Vapor accumulator with purge function for corrosive gases

Abstract

A vapor reservoir for semiconductor processing operations, such as atomic layer deposition operations, is provided. Such a vapor reservoir may include a peripheral plenum volume filled with an inert gas, which may reduce or prevent leakage of external contaminants into the process gas. In some implementations, the reservoir may be constructed of a corrosion resistant material to reduce internal contaminants from entering the process gas.

Description

[0001] Incorporated by Reference

[0002] The PCT application form is filed concurrently with this specification as a part of this application. Each application to which this application claims the benefit or priority as identified in the concurrently filed PCT application form is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. Background Art

[0003] During semiconductor processing operations, one or more reactants may be dispensed onto a semiconductor wafer to perform etching, deposition, cleaning, or other operations. In some such semiconductor operations, the one or more reactants may be provided in vaporized form suspended in a carrier gas, such as a gas that is chemically inert or non-reactive to the other reactants used prior to flowing through the semiconductor wafer.

[0004] The process gas may include the carrier gas and vaporized reactants. The process gas distributed onto the semiconductor wafer may come from a reservoir that stores a large volume of process gas (relative to the volume of the wafer processing area) at a specific temperature and pressure range. The reservoir may store highly volatile, toxic, and / or reactive process gases during semiconductor processing before, during, and after a portion of the process gas is distributed onto one or more semiconductor wafers.

[0005] The present disclosure relates to new techniques and apparatus for improving the design and construction of reservoirs in semiconductor processing chambers. Summary of the invention

[0006] The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the following figures and embodiments. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the embodiments, drawings, and claims. The following non-limiting implementations are considered part of this disclosure; other implementations will also become apparent from the entirety of this disclosure and the drawings.

[0007] In one aspect of the implementation disclosed herein, an apparatus for use in a semiconductor processing tool may be provided. The apparatus may include a bell jar having a bottom opening, one or more flange structures arranged around and extending radially outward from the bottom opening, and a sealing surface; the apparatus may also include a primary O-ring and a plate. The plate may have a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the bell jar may be positioned so that the sealing surface is adjacent to the first side, a primary O-ring groove may be positioned in the first side of the plate and / or in the sealing surface of the bell jar, the primary O-ring may be at least partially positioned in the primary O-ring groove and may be sandwiched between the sealing surface of the bell jar and the first side of the plate, and the plate may include one or more fluid sealing interfaces. Each fluid sealing interface may include: i) a port located within an inner periphery of the primary O-ring and extending through the plate from the first side to the second side; and ii) at least one purge gas outlet located on the second side of the plate and fluidly connected to a corresponding purge gas inlet located on the first side of the plate through a corresponding purge gas passage located in the plate. The device may also include one or more clamping structures having a bottom surface proximate to the first side of the plate and an inner flange extending radially inward from the bottom surface and proximate to the one or more flange structures; and a peripheral plenum volume, which is at least partially defined by the following items: the main O-ring, a portion of the main O-ring groove, a portion of the first side of the plate, a portion of the sealing surface, and at least a portion of each of the one or more flange structures, which is between the inner flange of the one or more clamping structures and the sealing surface. The device may also include one or more purge gallery grooves: a) located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of the following items: the plate and / or the one or more clamping structures; and b) arranged around the main O-ring groove; the one or more purge gallery grooves can be in fluid connection with the peripheral plenum volume and each purge gas inlet in the device; and the purge gas feed inlet can be in fluid connection with the one or more purge gallery grooves.

[0008] In some implementations, the device may further include: a bell cover having a bottom opening and a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the bell cover may be adjacent to the first side of the first plate, and the bell may be contained within a volume at least partially defined by the first side of the plate and the interior surface of the bell cover. The volume of the peripheral plenum may be additionally defined at least partially by the interior surface of the bell cover and the exterior surface of the bell.

[0009] In some implementations, the one or more clamping structures can be part of the bell cover, wherein: the bottom surface of the one or more clamping structures is the bottom surface of the bell cover, and the inner flange of the one or more clamping structures is the inner flange of the bell cover.

[0010] In some implementations, an inner edge of the bottom surface of the bell cover can be proximate to the first side of the plate, the one or more sweep gallery grooves can be positioned outside the inner edge, and the bell cover can have a plurality of sweep gas ports connecting the one or more sweep gallery grooves with the peripheral plenum volume. In some implementations, the plurality of sweep gas ports can have a cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to a path followed by the sweep gallery groove that is less than about 10% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the sweep gallery groove.

[0011] In some implementations, the one or more clamping structures may be provided by an internal flange extending around a periphery of the bottom opening of the bell jar cover. In some implementations, the apparatus may further include one or more heating elements proximate to the second side of the plate. In some implementations, the apparatus may include: one or more temperature sensor devices, each temperature sensor device in contact with a part selected from the group consisting of: the bell jar, the plate, and one of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces.

[0012] In some implementations, the one or more flange structures may be a single flange structure. In some implementations, the one or more clamping structures may be a single clamping structure. In some implementations, the one or more flange structures may be a single flange structure, and the device may further include: a secondary O-ring; a secondary O-ring groove located in the single flange structure and / or the single clamping structure, and the secondary O-ring may be at least partially positioned in the secondary O-ring groove and may be radially inserted between the single flange structure and the second surface of the single clamping structure.

[0013] In some implementations, there may be six fluid sealing interfaces. In some implementations, the primary O-ring groove may be positioned in the plate. In some implementations, each fluid sealing interface may include a flange plate, an interface O-ring, and an interface O-ring groove located in the flange plate and / or the second side of the plate.

[0014] In some implementations, the device can include a vapor reservoir volume defined at least in part by: an interior surface of the bell jar, the primary O-ring, and the first side of the plate.

[0015] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include: a pump in fluid connection with the bell volume, and a controller including one or more processors and one or more memory devices. The one or more processors, the one or more memory devices, and the pump may be operably connected to each other, and the one or more memory devices may store computer executable instructions for controlling the one or more processors so that the pump reduces the absolute pressure in the bell to a level of less than 10 torr to 200 torr.

[0016] In some implementations, the purge gas feed inlet can be connected to a gas supply source comprising an inert gas. In some implementations, the inert gas can comprise one or more of argon, helium, nitrogen, and neon. In some implementations, the apparatus can comprise a secondary O-ring at least partially positioned between the one or more flange structures and the one or more clamping structures.

[0017] In some implementations, the primary O-ring can include a flat annular segment extending radially inward from an annular segment.

[0018] In some implementations, the apparatus may include a plurality of purge gas ports connecting the one or more purge gallery grooves with the peripheral plenum volume. Each of the plurality of purge gas ports may have a cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to a path followed by the purge gallery groove that is less than about 10% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the purge gallery groove.

[0019] In some implementations, the one or more sweeping gallery grooves may be provided by a single sweeping gallery groove. In some implementations, the single sweeping gallery groove may form a complete loop around the main O-ring groove. In some implementations, one or more of the one or more fluid-tight interfaces may be connected to a gas supply source. In some implementations, one or more of the one or more fluid-tight interfaces may be an outlet interface for distributing gas.

[0020] In some implementations, the bell jar and / or the plate can be inactive to chlorine-containing compounds. In some implementations, the bell jar and / or the plate can be inactive to fluorine-containing compounds. In some implementations, the bell jar and the plate can each include one or more of the following materials: quartz (SiO2), quartz coated with sapphire (Al2O3), quartz coated with aluminum oxide (Al2O3), quartz coated with yttrium oxide (Y2O3), quartz coated with yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide (ZrO2), quartz coated with aluminum oxide / yttrium oxide laminate, borosilicate glass coated with quartz, borosilicate glass coated with sapphire, aluminum alloy, aluminum oxide coated Aluminum 6061 with aluminum oxide coating, aluminum 7075 with aluminum oxide coating, or aluminum 3003 with aluminum oxide coating, aluminum alloy with hard anodized (Al2O3) coating, aluminum 6061 with hard anodized coating, aluminum 7075 with hard anodized coating, or aluminum 3003 with hard anodized coating, aluminum alloy with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating (NiP), aluminum 6061 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, aluminum 7075 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, or aluminum 3003 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating Aluminum 3003 with a coating, aluminum alloy with a polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), or parylene coating, aluminum 6061 with a polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or parylene coating, aluminum 7075 with a polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or parylene coating, or aluminum 3003 with a polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or parylene coating, stainless steel alloy with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, Stainless steel 316 with electrolytic high phosphorus nickel plating, or stainless steel 304 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel alloys with polymer, PTFE, PFA or parylene coating, stainless steel 316 with polymer, PTFE, PFA or parylene coating, or stainless steel 304 with polymer, PTFE, PFA or parylene coating, corrosion resistant Ni-alloys, Hastelloy C-22, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy B-2 or Inconel 718.

[0021] These and other features of the disclosed embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the associated drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Various implementations disclosed herein are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements.

[0023] Figure 1 Depicted is an exploded view of an exemplary vapor accumulator as discussed herein.

