Dynamic coolant mixing manifold

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dynamic coolant mixing manifold. A system for controlling the temperature of a substrate arranged on a substrate support assembly includes a first source and a second source that supply fluid at a first temperature and a second temperature at fixed flow rates, respectively. A first three-way proportional valve and a second three-way proportional valve receive fluid from the first source and the second source, mix a first portion of the received fluid to supply a fluid having a predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at a predetermined flow rate, and return a second portion of the received fluid to the first source and the second source. A third three-way proportional valve receives fluid at a predetermined flow rate from the substrate support assembly and returns the received fluid to the first source and the second source. A controller controls the first and second valves to supply the fluid to the substrate support assembly, and controls the third valve to distribute the fluid between the first source and the second source.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor manufacturing equipment and, more particularly, to controlling the temperature of a substrate in a processing chamber. Background Art

[0002] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently designated inventors to the extent described in this background section and in the description of aspects that could not otherwise be determined as prior art at the time of filing the application is neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure.

[0003] The temperature of a substrate (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) in a processing chamber can be controlled in a variety of ways. For example, one or more heaters can be disposed in a substrate support assembly, and the power provided to the heaters can be controlled to control the temperature of the substrate. As another example, one or more fluids can be circulated through one or more flow channels disposed in a substrate support assembly using valves, and the temperature of the fluids can be used to control the temperature of the substrate. Summary of the invention

[0004] A system for controlling the temperature of a substrate arranged on a substrate support assembly includes: a first source and a second source, which supply fluids at a first temperature and a second temperature, respectively. The system also includes: a first three-way proportional valve, which has an input port connected to the first source, a first output port connected to a supply line to supply the fluid from the first source to the substrate support assembly, and a second output port connected to the first source. The system also includes: a second three-way proportional valve, which has an input port connected to the second source, a first output port connected to the supply line to supply the fluid from the second source to the substrate support assembly, and a second output port connected to the second source. The system also includes: a third three-way proportional valve, which has an input port connected to a return line to receive the fluid from the substrate support assembly, a first output port and a second output port connected to the first source and the second source, respectively, to return the fluid received from the substrate support assembly to the first source and the second source. The system also includes a controller for controlling the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to: output a first portion of the fluid received from the first source and the second source via the corresponding input ports to supply the fluid to the substrate support assembly via the supply line at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined flow rate, and return a second portion of the fluid received from the first source and the second source via the corresponding input ports to the first source and the second source via the second output ports of the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve, respectively; and control the third three-way proportional valve to distribute the fluid received from the substrate support assembly via the return line between the first source and the second source.

[0005] In other features, the controller controls the temperature of the substrate based on the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly via the supply line at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined flow rate.

[0006] In other features, the first source and the second source supply the fluid to the first and second three-way proportional valves at a fixed flow rate.

[0007] In other features, the system further includes: a temperature sensor associated with the supply line; and a flow meter associated with the return line. The controller controls the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve based on data received from the temperature sensor and the flow meter.

[0008] In other features, the controller controls the third three-way proportional valve based on an indication of a weight of the fluid in each of the first source and the second source.

[0009] In other features, the third three-way proportional valve distributes the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source to maintain fluid levels in the first source and the second source between a first threshold and a second threshold.

[0010] In other features, the system further comprises a housing enclosing the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve, and fluid lines connecting the first source and the second source to the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve. The housing comprises an inlet and an outlet, and wherein nitrogen passes through the housing via the inlet and the outlet to exhaust humid air from the housing.

[0011] In still other features, a system for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly includes: a first source and a second source, which supply fluid at a first temperature and a second temperature at the fixed flow rate, respectively. The system also includes: a first three-way proportional valve and a second three-way proportional valve, which are used to receive the fluid at the first temperature and the second temperature at a fixed flow rate from the first source and the second source, to mix the first portion of the received fluid to supply the fluid with a predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at a predetermined flow rate, and to return the second portion of the received fluid to the first source and the second source. The system also includes: a third three-way proportional valve, which is used to receive the fluid at the predetermined flow rate from the substrate support assembly and return the fluid received from the substrate support assembly to the first source and the second source. The system also includes: a controller, which is used to control the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to supply the fluid with the predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined flow rate, and to control the third three-way proportional valve to distribute the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source.

[0012] In other features, the controller controls the temperature of the substrate based on the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined flow rate.

[0013] In other features, the system further includes: a temperature sensor associated with a supply line that supplies the fluid from the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to the substrate support assembly. The system further includes: a flow meter associated with a return line that returns the fluid from the substrate support assembly to the third three-way proportional valve. The controller controls the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve based on data received from the temperature sensor and the flow meter.

