Systems and methods for reducing flow accuracy errors in liquid and gas mass flow controller devices - Patents.com

Abstract

An exemplary fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system may include a liquid supply source. The assembly may include a heater fluidly coupled to an outlet of the liquid supply source. The assembly may include a liquid flow controller fluidly coupled to the liquid supply source downstream of the heater. The assembly may include a liquid vaporizer fluidly coupled to a downstream end of the liquid flow controller. The assembly may include a chamber supply line coupled to an output of the liquid vaporizer.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 743,922, entitled "System and Method for Reducing Flow Accuracy Errors in Liquid and Gas Mass Flow Controller Devices," filed May 13, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002]

[0002] The present technology relates to components and apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, the present technology relates to gas delivery systems and other semiconductor processing equipment. [Background technology]

[0003]

[0003] Integrated circuits are manufactured by processes that form intricately patterned layers of material on a substrate surface. Forming patterned materials on a substrate requires controlled methods of forming and removing materials. Often, precursors are supplied to a processing region and distributed to uniformly deposit or etch material on the substrate. Many aspects of a processing chamber can affect the uniformity of processing, such as the uniformity of process conditions within the chamber, uniformity of flow through components, and other process and component parameters. Even slight inconsistencies across the substrate can affect the formation or removal process.

[0004]

[0004] Thus, there is a need for improved systems and methods that can be used to manufacture high quality devices and structures. The present technology addresses these and other needs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An exemplary fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system may include a liquid supply source. The assembly may include a heater fluidly coupled to an outlet of the liquid supply source. The assembly may include a liquid flow controller fluidly coupled to the liquid supply source downstream of the heater. The assembly may include a liquid vaporizer fluidly coupled to a downstream end of the liquid flow controller. The assembly may include a chamber supply line coupled to an output of the liquid vaporizer.

[0006] In some embodiments, the heater may preheat the liquid provided by the liquid source to a temperature within about 5° C. of the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. The assembly may include one or more processing chambers coupled to an outlet end of a chamber supply line. The heater may include a block heater. The assembly may include at least one heater jacket disposed around a fluid supply line extending between the heater and the liquid flow controller. The heater may be located within about 10 feet of the liquid flow controller. The heater may preheat the liquid provided by the liquid source to a temperature high enough such that when the liquid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5° C. of the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. The liquid flow controller may include a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. The temperature sensor may be communicatively coupled to the heater.

[0007] Some embodiments of the present technology may include a method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber. The method may include flowing a liquid from a liquid source to a liquid flow controller. The method may include preheating the liquid to a temperature within about 5° C. of a body temperature of the liquid flow controller before the fluid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller. The method may include supplying the liquid to a liquid vaporizer downstream of the liquid flow controller. The method may include vaporizing the liquid into a gas. The method may include supplying the gas to one or more processing chambers.

[0008] In some embodiments, preheating the liquid may include passing the liquid through a block heater. Flowing the liquid from the liquid source to the liquid flow controller may include passing the liquid through one or more heater jackets and insulated fluid lines. The method may include sensing a temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor. Preheating the liquid may include controlling a temperature of the heater based on the sensed temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. Preheating the liquid may include heating the liquid to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5° C. of the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. The method may include splitting the flow of gas into a plurality of fluid lines. The one or more chambers may include a plurality of chambers. Each of the plurality of fluid lines may be fluidly coupled to a respective one of the plurality of chambers. The gas provided to the one or more processing chambers may be used for a processing step without a temperature equilibration priming process.

[0009] Some embodiments of the present technology may include a method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber, which may include flowing a liquid from a liquid source to a liquid flow controller. The method may include preheating the liquid to a temperature within about 5° C. of a temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller. The method may include supplying the preheated liquid to the liquid flow controller. The method may include vaporizing the liquid into a gas using a liquid vaporizer downstream of the liquid flow controller. The method may include supplying the gas to one or more processing chambers.

