Vapor reservoir for corrosive gases with sweeping

Abstract

Vapor reservoirs for semiconductor processing operations, such as atomic layer deposition operations, are 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 entering the process gas.

Description

This application is a divisional application of the patent application with the application number 202080051881.3, the filing date of May 19, 2020, and the invention title of "Vapor Reservoir for Corrosive Gases with Sweeping". Incorporated by reference

[0001] The PCT application form is filed simultaneously with this specification as part of this application. Each application for which this application claims the benefit or priority as identified in the simultaneously filed PCT application form is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. Background Art

[0002] 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 a vaporized form suspended in a carrier gas, such as a gas that is chemically inert or non-reactive with other reactants used prior to flowing over the semiconductor wafer.

[0003] The process gas may include the carrier gas and the vaporized reactants. The process gas dispensed onto the semiconductor wafer may be from a reservoir that stores a large volume of the process gas (relative to the volume of the wafer processing area) within 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 dispensed onto one or more semiconductor wafers.

[0004] This disclosure relates to new technologies and devices for improving the design and construction of reservoirs in semiconductor processing chambers. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the following drawings 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.

[0006] In one aspect of the implementations disclosed herein, an apparatus for a semiconductor processing tool can be provided. The apparatus can include a bell jar having a bottom opening, one or more flange structures disposed around the bottom opening and extending radially outward therefrom, and a sealing surface; the apparatus can also include a main O-ring and a plate. The plate can have a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the bell jar can be positioned such that the sealing surface is adjacent to the first side, a main O-ring groove can be positioned in the first side of the plate and / or the sealing surface of the bell jar, the main O-ring can be at least partially positioned within the main O-ring groove and can be clamped between the sealing surface of the bell jar and the first side of the plate, and the plate can include one or more fluid sealing interfaces. Each fluid sealing interface can include: i) a port that is located within the inner perimeter of the main O-ring and extends from the first side through the plate to the second side; and ii) at least one purge gas outlet that is located on the second side of the plate and is in fluid communication with a corresponding purge gas inlet located on the first side of the plate through a corresponding purge gas passage located within the plate. The apparatus can also include one or more clamping structures having a bottom surface proximate to the first side of the plate and an inner flange that extends radially inward from the bottom surface and is proximate to the one or more flange structures; and a peripheral inflation volume that is at least partially defined by: 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 apparatus can also include one or more purge corridor grooves: a) located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the plate and / or the one or more clamping structures; and b) disposed around the main O-ring groove; the one or more purge corridor grooves can be in fluid communication with the peripheral inflation volume and each purge gas inlet within the apparatus; and a purge gas feed inlet can be in fluid communication with the one or more purge corridor grooves.

[0007] In some implementations, the apparatus can also include: a bell jar cover having a bottom opening and a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the bell jar cover can be proximate to the first side of the first plate, and the bell jar can be received within a volume at least partially defined by the first side of the plate and the inner surface of the bell jar cover. The peripheral inflation volume can be at least partially additionally defined by the inner surface of the bell jar cover and the outer surface of the bell jar.

[0008] In some implementations, the one or more clamping structures can be part of the bell cover, where: 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.

[0009] In some implementations, the inner edge of the bottom surface of the bell cover can be close to the first side of the plate, the one or more scavenging gallery trenches can be located outside the inner edge, and the bell cover can have a plurality of scavenging gas ports connecting the one or more scavenging gallery trenches to the peripheral plenum volume. In some implementations, the plurality of scavenging gas ports can have a cross-sectional area that is less than about 10% of the cross-sectional area of the scavenging gallery trenches in a plane perpendicular to the path followed by the scavenging gallery trenches.

[0010] In some implementations, the one or more clamping structures can be provided by an inner flange extending around the periphery of the bottom opening of the bell cover. In some implementations, the device can further include one or more heating elements close to the second side of the plate. In some implementations, the device can include: one or more temperature sensor devices, each temperature sensor device in contact with a part selected from the group consisting of: the bell, the plate, and one of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces.

[0011] In some implementations, the one or more flange structures can be a single flange structure. In some implementations, the one or more clamping structures can be a single clamping structure. In some implementations, the one or more flange structures can be a single flange structure, and the device can 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 can be at least partially located within the secondary O-ring groove and can be radially inserted between the second surfaces of the single flange structure and the single clamping structure.

[0012] In some implementations, there can be six fluid sealing interfaces. In some implementations, the main O-ring groove can be located in the plate. In some implementations, each fluid sealing interface can 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.

[0013] In some implementations, the device can include a vapor storage volume that is at least partially defined by: the inner surface of the bell, the main O-ring, and the first side of the plate.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] In some implementations, the primary O-ring can include a flat annular segment extending radially inward from an annular segment.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] In some implementations, the bell jar and / or the plate may be inert to chlorine-containing compounds. In some implementations, the bell jar and / or the plate may be inert to fluorine-containing compounds. In some implementations, the bell jar and the plate may each comprise one or more of the following materials: quartz (SiO2), quartz with a sapphire (Al2O3) coating, quartz with an alumina (Al2O3) coating, quartz with a yttria (Y2O3) coating, quartz with a yttria-stabilized zirconia (ZrO2) coating, quartz with an alumina / yttria laminated coating, borosilicate glass with a quartz coating, borosilicate glass with a sapphire coating, aluminum alloy, aluminum 6061 with an alumina coating, aluminum 7075 with an alumina coating, or aluminum 3003 with an alumina coating, 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, 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 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 electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating, or stainless steel 304 with electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel alloy with a polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, stainless steel 316 with a polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, or stainless steel 304 with a polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, corrosion-resistant Ni-alloys, Hastelloy C-22, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy B-2, or Inconel 718.

[0020] These and other features of the disclosed embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the related drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Various implementations disclosed herein are shown by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0022] Figure 1 A exploded view of an exemplary vapor reservoir as discussed herein is depicted.

[0023] Figure 2Depicts a combined view of the exemplary vapor reservoir.

[0024] Figure 3A -C depicts a cross-sectional view of the exemplary vapor reservoir.

[0025] Figure 4 Depicts another cross-sectional view of the exemplary vapor reservoir.

[0026] Figure 5 Depicts a cross-sectional view of another exemplary vapor reservoir.

[0027] Figure 6 Depicts a high-level schematic of a semiconductor processing tool incorporating a vapor reservoir.

[0028] Except for being Figure 3A a partial enlarged view of Figure 3B and 3C outside, Figures 1 to 5 Each figure is drawn to scale. These figures may be out of proportion to each other. Detailed Description

[0029] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the presented implementations. The implementations disclosed herein may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. Additionally, although the disclosed implementations will be described in conjunction with specific implementations, it should be understood that the specific implementations are not intended to limit the disclosed implementations.

[0030] Disclosed herein are methods, techniques, systems, and apparatuses 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 single-station or multi-station semiconductor processing tools, i.e., tools that can simultaneously process multiple semiconductor wafers in the same chamber or in multiple independent chambers sharing 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 not involving cyclic, multi-stage semiconductor processing operations and / or in single-station semiconductor processing tools.

