Dry Process Tools with Adjustable Flow Valves

Abstract

A system for a dry processing tool includes one or more processing chambers, two or more processing stations disposed within the one or more processing chambers, and a first gas source. A common manifold is coupled to the first gas source via at least a first mass flow controller. The common manifold fluidly couples the first gas source to each of the two or more processing stations via a corresponding flow path. Each corresponding flow path includes an adjustable flow valve.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Dry process tools, such as deposition and etch tools, use carefully metered combinations of process gases to deposit material onto or remove material from the surface of a substrate. Some tools may include multiple processing stations that share a common process gas source. Such a configuration may enable parallel processing of multiple substrates under consistent conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0002] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.

[0003] Examples are disclosed relating to dry processing tools with adjustable flow valves. One example provides a system for a dry processing tool with one or more processing chambers. Two or more processing stations are disposed within the one or more processing chambers. The system further comprises a first gas source. A common manifold is coupled to the first gas source via at least a first mass flow controller. The common manifold fluidly couples the first gas source to each processing station of the two or more processing stations via a corresponding flow path. Each corresponding flow path comprises an adjustable flow valve.

[0004] In some such examples, each adjustable flow valve is adjustable to have the highest valve flow coefficient within the corresponding flow path.

[0005] In some such examples, one or more of the corresponding flow paths additionally or alternatively include a fixed orifice disposed in parallel with an adjustable flow valve.

[0006] In some such examples, each corresponding flow path may additionally or alternatively be coupled to a common manifold via a flexible gas line, and each flow path may additionally or alternatively include one or more components configured to be movable relative to the processing chamber of the respective processing station.

[0007] In some such examples, each flow path additionally or alternatively includes an on / off flow valve upstream of the adjustable flow valve.

[0008] In some such examples, each flow path additionally or alternatively includes a filter upstream of the on / off flow valve.

[0009] In some such examples, the system additionally or alternatively includes a second gas source connected to the common manifold via a second mass flow controller.

[0010] In some such examples, the system additionally or alternatively includes, for each processing station, a mixer disposed in the flow path upstream of the processing station. The mixer for each processing station additionally or alternatively is coupled to a second common manifold via a second corresponding flow path. The second common manifold is coupled to a second gas source. The second gas source provides a different gas composition than the first gas source.

[0011] In some such examples, the second corresponding flow path additionally or alternatively comprises an on / off flow valve in series with one or more of a fixed orifice or a second adjustable flow valve.

[0012] In some such examples, the one or more processing chambers additionally or alternatively comprise a plurality of processing chambers. Additionally or alternatively, each processing station of the two or more processing stations is disposed within a separate processing chamber of the plurality of processing chambers.

[0013] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, at least two of the two or more processing stations are disposed within a shared processing chamber of the one or more processing chambers.

[0014] In some such instances, the dry processing tool additionally or alternatively comprises a chemical vapor deposition tool.

[0015] In some such examples, the dry processing tool additionally or alternatively comprises an atomic layer deposition tool.

[0016] In some such instances, the dry processing tool additionally or alternatively comprises a dry etching tool.

[0017] In some such examples, the adjustable flow valve additionally or alternatively comprises an automatic valve.

[0018] Another example provides a method for calibrating a multi-station processing system. The method includes setting a chamber pressure of a common gas source to a calibration gas pressure. For each station of the multi-station processing system coupled to the common gas source, the method includes closing gas flow to one or more other stations and flowing gas from the common gas source to the station to be regulated. An upstream gas pressure is sensed at the gas source. When the upstream gas pressure is not within a threshold difference from a predetermined gas pressure, an adjustable valve in a flow path to the station to be regulated is adjusted to set the upstream gas pressure to a pressure within the threshold difference from the predetermined gas pressure.

[0019] In some such examples, calibrating the multi-station processing system may additionally or alternatively be performed in response to altered consumable components in one or more stations.

[0020] Another example provides a method for calibrating a multi-station processing system. The method includes balancing gas flows for at least a first station and a second station of the multi-station processing system by adjusting a first adjustable valve in a first flow path of the first station and adjusting a second adjustable valve in a second flow path of the second station. Compensable hardware disparity in the first station is detected. The gas flow for the first station is adjusted by adjusting a setting of the first adjustable valve in the flow path of the first station. The setting of the second adjustable valve is maintained.

[0021] In some such examples, adjusting the gas flow for the first station additionally or alternatively includes increasing the gas flow by increasing the size of an opening of a first adjustable valve.

[0022] In some such examples, adjusting the gas flow for the first station additionally or alternatively includes decreasing the gas flow by decreasing a size of an opening of a first adjustable valve.

[0023] Another example provides a system comprising one or more processing chambers, two or more processing stations disposed within the one or more processing chambers, and a gas source configured to provide processing gas to the two or more processing stations, For each processing station, a corresponding flow path comprises a corresponding mass flow controller located between the gas source and the processing station, the corresponding mass flow controller configured to control a flow of processing gas to the processing chamber.

[0024] In some such examples, the process gas additionally or alternatively comprises two or more component gases, the component gases comprising one or more reactant gases and one or more carrier gases.

[0025] In some such examples, the gas source may additionally or alternatively be configured to provide two or more gases and further include a mixer disposed between the gas source and the one or more processing chambers, the mixer configured to mix the two or more gases, and a corresponding mass flow controller for each processing station is located between the mixer and the processing station.

[0026] In some such examples, each gas of the two or more gases is additionally or alternatively connected to the mixer by a second corresponding mass flow controller between the gas source and the mixer.

[0027] In some such examples, each carrier gas is additionally or alternatively coupled to a carrier gas manifold via a corresponding carrier gas mass flow controller, and the carrier gas manifold is configured to split the carrier gas flow to the carrier gas lines for each processing station.

[0028] In some such examples, each corresponding flow path additionally or alternatively includes a corresponding mixer for mixing one or more reactant gases with one or more carrier gases.

[0029] Another example provides a system comprising one or more processing chambers, two or more processing stations disposed within the one or more processing chambers, and two or more gas sources, each gas source coupled to a common mixer via a respective mass flow controller, and a flow ratio controller splitting the flow from the common mixer to each of the two or more processing stations.

[0030] In some such examples, a carrier gas source is additionally or alternatively coupled via a dedicated mass flow controller to a gas manifold that splits the carrier gas flow to the carrier gas lines for each processing station, for which the flow path includes a mixer configured to receive the output of the common mixer and the carrier gas lines and further configured to direct the combined gas flow to the respective processing station.

[0031] In some such examples, the two or more gas sources additionally or alternatively comprise one or more reactant gas sources and one or more carrier gas sources. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary dry processing tool for processing a substrate.