[0010] In some embodiments, preheating the liquid may include heating the liquid to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches the inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5° C. of the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. Flowing the liquid from the liquid source to the liquid flow controller may include passing the liquid through one or more heater jackets and insulated fluid lines. The method may include sensing a temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor. Preheating the liquid may include controlling a temperature of the heater based on the sensed temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. The method may include splitting the flow of gas into a plurality of fluid lines. The one or more chambers may include a plurality of chambers. Each of the plurality of fluid lines may be fluidly coupled to a respective one of the plurality of chambers.

[0011]

[0011] The above techniques can provide many advantages over conventional systems and techniques. For example, embodiments of the present techniques can improve deposition rate uniformity and wafer-to-wafer film uniformity. Additionally, in embodiments where a single fluid system is used to supply fluid to multiple processing chambers, deposition rate uniformity and film uniformity can be improved across different chambers. In particular, pre-heating the liquid before it is supplied to the liquid flow controller can improve deposition rate and help eliminate temperature differences that lead to flow rate accuracy issues and subsequent deposition rate issues. Additionally, this component can allow for scaling to any number of chambers or processes. These and other embodiments, as well as their many advantages and features, are described in more detail in conjunction with the following description and accompanying drawings.

[0012] A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosed technology may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary processing system in accordance with some embodiments of the present technique. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic top view illustrating an exemplary processing system according to some embodiments of the present technique. [Diagram 3] 1A-1D illustrate steps of an exemplary method for flowing gases to one or more processing chambers, in accordance with some embodiments of the present technique. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014]

[0016] Some figures are included as schematics. It should be understood that the figures are for illustrative purposes and should not be considered to scale unless scale is explicitly stated. Furthermore, schematic figures are provided to aid in understanding and may not include all aspects or information as compared to realistic representations and may include exaggerated material for illustrative purposes.

[0015]

[0017] In the accompanying figures, similar components and / or features may be labeled with the same reference label. Additionally, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a letter that distinguishes the similar components. If only a first reference label is used herein, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label, regardless of the letter.

[0016]

[0018] In plasma enhanced deposition processes, energy can be added to one or more constituent precursors to facilitate film formation on the substrate. Any number of material films can be formed to develop semiconductor structures, including conductive and dielectric films, as well as films that facilitate material transport and removal. For example, hard mask films can be formed to facilitate substrate patterning while protecting underlying materials that should be preserved. In many processing chambers, multiple precursors may be mixed in a gas panel and delivered to the processing region of the chamber where the substrate may be placed. While components of the lid stack can affect flow distribution to the processing chamber, many other process variables can affect deposition uniformity as well. For example, temperature differences, uniformity of flow patterns, and other processing aspects can affect the film on the substrate, resulting in differences in the uniformity of the film of material formed or removed across the substrate.

[0017]

[0019] The gas or gases flowed into the process chamber are often initially stored in liquid form. These liquids are flowed to liquid flow controllers that can selectively deliver the fluid to a vaporizer, which can convert the liquid to gaseous form for delivery to the process chamber. However, temperature differences between the liquid and the liquid flow controllers can cause line pressure differences that can result in flow errors, which can result in less uniform deposition rates across wafers and / or across multiple process chambers. Conventional methods for addressing such effects often involve a temperature equilibration priming process in which gases of the same recipe as a given deposition step are flowed through the chamber to acclimate the chamber before any deposition step is performed. The priming process clears the fluid lines of any stagnant fluids and also equilibrates the temperature of the liquid in the fluid lines to prevent temperature differences between the liquid flow controllers and the incoming liquid. However, the priming process adds additional time (sometimes 15 minutes or more) to the priming process at the start of operation, reducing the efficiency of the deposition process and resulting in waste of process gases used to clean the fluid lines.

[0018]

[0020] The present technology overcomes these challenges by preheating the liquid before introducing it into the liquid flow controller. In particular, the liquid may be preheated to a temperature that substantially matches the temperature of the liquid flow controller. This can eliminate or significantly reduce the temperature difference between the liquid flow controller and the incoming liquid, which in turn can improve flow rate accuracy and resulting deposition rate uniformity across wafers and across multiple processing chambers. An embodiment may include a liquid flow controller that includes a temperature sensor located in close proximity to the flow path of the device, such that the precise temperature of the liquid flow controller is used to control the temperature of the liquid heating device. The present technology can thus provide improved film deposition, characterized by improved thickness and material property uniformity across the substrate surface.