[0031] The present inventor understands that existing semiconductor processing systems (e.g., those used to implement ALD operations) can provide less than ideal performance in some respects. 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 quite short, e.g., on the order of less than 1 second or generally no more than 2 - 3 seconds. In contrast, MFCs have a very slow response time, e.g., longer than the precursor dosing cycle. Thus, an ALD system using an MFC to regulate precursor dosing will typically include a diverter or splitter valve downstream of the MFC - the precursor flow can thus 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 rate of the precursor flowing through the MFC can be maintained in a relatively steady state. In such a system, sometimes the amount of precursor delivered to the processing chamber is controlled by actuating the diverter valve (which has a much faster response time than the MFC) based on the mass flow rate provided by the MFC. However, this method is very wasteful because the precursor must continuously flow through the MFC, and the precursor not delivered to the semiconductor wafer must thus be delivered to the exhaust system where it is discarded. MFCs are also expensive components, and in a multi - station semiconductor processing tool, each station will require its own MFC and diverter valve for such purposes.

[0032] A multi-station ALD tool can use pulsed deposition of low vapor pressure precursors on semiconductor wafers being processed in the tool. Such a tool can use precursors such as tungsten pentachloride or tungsten hexachloride, for example, which may be suspended in vaporized form in an inert or other non-reactive carrier gas. Instead of using the common MFC / switching valve approach, it is more efficient to supply the vaporized precursor to a relatively large vapor reservoir and then meter out small amounts of the vaporized precursor to one or more processing chambers as needed. The vaporized precursor can be supplied to such a vapor reservoir from one or more vaporizers through vapor inlets, 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 herein should not be confused with the working volume of the vaporizer itself, which is where the actual vaporization of the solid or liquid phase occurs (the transition from solid phase to gas phase is technically called sublimation, but for the purposes of this application, terms such as "vaporization" should be understood to refer to the transition of solid or liquid phase material to the gas phase). When the "vapor reservoir" is used as a term herein, it refers to a reservoir that receives vapor that has been entrained in a carrier gas but does not itself contain the solid or liquid material to be evaporated. For example, a liquid or solid precursor can be stored in an ampoule having a volume; the precursor can be caused to be evaporated within the volume of the ampoule, thereby generating vapor - the vapor can then be transported downstream through a fitting, a pipeline, or other conduit having a relatively small cross-sectional area of flow (compared to the cross-sectional area of flow of the ampoule itself) to the vapor reservoir - since the ampoule contains the solid or liquid reactant to be evaporated, the ampoule itself will not be considered a vapor reservoir. Examples of several vaporizers that can be used to implement the implementations discussed herein can be seen in U.S. Patent No. 10,087,523, authorized on October 2, 2018, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0033] The flow of the vaporized precursor from the vapor reservoir to each individual processing chamber can be regulated by a corresponding valve, which can be actuated to deliver very short pulses, such as pulses having a pulse width of several seconds, 500 ms or less, 50 ms or less, etc., of the vaporized precursor to the processing chamber. The volume of the vapor reservoir can be sized to contain sufficient precursor such that supplying a single precursor dose from the vapor reservoir to any processing chamber to which it may be connected does not negatively impact the ability of the vapor reservoir to simultaneously deliver accurate doses to the other processing chambers to which it is connected (although during processing, the doses may also be delivered asynchronously).

[0034] To keep the precursor in a vapor state to allow for accurate dosing and to be compatible with the pressure in the processing 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 processing operation, the pressure in the vapor reservoir will be at least about twice the pressure in the processing chamber. Thus, the amount of gas stored in the vapor reservoir (both the vaporized precursor and the carrier gas) can be quite dilute in volume. A pump can be in fluid connection with the vapor reservoir, and the pump can be controlled to reduce the pressure in the vapor reservoir.

[0035] In some implementations, the processing gas stored in the vapor reservoir can be a chlorinated precursor or an oxychloride, including tungsten hexachloride, tungsten pentachloride, tungsten oxytetrachloride, tungsten dichloride dioxide, molybdenum pentachloride, molybdenum oxytetrachloride, molybdenum dichloride dioxide, and titanium tetrachloride. In some implementations, the processing gas is a fluorinated precursor or an oxyfluoride, including tungsten hexafluoride, tungsten pentafluoride, tungsten oxytetrafluoride, tungsten difluoride dioxide, molybdenum pentafluoride, molybdenum oxytetrafluoride, molybdenum difluoride dioxide, and titanium tetrafluoride. In some implementations, the processing gas can follow the general formula MeCl x 、MeO y Cl x 、MeF x and / or MeO y F x , where 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 can be used, which follow the general formula MeHal x (iso MeO y Hal x ) and / or MeO y Hal x , where Hal represents: chlorine, fluorine, bromine and / or iodine.

[0036] A vapor reservoir, such as those discussed herein, can be designed to have generally 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 internal surfaces of the volume within the vapor reservoir, and the plate can generally define a nominally flat (e.g., generally two-dimensional) surface of the volume within the vapor reservoir. It should be understood that the plate and bell jar structures discussed herein, or the functionality they provide, can be provided in a variety of ways, including as components, where the plate and / or the bell jar can be components of other parts. For example, the bell jar can be provided as a component of a cylindrical portion and a dome portion, which, when combined, provide an internal volume similar to that of the one-piece bell jars discussed herein.

[0037] Process gases flowing to and from the vapor reservoir can corrode it, which causes contaminants and particulates, and is thus undesirable. 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 brittle than metal alloys, such as Hastelloy. Therefore, in some implementations, some parts of the vapor reservoir, such as the plate, can comprise a machined metal alloy, while the bell jar that forms a seal against the plate may require less machining and can comprise a ceramic.

[0038] The seal between the bell jar and the plate may not be completely leak-proof. Since the vapor reservoir is typically maintained at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure, leakage introduces air into the process gas, which can cause contaminants (such as water vapor) or other particulates to enter the process gas stream and thus can contaminate the wafer being processed. One solution is to enclose the process gas volume within a peripheral plenum volume of an inert gas (also referred to as 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 result in the inert gas mixing with the process gas, and thus will not cause harmful contamination. Further, in some implementations, the peripheral plenum volume has a pressure greater than one atmosphere, such that any leakage between the peripheral plenum volume and the atmosphere will result in the inert gas flowing into the air around the vapor reservoir, rather than the reverse. This can provide an additional protective layer to prevent the mixing of contaminants 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 source of the inert gas can be connected to the peripheral plenum volume using a valve that is configured to regulate the flow of the inert gas and the pressure within the peripheral plenum volume.

