Gas manifold and assembly and system including the same

Abstract

To provide an apparatus for providing gas to a reaction chamber, reactor systems including the apparatus, and methods of using the apparatus and systems.SOLUTION: The systems and methods as described herein can be used to, for example, provide a mixture of two or more precursors to a reaction chamber with desired flow distribution.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a gas reactor system and its components. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus suitable for providing one or more gas mixtures to a reaction chamber of a reactor system.

Background Art

[0002] Gas reactors such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and the like can be used for various applications including deposition and etching of materials on a substrate surface. For example, a gas reactor can be used to deposit and / or etch a layer on a substrate to form semiconductor devices, flat panel display devices, photovoltaic devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and the like.

[0003] A typical gas reactor system includes one or more reactors, each reactor including one or more reaction chambers, one or more precursor gas sources and / or reactant gas sources fluidly connected to the reaction chambers, one or more carrier gas sources and / or purge gas sources fluidly connected to the reaction chambers, one or more gas distribution systems for delivering a gas (e.g., precursor gas / reactant gas and / or carrier gas or purge gas) to the surface of a substrate within the reaction chamber, and at least one exhaust source fluidly connected to the reaction chamber.

[0004] In some processes carried out within a reaction chamber, it may be desirable to provide two or more gases to the reaction chamber simultaneously or with a temporal overlap. For example, two or more gases can be provided separately to the reaction chamber simultaneously or with a temporal overlay. Such an apparatus may be suitable for some applications, but separately providing gases to the reaction chamber can introduce unwanted variability in the process. Further, it may be desirable to provide a desired gas flow pattern to a gas distribution device in order to achieve a desired gas flow pattern across the surface of a substrate. Accordingly, an improved apparatus for providing a gas mixture and / or a desired gas flow pattern to a gas distribution device and / or a reaction chamber is desired.

[0005] Any description of problems and solutions related to the related art is included in this disclosure solely for the purpose of providing the background of the disclosure, and should not be construed as an admission that any or all of such descriptions were known at the time the invention was made. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for providing a gas mixture to a reactor or reaction chamber, an assembly and a system including the apparatus, and a method of using the apparatus, the assembly, and the system. The apparatus, the assembly, and the system can be used in connection with various applications, including, for example, the manufacture of electronic devices. The ways in which various embodiments of the present disclosure address the drawbacks of conventional apparatus, assemblies, and systems will be considered in more detail below, but generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved apparatus (e.g., a gas manifold), an assembly, and a system, and a method suitable for providing a mixture of two or more gases to a reaction chamber. Exemplary apparatus can, for example, reduce the time scale for gas diffusion, thereby improving gas mixing and / or reducing the length of time for mixing gases before entering the reaction chamber. Further examples of the present disclosure provide improved apparatus and methods for providing pulses of mixed gases.

[0007] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a gas manifold is provided. An exemplary gas manifold includes a body having an upper section and a bottom section, a channel along an axis within the body and extending between an opening in the upper section and a bottom surface, a first conduit extending from an upper surface and fluidly connected to the channel, a second conduit extending substantially radially from the axis and fluidly connected to the channel, and a flow regulator within the bottom section. The flow regulator is configured to change the flow direction of gas received from the first conduit and gas received from the second conduit. According to an example of the present disclosure, the flow regulator includes a plurality of fins extending inwardly from an inner wall of the channel. According to a further example, the flow regulator includes a helical section. According to a further example, the flow regulator includes a plurality of deflectors extending from an inner surface of the channel toward the axis. According to yet a further example, the flow regulator includes a first body having a first plurality of holes extending across a first cross-section of the channel and through the first body. According to a further example, the flow regulator further includes a second body having a second plurality of holes extending across a second cross-section of the channel and through the second body. According to yet a further example, the flow regulator includes a plate having an opening therethrough, the opening including a first outer section, a second outer section, and an inner section connecting the first outer section and the second outer section, the cross-section of the inner section being smaller than the cross-section of the first outer section and smaller than the cross-section of the second outer section.

