Flow control ring assembly and method of using same

Abstract

Flow control ring assemblies for gas phase reactors, reactors, reactor systems, and methods are disclosed. The flow control ring assemblies can be configured to mitigate particle formation during substrate processing. The flow control ring assemblies include a partition plate, a flow control ring, and a chamber isolation ring.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Examples of methods for using the flow control loop assembly and the reactor that includes the flow control loop assembly are described. Background Technology

[0002] Substrate processing apparatus, such as gas-phase reactors, typically includes a first (e.g., upper) chamber space for processing the substrate and a second (e.g., lower) chamber space for loading and unloading the substrate. During processing, a flow control loop assembly can be used to isolate the first chamber from the second chamber. The flow control loop assembly can form a substantial seal between the first and second chambers to mitigate the flow of reactive gases from the first chamber to the second chamber. Undesirable flow of reactive gases between the chamber spaces can lead to particulate contamination and / or slower substrate processing.

[0003] Under certain process conditions, such as relatively high pressure or relatively high gas flow rate fluctuations, the flow control ring assembly may fail to provide the desired isolation between the first and second chambers. Alternatively, the flow control ring assembly may cause undesirable particle formation. Therefore, improved flow control ring assemblies are typically required.

[0004] Any discussion set forth in this section (including discussions of problems and solutions) has been included in this disclosure for the purpose of providing context for this disclosure only. Such discussion should not be construed as an admission that any or all information was known at the time of making this invention or otherwise constitutes prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are further described in detail in the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. This invention is not intended to necessarily identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] The examples described herein provide flow control loop assemblies for gas-phase reactors, reactors including flow control loop assemblies, and methods of using flow control loop assemblies and reactors. Various examples of flow control loop assemblies, reactors, and methods provide less particle formation within the reactor. For example, using the flow control loop assemblies and / or reactors described herein can mitigate particle formation that might otherwise occur—for example, in the event of relatively large pressure fluctuations in the reaction (e.g., upper) chamber of the reactor during substrate processing and / or in the event of relatively large (e.g., greater than about 5-50 standard liters per minute (SLM)) flow rate fluctuations in the reaction chamber during substrate processing and / or in the event of relatively high pressure differentials between the first (e.g., upper) chamber and the second (e.g., lower) chamber. With existing flow control loop assemblies, during such relatively high pressure and / or flow rate changes or pressure differentials, a portion of the flow control loop assembly or a ring may vibrate or flutter during processing. Vibration or flutter can in turn lead to particle formation, which in turn can lead to defects on the processed substrate. Additional aspects set forth in the following description will be apparent from the description or may be learned by practicing the embodiments presented in this disclosure.

[0007] According to one or more embodiments, a flow control ring assembly for a gas phase reactor is provided. Examples of these embodiments include a flow control ring assembly comprising a partition plate, a flow control ring, and a chamber isolation ring. An exemplary partition plate includes a top surface, a bottom surface, an inner surface therebetween, and a flange defined by an inner flange surface extending from the top surface to a top flange surface, wherein the top flange surface extends between the inner surface and the inner flange surface. An exemplary flow control ring includes a bottom surface, a top surface, an inner circumferential surface between the bottom and top surfaces, and an outer circumferential surface between the bottom and top surfaces. An exemplary chamber isolation ring is positioned radially inward of the partition plate and below the bottom surface. According to some examples of these embodiments, the chamber isolation ring includes a substantially flat top and bottom surface. According to another example, the partition plate includes a tapered surface between the inner and bottom surfaces. According to another example, the height between the top surface of the partition plate and the top flange surface is between about 6.5 mm and about 8.5 mm, or between about 6 mm and about 6.5 mm. According to a further example, the distance between the bottom surface of the flow control ring and the top surface of the chamber isolation ring is between about 2 mm and about 5 mm, or between about 2.5 mm and about 3 mm. According to another example, the bottom surface of the flow control ring includes a first segment and a second segment within the first segment, wherein the height between the top surface of the flow control ring and the bottom surface of the flow control ring in the first segment is less than the height between the top surface of the flow control ring and the bottom surface of the flow control ring in the second segment. The distance between the outer surface of the chamber isolation ring and the surface of the inner partition plate may be between about 3 mm and about 16 mm, or between about 4 mm and about 14 mm. The bottom surface of the chamber isolation ring may include a first portion, a second portion, and a tapered third portion between the first portion and the second portion. The chamber isolation ring may include an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface, wherein the radial width between the inner and outer circumferential surfaces is between about 13.5 mm and about 21.5 mm, or between about 15.5 mm and about 20.5 mm. According to a further example, in the inner region of the chamber isolation ring, the thickness between the top and bottom surfaces is greater than the thickness between the top and bottom surfaces in the outer region of the chamber isolation ring.