[0039] Figure 1According to some implementations, an exploded view of the vapor reservoir 100 is shown. As previously discussed, the vapor reservoir 100 includes a bell jar 102 and a plate 110, between which an internal volume of the vapor reservoir 100 can be generally defined. The bell jar 102 and the plate 110 may be combined using a main O-ring 108 sandwiched therebetween to provide a generally airtight seal at the interface between the two components. In some implementations, a bell jar cover 138 may be provided, which can be attached to the plate 110 and can be used to provide a protective shield over the bell jar 102. For example, the bell jar cover 138 can be made of aluminum, stainless steel, or other relatively durable materials to provide impact protection for the bell jar 102. In some implementations, the bell jar 102 can be made of a relatively brittle material (such as quartz or ceramic). In some implementations, the bell jar cover 138 can also be integrated with a clamping structure, which can be used to maintain the bell jar 102 in place relative to the plate 110. In the illustrated implementation, the bell jar 102 has an external flange 104 (which can be seen in more detail in subsequent figures), and the bell jar cover 138 has an internal flange that overlaps the external flange of the bell jar 102 when viewed along an axis perpendicular to the plate 110. For example, the bell jar cover 138 can be bolted to the plate 110 with a plurality of fasteners (such as screws, or other mounting systems), and the external flange of the bell jar 102 may thus be caught between the internal flange of the bell jar cover 138 and the plate 110. For a bell jar 102 made of a relatively brittle material (such as quartz or ceramic), such an arrangement can be configured to avoid compressing (or only slightly squeezing) the external flange on the bell jar 102, so as to avoid subjecting the external flange of the bell jar 102 to excessive stress that may cause the bell jar 102 to crack and be damaged. Such a clamping arrangement can be used to generally maintain the bell jar 102 in place, so that when the pressure inside the bell jar 102 (e.g., by using a pump) is reduced, it is ensured that the external pressure exerted by the atmosphere / surrounding air on the bell jar 102 will press the bell jar 102 against the main O-ring 108, thereby sealing the volume inside the bell jar 102 as a whole.

[0040] The plate 110 can serve as the main interface for the inlet and outlet of the internal volume of the vapor reservoir 100, and can have a first side 112 exposed to the interior of the storage volume, and a second side opposite the first side, which is connected to the vapor delivery line 121. The plate also has connection features 115 (such as studs or through holes for threaded fasteners), which can be used to connect the plate 110 to the bell jar cover 138, but other fastening systems (such as bayonet mounts, threaded collars, etc.) can also be used to connect the bell jar cover 138 to the plate 110. The main O-ring 108 can be fitted into the main O-ring groove of the plate 110, but in some implementations, the main O-ring groove can alternatively or additionally be located in the face of the bell jar 102 that mates with the main O-ring 108.

[0041] A vapor delivery line 121 can be provided to deliver a process gas from the interior volume of the vapor reservoir 100 (e.g., via a showerhead or other gas distribution station at each station of a semiconductor processing tool) to each station (not shown). The vapor delivery line 121 can use a fluid seal interface 118 such as the plate 110 to be fluidly connected to the vapor reservoir 100. Each of the fluid seal interfaces 118 can typically include: a through-hole in the plate 110 that extends from a first side 112 of the plate 110 to a second side thereof, through which gas can travel to and from the vapor reservoir volume; and features for mounting the vapor delivery line 121 to the plate 110, such as studs protruding from the second side of the plate 110 or threaded blind holes in the second side of the plate 110 for receiving screws or bolts. The fluid seal interface 118 can be designed to interface with a sealing component (such as an O-ring). In some implementations, additional features for accommodating the sealing component can be included in the fluid seal interface, e.g., an annular groove for receiving an O-ring can be provided around the through-hole of the fluid seal interface 118 on the second side of the plate 110, but such features can alternatively or additionally be included in one or more flange plates such as the vapor delivery line 121 or similar components. In some implementations, in addition to or instead of the bottom, the fluid seal interface can be located on the top or side of the vapor reservoir. In such implementations, the through-hole can be located in the top or side of the vapor reservoir.

[0042] In some implementations, a vapor concentration sensor 154 that can monitor the vapor storage volume 103 can be provided to sample the gas within the vapor storage volume 103, for example. 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 a 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 seal interface in the same manner as the vapor delivery line 121.

[0043] In some implementations, a diversion line (not shown) can also be provided, which can be used to flow gas through the vapor storage volume 103 without distributing the gas to each station. The diversion line can be fluidly connected to the vapor storage volume 103 using a fluid seal interface in the same manner as the vapor delivery line 121. The diversion line can also be used to connect a pump to the vapor storage volume.

[0044] 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 can 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, for example, in cases where the bell 102 is made of stainless steel or other materials that are not prone to brittle failure, and in such implementations, if desired, these heating elements can be placed directly on the bell itself. In some implementations, the heating element or additional heating elements may be placed near the second side of the plate 110.

[0045] 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, 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 thermally sensitive tip to allow the thermocouple body to be mounted in the plate 110 and / or the bell cover 138, while 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 delivery lines 121 (not shown), for example, the additional thermocouples may be configured to contact the outer surface of each vapor delivery line 121 to monitor the temperature of each such vapor delivery line. In some implementations, instead of thermocouples, different temperature sensor devices may be used to measure the temperatures of various components.

[0046] Figure 2 Shown in combined, unexpanded state Figure 1 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 lines 121 from the bottom of the plate 110, as well as the vapor concentration sensor 154, can be seen.

[0047] As shown, the vapor reservoir 100 can be substantially circular. It should be understood that vapor reservoirs 100 of other shapes and configurations can also be used.

[0048] Figure 3A -C shows a cross-sectional view of the vapor reservoir 100 and a detailed view of the cross-sectional portion according to some implementations. Figure 3B Shows as Figure 3A shown, a detailed view of the cross-sectional portion on the left side of the vapor reservoir 100, while Figure 3C is a second view of a different cross-sectional portion on the right side of the vapor reservoir 100 as Figure 3A shown.

[0049] InFigure 3B In Figure 3B , a cross-sectional view of the vapor accumulator 100 is shown, where the plate 110 has a first side 112 and a second side 114, with the first side 112 and the second side 114 represented by dashed lines respectively. The first side 112 of the plate 110 may have a main O-ring groove 116 and a main O-ring 108 that is at least partially positioned within the main O-ring groove 116. In some implementations, the main O-ring 108 may be entirely 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 accumulation volume 103 that is defined at least by the plate 110, the main O-ring 108, and the bell jar 102. In some implementations, the main O-ring may have a flat section that extends radially inward from the annular section and is positioned between the plate 110 and the sealing surface 106. This can help reduce the pressure on the annular section of the main O-ring 108 and improve the quality and lifespan of the seal. In some implementations, the main O-ring groove 116 may be located within the plate 110, while in other implementations, the main O-ring groove may be located within the bell jar 102. In some implementations, the main O-ring groove may be partially located in both the plate 110 and the bell jar 102.

[0050] The bell jar 102 may also have an external flange 104 that extends around the perimeter of the bell jar 102. Although in the illustrated implementation, the bell jar 102 has an annular external flange 104 that forms a single flange structure extending around the entire circumference of the bell jar 102, in other implementations, the external flange 104 may include a plurality of flange structures that are spaced apart around the outer peripheral edge of the bell jar 102. The external flange 104 is close to the internal flange 128 of the bell jar cover 138. In some implementations, these internal and external flanges may be designed to have a small gap (e.g., about 0.010 inches) between them when the bell jar cover 138 contacts the plate 110 to prevent over-clamping the internal flange 128 onto the external flange 104.