[0008] According to a further embodiment, an assembly is provided that includes a gas manifold and a gas distribution device fluidly connected to the gas manifold. The gas manifold can be or can include a gas manifold as described above or elsewhere in this specification. The gas distribution device can be or can include, for example, a showerhead device or a part thereof.

[0009] According to further additional embodiments of the present disclosure, a reactor system is provided. An exemplary reactor system includes a reaction chamber, a gas distribution device, and a manifold such as the manifolds described herein.

[0010] According to additional embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of controlling the gas flow to a reaction chamber is disclosed using the devices, assemblies, and / or systems described herein.

[0011] These and other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following "Detailed Description" of specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the invention is not limited to any specific embodiment disclosed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] A more complete understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be derived by referring to the "Detailed Description" and the "Claims" with respect to the following specific embodiments considered in connection with the accompanying exemplary drawings, but the invention is not limited to any specific embodiment disclosed.

[0013]

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[0014] It will be understood that the elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to assist in the understanding of the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments and / or uses of the present invention, as well as their obvious modifications and equivalents. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of the disclosed present invention should not be limited by the specific disclosed embodiments described hereinafter.

[0016] The present disclosure generally relates to manifolds, assemblies including manifolds, and reactor systems including assemblies or manifolds. The manifolds, assemblies, and systems described herein can be used, for example, to process substrates such as semiconductor wafers for forming electronic devices. By way of example, the systems and methods described herein can be used to form or grow multi-component layers. As a specific example, the manifolds, assemblies, and systems can be used in a thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.

[0017] In the present disclosure, the gas may include materials that are gaseous at normal temperature and pressure (NTP), vaporized solids, and / or vaporized liquids, and may be composed of a single gas or a mixture of gases depending on the situation. Gases other than process gases, i.e., gases introduced without passing through a gas distribution assembly, other gas distribution devices, or the like, can be used, for example, to seal a reaction space and can include seal gases such as noble gases.

[0018] The term "precursor" can refer to a compound that participates in a chemical reaction to produce another compound. The term "reactant" can be used interchangeably with the term "precursor". The term "inert gas" can refer to a gas that does not participate in a chemical reaction and / or does not become part of a layer to a significant extent. Exemplary inert gases include helium and argon and any combination thereof. In some cases, molecular nitrogen and / or hydrogen can be inert gases. A carrier gas can be an inert gas or can include an inert gas.

[0019] As used herein, the term "substrate" can refer to any underlying material or material that can be used to form or on which a device, circuit, or film can be formed. The substrate 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 above or below the bulk material. Further, the substrate can include various topologies (such as recesses, lines, and the like) formed within or on at least a portion of the layers of the substrate.

[0020] The term "cyclic deposition process" or "cyclical deposition process" may refer to continuously introducing a precursor (and / or reactant) into a reaction chamber to deposit a layer on a substrate, and includes processing techniques such as ALD, cyclic chemical vapor deposition (cyclic CVD), and hybrid cyclic deposition processes, which include an ALD component and a cyclic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) component. The process may include a purge step during the introduction of the precursor. In some cases, one or more reactants and / or precursors can be continuously provided to the reaction chamber, and one or more other reactants and / or precursors can be pulsed into the reaction chamber.

[0021] Furthermore, in this disclosure, any two numbers of a variable can constitute an executable range of that variable, and any range shown may include or exclude endpoints. Additionally, any value of a variable shown (regardless of whether they are shown with "about") can refer to an exact value or an approximate value, may include equivalents, and may also refer to an average value, a median value, a representative value, or a majority or the like. Further, in this disclosure, the terms "comprising", "consisting of", and "having" can, in some embodiments, independently refer to "typically or broadly comprising", "comprising", "essentially consisting of", or "consisting of". "Substantially" can mean within about ±10 or ±5 for relative or absolute percentages. "Substantially flat" can mean a surface that can deviate by ±10 or ±5 relative or absolute percentage from a horizontal plane. The term "comprising" includes "essentially consisting of" and "consisting of". In this disclosure, any defined meaning does not necessarily exclude the ordinary and customary meanings in some embodiments.

