Manufacturing system with controller for controlling gas pressure and flow rate, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium - Patents.com

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling the flow rate of a gas by adjusting the pressure of the gas is provided. The pressure-regulating flow controller (200) includes a flow restrictor (208) that is a flow-restricting element that restricts the flow rate of a gas, a pressure regulator (206) that is coupled to the inlet of the flow restrictor and controls the pressure of the gas between the flow restrictor, a flow meter (210) that is coupled to the outlet of the flow restrictor and measures the flow rate of the gas at the outlet of the flow restrictor, and a controller (230) operably coupled to the pressure regulator and the flow meter. The controller receives the flow rate measured by the flow meter, determines a pressure setting associated with a target flow rate, and sends the pressure setting to the pressure regulator. The pressure regulator controls the pressure of the gas taking into account the received pressure setting.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for controlling the flow rate of a gas by regulating the pressure of the gas. [Background technology]

[0002]

[0002] Controlling the flow rate of gases presents a common challenge in electronic device manufacturing systems. In some electronic device manufacturing systems, process gases (i.e., gases used during the manufacture of electronic devices) and / or cleaning gases (i.e., gases used to clean manufactured electronic devices and / or chambers used in the manufacture of electronic devices) may have precise delivery targets with high mass flow rates (i.e., 500 standard liters per minute (slms) or more), as well as the ability to precisely control low flow rates (i.e., 10 slms or less). Conventional electronic device manufacturing systems often use one or more mass flow controllers (MFCs) to measure and control the mass flow rates of process gases. The MFCs may include thermal-based MFCs, pressure-based MFCs, rate-of-decay MFCs, or the like.

[0003] Each type of MFC may impose one or more limitations depending on the application in which the MFC is used, thus making the MFC an inefficient and expensive option in measuring and controlling the flow rate of gas. For example, in limited applications where the gas flow rate is less than 2.0 slms, a decay rate MFC may be used. A pressure-based MFC may be used in applications where the downstream pressure of the process gas (i.e., at the outlet of the pressure-based MFC) is maintained at or below about 400 torr to obtain accurate measurements and control precision. A thermal-based MFC may be used in applications where the gas flow rate is as high as 500 slms. However, a thermal-based MFC measures the gas flow rate by increasing the temperature of the gas using one or more heating elements and / or a thermal-based sensor. Depending on the chemical nature of the gas being measured by the thermal-based MFC, the increase in temperature may corrode one or more components of the thermal-based MFC or decompose the gas. Additionally, sensors used in thermal-based MFCs may not be able to capture flow measurements above a certain threshold, and therefore, a wide range of flow measurements cannot be obtained using thermal-based MFCs. The limitations presented by each of the thermal-based MFCs, pressure-based MFCs, and decay rate MFCs increase the cost of the gas supply system. Summary of the Invention

[0004]

[0004] Some of the described embodiments cover a mass flow controller including a flow restricting element configured to restrict a flow rate of a gas. The mass flow controller further includes a pressure regulator coupled to an inlet of the flow restricting element. In that case, the pressure regulator is configured to control a pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the flow restricting element. The mass flow controller further includes a flow meter coupled to an outlet of the flow restricting element. The flow meter is configured to measure a flow rate of the gas at the outlet of the flow restricting element. The mass flow controller further includes a controller operably coupled to the pressure regulator and the flow meter. The controller receives measurements of the flow rate by the flow meter, determines a pressure setting associated with a target flow rate, and causes the pressure regulator to have the pressure setting.

[0005]

[0005] In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a measurement of a flow rate of the gas from a flow meter of a mass flow controller. The flow meter is coupled to an outlet of a flow restricting element of the mass flow controller and configured to measure a flow rate of the gas at the outlet of the flow restricting element. The method further includes determining to modify a flow rate of the gas based on a difference between the measured flow rate of the gas and a target flow rate of the gas. In response to determining to modify the flow rate of the gas, a target pressure of the gas corresponding to the target flow rate may be determined. The method further includes transmitting a pressure setting corresponding to the target pressure of the gas to a pressure regulator of the mass flow controller coupled to an inlet of the flow restricting element. The pressure regulator is then configured to control a pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the flow restricting element taking into account the pressure setting.

[0006]

[0006] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform an operation including receiving a measurement of a flow rate of a gas from a flow meter of a mass flow controller, where the flow meter is coupled to an outlet of a flow restricting element of the mass flow controller, where the flow meter is configured to measure a flow rate of the gas at the outlet of the flow restricting element. The operation further includes determining to modify a flow rate of the gas based on a difference between the measured flow rate of the gas and a target flow rate of the gas. The operation further includes determining a target pressure of the gas corresponding to the target flow rate. The operation further includes sending a pressure setting corresponding to the target pressure of the gas to a pressure regulator of the mass flow controller coupled to an inlet of the flow restricting element. The pressure regulator is then configured to control a pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the flow restricting element taking into account the pressure setting.