[0019]

[0021] While the remainder of the disclosure will always identify specific deposition processes using the disclosed technology, it will be readily understood that the systems and methods are equally applicable to other deposition and cleaning chambers as well as processes that may be performed in the described chambers. Thus, the technology should not be considered limited to use with only these specific deposition processes or chambers. This disclosure will describe one system and chamber that may include lid stack components according to embodiments of the present technology before describing further modifications and adjustments to the system according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0020]

[0022] 1 is a top view illustrating an exemplary substrate processing system 100 of deposition, etch, bake, and cure chambers according to some embodiments of the present technique. The system 100 may include one or more liquid sources 105 each supplying one or more liquids for conversion to gas form before being supplied to one or more processing chambers 140. For example, the liquid may be supplied to a gas panel, which may include a number of components that condition the liquid for conversion to gas that is supplied to the various processing chambers 140. For example, the gas panel may include a liquid flow controller 115 that may be fluidly coupled to one or more of the liquid sources 105 using one or more liquid supply lines 107 or the like. The liquid flow controller 115 may include one or more valves that enable the liquid flow controller 115 to selectively control the flow of liquid from the liquid source 105 to downstream components of the processing system 100. The system 100 may include a heater 110 coupled to the liquid supply line 107 between the liquid source 105 and the liquid flow controller 115. For example, the heater 110 may be part of a gas panel and may be fluidly coupled to the outlet end of the fluid source 105 via at least a portion of the liquid supply line 107 such that the heater 110 is downstream of the liquid source 105 and upstream of the liquid flow controller 115. This arrangement ensures that all liquid supplied to the liquid flow controller 115 must pass through the heater 110. The heater 110 may be any heating mechanism capable of heating the liquid supply line 107 and the liquid passing therethrough. The heater 110 may be a gas heater and / or an electric heater disposed around and / or otherwise in contact with the liquid supply line 107 and / or other components of the system 100. In certain embodiments, the heater 110 may be a block heater disposed around a portion of a calibration block of the system 100, although various other forms of heaters may be used in other embodiments. In some embodiments, the heater 110 may be disposed in close proximity to the liquid flow controller 115.For example, the heater 110 may be located less than about 20 feet, less than about 15 feet, less than about 10 feet, less than about 5 feet, less than about 3 feet, less than about 2 feet, less than about 1 foot, or less than about 5 feet from the liquid flow controller 115. Locating the heater 110 in close proximity to the liquid flow controller 115 may reduce and / or minimize heat loss as the preheated liquid is delivered to the liquid flow controller 115. This may help reduce power consumption and increase efficiency of the heater 110. The heater 110 may be designed to operate at a preset temperature and / or may be designed to adjust the temperature based on feedback from one or more sensors to preheat the liquid to a desired temperature, as described in more detail below.

[0021]

[0023] In some embodiments, all or a portion of the liquid supply line 107 may be insulated and / or actively heated, such as using wrap insulation and / or a heater jacket. In some embodiments, the entire length of the liquid supply line 107 may be covered by insulation and / or a heater jacket. In certain embodiments, a portion of the liquid supply line 107 disposed between the outlet of the heater 110 and the inlet of the liquid flow controller 115 may include insulation and / or a heater jacket 112. The use of insulation and / or a heater jacket 112 in this region of the liquid supply line 107 may help reduce heat loss from the preheated liquid and may allow the heater 110 to preheat the liquid to a temperature similar or the same as the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115 (often about 20° C. to 50° C., about 25° C. to 45° C., or about 30° C. to 40° C.). In some embodiments, insulation may be provided between the heater 110 and the liquid flow controller 115 to prevent heat transfer from the heater 110 to the body of the liquid flow controller 115 .