[0014] In other features, the controller controls the third three-way proportional valve based on an indication of a weight of the fluid in each of the first source and the second source.

[0015] In other features, the third three-way proportional valve distributes the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source to maintain fluid levels in the first source and the second source between a first threshold and a second threshold.

[0016] In other features, the system further includes a housing enclosing the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve, and fluid lines connecting the first source and the second source to the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve. The housing includes an inlet and an outlet, and nitrogen passes through the housing via the inlet and the outlet to exhaust humid air from the housing.

[0017] In still other features, a method for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly includes receiving a fluid having a first temperature and a second temperature at a fixed flow rate from a first source and a second source at a first three-way proportional valve and a second three-way proportional valve, respectively. The method also includes mixing portions of the fluid received from the first source and the second source using the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve, the mixed portions of the fluid having a predetermined temperature. The method also includes returning unused portions of the fluid received from the first source and the second source to the first source and the second source, respectively, using the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve. The method also includes supplying the mixed portions of the fluid having the predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at a predetermined flow rate. The method also includes receiving the mixed portions of the fluid from the substrate support assembly at a third three-way proportional valve. The method also includes returning the mixed portions of the fluid received from the substrate support assembly to the first source and the second source using the third three-way proportional valve. The method further includes controlling the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to supply the mixed portion of the fluid having the predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined flow rate. The method further includes controlling the third three-way proportional valve to distribute the mixed portion of the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source.

[0018] In other features, the method further comprises controlling a temperature of the substrate based on the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined flow rate.

[0019] In other features, the method further includes: sensing a temperature of the mixed portion of the fluid supplied from the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to the substrate support assembly. The method further includes: measuring a flow rate of the mixed portion of the fluid flowing from the substrate support assembly to the third three-way proportional valve. The method further includes: controlling the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve based on the temperature and the flow rate.

[0020] In other features, the method further includes controlling the third three-way proportional valve based on an indication of a weight of the fluid in each of the first source and the second source.

[0021] In other features, the method further includes distributing the mixed portion of the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source to maintain fluid levels in the first source and the second source between a first threshold and a second threshold.

[0022] In other features, the method further includes enclosing the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve, and fluid lines connecting the first source and the second source to the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve in a housing. The method further includes passing nitrogen gas through the housing to exhaust humid air from the housing.

[0023] Specifically, some aspects of the present invention can be described as follows:

[0024] 1. A system for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly, the system comprising:

[0025] a first source and a second source supplying fluid at a first temperature and a second temperature, respectively;

[0026] a first three-way proportional valve having an input port connected to the first source, a first output port connected to a supply line to supply the fluid from the first source to the substrate support assembly, and a second output port connected to the first source;

[0027] a second three-way proportional valve having an input port connected to the second source, a first output port connected to the supply line to supply the fluid from the second source to the substrate support assembly, and a second output port connected to the second source;

[0028] a third three-way proportional valve having an input port connected to a return line to receive the fluid from the substrate support assembly, a first output port and a second output port connected to the first source and the second source to return the fluid received from the substrate support assembly to the first source and the second source, respectively; and

[0029] A controller for:

[0030] The first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve are controlled to:

[0031] outputting a first portion of the fluid received from the first source and the second source via the respective input ports to supply the fluid to the substrate support assembly via the supply line at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined flow rate; and

[0032] returning a second portion of the fluid received from the first source and the second source through the respective input ports to the first source and the second source via the second output ports of the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve, respectively; and

[0033] The third three-way proportional valve is controlled to distribute the fluid received from the substrate support assembly via the return line between the first source and the second source.

[0034] 2. The system of clause 1, wherein the controller controls the temperature of the substrate based on the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly via the supply line at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined flow rate.

[0035] 3. The system of clause 1, wherein the first source and the second source supply the fluid to the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve at a fixed flow rate.

[0036] 4. The system according to clause 1, further comprising:

[0037] a temperature sensor associated with the supply line; and

[0038] a flow meter associated with said return line,

[0039] The controller controls the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve based on data received from the temperature sensor and the flow meter.

[0040] 5. The system of clause 1, wherein the controller controls the third three-way proportional valve based on an indication of a weight of the fluid in each of the first source and the second source.

[0041] 6. The system of clause 1, wherein the third three-way proportional valve distributes the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source to maintain fluid levels of the first source and the second source between a first threshold and a second threshold.