[0008] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, the reactor includes a reaction chamber, a base within the reaction chamber, and a flow control ring assembly, such as the flow control ring assembly described herein. In some cases, the reaction chamber is or includes an upper chamber.

[0009] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a method includes providing a substrate within a reaction chamber, the substrate including a flow control ring assembly, such as the flow control ring assembly described herein. The method may further include varying the total gas flow rate within the reaction chamber during substrate processing. For example, the flow rate may change from less than 100 SLM to greater than 4 SLM over a relatively short time period (e.g., less than about 0.5 seconds).

[0010] These and other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of certain embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings; the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment(s) disclosed. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Embodiments of this disclosure can be more fully understood when considered in conjunction with the following illustrative drawings, and by referring to the detailed description and claims.

[0012] Figure 1 A reactor system according to one or more examples of this disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a reactor according to one or more examples of this disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 3 An enlarged view of a portion of a flow control ring assembly according to one or more examples of this disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 4 A separator plate according to an example of this disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 5 An enlarged view of a section of a divider according to an example of this disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 6 A chamber isolation ring according to an example of this disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 7 An enlarged view of a segment of a chamber isolation ring according to an example of this disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of another reactor according to one or more examples of this disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 9 An enlarged view of a portion of a flow control ring assembly according to one or more examples of this disclosure is shown.

[0021] It should be understood that the elements in the accompanying drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid in understanding the embodiments shown in this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention extends beyond the specific disclosed embodiments and / or uses of the invention, as well as their obvious modifications and equivalents. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of the disclosed invention should not be limited to the specific disclosed embodiments described below.

[0023] As described in more detail below, various embodiments of this disclosure relate to flow control loop assemblies for gas-phase reactors. Flow control loop assemblies can be used to mitigate flow between a first (e.g., upper) chamber and a second (e.g., lower) chamber of the reactor, while also mitigating particle formation. The use of flow control loop assemblies as described herein can be particularly advantageous when a substrate is processed using methods that include relatively large (e.g., greater than 70 Torr) pressure changes over relatively short time periods (e.g., less than about 0.1 seconds) and / or relatively large (e.g., greater than 60 SLM) gas flow rate changes in the upper chamber over relatively short time periods (e.g., less than about 0.1 seconds) and / or when the pressure difference between the upper and lower chambers is relatively high (e.g., greater than 70 Torr). Other exemplary flow rate and pressure differences are pointed out herein.

[0024] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as "at least one of..." modify the entire column of elements when following an element in the column, rather than modifying a single element within that column.

[0025] As used herein, the term "substrate" can refer to any one or more underlying materials, including materials and / or materials that may be deposited thereon. Substrates can include bulk materials such as silicon (e.g., single-crystal silicon), other group IV materials such as germanium, or compound semiconductor materials such as GaAs, and can include one or more layers overlying or underlying the bulk material. For example, a substrate can include a patterned stack of several layers overlying the bulk material. The patterned stack can vary depending on the application. Furthermore, a substrate can include various gaps formed on the substrate surface, such as recesses, vias, spaces between lines, trenches, etc.

[0026] In this disclosure, the term "gas" can refer to a material that is gaseous at room temperature and pressure, a vaporized solid, and / or a vaporized liquid, and can consist of a single gas or a mixture of gases, depending on the context. Gases other than process gases, i.e., gases introduced without passing through a gas distribution device (e.g., nozzles, other gas distribution devices, etc.), can be used, for example, to seal a reaction space, and can include sealing gases, such as rare gases.

[0027] In this disclosure, any two numbers of a variable may constitute a feasible range of the variable, and any range indicated may include or exclude endpoints. Additionally, in some embodiments, any value of the indicated variable (whether or not it is indicated by "about") may refer to an exact value or an approximate value and include equivalents, and may refer to an average, median, representative value, multi-value, etc. For example, the term "about" may refer to + / - 20%, 10%, 5%, 2%, or 1% of a value. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the terms "including," "comprising," "consisting of," and "having," and their equivalents, may independently refer in some embodiments to generally or broadly including, substantially consisting of, or comprised of. According to aspects of this disclosure, any limiting meaning of a term does not necessarily exclude its common and customary meaning.