[0022]

[0024] The liquid flow controller 115 may include at least one temperature sensor that may monitor the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115. For example, the sensor may be located within, adjacent to, and / or otherwise proximate to the body of the flow controller 115, in a fluid conduit through which the liquid passes. By so locating the sensor, the temperature recorded by the sensor may be indicative of the temperature of the portion of the body of the liquid flow controller 115 proximate to the liquid. Data from the sensor may be communicated to the heater 110. The controller of the heater 110 may adjust and / or otherwise control the temperature of the heater 110 based on the temperature sensed by the sensor of the liquid flow controller 115. For example, the controller of the heater 110 may set the temperature of the heater 110 to a temperature that heats the liquid passing through and / or by the heater 110 to a temperature that at least substantially corresponds to the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115. As used herein, "substantially match" may be understood to mean within about 5°C, within about 4°C, within about 3°C, within about 2.5°C, within about 2°C, within about 1.5°C, within about 1°C, within about 0.5°C, or less, with lower temperature differences resulting in better flow accuracy and ultimately improved deposition rate uniformity across wafers and / or multiple processing chambers. In some embodiments, a controller for the heater 110 may set the temperature of the heater 110 to a temperature that heats liquid passing through and / or by the heater 110 to a sufficient temperature such that the temperature of the liquid at least substantially matches the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115 as the liquid enters the liquid flow controller 115. For example, the temperature of the heater 110 can be set at least about 0.5° C., at least about 1° C., at least about 2° C., at least about 3° C., at least about 4° C., at least about 5° C., or more, higher than the measured temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115, taking into account any heat loss from the liquid as it moves from the outlet of the heater 110 to the inlet of the liquid flow controller 115.This may take into account a variety of factors such as the flow rate of the liquid, the distance between the outlet of the heater 110 and the inlet of the liquid flow controller 115, the diameter of the liquid supply line 107, the presence and / or heating capacity of a heater jacket around a portion of the liquid supply line 107 located between the outlet of the heater 110 and the inlet of the liquid flow controller 115, the temperature of the liquid entering the heater 110, and / or other factors. In some embodiments, measurements from a temperature sensor in the liquid flow controller 115 may be used as an input for a closed loop feedback control that allows the temperature of the heater 110 to be continuously adjusted to pre-heat the liquid as it enters the liquid flow controller 115 to a temperature that at least substantially matches the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115.

[0023]

[0025] Additional sensors may be included in the system 100 to allow the temperature of the heater 110 to be controlled such that as the liquid enters the liquid flow controller 115, the liquid is preheated to a temperature that at least substantially corresponds to the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115. For example, one or more flow sensors may be provided in the liquid source 105, the liquid supply line 107, the heater 110, and / or the liquid flow controller 115 to measure the flow rate of the liquid. In some embodiments, the liquid source 105 and / or the liquid supply line 107 may include one or more temperature sensors that may monitor the temperature of the liquid supplied to the heater 110. The measured temperature may be communicated to the heater 110 such that the controller of the heater 110 may set the temperature of the heater 110 taking into account the inlet temperature of the liquid. Various other sensors may be included that may be used to control the temperature of the heater 110 such that as the liquid enters the liquid flow controller 115, the liquid is preheated to a temperature that at least substantially corresponds to the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115.

[0024]

[0026] By pre-heating the liquid to a temperature substantially the same as that of the body of the liquid flow controller, the temperature difference between the body of the liquid flow controller and the liquid at the inlet of the liquid controller can be reduced, minimized, and / or eliminated. This can improve the accuracy of the flow rate of the liquid, which can ultimately improve the uniformity of deposition rate from wafer to wafer. In embodiments including multiple chambers, pre-heating can improve the uniformity of deposition rate across different chambers. Furthermore, pre-heating in this manner can allow any temperature equilibration priming process to be shortened and / or eliminated entirely, which can improve the efficiency of the processing steps and reduce the amount of waste.