[0022] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a reactor system 100 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The reactor system 100 includes a reaction chamber 102, an apparatus 104 for providing a gas mixture to the reaction chamber 102, a vacuum source 106, and a controller 108.

[0023] The reaction chamber 102 can be or can include a reaction chamber suitable for a gas-phase reaction. The reaction chamber 102 can be formed from a suitable material such as quartz, metal, or the like, and can be configured to hold one or more substrates for processing. The reactor system 100 can include any suitable number of reaction chambers 102 and can optionally include one or more substrate handling systems.

[0024] The reaction chamber 102 can be configured as a CVD reactor, a cyclic deposition process reactor (e.g., a cyclic CVD reactor), an ALD reactor, a PEALD reactor, an etching reactor, a processing reactor, a surface cleaning reactor, or the like, any of which can include a plasma device such as a direct plasma device and / or a remote plasma device.

[0025] The apparatus 104 for providing a gas mixture to the reaction chamber includes a gas injection port 110, a mixing device 112, a first gas supply source 114, a second gas supply source 116, a third gas supply source 118, a first gas valve 120, a second gas (e.g., pulse) valve 122, and a third gas (e.g., pulse) valve 124. The apparatus 104 and / or the reactor system 100 may also include a first pressure flow control valve 126, a second pressure flow control valve 128, and one or more carrier gas supply sources 130. The reactor system 100 and / or the apparatus 104 may suitably include additional gas supply sources, as well as respective lines and valves. In this illustrated example, the apparatus 104 can be used to mix gases from two or more gas supply sources 114, 116, 118 by providing pulses of two or more gases to the mixing device 112 downstream of the pulse valves. The apparatus 104 allows for flexibility in timing (e.g., one gas can start before or after the other gases flow into the mixing device 112). Further, the apparatus 104 can be easily transitioned to a single gas injection system without delay.

[0026] The gas injection port 110 can include tubing, an opening, or the like for providing the gas mixture to the reaction zone 132 of the reaction chamber 102. The gas injection port 110 can be integrated into or separated from the reaction chamber 102.

[0027] The mixing device 112 is configured to receive two or more gases from two or more of the first gas supply source 114, the second gas supply source 116, and the third gas supply source 118, for example, before entering the reaction chamber 102. As shown, the mixing device 112 can be upstream of the gas injection port 110 and can be in fluid communication with the gas injection port 110. The mixing device 112 can include a volume larger than the volume of the gas injection port 110. By way of example, the volume of the mixing device 112 can range from about 5 cc to about 50 cc. The configuration of the mixing device 112 can vary according to the application. The mixing device 112 can include a tortuous path to facilitate the desired mixing and flow of the gas mixture. In some cases, the mixing device 112 can include a housing 138, which can be, for example, a substantially hollow cylinder. The mixing device 112 can be referred to as a manifold. Exemplary manifolds suitable for the mixing device 112 are described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 2-13.

[0028] The first gas supply source 114, the second gas supply source 116, and the third gas supply source 118 can each include a container and the gas stored within each container. By way of example, the first gas supply source 114 can include a container and an inert gas, the second gas supply source 116 can include a container and a first precursor, and the third gas supply source 118 can include a container and a second precursor. The reactor system 100 or apparatus 104 for providing a gas mixture to the reaction chamber can include a reactant supply source 134 that can be connected to the gas injection port 110 and / or to the mixing device 112. The reactant source 134 can include one or more reactant containers and one or more reactant sources, such as, for example, one or more of an oxygen reactant, a nitrogen reactant, and / or a carbon reactant.

[0029] The second gas supply source 116, the third gas supply source 118, and two or more of the optional other gas supply sources, or each of them, can be connected to the mixing device 112 using pulse valves such as the pulse valves 122, 124. Additional gas supply sources can likewise be connected to the mixing device 112. The apparatus 104 and / or the reactor system 100 can additionally include a pulse valve 136 between the reactant source 134 and the gas injection port 110 and / or the mixing device 112. Using the pulse valves 122, 124, 136, a desired amount (pulse) of gas can be provided to the mixing device 112 (or the gas injection port 110). By way of example, one or more of the gas pulse valves 122, 124, 136 described herein, or other pulse valves, can include an air valve or an electric solenoid valve.