[0028] Now turn to the attached diagram. Figure 1 A reactor system 100 is shown, comprising a reactor 101 including a reaction chamber 102, a base 106 for holding a substrate 130 during processing, and a fluid distribution system 108 (e.g., a nozzle) for dispensing one or more reactants and / or precursors to the surface of the substrate 130. In the illustrated example, the reactor system 100 further includes one or more reactant and / or precursor sources 110, 112 and / or carrier gas and / or purge gas sources 114, fluidly coupled to a reaction space 104 within the reaction chamber 102 via lines 116, 118, 120 and a flow control loop assembly 132. The reactor system 100 may also include valves and / or controllers 122, 124, 126 to control gas flow between sources 110, 112, 114 and the reaction space 104. The reactor system 100 may also include a vacuum source (e.g., a vacuum pump) 128 fluidly coupled to the reaction space 104. The reactor system 100 may also include a controller 140 configured to move the substrate of the reactor system 100 components and / or evacuate the reaction space 104 by a vacuum source and / or control valves and / or controllers 122, 124, 126 to supply gas from the respective sources 110, 112, 114 to the reaction space 104.

[0029] According to an example of this disclosure, during operation of reactor system 100, substrate 130 may be loaded onto base 106 in lower chamber 136. Base 106 may then be moved (e.g., upwards) to position substrate 130 in upper chamber 134 / reaction space 104 during substrate processing. Flow control ring assembly 132 is configured to mitigate flow between upper chamber 134 and lower chamber 136 (e.g., for a basic seal) and also to mitigate particle formation that might otherwise occur. While the terms upper chamber and lower chamber are used herein, any orientation of the first and second chambers is considered to be within the scope of the various examples of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a reactor 200 and a flow control loop assembly 202 according to an example of this disclosure is shown. The reactor 200 may be the same as or similar to the reactor 101 described above. Similarly, the flow control loop assembly 202 may be the same as or similar to the flow control loop assembly 132 described above.

[0031] The flow control ring assembly 202 includes a partition plate 204, a flow control ring 206, and a chamber isolation ring 208. In some embodiments, the partition plate 204 is attached to the chamber wall 210 of the reactor 200. In some embodiments, the flow control ring 206 is positioned on a flange of the partition plate 204. In some embodiments, the chamber isolation ring 208 is positioned on a flange 214 of a base 216, which may be the same as or similar to a base 106.

[0032] Figure 3 A portion of the flow control loop assembly 202 is shown in more detail. Specifically, Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow control loop assembly 202 is shown.

[0033] like Figure 2-5 As shown, the partition 204 includes a top partition surface 302, a bottom partition surface 304, and an inner partition surface 306 (e.g., substantially annular) between them. The partition 204 further includes a flange 308 (e.g., substantially annular) defined by an inner flange surface 310 extending from the top partition surface 302 to a top flange surface 312. The top flange surface 312 extends between the inner partition surface 306 and the inner flange surface 310. The height H between the top partition surface 302 and the bottom partition surface 304 may be, for example, between about 16 mm and about 20 mm. The height h between the top partition surface 302 and the top flange surface 312 may be between about 5.5 mm and about 8.5 mm, or between about 6 mm and about 6.5 mm. The height H2 of the inner partition surface 306 may be between about 4 mm and about 10 mm, or between about 5.5 mm and about 6 mm.

[0034] According to an example of the illustrated embodiment, the partition 204 includes a tapered surface 314 between an inner partition surface 306 and a bottom partition surface 304. The tapered surface 314 may be formed into a substantially truncated cone shape. The angle θ between the tapered surface 314 and the bottom partition surface 304, as viewed in cross-section, may be between approximately 30 degrees and 75 degrees or between approximately 40 degrees and 50 degrees.

[0035] The partition 204 can be formed from any suitable material. According to various examples, the partition 204 is formed from, for example, a metal (such as aluminum or 6063 aluminum alloy).