[0007]

[0007] The present disclosure is presented by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements. It should be noted that different references to "an" or "one" embodiment in the present disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]

[0008] A cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted. [Diagram 2]

[0009] 1 depicts a cross-sectional view of a pressure regulating flow controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3]

[0010] 1 illustrates a method for controlling a flow rate of a gas based on a pressure of the gas according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]

[0011] 1 illustrates a method for generating calibration data for use in controlling the flow rate of a gas according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5]

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system in accordance with certain embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009]

[0013] The embodiments described herein relate to an apparatus and method for controlling the flow rate of a gas in an electronic device manufacturing system by adjusting the pressure of the gas. The pressure regulating flow controller may include a flow restricting element, a pressure regulator coupled to an inlet of the flow restricting element, a flow meter coupled to an outlet of the flow restricting element, and a system controller. The system controller may be operatively coupled to the pressure regulator and the flow meter. In some embodiments, the pressure regulator may be an electro-pneumatic pressure regulator. In some embodiments, the flow restricting element includes at least one of a needle valve, a motorized valve, or a piezo valve.

[0010]

[0014] The flow rate of the gas may be measured by a flow meter, which may be configured to measure the flow rate of the gas at the outlet of the flow restricting element. In response to the flow meter measuring the flow rate of the gas, the measured flow rate may be transmitted to a system controller. Based on the measured flow rate and a target flow rate for the gas, the system controller may determine whether to change a pressure setting of the gas to match the flow rate of the gas to the target flow rate. The system controller may determine a pressure setting for a pressure regulator, where the pressure setting is associated with the target flow rate. The system controller may determine the pressure setting based on calibration data maintained by the controller that maps the pressure setting to the flow rate. After determining the pressure setting associated with the target flow rate, the controller may transmit the pressure setting to the pressure regulator. The pressure regulator may control the pressure of the gas taking into account the received pressure setting. By controlling the pressure of the gas taking into account the received pressure setting, the pressure regulator may indirectly increase or decrease the flow rate of the gas flowing through the flow restricting element to achieve the target flow rate of the gas. In some embodiments, the pressure regulating flow controller may have an operating range between about 0 standard liters per minute (slms) and about 1200 slms, while in other embodiments, the pressure regulating flow controller may have an operating range between about 0 slms and about 500 slms.

[0011]

[0015] In some embodiments, the pressure regulating flow controller may further include a bypass flow element coupled to the pressure regulator and the flow meter in parallel with the flow restriction element. The bypass flow element may include a valve configured to open in response to the pressure of the gas exiting the pressure regulator exceeding a mechanical or predetermined software controlled threshold or the flow rate of the gas exiting the pressure regulator exceeding a threshold. In some embodiments, the flow restriction element and the bypass flow element may be components of a needle valve. In some embodiments, the pressure regulating flow controller may include multiple bypass flow elements coupled to the pressure regulator and the flow meter. In such embodiments, multiple bypass flow elements may be coupled together in parallel to facilitate high flow rates (i.e., flow rates greater than about 500 slms).

[0012]

[0016] As described above, the system controller may maintain calibration data that maps pressure settings to flow rates. The calibration data may be used by the system controller to determine pressure settings that may achieve the target flow rates. In some embodiments, the pressure settings may include a target pressure associated with the target flow rates. In other embodiments, the pressure settings may include a difference between the target pressure and a pressure of the gas associated with a measured flow rate of the gas, and instructions to increase or decrease the pressure of the gas according to the difference. The calibration data may be generated during or after initialization of the electronic device manufacturing system. In some embodiments, the calibration data is generated by the system controller sending instructions to a pressure regulator to modify the pressure of the gas to match a test pressure of a set of test pressures. The system controller may receive from the flow meter a measurement of a flow rate that corresponds to the test pressure. The system controller may update the association between the test pressure and the measurement of the flow rate. The association is then used to determine a pressure setting that may achieve the target flow rate.

[0013]

[0017] In general, it would be advantageous to precisely control the flow rate of process gases used in electronic manufacturing processes to better control the manufacturing process. As described herein, flow rates between about 0 slms and about 500 slms may be achieved by measuring and controlling the process gas using an MFC consisting of a flow restriction element, a pressure regulator, a flow meter, and a system controller. In some embodiments where the pressure regulating flow controller includes one or more bypass flow elements, flow rates greater than 500 slms may be achieved. It would be even more advantageous to measure and control the process gas using an MFC consisting of a flow restriction element, a pressure regulator, a flow meter, and a controller, since the MFC described in the embodiments does not regulate the temperature of the gas being measured. By not using heat-based components to increase the temperature of the gas, the gas will not corrode the components of the pressure regulating flow controller or decompose the gas within the pressure regulating flow controller.