[0024] Figure 2A composite diagram of the exemplary vapor accumulator is depicted.

[0025] Figure 3A -C depicts a cross-sectional view of the exemplary vapor reservoir.

[0026] Figure 4 Another cross-sectional view of the exemplary vapor reservoir is depicted.

[0027] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of another exemplary vapor reservoir is depicted.

[0028] Figure 6 A high-level schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing tool incorporating a vapor reservoir is depicted.

[0029] In addition to being Figure 3A A partial enlarged view of Figure 3B and 3C In addition, Figures 1 to 5 Each figure is drawn to scale. The figures may not be drawn to scale with respect to each other. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the implementation scheme presented. The implementation scheme disclosed herein can be implemented without some or all of these specific details. In addition, although the disclosed implementation scheme will be described in conjunction with the specific implementation scheme, it should be understood that the specific implementation scheme is not intended to limit the disclosed implementation scheme.

[0031] Disclosed herein are methods, techniques, systems and apparatus for delivering vaporized precursors or other reactants to one or more semiconductor processing chambers. The concepts disclosed herein may be particularly applicable to cyclic, multi-stage semiconductor processing operations, such as ALD or ALE processing, and may also be suitable for use in single-station or multi-station semiconductor processing tools, i.e., tools that can process multiple semiconductor wafers simultaneously in the same chamber or in multiple independent chambers that share one or more tool subsystems, such as controllers, gas distribution systems, vacuum pump systems, etc. If desired, the concepts disclosed herein may also be implemented in situations that do not involve cyclic, multi-stage semiconductor processing operations and / or in single-station semiconductor processing tools.

[0032] The inventors appreciate that existing semiconductor processing systems (e.g., those used to implement ALD operations) can provide undesirable performance in some aspects. For example, many ALD systems use mass flow controllers (MFCs) to control the flow of precursors to semiconductor wafers undergoing ALD processing. However, the dosing cycle of ALD precursors is actually quite short, such as on the order of less than 1 second or generally no more than 2-3 seconds. In contrast, MFCs have very slow response times, such as longer than the precursor dosing cycle. Therefore, ALD systems that use MFCs to regulate precursor dosing will typically include a diverter or splitter valve downstream of the MFC - the precursor flow can therefore be distributed to the processing chamber (where it flows across the semiconductor wafer) or diverted to the exhaust system. Regardless of which destination the precursor is ultimately delivered to, the flow of the precursor flowing through the MFC can be maintained at a relatively stable state. In such a system, the amount of precursor delivered to the processing chamber is sometimes controlled by activating the diverter valve (which has a much faster response time than the MFC) based on the mass flow provided by the MFC. However, this method is very wasteful because the precursor must continue to flow through the MFC, and the precursor that is not delivered to the semiconductor wafer must therefore be delivered to the exhaust system where it is discarded. The MFC is also an expensive component, and in a multi-station semiconductor processing tool, each station will require its own MFC and diverter valve for such a purpose.

[0033] A multi-station ALD tool can use pulsed deposition of low vapor pressure precursors for semiconductor wafers being processed in the tool. Such a tool can (for example) use precursors such as tungsten pentachloride or tungsten hexachloride, which may be suspended in an inert or other non-reactive carrier gas in vaporized form. Instead of using the commonly used MFC / diverter valve method, it is more efficient to provide the vaporized precursor to a relatively large vapor reservoir and then meter out a small amount of vaporized precursor to one or more processing chambers as needed. The vaporized precursor can be provided to such a vapor reservoir from one or more vaporizers through a vapor inlet, and the vapor reservoir is connected to one or more processing chambers through corresponding vapor delivery lines. It should be understood that the vapor reservoir discussed here should not be confused with the working volume of the vaporizer itself, which is where the vaporization of the solid or liquid phase actually occurs (the transition from the solid phase to the gas phase is technically called sublimation, but for the purpose of this application, the term "vaporization" and the like should be understood to refer to the transition of solid or liquid phase materials to the gaseous state). "Vapor reservoir" as the term is used herein refers to a reservoir that receives vapor that has been entrained in a carrier gas but does not itself contain a solid or liquid substance to be evaporated. For example, a liquid or solid precursor may be stored in an ampoule having a volume; the precursor may be caused to evaporate within the ampoule volume, thereby producing vapor - which vapor may then be transported downstream to the vapor reservoir through tubing, piping, or other conduits having a relatively small flow cross-sectional area (compared to the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the ampoule itself) - since the ampoule contains a solid or liquid reactant to be evaporated, the ampoule itself would not be considered a vapor reservoir. Examples of several vaporizers that may be used to implement the embodiments discussed herein can be found in U.S. Patent No. 10,087,523, issued on October 2, 2018, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0034] The flow of vaporized precursor from the vapor reservoir to each individual process chamber may be regulated by a corresponding valve, which may be activated to deliver very short pulses of vaporized precursor to the process chamber, e.g., pulse widths of a few seconds, 500 ms or less, 50 ms or less, etc. The volume of the vapor reservoir may be sized to contain sufficient precursor so that providing a single precursor dose from the vapor reservoir to any process chamber to which it may be connected does not adversely affect the ability of the vapor reservoir to simultaneously deliver accurate doses to other process chambers to which it may be connected (although such doses may also be delivered asynchronously during processing).

[0035] In order to maintain the precursor in a vapor state, to allow accurate dosing, and to be pressure-compatible with the pressure in the treatment chamber, the vapor reservoir can be maintained at a relatively low pressure, such as a moderate vacuum, between about 10 torr and about 200 torr, between about 10 torr and about 20 torr, or between about 50 torr and about 200 torr. Typically, during the treatment operation, the pressure of the vapor reservoir will be at least about twice the pressure of the treatment chamber. Therefore, the amount of gas (both vaporized precursor and carrier gas) stored in the vapor reservoir may be quite rarefied in volume. A pump can be fluidly connected to the vapor reservoir, and the pump can be controlled to reduce the pressure in the vapor reservoir.

[0036] In some implementations, the process gas stored in the vapor reservoir can be a chlorinated precursor or an oxychloride, including tungsten hexachloride, tungsten pentachloride, tungsten tetrachloride, tungsten dichloride, molybdenum pentachloride, molybdenum tetrachloride, molybdenum dichloride, and titanium tetrachloride. In some implementations, the process gas is a fluorinated precursor or an oxyfluoride, including tungsten hexafluoride, tungsten pentafluoride, tungsten tetrafluoride, tungsten difluoride, molybdenum pentafluoride, molybdenum tetrafluoride, molybdenum difluoride, and titanium tetrafluoride. In some implementations, the process gas can follow the general formula MeCl x 、MeO y Cl x 、MeF x and / or MeO y F x , wherein Me represents: titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), ruthenium (Ru), niobium (Nb) and / or rhodium (Rh), and both x and y are greater than or equal to 1. In some implementations, brominated and iodinated precursors may be used, which follow the general formula MeHal x (IsoMeO y Hal x ) and / or MeO y Hal x , wherein Hal represents: chlorine, fluorine, bromine and / or iodine.

[0037] A vapor reservoir such as that discussed herein can be designed to have roughly two main parts that define the volume within the vapor reservoir: a bell jar and a plate that seals the bottom of the bell jar. For example, the bell jar can define one or more three-dimensional interior surfaces of the volume within the vapor reservoir, and the plate can roughly define a nominally flat (e.g., roughly two-dimensional) surface of the volume within the vapor reservoir. It should be understood that the plate and bell jar structure discussed herein or because of the functionality provided by it can be provided in a variety of ways, including as an assembly, wherein the plate and / or the bell jar can be an assembly of other components. For example, the bell jar can be provided as an assembly of a cylindrical portion and a dome cover portion, which, when combined, provides an internal volume similar to the one-piece bell jar discussed herein.

[0038] The process gas flowing to and from the vapor reservoir can cause it to corrode, which causes contaminants and particulates, so it is not ideal. To reduce the amount of contaminants and reduce the frequency of component replacement, corrosion-resistant materials can be selected for the construction of the vapor reservoir. Some corrosion-resistant materials (such as ceramics or quartz) are more durable than metal alloys (such as Hastelloy), but are also more difficult to machine. Therefore, in some implementations, some parts of the vapor reservoir (such as the plate) may include a machined metal alloy, while the bell jar that forms a seal against the plate may require less machining and may include ceramic.

[0039] The seal between the bell jar and the plate may not be completely leakproof. Since the vapor reservoir is usually maintained at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure, leakage introduces air into the process gas, which may cause contaminants (such as water vapor) or other particles to enter the process gas flow and thus may contaminate the wafer being processed. One solution is to enclose the process gas volume in a peripheral plenum volume of an inert gas (also called a purge gas), which, if maintained at a pressure greater than the process gas volume, any leakage between the peripheral plenum volume and the process gas volume will cause the inert gas to mix with the process gas, thereby not causing harmful contamination. Further, in some implementations, the peripheral plenum volume has a pressure greater than one atmosphere, so that any leakage between the peripheral plenum volume and the atmosphere will cause the inert gas to flow into the air around the vapor reservoir, rather than the opposite. This can provide an additional layer of protection to prevent contaminants from mixing with the process gas. In some implementations, the inert gas is one or more of argon, helium, nitrogen, or neon. In some implementations, a gas supply of an inert gas may be connected to the peripheral plenum volume using a valve configured to regulate the flow of the inert gas and the pressure within the peripheral plenum volume.