[0036] In the example, when viewed from, for example, the top or bottom of the flow control ring 206, the flow control ring 206 has a substantially annular shape. According to another example, the flow control ring 206 is located inside the inner flange surface 310 and (e.g., directly) rests on the top flange surface 312.

[0037] In the example shown, the flow control ring 206 includes a bottom surface 316, a top surface 318, an inner peripheral surface 320 between the bottom surface 316 and the top surface 318, and an outer peripheral surface 321 between the bottom surface 316 and the top surface 318.

[0038] According to various embodiments of the invention, the bottom surface 316 of the flow control ring includes a first segment 322 and a second segment 324 within the first segment 322. As shown, the height H1 between the top surface 318 and the bottom surface 316 of the flow control ring in the first segment 322 is less than the height h1 between the top surface 318 and the bottom surface 316 of the flow control ring in the second segment 324. H1 may be, for example, between about 7 and about 10 mm or between about 8 and about 8.5 mm; h1 may be, for example, between about 9 mm and about 12 mm or between about 10 mm and about 10.5 mm. The width W of the first segment 322 may be between about 23.5 mm and about 27.5 mm or between about 26 mm and about 26.5 mm; the width W of the second segment 324 may be between about 4 mm and about 8 mm or between about 5 mm and about 5.5 mm.

[0039] The flow control ring 206 can be formed from any suitable material. For example, the flow control ring 206 can be formed from quartz.

[0040] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the chamber isolation ring 208 is positioned radially inside the partition plate 204 and below the bottom surface 316 of the flow control ring. Figure 6 and Figure 7An exemplary chamber isolation ring 208 is shown in more detail. In this example, the chamber isolation ring 208 includes a generally flat top surface 326 and a bottom surface 328.

[0041] According to the example, the distance D between the bottom surface 316 of the flow control ring (e.g., in the first segment 322) and the top surface 326 of the chamber isolation ring is between about 2 mm and about 5 mm, or between about 2.5 mm and about 3 mm. According to a further example, the distance d between the bottom surface 316 of the flow control ring and the top surface 326 of the chamber isolation ring in the second segment 324 is between about 2 mm and about 5 mm, or between about 2.5 mm and about 3 mm. The distance D1 between the outer surface 330 of the chamber isolation ring and the inner partition plate surface 306 may be between about 3 mm and about 16 mm, or between about 4 mm and about 14 mm.

[0042] The chamber isolation ring 208 includes an inner circumferential surface 332 and an outer circumferential surface 330, wherein the radial width RW between the inner circumferential surface 332 and the outer circumferential surface 330 is between approximately 13.5 mm and approximately 21.5 mm, or between approximately 15.5 mm and approximately 20.5 mm. The inner diameter of the chamber isolation ring 208 may be approximately 325.5 mm and / or larger than the outer diameter of the base 216. The outer diameter of the chamber isolation ring 208 may be between approximately 352.5 mm and approximately 368.5 mm, or between approximately 356.5 mm and approximately 366.5 mm.

[0043] like Figure 7 As best shown, the bottom surface 328 of the chamber isolation ring includes a first portion 702, a second portion 704, and a tapered third portion 706 between them. The angle θ between the tapered third portion 706 and the bottom surface 328 of the chamber isolation ring, as viewed in cross-section, can be between approximately 30 degrees and 75 degrees or between approximately 40 degrees and 50 degrees.

[0044] The thickness T between the top surface 326 and the bottom surface 328 of the chamber isolation ring in the inner region 708 (e.g., the inner conical third portion) of the chamber isolation ring is greater than the thickness t between the top surface 326 and the bottom surface 328 of the chamber isolation ring in the outer region 710 (e.g., the outer conical third portion) of the chamber isolation ring 208. For example, the thickness between the top surface 326 and the bottom surface 328 of the chamber isolation ring in the inner region 708 may be between about 2 mm and about 4 mm or between about 3 mm and about 3.5 mm, and / or the thickness between the top surface 326 and the bottom surface 328 of the chamber isolation ring in the outer region 710 may be between about 5 mm and about 8 mm or between about 7 mm and about 7.5 mm.

[0045] The chamber isolation ring 208 can be formed from any suitable material. For example, the chamber isolation ring 208 is formed from quartz.

[0046] Figure 8 and Figure 9 Another reactor 800, including a flow control loop assembly 802, is shown as a further example according to this disclosure. Aside from the difference in the flow control loop assembly 802, reactor 800 may be similar to reactor 200.