[0014]

[0018] The embodiments are described with respect to MFCs used to limit the flow rate of gases used in electronic device manufacturing systems, however, it should be understood that the embodiments described herein also apply to MFCs used for other purposes, such as limiting the flow rate of gases used in other manufacturing systems.

[0015]

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The processing chamber 100 may be used for a process in which a corrosive plasma environment is provided. For example, the processing chamber 100 may be a chamber for a plasma etcher or plasma etching reactor, a plasma cleaner, etc. In alternative embodiments, other processing chambers may be used. They may or may not be exposed to a corrosive plasma environment. Some examples of chamber components include chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers, ion-assisted deposition (IAD) chambers, etch chambers, and other types of processing chambers. In some embodiments, the processing chamber 100 may be any chamber used in an electronic device manufacturing system.

[0016]

[0020] In one embodiment, the processing chamber 100 includes a chamber body 102 and a showerhead 130 that surround an interior space 106. The showerhead 130 may include a showerhead base and a showerhead gas distribution plate. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the showerhead 130 may be replaced by a lid and a nozzle, or in other embodiments, by a plurality of pie-shaped showerhead sections and plasma generation units. The chamber body 102 may be fabricated from aluminum, stainless steel, or other suitable materials, such as titanium (Ti). The chamber body 102 generally includes a sidewall 108 and a bottom 110.

[0017]

[0021] An outer liner 116 may be disposed adjacent the sidewall 108 to protect the chamber body 102. The outer liner 116 may be fabricated to include one or more openings. In one embodiment, the outer liner 116 is fabricated from aluminum oxide.

[0018]

[0022] An exhaust port 126 may be defined in the chamber body 102 and may couple the interior volume 106 to a pumping system 128. The pumping system 128 may include one or more pumps and a throttle valve utilized to evacuate the interior volume 106 of the processing chamber 100 and to regulate the pressure in the interior volume 106.

[0019]

[0023] A gas panel 158 may be coupled to the processing chamber 100 and provides process gases and / or cleaning gases through the showerhead 130 via the supply lines 112 to the interior space 106. A pressure regulating flow controller 160 may be coupled to the gas panel 158 and the processing chamber 100. The pressure regulating flow controller 160 may be used to measure and control the flow of gas from the gas panel 158 to the interior space 106. The pressure regulating flow controller 160 may include at least a flow restricting element, a pressure regulator coupled to an inlet of the flow restricting element, and a flow meter coupled to an outlet of the flow restricting element. The pressure regulator and the flow meter may be operatively coupled to a system controller, which determines a pressure setting associated with a target flow rate and causes the pressure regulator to have the pressure setting. Further details regarding the pressure regulating flow controller are provided in connection with FIG. 2. In some embodiments, one or more gas panels 158 may be coupled to the processing chamber 100 and provide gases through the showerhead 130 to the interior space 106. In such embodiments, one or more pressure regulating flow controllers 160 may be coupled to each gas panel 158 and processing chamber 100 .

[0020]

[0024] The showerhead 130 may be supported on a sidewall 108 of the chamber body 102. The showerhead 130 (or lid) may be open to allow access to the interior space 106 of the processing chamber 100 and may provide a seal for the processing chamber 100 when closed. A gas panel 158 may be coupled to the processing chamber 100 to provide process gases and / or cleaning gases to the interior space 106 through the showerhead 130 or the lid and nozzles (e.g., through apertures in the showerhead or the lid and nozzles). The showerhead 130 may be used for a process chamber used for dielectric etching (etching of dielectric materials). The showerhead 130 may include a gas distribution plate (GDP) and may have a number of gas supply holes 132 (also referred to as channels) through the GDP. As described herein, the showerhead 130 may be formed by a metal or alloy plate with protection by a multi-layer protective coating. The metal or alloy plate may be composed of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or other metals or metal alloys. The showerhead 130 may be formed of a GDP bonded to an aluminum base or an anodized aluminum base. The GDP may be made of Si or SiC, or may be made of Y2O3, Al2O3, Y3Al5O 12 It may also be a ceramic such as (YAG).

[0021]

[0025] In processing chambers used for conductor etching (etching conductive materials), a lid may be used rather than a showerhead. The lid may include a central nozzle that fits into a central hole in the lid. The lid may be a ceramic, such as Al2O3, Y2O3, YAG, or a ceramic compound including a solid solution of Y4Al2O9 and Y2O3-ZrO2. The nozzle may also be a ceramic, such as Y2O3, YAG, or a ceramic compound including a solid solution of Y4Al2O9 and Y2O3-ZrO2.