[0042] 7. A system according to claim 1, which also includes a housing that surrounds the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve and the third three-way proportional valve, and a fluid pipeline connecting the first source and the second source to the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve and the third three-way proportional valve, wherein the housing includes an inlet and an outlet, and wherein nitrogen passes through the housing via the inlet and the outlet to exhaust humid air from the housing.

[0043] 8. A system for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly, the system comprising:

[0044] a first source and a second source supplying fluid at a first temperature and a second temperature at said fixed flow rates, respectively;

[0045] a first three-way proportional valve and a second three-way proportional valve for receiving fixed flow rates of fluid at the first temperature and the second temperature from the first source and the second source, mixing a first portion of the received fluid to supply the fluid having a predetermined temperature at a predetermined flow rate to the substrate support assembly, and returning a second portion of the received fluid to the first source and the second source;

[0046] a third three-way proportional valve for receiving the fluid at the predetermined flow rate from a substrate support assembly and returning the fluid received from the substrate support assembly to the first source and the second source; and

[0047] a controller for controlling the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to supply the fluid having the predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined flow rate, and for controlling the third three-way proportional valve to distribute the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source.

[0048] 9. The system of clause 8, wherein the controller controls the temperature of the substrate based on the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined flow rate.

[0049] 10. The system according to clause 8, further comprising:

[0050] a temperature sensor associated with a supply line that supplies the fluid from the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to the substrate support assembly; and

[0051] a flow meter associated with a return line returning the fluid from the substrate support assembly to the third three-way proportional valve,

[0052] The controller controls the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve based on data received from the temperature sensor and the flow meter.

[0053] 11. The system of clause 8, wherein the controller controls the third three-way proportional valve based on an indication of a weight of the fluid in each of the first source and the second source.

[0054] 12. The system of clause 8, wherein the third three-way proportional valve distributes the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source to maintain fluid levels in the first source and the second source between a first threshold and a second threshold.

[0055] 13. A system according to claim 8, which also includes a housing that surrounds the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve and the third three-way proportional valve, and a fluid pipeline connecting the first source and the second source to the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve and the third three-way proportional valve, wherein the housing includes an inlet and an outlet, and wherein nitrogen passes through the housing via the inlet and the outlet to exhaust humid air from the housing.

[0056] 14. A method for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly, the method comprising:

[0057] receiving fluid at a fixed flow rate from a first source and a second source having a first temperature and a second temperature at a first three-way proportional valve and a second three-way proportional valve, respectively;

[0058] mixing portions of the fluid received from the first source and the second source using the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve, the mixed portions of the fluid having a predetermined temperature;

[0059] using the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to return unused portions of the fluid received from the first source and the second source to the first source and the second source, respectively;

[0060] supplying the mixed portion of the fluid having the predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at a predetermined flow rate;

[0061] receiving the mixed portion of the fluid from the substrate support assembly at a third three-way proportional valve;

[0062] using the third three-way proportional valve, returning the mixed portion of the fluid received from the substrate support assembly to the first source and the second source;

[0063] controlling the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to supply the mixed portion of the fluid having the predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined flow rate; and

[0064] The third three-way proportional valve is controlled to distribute the mixed portion of the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source.

[0065] 15. The method of clause 14, further comprising controlling a temperature of the substrate based on the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined flow rate.

[0066] 16. The method according to clause 14, further comprising:

[0067] sensing a temperature of the mixed portion of the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly from the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve;

[0068] measuring a flow rate of the mixed portion of the fluid flowing from the substrate support assembly to the third three-way proportional valve; and

[0069] The first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve are controlled based on the temperature and the flow rate.

[0070] 17. The method of clause 14, further comprising controlling the third three-way proportional valve based on an indication of a weight of the fluid in each of the first source and the second source.

[0071] 18. The method of clause 14, further comprising: distributing the mixed portion of the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source to maintain fluid levels of the first source and the second source between a first threshold and a second threshold.

[0072] 19. The method according to clause 14, further comprising:

[0073] The first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve, and fluid lines connecting the first source and the second source to the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve are enclosed in a housing, and

[0074] Nitrogen gas is passed through the housing to remove humid air from the housing.

[0075] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0076] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0077] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a system including three three-way proportional valves and a dual cooler is shown to control the temperature of a substrate in a process chamber.

[0078] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for controlling substrate temperature in a processing chamber using three three-way proportional valves and a dual cooler is shown.