[0033] [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary multi-station process tool.

[0034] [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example cluster of process tools.

[0035] [Figure 4]FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary gas distribution system for a dry processing tool including a gas flow path with an adjustable flow valve.

[0036] [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary gas distribution system for a dry processing tool comprising a gas flow path with an adjustable flow valve in parallel with a fixed orifice.

[0037] [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for balancing gas flows for a multi-station process tool with adjustable flow valves in each gas flow path.

[0038] [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method for calibrating a multi-station process tool with adjustable flow valves.

[0039] [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary multi-station process tool including mass flow controllers for controlling gas flow to multiple processing stations. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary multi-station process tool including mass flow controllers for controlling gas flow to multiple processing stations.

[0040] [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary multi-station process tool including mass flow controllers and flow ratio controllers for controlling gas flow to multiple processing stations. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary multi-station process tool including mass flow controllers and flow ratio controllers for controlling gas flow to multiple processing stations.

[0041] [Figure 12] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of another exemplary multi-station process tool including mass flow controllers for controlling gas flow to multiple processing stations.

[0042] [Figure 13] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing environment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0043] Dry process tools, such as chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition tools, can be used to deposit thin films onto substrates using gas phase species. Other dry process tools, such as dry etching tools, use gas phase species to remove material from substrates.

[0044] Multiple processing stations can be incorporated into a single dry processing tool, a configuration that allows for sharing of resources such as processing chambers, robotics, and gas sources.

[0045] The processing stations of a multi-station tool may be operated to perform the same process on multiple wafers. When used in this manner, careful balancing of process gas flows across the stations helps maintain film consistency between wafers. One method for balancing flows across the stations of a multi-station tool involves the use of precision orifices in the gas flow paths to deliver gas to each station. Each fixed orifice is designed to have a dominant valve flow coefficient (Cv) for the path. However, each gas flow path may include numerous other components, such as valves, filters, mixers, and conduits. The sum of the tolerances for all components in the gas flow path may cause the difference in gas flow between stations to be outside of a desired range (e.g., a desired dimensional tolerance range) even if the difference between the precision orifices themselves is within the desired range.

[0046] Thus, various methods may be used to balance the gas flow between stations. One method of performing such additional balancing is to manually replace gas flow path components. Components that may be replaced include orifices, other valves, mixers, conduits, and / or other components. However, component replacement is costly and time consuming. Furthermore, component replacement must be performed each time a component is replaced in the gas flow path. Another method is to use heated gas lines to allow adjustment of the gas flow. However, heated gas lines can be costly to install. Furthermore, heated gas lines may not provide much practical adjustment range.

[0047] Thus, examples are disclosed that relate to providing precise adjustment of gas flow rates to stations in a multi-station processing tool. In some examples, the gas flow paths to each station include adjustable valves. In other examples, various configurations of flow controllers, such as mass flow controllers and / or flow ratio controllers, are provided to adjust the gas flow to each station.

[0048] Prior to describing these examples, an exemplary dry process tool 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The dry process tool 100 is configured to process a substrate 102. The term "substrate" is used herein to refer to any workpiece that may be processed in the disclosed exemplary tools. Examples include semiconductor substrates, such as silicon wafers. The terms "front" and "back" are used herein to describe both sides of a substrate. In the case of a semiconductor wafer, the front side is where devices are fabricated and where the majority of processing steps are performed.

[0049] In some examples, using a flow of gas phase precursors, the dry processing tool 100 may deposit a thin film of material onto the surface of the substrate 102. In other examples, the dry processing tool 100 may use gas phase species to remove material from the surface of the substrate 102. In some such processes, a plasma may be used to generate reactive species for deposition or etching.

[0050] The dry processing tool 100 includes one or more processing stations 104 where the substrate 102 can be treated. Each processing station 104 is disposed within a processing chamber 106. In some examples, two or more processing stations 104 can be in the same processing chamber 106. This is illustrated in FIG. 1 by additional processing station(s) 107.

[0051] The dry processing tool 100 is configured to allow processing to be selectively performed on the substrate front side or the substrate back side. A pedestal 108 is provided to support the substrate 102 when the front side of the substrate 102 is being processed. In some examples, the pedestal may include a heat source, such as a resistive heater (not shown). When the dry processing tool 100 is configured for both front side and back side processing, the pedestal 108 is also configured to distribute gas toward the back side of the substrate. The pedestal 108 is therefore also referred to herein as a showerhead pedestal 108. In other examples, the dry processing tool may include a pedestal or other substrate holder without showerhead capabilities.

[0052] The dry process tool 100 further includes a showerhead 110 disposed opposite the pedestal 108. The showerhead 110 is configured to distribute reactive or inert gases toward the front surface of the substrate depending on the process being performed. In some examples, the showerhead 110 is electrically coupled to an RF power source 112 via a radio frequency (RF) matching network 115. The power source 112 may be controlled by a controller 120. In other examples, RF power may be provided to the showerhead pedestal 108 instead of the showerhead 110. In further examples, RF power may be selectively provided to either the pedestal 108 or the showerhead 110.

[0053] The substrate 102 is disposed on a carrier ring 124 that can be mechanically moved to other process stations. In FIG. 1, the substrate 102 is disposed for backside processing. Thus, the carrier ring 124 is disposed on supports 126 configured to hold the substrate 102 at a selected distance above the showerhead pedestal 108. In this configuration, reactive gases can be distributed toward the backside of the substrate 102 via the showerhead pedestal 108, and inert gases can be distributed toward the frontside of the substrate 102 via the showerhead pedestal 108 (e.g., to prevent reactive gases directed toward the backside from reaching the frontside). In some examples, each support 126 can take the form of a mechanically movable device, such as a paddle or spider fork. In other examples, each support 126 can take the form of a spacer coupled to the showerhead pedestal 108. Such spacers can be removed from the showerhead pedestal 108 to allow the substrate to be placed on the showerhead pedestal 108 for frontside processing.

[0054] When the front side of the substrate 102 is being processed, the substrate 102 is placed on the showerhead pedestal 108 and the carrier ring 124 rests on a carrier ring support area 127 of the pedestal 108. An end effector (not shown) can be used to position the substrate 102 and carrier ring 124 onto the pedestal 108 for front side processing or onto the supports 126 for back side processing.

[0055] In some examples, at least a portion of the processing station 104 may move relative to the processing chamber 106. For example, the dry processing tool 100 may include a motor-driven bellows (not shown) for vertically moving the showerhead pedestal 108. Movement of the showerhead pedestal 108 may be facilitated by one or more flexible gas lines (not shown in FIG. 1 ) coupled to gas flow path components leading to the pedestal 108.