[0025]

[0027] The system 100 may include a liquid vaporizer 120 fluidly coupled to a downstream end of the liquid flow controller 115, such as with one or more additional liquid supply lines 109. Using one or more valves, the liquid flow controller 115 may selectively control the flow rate (if any) of the liquid supplied to the liquid vaporizer 120 over time. The liquid supplied to the liquid vaporizer 120 may be vaporized into a gas that may be transported to one or more processing chambers 140. For example, in some embodiments, the liquid vaporizer 120 may heat the liquid to a temperature high enough to vaporize the liquid. The liquid vaporizer 120 may be any type of vaporization unit, such as a bubbler, a flash vaporizer, a direct liquid injection vaporizer, and / or other types of vaporizers (which may or may not use a carrier gas).

[0026]

[0028] The gas produced by the vaporizer 120 may be supplied to other gas panel components. For example, the gas may be passed to a line pressure baratron 125, a number of valves 130, mass flow controllers, and / or other gas supply architecture components, some or all of which may be part of the gas panel in some embodiments. As shown, the gas produced by the vaporizer 120 may be passed to a line pressure baratron 125, which may be coupled to an outlet of the vaporizer 120 and monitor the pressure of the gas in one or more chamber supply lines 122 that supply the gas to one or more processing chambers 140. The valves 130 and / or mass flow controllers may be used to selectively control the flow rate and / or pressure in the chamber supply lines 122. In some embodiments, the valves 130 may be adjusted based on pressure measurements from the line pressure baratron 125 to maintain the gas in the chamber supply lines 122 at a desired pressure level. The gas panel may include at least one pressure switch 135 that may control the flow of gas to one or more processing chambers 140 based on the pressure in the chamber supply lines 122 and / or may operate to maintain a desired pressure in the chamber supply lines 122. Upon passing the pressure switch 135, the gas is supplied to the processing chamber 140. In some embodiments, the gas may be supplied to a single chamber 140, while in other embodiments, the gas may be supplied to multiple chambers 140 simultaneously. For example, the gas may be passed through one or more splitters (not shown), which may split into one or more fluid lines 145 that each supply the gas to an individual chamber 140.

[0027]

[0029] In some embodiments, the gas may be mixed with one or more other gases before being delivered to the process chamber 140. The mixing of gases may occur in a gas panel, such as using one or more gas blocks, and / or in one or more components interfaced between the gas panel and the process chamber 140. The gases may include cleaning gases, purge gases, plasma generating precursors, and / or other types of process gases used in semiconductor manufacturing processes.

[0028]

[0030] As shown, system 100 includes four processing chambers 140, although any number of processing chambers 140 may be present in various embodiments. For example, processing system 100 may include stand-alone chambers, twin chambers, and other multiple chamber systems. Each chamber 140 may define a processing region in which one or more processing steps may be performed, such as deposition processes including cyclical layer deposition, atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, etching, pre-cleaning, annealing, plasma treatment, degassing, alignment, and other substrate processes. A number of robotic arms 150 may be used to transfer substrates in and out of the processing chambers 140.

[0029]

[0031] As discussed above, the gas panel may include one or more chamber supply lines 122 and fluid lines 145 that supply one or more gas mixtures to one or more processing chambers and / or manifolds. For example, the gas panel may be located remotely from (e.g., below) the processing chambers 140. The chamber supply lines 122 may be coupled to fluid lines 145, such as welds, that direct gases from the gas panel to the processing chambers 140 and / or manifolds of the processing system. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of an embodiment of a semiconductor processing system 200 in accordance with some embodiments of the present technology. The illustration may include any of the components of the systems previously shown and described, and may illustrate additional aspects of any of the aforementioned systems. It should also be understood that the illustration may also illustrate exemplary components such as those found in any number of the chambers 140 described above.

[0030]

[0032] The semiconductor processing system 200 may include a lid plate 205 that may define a number of apertures each providing access to a number of processing chambers (which may be similar to processing chamber 140) disposed below the lid plate 205. Each aperture of the number of apertures may be defined to provide fluid access to a particular lid stack, processing chamber, and / or processing region.