[0079] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0080] The present disclosure provides a system and method for controlling the temperature of a substrate on a substrate support assembly arranged in a processing chamber. Specifically, the system and method eliminate the multiple two-way valves used in the prior art by using three three-way proportional valves. The three three-way proportional valves enable the control of the mixing of hot and cold coolants, so that the coolant source can supply hot and cold coolants at a constant flow rate and distribute the coolant flow returned from the substrate support assembly to each coolant source. The system and method can supply coolant to the substrate support assembly at a desired temperature and a required flow rate, which simplifies the temperature control of the substrate compared to the prior art.

[0081] In addition, the system and method according to the present disclosure provide many advantages over the prior art. Since the coolant source supplies hot and cold coolants to the valve at a constant flow rate, the design of the coolant source (e.g., pump control and temperature control) is simplified. In addition, since the flow of the coolant returned from the substrate support assembly is distributed between the coolant sources, underfilling and overfilling states will not occur in the coolant source. In addition, nitrogen passes through the housing surrounding the valve and the fluid pipeline connecting the valve to the coolant source to exhaust humid air from the housing. Compared with the housing in the prior art using an insulating component, this increases the temperature range that can be used to control the substrate temperature. Therefore, compared with the system and method in the prior art, the system and method of the present disclosure are easier to implement and more effective.

[0082] More specifically, a dynamic coolant mixing manifold according to the present disclosure uses two three-way valves to mix hot and cold coolants so as to output coolant at a desired coolant temperature and a desired coolant flow rate. The two three-way valves use a bypass to return any unneeded / unused coolant to a coolant source (called a temperature control unit (TCU)) so that the TCUs can operate at a constant flow rate. A third three-way valve distributes the return flow received from the substrate support assembly between the two TCUs so that neither TCU is underfilled or overfilled.

[0083] A temperature sensor (e.g., a thermocouple (TC)) associated with (i.e., coupled to) a supply line that supplies mixed coolant from the two mixing three-way valves to the substrate support assembly senses the temperature of the coolant supplied to the substrate support assembly. A flow meter associated with (i.e., coupled to) a return line that returns coolant from the substrate support assembly to the coolant source through the third three-way valve measures the flow rate of the coolant flowing through the substrate support assembly. The two mixing valves use thermocouples (TC) and flow meters and proportional integral differential (PID) controllers to adjust their positions. The third return valve uses feedback from a weight sensor on the TCU and PID controller to adjust its position.

[0084] The proposed system utilizes only two three-way proportional valves to mix hot and cold fluids to a desired temperature while maintaining a desired flow rate and returning unused fluid to the corresponding TCU. An alternative solution requires at least four two-way proportional valves to achieve the same effect. In addition, a third three-way proportional valve distributes the fluid returned from the substrate support assembly so that the TCU neither runs out of coolant nor is overfilled with coolant. An alternative solution requires at least two two-way proportional valves to achieve the same effect. Therefore, the proposed system uses fewer valves and is easy to implement.

[0085] In addition, the proposed system utilizes a compact arrangement of valves and custom weldments to fit into a small space. The proposed system can also control substrate temperature over a wider temperature range (-20°C to 120°C) by using a nitrogen purge / exhaust system, compared to the 10°C to 90°C temperature range that can typically be achieved using insulating components instead.

[0086] Advantages of the proposed system over the prior art include fast temperature response time and low flow fluctuations. In addition, the TCU can be operated at a constant flow rate and output temperature, and the TCU tank does not need to be rebalanced. Unlike the prior art, by using the proposed system, the coolant temperature can be set in an analog manner (i.e., in a continuous manner) rather than in a digital manner (i.e., in discrete steps). In addition, by using the proposed system, any temperature between the hot supply temperature and the cold supply temperature can be selected, rather than selecting a hot temperature or a cold temperature. This ability of the proposed system to select the coolant temperature in a continuous manner enhances the uniformity with which the substrate temperature can be controlled.

[0087] Figure 1 A system 100 for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly is shown. The system 100 includes a dual cooler 102, a first three-way proportional valve (hereinafter referred to as the first valve) 104, a second three-way proportional valve (hereinafter referred to as the second valve) 106, a third three-way proportional valve (hereinafter referred to as the third valve) 108, a substrate support assembly 110, and a controller 112. The dual cooler 102, the first valve 104, the second valve 106, and the third valve 108 are enclosed in a housing 114. A substrate 111 may be disposed on the substrate support assembly 110 to be processed in a processing chamber (not shown). The system 100 controls the temperature of the substrate 111 as described below.