[0040] Figure 1An exploded view of a vapor reservoir 100 is shown according to some implementations. As previously discussed, the vapor reservoir 100 includes a bell jar 102 and a plate 110, between which the internal volume of the vapor reservoir 100 can be roughly defined. The bell jar 102 and the plate 110 may be combined with a primary O-ring 108 sandwiched between them to provide a substantially airtight seal at the interface between the two components. In some implementations, a bell jar cover 138 may be provided, which may be attached to the plate 110 and may be used to provide a protective shield on the bell jar 102. For example, the bell jar cover 138 may be made of aluminum, stainless steel, or other relatively durable materials to provide impact protection to the bell jar 102, and in some implementations, the bell jar 102 may be made of a relatively brittle material (e.g., quartz or ceramic). In some implementations, the bell jar cover 138 may also be integrated with a clamping structure that may be used to maintain the bell jar 102 in position relative to the plate 110. In the illustrated implementation, the bell jar 102 has an outer flange 104 (which can be seen in greater detail in subsequent figures), and the bell cover 138 has an inner flange that overlaps the outer flange of the bell jar 102 when viewed along an axis perpendicular to the plate 110. For example, the bell cover 138 can be bolted to the plate 110 with a plurality of fasteners (e.g., screws, or other mounting systems), and the outer flange of the bell jar 102 can thus be trapped between the inner flange of the bell cover 138 and the plate 110. For bell jars 102 made of relatively brittle materials (such as quartz or ceramic), such an arrangement can be configured to avoid compressing (or only slightly squeezing) the outer flange on the bell jar 102, thereby avoiding the outer flange of the bell jar 102 being subjected to excessive stress such that the bell jar 102 may crack and fail. Such a clamping arrangement can be used to maintain the bell 102 generally in place, thereby ensuring that when the pressure within the bell 102 is reduced (e.g., by using a pump), the external pressure imparted by the atmosphere / ambient air on the bell 102 will cause the bell 102 to press against the primary O-ring 108, thereby sealing the volume within the bell 102 as a whole.

[0041] The plate 110 may serve as the primary interface to the inlet and outlet of the interior volume of the vapor reservoir 100, and may have a first side 112 exposed to the interior of the storage volume, and a second side opposite the first side that is connected to the vapor delivery line 121. The plate also has a connection feature 115 (e.g., a stud or through hole for a threaded fastener) that may be used to connect the plate 110 to the bell cover 138, although other fastening systems (e.g., a bayonet mount, a threaded collar, etc.) may also be used to connect the bell cover 138 to the plate 110. The primary O-ring 108 may fit into a primary O-ring groove of the plate 110, but in some implementations, the primary O-ring groove may alternatively or additionally be located in the face of the bell 102 that mates with the primary O-ring 108.

[0042] A vapor delivery line 121 may be provided to deliver process gas from the interior volume of the vapor reservoir 100 (e.g., via a showerhead or other gas distribution station located at each station of the semiconductor processing tool) to each station (not shown). The vapor delivery line 121 may be fluidly connected to the vapor reservoir 100 using, for example, a fluid-tight interface 118 of the plate 110. Each of the fluid-tight interfaces 118 may generally include: a through hole in the plate 110 extending from the first side 112 of the plate 110 to the second side of the plate 110, through which gas may be transferred to and from the vapor reservoir volume; and features for mounting the vapor delivery line 121 to the plate 110, such as a stud protruding from the second side of the plate 110 or a threaded blind hole in the second side of the plate 110 for receiving a screw or bolt. The fluid-tight interface 118 may be designed to interface with a sealing component, such as an O-ring. In some implementations, additional features for accommodating the sealing component may be included in the fluid sealing interface, for example, an annular groove for receiving an O-ring may be provided around the through hole of the fluid sealing interface 118 on the second side of the plate 110, but such features may additionally or alternatively be included in one or more flange plates, such as the vapor transport line 121 or similar components. In some implementations, in addition to the bottom, or in lieu of the bottom, the fluid sealing interface may be located on the top, or on the side of the vapor reservoir. In such an implementation, the through hole may be located on the top or side of the vapor reservoir.

[0043] In some implementations, a vapor concentration sensor 154 that can monitor the vapor storage volume 103 can, for example, sample the gas within the vapor storage volume 103. The vapor concentration sensor 154 can be used to determine the pressure, relative concentration, or temperature of the process gas within the vapor storage volume 103. This information can then be used by the controller to adjust the operating parameters of the vapor reservoir. The vapor concentration sensor can be fluidly connected to the vapor storage volume 103 using a fluid-tight interface in the same manner as the vapor delivery line 121.

[0044] In some implementations, there may also be a diverter line (not shown) that can be used to flow gas through the vapor storage volume 103 without distributing the gas to each station. The diverter line can be fluidly connected to the vapor storage volume 103 using a fluid-tight interface in the same manner as the vapor delivery line 121. The diverter line can also be used to connect a pump to the vapor storage volume.

[0045] In some implementations, one or more heating elements 139 (e.g., resistive heating pads or blankets) may be positioned on or around the bell cover 138. These heating elements may be used to maintain the vapor reservoir 100 at a constant temperature, which in some implementations may vary between 130° C. and 200° C. during operation. In some implementations, there may be no bell cover, such as where the bell 102 is made of stainless steel or other material that is not susceptible to brittle failure, and in such implementations, the heating elements may be placed directly on the bell itself if desired. In some implementations, the heating element or additional heating elements may be placed proximate to the second side of the plate 110.

[0046] In some implementations, the vapor reservoir may include one or more thermocouples 148, which may be in contact with the plate and / or the bell. For example, a thermocouple 148a may be in contact with the bell via a sensor port 149 in the bell cover; the thermocouple 148 may have a spring-loaded, heat-sensitive tip to allow the thermocouple body to be mounted in the plate 110 and / or bell cover 138, thereby still allowing the tip of the thermocouple 148 to press against the surface to be monitored to provide good thermal contact. In some implementations, additional thermocouples may be connected to one or more vapor transport lines 121 (not shown), for example, additional thermocouples may be configured to contact the external surface of each vapor transport line 121 to monitor the temperature of each vapor transport line. In some implementations, instead of thermocouples, different temperature sensor devices may be used to measure the temperature of various components.

[0047] Figure 2 Displayed in a combined, non-expanded state Figure 1 1. A view of the vapor reservoir 100. As can be seen, the bell cover 138 and the plate 110 encapsulate the bell and the main O-ring (not shown). The vapor delivery line 121 from the bottom of the plate 110 can be seen, as well as the vapor concentration sensor 154.

[0048] As shown, the vapor reservoir 100 can be substantially circular. It should be understood that other shapes and configurations of the vapor reservoir 100 can also be used.

[0049] Figure 3A -C shows a cross-sectional view of the vapor reservoir 100 and a focused detailed view of the cross-sectional portion according to some implementations. Figure 3B Shows Figure 3A A detailed view of a cutaway portion of the left side of the vapor reservoir 100 is shown, and Figure 3C is Figure 3A A second view of a different cross-sectional portion of the right side of vapor reservoir 100 is shown.

[0050] exist Figure 3B , a cross-sectional view of the vapor reservoir 100 is shown, wherein the plate 110 has a first side 112 and a second side 114, wherein the first side 112 and the second side 114 are respectively represented by dashed lines. The first side 112 of the plate 110 can have a main O-ring groove 116 and a main O-ring 108 at least partially positioned in the main O-ring groove 116. In some implementations, the main O-ring 108 can be completely within the main O-ring groove 116. The main O-ring 108 is positioned between the plate 110 and the sealing surface 106 of the bell jar 102, thereby forming a vapor reservoir volume 103, which is defined by at least the plate 110, the main O-ring 108, and the bell jar 102. In some implementations, the main O-ring can have a flat section extending radially inward from the annular section and positioned between the plate 110 and the sealing surface 106. This can help reduce the pressure on the annular segment of the primary o-ring 108 and improve the quality and life of the seal. In some implementations, the primary o-ring groove 116 can be located in the plate 110, while in other implementations, the primary o-ring groove can be located in the bell 102. In some implementations, the primary o-ring groove can be partially located in both the plate 110 and the bell 102.