[0051] The bell jar cover 138 may also have a bottom surface 130 that contacts the plate 110. The bell jar cover 138 and the plate 110 can be connected using any of a variety of conventional methods; in the example shown, the plate 110 has a circular array of holes passing through it, and the bottom surface 130 of the bell jar cover 138 has threaded blind holes with a matching pattern, allowing screws to be inserted into the bell jar cover 138 to clamp the bell jar cover 138 to the plate 110. In other implementations, the bell jar cover 138 and the plate 110 can be connected using other mechanisms.

[0052] In some implementations, the secondary O-ring 150 can be positioned along the inner surface of the bell cover 138 between the inner flange 128 and the bottom surface 130. In some implementations, the secondary O-ring 150 can be positioned between the outer flange 104 of the bell and the inner surface of the bell cover 138, as Figure 3B shown. In such an implementation, the bell cover 138 can have a secondary O-ring groove 152 in the inner surface, where the secondary O-ring groove 152 can accommodate the secondary O-ring 150 such that the secondary O-ring 150 is partially positioned within the inner surface of the bell cover 138. In some such implementations, the secondary O-ring 150 can be sized such that the secondary O-ring 150 does not form an airtight or liquid-tight seal between the bell cover 138 and the bell 102; in such an implementation, the secondary O-ring 150 can alternatively serve as a resilient buffer that is used to center the bell 102 relative to the bell cover 138 and the plate 110, and to cushion potential impacts between the bell 102 and the bell cover 138. In some implementations, the secondary O-ring groove 152 can be positioned on the outermost surface of the bell 102, rather than in the bell cover 138.

[0053] As previously discussed, in some implementations, there may be no bell cover 138 at all. For example, while the bell cover 138 is included in the Figure 1 illustrated implementation and the bell cover 138 includes a clamping structure in the form of the inner flange 128 in the bell cover 138, other implementations may omit the bell cover 138 and may instead utilize a clamping ring that extends around the bell 102 (similar to a partial bell cover 138 that includes the illustrated clamping structure but without the cylindrical wall and dome of the bell cover 138). In such an implementation, an O-ring can be placed between the bottom surface of the inner flange 128 and the upper surface of the outer flange 104 to avoid directly clamping the inner flange 128 against the outer flange 104 and to also provide at least a partial airtight seal. In other implementations, the one or more clamping structures that are used to maintain the bell 102 in place can be separated from the bell cover 138. For example, a plurality of wire clips can be used around the perimeter of the outer flange 104 to clamp the bell 102 in place on the plate 110, and the bell cover 138 can then be secured to the plate 110 to cover the bell 102 and the wire clip clamping structure.

[0054] Whether or not there is a bell cover, the implementation of the vapor accumulator discussed herein may include a peripheral inflation volume 132 defined at least in part by the main O-ring 108, the main O-ring groove 116, and the first side 112. The peripheral inflation volume 132 may be substantially an enclosed volume, which may be pressurized with a gas (such as an inert gas) to displace any ambient atmospheric air that might potentially come into contact with the main O-ring and thus have a risk of being drawn through the main O-ring 108 into the vapor storage volume 103. In some implementations, the peripheral inflation volume may be additionally defined by the inner surface of the bell cover 138 (such as the inner surface of the bell cover 138 between both the bottom surface 130 and the inner flange 128). In some implementations, the peripheral inflation volume may be additionally defined by the inner flange 128 of the one or more clamping structures.

[0055] The vapor accumulator discussed herein may also include a scavenging corridor groove 134 that may be located in the plate 110. In some implementations, there may be a single scavenging corridor groove extending around the perimeter of the plate. In some implementations, there may be one or more scavenging corridor grooves that are discontinuous and partially extend around the perimeter of the plate. In some implementations, the scavenging corridor groove 134 may be only on the first side 112 of the plate 110, while in other implementations, the scavenging corridor groove may be 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.

[0056] In some implementations, one or more scavenging gas feed inlets 136 may be included in the second side 114 of the plate 110; each of such scavenging gas feed inlets may be connected to the scavenging corridor groove 134. The scavenging gas feed inlet may be connectable to a scavenging gas supply source and configured to allow scavenging gas to flow into the scavenging corridor groove 134. In some implementations, there may be multiple scavenging gas feed inlets connected to the one or more scavenging corridor grooves. The scavenging corridor groove may allow scavenging gas (or other gas that is functionally inert or non-reactive relative to the process gas contained within the vapor accumulator 100) to be distributed to locations surrounding the main O-ring 108.

[0057] Figure 3C is at Figure 3A a second view of different cross-sectional portions of the vapor accumulator 100 shown. Figure 3C shows the scavenging corridor groove 134, which in the shown implementation is with Figure 3BThe cleaning passageway grooves 134 shown are the same and are annular grooves, but in some implementations, they can be different cleaning passageway grooves. For example, if two C-shaped cleaning passageway grooves are used, each is provided with cleaning gas through a corresponding cleaning gas feed inlet 136. In some implementations, the peripheral inflation portion volume 132 and the cleaning passageway grooves 134 (which may also be simply referred to as "cleaning passageways" here) may generally be a single cohesive volume. For example, the peripheral inflation portion volume 132 and the cleaning passageway grooves 134 can be fluidly connected to each other around most or all of the periphery of the bell 102.

[0058] However, in other implementations, as Figure 3C shown, the peripheral inflation portion volume 132 and the cleaning passageway grooves 134 can be intentionally fluidly connected only at discrete locations along the periphery of the bell 102. For example, a plurality of cleaning gas ports 142 can be provided at spaced positions around the periphery of the bell 102; each such cleaning gas port 142 can be sized to have a cross-sectional area much smaller (e.g., an order of magnitude or more smaller) than the cross-sectional area of the cleaning passageway grooves 134 (such cross-sectional area is taken in a plane perpendicular to the general direction of gas flow through the cleaning gas port 142 or the cleaning passageway grooves 134) and can have a first end opening into the cleaning passageway grooves 134 and a second end opposite the first end opening into the peripheral inflation portion volume 132 to create a backpressure within the cleaning passageway grooves such that the cleaning gas is evenly distributed via all of the cleaning gas ports. In such an implementation, the cleaning passageway grooves 134 can be positioned outside the inner edge of the bell cover 138 such that the bottom surface of the bell cover 138 covers the cleaning passageway grooves 134, and the cleaning gas ports 142 are positioned within the bell cover 138.