[0088] The dual cooler 102 includes a first coolant source 116 and a second coolant source 118. The first coolant source 116 supplies coolant at a first temperature. The second coolant source 118 supplies coolant at a second temperature. The first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 supply coolant at a fixed flow rate.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 may supply different coolants. In some implementations, it may be necessary to fix the flow rate for each of the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118. In some embodiments, the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 may be different, but the flow rate may be fixed. For example, the first coolant source 116 may have a first fixed flow rate, and the second coolant source 118 may have a second fixed flow rate. In any of these implementations, it is not necessary to change and do not change one or more fixed flow rates of the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 during operation to adjust the amount of coolant supplied by each of the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118.

[0090] The first valve 104 has an input port 120, a first output port 122, and a second output port (or bypass) 124. The second valve 106 has an input port 126, a first output port 128, and a second output port (or bypass) 130. The third valve 108 has an input port 132, a first output port 134, and a second output port 136.

[0091] The input port 120 of the first valve 104 receives a fixed flow rate of coolant at a first temperature from the first coolant source 116 via a first fluid line 138. The input port 126 of the second valve 106 receives a fixed flow rate of coolant at a second temperature from the second coolant source 118 via a second fluid line 140.

[0092] The first output port 122 of the first valve 104 outputs the first portion of the coolant received from the first coolant source 116 to the supply line 142. The first output port 128 of the second valve 106 outputs the first portion of the coolant received from the second coolant source 118 to the supply line 142. The first portions of the coolant outputted from the respective first output ports 122 and first output ports 128 of the first valve 104 and the second valve 106 are mixed in the supply line 142.

[0093] The mixed coolant in the supply line 142 is supplied to the substrate support assembly 110. The mixed coolant may be supplied to one or more flow channels (not shown) disposed in the substrate support assembly 110 to control the temperature of the substrate 111 disposed on the substrate support assembly 110.

[0094] The controller 112 controls the first valve 104 and the second valve 106 and determines the amount of the first portion of the coolant output from the first output port 122 and the first output port 128 of the first valve 104 and the second valve 106, respectively. The controller 112 controls the first valve 104 and the second valve 106 and determines the amount of the coolant to be supplied to the substrate support assembly 110 via the supply line 142 at the desired temperature (e.g., a predetermined temperature) to control the substrate temperature based on the desired temperature. The first portions of the coolant output from the first output port 122 and the first output port 128 of the first valve 104 and the second valve 106, respectively, are mixed in the supply line 142, and the resulting mixed coolant having a desired temperature is supplied to the substrate support assembly 110 at a desired flow rate (e.g., a predetermined flow rate) through the supply line 142.

[0095] The second portion of the coolant received by the first valve 104 from the first coolant source 116 may not need to be mixed with the first portion of the coolant received by the second valve 106 from the second coolant source 118 to supply coolant at a desired temperature and a desired flow rate to the substrate support assembly 110. The second portion of the coolant received by the first valve 104 from the first coolant source 116 that is not output from the first output port 122 of the first valve 104 to the supply line 142 passes through the second output port (or bypass) 124 of the first valve 104 and returns to the first coolant source 116 via the fluid line 144.

[0096] The second portion of the coolant received by the second valve 106 from the second coolant source 118 may not need to be mixed with the first portion of the coolant received by the first valve 104 from the first coolant source 116 to supply coolant at a desired temperature and a desired flow rate to the substrate support assembly 110. The second portion of the coolant received by the second valve 106 from the second coolant source 118 that is not output from the first output port 128 of the second valve 106 to the supply line 142 passes through the second output port (or bypass) 130 of the second valve 106 and returns to the second coolant source 118 via the fluid line 146.

[0097] Since the unused portion (i.e., the second portion) of the coolant received by the first valve 104 and the second valve 106 is returned to the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118, the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 can supply the coolant into the first valve 104 and the second valve 106 at a fixed flow rate. This simplifies the design of the dual cooler 102. For example, a pump (not shown) for pumping the coolant from the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 to the first valve 104 and the second valve 106 can be operated at a single speed. In addition, the first temperature and the second temperature of the coolant in the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 can be easily maintained.

[0098] The coolant returned from the substrate support assembly 110 is received by the third valve 108 via the return line 148. The input port 132 of the third valve 108 receives the coolant from the substrate support assembly 110 via the return line 148. The third valve 108 distributes the returned coolant between the first source 116 and the second source 118. A first portion of the coolant received by the third valve 108 from the substrate support assembly 110 is returned to the first coolant source 116 via the first output port 134 of the third valve 108 through the fluid line 150 and the fluid line 144. A second portion of the coolant received by the third valve 108 from the substrate support assembly 110 is returned to the second coolant source 118 via the second output port 136 of the third valve 108 through the fluid line 152 and the fluid line 146.