[0056] The dry process tool 100 further comprises a first gas manifold 130 connected to a first gas source(s) 132. The first gas source(s) 132 may comprise one or more reactive gases and / or one or more non-reactive carrier gases. The controller 120 controls the delivery of gas from the first gas source(s) 132 through the first gas manifold 130 to the showerhead 110 via gas flow path 133. As a particular example, when deposition is targeted to the backside of the substrate 102, an inert gas flow is directed across the front side of the substrate 102 through the showerhead 110. As mentioned above, the inert gas flow can push reactive gases away from the substrate front side to facilitate backside processing.

[0057] In various examples, the reactant gases may be premixed prior to introduction into the chamber 106 or may be introduced separately into the chamber 106. The process gases exit the processing chamber 106 via an outlet. A vacuum pumping system is employed to draw off the process gases and to maintain an appropriately low pressure within the reactor.

[0058] 1 also shows a second gas manifold 134 configured to provide gas to the showerhead pedestal 108. Shown coupled to the second gas manifold 134 are second gas source(s) 136. The second gas source(s) 136 are configured to provide one or more reactive and / or inert gases to the showerhead pedestal 108 via gas flow path 137. The composition of gas in the second gas source(s) 136 can be different than the first gas source(s) 132.

[0059] The additional processing station(s) 107 also receive gases from the first gas manifold 130 and the second gas manifold 134. The additional processing station(s) 107 may further receive power from the RF power source 112 via the RF matching network 115. The additional processing station(s) 107 may also exchange signals with and be controlled by the controller 120.

[0060] The controller 120 comprises one or more logic devices, one or more memory devices, and one or more interfaces. The controller 120 may be employed to control actuators in the system based in part on the sensed values. For example, the controller 120 may control one or more valves, filters, heaters, pumps, and other devices based on the sensed values ​​and other control parameters. The controller 120 may receive sensed values ​​from sensors, such as pressure manometers, flow meters, temperature sensors, mass flow control modules, position sensors, etc.

[0061] The controller 120 is configured to operate the dry processing tool 100 by executing process inputs and controls for a particular recipe. The controller 120 may be configured to execute a computer program comprising a set of instructions to control process timing, delivery system temperature, pressure differential across a filter, valve state, mixture of gases, chamber pressure, chamber temperature, substrate temperature, radio frequency (RF) power levels, pedestal position, substrate height above the pedestal, and / or any other suitable variables.

[0062] As mentioned above, multiple processing stations may share one or more common gas sources. Figure 2 shows an example gas distribution system for a multi-station process tool 200. For simplicity, a single gas source 205 is shown coupled to a single gas manifold 210. However, as described in more detail below, multiple gas sources may be coupled to a gas manifold. Additionally, a dry processing tool may include multiple gas manifolds, each coupled to one or more gas sources.

[0063] The multi-station process tool 200 includes a processing station 1 211, a processing station 2 212, a processing station 3 213, and a processing station 4 214. Although four processing stations are shown, in other examples, the multi-station process tool 200 may include two, three, or more than four processing stations. The multi-station process tool 200 may be configured for any suitable type of process. In some examples, the multi-station process tool is configured for a deposition process, such as atomic layer deposition and / or chemical vapor deposition. In other examples, the multi-station process tool is configured for a dry etch process. Additionally, the multi-station process tool 200 may be configured for front-side and back-side processing, or for front-side processing only. The dry process tool 100 is an exemplary implementation of each of the processing stations 1-4 (211-214).

[0064] Each processing station is coupled to a gas source 205 via a gas manifold 210 and a dedicated flow path. Processing station 1 211 receives gas from gas manifold 210 via flow path 221. Processing station 2 212 receives gas from gas manifold 210 via flow path 222. Processing station 3 213 receives gas from gas manifold 210 via flow path 223. Processing station 4 214 receives gas from gas manifold 210 via flow path 224. In this example, processing stations 211-214 are all located within a common processing chamber 230. The use of a common processing chamber allows the multi-station process tool 200 to share resources across processing stations 211-214. For example, a robot 235 may be employed within the common processing chamber 230 to load and unload substrates from one processing station to another in a sequential processing routine. Other resources, such as RF power, vacuum, load locks, inlets, outlets, etc., may also be shared.

[0065] In this way, multiple substrates can be processed simultaneously with limited pump down. A variety of different processes can be implemented. For example, in a deposition context, four substrates can be run together to deposit a full thickness film on the four substrates in parallel. Also, the four substrates can be rotated between stations to deposit 1 / 4 of the total film thickness at each station at a time. As another example, two substrates can be run per station, with each station depositing 1 / 2 of the desired thickness.

[0066] 3 illustrates another exemplary system in which multiple processing stations share a common gas source. More specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates a process tool cluster 300. The process tool cluster 300 is shown with a single gas source 305 coupled to a single gas manifold 310. However, other configurations may utilize two or more gas sources and / or two or more manifolds.

[0067] The process tool cluster 300 includes four processing tools, each having a single station. The tools include processing stations 311, 312, 313, and 314. In other examples, the process tool cluster may include more or fewer processing tools. The process tool 100 is one exemplary implementation of each processing station 311-314. In other examples, the processing stations 311-314 may have any other suitable configuration.

[0068] Each processing station 311, 312, 313, 314 is coupled to a gas source 305 via a gas manifold 310 and a corresponding flow path. In this example, each processing station is housed within a separate processing chamber. Processing station 311 is disposed within processing chamber 321 and receives gas from gas manifold 310 via flow path 322. Processing station 312 is disposed within processing chamber 323 and receives gas from gas manifold 310 via flow path 324. Processing station 313 is disposed within processing chamber 325 and receives gas from gas manifold 310 via flow path 326. Processing station 314 is disposed within processing chamber 327 and receives gas from gas manifold 310 via flow path 328. By connecting each processing station to the same gas source 305 and balancing each processing station, consistency across processing stations can be achieved and resources can be pooled. In some examples, each of one or more tools of the process tool cluster 300 may include multiple processing stations.

[0069] As discussed above, a gas flow path for a dry process tool may include precision fixed orifices to help achieve consistent gas flow from a common manifold to each processing station. However, the sum of the tolerances for all components in the gas flow path may cause station-to-station differences to be outside of the desired dimensional tolerance range, even if the differences between the precision orifices themselves are within the desired dimensional tolerance range. Furthermore, locating such components upstream of the division of the flow path to different processing stations may not be possible or practical for multi-station tools where the gas flow path components move independently (e.g., pedestals with vertical movement capabilities).

[0070] Therefore, to overcome such problems with fixed orifices, variable flow valves with adjustable Cv can be provided in the flow path to each processing station. Each adjustable valve can be independently adjusted and recalibrated if the station ages or wears differently than other stations in the tool.