[0051] The bell jar 102 may also have an outer flange 104 extending around the perimeter of the bell jar 102. While in the illustrated implementation, the bell jar 102 has an annular outer flange 104 that forms a single flange structure extending around the perimeter of the entire bell jar 102, in other implementations, the outer flange 104 may include multiple flange structures spaced around the outer perimeter of the bell jar 102. The outer flange 104 is adjacent to the inner flange 128 of the bell jar cover 138. In some implementations, this inner and outer flange may be designed to have a small gap (e.g., about 0.010 inches) between these flanges when the bell jar cover 138 is in contact with the plate 110 to prevent over-clamping of the inner flange 128 on the outer flange 104.

[0052] The bell cover 138 may also have a bottom surface 130 that contacts the plate 110. The bell cover 138 and the plate 110 may be connected using any of a variety of conventional methods; in the example shown, the plate 110 has a circular array of holes through it, and the bottom surface 130 of the bell cover 138 has a matching pattern of threaded blind holes that allow screws to be locked into the bell cover 138 to clamp the bell cover 138 to the plate 110. In other implementations, the bell cover 138 and the plate 110 may be connected using other mechanisms.

[0053] In some implementations, the secondary O-ring 150 can be positioned along the interior surface of the bell housing cover 138 between the interior flange 128 and the bottom surface 130. In some implementations, the secondary O-ring 150 can be positioned between the bell housing's exterior flange 104 and the interior surface of the bell housing cover 138, such as Figure 3B As shown. In such an implementation, the bell cover 138 may have a secondary O-ring groove 152 in the interior surface, wherein the secondary O-ring groove 152 may accommodate the secondary O-ring 150 such that the secondary O-ring 150 is partially positioned within the interior surface of the bell cover 138. In some such implementations, the secondary O-ring 150 may be sized such that the secondary O-ring 150 does not form an air-tight or liquid-tight seal between the bell cover 138 and the bell 102; in such an implementation, the secondary O-ring 150 may instead serve as an elastic buffer for centering the bell 102 relative to the bell cover 138 and the plate 110, as well as buffering potential impacts between the bell 102 and the bell cover 138. In some implementations, the secondary O-ring groove 152 may be positioned on the outermost surface of the bell 102, rather than in the bell cover 138.

[0054] As previously discussed, in some implementations, there may not be a bell cover 138 at all. Figure 1 The illustrated implementation includes a bell cover 138 that includes a clamping structure in the form of an inner flange 128 in the bell cover 138, but other implementations may omit the bell cover 138 and may instead utilize a clamping ring extending around the bell 102 (similar to a portion of the bell cover 138, including the clamping structure shown but without the cylindrical wall and dome of the bell cover 138). In such an implementation, an O-ring may be placed between the bottom surface of the inner flange 128 and the upper surface of the outer flange 104 to avoid clamping the inner flange 128 directly on the outer flange 104 and also to provide at least a partially airtight seal. In other implementations, the one or more clamping structures used to maintain the bell jar 102 in place may be detachable from the bell jar cover 138, for example, a plurality of wire clips may be used around the periphery of the outer flange 104 to clamp the bell jar 102 in place on the plate 110, and the bell jar cover 138 is then secured to the plate 110 to cover the bell jar 102 and the wire clip clamping structures.

[0055] With or without a bell jar cover, the vapor reservoir implementations discussed herein may include a peripheral plenum volume 132 defined at least in part by the primary o-ring 108, the primary o-ring groove 116, and the first side 112. The peripheral plenum volume 132 may be a substantially enclosed volume that may be pressurized with a gas (e.g., an inert gas) to displace any ambient atmospheric air that may otherwise potentially come into contact with the primary o-ring and thus risk being drawn through the primary o-ring 108 into the vapor reservoir volume 103. In some implementations, the peripheral plenum volume may be additionally defined by an interior surface of the bell jar cover 138 (e.g., an interior surface of the bell jar cover 138 between the bottom surface 130 and the interior flange 128). In some implementations, the peripheral plenum volume may be additionally defined by the interior flange 128 of the one or more clamping structures.

[0056] The vapor reservoir discussed herein may also include a sweeping gallery groove 134 that may be located in the plate 110. In some implementations, there may be a single sweeping gallery groove that extends around the perimeter of the plate. In some implementations, there may be one or more sweeping gallery grooves that extend discontinuously and partially around the perimeter of the plate. In some implementations, the sweeping gallery groove 134 may be only on the first side 112 of the plate 110, while in other implementations, the sweeping gallery groove may be located in one or both of the bottom surface 130 of the bell cover 138 (or the clamping structure if there is no bell cover) and the first side 112 of the plate 110.

[0057] In some implementations, one or more purge gas feed inlets 136 may be included in the second side 114 of the plate 110; each of such purge gas feed inlets may be connected to the purge gallery groove 134. The purge gas feed inlet may be connectable to a purge gas supply and configured to allow purge gas to flow into the purge gallery groove 134. In some implementations, there may be a plurality of purge gas feed inlets connected to the one or more purge gallery grooves. The purge gallery grooves may allow purge gas (or other gas that is functionally inert or non-reactive with respect to the process gas contained within the vapor reservoir 100) to be distributed to a location surrounding the primary O-ring 108.

[0058] Figure 3C is Figure 3A A second view of a different cross-sectional portion of vapor reservoir 100 is shown. Figure 3C A sweeping gallery groove 134 is shown, which in the illustrated implementation is in contact with Figure 3BThe sweep gallery grooves 134 are shown as identical annular grooves, but in some implementations, may be different sweep gallery grooves, for example, if two C-shaped sweep gallery grooves are used, each providing sweep gas through a corresponding sweep gas feed inlet 136. In some implementations, the peripheral plenum volume 132 and the sweep gallery grooves 134 (which may also be simply referred to herein as "sweep gallery") may generally be a single cohesive volume, for example, the peripheral plenum volume 132 and the sweep gallery grooves 134 may be fluidly connected to each other around most or all of the perimeter of the bell jar 102.

[0059] However, in other implementations, such as Figure 3C As shown, the peripheral plenum volume 132 and the purge gallery groove 134 may be intentionally fluidly connected only at dispersed locations along the perimeter of the bell jar 102. For example, a plurality of purge gas ports 142 may be provided at spaced locations around the perimeter of the bell jar 102; each of such purge gas ports 142 may be sized to have a cross-sectional area that is much smaller (e.g., an order of magnitude or less) than the cross-sectional area of ​​the purge gallery groove 134 (such cross-sectional area is taken in a plane perpendicular to the general direction of travel of gas flow through the purge gas port 142 or the purge gallery groove 134) and may have a first end that opens into the purge gallery groove 134 and a second end that is opposite to the first end and opens into the peripheral plenum volume 132 to generate back pressure within the purge gallery groove so that the purge gas is evenly distributed through all of the purge gas ports. In such an implementation, the purge gallery groove 134 may be positioned outside the inner edge of the bell jar cover 138 such that the bottom surface of the bell jar cover 138 covers the purge gallery groove 134 and the purge gas port 142 is positioned in the bell jar cover 138 .

[0060] The purge gallery groove 134 can be fluidly connected to the purge gas inlet 124, which can be used to provide a purge gas that is inert or non-reactive to the process gas that can flow through the vapor reservoir 100 (or, if the purge gas is drawn into the reservoir volume and / or vapor delivery line 121 in small amounts via the main O-ring 108 or other seals, a purge gas that does not otherwise adversely affect the semiconductor processing operation). The purge gas can flow into the purge gallery groove 134 and then be distributed (e.g., via the purge gas port 142) into the peripheral plenum volume 132, where the purge gas can surround the outer surface of the main O-ring 108 and replace any atmospheric or ambient air that may occupy the peripheral plenum volume. Therefore, if there is a leak into the vapor reservoir volume 103 via the main O-ring 108, the gas drawn into the vapor reservoir volume 103 will be the purge gas rather than ambient air, thereby protecting the semiconductor processing operation from contamination or other adverse effects. The flow of purge gas into the purge gallery groove 134 may be regulated to maintain the pressure of the purge gas within the purge gallery groove within a specified range, such as between about 50 torr and about 250 torr above atmospheric pressure: such regulation may be implemented actively, such as using a pressure sensor and valve to control the flow of purge gas to the purge gallery groove 134, or may be implemented passively, such as by determining an average leakage rate of purge gas from the vapor reservoir 100 and then adjusting the flow rate of purge gas to account for the leakage rate. For example, purge gas may leak out of the bell cover 138 through a port provided for a thermocouple (which may be commonly plugged with a thermocouple, but may be a non-airtight interface), or through the interface between the bell cover 138 and the plate 110 (which may be a metal-to-metal contact interface, which, although tightly joined, may not be equipped with a true seal and may therefore leak gas).

[0061] In addition to the above-described features of providing purge gas to the primary O-ring 108 on the first side 112 of the plate 110 via the peripheral plenum volume 132, the vapor reservoir 100 may include additional features for also distributing the purge gas to elements or features located on the second side 114 of the plate 110. For example, each fluid sealing interface 118 may provide an additional potential leak path for atmospheric air to enter the process gas flow from the vapor reservoir 100, such as by flowing into the vapor delivery line 121 (where, depending on flow conditions, the leaking gas may then flow back into the vapor reservoir volume 103 or into a semiconductor processing chamber to which the process gas is provided via the vapor delivery line 121).