[0047] Similar to reactor 200, reactor 800 includes a reaction chamber 804, a base 806 within the reaction chamber 804, and a flow control ring assembly 802.

[0048] The flow control ring assembly 802 includes a partition plate 808, a flow control ring 810, and a chamber isolation ring 812. The partition plate 808 may be the same as or similar to the partition plate 204 and may be attached to the chamber wall 814 of the reactor 800. The flow control ring 810 may be the same as or similar to the flow control ring 206 and may be positioned on the flange 816 of the partition plate 808. The flow control ring assembly 802 may differ from the flow control ring assembly 202 in the design of the chamber isolation ring 812.

[0049] The chamber isolation ring 812 includes a top surface 902, a bottom surface 904, an inner circumferential surface 906, and an outer circumferential surface 908. The chamber isolation ring 812 is similar to the chamber isolation ring 208, except that the chamber isolation ring 812 does not need to have a substantially flat top surface 902. For example, the top surface 902 may include a substantially annular protrusion 910 thereon.

[0050] The annular protrusion 910 may have a width of about 3 mm to about 7 mm or about 3.5 mm to about 4.5 mm. The inner diameter of the annular protrusion 910 may be about 345.5 mm to about 365.5 mm or about 352 mm to about 363 mm. The height H of the annular protrusion 910 may be between about 1 mm to about 3 mm or about 2 mm to about 2.5 mm. Similar to the chamber isolation ring 208, the bottom surface 904 of the chamber isolation ring 812 includes a first portion 911, a second portion 912, and a tapered third portion 914 therebetween. The dimensions of the first portion 911, the second portion 912, and the tapered third portion 914 may be the same as or similar to those described above in connection with the chamber isolation ring 208. Furthermore, the chamber isolation ring 812 may be formed of the same or similar material described above in connection with the chamber isolation ring 208.

[0051] As described above, the chamber isolation ring 812 may be placed on the flange 916 of the base 918, which may be the same as or similar to the base 106. The flange may be suitably configured to receive a portion of the bottom surface of the flow control ring.

[0052] According to an example of this disclosure, the chamber isolation ring 812 is radially positioned inside the partition plate and below the bottom surface of the flow control ring, wherein the distance between the flow control ring and the chamber isolation ring (e.g., the top of the protrusion) is between about 2 mm and about 5 mm, or between about 2.5 mm and about 3 mm. Similarly, the distance between the outer surface of the chamber isolation ring and the surface of the inner partition plate can be between about 3 mm and about 16 mm, or between about 4 mm and about 14 mm.

[0053] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a method of processing a substrate is provided. Examples of this method include providing a substrate within a reaction chamber of a reactor including a flow control ring assembly (such as the flow control ring assembly described herein), and processing the substrate. According to an example of this disclosure, the step of processing the substrate includes changing the total gas flow rate within the reaction chamber during substrate processing, wherein the flow rate changes from less than 100 SLM to greater than 4 SLM—for example, within less than about 0.1 seconds or about 1 second. According to another example, the method may include forming a seal or substantially a seal between an upper chamber and a lower chamber of the reactor. According to another example, the pressure within the upper chamber may change from about 40 to about 70 or from about 45 to about 55 Torr during processing—for example, within less than about 0.1 or about 1 second. Additionally or alternatively, the pressure difference between the upper and lower chambers may be greater than 40 Torr or between about 45 Torr and about 55 Torr.

[0054] The exemplary embodiments described above do not limit the scope of the invention, as these embodiments are merely examples of embodiments of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the invention. In fact, various modifications to this disclosure, such as alternative useful combinations of the described elements, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. These modifications and embodiments are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flow control loop assembly for a gas-phase reactor, the assembly comprising: The partition plate includes: The top surface of the partition plate, the bottom surface of the partition plate, and the surface of the inner partition plate located therebetween; and A flange is defined by an inner flange surface extending from the top surface of the partition plate to a top flange surface, wherein the top flange surface extends between the inner partition plate surface and the inner flange surface; The flow control loop includes: Bottom surface of the flow control ring; Top surface of the flow control ring; The inner circumferential surface, located between the bottom surface and the top surface of the flow control ring; and The outer peripheral surface, between the bottom surface and the top surface of the flow control ring; and A chamber isolation ring is positioned radially inside the partition plate and below the bottom surface of the flow control ring, the chamber isolation ring comprising a substantially flat top surface and a bottom surface.