[0030] As further illustrated, using a carrier gas (which may include one or more carrier gas supply sources) from the carrier gas supply source 130, one or more of the first precursor, the second precursor, and / or another precursor to the reaction chamber 102, and / or additional gas can be supplied as described herein. In the illustrated example, the carrier gas supply source 130 is connected to a first pressure flow control valve 126 to supply a first precursor at a desired concentration to the first gas pulse valve 120, the carrier gas supply source 130 is connected to a second pressure flow control valve 128 to supply a second precursor at a desired concentration to the second gas pulse valve 122, and the inert gas supply source 114 is connected to the valve 120 to supply an inert gas at a desired concentration to the mixing device 112. The pressure control valves 126, 128 can be used to maintain a constant / desired pressure in each of the first container and the second container to provide a controlled flow of each of the first precursor and the second precursor, and / or other gas. By way of example, the pressure control valve can be or can include a pressure flow controller or a mass flow controller.

[0031] The vacuum source 106 can include, for example, one or more vacuum sources. Exemplary vacuum sources include one or more dry vacuum pumps and / or one or more turbo molecular pumps.

[0032] The controller 108 can be configured to perform various functions and / or processes as described herein. The controller 108 can include one or more microprocessors, memory elements, and / or switching elements to perform various functions. Although the controller 108 is illustrated as a single unit, alternatively, it can comprise multiple devices. By way of example, the controller 108 can be used to control the gas flow to the mixing device 112 and the gas mixture from the mixing device 112 to the vacuum source 106 and / or to the reaction chamber 102. In some cases, the controller 108 can be used to pulse two or more precursors and / or reactants (e.g., from the sources 116, 118) to the mixing device 112 and / or to the gas injection port 110, and reactants from the reactant source 134. As a further example, the controller 108 can independently control each pressure flow control valve 126, 128, and each gas pulse valve 122, 124 to independently provide the relative concentrations and relative amounts or ratios (e.g., mass ratio) of two or more precursors to the mixing device 112. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the controller 108 can be configured to open each pulse valve 122, 124 substantially simultaneously (e.g., within about 0.001 or about 0.005 seconds).

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the reactor system 100 includes a susceptor 148 configured to hold a substrate 140. The reactor system 100 also includes a gas distribution system 142 that either includes or is a shower assembly including, in order, a showerhead plate 144 and a flow control plate 146. The gas distribution system 142 can provide a gas mixture from the mixing device 112 to the upper surface of the substrate 140.

[0034] Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary assembly 200 is illustrated that includes a gas manifold 201 suitable for use as a mixing device 112. The assembly 200 also includes a gas distribution system such as a distribution system 142 that includes a flow control plate 146. The gas manifold 201 includes a body 202 that includes an upper section 204 and a bottom section 206. During operation of the assembly 200, gas is supplied to the gas manifold 201 at inlets 208, 210, 212, which may be connected to gas sources 114, 116, and 118, respectively.

[0035] The upper section 204 of the body 202 includes an upper surface 214. The bottom section 206 includes a bottom surface 216. The gas manifold 201 includes a channel 218 that extends along an axis 220 within the body and between the upper section 204 and an opening 221 in the bottom surface 216.

[0036] The gas manifold 201 further includes a first conduit 222 that extends from the upper surface 214. The first conduit 222 is in fluid communication with the channel 218. In the illustrated embodiment, the gas manifold 201 includes a second conduit 224 that extends substantially radially from the axis 220 and is in fluid communication with the channel 218, and a third conduit 226 that extends substantially radially from the axis 220 and is in fluid communication with the channel 218. The gas manifold 201 may preferably include additional conduits for accommodating additional gas provided to the channel 218. As shown, each of the first conduit, the second conduit, the third conduit, and optionally additional conduits may be connected to the upper section 204 of the body 202 or formed within the upper section 204 of the body 202.