[0062] To mitigate the effects of this potential leak, a vapor reservoir as described herein may have additional features in the plate 110 to facilitate localized scavenging of each fluid sealing interface 118 . For example, the one or more purge gallery grooves may be fluidly connected with each fluid seal interface 118 through a corresponding purge gas channel 123, each of which may have a purge gas outlet 122 opening to an interface O-ring groove 160 for an interface O-ring 158 that may seal the fluid seal interface 118; the purge gas channels 123 may also have a corresponding purge gas inlet 124 opening to the purge gallery groove 134 to allow the purge gallery groove 134 to also pressurize the interface O-ring groove 160 of the fluid seal interface 118 with purge gas, thereby displacing any atmospheric air that may be adjacent to the interface O-ring 158 seal and preventing such atmospheric air from potentially being drawn through the interface O-ring 158 seal and into the process gas flow. The purge gas channels 123 are shown in the plate 110. In the illustrated implementation, the purge gas passage 123 is provided by holes drilled radially inward from the periphery of the plate 110, which are then inserted with, for example, set screws (as shown); corresponding purge gas inlets and purge gas outlets are then drilled into the plate 110 from opposite sides to intersect with the purge gas passage 123.

[0063] In some implementations, the purge gas passage 123 may be provided by a hole drilled radially inward from the first side 112 and at an angle to the first side 112, which intersects the purge gallery groove 134 and the purge gas outlet 122. Because the purge gas passage is directly connected to the purge gallery groove 134, there is no purge gas inlet 124 in such an implementation. In some implementations, the purge gas passage 123 may also be partially located in the bell cover 138.

[0064] In some implementations, the vapor delivery line 121 (or other gas flow component that may be connected to the plate 110, such as a process gas inlet) may include a flange plate 156 connected to the second side 114 of the plate 110, and the interface O-ring groove 160 may be located in the flange plate 156. In other implementations, the interface O-ring groove may be located in the second side 114 of the plate 110, or partially in both the flange plate 156 and the second side 114. Regardless of which portion or portions the interface O-ring groove 160 is located in, the purge gas outlet 122 of the corresponding fluid sealing interface 118 may be positioned so that the purge gas entering the interface O-ring groove 160 from the purge gas outlet 122 generally flows freely, for example, such that the purge gas outlet 122 overlaps the interface O-ring groove 160 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the second side 114 of the plate 110.

[0065] Each of the fluid sealing interfaces 118 also includes a port 120 extending through the plate 110; the port 120 is within the perimeter of the primary O-ring 108 so that the port 120 is in fluid connection with the vapor storage volume 103. Thus, each fluid sealing interface 118 can include at least one corresponding port 120, a purge gas outlet 122, and one or more mounting features (e.g., studs, threaded holes, etc.) to allow fluid flow components (e.g., vapor delivery line 121) to be mounted to the fluid sealing interface. As discussed above, the fluid sealing interface 118 can also include an interface O-ring groove 160 (assuming that the interface O-ring groove 160 is machined into the plate 110 rather than, for example, the flange plate 156 or the like). In some implementations, the fluid sealing interface 118 can also include, for example, the flange plate 156, the interface O-ring groove 160, and the interface O-ring 158. In the depicted implementation, there are six fluid-tight interfaces 118—four for providing process gas to the semiconductor processing chamber via vapor delivery line 121, one for providing process gas to vapor reservoir 100, and one for allowing monitoring access to vapor reservoir volume 103, e.g., allowing a vapor concentration sensor to sample the gas within vapor reservoir volume 103. It should be understood that any number of fluid-tight interfaces 118 may be provided.

[0066] Figure 4 1 is another cross-sectional view of the vapor reservoir 100. As can be seen, the plate 110 and the bell jar 102 define a vapor storage volume 103. The interior surface of the bell jar cover 138, the exterior surface of the bell jar 102, and the plate 110 can partially define a peripheral plenum volume 132. The peripheral plenum volume can extend beyond the bell jar 102, thereby enveloping the bell jar 102. The vapor delivery line 121 is connected to the vapor reservoir 100 via a fluid-tight interface 118 to deliver process gas to a semiconductor processing station (not shown). The vapor concentration sensor 154 can sense various properties of the process gas in the vapor reservoir. Thermocouple 148 is connected to the plate 110 and can be used to monitor the temperature of the plate 110.

[0067] Figure 5 500 is a cross-sectional view of a vapor reservoir 500 without a bell cover. The vapor reservoir 500 has a plate 510 and a bell 502, which together can partially define a vapor storage volume 503. There is also a primary O-ring sandwiched between the plate 510 and the bell 502 and housed in a primary O-ring groove. The vapor delivery line 521 and the vapor concentration sensor 554 can be fluidly connected to the vapor storage volume 503 via a fluid sealing interface 518.

[0068] In the illustrated implementation, the vapor reservoir 500 does not have a bell cover with an internal flange, but rather has a clamping structure 532. The bell cover may be replaced with a clamping structure to reduce material costs or for other reasons. This approach may be particularly useful if the bell is not made of a brittle material (which has a higher probability of breaking during operation).

[0069] In some implementations, the clamping structure 532 can have a first surface proximate to the first side 512 of the plate 510, and a second surface proximate to the outer flange of the bell jar 502. The first surface can interface with the plate 510 in the same manner as the bell jar cover. In some implementations, the second surface can be proximate to the outer flange of the bell jar 502 and at a sufficient distance to prevent stress on the outer flange.

[0070] In other implementations, there is a secondary O-ring groove 552 that is partially located in one or both of the second surface of the clamping structure 532 and the outer flange of the bell 502, and the secondary O-ring 550 is at least partially located in the secondary O-ring groove 552. When the clamping structure 532 is connected to the plate 510, the second surface of the clamping structure 532 can seal the secondary O-ring 550 against the outer flange of the bell 502 in a manner similar to the way the primary O-ring creates a seal between the bell 502 and the plate 510. The seal can create a peripheral plenum volume 538 defined by the first side 512, the primary O-ring, the primary O-ring groove, the third surface of the clamping structure between the first surface and the second surface, and a portion of the outer flange of the bell 502. Inert or purge gas flowing into the peripheral plenum volume will seal against the secondary O-ring 550 rather than the interior surface of the bell jar cover.

[0071] As can be seen, and without providing specific labeling, in some implementations, the vapor reservoir 500 can have a sweep gallery groove and fluid sealing interface provided by the sweep gas inlet, sweep gas passage, and sweep gas outlet. In some implementations, there is also an O-ring positioned between the bell jar 502 and the clamping structure 532 to provide a cushioning effect and center the clamping structure on the bell jar 502 as described above. This may be accompanied by a secondary O-ring 550 that seals the clamping structure against the external flange.

[0072] In some implementations, the plate and the bell jar may be made of corrosion resistant materials, but they need not be made of the same material. The plate and the bell jar partially define the vapor storage volume and are therefore exposed to process gases that may be corrosive. Corrosion of the interior surfaces of the vapor storage volume may result in contamination in the process gases and, therefore, defects in semiconductor wafers exposed to the process gases.

[0073] In some implementations, the plate and the bell jar may be made of one or more materials that are inactive to the process gas, the materials comprising: a chlorinated precursor, an oxychloride, a fluorinated precursor, or an oxyfluoride. As used herein, an inactive material may be completely inactive or substantially inactive with the process gas flowing through the vapor reservoir, such that particles from the reaction of the process gas with the inactive material do not cause defects in the semiconductor wafer being processed. Inactive materials that can be used with the chlorinated precursor, oxychloride, fluorinated precursor, or oxyfluoride can include: quartz (SiO2), quartz with sapphire (Al2O3) coating, quartz with alumina (Al2O3) coating, quartz with yttria (Y2O3) coating, quartz with yttria-stabilized zirconium oxide (ZrO2) coating, quartz with alumina / yttria laminate coating, borosilicate glass with quartz coating, borosilicate glass with sapphire coating, aluminum alloy with alumina coating (such as 6061, 7075, or 3003), aluminum alloy with hard anodized (Al2O3) coating (such as 6061, 7075, or 3003), and aluminum alloy with hard anodized (Al2O3) coating (such as 6061, 7075, or 3003). 3003), aluminum alloys (such as 6061, 7075, or 3003) with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating (NiP), aluminum alloys (such as 6061, 7075, or 3003) with polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), or parylene coatings, stainless steel alloys (such as 316 or 304) with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating (NiP), stainless steel alloys (such as 316 or 304) with polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coatings, corrosion resistant Ni-alloys, Hastelloy C-22, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy B-2, or Inconel 718. As discussed above, in some embodiments, the plate can be made of a metal alloy material that is generally easier to process than ceramic materials.

[0074] In some implementations, the process gas may contain a brominated precursor, an oxybromide precursor, an iodinated precursor, and / or an oxyiodide precursor. In such implementations, the inactive materials listed above may be used with such compounds.