[0022]

[0026] Examples of process gases that can be used to process a substrate in the process chamber 100 include halogen-containing gases such as C2F6, SF6, SiCl4, HBr, NF3, CF4, CHF3, CH2F3, F, NF3, Cl2, CCl4, BCl3, and SiF4, among others, as well as other gases such as O2 or N2O. The flow rate of any of these gases may be measured using a pressure-regulating flow controller 160. A remote plasma may be generated from any of these and / or other process gases and then delivered through the pressure-regulating flow controller 160 through the supply line 112 to the chamber 100. Thus, the remote plasma may be composed of C2F6, SF6, SiCl4, HBr, NF3, CF4, CHF3, CH2F3, F, NF3, Cl2, CCl4, BCl3, and SiF4, among others, as well as other gases such as O2 or N2O. Examples of carrier gases include N2, He, Ar, and other gases that are inert (eg, non-reactive) with respect to the process gas.

[0023]

[0027] A substrate support assembly 148 is disposed within the interior volume 106 of the processing chamber 100 below the showerhead 130. The substrate support assembly 148 holds the substrate 144 during processing. A ring (e.g., a single ring) may cover a portion of the electrostatic chuck 150 and protect the covered portion from exposure to plasma during processing. In one embodiment, the ring may be silicon or quartz.

[0024]

[0028] An inner liner may be coated around the substrate support assembly 148. The inner liner may be a halogen-containing gas resistant material as described with reference to the outer liner 116. In one embodiment, the inner liner may be fabricated from the same material as the outer liner 116.

[0025]

[0029] In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly 148 includes a pedestal 152 that supports the electrostatic chuck 150. In one embodiment, the electrostatic chuck 150 further includes a thermally conductive base and an electrostatic puck bonded to the thermally conductive base by a bond. The bond may be a silicone bond. The thermally conductive base and / or the electrostatic puck of the electrostatic chuck 150 may include one or more optional embedded elements, embedded insulation, and / or conduits to control the lateral temperature profile of the substrate support assembly 148. The electrostatic puck may further include a number of gas passages, such as grooves, mesas, and other surface features that may be formed in the top surface of the electrostatic puck. The gas passages may be fluidly coupled to a source of heat transfer (or backside) gas, such as He, through holes drilled in the electrostatic puck. In operation, a backside gas may be provided at a controlled pressure in the gas passages to enhance heat transfer between the electrostatic puck and the supported substrate 144. The electrostatic chuck 150 may include at least one clamping electrode controlled by a chucking power supply.

[0026]

[0030] 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a pressure regulating flow controller 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The pressure regulating flow controller 200 may be configured to measure and control the mass flow rate of a process gas and / or cleaning gas used in an electronic device manufacturing system and may therefore be considered a type of MFC. In some embodiments, the pressure regulating flow controller 200 may correspond to the pressure regulating flow controller 160 of FIG. 1, and the pressure regulating flow controller 200 may be coupled to a gas supply 202 via a supply line 204. The gas supply 202 and the supply line 204 may correspond to the gas panel 158 and the supply line 112 of FIG. 1, respectively.

[0027]

[0031] As previously mentioned, the pressure regulating flow controller 200 may include at least a pressure regulator 206, a flow restricting element (flow restrictor) 208, and a flow meter 210. The pressure regulator 206 may be coupled to an inlet for the flow restricting element 208, and the flow meter 210 may be coupled to an outlet for the flow restricting element 208. The pressure regulating flow controller 200 may further include a system controller 230 operably coupled to the pressure regulator 206 and the flow meter 210. The outlet of the flow meter 210 may be coupled via a supply line 212 to an inlet of a processing chamber of an electronic device manufacturing system (also not shown) or other system.

[0028]

[0032] The pressure regulator 206 may be configured to control the pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator 206 and the flow restricting element 208. In some embodiments, the pressure regulator 206 may be an electro-pneumatic pressure regulator (e-regulator). The pressure regulator 206 may have an operating pressure control range of between about 0 kPa and about 750 kPa. In some embodiments, the pressure regulator 206 may have an operating pressure control range of between about 0 kPa and about 500 kPa. In other embodiments, the pressure regulator 206 may have an operating pressure control range of between about 100 kPa and about 400 kPa. In some embodiments, the pressure regulator 206 may have a minimum operating pressure of about 100 kPa and a maximum operating pressure of about 700 kPa. In some embodiments, the pressure regulator 206 may have a gas flow capacity of between about 0 slm and about 1500 slms. In other embodiments, the pressure regulator 206 may have a gas flow capacity of between about 10 slms and about 500 slms.