[0099] The controller 112 controls the third valve 108 and determines the appropriate or desired amount of the first portion of the coolant and the second portion of the coolant to be output from the first output port 134 and the second output port 136 of the third valve 108 to the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118, respectively. For example, the controller 112 monitors the weight of the coolant in the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 based on data received from weight sensors (not shown) in the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118. Therefore, the controller 112 determines the level of the coolant in each of the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 and determines the amount of the first portion of the coolant and the second portion of the coolant to be returned to the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118.

[0100] It is desirable to have sufficient coolant in each of the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118. For example, it may be desirable that the amount of coolant in each of the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 is not less than and not equal to a first threshold and not greater than and not equal to a second threshold. The first threshold may be the lowest allowable level of coolant to prevent an underfill condition in each of the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118. The second threshold may be the highest allowable level of coolant to prevent an overfill condition in each of the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118.

[0101] Therefore, the controller 112 controls the first output port 134 and the second output port 136 of the third valve 108 so that the first and second portions of the coolant outputted from the first and second output ports 134 and 136 to the first and second coolant sources 116 and 118 maintain the coolant level in each of the first and second coolant sources 116 and 118 between the first and second thresholds, respectively. For example, the controller 112 controls the first and second output ports 134 and 136 of the third valve 108 and determines the first and second portions of the coolant outputted from the first and second output ports 134 and 136 to the first and second coolant sources 116 and 118 based on feedback from the weight sensor regarding the weight of the coolant in each of the first and second coolant sources 116 and 118 so as to maintain the coolant level in each of the first and second coolant sources 116 and 118 between the first and second thresholds. Therefore, the controller 112 controls the third valve 108 (i.e., adjusts the position of the third valve 108) based on data received from weight sensors in the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 to prevent underfill and overfill conditions from occurring in each of the first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118.

[0102] The system 100 also includes a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermocouple) 154 and a flow meter 156. The temperature sensor 154 is associated with (i.e., coupled to) the supply line 142. The flow meter 156 is associated with (i.e., coupled to) the return line 148. The temperature sensor 154 senses the temperature of the coolant supplied to the substrate support assembly 110 through the supply line 142. The flow meter 156 measures the flow rate of the coolant returned from the substrate support assembly 110 through the return line 148.

[0103] The controller 112 includes a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller. The controller 112 controls the amount of coolant supplied by the first valve 104 and the second valve 106 based on the desired temperature at which the coolant is to be supplied to the substrate support assembly 110 and the temperature of the coolant sensed by the temperature sensor 154. Therefore, the controller 112 controls the first output port 122 and the first output port 128 of the first valve 104 and the second valve 106, respectively, based on the desired temperature at which the coolant is to be supplied to the substrate support assembly 110 and the temperature of the coolant sensed by the temperature sensor 154.

[0104] In addition, the controller 112 controls the amount of coolant supplied by the first valve 104 and the second valve 106 based on the desired flow rate for the coolant to be supplied to the substrate support assembly 110 and the flow rate of the coolant measured by the flow meter 156. Therefore, the controller 112 controls the first output port 122 and the first output port 128 of the first valve 104 and the second valve 106, respectively, based on the desired flow rate for the coolant to be supplied to the substrate support assembly 110 and the flow rate of the coolant measured by the flow meter 156. Therefore, the controller 112 controls the first valve 104 and the second valve 106 (i.e., adjusts the position of the first valve 104 and the second valve 106) based on the data received from the temperature sensor 154 and the flow meter 156.

[0105] The housing 114 has an inlet 158 ​​and an outlet 160. Nitrogen enters the housing 114 through the inlet 158 ​​and flows out of the housing 114 through the outlet 160. The nitrogen removes any humid air that may be present in the housing 114. The use of nitrogen improves the temperature control of the dual cooler 102 and increases the temperature range within which the system 100 can be used to control the temperature of the substrate 111 (e.g., from -20°C to 120°C).

[0106] Figure 2 A method 200 for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly is shown. For example, the method 200 comprises: Figure 1 At 202, a first fluid source and a second fluid source (e.g., Figure 1 The first coolant source 116 and the second coolant source 118 shown in FIG. 1 supply fluid (eg, coolant) at a fixed flow rate. At 204, the first valve and the second valve (eg, Figure 1 The first valve 104 and the second valve 106 shown in FIG. 1 receive fluids supplied by the first fluid source and the second fluid source at the first temperature and the second temperature.