[0037] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the gas manifold 201 includes one or more flow regulators 228 within the bottom section 206 of the body 202. The one or more flow regulators 228 may be configured to change the flow direction of gas received from the first conduit, the second conduit, and / or the third conduit before such gas enters the opening 230 of the flow control plate 146.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a flow regulator 300 suitable for use as one or more flow regulators 228. FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of an assembly including the flow regulator 300 and a plate 402 that can be coupled to the flow control plate 146.

[0039] The flow regulator 300 includes a plurality of fins 302 that extend inwardly from the inner wall 304 of a channel 306 (which may be the same as or similar to channel 218). The fins 302 may be spaced substantially evenly. Some fins 302 may be in the range of about 1 / mm (diameter) to about 2 / mm (diameter), or may be about 9 to about 18, where the diameter represents the diameter of the inner wall 304 or other cross-sectional measurement. The length of each fin may extend substantially across the bottom section 206 and / or may cover substantially the entire length of the tube (e.g., about 136 mm). The fins 302 are formed of any suitable material such as metal (e.g., aluminum - 6 series, C22 alloy, low-carbon stainless steel) or ceramic material. The plurality of fins 302 may be integrally formed within a body such as the body 202 described above, or may be attached, for example, by welding or brazing.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, each fin 302 of the plurality of fins includes a first section 308 and a second section 310. The first section 308 includes an inner beveled surface 312 at an angle with respect to an axis 314. The axis 314 may be the same as the axis 220 described above. The angle with respect to the axis 314 may be greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, or may be about 15 degrees to about 45 degrees. The second section 310 includes an inner parallel surface 316 that is substantially parallel to the axis 314. The ratio of the height of the first section 308 (e.g., along the axis 314) to the height of the second section 310 may be, for example, about 1:20 to about 1:10.

[0041] FIG. 5 illustrates another flow regulator 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flow regulator 500 can be removably inserted into a channel such as the channel 218 described above. The flow regulator 500 includes a helical section 502 and a plate 504 coupled to the helical section 502. FIG. 6 illustrates the plate 504 in more detail.

[0042] The helical section 502 may have a length substantially the same as that of the bottom section 206 and / or a length L of about 30 mm to about 70 mm or about 30 - 70 mm. The helical section 502 can be formed of any suitable material such as metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, or the like) or ceramic (e.g., Al2O3). The pitch of the helix of the helical section 502 can be about 4 mm to about 10 mm, or about 5 - about 8 mm. The cross-sectional width of the helical section 502 can be about 6 mm to about 10 mm, or about 6 mm to about 8 mm.

[0043] The plate 504 may include a cross-sectional measurement D that is about 10 mm to about 15 mm or about 10 - 12 mm. The plate 504 includes one or more openings 602, 604 over the height of the plate 504. In the illustrated embodiment, each opening 602, 604 is substantially semi-circular. The plate 504 can be formed of the same material as the helical section 502.

[0044] FIG. 7 illustrates another helical section 702. The helical section 702 can be the same or similar to the helical section 502 except that the pitch of the helix is about 4 mm to about 10 mm or about 6 mm to about 10 mm. The helical section 702 can be attached to a plate such as the plate 504 or can be a single flow regulator inserted into the channel 218. The length of the helical section 702 can be the same or similar to the length and / or cross-sectional width of the helical section 502 described above.