[0059] The purge gallery trench 134 may be fluidly connected to a purge gas inlet 124 that may be used to provide a purge gas that is inert or non-reactive with respect to the process gas that may flow through the vapor reservoir 100 (or, if the purge gas is drawn into the reservoir volume and / or the vapor delivery line 121 in small amounts via the main O-ring 108 or other seals, a purge gas that will not otherwise negatively impact the semiconductor processing operation). The purge gas may flow into the purge gallery trench 134 and then be distributed (e.g., via purge gas ports 142) into the peripheral plenum volume 132, where the purge gas may surround the outer surface of the main O-ring 108 and displace any ambient or environmental air that may occupy the peripheral plenum volume. Thus, if there is a leak through the main O-ring 108 into the vapor reservoir volume 103, 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 rate of the purge gas into the purge gallery trench 134 may be adjusted such that the pressure of the purge gas within the purge gallery trench is maintained within a specified range, e.g., between about 50 torr and about 250 torr above atmospheric pressure: such adjustment may be implemented actively, e.g., using a pressure sensor and valve to control the flow of purge gas to the purge gallery trench 134, or may be implemented passively, e.g., by determining the average leak rate of the purge gas from the vapor reservoir 100 and then adjusting the flow rate of the purge gas in response to that leak rate. For example, the purge gas may leak out of the bell cover 138 via a port provided for a thermocouple (which may generally have a thermocouple inserted therein, but may be a non-gas-tight interface), or via an interface between the bell cover 138 and the plate 110 (which may be a metal-to-metal contact interface that, while tightly joined, may not be fitted with a true seal and may thus allow gas leakage).

[0060] In addition to the above-described feature of providing a purge gas to the main O-ring 108 on the first side 112 of the plate 110 via the peripheral plenum volume 132, the vapor reservoir 100 may further include additional features for also distributing the purge gas to components or features located on the second side 114 of the plate 110. For example, each fluid seal interface 118 may provide an additional potential leak path for ambient air to enter the process gas stream from the vapor reservoir 100, e.g., by flowing into the vapor delivery line 121 (where, depending on the flow conditions, the leaked gas may then flow back into the vapor reservoir volume 103 or into the semiconductor processing chamber to which the process gas is provided via the vapor delivery line 121).

[0061] To mitigate the effects of such potential leakage, a vapor accumulator as described herein may have additional features in the plate 110 to facilitate local scavenging of each fluid seal interface 118. For example, the one or more scavenging gallery trenches may be fluidly connected to each fluid seal interface 118 via corresponding scavenging gas channels 123, each of which may have a scavenging gas outlet 122 opening into an interface O-ring trench 160 for an interface O-ring 158 that seals the fluid seal interface 118; the scavenging gas channels 123 may also have corresponding scavenging gas inlets 124 that open into the scavenging gallery trenches 134 to allow the scavenging gallery trenches 134 to also pressurize the interface O-ring trenches 160 of the fluid seal interface 118 with scavenging gas, thereby displacing any ambient air that may be adjacent to the interface O-ring 158 seal and preventing such ambient air from potentially being drawn in through the interface O-ring 158 seal into the process gas stream. The scavenging gas channels 123 are shown in the plate 110. In the illustrated implementation, the scavenging gas channels 123 are provided by holes drilled radially inward from the perimeter of the plate 110, and then, for example, a fixing screw (as shown) is inserted into the holes; the corresponding scavenging gas inlet and scavenging gas outlet are then drilled into the plate 110 from the opposite side to intersect the scavenging gas channels 123.

[0062] In some implementations, the scavenging gas channels 123 may be provided by holes drilled radially inward from a first side 112 and angled with respect to the first side 112, the scavenging gas channels 123 intersecting the scavenging gallery trenches 134 and the scavenging gas outlets 122. Since the scavenging gas channels are directly connected to the scavenging gallery trenches 134, there is no scavenging gas inlet 124 in such implementations. In some implementations, the scavenging gas channels 123 may also be partially located in the bell cover 138.

[0063] 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 a second side 114 of the plate 110, and the interface O-ring trench 160 may be located in the flange plate 156. In other implementations, the interface O-ring trench 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 one or more portions the interface O-ring trench 160 is located in, the scavenging gas outlets 122 for the corresponding fluid seal interface 118 may be positioned such that the scavenging gas entering the interface O-ring trench 160 from the scavenging gas outlets 122 flows generally freely, e.g., such that the scavenging gas outlets 122 overlap the interface O-ring trench 160 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the second side 114 of the plate 110.

[0064] 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 main O-ring 108 such that the port 120 is in fluid communication with the vapor storage volume 103. Thus, each fluid sealing interface 118 may include at least one corresponding port 120, a purge gas outlet 122, and one or more mounting features (such as studs, threaded holes, etc.) to allow the mounting of fluid flow components (such as the vapor delivery line 121) to the fluid sealing interface. As discussed above, the fluid sealing interface 118 may also include an interface O-ring groove 160 (assuming the interface O-ring groove 160 is machined into the plate 110 rather than, for example, a flange plate 156 or the like). In some implementations, the fluid sealing interface 118 may also include, for example, a flange plate 156, an interface O-ring groove 160, and an interface O-ring 158. In the depicted implementation, there are six fluid sealing interfaces 118 - four for delivering process gas to the semiconductor processing chamber via the vapor delivery line 121, one for delivering process gas to the vapor reservoir 100, and one for allowing monitoring of access to the vapor storage volume 103, e.g., allowing a vapor concentration sensor to sample the gas within the vapor storage volume 103. It should be understood that any number of fluid sealing interfaces 118 may be provided.

[0065] Figure 4 is another cross-sectional view of the vapor reservoir 100. As can be seen, the plate 110 and the bell jar 102 define the vapor storage volume 103. The inner surface of the bell jar cover 138, the outer surface of the bell jar 102, and the plate 110 may partially define a perimeter plenum volume 132. The perimeter plenum volume may extend beyond the bell jar 102 to enclose the bell jar 102. The vapor delivery line 121 is connected to the vapor reservoir 100 via the fluid sealing 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. The thermocouple 148 is connected to the plate 110 and can be used to monitor the temperature of the plate 110.

[0066] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vapor reservoir 500 without a bell jar cover. The vapor reservoir 500 has a plate 510 and a bell jar 502, which together may partially define a vapor storage volume 503. There is also a main O-ring sandwiched between the plate 510 and the bell jar 502 and received within a main O-ring groove. The vapor delivery line 521 and the vapor concentration sensor 554 may be in fluid communication with the vapor storage volume 503 via the fluid sealing interface 518.

[0067] 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 can be replaced with the 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 relatively high probability of cracking during operation).

[0068] In some implementations, the clamping structure 532 can have a first surface adjacent to the first side 512 of the plate 510 and a second surface adjacent to the outer flange of the bell 502. The first surface can butt against the plate 510 in the same manner as the bell cover. In some implementations, the second surface can be adjacent to the outer flange of the bell 502 and at a sufficient distance to prevent stress on the outer flange.

[0069] 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 how the primary O-ring creates a seal between the bell 502 and the plate 510. This seal can create a peripheral plenum volume 538 that is 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 be sealed by the secondary O-ring 550 rather than the inner surface of the bell cover.

[0070] As can be seen, and without providing specific markings, in some implementations, the vapor reservoir 500 can have a purge gallery groove and a fluid seal interface provided by a purge gas inlet, a purge gas channel, and a purge gas outlet. In some implementations, there is also an O-ring positioned between the bell 502 and the clamping structure 532 to provide a buffering effect and to center the clamping structure on the bell 502 as described above. This may be accompanied by the secondary O-ring 550 that seals the clamping structure against the outer flange.

[0071] In some implementations, the plate and the bell can be made of corrosion-resistant materials, but they do not need to be made of the same material. The plate and the bell partially define the vapor storage volume and are thus exposed to process gases that may be corrosive. Corrosion of the inner surface of the vapor storage volume can lead to contamination in the process gases and thus defects in the semiconductor wafers exposed to the process gases.