[0071] 4 illustrates a schematic of an example gas distribution system 400 for a dry processing tool. In some examples, the dry processing tool may comprise a chemical vapor deposition tool, an atomic layer deposition tool, or a dry etch tool. In other examples, the dry processing tool may comprise any other suitable tool utilizing a balanced flow of gas to multiple processing stations.

[0072] The system 400 includes one or more processing chambers 405 and two or more processing stations (four processing stations 410, 411, 412, 413 are shown here) disposed within the one or more processing chambers. For simplicity, only the gas flow path components of the first processing station 1 410 are shown in detail. However, the gas flow paths for the other processing stations may have similar components. In this example, four processing stations are shown, in other examples, the gas distribution system 400 is configured for two, three, five or more processing stations. In other examples, one or more processing stations may be disposed within a processing chamber other than the processing chamber 405.

[0073] The system 400 further comprises a first gas source 415. A first manifold 420 is coupled to the first gas source 415 via at least a first mass flow controller (MFC) 422. The MFC 422 comprises at least an inlet port, an outlet port, a mass flow sensor, and a proportional control valve. The proportional control valve can be adjusted to control the flow of the gas based on measurements generated by the mass flow sensor. An optional second gas source 423 is connected to the first manifold 420 by a second mass flow controller 424. In other examples, one or more additional gas sources (not shown) can be connected to the first manifold 420.

[0074] The first manifold 420 fluidly couples the first gas source 415 and the second gas source 423 to the first processing station 1 410 via a first flow path 425. The term "fluidly coupled" indicates that gas can flow between components along the gas flow path. The first manifold 420 also fluidly couples the first gas source 415 and the second gas source 423 to each additional processing station (411, 412, 413) via other corresponding flow paths, collectively shown as flow path 427.

[0075] Each flow path includes an adjustable flow valve, which in the case of flow path 425 is shown as adjustable flow valve 430. The adjustable flow valve 430 may be adjusted to allow gas flow to the process station 410 over a suitable range of Cv values. As described further herein, in some examples, each adjustable flow valve may be adjusted to a different Cv to balance desired flows across multiple stations of the system 400. Such adjustable valves may provide a greater range of adjustment of gas flow than methods such as heated gas lines. Additionally, adjustable flow valves may provide faster adjustment than replacement of components in the gas flow paths.

[0076] In some such examples, the adjustable flow valve 430 may comprise an automatic valve. Such a valve may adjust an internal opening based on a signal received from the controller in response to the controller recognizing a change in the upstream gas pressure. For example, the first gas source 415 may comprise one or more manometers 435 configured to output a gas pressure value. As described further herein and with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7, this gas pressure value may be used to calibrate the adjustable flow valve 430. Additionally or alternatively, the adjustable flow valve 430 may be manually adjustable. The second gas source 423 may also comprise one or more manometers 436.

[0077] In some examples, the flow path 425 is coupled to the first manifold 420 via a flexible gas line 437. Similarly, each flow path to station 411, station 412, and station 413 may also include a flexible gas line. The flexible gas line 437 may be used when the flow path 425 includes one or more components configured to be movable independently of similar components of the other processing stations. One example of a movable component is as a vertically adjustable showerhead pedestal. The flow path 425 further includes an on / off flow valve 440 upstream of the adjustable flow valve 430 to allow the gas flow to the processing station 1 410 to be turned off. When in the "on" state, the on / off flow valve 440 may have an orifice smaller than the maximum allowable orifice through the adjustable flow valve 430. The flow path 425 may further include one or more filters 445 upstream of the on / off flow valve 440. Filter 445 removes molecular contaminants from the air based on molecular size, adsorption characteristics, or other properties. Filter 445 may be a consumable component and may be replaced as needed.

[0078] The system 400 further includes a mixer 450 disposed in the flow path 425 upstream of the processing station 1 410. The mixer 450 may serve to blend the gases into a suitable homogenous mixture prior to metering the flow of the mixture to the processing station 1 410. Mixers may also be used in the gas flow paths for station 2 411, station 3 412, and station 4 413. The mixer 450 may be coupled to a second manifold 460 via a second flow path 455. The second manifold 460 may be coupled to a third gas source 465. The third gas source 465 provides a different gas composition than the first gas source 415 or the second gas source 423. In this manner, the reactant gases may be kept separate as long as possible before entering the processing station 1 410. For example, the first gas source 415 may comprise a silane-based gas and the third gas source 465 may comprise an oxidizing gas. A second manifold 460 may be coupled to each processing station of the system 400 so that different gas compositions may be used at each processing station, or each processing station may be coupled to a separate second gas source via a dedicated manifold.

[0079] Each component in second flow path 425 has associated dimensional tolerances. When these flow paths come together in mixer 450, in some examples, an adjustable valve 470 may be placed in second flow path 455 to allow the flow rate to be adjusted to compensate for such tolerances.

[0080] In some examples, a single adjustable flow valve may not allow sufficient Cv for a high flow process. In such examples, an adjustable flow valve may be placed in parallel with a fixed orifice in the corresponding flow path. FIG. 5 shows an example gas distribution system 500 for a dry process tool with an example of a parallel fixed orifice and adjustable valve. The system 500 includes one or more processing chambers 505 and two or more processing stations (four processing stations 510, 511, 512, 513 are shown here) disposed within the one or more processing chambers. The system 500 further includes a first gas source 515 coupled to a first manifold 520 via at least a first MFC 522. The system 500 further includes an optional second gas source 523 connected to the first manifold 520 by a second mass flow controller 524. In some examples, the gas distribution system may have additional gases connected to the first manifold.

[0081] The first manifold 520 fluidly couples the first gas source 515 and the second gas source 523 to the first processing station 1 510 via a first flow path 525. The first manifold 520 also fluidly couples the first gas source 515 and the second gas source 523 to each additional processing station (511, 512, 513) via other corresponding flow paths, collectively shown as flow path 527.

[0082] Flow path 525 includes an adjustable flow valve 530 in parallel with a fixed orifice 535 disposed between an on / off flow valve 540 and a mixer 545. Fixed orifice 535 can be any suitable type of orifice, such as metal or ceramic (e.g., pressed sapphire).

[0083] The fixed orifice 535 may be configured as a high flow orifice and thus may comprise a larger orifice than the adjustable flow valve. For example, the fixed orifice 535 may be configured to allow, for example, 90 units of gas flow, and the adjustable flow valve 530 may be adjustable to allow between 5 and 15 units of gas flow, allowing a target range of 95-105 units of gas flow. In this configuration, the adjustable flow valve 530 is used to fine-tune the flow rate and alter the resistance-flow balance. In other examples, the adjustable flow valve 530 may have a larger orifice than the fixed orifice 535. In this manner, relatively high flow rates for certain applications may be achieved without further increasing the opening size of the adjustable flow valve 530.