[0045] Figures 8 and 9 illustrate another flow regulator 800 according to an additional embodiment of the present disclosure. The flow regulator 800 includes a plurality of deflectors 802. The deflectors 802 extend from the inner surface 804 of the channel 902 toward the axis 904 of the channel 902. The channel 902 and the axis 904 can be the same as or similar to the channel 218 and the axis 220 described above. The plurality of deflectors 802 can include a first set of deflectors 906 at a first height within the channel 902 and a second set of deflectors 908 at a second height within the channel, where the first height is different from the second height. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the first set of deflectors 906 and the second set of deflectors 908 can be offset from each other (e.g., in the perpendicular and rotational directions). One or more deflectors 802 (e.g., all deflectors) can include a first inclined surface 910 and a second inclined surface 912. The first inclined surface 910 and the second inclined surface 912 can be connected at an edge 914. The first inclined surface 910 and the second inclined surface 912 can each be relatively flat. The width of the first inclined surface 910 can be about 1 / 4 to about 1 / 3 of the diameter or other cross-sectional dimension of the channel 902, or, for example, about 2 mm to about 3 mm. The width of the second inclined surface 912 can be substantially the same as the above. The distance between the first set of deflectors 906 and the second set of deflectors 908 can be about 20 mm to 30 mm. The first inclined surface 910 can be angled at an angle with respect to the axis 904, where the angle is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, or about 15 degrees to about 45 degrees. The second inclined surface 912 can be angled at an angle with respect to a line perpendicular to the axis 904, where the angle is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, or about 15 degrees to about 45 degrees.

[0046] The deflectors 802 can be formed of any suitable material, such as the ceramic material and the metal material described above. Some deflectors can be 4, 6, or 9, or, for example, a multiple of 4, which can be divided between the first set of deflectors 906 and the second set of deflectors 908 in any combination.

[0047] Figures 10 and 11 illustrate another flow regulator 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The flow regulator 1000 includes a main body 1002 and a plurality of holes 1004 extending through the main body 1002. As shown in FIG. 11, the flow regulator 1000 may include two or more main bodies. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the flow regulator 1000 includes a first main body 1002 and a second main body 1102. The second main body 1102 may be the same as or similar to the first main body 1002. The cross-sectional dimension D of the main bodies 1002, 1102 may be substantially the same as the inner diameter of the channel 1104. The height H of each main body 1002, 1102 may be, for example, about 10 mm to about 15 mm. The distance between each main body 1002, 1102 may span the entire length of the tube (e.g., about 136 mm). For example, the first main body 1002 may be above the upper part of the bottom section 206, and the second main body 1102 may be at the bottom of the channel 1104.

[0048] The main bodies 1002, 1102 may be formed of any suitable material such as aluminum - 6 series, C22 alloy, low-carbon stainless steel, stainless steel, or the like. Some of the holes 1004 passing through the main bodies 1002, 1102 may be in the range of about 1:2.3 (diameter in mm) to 1:3.5 (diameter in mm), where the diameter represents the (e.g., internal) diameter of the main body 1002 or other cross-sectional measurements. The holes may be arranged in rows and columns as shown, or in other configurations. The size of the holes may be in the range of about 0.7 mm to 1.05 mm.

[0049] Figures 12 and 13 illustrate another flow regulator 1200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The flow regulator 1200 includes a plate 1202 having an opening 1204 passing through it. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 1204 includes a first external section 1206, a second external section 1208, and an internal section 1210 connecting the first external section 1206 and the second external section 1208. The cross-section D3 of the internal section 1210 is smaller than the cross-section D2 of the first external section 1206, and D3 is smaller than the cross-section D1 of the second external section 1208. For example, the opening 1204 may be in the shape of a dog bone.

[0050] The flow regulator 1200 may have an outer cross-sectional dimension that is substantially the same as the inner cross-sectional dimension of the channel 1302 (which may be the same as or similar to the channel 218). The flow regulator 1200 may be attached to the channel 1302 by brazing or welding. The flow regulator may be formed of any suitable material such as the materials described above in connection with the other flow regulators described above.

[0051] Since these embodiments are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention, the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure above do not limit the scope of the present invention. For example, although three gas supply sources are illustrated, the embodiments can include two, four, or more gas supply sources, which may be configured in a manner similar to the illustrated embodiments. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Indeed, various modifications of the present disclosure may become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, in addition to the alternative useful combinations of the elements shown and described herein. Such modifications and embodiments are also intended to be included within the scope of the appended "claims".