[0072] In some implementations, the plate and the bell jar can be made of one or more materials that are inert to the processing gas, and the materials include: a chlorination precursor, a chlorooxide, a fluorination precursor, or a fluorooxide. As used herein, an inert material can be completely inert or substantially inert to the processing gas flowing through the vapor reservoir, such that particulates from the reaction of the processing gas with the inert material do not cause defects in the processed semiconductor wafer. Inert materials that can be used with a chlorination precursor, a chlorooxide, a fluorination precursor, or a fluorooxide can include: quartz (SiO2), quartz with a sapphire (Al2O3) coating, quartz with an alumina (Al2O3) coating, quartz with a yttria (Y2O3) coating, quartz with a yttria-stabilized zirconia (ZrO2) coating, quartz with an alumina / yttria laminated coating, borosilicate glass with a quartz coating, borosilicate glass with a sapphire coating, aluminum alloy (such as 6061, 7075, or 3003) with an alumina coating, aluminum alloy (such as 6061, 7075, or 3003) with a hard anodized (Al2O3) coating, aluminum alloy (such as 6061, 7075, or 3003) with an electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating (NiP), aluminum alloy (such as 6061, 7075, or 3003) with a polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), or parylene coating, stainless steel alloy (such as 316 or 304) with an electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating (NiP), stainless steel alloy (such as 316 or 304) with a polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, 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 compared to ceramic materials.

[0073] In some implementations, the processing gas can include a bromination precursor, a bromooxide, an iodination precursor, and / or an iodooxide. In such implementations, the inert materials listed above can be used with such compounds.

[0074] Figure 6 A high-level schematic 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 can be used in other types of tools, such as including: PECVD, CVD, or etching tools. In Figure 6In it, two semiconductor processing chambers 670 (which may also be referred to herein as "reactors", "reaction chambers", or "processing chambers") are shown - each processing chamber 670 may include a susceptor 671 that supports a semiconductor wafer 673 during semiconductor processing operations. The susceptor 671 may be movable between multiple vertical heights to facilitate the loading / unloading or processing of the semiconductor wafer 673; the susceptor 671 in the rightmost processing chamber 670 is in a lowered position, while the susceptor 671 in the leftmost processing chamber 670 is in a raised position.

[0075] Each processing chamber 670 may include a chamber lid 639, and the chamber lid 639 may include a plurality of gas distribution channels for dispensing a processing gas onto the semiconductor wafer 673. In this example, each chamber lid 639 includes two sets of separate gas distribution channels, each set for dispensing a different precursor gas. This prevents the precursor from mixing with residues of other precursors, which would occur if the two precursors flowed through the same channels - such mixing may cause chemical reactions to occur at locations other than on the semiconductor wafer 673, which may be undesirable. In some implementations, the gas distribution channels may be located in a structure separate from the chamber lid 639, e.g., a showerhead-type gas distributor; it should be understood that the concepts described herein may be used with any type of chamber lid 639 or gas distributor.

[0076] 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 susceptor 671 is in the position required for wafer processing, the microvolume 672 is formed between the susceptor 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 susceptor 671, thereby defining a circumferential boundary for the microvolume. The volume of the microvolume is much smaller compared to the overall volume of the processing chamber 670, thus allowing the use of smaller amounts of precursors - which allows for faster dose delivery, faster purge, less reactant waste, and various other benefits. The microvolume 672 may be considered as the continuous volume between the surface through which the gas is distributed over the entire semiconductor wafer 673 and the susceptor 671, and may 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 large enough to prevent the processing gas from flowing back into the microvolume during normal semiconductor processing operations). The processing gas may be exhausted from the processing chamber 670 via a vacuum foreline 640 that may be fluidly connected to a vacuum pump (not shown).

[0077] A first process gas containing vapor from the vapor storage volume 603 provided by a vapor reservoir (not shown) as discussed herein can be supplied to each chamber lid 639. The first process gas can be supplied from the vapor storage volume 603 to each processing chamber 670 through a corresponding vapor delivery line 621. The flow rate of the first process gas through each vapor delivery line 621 can 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 fluid flow rate through the vapor delivery line 621 is limited to full choke or sonic velocity across the restrictor. Alternatively, the flow restrictor can be located at other positions on the vapor delivery line 621.

[0078] The vapor storage volume can have a volume large enough to allow a single dose of vapor to be provided to each processing chamber without affecting the ability of the vapor reservoir to provide a single dose to other processing chambers. In some implementations, the volume of the vapor storage volume may be defined to satisfy the relationship: 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 an atomic layer deposition operation; V m = the volume of the microvolume of each semiconductor processing chamber (assuming all semiconductor processing chambers are of similar design); q = the equivalent microvolume amount of vapor delivered to the microvolume of the processing chamber during a single dose; and P P = the peak pressure in the vapor reservoir during pulsed delivery to the semiconductor processing chamber. Many of these parameters can vary depending on the specific circumstances of the semiconductor manufacturing process that the vapor reservoir will support, and the vapor reservoir may thus vary in size depending on these parameters.

[0079] A second process gas, such as hydrogen, and other gases, such as chemically inert purge gases (not shown, although a system similar to that used for the second process gas can be used), can also be supplied to each of these chamber lids from a second process gas source 689. The flow rate of the second process gas entering each chamber lid 639 can be controlled by a corresponding second process gas dosing valve 675.

[0080] As can be seen, the vapor storage volume 603 can be fluidly connected to a sensor 654. The sensor 654 can measure the vapor concentration in the vapor storage volume 603 and thus allow determination of the vapor concentration in the vapor storage volume 603.

[0081] In some implementations, the vapor storage volume may be in fluid communication with a purge gas feed inlet 636 that is connected to a purge gas source 688. The flow rate of the purge gas through the purge gas feed inlet 636 may be controlled by, for example, a purge gas storage valve 690 or other suitable control device. If desired, purge gas may be added to fill at least a portion of a peripheral plenum volume (not shown, but seen in previous discussions and figures) surrounding the vapor storage volume 603.

[0082] The vapor storage volume 603 may 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 may include an ampoule 677 that may contain a reactant 687; carrier gas from a carrier gas source 679 may be selectively provided to each ampoule 677 via a corresponding carrier gas flow controller 680, which can control whether the 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 may be maintained at a specific pressure and temperature), the reactant 687 may evaporate into the carrier gas and be carried out of the ampoule towards a flow restrictor 682. Before reaching the flow restrictor 682, the reactant vapor and carrier gas mixture may be augmented with 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 the 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 stream under normal operating conditions involved in semiconductor processing operations. Such sonic flow may act as a buffer to shield the pressure environment in the ampoule 677 from pressure variations in the vapor reservoir, and this buffer is not affected by the pressure fluctuations, even relatively small 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 does not depend 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.

[0083] In some implementations, a controller 691 may be provided. The controller 691 can be part of a system (which may include the above examples) and can be operatively connected to various different valves, mass flow controllers, pumps, etc., 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 chucks, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronics for controlling their operations before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronics may be referred to as a "controller", which can control various components or sub-components of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or system type, the controller can 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.

