bracket (804). The step (820) of forming the plate body may include the step of defining one or more fastening mechanism openings, e.g., a plate body fastening mechanism opening (160) (illustrated in FIG. 6), within the plate body as described in box 804. The step (820) of forming the plate body may include the step of defining one or more through holes, e.g., a through hole (162) (illustrated in FIG. 6), within the plate body as described in box 804. The step (804) of fixing the plate body to the flange body may include the step of aligning the plate body to the flange body as described in Box 820. In this regard, the step (820) of aligning the plate body to the flange body is considered to include the step of aligning the lateral slit of the plate body to the flange body as also described in Box 820. The step (820) of aligning the plate body to the flange body may include the step of aligning one or more plate body fastening mechanism openings to one or more first threaded openings limited within the first face of the flange body, as also described in Box 820. Additionally, the step (824) of aligning the plate body to the flange body may include the step of aligning one or more through holes limited within the plate body to one or more second threaded openings limited within the first face of the plate body, as also described in Box 820.It is considered that alignment can be performed using a plate body sheet, such as a body sheet (144) (shown in FIG. 5), which is confined within a first face of the flange body, which can simplify the assembly of the injection flange assembly. It is considered that one or more of the aforementioned features can be confined within the plate body using a cutting process such as milling and / or drilling, and / or an additive manufacturing technique such as powder bed fusion technology, as also described in Box 820. Additionally, it is considered that the step of forming the plate body (820) may include forming the plate body from a material different from the flange body and / or the gate valve body, such as a material having a lower thermal transfer coefficient than the flange body, as described in Box 820. Advantageously, this can cause the plate body to act as a thermal break or thermal choke, thereby limiting the need to separately cool the gate valve during operation.

[0080] In a specific example, the step (804) of securing the plate body to the flange body may include securing the plate body to the flange body by screwing and mounting a plurality of fastening mechanisms into each of the plurality of first threaded openings as described in Box 822. In this example, the fastening mechanisms may be tightened according to a preset fastening mechanism tightening pattern or sequence, such as a preset fastening mechanism tightening sequence (133) (shown in FIG. 3), as described in Box 824. Advantageously, tightening the plurality of fastening mechanisms according to a preset fastening mechanism tightening pattern may improve the uniformity of the fluid velocity discharged from one or more injection ports, such as injection ports (190) (shown in FIG. 8), which are bounded by the first surface of the flange body and the plate body, by limiting (or completely preventing) deformation of the plate body while securing the plate body to the flange body. According to a specific example, one or more of the plurality of fastening mechanisms may be tightened to impart a preset full load, e.g., a preset fastening mechanism full load value (135) (shown in FIG. 3), to one or more fastening mechanisms as described in Box 826. Advantageously, by imparting a preset fastening mechanism full load to one or more fastening mechanisms (or all of the plurality of fastening mechanisms), the tendency for the plate body to be displaced and / or distorted relative to the flange body due to heating and / or mismatch in the heat transfer coefficients of the different materials forming the plate body and the flange body can be limited. As understood by those skilled in the art in the context of this disclosure, limiting the displacement and / or distortion of the plate body can improve the stability of the lateral fluid velocity profile of the fluid discharged from the operating injection flange assembly, for example, under operating conditions in which the injection flange assembly is periodically heated and cooled during a sequential cycle leading to substrate loading, deposition of a material layer on the substrate, and subsequent unloading of the substrate from the semiconductor processing system.

[0081] As illustrated in FIG. 14, the step (806) of securing the gate valve to the flange body may include the step of mounting one or more threaded members, such as threaded member (110) (illustrated in FIG. 8), within the flange body as described in Box 828. In a specific example, the step (832) of mounting one or more threaded members within the flange body may include the step of mounting a plurality of threaded members within the flange body as also described in Box 828. One or more threaded members may be slidably received within a through hole defined within the plate body as described in Box 830 and may be secured by screw connection within one or more second threaded openings defined within the flange body. As also described in Box 832, one or more threaded members are considered to be received within the through hole such that when a bending moment is applied, the force component associated with the bending moment does not substantially act on the plate body. For example, the through hole may be formed larger than the threaded member, so that when the threaded member is fixed to the flange body by screw connection, it may be positioned apart from the plate body, for example, by a gap, within the through hole. The step (828) of mounting one or more threaded members within the plate body is considered to include the step of applying a preset threaded member full load, for example, a preset threaded member full load (139) (shown in FIG. 8), to the threaded member as also described in Box 828. Advantageously, by applying a preset full load to one or more threaded members, deformation (e.g., bending) of the threaded member can be limited when a bending moment is applied to the threaded member, and the tendency of such bending moment to apply a bending moment to the plate body can be limited (or eliminated).As understood by those skilled in the art, this can limit variations that may occur in the lateral flow velocity of the fluid discharged from the injection flange assembly, which may be associated with deformation of the plate body due to such bending moment.