[0029]

[0033] In some embodiments, the pressure regulator 206 may further include a controller component. The controller component may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, or other suitable computer processing device, memory, and support circuits. The controller component may be configured to execute programming instructions related to the operation of the pressure regulator 206. For example, the pressure regulator 206 may execute instructions related to increasing or decreasing the pressure of the gas at the outlet of the pressure regulator 206. The controller component may further include an input / output (I / O) component configured to send instructions to and / or receive instructions from a system controller. As mentioned above, the pressure regulator 206 may be operably coupled to a system controller 230. The system controller 230 may send one or more pressure settings to the pressure regulator 206 and cause the pressure regulator to modify the pressure of the gas taking into account the sent pressure setting(s).

[0030]

[0034] The flow restricting element 208 may be configured to restrict the flow rate of the gas. The flow restricting element 208 may have an operating flow range of between about 0 slms and about 1200 slms. In some embodiments, the flow restricting element 208 may have an operating flow range of between about 10 slms and about 500 slms. In some embodiments, the flow restricting element 208 may be a needle valve, a motorized valve, a piezoelectric valve, or the like.

[0031]

[0035] In some embodiments, the pressure regulating flow controller 200 may further include a bypass flow element 214. The bypass flow element 214 may include a bypass flow path and a bypass valve. The bypass valve may be configured to open in response to either the pressure of the gas exceeding a threshold pressure or the flow rate of the gas exceeding a threshold flow rate. The bypass flow element 214 may facilitate a higher gas flow rate than would be possible without the bypass flow element 214. In some embodiments, the bypass flow element 214 may be coupled in parallel with the flow restriction element 208. In some embodiments, the bypass valve may be a mechanical throttle valve.

[0032]

[0036] In some embodiments, the flow restricting element 208 and the bypass flow element 214 may be components of a single flow restricting component 218. For example, in some embodiments, the flow restricting element 208 and the bypass flow element 214 may be components of a rate control valve. In such embodiments, the flow restricting element 208 may have an operating flow range between about 0 slms and about 1200 slms. In other embodiments, the flow restricting element may have an operating flow range between about 10 slms and about 500 slms. The flow restricting element 208 may include one or more mechanical components that can be moved (e.g., manually or automatically) within the flow restricting element 208 to increase or decrease the flow of gas through the flow restricting element 208. In some embodiments, one or more mechanical components within the flow restricting element 208 may not move as gas flows through the flow restricting element 208. In such embodiments, the flow rate of the gas may be controlled based on the pressure of the gas before the gas flows through the flow restricting element 208. As mentioned above, the pressure of the gas may be controlled by a pressure regulator 206 that is coupled to the inlet of a flow restricting element 208 .

[0033]

[0037] The flow meter 210 may be configured to measure the flow rate of the gas at the outlet of the flow restricting element 208. The flow meter 210 may be at least one of a thermal-based flow meter, a pressure-based flow meter, and the like. In some embodiments, the flow meter 210 may have an operating flow range of between about 0 slms and about 2000 slms. In other embodiments, the flow meter 210 may have an operating flow range of between about 10 slms and about 500 slms.

[0034]

[0038] In some embodiments, the flow meter 210 may further include a controller component. The controller component may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, or other suitable computer processing device, memory, and support circuits. The controller component may be configured to execute programming instructions related to the operation of the flow meter 210. For example, the flow meter 210 may execute instructions related to measuring the flow rate of gas flowing through the flow meter 210. The controller component may further include an input / output (I / O) component configured to send instructions to and / or receive instructions from the system controller 230.

[0035]

[0039] As previously mentioned, the flow meter 210 may be operatively coupled to the system controller 230. The system controller 230 may receive measurements of the flow rate of the gas at the outlet of the flow restricting element 208 from the flow meter 210. In some embodiments, the flow meter 210 may be configured to consistently (e.g., continuously) measure the flow rate of the gas at the outlet of the flow restricting element 208 and transmit the measurements of the flow rate to the system controller 230 when the measurements are generated. In other embodiments, the flow meter 210 may be configured to periodically measure the flow rate of the gas and transmit the measurements of the flow rate to the system controller 230 when the measurements are generated. In such embodiments, the time period during which the flow meter 210 measures the flow rate of the gas may be defined by a user of the pressure regulating flow controller 200 or based on one or more operational conditions associated with one or more components of the pressure regulating flow controller.

[0036]

[0040] The system controller 230 may be any suitable computing device coupled to and / or configured to control one or more components of an electronic device manufacturing system. In some embodiments, the system controller 230 may be configured to control one or more components of the pressure regulating flow controller 200, but not necessarily other components of the manufacturing system. The system controller 230 may include a central processing unit, a microcontroller, or other suitable computer processing device, memory, and support circuitry. The system controller 230 may be configured to execute programming instructions for the operation of the pressure regulating flow controller 200. In some embodiments, the system controller 230 may be a programmable logic controller (PLC), a system on a chip SoC, a server computer, or other type of computing device.