[0084] Broadly speaking, a controller can be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software for receiving instructions, issuing instructions, controlling operations, enabling cleaning operations, enabling endpoint measurements, etc. The integrated circuits can include chips in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors, or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions can be instructions sent to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files), which define the operating parameters for performing a specific process on or for a semiconductor wafer or system. In some implementations, the operating parameters can be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or die of a wafer.

[0085] In some implementations, the controller can be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with, coupled to, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller can be in the "cloud" or be all or part of a wafer fab host system, which can allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer can implement remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a manufacturing operation, review the history of past manufacturing operations, review trends or performance criteria for multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of the current process, set processing steps to follow the current process, or initiate a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide a processing recipe to the system via a network, which can include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer can 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 the parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters can 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 can be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers that are networked together and work towards a common purpose, such as the processing and control described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more integrated circuits remote (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control the processing on the chamber.

[0086] Example systems can include, but are not limited to, a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that can be associated with or used for the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

[0087] As described above, depending on the 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 a tool used in the material transport that shuttles a wafer container between tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

[0088] It should be understood that the phrase "one or more connected <parts>" as used herein includes not only examples having multiple <parts> but also examples having a single <part> (and thus technically no other <parts> would be considered connected to that single <part>). In other words, the phrase "one or more connected <parts>" should be understood to mean "a single <part> or two or more connected <parts>". Similarly, if the phrase "for each of one or more <parts>" or "for each <part>" is used herein, it should be understood to include both a single part group and multiple part groups, i.e., the phrase "for... each" is used in the sense in which it refers to each part in whatever group of parts is involved in the programming language. For example, if the number of parts involved is a single part, "each" will refer to only that single part (even though in fact the dictionary definition of "each" often defines the word as referring to "all of more than two things") and will not mean that the parts must have at least two.

[0089] The phrase "fluidly connected" as used herein describes two volumes or components that are connected such that fluid can flow between them, in very much the same sense as "electrically connected", which can be used to describe two components connected together such that electric current can flow from one to the other.

[0090] While the foregoing implementations have been described in some detail for purposes of clear understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that the processes, systems, and apparatuses of the present implementations have many alternative implementations. Accordingly, these implementations herein should be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive, and these implementations should not be limited to the details given herein.

[0091] The various implementations above can be provided at least by the accompanying implementation examples. While this list of implementation examples is considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure, it should be understood that additional implementation examples that are obvious in light of the above discussion but not explicitly listed below are also within the scope of the present disclosure; the following list of implementation examples should not be considered an exclusive list of implementation examples.

[0092] Embodiment 1: An apparatus comprising: a bell jar having a bottom opening and one or more flange structures disposed around and extending radially outward from the bottom opening; a plate, wherein: the plate has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the bell jar is positioned such that the bottom opening is adjacent to the first side, and the plate includes one or more fluid sealing interfaces, each fluid sealing interface including: at least one purge gas outlet located on the second side of the plate and in fluid communication, through a corresponding purge gas passage located within the plate, with a corresponding purge gas inlet located on the first side of the plate; one or more clamping structures having a bottom surface adjacent to the first side of the plate and an inner flange extending radially inward therefrom and adjacent to the one or more flange structures; a peripheral inflation 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 the group consisting of: the plate and the one or more clamping structures; the one or more purge gallery grooves are in fluid communication with the peripheral inflation volume and each purge gas inlet within the apparatus.

[0093] Embodiment 2: A device comprising: a bell jar having a bottom opening, one or more flange structures disposed around the bottom opening and extending radially outward therefrom, 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 such that the sealing surface is adjacent to the first side, the 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 within the main O-ring groove and sandwiched between the sealing surface of the bell jar and the first side of the plate, the plate includes one or more fluid sealing interfaces, each fluid sealing interface including: i) a port located within the inner perimeter of the main 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 communication with a corresponding purge gas inlet located on the first side of the plate via a corresponding purge gas passage located within the plate; one or more clamping structures having a bottom surface adjacent to the first side of the plate and an inner flange extending radially inward from the bottom surface and adjacent to the one or more flange structures; a peripheral inflation volume at least partially defined by: 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, and located between the inner flange of the one or more clamping structures and the sealing surface; one or more purge corridor 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) disposed around the main O-ring groove, the one or more purge corridor grooves are in fluid communication with the peripheral inflation volume and each purge gas inlet within the device; and a purge gas feed inlet in fluid communication with the one or more purge corridor grooves.

[0094] Embodiment 3: The device according to Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 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 first plate, the bell jar is received within a volume at least partially defined by the first side of the plate and the inner surface of the bell jar cover, and the peripheral inflation volume is at least partially additionally defined by the inner surface of the bell jar cover and the outer surface of the bell jar.

[0095] Embodiment 4: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 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 cover, and the inner flange of the one or more clamping structures is the inner flange of the bell cover.

[0096] Embodiment 5: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 4, wherein: the inner edge of the bottom surface of the bell cover is close to the first side of the plate, the one or more scavenging corridor grooves are located outside the inner edge, and the bell cover has a plurality of scavenging gas ports connecting the one or more scavenging corridor grooves to the peripheral inflation volume.

[0097] Embodiment 6: The apparatus according to Embodiment 5, wherein the plurality of scavenging gas ports have a cross-sectional area that is less than about 10% of the cross-sectional area of the scavenging corridor grooves in a plane perpendicular to the path followed by the scavenging corridor grooves.

[0098] Embodiment 7: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 3 to 6, wherein the one or more clamping structures are provided by an inner flange extending around the periphery of the bottom opening of the bell cover.

[0099] Embodiment 8: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 7, further comprising one or more heating elements close to the second side of the plate.

[0100] 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 in contact with a part selected from the group consisting of: the bell, the plate, and one of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces.

[0101] Embodiment 10: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the one or more flange structures are single flange structures.

[0102] Embodiment 11: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the one or more clamping structures are single clamping structures.

[0103] Embodiment 12: The apparatus according to Embodiment 11, wherein: the one or more flange structures are single flange structures, and the apparatus further comprises: a secondary O-ring; a secondary O-ring groove 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 located within the secondary O-ring groove and radially inserted between the second surfaces of the single flange structure and the single clamping structure.

[0104] Embodiment 13: The device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 12 has six fluid sealing interfaces.

[0105] Embodiment 14: The device according to any one of Embodiments 2 to 13, wherein the main O-ring groove is positioned in the plate.

[0106] Embodiment 15: The device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 14, wherein each fluid sealing interface includes 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.

[0107] Embodiment 16: The device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 15, further comprising a vapor storage volume, the vapor storage volume being at least partially defined by: the inner surface of the bell jar, the main O-ring, and the first side of the plate.

[0108] Embodiment 17: The device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 16, further comprising: a pump fluidly connected to the bell jar, a controller including 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 operatively 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 bell jar to less than 10 torr to 200 torr.

[0109] Embodiment 18: The device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 17, wherein the purge gas feed inlet is connected to a gas supply source containing an inert gas.