[0107] At 206, portions of the received fluid are mixed using the first valve and the second valve. At 208, the temperature of the substrate is controlled by controlling the first valve and the second valve to determine the amount of fluid received from the first and second fluid sources that is mixed based on a desired temperature and flow rate for supplying the fluid to the substrate support assembly.

[0108] At 210, a mixed fluid at a desired temperature and a desired flow rate is supplied to a substrate support assembly (e.g., Figure 1 ) to control the substrate (e.g., Figure 1 At 212, unused portions of the fluid received from the first fluid source and the second fluid source are returned to the first fluid source and the second fluid source using the first valve and the second valve, respectively.

[0109] At 214, a third valve (eg, Figure 1 Receive the fluid returned from the substrate support assembly at the third valve 108 shown in .At 216, the fluid received from the substrate support assembly is distributed between the first fluid source and the second fluid source.At 218, the amount of the fluid returned to the first fluid source and the second fluid source received from the substrate support assembly is determined by controlling the third valve based on the feedback of the weight of the fluid present in the first fluid source and the second fluid source from the weight sensor respectively.The amount of fluid received from the substrate support assembly is distributed and returned to the first fluid source and the second fluid source by controlling the third valve, so that the fluid level in each of the first fluid source and the second fluid source remains between the low level threshold and the high level threshold.This occurs in each of the first fluid source and the second fluid source.Underfilled state and overfilled state.

[0110] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is by no means intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because when studying the drawings, the specification and the appended claims, other modifications will become apparent. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described relative to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other remains within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0111] Various terms are used to describe the spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless the relationship between a first and a second element is explicitly described as "direct," when such a relationship is described in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship, in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship, in which there are one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0112] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system, which can be part of the above examples. Such a system can include a semiconductor processing device, which includes one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (substrate pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronic devices for controlling their operation before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor substrates or substrates. The electronic device can be referred to as a "controller", which can control various components or subcomponents of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, the controller can be programmed to control any process disclosed herein, including the delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, access tools and other delivery tools and / or substrate delivery of load locks connected to or interfaced with a specific system.

[0113] In general, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and the like. The integrated circuits may include a chip in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, a digital signal processor (DSP), a chip defined as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or one or more microprocessors, or a microcontroller that executes program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions may be instructions delivered to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor substrate or system. In some embodiments, the operating parameters may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to accomplish one or more processing steps during the fabrication of a die of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or substrates.

[0114] In some implementations, the controller may be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the "cloud" or in all or part of a wafer fab host system that may allow remote access to substrate processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a manufacturing operation, examine the history of past manufacturing operations, study trends or performance metrics from multiple manufacturing operations, change the parameters of the current processing, set the processing steps to follow the current processing, or start a new processing. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide a process recipe to the system via a network (which may include a local network or the Internet). The remote computer may include a user interface that enables input or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then delivered from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify the parameters of each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool, and the controller is configured to interface with or control the tool. Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers networked together and working toward a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control the process on the chamber.

[0115] Example systems may include, but are not limited to, plasma etch chambers or modules, deposition chambers or modules, spin rinse chambers or modules, metal plating chambers or modules, cleaning chambers or modules, chamfer edge etch chambers or modules, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers or modules, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers or modules, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers or modules, atomic layer etch (ALE) chambers or modules, ion implantation chambers or modules, track chambers or modules, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used for the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor substrates.

[0116] As described above, depending on one or more processing steps to be performed by the tool, the controller can communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, a host computer, another controller, or tools used in material transport of substrate containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly, the system comprising: a first source and a second source supplying fluid at a first temperature and a second temperature, respectively; a first three-way proportional valve having an input port connected to the first source, a first output port connected to a supply line to supply the fluid from the first source to the substrate support assembly, and a second output port connected to the first source; a second three-way proportional valve having an input port connected to the second source, a first output port connected to the supply line to supply the fluid from the second source to the substrate support assembly, and a second output port connected to the second source; a third three-way proportional valve having an input port connected to a return line to receive the fluid from the substrate support assembly, a first output port and a second output port connected to the first source and the second source to return the fluid received from the substrate support assembly to the first source and the second source, respectively; and A controller configured to control the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to: outputting a first portion of the fluid received from the first source and the second source via the respective input ports to supply the fluid to the substrate support assembly via the supply line at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined flow rate; as well as returning a second portion of the fluid received from the first source and the second source through the respective input ports to the first source and the second source via the second output ports of the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve, respectively; as well as wherein the controller is further configured to control the third three-way proportional valve to distribute the fluid received from the substrate support assembly via the return line between the first source and the second source to maintain the fluid levels of the first source and the second source between a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is a minimum allowable level of the fluid to prevent an underfill condition in each of the first source and the second source, and wherein the second threshold is a maximum allowable level of the fluid to prevent an overfill condition in each of the first source and the second source.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to control a temperature of the substrate based on the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly via the supply line at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined flow rate. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first source and the second source supply the fluid to the first and second three-way proportional valves at a fixed flow rate.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: a temperature sensor associated with said supply line; and a flow meter associated with said return line, The controller is configured to control the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve based on data received from the temperature sensor and the flow meter.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to control the third three-way proportional valve based on an indication of a weight of the fluid in each of the first source and the second source.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a housing enclosing the first, second, and third three-way proportional valves, and fluid lines connecting the first and second sources to the first, second, and third three-way proportional valves, wherein the housing comprises an inlet and an outlet, and wherein nitrogen passes through the housing via the inlet and the outlet to exhaust humid air from the housing.