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0052] 201 Gas manifold 202 Body 218 Channel 222 First conduit 224 Second conduit 228 Flow regulator

Claims

1. A gas manifold, comprising: a body having an upper section and a bottom section, the upper section having an upper surface and the bottom section having a bottom surface; a channel along an axis within the body and extending between the upper section and an opening in the bottom surface; a first conduit extending from the upper surface and fluidly connected to the channel; a second conduit extending substantially radially from the axis and fluidly connected to the channel; a flow regulator within the bottom section configured to change the flow direction of gas received from the first conduit and gas received from the second conduit; A gas manifold comprising the above.

2. The gas manifold according to claim 1, wherein the flow regulator comprises a plurality of fins extending inwardly from an inner wall of the channel.

3. The gas manifold according to claim 2, wherein each fin of the plurality of fins has a first section and a second section, the first section having an inner bevel surface at an angle with respect to the axis, the second section having an inner parallel surface substantially parallel to the axis, and the angle being greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, or about 15 degrees to about 45 degrees.

4. The gas manifold according to claim 3, wherein a ratio of a height of the first section to a height of the second section is about 1:20 to about 1:

10.

5. The gas manifold according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the plurality of fins includes about 9 to about 18 fins.

6. The gas manifold according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the plurality of fins are integrally formed within the body.

7. The gas manifold according to claim 1, wherein the flow regulator comprises a helical section.

8. The gas manifold according to claim 7, wherein the flow regulator further comprises a plate connected to the helical section.

9. The gas manifold according to claim 8, wherein the plate has one or more openings extending across a height of the plate.

10. The gas manifold according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein a pitch of the helix of the helical section is about 4 mm to about 10 mm, or about 5 to about 8 mm.

11. The gas manifold according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the flow regulator is removably inserted into the channel.

12. The gas manifold according to claim 1, wherein the flow regulator comprises a plurality of deflectors extending from an inner surface of the channel toward the shaft.

13. The gas manifold according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of deflectors includes a first set of deflectors at a first height in the channel and a second set of deflectors at a second height in the channel, and the first height is different from the second height.

14. The gas manifold according to claim 13, wherein the deflectors of the first set of deflectors are offset from the deflectors of the second set of deflectors.

15. The gas manifold according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein each deflector of the plurality of deflectors has a substantially flat surface angled at an angle with respect to the shaft, and the angle is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, or from about 15 degrees to about 45 degrees.

16. The gas manifold according to claim 1, wherein the flow regulator comprises a first body, and the first body comprises a first plurality of holes extending across a first cross-section of the channel and through the first body.

17. The gas manifold according to claim 16, further comprising a second body, the second body comprising a second plurality of holes extending across a second cross-section of the channel and through the second body.

18. The gas manifold according to claim 1, wherein the flow regulator comprises a plate having an opening therethrough, the opening comprising a first outer section, a second outer section, and an inner section connecting the first outer section and the second outer section, and a cross-section of the inner section is smaller than a cross-section of the first outer section and smaller than a cross-section of the second outer section.

19. An assembly, A gas manifold, A body comprising an upper section and a bottom section, the upper section having an upper surface and the bottom section having a bottom surface, A channel along an axis within the body and extending between an opening in the upper section and the bottom surface, A first conduit extending from the upper surface and fluidly connected to the channel, A second conduit that extends substantially radially from the shaft and is fluidly connected to the channel, and A flow regulator within the bottom section, configured to change the flow direction of the gas received from the first conduit and the gas received from the second conduit, a gas manifold comprising the flow regulator, and A gas distribution device fluidly connected to the gas manifold, and An assembly comprising the same.

20. A reactor system, comprising A reaction chamber, A gas distribution device configured to deliver gas into the reaction chamber, A gas manifold fluidly connected to the gas distribution device, comprising A body having an upper section and a bottom section, the upper section having an upper surface and the bottom section having a bottom surface, A channel along an axis within the body and extending between the upper section and an opening in the bottom surface, A first conduit extending from the upper surface and fluidly connected to the channel, A second conduit extending substantially radially from the shaft and fluidly connected to the channel, and A flow regulator within the bottom section, configured to change the flow direction of the gas received from the first conduit and the gas received from the second conduit, a gas manifold comprising the flow regulator, and A reactor system comprising the same.

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