[0084] Other components of system 500 may be similar to those described with respect to system 400. For example, flow path 525 may include one or more filters 547. First gas source 515 may include one or more manometers 548 configured to output gas pressure values. Second gas source 523 may also include one or more manometers 549. In some examples, flow path 525 is coupled to first manifold 520 via flexible gas line 542.

[0085] The mixer 545 may be coupled to a second manifold 560 via a second flow path 555. The second manifold 560 may be coupled to a third gas source 565. The third gas source 565 may provide a different gas composition than the first gas source 515 and the second gas source 523. In some examples, an adjustable valve 570 may be disposed in the second flow path 555. Additionally or alternatively, a fixed orifice (not shown) may be disposed in the second flow path 555.

[0086] 6 illustrates an exemplary method 600 for calibrating a multi-station processing system. Method 600 is described with reference to system 400 of FIG. 4. However, method 600 may be applied to calibrate any suitable multi-station processing system with adjustable flow valves, including system 500. In some examples, method 600 may be performed by a controller or control module, such as controller 120. Additionally or alternatively, one or more aspects of method 600 may be performed manually.

[0087] At 610, the method 600 includes setting the chamber pressure of the common gas source to a calibration gas pressure. For example, a reading from a manometer, such as manometer 435 for the first gas source 415, may be used to set the desired gas pressure. The calibration gas pressure may or may not be the same as the operating gas pressure used during the process run.

[0088] At 620, the method 600 then iterates through a series of processes for each station of the multi-station processing system coupled to a common gas source, as follows: At 630, the method 600 includes closing off gas flow to stations other than the station being regulated. For example, in a quad station, three flow paths may be closed by blocking on / off flow valves in each flow path. Additionally or alternatively, gas flow may be closed at an upstream point in the flow paths for those stations.

[0089] At 640, the method 600 includes flowing gas from a common gas source to the stations to be regulated. Thus, one flow path for one station is opened and the remaining flow paths are closed, allowing each flow path to be calibrated in sequence. At 650, the method 600 includes sensing the upstream gas pressure at the gas source, for example, using a manometer 435 in the first gas source 415. In this manner, the flow through the flow paths to the stations to be regulated can be inferred.

[0090] At 660, the method 600 includes adjusting an adjustable flow valve in the flow path when the upstream gas pressure is not within a threshold difference from the predetermined gas pressure. The method 600 may then include processes 620-660 for each additional station, adjusting each adjustable flow valve until the predetermined upstream gas pressure is reached within a tolerance. In this manner, the flow through all stations of a multi-station processing system may be balanced. The process may be repeated two or more times to ensure that differences between stations are not exacerbated. For example, in an example where there are two or more flow paths feeding a mixer for a station, each flow path comprising an adjustable valve, the flow through each flow path may affect the tolerance of the other flow paths. Thus, additional iterative calibrations may help correct gas flow imbalances in such systems.

[0091] In some examples, calibrating the multi-station processing system is performed in response to changes in consumable components in one or more stations. For example, the multi-station processing system may be calibrated each time a filter is changed. However, calibration may additionally or alternatively be performed in response to drift in station performance over time, or at any other suitable interval. Once the flows are balanced, the process may also vary other parameters (e.g., mass flow controller rate, pedestal position, pressure, power) to make adjustments based on the observed performance (e.g., refractive index (RI) at the station chamber during the process flow). In examples where adjustable flow valves are automated, the observed performance may be used to open or close valves to adjust the flow, and thus the performance, either during or between calibrations. For example, the chamber pressure in each gas source may be set to a predetermined value, and the pressure delta and downstream flow may be observed and used to determine if the pressure drop across the flow path is within tolerance.

[0092] 7 illustrates an exemplary method 700 for calibrating a multi-station processing system. Method 700 is described with reference to system 400, as described with respect to FIG. 4. However, method 700 may be applied to calibrate any suitable multi-station processing system that includes adjustable flow valves, such as system 500. In some examples, method 700 may be performed by a controller or control module, such as controller 120. Additionally or alternatively, one or more aspects of method 700 may be performed manually.

[0093] At 710, method 700 includes balancing gas flows for at least a first station and a second station of the multi-station processing system by adjusting one or more of a first adjustable valve in a first flow path of the first station or a second adjustable valve in a second flow path of the second station. For example, balancing the gas flows may be performed using method 600 or an equivalent such that each station of the multi-station processing system has a gas flow within the tolerance of each other station.

[0094] At 720, the method 700 includes detecting a compensable hardware disparity in the first station. As used herein, compensable hardware disparity refers to a component of a process station that exhibits a functional difference from similar components in other stations and can be compensated for using adjustments to gas flow rates. For example, an increase in RI for substrates processed in the first station can be observed. This can be due, for example, to the pedestal being older and having a higher emissivity and therefore radiating more heat.

[0095] At 730, the method 700 includes adjusting the gas flow for the first station by adjusting a setting of a first adjustable valve in the flow path of the first station. For example, an increase in RI at the first station may be compensated for by increasing the gas flow through the first adjustable valve. In another example, adjusting the gas flow for the first station may include decreasing the gas flow by decreasing the size of the opening of the first adjustable valve.

[0096] At 740, the method 700 includes maintaining the setting of the second adjustable valve. In this manner, the gas flow for the first station and the gas flow for the second station are intentionally unbalanced to compensate for the hardware disparity. This may allow the substrate to be processed as if each station were operating the substrate. In some examples, if a station has a hardware disparity that cannot be compensated for, the settings for the adjustable valves in the flow paths for the other stations may be adjusted to attempt to balance the flows despite the disparity.

[0097] In addition to, or as an alternative to, employing variable flow valves in the flow path, the flow from each separate gas source can be moderated by one or more MFCs. This allows active gas flow regulation to tune each station of the tool. While the MFCs are calibrated to flow a specific gas, additional MFCs can be used to fine-tune the gas flow to each individual station, rather than providing a mass flow rate of a specific gas specifically.

[0098] As an example, one or more appropriately sized MFCs may be provided for each individual station to deliver an individual gas flow to that station. Depending on the process being performed, each individual station MFC may regulate the gas mixture flow to the corresponding station. When one MFC is provided to deliver a gas flow to a corresponding station, that MFC may be turned off to stop the gas flow to the corresponding station.