[0031]

[0033] A gas splitter assembly 210 may be seated on the top surface of the lid plate 205. For example, the gas splitter assembly 210 may be centrally located between the apertures of the lid plate 205. The gas splitter assembly 210 may be fluidly coupled to multiple input welds 215, each of which is coupled to and / or is part of a chamber supply line 222 (which may be similar to the chamber supply line 122) of a respective gas panel, such as the gas panel of the system 100. The input welds 215 may supply gases, such as precursors, plasma effluent, and / or purge gases, from multiple gas sources to the gas splitter assembly 210. For example, each of the input welds 215 may extend vertically from a gas panel located below the lid plate 205 and pass through a feedthrough plate 220. A portion of the input welds 215 above the feedthrough plate 220 may be bent horizontally to direct gases toward the gas splitter assembly 210. In some embodiments, some or all of the input weld 215 may be disposed within a heater jacket 219 that helps prevent heat loss along the length of the input weld 215 .

[0032]

[0034] The gas splitter assembly 210 can receive gas from an input weld 215 and recursively split the gas flow into multiple gas outputs, each coupled to one or more valves 227 that serve to control the flow of gas through the valve block 225. For example, the valves 227 can be actuated to control whether the purge gas and / or process gas is flowed to the respective processing chamber or diverted from the processing chamber to another location in the system 200. For example, the outlets of the gas splitter assembly 210 can each be fluidly coupled to an output weld 230, which can be similar to the fluid line 145. The output weld 230 can deliver the purge gas and / or process gas to an output manifold 235 associated with a particular processing chamber. For example, the output manifold 235 can be positioned over each aperture formed in the lid plate 205 and can be fluidly coupled to a lid stack component to deliver one or more gases to a processing region of a respective processing chamber.

[0033]

[0035] 3 illustrates steps of an exemplary method 300 for supplying a fluid to a processing chamber in accordance with some embodiments of the present technique. The method may be performed in a variety of processing systems, including the processing systems 100 or 200 described above, which may include a gas panel in accordance with some embodiments of the present technique, such as any of the gas panels described above. The method 300 may include a number of optional steps that may or may not be specifically related to some embodiments of the method in accordance with the present technique.

[0034]

[0036] Method 300 may include a processing method that may include steps for forming a hardmask film or other deposition steps. The method may include optional steps before the start of method 300, or the method may include additional steps. For example, method 300 may include steps performed in a different order than shown. Method 300 may include flowing liquid from a liquid source in step 305. As the liquid is flowed to the liquid flow controller, the liquid may be preheated to a temperature within about 5° C. of the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller before the liquid reaches the inlet of the liquid flow controller in step 310. For example, the liquid may be passed through a heater (such as, but not limited to, a block heater) disposed between the liquid source and the liquid flow controller. In some embodiments, the liquid may be preheated to a sufficiently high temperature such that the temperature of the liquid is within about 5° C. of the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller when the liquid reaches the inlet of the liquid flow controller. For example, the temperature of the heater may be adjusted to preheat the liquid to a temperature higher than the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller, taking into account any heat losses that may occur as the liquid is transported from the heater outlet to the liquid flow controller inlet. In some embodiments, the temperature of the heater may be set at least about 0.5° C., at least about 1° C., at least about 2° C., at least about 3° C., at least about 4° C., at least about 5° C., or more higher than the measured temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115, taking into account any heat losses from the liquid as it moves from the heater outlet to the liquid flow controller inlet. The temperature of the heater may be controlled taking into account various factors such as the flow rate of the liquid, the distance between the heater outlet and the liquid flow controller inlet, the diameter of the liquid supply line that transports the liquid through the heater, the presence and / or heating capacity of a heater jacket around a portion of the fluid supply line disposed between the heater outlet and the liquid flow controller inlet, the temperature of the liquid entering the heater, and / or other factors. In some embodiments, flowing the liquid from the liquid source to the liquid flow controller may include passing the liquid through one or more heater jackets and insulated fluid lines.Such an arrangement can help mitigate heat loss from the liquid as it travels from the outlet of the heater to the inlet of the liquid flow controller.