[0037]

[0041] The system controller 230 may be configured to receive measurements of the flow rate by the flow meter 210. In response to receiving the measurements of the flow rate, the system controller 230 may determine to modify the flow rate of the gas based on a difference between the measured flow rate and a target flow rate of the gas. The system controller 230 may determine a target pressure corresponding to the target flow rate and send a pressure setting corresponding to the target pressure of the gas to the pressure regulator. The pressure setting may be determined based on calibration data 232 that maps the pressure setting to a flow rate. Different calibration data 232 may be determined during calibration for different gases. In some embodiments, the pressure setting may include a target pressure associated with the target flow rate. In other embodiments, the pressure setting may include a difference between the target pressure and a pressure of the gas associated with the measured flow rate of the gas and instructions to the pressure regulator to increase or decrease the pressure of the gas according to the difference. In response to determining the pressure setting based on the calibration data, the system controller 230 may send the pressure setting to the pressure regulator 206. In response to receiving a pressure setting from the system controller 230, the pressure regulator 206 may modify the pressure of the gas taking into account the received pressure setting. Further details regarding the determination of the pressure setting and the generation of the calibration data 232 are provided in relation to FIGS.

[0038]

[0042] 3 illustrates a method 300 for controlling a flow rate of a gas based on a pressure of the gas according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The operations of method 300 may be performed, for example, by a system controller (e.g., a computing device) of a pressure regulating flow controller. At block 310, a measurement of the flow rate of the gas may be received. In some embodiments, the measurement of the flow rate of the gas may be received by a system controller of a pressure regulating flow controller, such as pressure regulating flow controller 160 of FIG. 1 or pressure regulating flow controller 200 of FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the measurement of the flow rate of the gas may be received from a flow meter of the pressure regulating flow controller, such as flow meter 210 of FIG. 2.

[0039]

[0043] At block 320, a difference between the measured flow rate and the target flow rate is determined. The system controller may determine to modify the flow rate of the gas based on the difference between the measured flow rate of the gas and the target flow rate of the gas. In some embodiments, the target flow rate of the gas may also be received by the system controller. The target flow rate may be defined by a process recipe setting. The process recipe may be provided to the system controller. Additionally or alternatively, the target flow rate may be defined based on the operating conditions of one or more components of the pressure regulating flow controller.

[0040]

[0044] At block 330, the system controller may determine whether the difference exceeds a difference threshold. In some embodiments, the threshold difference may be a fixed setting or a configurable setting. In other embodiments, the threshold difference may be defined based on the operating state or operating threshold of one or more components of the pressure regulating flow controller. In some embodiments, the threshold difference is 0 slms. Thus, any difference between the current flow rate and the target flow rate may trigger a change in pressure. If the difference exceeds the difference threshold, the method may proceed to block 340. If the difference does not exceed the difference threshold, the method may proceed to block 360.

[0041]

[0045] At block 340, a target pressure of the gas corresponding to the target flow rate and a pressure of the gas corresponding to the measured flow rate may be determined. In some embodiments, the target pressure of the gas is determined by identifying the target pressure from calibration data maintained by the system controller. The calibration data may map the pressure of the gas controlled by the pressure regulator to a flow rate measured by the flow meter. Further details regarding generation of the calibration data are provided in connection with FIG. 4 herein. The controller may determine a target flow rate of the gas and a measured flow rate of the gas. Based on the target flow rate and the measured flow rate, the controller may identify a target pressure associated with the target flow rate and a pressure of the gas associated with the measured flow rate from the calibration data. The system controller may also determine a current pressure setting for the pressure regulator.

[0042]

[0046] In some embodiments, the system controller may take into account one or more system errors (i.e., unexpected temperature rise of the gas, etc.) to determine a target pressure associated with the target flow rate. In such embodiments, the system controller may take into account one or more system errors using at least one of a proportional control gain (i.e., a term or value that indicates a proportional relationship between the target flow rate and the measured flow rate), an integral control gain (i.e., a term or value that accounts for past differences between the target flow rate and the measured flow rate), and a derivative control gain (i.e., a term or value that represents the rate at which the error between the target flow rate and the measured flow rate is changing). The proportional control gain, the integral control gain, and the derivative control gain may be used along with the difference between the target flow rate received from the system controller and the measured flow rate, determined in block 320, to determine an adjusted target flow rate for the gas. In some embodiments, the adjusted target flow rate may be slightly higher or slightly lower than the received target flow rate (i.e., ±10% difference). The target pressure for the system may be identified from the calibration data based on the adjusted target flow rate, rather than the received target flow rate. By determining the target pressure based on the adjusted target flow rate, the target pressure may be determined more accurately because the adjusted target flow rate takes into account one or more system errors that would not be taken into account if the target pressure were determined based on the received target flow rate. Additionally, the system controller may determine the target pressure of the gas more quickly because the adjusted target flow rate takes into account any previous differences between the target flow rate and the measured flow rate.