[0082] The step (806) of securing the gate valve to the flange body is considered to include the step of screwing one or more clamp members, e.g., one or more clamp members (112) (shown in FIG. 8), onto one or more threaded members, as described in Box 834. The step (806) of securing the gate valve to the flange body may further include the step of aligning the gate valve lateral slit, e.g., the gate valve lateral slit (182) (shown in FIG. 7), to the flange slit of the flange body, as described in Box 836. In this regard, as also described in Box 836, the flange portion of the gate valve body, e.g., the flange portion (184) (shown in FIG. 7) of the gate valve body (172) (shown in FIG. 7), is considered to be inserted between the clamp member and the plate body. As also described in Box 838, it is considered that the gate valve can be compressed and fixed between the clamp member and the flange body so that the gate valve is supported directly by the flange body through the threaded member, without applying a load to the plate body, by advancing the clamp member relative to the flange body (e.g., by tightening one or more threaded members within a second threaded opening limited within the flange body) and applying a tensile load to the threaded member, for example.

[0083] In a specific example, the step (828) of mounting one or more threaded members within a flange body may include the step of tightening a plurality of threaded members according to a preset threaded member tightening sequence, e.g., a preset threaded member tightening sequence (137) (illustrated in FIG. 3), as also described in Box 828. It is considered that the preset threaded member tightening sequence may be selected to limit deformation of the flange body associated with tightening the plurality of threaded members, as also described in Box 828. Advantageously, by limiting deformation of the flange body associated with the tightening sequence of the plurality of threaded members, for example, the lateral flow velocity variation of the injection flange assembly discharge fluid that may occur by changing the shape of one or more injection ports defined by the flange body and plate body of the injection assembly may be limited.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 15, a method (900) for controlling fluid flow is illustrated. The method (900) includes the step of delivering a fluid into a flow channel limited within the flange body of an injection flange assembly as described in Box 902, for example, delivering a process fluid (302) (illustrated in FIG. 1) into a fluid channel (188) (illustrated in FIG. 8) limited within the flange body (102) (illustrated in FIG. 3) of an injection flange assembly (100) (illustrated in FIG. 1). The method (900) also includes the step of flowing the process fluid from the fluid channel into a recess limited within a first surface of the flange body as described in Box 904, for example, flowing the process fluid into a recess (186) (illustrated in FIG. 4) limited within a first surface (130) (illustrated in FIG. 4) of the flange body. The method (900) further comprises the step of discharging a process fluid through a flange body lateral slit (e.g., flange body lateral slit (136) (shown in FIG. 4)) that extends through the thickness of the flange body as described in Box 906 and connects the first and second faces of the flange body. As described in Box 908, it is considered that the injection flange assembly is used to limit lateral variation of the process fluid flow velocity. In this regard, as described in Box 910, it is considered that the first fluid may be mixed with the second fluid outside the injection flange assembly. Additionally, in this regard, as described in Box 904, the recess may be shaped and dimensioned to limit turbulence and recirculation within it, and may have an arc-shaped or rounded sidewall that widens laterally from the second face of the flange body to the first face due to process fluid mixing occurring inside the fluid channel and outside the flange body before reaching the recess.

[0085] In a specific example, the step (910) of mixing the first fluid and the second fluid may include the step of mixing the silicon-containing material layer precursor and the dopant-containing material layer precursor outside the injection flange body as described in Box 910, for example, mixing the silicon-containing material layer precursor (314) (shown in FIG. 3) and the dopant-containing material layer precursor (318) (shown in FIG. 3). The silicon-containing material layer precursor and the dopant-containing material layer precursor may be mixed outside the flange body as described in Box 910 and then transferred to a fluid channel. As described in Box 912, it is considered that a material layer, for example, a material layer (12) (shown in FIG. 1) on a substrate (10) (shown in FIG. 1) can be deposited using a process fluid. The material layer may be a dopant-containing silicon material layer deposited on a semiconductor substrate using an epitaxial technique as also described in Box 912, and as also described in Box 908, at least one variation of the thickness of the substrate and the dopant concentration of the substrate may be limited by using a lateral variation of the process fluid velocity discharged from the concave portion.