[0035]

[0037] Method 300 may optionally include sensing the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor. The temperature of the heater may be set and / or adjusted based on the sensed temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller to ensure the liquid is preheated to the appropriate temperature. In some embodiments, the temperature of the liquid may be monitored before the liquid enters the heater, which may further enable adjusting the temperature of the heater to preheat the liquid to the appropriate temperature. In some embodiments, measurements and / or other indications of the flow rate of the liquid through the heater may be provided to the heater controller to further adjust the temperature of the heater.

[0036]

[0038] By pre-heating the liquid to a temperature substantially the same as that of the body of the liquid flow controller, the temperature difference between the body of the liquid flow controller and the liquid at the inlet of the liquid controller can be reduced, minimized, and / or eliminated. This can improve liquid flow errors and ultimately improve wafer-to-wafer deposition rate uniformity. In embodiments including multiple chambers, pre-heating can improve deposition rate uniformity across different chambers. Furthermore, such pre-heating can allow any temperature equilibration priming process to be shortened and / or eliminated entirely, improving the efficiency of the processing steps and reducing the amount of waste.

[0037]

[0039] The method 300 may include, in step 315, providing the liquid to a liquid vaporizer downstream of the liquid flow controller. For example, the liquid flow controller may selectively throttle and / or otherwise control the flow of liquid to the liquid vaporizer. In step 320, the liquid may be vaporized into a gas by a vaporizer. For example, the vaporizer may be a bubbler, a flash vaporizer, a direct liquid injection vaporizer, and / or other type of vaporizer capable of converting the liquid into gaseous form. The converted gas may be provided to one or more process chambers in step 325. In some embodiments, the flow of gas to the chambers may be controlled by one or more valves, mass flow controllers, pressure switches, and / or other components of a gas panel and / or other sections of the processing system. In some embodiments, the gas may be mixed with one or more other gases before being flowed to the process chamber. For example, the gas may be mixed with other gases in a gas panel to generate a mixed gas for a given process and / or cleaning recipe. In some embodiments where multiple processing chambers are used, the flow of gas may be split into multiple fluid lines before being delivered to the chambers. For example, the gas may flow through one or more gas splitters that split the flow into separate flow paths, with each flow path / fluid line being fluidly coupled to a respective one of the multiple chambers. In this manner, a single flow from the gas panel may be used to deliver equal flows of gas to each of the multiple chambers.

[0038]

[0040] As described above, in some embodiments, the gas supplied to the one or more processing chambers can be used in a processing step without a temperature equilibration priming process or with a shortened priming process. The gas supplied to the processing chamber can be used to perform a film deposition step, an etching step, and / or other substrate processing step. For example, in some embodiments, the gas can include one or more precursors, and the film deposition step can include flowing the one or more precursors into the processing chamber. For example, the precursors can be flowed into a chamber, such as a chamber included in system 100 or 200, and the precursors can be flowed through one or more of a gas box, a blocker plate, or a face plate before the precursors are delivered into the processing region of the chamber. In some embodiments, the precursors can be or include a carbon-containing precursor. A plasma can be generated from the precursors in the processing region, such as by applying RF power to the face plate to generate the plasma. Materials, such as carbon-containing materials, formed in the plasma can be deposited on the substrate to form one or more film layers on the substrate.

[0039]

[0041] In some embodiments, the gases supplied to the processing chamber may be used to perform cleaning and / or purging steps before and / or after performing a substrate processing step. It will be appreciated that any number of different gases may be flowed sequentially in a manner similar to that described above to perform any number of processing, cleaning, and / or purging steps in one or more processing chambers.

[0040]

[0042] In the foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the present technology. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that certain embodiments may be practiced without some of these details or with additional details.

[0041]

[0043] Although several embodiments have been disclosed, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. Moreover, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the technology. Thus, the above description should not be considered as limiting the scope of the technology.

[0042]

[0044] Where a range of values ​​is provided, it is understood that each intervening value between the upper and lower limit of that range, to the smallest fraction of the unit of the lower limit, is also specifically disclosed, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Any narrower range between any stated value or unstated intervening value in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is included. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may be independently included or excluded, and each range in which the smaller range includes either or both limits, or neither limit of the range is included, is also included within the technology, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where a stated range includes one or both limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included.