[0110] Embodiment 19: The device according to Embodiment 18, wherein the inert gas includes one or more of argon, helium, nitrogen, and neon.

[0111] Embodiment 20: The device according to 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.

[0112] Embodiment 21: The device according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 20, wherein the main O-ring includes a flat annular segment that extends radially inward from the annular segment.

[0113] Embodiment 22: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 3 or 7 to 21 further comprises a plurality of purge gas ports that connect the one or more purge gallery trenches to the peripheral plenum volume, wherein each of the plurality of purge gas ports has a cross-sectional area that is less than about 10% of the cross-sectional area of the purge gallery trench in a plane perpendicular to the path followed by the purge gallery trench.

[0114] Embodiment 23: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 22, wherein the one or more purge gallery trenches are provided by a single purge gallery trench.

[0115] Embodiment 24: The apparatus according to Embodiment 23, wherein the single purge gallery trench forms a complete loop around the main O-ring trench.

[0116] Embodiment 25: The apparatus according to 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.

[0117] Embodiment 26: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 25, wherein one or more of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces are outlet interfaces for distributing gas.

[0118] Embodiment 27: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 26, wherein the bell is inert to chlorine-containing compounds.

[0119] Embodiment 28: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 27, wherein the bell is inert to fluorine-containing compounds.

[0120] Embodiment 29: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 28, wherein the plate is inert to chlorine-containing compounds.

[0121] Embodiment 30: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 29, wherein the plate is inert to fluorine-containing compounds.

[0122] Embodiment 31: The apparatus 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 a sapphire (Al2O3) coating, quartz with an alumina (Al2O3) coating, quartz with a yttria (Y2O3) coating, quartz with a yttria-stabilized zirconia (ZrO2) coating, quartz with an alumina / yttria laminated coating, borosilicate glass with a quartz coating, borosilicate glass with a sapphire coating, aluminum alloy, aluminum 6061 with an alumina coating, aluminum 7075 with an alumina coating, or aluminum 3003 with an alumina coating, 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, 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 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 electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating, or stainless steel 304 with electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel alloy with a polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, stainless steel 316 with a polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, or stainless steel 304 with a polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, corrosion-resistant Ni-alloys, Hastelloy C-22, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy B-2, and Inconel 718.

[0123] Embodiment 32: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 31, wherein the plate comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: aluminum alloy, aluminum 6061 with an alumina coating, aluminum 7075 with an alumina coating, or aluminum 3003 with an alumina coating, 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, 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 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 electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating, or stainless steel 304 with electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel alloy with a polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, stainless steel 316 with a polymer, PTFE, PFA, or parylene coating, or stainless steel 304 with a 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 apparatus, comprising: a plate, wherein: the plate has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the plate includes one or more fluid sealing interfaces, each fluid sealing 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 channel located within the plate; and one or more purge corridor grooves located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the plate, wherein the one or more purge corridor grooves are in fluid connection with each purge gas inlet within the apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a bell cover having a bottom opening and one or more flange structures disposed around the bottom opening and extending radially outward therefrom, wherein the bell is positioned such that the bottom opening is adjacent to the first side of the plate, and a peripheral inflation volume at least partially defined by: a portion of the first side of the plate, and at least a portion of each of the one or more flange structures.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a bell cover having a bottom opening and a bottom surface, wherein: the bottom surface of the bell cover is close to the first side of the plate, the bell is received within a volume at least partially defined by the first side of the plate and the inner surface of the bell cover, and the peripheral inflation volume is at least partially additionally defined by the inner surface of the bell cover and the outer surface of the bell.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising one or more clamping structures having a bottom surface close to the first side of the plate and an inner flange extending radially inward therefrom and close to the one or more flange structures, 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 cover, and the inner flange of the one or more clamping structures is the inner flange of the bell cover.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: the bell cover has an inner edge of the bottom surface, the inner edge of the bottom surface of the bell cover being close to the first side of the plate, the one or more purge corridor grooves are located outside the inner edge, and the bell cover has a plurality of purge gas ports connecting the one or more purge corridor grooves to the peripheral inflation volume.

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

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the one or more clamping structures are provided by an inner flange extending around the periphery of the bottom opening of the bell cover.

8. The device according to claim 2 further comprises one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: one or more temperature sensor devices and one or more heating elements near 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 4, 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: a secondary O-ring; and a secondary O-ring groove 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 within the secondary O-ring groove and is radially inserted between the single flange structure and the single clamping structure.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein, having six fluid sealing interfaces.

11. The device according to claim 2 further comprises a primary O-ring groove located in one or more parts selected from the group consisting of: the first side of the plate and the bottom surface of the bell jar.

12. The device according to claim 11 further comprises a primary O-ring within the primary O-ring groove, wherein the primary O-ring comprises a flat annular segment that extends radially inward from the annular segment.

13. The device according to claim 12 further comprises a vapor storage volume that is at least partially defined by: the inner surface of the bell jar, the primary O-ring, and the first side of the plate.

14. The device according to claim 13 further comprises: a pump that is in fluid communication with the vapor storage volume, a controller that 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 for controlling the one or more processors to cause the pump to reduce the absolute pressure in the vapor storage volume to less than 10 torr to 200 torr.

15. The device according to claim 2 further comprises a plurality of purge gas ports that connect the one or more purge corridor grooves to the peripheral plenum volume, wherein each of the plurality of purge gas ports has a cross-sectional area that is less than about 10% of the cross-sectional area of each of the one or more purge corridor grooves in a plane perpendicular to the path followed by the purge corridor grooves.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more purge corridor grooves are provided by a single purge corridor groove.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the single purge corridor groove forms a complete loop around the primary O-ring groove, wherein the primary O-ring groove is positioned in the first side of the plate.

18. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein each fluid sealing interface comprises a flange plate, an interface O-ring, and an interface O-ring groove, and 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 device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising a purge gas feed inlet fluidly connected to the one or more purge gallery grooves and a gas supply source containing an inert gas, wherein the inert gas comprises one or more of argon, helium, nitrogen, and neon.

20. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein one or more of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces are connected to a gas supply source.

21. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein one or more of the one or more fluid sealing interfaces are outlet interfaces for distributing gas.

22. The apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 17, wherein the bell jar, the plate, or the bell jar and the plate: a) is one or more of the following: 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 (SiO2), quartz with a sapphire (Al2O3) coating, quartz with an alumina (Al2O3) coating, quartz with a yttria (Y2O3) coating, quartz with a yttrium-stabilized zirconia (ZrO2) coating, quartz with an alumina / yttria laminated coating, borosilicate glass with a quartz coating, borosilicate glass with a sapphire coating, aluminum alloy, aluminum 6061 with an alumina coating, aluminum 7075 with an alumina coating, or aluminum 3003 with an alumina coating, 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, 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 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 electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating, or stainless steel 304 with electroless high-phosphorus nickel plating, stainless steel alloy with a polymer coating, stainless steel 316 with a polymer coating, or stainless steel 304 with a polymer coating, corrosion-resistant Ni-alloys, Hastelloy C-22, Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy B-2, and Inconel 718.

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