[0086] Although this disclosure is provided in the context of specific embodiments and examples, those skilled in the art will understand that this disclosure extends beyond the specifically described embodiments to other alternative embodiments and / or uses of the embodiments and obvious variations and equivalents thereof. Furthermore, while various variations of the embodiments of this disclosure have been illustrated and described in detail, other variations within the scope of this disclosure will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art based on this disclosure. Additionally, various combinations or sub-combinations of specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and are considered to still fall within the scope of this disclosure. It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be combined or substituted with one another to form various modes of the embodiments of this disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of this disclosure is not intended to be limited by the embodiments described above and specifically disclosed.

[0087] Where applicable, headings are for convenience only and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the devices and methods disclosed herein.

Claims

Claim 1 As an injection flange assembly, the flange body, A first surface having a limited internal concave portion; and An injection flange assembly comprising a flange body having a second surface separated from a first surface by the thickness of the flange body, wherein the first surface is connected to the second surface by a flange body lateral slit extending through the thickness of the flange body, the flange body defines a fluid channel fluidly connecting a recess to an edge of the flange body within the thickness of the flange body, the edge connects the first surface of the flange body to the second surface of the flange body, the first surface of the flange body defines a first threaded opening and a second threaded opening internally, the first threaded opening separates the edge from the second threaded opening, the second threaded opening separates the first threaded opening from the recess, and the recess connects the fluid channel to a flange body lateral slit extending through the thickness of the flange body. Claim 2 An injection flange assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: a fluid conduit connected to the edge of the flange body; and a connecting pipe connected to the fluid conduit and fluidly connected to a lateral slit of the flange body through the fluid channel and a recess defined within a first surface of the flange body. Claim 3 An injection flange assembly according to claim 2, further comprising: a first mass flow controller device connected to the joint tube; and a second mass flow controller device connected to the joint tube, wherein the joint tube is configured to mix a first fluid provided by the first mass flow controller device and a second fluid provided by the second mass flow controller device before being delivered to a recess limited within a first surface of the flange body. Claim 4 An injection flange assembly according to claim 2, further comprising: a first fluid source connected to the joint pipe and configured to deliver a first fluid to the joint pipe; and a second fluid source connected to the joint pipe and configured to deliver a second fluid to the joint pipe, wherein the joint pipe is configured to mix the second fluid with the first fluid and then deliver the first fluid and the second fluid to a concave portion limited within a first surface of the flange body. Claim 5 An injection flange assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: a plate body in contact with a first surface of the flange body, extending around a lateral slit of the flange body connecting the first surface and the second surface of the flange body; and a fastening mechanism extending through the plate body and mounted by screw connection within the first threaded opening, the fastening mechanism which presses and fixes the plate body to the first surface of the flange body. Claim 6 An injection flange assembly according to claim 5, wherein the first threaded opening is one of a plurality of first threaded openings laterally distributed on the first surface of the flange body, the fastening mechanism is one of a plurality of fastening mechanisms, and each of the plurality of fastening mechanisms is individually mounted on each of the plurality of first threaded openings limited within the first surface of the flange body to press and fix the plate body to the first surface of the flange body. Claim 7 In claim 5, the injection flange assembly wherein the second threaded opening is one of a plurality of second threaded openings, the threaded member is one of a plurality of threaded members, and the plurality of threaded members are individually mounted to each of the plurality of second threaded openings. Claim 8 An injection flange assembly according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion has a triangular shape, and the triangular shape comprises: a vertex adjacent to the second face of the flange body; a base adjacent to the first face of the flange body; and a first side and a second side connecting the base of the triangular shape to the vertex of the triangular shape. Claim 9 In claim 8, the fluid channel intersects a concave portion at the fluid channel outlet, the fluid channel outlet is spaced apart from the vertex of the triangular shape defined by the concave portion, and the fluid channel outlet is spaced apart from the base of the triangular shape defined by the concave portion, in an injection flange assembly. Claim 10 In claim 8, the injection flange assembly further comprises: a vertex arc-shaped side connecting the first side side and the second side side; a first base-side arc-shaped side connecting the base of the triangle shape defined by the concave portion and the first side side; and a second base-side arc-shaped side connecting the base of the triangle shape defined by the concave portion and the second side side. Claim 11 In claim 1, the injection flange assembly, wherein the concave portion is one of a plurality of concave portions laterally distributed between a first side and a second side opposite to the first side of the flange body. Claim 12 An injection flange assembly according to claim 1, wherein there is no limited concave portion