[0075] Figure 6 A high-level schematic diagram of a semiconductor processing tool incorporating a vapor reservoir is depicted. Figure 6 The semiconductor processing tool is a multi-station ALD type tool, although the vapor reservoir discussed herein may be used in other types of tools including, for example, PECVD, CVD, or etch tools. Figure 6, two semiconductor processing chambers 670 (also referred to herein as "reactors," "reaction chambers," or "processing chambers") are shown—each processing chamber 670 may include a pedestal 671 that supports a semiconductor wafer 673 during semiconductor processing operations. The pedestals 671 may be movable between multiple vertical heights to facilitate loading / unloading or handling of the semiconductor wafers 673; the pedestal 671 in the rightmost processing chamber 670 is in a lowered position, wherein the pedestal 671 in the leftmost processing chamber 670 is in a raised position.

[0076] Each processing chamber 670 can include a chamber lid 639, which can include a plurality of gas distribution channels for distributing process gases over the semiconductor wafer 673. In this example, each chamber lid 639 includes two separate sets of gas distribution channels, each set for distributing a different precursor gas. This prevents the precursor from mixing with residues of the other precursor, which would occur if the two precursors flowed through the same channels - such mixing could cause chemical reactions to occur at locations other than the semiconductor wafer 673, which could be undesirable. In some implementations, the gas distribution channels can be located in a structure separate from the chamber lid 639, such as a showerhead-type gas distributor; it should be understood that the concepts described herein can be used with either type of chamber lid 639 or gas distributor.

[0077] In a system such as an ALD or ALE processing tool, a "microvolume" 672 may be formed within the processing chamber during semiconductor processing operations. When the pedestal 671 is in the position required for wafer processing, the microvolume 672 is formed between the pedestal 671 and the chamber lid 639 / gas distributor; the chamber lid 639 or gas distributor may also have an annular wall that extends downwardly around the outer periphery of the pedestal 671, thereby defining a circumferential boundary to the microvolume. The volume of the microvolume is much smaller than the overall volume of the processing chamber 670, thereby allowing a smaller amount of precursor to be used - which allows faster dose delivery, faster cleaning, less waste of reactants, and a variety of other benefits. The microvolume 672 can be considered to be a continuous volume between the surface through which the gas passes when distributed across the semiconductor wafer 673 and the pedestal 671, and can terminate at a first major fluid restriction beyond where the semiconductor wafer 673 is supported (wherein the first major fluid restriction involves a fluid restriction that is large enough to prevent the process gas from flowing back into the microvolume during normal semiconductor processing operations). Process gases may be exhausted from the process chamber 670 via a vacuum foreline 640 which may be fluidly connected to a vacuum pump (not shown).

[0078] Each chamber lid 639 may be supplied with a first process gas containing vapor from a vapor reservoir volume 603 provided by a vapor reservoir (not shown) as discussed herein. The first process gas may be supplied from the vapor reservoir volume 603 to each process chamber 670 via a corresponding vapor delivery line 621. The flow of the first process gas through each vapor delivery line 621 may be controlled by a corresponding first process gas dosing valve 674 (or control valve assembly), which may also include a flow restrictor such that the flow of fluid through the vapor delivery line 621 is restricted to either full choke flow or sonic velocity across the restrictor. Alternatively, the flow restrictor may be located elsewhere on the vapor delivery line 621.

[0079] The vapor reservoir volume may have a volume that is sufficiently large to allow a single dose of vapor to be provided to each process chamber without affecting the ability of the vapor reservoir to provide single doses to other process chambers. In some implementations, the vapor reservoir volume may be defined as a volume that satisfies the relationship:

[0080]

[0081] Where n = the number of semiconductor processing chambers served by the vapor reservoir; P c = the average pressure in the microvolume of these semiconductor processing chambers during atomic layer deposition operations; V m = the volume of each semiconductor processing chamber microvolume (assuming all semiconductor processing chambers are of similar design); q = the equivalent microvolume of vapor delivered to the processing chamber microvolume during a single dose; and P P = the peak pressure within the vapor reservoir during pulsing of the semiconductor processing chamber. Many of these parameters may vary depending on the particular semiconductor manufacturing process that the vapor reservoir will support, and the vapor reservoir may vary in size accordingly depending on these parameters.

[0082] Each of the chamber lids may also be supplied with a second process gas, such as hydrogen, and other gases, such as a chemically inert purge gas (not shown, although this may be delivered using a system similar to that used for the second process gas) from a second process gas source 689. The flow of the second process gas into each chamber lid 639 may be controlled by a corresponding second process gas dosing valve 675.

[0083] As can be seen, vapor reservoir volume 603 may be fluidly connected to sensor 654. Sensor 654 may measure the concentration of vapor in vapor reservoir volume 603 and thereby allow the concentration of vapor in vapor reservoir volume 603 to be determined.

[0084] In some implementations, the vapor reservoir volume can be in fluid communication with a purge gas feed inlet 636 that is connected to a reservoir purge gas source 688. The flow of purge gas through the purge gas feed inlet 636 can be controlled, for example, by a reservoir purge gas valve 690 or other suitable control device. If desired, purge gas can be added to fill at least a portion of a peripheral plenum volume (not shown, but see previous discussion and figures) surrounding the vapor reservoir volume 603.

[0085] The vapor storage volume 603 can be continuously replenished with vapor supplied from one or more vaporizers 676 (such as vaporizers 676a / b / c / d) via a vapor inlet 656. Each of these vaporizers 676a / b / c / d can include an ampoule 677 that can contain a reactant 687; carrier gas from a carrier gas source 679 can be selectively provided to each ampoule 677 via a corresponding carrier gas flow controller 680, which can control whether carrier gas is provided to the corresponding ampoule 677, and if so, at what flow rate. When the carrier gas flows through one of these ampoules (which can be maintained at a specific pressure and temperature), the reactant 687 can evaporate into the carrier gas and be carried out of the ampoule toward the flow restrictor 682. Prior to reaching the flow restrictor 682, the reactant vapor and carrier gas mixture may be augmented by additional carrier gas provided by an ampoule dilution gas source 683; the additional carrier gas flow to each ampoule 677 may be regulated by a corresponding ampoule dilution gas flow controller 691. The mixed flow of carrier gas and vapor may then pass through the flow restrictor 682, which may be sized to induce sonic flow in the carrier gas / vapor flow under normal operating conditions associated with semiconductor processing operations. Such sonic flow may act as a buffer to isolate the pressure environment in the ampoule 677 from pressure variations in the vapor reservoir, the buffer being unaffected by such pressure fluctuations, even relatively minor pressure variations (e.g., on the order of 1 to 5 torr). It should be understood that other types of vaporizers may also be used with the vapor reservoir - the functionality provided by the vapor reservoir is not dependent on the type of vaporizer used. Other architectures with fewer ampoule dilution gas flow controllers 691 may also be used, for example, an ampoule dilution gas flow controller 691 may be used to control the flow of dilution gas to multiple ampoules 677 .

[0086] In some implementations, a controller 691 may be provided. The controller 691 may be part of a system (which may include the examples described above) and may be operatively connected to various valves, mass flow controllers, pumps, and the like so as to be able to receive information from such devices and / or control such devices. Such a system may include semiconductor processing equipment, which includes one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronic devices for controlling their operation before, during, and after processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronic devices may be referred to as "controllers" that may control various components or subcomponents of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or system type, the controller may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of various gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, and position and operation settings.

[0087] 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 circuit 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 sent 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 wafer or system. In some implementations, the operating parameters may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to accomplish one or more process steps during the manufacture of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0088] 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 may be all or part of a wafer fab host system that may allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a manufacturing operation, check the history of past manufacturing operations, check trends or performance criteria for multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of a current process, set processing steps to follow the current process, or start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide a processing 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 sent from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for 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 that the controller is configured to interface with or control. 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 (e.g., processing and control as 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 remotely (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control processing on the chamber.

[0089] 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 in the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

[0090] 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 to transport wafer containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

[0091] It should be understood that the phrase "one or more connected <parts>" used in this document includes not only examples with multiple <parts>, but also examples with a single <part> (and therefore technically no other <part> would be considered connected to the single <part>). In other words, the phrase "one or more connected <parts>" should be understood to mean "a single <part> or more than two connected <parts>". Similarly, if the phrase "for each <part> of one or more <parts>" or "for each <part>" is used in this document, it should be understood to include both a single group of parts and multiple groups of parts, that is, the phrase "for...each" is used in its meaning in a programming language to refer to each part in whatever group of parts is involved. For example, if the number of parts involved is a single part, "each" will refer to only that single part (despite the fact that the dictionary definition of "each" often defines the word as referring to "all of two or more things") and will not mean that there must be at least two of these parts.

[0092] The phrase "fluid connection" as used herein describes two volumes or components that are connected so that a fluid can flow between them, and has a meaning much the same as "electrical connection", which can be used to describe two components connected together so that electric current can flow from one to the other.