[0099] In the example shown in Figures 8-12, three reactant gases and one carrier gas are mixed and flowed to four processing stations. In other examples, any other suitable set of gases may be used. The processing stations may be located in one or more processing chambers and may include one or more gas mixers, not shown. Figures 8-12 show a single gas manifold. In other examples, a second manifold may be used to provide different gas compositions, which may be mixed at or prior to each processing station. For example, the first manifold may carry reactant gases in an inert carrier gas and the second manifold may carry an oxidation reagent.

[0100] In some examples, flow ratio controllers (FRCs) may be used to achieve flow regulation. Additionally, in some examples, individual station MFCs and / or FRCs may be used only for the gas(es) that need to be tightly controlled. Carrier gas may be provided further downstream without such precise control. This may simplify system design, increase flow regulation accuracy, and lower system costs.

[0101] Any suitable mixture of gases may be introduced to the processing stations in a multi-station tool via the following example gas distribution system. As one illustrative example, the reactant gas may include silane, a dopant (e.g., phosphine), and hydrogen gas, and the carrier gas may include nitrogen. In other examples, other gases may be used, and more or less than three reactant gases may be used, each moderated by one or more MFCs.

[0102] 8 illustrates a schematic of an exemplary multi-station process tool 800 with a mass flow controller for each gas and for each processing station. The multi-station process tool 800 is shown with four processing stations: a first station 801, a second station 802, a third station 803, and a fourth station 804.

[0103] The multi-station process tool 800 further comprises a gas source 805. The gas source 805 comprises sources for a first reactant gas 810, a second reactant gas 811, a third reactant gas 812, and a carrier gas 813. Each reactant gas is flowed to a manifold, which provides the reactant gas to a separate MFC for each processing station. The first reactant gas 810 is flowed to a manifold 820. The manifold 820 splits the gas flow to four MFCs, namely, MFC1-1 821, MFC1-2 822, MFC1-3 823, and MFC1-4 824. These MFCs in turn each flow the first reactant gas 810 to the first station 801, the second station 802, the third station 803, and the fourth station 804, respectively.

[0104] Similarly, a second reactant gas 811 is routed to a manifold 830. The manifold 830 splits the gas flow to four MFCs: MFC2-1 831, MFC2-2 832, MFC2-3 833, and MFC1-4 834. In turn, the MFCs route the second reactant gas 811 to a first station 801, a second station 802, a third station 803, and a fourth station 804, respectively.

[0105] The third reactant gas 812 is routed to a manifold 840. The manifold 840 splits the gas flow to four MFCs: MFC3-1 841, MFC3-2 842, MFC3-3 843, and MFC3-4 844. In turn, each of the MFCs routes the third reactant gas 812 to a first station 801, a second station 802, a third station 803, and a fourth station 804, respectively. The carrier gas 813 is routed directly to MFC4-1 850 and then to a manifold 852, which routes the carrier gas to stations 801-804.

[0106] Additional valves, orifices, filters, flex lines, etc., such as those shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, may be added to the flow path coupling the gas source 805 to the stations 801-804. By using MFCs to control the flow of each path to each processing station, additional control of gas flow rates can be achieved to compensate for variability in other components of the gas flow paths. Each flow path can also be provided with on / off control of each or every gas.

[0107] 9 shows a schematic of an exemplary multi-station process tool 900 with a mass flow controller for each gas to a mixer followed by a mass flow controller for each processing station. The multi-station process tool 900 is shown with four processing stations: a first station 901, a second station 902, a third station 903, and a fourth station 904.

[0108] The multi-station process tool 900 includes a gas source 905. The gas source 905 includes a first reactant gas 910, a second reactant gas 911, a third reactant gas 912, and a carrier gas 913. Each reactant gas is flowed to an MFC and then to a mixer 915. The first reactant gas 910 is coupled to MFC1-1 920. The second reactant gas 911 is coupled to MFC1-2 921. The third reactant gas 912 is coupled to MFC1-3 922. The carrier gas 913 is coupled to MFC1-4 923.

[0109] Mixer 915 directs the gas mixture to four MFCs, one for each processing station. MFC2-1 930 provides the gas mixture to a first station 901. MFC2-2 931 provides the gas mixture to a second station 902. MFC2-3 932 provides the gas mixture to a third station 903. MFC2-4 933 provides the gas mixture to a fourth station 904.

[0110] One or more additional pressurizing devices may be placed upstream of the second set of MFCs to increase the pressure of the gas mixture to ensure precise flow control. In some examples, additional MFCs may be included in the gas source 905 for precise control of one or more of the reactant gases. Like the multi-station process tool 800, the multi-station process tool 900 allows each station to be provided with on / off control of each gas. Comparatively, the multi-station process tool 900 may provide slightly less precision in gas flow control compared to the multi-station process tool 800. However, the multi-station process tool 900 may also be less costly and complex than the multi-station process tool 800.

[0111] 10 shows a schematic of an exemplary multi-station process tool 1000 with mass flow controllers for each gas to a mixer followed by flow rate controllers for distribution to each processing station. The multi-station process tool 1000 is shown with four processing stations: a first station 1001, a second station 1002, a third station 1003, and a fourth station 1004.

[0112] The multi-station process tool 1000 further comprises a gas source 1005. The gas source 1005 comprises a first reactant gas 1010, a second reactant gas 1011, a third reactant gas 1012, and a carrier gas 1013. Each reactant gas is flowed to an MFC and then to a mixer 1015. The first reactant gas 1010 is coupled to MFC1-1 1020. The second reactant gas 1011 is coupled to MFC1-2 1021. The third reactant gas 1012 is coupled to MFC1-3 1022. The carrier gas 1013 is coupled to MFC1-4 1023.

[0113] The mixer 1015 then directs the gas mixture to the FRC 1025, which splits the gas mixture among the four processing stations. Using an FRC instead of individual MFCs at this stage allows for gas to flow with low pressure changes since low pressure gas can both enter and exit the FRC. As with the multi-station process tool 900, additional MFCs can be included in the gas source 1005 for precise control of one or more of the reactant gases (e.g., silane).

[0114] 11 shows a schematic of an exemplary multi-station process tool 1100 with mass flow controllers for each reactant gas to a mixer followed by flow rate controllers for a carrier gas to be distributed to each process station through a mixer. The multi-station process tool 1100 is shown with four process stations: a first station 1101, a second station 1102, a third station 1103, and a fourth station 1104.

[0115] The multi-station process tool 1100 further comprises a gas source 1105. The gas source 1105 comprises a first reactant gas 1110, a second reactant gas 1111, a third reactant gas 1112, and a carrier gas 1113. Each reactant gas is flowed to an MFC and then to a mixer 1115. The first reactant gas 1110 is coupled to MFC1-1 1120. The second reactant gas 1111 is coupled to MFC1-2 1121. The third reactant gas 1112 is coupled to MFC1-3 1122. The carrier gas 1113 is coupled to MFC1-4 1123.