within a second surface of the flange body between the flange body lateral slit and the edge of the flange body, and the second surface has a continuous and uninterrupted contour between the flange body lateral slit and the edge of the flange body. Claim 13 An injection flange assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: a threaded member mounted in the second threaded opening; and a gate valve suspended from the threaded member and directly cantilevered by the flange body through it. Claim 14 A chamber device comprising: a chamber body having an injection end and an exhaust end, wherein the exhaust end of the chamber body is located longitudinally opposite to the injection end of the chamber body; a substrate support member supported within the chamber body so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis between the injection end and the exhaust end of the chamber body; and an injection flange assembly described in claim 1 in contact with the injection end of the chamber body, wherein the injection flange assembly further comprises: a plate body extending around a lateral slit of the flange body that contacts a first surface of the flange body and extends through the thickness of the flange body; a fastening mechanism extending through the plate body and mounted in the first threaded opening, and press-fixing the plate body to the first surface of the plate body; a threaded member extending through the plate body and mounted in the second threaded opening; and a gate valve suspended from the threaded member and directly supported by the flange body through it. Claim 15 A semiconductor processing system comprising: a chamber body having an injection end and an exhaust end located longitudinally opposite thereto; a substrate support disposed inside the chamber body; an injection flange assembly described in claim 1 in contact with the injection end of the chamber body and separated from the exhaust end of the chamber body by the substrate support; a process fluid source comprising a process fluid and connected to the injection flange assembly; and a controller comprising, in response to a command operably connected to the process fluid source and recorded in memory, a controller that uses the process fluid source to deliver the process fluid to a fluid channel; flows the process fluid through the fluid channel into a recess; and discharges the process fluid from the recess into a lateral slit of the flange body, thereby enabling the deposition of a material layer on a substrate mounted on the substrate support using the process fluid. Claim 16 A method for manufacturing an injection flange assembly, comprising the steps of: forming a flange body; defining a flange body lateral slit within the flange body, wherein the flange body lateral slit extends through the thickness of the flange body, and the flange body lateral slit connects a first surface of the flange body and a second surface of the flange body, and the second surface of the flange body is separated from the first surface of the flange body by the thickness of the flange body; defining a recess on the first surface of the flange body; defining a first threaded opening on the first surface of the flange body; defining a second threaded opening at a specific location on the first surface of the flange body, wherein the location is such that the first threaded opening separates the edge of the flange body from the second threaded opening, and the second threaded opening separates the first threaded opening from the recess. A method comprising the step of forming a flange body by defining a fluid channel within the thickness of the flange body, wherein the fluid channel connects the edge of the flange body to a concave portion defined within a first surface of the flange body, and the edge connects the first surface of the flange body to a second surface of the flange body, thereby fluidly connecting the fluid channel to a lateral slit of the flange body that extends through the thickness of the flange body. Claim 17 A method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of: joining a first fluid conduit having a connecting pipe arranged along it to the edge of the flange body such that the first fluid conduit is fluidically joined to the fluid channel; and joining a second fluid conduit to the connecting pipe, wherein the second fluid conduit is fluidly joined to the fluid channel by means of the second fluid conduit. Claim 18 In claim 16, the step of defining the concave portion further comprises the step of defining the concave portion having a triangular shape, wherein the triangular shape has a vertex adjacent to a second face of the flange body and the triangular shape has a base adjacent to a first face of the flange body. Claim 19 In claim 16, the method further comprises the step of fixing a plate body to a flange body, the plate body having a lateral slit extending through the plate body, a fastening mechanism opening extending through the plate body, and a through hole extending through the plate body, wherein the step of fixing the plate body to the flange body comprises the step of aligning the lateral slit of the plate body with the lateral slit of the flange body, thereby aligning the fastening mechanism opening with the first threaded opening and the through hole with the second threaded opening; and the step of mounting a fastening mechanism by screw connection to the first threaded opening limited within the first surface of the flange body and through the fastening mechanism opening. Claim 20 A method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of fixing a gate valve to the flange body, wherein the gate valve comprises a gate valve body that defines a gate valve lateral slit penetrating the gate valve, and the step of fixing the gate valve to the flange body comprises: inserting a threaded member into the through hole defined within the plate body; mounting the threaded member by screw connection to a second threaded opening of the flange body; mounting a clamp member by screw connection to the threaded member; aligning the gate valve lateral slit with the flange body lateral slit; and introducing the threaded member into the second threaded opening so that the clamp member presses and fixes the gate valve against the plate body and the load of the gate valve is directly supported by the flange body.

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