[0093] Although the foregoing implementations have been described in some detail for the purpose of clarity of understanding, it is apparent that certain changes and modifications may be implemented within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that the processes, systems and devices of the present implementations have many alternative implementations. Therefore, the implementations herein should be considered exemplary and non-limiting, and the implementations should not be limited to the details given herein.

[0094] The above various implementations can be provided at least by the accompanying embodiments. Although this list of embodiments is considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure, it should be understood that additional embodiments that are obvious from the above discussion but not explicitly listed below are also within the scope of the present disclosure; the following list of embodiments should not be considered an exclusive list of embodiments.

[0095] Embodiment 1: A device comprising: a bell jar having a bottom opening and one or more flange structures arranged around the bottom opening and extending radially outward from the bottom opening; a plate, wherein: the plate has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the bell jar is positioned so that the bottom opening is adjacent to the first side, and the plate comprises one or more fluid sealing interfaces, each fluid sealing interface comprising: at least one purge gas outlet, which is located on the second side of the plate and is fluidically connected to a corresponding purge gas inlet located on the first side of the plate through a corresponding purge gas channel located in the plate; one or more clamping structures, which have having a bottom surface proximate to the first side of the plate and an internal flange extending radially inwardly therefrom and proximate to the one or more flange structures; a peripheral plenum volume at least partially defined by: a portion of the first side of the plate, a portion of each of the one or more clamping structures, and at least a portion of each of the one or more flange structures; and one or more purge gallery grooves located in one or more parts selected from a group consisting of: the plate and the one or more clamping structures; the one or more purge gallery grooves being fluidly connected to the peripheral plenum volume and to each purge gas inlet within the device.

[0096] Embodiment 2: A device comprising: a bell jar having a bottom opening, one or more flange structures arranged around the bottom opening and extending radially outward from the bottom opening, and a sealing surface; a main O-ring; a plate, wherein: the plate has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the bell jar is positioned so that the sealing surface is adjacent to the first side, a main O-ring groove is positioned in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the first side of the plate and the sealing surface of the bell jar, the main O-ring is at least partially positioned in the main O-ring groove and sandwiched between the sealing surface of the bell jar and the first side of the plate, the plate comprises one or more fluid sealing interfaces, each fluid sealing interface comprising: i) a port located within the inner periphery of the main O-ring and extending from the first side through the plate to the second side; and ii) at least one purge gas outlet located on the second side of the plate and connected to the first purge gas outlet located on the plate through a corresponding purge gas channel located in the plate a first side of the plate, the ...

[0097] Embodiment 3: The device according to embodiment 1 or embodiment 2 further comprises: a bell jar cover having a bottom opening and a bottom surface, wherein: the bottom surface of the bell jar cover is adjacent to the first side of the first plate, the bell jar is accommodated in a volume at least partially defined by the first side of the plate and the inner surface of the bell jar cover, and the volume of the peripheral inflatable portion is at least partially defined by the inner surface of the bell jar cover and the outer surface of the bell jar.

[0098] Embodiment 4: A device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the one or more clamping structures are part of the bell jar cover, wherein: the bottom surface of the one or more clamping structures is the bottom surface of the bell jar cover, and the internal flange of the one or more clamping structures is the internal flange of the bell jar cover.

[0099] Embodiment 5: A device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein: the inner edge of the bottom surface of the bell hood cover is close to the first side of the plate, the one or more sweeping gallery grooves are positioned outside the inner edge, and the bell hood cover has a plurality of sweeping gas ports, connecting the one or more sweeping gallery grooves to the peripheral inflation volume.

[0100] Embodiment 6: The apparatus of Embodiment 5, wherein the plurality of sweep gas ports have a cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to a path followed by the sweep gallery groove that is less than about 10% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the sweep gallery groove.

[0101] Embodiment 7: The device of any one of Embodiments 3 to 6, wherein the one or more clamping structures are provided by an internal flange extending around the periphery of the bottom opening of the bell jar cover.

[0102] Embodiment 8: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 7, further comprising one or more heating elements proximate to the second side of the plate.

[0103] Embodiment 9: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 8, further comprising: one or more temperature sensor devices, each temperature sensor device being in contact with a part selected from the group consisting of: the bell jar, the plate, and one of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces.

[0104] Embodiment 10: The device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the one or more flange structures are single flange structures.

[0105] Embodiment 11: The device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the one or more clamping structures are a single clamping structure.

[0106] Embodiment 12: A device according to Embodiment 11, wherein: the one or more flange structures are single flange structures, and the device further comprises: a secondary O-ring; a secondary O-ring groove, which is located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the single flange structure and the single clamping structure, wherein the secondary O-ring is at least partially positioned in the secondary O-ring groove and radially inserted between the second surfaces of the single flange structure and the single clamping structure.

[0107] Embodiment 13: A device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 12, having six fluid sealing interfaces.

[0108] Embodiment 14: The device of any one of Embodiments 2 to 13, wherein the primary O-ring groove is positioned in the plate.

[0109] Embodiment 15: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 14, wherein each fluid sealing interface comprises a flange plate, an interface O-ring, and an interface O-ring groove located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of the flange plate and the second side of the plate.

[0110] Embodiment 16: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 15, further comprising a vapor storage volume, the vapor storage volume being at least partially defined by: an interior surface of the bell jar, the primary O-ring, and the first side of the plate.

[0111] Embodiment 17: The device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 16, further comprising: a pump, which is fluidically connected to the bell jar, and a controller, which comprises one or more processors and one or more memory devices, wherein: the one or more processors, the one or more memory devices and the pump are operably connected to each other, and the one or more memory devices store computer executable instructions, and the computer executable instructions are used to control the one or more processors so that the pump reduces the absolute pressure in the bell jar to a level of less than 10 torr to 200 torr.

[0112] Embodiment 18: The apparatus of any one of Embodiments 1 to 17, wherein the sweep gas feed inlet is connected to a gas supply source comprising an inert gas.

[0113] Embodiment 19: The device of Embodiment 18, wherein the inert gas comprises one or more of argon, helium, nitrogen, and neon.

[0114] Embodiment 20: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 19, further comprising a secondary O-ring at least partially positioned between the one or more flange structures and the one or more clamping structures.

[0115] Embodiment 21: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 20, wherein the primary O-ring comprises a flat annular segment extending radially inward from the annular segment.

[0116] Embodiment 22: A device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3 or 7 to 21, further comprising a plurality of purge gas ports connecting the one or more purge gallery grooves to the peripheral inflation volume, wherein each of the plurality of purge gas ports has a cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the path followed by the purge gallery groove that is smaller than about 10% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the purge gallery groove.

[0117] Embodiment 23: The apparatus of any one of Embodiments 1 to 22, wherein the one or more sweeping gallery grooves are provided by a single sweeping gallery groove.

[0118] Embodiment 24: The apparatus of Embodiment 23, wherein the single sweep gallery groove forms a complete loop around the primary O-ring groove.

[0119] Embodiment 25: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 24, wherein one or more of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces are connected to a gas supply source.

[0120] Embodiment 26: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 25, wherein one or more of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces is an outlet interface for distributing a gas.

[0121] Embodiment 27: The apparatus of any one of Embodiments 1 to 26, wherein the bell jar is inactive toward chlorine-containing compounds.

[0122] Embodiment 28: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 27, wherein the bell jar is inactive toward fluorine-containing compounds.

[0123] Embodiment 29: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 28, wherein the plate is inactive to chlorine-containing compounds.

[0124] Embodiment 30: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 29, wherein the plate is inactive to fluorine-containing compounds.

[0125] Embodiment 31: A device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 30, wherein the bell jar comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: quartz (SiO2), quartz with sapphire (Al2O3) coating, quartz with aluminum oxide (Al2O3) coating, quartz with yttrium oxide (Y2O3) coating, quartz with yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide (ZrO2) coating, quartz with aluminum oxide / yttrium oxide laminate coating, borosilicate glass with quartz coating, borosilicate glass with sapphire coating Silicate glass, aluminum alloys, aluminum 6061 with alumina coating, aluminum 7075 with alumina coating, or aluminum 3003 with alumina coating, aluminum alloys with hard anodized (Al2O3) coating, aluminum 6061 with hard anodized coating, aluminum 7075 with hard anodized coating, or aluminum 3003 with hard anodized coating, aluminum alloys with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating (NiP), aluminum 6061 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, aluminum 7075 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, or aluminum 3003 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, aluminum alloy with polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), or polyparaxylene coating, aluminum 6061 with polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or polyparaxylene coating, aluminum 7075 with polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or polyparaxylene coating, or aluminum 3003 with polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or polyparaxylene coating, stainless steel alloy with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, Stainless steel 316 with or without electrolytic high phosphorus nickel plating, or stainless steel 304 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel alloys with polymer, PTFE, PFA or parylene coating, stainless steel 316 with polymer, PTFE, PFA or parylene coating, or stainless steel 304 with polymer, PTFE, PFA or parylene coating, corrosion resistant Ni-alloys, Hastelloy C-22, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy B-2, and Inconel718.