7. A system for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly, the system comprising: a first source and a second source that supply fluid at a first temperature and a second temperature at fixed flow rates, respectively; a first three-way proportional valve and a second three-way proportional valve for receiving fixed flow rates of fluid at the first temperature and the second temperature from the first source and the second source, mixing a first portion of the received fluid to supply the fluid having a predetermined temperature at a predetermined flow rate to the substrate support assembly, and returning a second portion of the received fluid to the first source and the second source; a third three-way proportional valve for receiving the fluid from the substrate support assembly and returning the fluid received from the substrate support assembly to the first source and the second source; and a controller configured to control the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to supply the fluid having the predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined flow rate; and wherein the controller is further configured to control the third three-way proportional valve to distribute the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source to maintain the fluid levels of the first source and the second source between a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is a minimum allowable level of the fluid to prevent an underfill condition in each of the first source and the second source, and wherein the second threshold is a maximum allowable level of the fluid to prevent an overfill condition in each of the first source and the second source.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is configured to control a temperature of the substrate based on the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined flow rate.

9. The system according to claim 7, further comprising: a temperature sensor associated with a supply line that supplies the fluid from the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to the substrate support assembly; and a flow meter associated with a return line returning the fluid from the substrate support assembly to the third three-way proportional valve, Wherein the controller is configured to control the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve based on data received from the temperature sensor and the flow meter.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is configured to control the third three-way proportional valve based on an indication of a weight of the fluid in each of the first source and the second source.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising a housing enclosing the first, second, and third three-way proportional valves, and fluid lines connecting the first and second sources to the first, second, and third three-way proportional valves, wherein the housing comprises an inlet and an outlet, and wherein nitrogen passes through the housing via the inlet and the outlet to exhaust humid air from the housing.

12. A method for controlling the temperature of a substrate disposed on a substrate support assembly, the method comprising: receiving fluid at a fixed flow rate from a first source and a second source having a first temperature and a second temperature at a first three-way proportional valve and a second three-way proportional valve, respectively; mixing portions of the fluid received from the first source and the second source using the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve, the mixed portions of the fluid having a predetermined temperature; using the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to return unused portions of the fluid received from the first source and the second source to the first source and the second source, respectively; supplying the mixed portion of the fluid having the predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at a predetermined flow rate; receiving the mixed portion of the fluid from the substrate support assembly at a third three-way proportional valve; using the third three-way proportional valve, returning the mixed portion of the fluid received from the substrate support assembly to the first source and the second source; controlling the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve to supply the mixed portion of the fluid having the predetermined temperature to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined flow rate; as well as controlling the third three-way proportional valve to distribute the mixed portion of the fluid received from the substrate support assembly between the first source and the second source to maintain fluid levels of the first source and the second source between a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is a minimum allowable level of the fluid to prevent an underfill condition in each of the first source and the second source, and wherein the second threshold is a maximum allowable level of the fluid to prevent an overfill condition in each of the first source and the second source.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising controlling a temperature of the substrate based on the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined flow rate.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: sensing a temperature of the mixed portion of the fluid supplied to the substrate support assembly from the first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve; measuring a flow rate of the mixed portion of the fluid flowing from the substrate support assembly to the third three-way proportional valve; as well as The first three-way proportional valve and the second three-way proportional valve are controlled based on the temperature and the flow rate.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: The third three-way proportional valve is controlled based on an indication of a weight of the fluid in each of the first source and the second source.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: The first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve, and fluid lines connecting the first source and the second source to the first three-way proportional valve, the second three-way proportional valve, and the third three-way proportional valve are enclosed in a housing, and Nitrogen gas is passed through the housing to remove humid air from the housing.

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