[0043]

[0047] At block 350, the pressure setting is sent to the pressure regulator. The pressure setting causes the pressure regulator to change the pressure of the gas to match the target pressure. In some embodiments, the pressure setting may include a target pressure of the gas. In such embodiments, a controller component of the pressure regulator may execute a series of one or more instructions to increase or decrease the pressure of the gas in accordance with the target pressure of the pressure setting. In other embodiments, the pressure setting may include a difference between the target pressure and the pressure of the gas. In such embodiments, a controller component of the pressure regulator may execute a series of one or more instructions to increase or decrease the pressure of the gas in accordance with the pressure difference of the pressure setting.

[0044]

[0048] At block 360, it may be determined whether gas is still flowing through the pressure regulating flow controller. The determination of whether gas is still flowing may be based on whether the flow rate of the gas measured by the flow meter exceeds a threshold flow rate. For example, the threshold flow rate may be 1.0 slm. If the system controller receives a measurement from the flow meter indicating that the flow rate of the gas is less than 1.0 slm, it may be determined that gas is no longer flowing through the pressure regulating flow controller. If it is determined that gas is no longer flowing through the pressure regulating flow controller, the method 300 may end.

[0045]

[0049] If it is determined that gas is still flowing through the pressure regulating flow controller, the method 300 may return to block 310. In that case, the method 300 may be repeated continuously while the gas is flowing. Thus, the controller may receive a second measurement of the flow rate of the gas. The second measurement may be received after the pressure regulator has changed the pressure of the gas taking into account the pressure setting. The controller may determine whether to change the flow rate of the gas according to the above-described embodiments based on the difference between the measured flow rate of the gas and the target flow rate of the gas. In some embodiments, a larger change in pressure may be performed first, followed by a smaller change in pressure, to quickly adjust the flow rate to the target flow rate.

[0046]

[0050] FIG. 4 illustrates a method 400 for generating configuration data used in controlling the flow rate of a gas according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 400 may be performed, for example, by a system controller (e.g., a computing device) of a pressure regulating flow controller. The relationship between the pressure of the gas and the flow rate of the gas may be a non-linear relationship (i.e., a constant change in the pressure of the gas may not necessarily correspond to a constant change in the flow rate of the gas, and vice versa). Thus, calibration data may be generated for use by the system controller in determining a pressure setting of the pressure regulator that corresponds to a target flow rate of the gas. In some embodiments, the calibration data may be generated upon initialization of the pressure regulating flow controller. In other embodiments, the calibration data may be generated in response to a user request to recalibrate the pressure regulating flow controller after the pressure regulating flow controller has been initialized. In some embodiments, the calibration data applies to a particular gas. Thus, if multiple gases may be monitored and controlled by the pressure regulating flow controller, different calibrations may be performed for different gases.

[0047]

[0051] At block 410, a first instruction is sent to the pressure regulator to modify the pressure of the gas to match a test pressure in the set of test pressures. The pressure regulator may be a pressure regulator of a pressure regulating flow controller according to the embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the set of test pressures is provided by a user of the pressure regulating flow controller or by a calibration recipe. In other embodiments, the set of test pressures is defined based on one or more operating conditions associated with one or more components of the pressure regulating flow controller. For example, the set of test pressures may be defined based on a minimum operating pressure of the pressure regulator and a maximum operating pressure of the pressure regulator.

[0048]

[0052] At block 420, a second indication is received from a flow meter, the flow meter including a measurement of the flow rate corresponding to the test pressure. The flow meter may be a flow meter of a pressure regulating flow controller according to the embodiments described above.

[0049]

[0053] At block 430, the association between the test pressure and the measured flow rate may be updated. In some embodiments, the pressure regulating flow controller may be calibrated during initialization of the pressure regulating flow controller. In such embodiments, the association between the test pressure and the measured flow rate may be generated. In other embodiments, the calibration data may be generated in response to a request to recalibrate the pressure regulating flow controller after initialization of the electronic device manufacturing system. In such embodiments, it may be determined whether the association between the test pressure and the measured flow rate has changed since the pressure regulating flow controller was last calibrated. In response to determining that the association has changed, the association between the test pressure and the measured flow rate may be updated to reflect the most recent calibration of the pressure regulating flow controller. At block 440, it is determined whether each of the set of test pressures has been calibrated. In response to determining that each of the set of test pressures has not been calibrated, the method 400 may return to block 410. A different test pressure of the set of test pressures may then be selected and calibrated according to previously disclosed embodiments. In response to determining that each of the set of test pressures has been calibrated, the method 400 may end.