[0126] Embodiment 32: A device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 31, wherein the plate comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: an aluminum alloy, aluminum 6061 with an aluminum oxide coating, aluminum 7075 with an aluminum oxide coating, or aluminum 3003 with an aluminum oxide coating, an aluminum alloy with a hard anodized (Al2O3) coating, aluminum 6061 with a hard anodized coating, aluminum 7075 with a hard anodized coating, or aluminum 3003 with a hard anodized coating, an aluminum alloy with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating (NiP), aluminum 6061 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, aluminum 7075 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, or aluminum 3003 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, an aluminum alloy with a polymer coating of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), or polyparaxylene, Aluminum 6061 with polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or parylene coating, aluminum 7075 with polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or parylene coating, or aluminum 3003 with polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or parylene coating, stainless steel alloy with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel 316 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, or stainless steel 304 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel alloy with polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, stainless steel 316 with polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, or stainless steel 304 with polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, corrosion resistant Ni-alloys, Hastelloy C-22, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy B-2, and Inconel 718.

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing device, comprising: a bell housing having a bottom opening, one or more flange structures disposed about the bottom opening and extending radially outward from the bottom opening, and a sealing surface; Main O-ring; Plate, where: The plate has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the bell jar is positioned with the sealing surface adjacent the first side, a primary O-ring groove positioned in one or more parts selected from: a first side of the plate and a sealing surface of the bell, The primary O-ring is at least partially positioned within the primary O-ring groove and sandwiched between a sealing surface of the bell and a first side of the plate, The plate comprises one or more fluid-tight interfaces, each fluid-tight interface comprising: i) a port located within the inner periphery of the primary o-ring and extending through the plate from the first side to the second side; and ii) at least one purge gas outlet located on the second side of the plate and in fluid connection with a corresponding purge gas inlet located on the first side of the plate through a corresponding purge gas passage located in the plate; one or more clamping structures having a bottom surface proximate to the first side of the plate and an inner flange extending radially inwardly from the bottom surface and proximate to the one or more flange structures; A peripheral plenum volume defined at least in part by: The main O-ring, a portion of the primary O-ring groove, a portion of the first side of the plate, a portion of the sealing surface, and at least a portion of each of the one or more flange structures that is interposed between the inner flange of the one or more clamping structures and the sealing surface; one or more purge gallery grooves: a) located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the plate and the one or more clamping structures; and b) arranged around the primary o-ring groove, the one or more purge gallery grooves being in fluid connection with the peripheral plenum volume and each purge gas inlet in the device; and A purge gas feed inlet is in fluid connection with the one or more purge gallery grooves.

2. A semiconductor processing device comprising: a bell housing having a bottom opening and one or more flange structures disposed around the bottom opening and extending radially outward from the bottom opening; Plate, where: The plate has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the bell jar is positioned with the bottom opening adjacent the first side, and The plate includes one or more fluid-tight interfaces, each fluid-tight interface including: at least one purge gas outlet located on the second side of the plate and in fluid connection with a corresponding purge gas inlet located on the first side of the plate through a corresponding purge gas passage located in the plate; one or more clamping structures having a bottom surface proximate to the first side of the plate and an inner flange extending radially inwardly therefrom and proximate to the one or more flange structures; A peripheral plenum volume defined at least in part by: a portion of the first side of the plate, a portion of each of the one or more clamping structures, and at least a portion of each of the one or more flange structures; as well as One or more purge gallery grooves located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the plate and the one or more clamping structures; wherein the one or more purge gallery grooves are in fluid connection with the peripheral plenum volume and each purge gas inlet in the device.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising: A bell jar cover having a bottom opening and a bottom surface, wherein: The bottom surface of the bell jar cover is adjacent to the first side of the plate, The bell is housed within a volume defined at least in part by the first side of the plate and an interior surface of the bell cover, and The peripheral plenum volume is additionally defined at least in part by an interior surface of the bell jar cover and an exterior surface of the bell jar.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the one or more clamping structures are part of the bell cover, wherein: The bottom surface of the one or more clamping structures is the bottom surface of the bell jar cover, and The inner flange of the one or more clamping structures is an inner flange of the bell cover.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein: The inner edge of the bottom surface of the bell jar cover is close to the first side of the plate, The one or more sweeping gallery grooves are positioned outside the inner edge, and The bell cover has a plurality of purge gas ports connecting the one or more purge gallery grooves with the peripheral plenum volume.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plurality of purge gas ports have a cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to a path followed by the purge gallery grooves that is less than 10% of the cross-sectional area of ​​each of the one or more purge gallery grooves.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more gripping structures are provided by an internal flange extending around a periphery of the bottom opening of the bell jar cover.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: one or more temperature sensor devices and one or more heating elements proximate to the second side of the plate, wherein each temperature sensor device is in contact with a part selected from the group consisting of: the bell jar, the plate, and one of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces.

9. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The one or more clamping structures are single clamping structures, the one or more flange structures are single flange structures, and The device further comprises: Secondary O-rings; and A secondary O-ring groove is located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the single flange structure and the single clamping structure, wherein the secondary O-ring is at least partially positioned in the secondary O-ring groove and radially inserted between the single flange structure and the single clamping structure.

10. The device according to claim 2, wherein: There are six fluid sealing interfaces.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a primary o-ring groove located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the first side of the plate and a bottom surface of the bell jar.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a primary O-ring within the primary O-ring groove, wherein the primary O-ring comprises a flat annular segment extending radially inwardly from an annular segment.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a vapor storage volume, the vapor storage volume being defined at least in part by: The inner surface of the bell jar, the primary O-ring, and The first side of the plate.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a pump in fluid communication with the vapor storage volume, A controller comprising one or more processors and one or more memory devices, wherein: The one or more processors, the one or more memory devices, and the pump are operably connected to each other, and The one or more memory devices store computer executable instructions for controlling the one or more processors to cause the pump to reduce the absolute pressure in the vapor reservoir volume to a level of less than 10 torr to 200 torr.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of purge gas ports connecting the one or more purge gallery grooves with the peripheral plenum volume, wherein each of the plurality of purge gas ports has a cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to a path followed by the purge gallery grooves that is less than 10% of the cross-sectional area of ​​each of the one or more purge gallery grooves.

16. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more sweeping gallery grooves are provided by a single sweeping gallery groove.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the single sweep gallery groove forms a complete loop around a primary O-ring groove, wherein the primary O-ring groove is positioned in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: a first side of the plate and a sealing surface of the bell jar.

18. The device of any one of claims 2 to 17, wherein each fluid sealing interface comprises a flange plate, an interface O-ring, and an interface O-ring groove, wherein the interface O-ring groove is positioned in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the flange plate and the second side of the plate.

19. The apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 17, further comprising a purge gas feed inlet in fluid connection with the one or more purge gallery grooves and a gas supply source comprising an inert gas, wherein the inert gas comprises one or more of argon, helium, nitrogen and neon.

20. The device of any one of claims 2 to 17, wherein one or more of the one or more fluid-tight interfaces are connected to a gas supply.

21. The device of any one of claims 2 to 17, wherein one or more of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces is an outlet interface for dispensing a gas.

22. The apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 17, wherein the bell jar, the plate, or the bell jar and plate: a) are one or more of: inactive toward chlorine-containing compounds and inactive toward fluorine-containing compounds; and (b) comprise one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: quartz (SiO2), quartz with an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) coating, quartz with an yttria (Y2O3) coating, quartz with an yttria-stabilized zirconium oxide (ZrO2) coating, quartz with an oxygen-stabilized Quartz with alumina / yttria laminate coating, borosilicate glass with quartz coating, borosilicate glass with sapphire coating, aluminum alloy, aluminum 6061 with alumina coating, aluminum 7075 with alumina coating, or aluminum 3003 with alumina coating, aluminum alloy with hard anodized coating, aluminum alloy with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, aluminum alloy with polymer coating, stainless steel alloy with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel alloy with polymer coating, and corrosion resistant Ni-alloy.

23. The apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 17, wherein the bell jar, the plate, or the bell jar and plate: a) is one or more of: inactive to chlorine-containing compounds and inactive to fluorine-containing compounds; and (b) comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: quartz with sapphire coating, aluminum 6061 with hard anodized coating, aluminum 7075 with hard anodized coating, aluminum 3003 with hard anodized coating, aluminum 6061 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, aluminum 7075 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, aluminum 3003 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, aluminum 6061 with polymer coating, aluminum 7075 with polymer coating, aluminum 3003 with polymer coating, stainless steel 316 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel 304 with electroless high phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel 316 with polymer coating, or stainless steel 304 with polymer coating.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the corrosion resistant Ni-alloy comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of Hastelloy C-22, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy B-2, or Inconel 718.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the polymer comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or parylene.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein the polymer comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, or parylene.

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