[0116] The reactant gas mixture is then passed to the FRC 1125, which splits the mixture along four flow paths, one for each processing station. Carrier gas 1113 is flowed from the MFC1-4 1123 to a gas manifold 1130, which splits the carrier gas flow into four lines. Each carrier gas line merges with the reactant gas flow path at a mixer before being passed to a processing station. Mixer 1131 directs the combined gas flow to the first station 1101, mixer 1132 directs the combined gas flow to the second station 1102, mixer 1133 directs the combined gas flow to the third station 1103, and mixer 1134 directs the combined gas flow to the fourth station 1104.

[0117] In this configuration, the reactant gases are mixed together first in a relatively smaller volume. The carrier gas is then mixed later in a relatively higher volume. This allows for controlled mixing of the reactant gases without additional hardware for precise mixing in the carrier gas further upstream than necessary, since the carrier gas concentration may not be very precise.

[0118] 12 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary multi-station process tool 1200 with mass flow controllers for each reactant gas to a mixer, followed by a mass flow controller for a carrier gas to be distributed to each process station via a mixer. The multi-station process tool 1200 is shown with four process stations: a first station 1201, a second station 1202, a third station 1203, and a fourth station 1204.

[0119] The multi-station process tool 1200 further comprises a gas source 1205. The gas source 1205 comprises a first reactant gas 1210, a second reactant gas 1211, a third reactant gas 1212, and a carrier gas 1213. Each reactant gas is flowed to an MFC and then to a mixer 1215. The first reactant gas 1210 is coupled to MFC1-1 1220. The second reactant gas 1211 is coupled to MFC1-2 1221. The third reactant gas 1212 is coupled to MFC1-3 1222. The carrier gas 1213 is coupled to MFC1-4 1223.

[0120] Mixer 1215 directs the gas mixture to four MFCs, one for each processing station. MFC2-1 1230 provides the gas mixture to the first station 1201. MFC2-2 1231 provides the gas mixture to the second station 1202. MFC2-3 1232 provides the gas mixture to the third station 1203. MFC2-4 1233 provides the gas mixture to the fourth station 1204. One or more additional pressurizing devices may be positioned upstream of the second set of MFCs to increase the pressure of the gas mixture to ensure precise flow control.

[0121] Carrier gas 1213 is flowed from MFC1-4 1223 to a gas manifold 1240 which splits the carrier gas flow into four lines. Each carrier gas line merges with the reactant gas flow path at a mixer before being passed to the processing stations. Mixer 1241 directs the combined gas flow to the first station 1201, mixer 1242 directs the combined gas flow to the second station 1202, mixer 1243 directs the combined gas flow to the third station 1203, and mixer 1244 directs the combined gas flow to the fourth station 1204.

[0122] In any of the examples described with respect to Figures 8-12, additional flow control hardware can provide additional dynamic control to adjust gas flow between process steps. Based on monitored conditions during processing (e.g., film thickness, deposition rate, etch rate, RI), flow can be adjusted (possibly via automation) between process steps. In other examples, multiple different processes can be performed sequentially on the same station, and multiple different processes can be performed on adjacent stations in the same multi-station tool.

[0123] In these examples, wide range adjustability of flow is provided for each individual station. Adjustments can be made automatically or from a user interface for the tool without the need to shut down the tool to manually adjust and / or replace components. Additionally, the MFC control provides the additional ability to turn off flow to specific stations.

[0124] In some embodiments, the methods and processes described herein may be coupled to a computing system of one or more computing devices. In particular, such methods and processes may be implemented as a computer application program or service, an application programming interface (API), a library, and / or other computer program product.

[0125] 13 illustrates generally a non-limiting embodiment of a computing system 1300 capable of performing one or more of the methods and processes described above. The computing system 1300 is illustrated in simplified form. The computing system 1300 may take the form of one or more personal computers, workstations, computers integrated with wafer processing tools, and / or network-accessible server computers.

[0126] Computing system 1300 includes a logic machine 1310 and a memory machine 1320. Computing system 1300 may optionally include a display subsystem 1330, an input subsystem 1340, a communication subsystem 1350, and / or other components not shown in Figure 13. Controller 120 is an example of a computing system 1300.

[0127] The logical machine 1310 includes one or more physical devices configured to execute instructions. For example, the logical machine may be configured to execute instructions that are part of one or more applications, services, programs, routines, libraries, objects, components, data structures, or other logical constructs. Such instructions may be implemented to perform a task, implement a data type, transform the state of one or more components, achieve a technical effect, or otherwise arrive at a desired result.

[0128] A logical machine may include one or more processors configured to execute software instructions. Additionally or alternatively, a logical machine may include one or more hardware or firmware logic machines configured to execute hardware or firmware instructions. The processors of the logical machine may be single-core or multi-core, and the instructions executed thereon may be configured for sequential, parallel, and / or distributed processing. Individual components of the logical machine may optionally be distributed among two or more separate devices, which may be remotely located and / or configured for cooperative processing. Aspects of the logical machine may be virtualized and executed by remotely accessible, networked computing devices configured in a cloud computing configuration.

[0129] The storage machine 1320 includes one or more physical devices configured to hold instructions executable by a logical machine to implement the methods and processes described herein. When such methods and processes are implemented, the state of the storage machine 1320 may be transformed, for example, to hold different data.

[0130] The storage machine 1320 may include removable and / or built-in devices. The storage machine 1320 may include optical memory (e.g., CD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray disk, etc.), semiconductor memory (e.g., RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.), and / or magnetic memory (e.g., hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, tape drive, MRAM, etc.), among others. The storage machine 1320 may include volatile devices, non-volatile devices, dynamic devices, static devices, read / write devices, read-only devices, random access devices, sequential access devices, location addressable devices, file addressable devices, and / or content addressable devices.

[0131] It will be appreciated that the storage machine 1320 includes one or more physical devices. However, aspects of the instructions described herein may alternatively be propagated by a communication medium (e.g., electromagnetic signals, optical signals, etc.) that is not carried by a physical device for a finite duration.

[0132] Aspects of both the logic machine 1310 and the storage machine 1320 may be integrated into one or more hardware logic components, which may include, for example, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), program and application specific integrated circuits (PASICs / ASICs), program and application specific standard products (PSSPs / ASSPs), systems on chips (SOCs), and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs).