2. The flow control ring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The partition plate includes a tapered surface between the inner partition plate surface and the bottom surface of the partition plate.

3. The flow control loop assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The height between the top surface and the bottom surface of the partition plate is between approximately 16 mm and approximately 20 mm.

4. The flow control ring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The height between the top surface of the partition plate and the top flange surface is between 5.5 mm and about 8.5 mm or between about 6 mm and about 6.5 mm.

5. The flow control ring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The distance between the bottom surface of the flow control ring and the top surface of the chamber isolation ring is between approximately 2 mm and approximately 5 mm, or between approximately 2.5 mm and approximately 3 mm.

6. The flow control ring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The bottom surface of the flow control ring includes a first segment and a second segment within the first segment, wherein the height between the top surface of the flow control ring and the bottom surface of the flow control ring in the first segment is less than the height between the top surface of the flow control ring and the bottom surface of the flow control ring in the second segment.

7. The flow control ring assembly of claim 6, wherein, The distance between the bottom surface of the flow control ring and the top surface of the chamber isolation ring in the second part is between about 2 mm and about 5 mm or between about 2.5 mm and about 3 mm.

8. The flow control ring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The distance between the outer surface of the chamber isolation ring and the surface of the inner partition plate is between approximately 3 mm and approximately 16 mm, or between approximately 4 mm and approximately 14 mm.

9. The flow control loop assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The bottom surface of the chamber isolation ring includes a first portion, a second portion, and a tapered third portion between the first portion and the second portion.

10. The flow control ring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The chamber isolation ring includes an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface, wherein the radial width between the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface is between about 13.5 mm and about 21.5 mm or between about 15.5 mm and about 20.5 mm.

11. The flow control ring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The thickness between the top and bottom surfaces of the chamber isolation ring in the inner region of the chamber isolation ring is greater than the thickness between the top and bottom surfaces of the chamber isolation ring in the outer region of the chamber isolation ring.

12. The flow control ring assembly of claim 11, wherein, The thickness between the top surface of the chamber isolation ring and the bottom surface of the chamber isolation ring in the internal region is between about 2 mm and about 4 mm, or between about 3 mm and about 3.5 mm.

13. The flow control ring assembly of claim 11, wherein, The thickness between the top surface of the chamber isolation ring and the bottom surface of the chamber isolation ring in the outer region is between about 5 mm and about 8 mm, or between about 7 mm and about 7.5 mm.

14. The flow control ring assembly of claim 1, wherein, The height of the inner partition surface is between approximately 7.5 mm and approximately 14.5 mm, or between approximately 9.5 mm and approximately 14 mm.

15. A reactor, comprising: Reaction chamber; The base, which is located within the reaction chamber; as well as The flow control loop assembly includes: The partition plate includes: The top surface of the partition plate, the bottom surface of the partition plate, and the surface of the inner partition plate located therebetween; A flange is defined by an inner flange surface extending from the top surface of the partition plate to a top flange surface, wherein the top flange surface extends between the inner partition plate surface and the inner flange surface; The flow control loop includes: Bottom surface of the flow control ring; Top surface of the flow control ring; The inner circumferential surface, located between the bottom surface and the top surface of the flow control ring; and The outer peripheral surface, between the bottom surface and the top surface of the flow control ring; and A chamber isolation ring is positioned radially inside the partition plate and below the bottom surface of the flow control ring, wherein the distance between the flow control ring and the chamber isolation ring is between approximately 2 mm and approximately 5 mm.

16. The reactor according to claim 15, wherein, The chamber isolation ring includes a generally flat top surface.

17. The reactor according to claim 15, wherein, The distance between the outer surface of the chamber isolation ring and the surface of the inner partition plate is between approximately 3 mm and approximately 16 mm, or between approximately 4 mm and approximately 14 mm.

18. The reactor according to claim 15, wherein, The chamber isolation ring is placed on the base.

19. The reactor according to claim 18, wherein, The base includes a base flange configured to receive a portion of the bottom surface of the flow control ring.

20. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: The substrate is provided in the reaction chamber of a reactor that includes the flow control loop assembly according to claim 1; as well as The total gas flow rate within the reaction chamber is changed during substrate processing, wherein the flow rate is changed from less than 100 SLM to greater than 4 SLM.

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