[0043]

[0045] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "an area" includes a plurality of such areas, reference to "an aperture" includes a reference to one or more apertures and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

[0044]

[0046] Additionally, as used in this specification and the claims that follow, the terms "comprise," "comprising," "contain," "containing," "include," and "including" specify the presence of stated features, integers, components, or steps, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps, operations, or groups.

Claims

1. 1. A fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system, comprising: A liquid source; a heater fluidly coupled to an outlet of the liquid supply; a liquid flow controller fluidly coupled to the liquid source downstream of the heater; a liquid vaporizer fluidly coupled to a downstream end of the liquid flow controller; a chamber supply line coupled to an output of the liquid vaporizer; A fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system comprising:

2. the heater preheats the liquid provided by the liquid source to a temperature within about 5° C. of a temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller.

10. The fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system according to claim 1.

3. one or more processing chambers coupled to an outlet end of the chamber supply line; The fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system of claim 1 , further comprising:

4. the heater comprises a block heater; 10. The fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system according to claim 1.

5. at least one heater jacket disposed around a fluid supply line extending between the heater and the liquid flow controller; The fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system of claim 1 , further comprising:

6. the heater is located within about 10 feet of the liquid flow controller.

10. The fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system according to claim 1.

7. the heater preheats the liquid provided by the liquid source to a temperature high enough such that when the liquid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5° C. of the temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller; 10. The fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system according to claim 1.

8. the liquid flow controller includes a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller; the temperature sensor is communicatively coupled to the heater; 10. The fluid supply assembly for a semiconductor processing system according to claim 1.

9. 1. A method for supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber, comprising: flowing a liquid from a liquid source to a liquid flow controller; preheating the liquid to a temperature within about 5° C. of a body temperature of the liquid flow controller before the fluid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller; providing the liquid to a liquid vaporizer downstream of the liquid flow controller; vaporizing the liquid into a gas; supplying said gas to one or more processing chambers; A method comprising:

10. pre-heating the liquid includes passing the liquid through a block heater; The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber according to claim 9.

11. flowing the liquid from the liquid source to the liquid flow controller includes passing the liquid through one or more heater jackets and insulated fluid lines. The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber according to claim 9.

12. sensing the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor; and wherein pre-heating the liquid includes controlling a temperature of a heater based on the sensed temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber according to claim 9.

13. pre-heating the liquid includes heating the liquid to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5° C. of a temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller; The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber according to claim 9.

14. splitting said gas flow into a plurality of fluid lines; Further comprising: The one or more chambers may include a plurality of chambers; each of the plurality of fluid lines is fluidly coupled to a respective one of the plurality of chambers; The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber according to claim 9.

15. The gases delivered to the one or more processing chambers are used in a processing step without a temperature equilibration priming process. The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber according to claim 9.

16. 1. A method for supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber, comprising: flowing a liquid from a liquid source; preheating the liquid to a temperature within about 5° C. of the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller; providing the preheated liquid to the liquid flow controller; vaporizing the liquid into a gas using a liquid vaporizer downstream of the liquid flow controller; supplying said gas to one or more processing chambers; A method comprising:

17. pre-heating the liquid includes heating the liquid to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5° C. of a temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller; The method of providing a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber according to claim 16.

18. Flowing the liquid from the liquid source to the liquid flow controller includes passing the liquid through one or more heater jackets and insulated fluid lines.

20. The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber of claim 16, comprising:

19. and sensing a temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor, and pre-heating the liquid includes controlling a temperature of a heater based on the sensed temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. The method of providing a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber according to claim 16.

20. splitting said gas flow into a plurality of fluid lines; Further comprising: the one or more chambers include a plurality of chambers; each of the plurality of fluid lines is fluidly coupled to a respective one of the plurality of chambers; The method of providing a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber according to claim 16.

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