[0133] When included, the display subsystem 1330 may be used to present a visual representation of the data maintained by the storage machine 1320. This visual representation may take the form of a graphical user interface (GUI). Because the methods and processes described herein modify the data maintained by the storage machine and thus transform the state of the storage machine, the state of the display subsystem 1330 may likewise be transformed to visually represent the changes in the underlying data. The display subsystem 1330 may include one or more display devices utilizing virtually any type of technology. Such display devices may be combined with the logic machine 1310 and / or the storage machine 1320 in a shared enclosure or, alternatively, such display devices may be peripheral display devices.

[0134] When included, the input subsystem 1340 may comprise or interface with one or more user input devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch screen. In some embodiments, the input subsystem may comprise or interface with selected natural user input (NUI) components. Such components may be integrated or peripheral, and the delivery and / or processing of input actions may be handled on-board or off-board. Exemplary NUI components may include microphones for speech and / or voice recognition, and infrared, color, stereoscopic, and / or depth cameras for machine vision and / or gesture recognition.

[0135] When included, the communications subsystem 1350 may be configured to communicatively couple the computing system 1300 with one or more other computing devices. The communications subsystem 1350 may include wired and / or wireless communications devices conforming to one or more different communications protocols. As a non-limiting example, the communications subsystem may be configured for communication over a wireless telephone network, or a wired or wireless local or wide area network. In some embodiments, the communications subsystem may enable the computing system 1300 to send and / or receive messages to and / or from other devices over a network, such as the Internet.

[0136] It will be understood that the configurations and / or techniques described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments or examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, as numerous variations are possible. The specific routines or methods described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. Thus, the various acts shown and / or described may be performed in the sequence shown and / or described, in other sequences, in parallel, or omitted. Similarly, the order of the processes described above may be altered.

[0137] The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various processes, systems, and configurations disclosed herein, and other features, functions, acts, and / or properties, and any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. one or more processing chambers; two or more processing stations disposed within the one or more processing chambers; a first gas source; a common manifold fluidly coupling the first gas source to each of the two or more processing stations via a corresponding flow path, the common manifold coupled to the first gas source via at least a first mass flow controller, each of the corresponding flow paths comprising an adjustable flow valve; A system for a dry process tool comprising:

2. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein each adjustable flow valve is adjustable to have the highest valve flow coefficient within the corresponding flow path.

3. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the corresponding flow paths each include a fixed orifice disposed in parallel with the adjustable flow valve.

4. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each corresponding flow path is coupled to the common manifold via a flexible gas line, and each flow path comprises one or more components configured to be movable relative to a processing chamber of a respective processing station.

5. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein each flow path further comprises an on / off flow valve upstream of the adjustable flow valve.

6. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein each flow path further comprises a filter upstream of the on / off flow valve.

7. 10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second gas source connected to the common manifold through a second mass flow controller.

8. 10. The system of claim 1, further comprising, for each processing station, a mixer disposed in the flow path upstream of the processing station, the mixer for each processing station being coupled to a second common manifold via a second corresponding flow path, the second common manifold being coupled to a second gas source, the second gas source being configured to provide a different gas composition than the first gas source.

9. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second corresponding flow path comprises an on / off flow valve in series with one or more of a fixed orifice or a second adjustable flow valve.

10. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing chambers comprise a plurality of processing chambers, and each processing station of the two or more processing stations is disposed within a separate processing chamber of the plurality of processing chambers.

11. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the two or more processing stations are disposed within a shared processing chamber of the one or more processing chambers.

12. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the dry processing tool comprises a chemical vapor deposition tool.

13. 10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dry processing tool comprises an atomic layer deposition tool.

14. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the dry process tool comprises a dry etching tool.

15. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustable flow valve comprises an automatic valve.

16. 1. A method for calibrating a multi-station processing system, comprising: setting a chamber pressure of a common gas source to a calibration gas pressure; for each station of the multi-station processing system coupled to the common gas source, closing off gas flow to one or more other stations; flowing gas from said common gas source to the stations to be regulated; sensing an upstream gas pressure at the gas source; adjusting an adjustable valve in a flow path to the regulated station to set the upstream gas pressure to a pressure within the threshold difference from the predetermined gas pressure when the upstream gas pressure is not within the threshold difference from the predetermined gas pressure; A method comprising:

17. 20. The method of claim 16, wherein calibrating the multi-station processing system is performed in response to altered consumable components in one or more stations.

18. 1. A method for calibrating a multi-station processing system, comprising: balancing gas flows for at least a first station and a second station of the multi-station processing system by adjusting a first adjustable valve in a first flow path of the first station and adjusting a second adjustable valve in a second flow path of the second station; Detecting a compensable hardware disparity in the first station; adjusting a gas flow for the first station by adjusting a setting of the first adjustable valve in the flow path of the first station; maintaining a setting of the second adjustable valve; and A method comprising:

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein adjusting the gas flow for the first station includes increasing the gas flow by increasing a size of an opening of the first adjustable valve.

20. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein adjusting the gas flow for the first station includes decreasing the gas flow by decreasing a size of an opening of the first adjustable valve.

21. one or more processing chambers; two or more processing stations disposed within the one or more processing chambers; a gas source configured to provide a process gas to the two or more process stations; for each processing station, a corresponding flow path with a corresponding mass flow controller located between the gas source and the processing station, the corresponding mass flow controller configured to control a flow of the process gas to the processing chamber; A system comprising:

22. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the process gas comprises two or more component gases, the component gases comprising one or more reactant gases and one or more carrier gases.

23. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the gas source is configured to provide two or more gases, and further comprising a mixer disposed between the gas source and the one or more processing chambers, the mixer configured to mix the two or more gases, and the corresponding mass flow controller for each processing station is located between the mixer and the processing station.

24. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein each of the two or more gases is connected to the mixer by a second corresponding mass flow controller between the gas source and the mixer.

25. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein each carrier gas is coupled to a carrier gas manifold via a corresponding carrier gas mass flow controller, the carrier gas manifold configured to split the carrier gas flow to carrier gas lines for each processing station.

26. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein each corresponding flow path includes a corresponding mixer for mixing the one or more reactant gases with the one or more carrier gases.

27. one or more processing chambers; two or more processing stations disposed within the one or more processing chambers; two or more gas sources, each gas source coupled to a common mixer via a respective mass flow controller; a flow ratio controller configured to split a flow from the common mixer to each of the two or more processing stations; A system comprising:

28. 28. The system of claim 27, a carrier gas source coupled to a gas manifold via a dedicated mass flow controller, the gas manifold splitting the carrier gas flow to the carrier gas lines for each processing station; for each processing station, a flow path comprising a mixer configured to receive an output of the common mixer and a carrier gas line, the mixer further configured to direct a combined gas flow to a respective processing station; The system further comprises:

29. 30. The system of claim 27, wherein the two or more gas sources comprise one or more reactant gas sources and one or more carrier gas sources.

Images