[0050]

[0054] 5 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system 500 according to certain embodiments. In some embodiments, the computer system 500 may be the system controller 230 (see, e.g., FIG. 2). In other embodiments, the computer system 500 may be the controller component of the pressure regulator 206 or the controller component of the flow meter 210.

[0051]

[0055] In some embodiments, computer system 500 may be connected to other computer systems (e.g., via a network such as a local area network (LAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet). Computer system 500 may operate in the role of a server or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. Computer system 500 may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a web appliance, a server, a network router, switch, or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequenced or otherwise) that specify operations to be performed by the machine. Furthermore, the term "computer" is intended to include any collection of computers that individually or jointly execute a set (or sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods described herein.

[0052]

[0056] In a further aspect, the computer system 500 may include a processing device 502, a volatile memory 504 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), a non-volatile memory 506 (e.g., read only memory (ROM) or electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM)), and a data storage device 516, which may communicate with each other via a bus 508.

[0053]

[0057] The processing device 502 may be provided by one or more processors, such as a general-purpose processor (e.g., a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, a microprocessor implementing a combination of other types of instruction sets, or a specialized processor (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a network processor), etc.).

[0054]

[0058] Computer system 500 may further include a network interface device 522 (e.g., communicating over a network 574). Computer system 500 may also include a video display unit 510 (e.g., LCD), an alphanumeric input device 512 (e.g., keyboard), a cursor control device 514 (e.g., mouse), and a signal generating device 520.

[0055]

[0059] In some implementations, the data storage device 516 may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 524 capable of storing instructions 526 encoding any one or more of the methods or functions described herein, including instructions for implementing the methods described herein (e.g., performing methods 300 or 400 of FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0056]

[0060] The instructions 526 may also reside, completely or partially, within the volatile memory 504 and / or within the processing device 502 during execution by the computer system 500, and thus, the volatile memory 504 and the processing device 502 may also constitute machine-readable storage media.

[0057]

[0061] Although the computer-readable storage medium 524 is shown in the example as a single medium, the term "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium" is intended to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of executable instructions. The term "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium" is also intended to include any tangible medium capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by a computer that causes the computer to perform any one or more of the methods described herein. The term "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium" includes, but is not limited to, solid-state memory, optical media, and magnetic media.

[0058]

[0062] The methods, components, and features described herein may be implemented by discrete hardware components or may be integrated into the functionality of other hardware components, such as ASICS, FPGAs, DSPs, or similar devices. Additionally, the methods, components, and features may be implemented by firmware modules or functional circuits within a hardware device. Additionally, the methods, components, and features may be embodied in any combination of hardware apparatus and computer program components, or in a computer program.

[0059]

[0063] Unless otherwise indicated, terms such as "scanning," "moving," "causing," "performing," "removing," "placing," "instructing," "determining," "arranging," "operating," "disposing," and the like refer to actions and processes performed or implemented by a computer system that manipulate and transform data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in computer system registers and memory into other data similarly represented as physical quantities in computer system memory or registers, or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices. Also, as used herein, the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and the like are meant as labels to distinguish between different elements and may not have a sequential meaning according to their numerical designation.

[0060]

[0064] The embodiments described herein also relate to an apparatus for carrying out the methods described herein. This apparatus may be specially configured to carry out the methods described herein, or may comprise a general-purpose computer system selectively programmed by a computer program stored in the computer system. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer-readable tangible storage medium.

[0061]

[0065] The methods and example embodiments described herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may be used in accordance with the teachings described herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the methods described herein and / or each of their individual functions, routines, subroutines or operations. Examples of structures for a variety of these systems are set forth in the description above.

[0062]

[0066] The foregoing description sets forth numerous specific details, such as examples of specific systems, components, methods, and the like, to provide a good understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in simple block diagram form to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Thus, the specific details described are merely exemplary. Certain implementations may differ from these exemplary details and still be considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0063]

[0067] Throughout this specification, reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. In addition, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". When the term "about" or "approximately" is used herein, it is intended to mean that the nominal value presented is accurate to within ±10%.

[0064]

[0068] Although the steps of the methods herein are illustrated and described in a particular order, the order of the steps of each method may be changed such that certain steps are performed in reverse order, and certain steps are performed at least partially simultaneously with other steps. In alternative embodiments, the orders of separate steps or sub-steps may be intermittent and / or alternating.

[0065]

[0069] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not limiting. Many other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. The scope of the disclosure should therefore be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A processing chamber, A gas supply source, a mass flow controller connected to an outlet of the gas source and an inlet of the processing chamber, the mass flow controller comprising: a flow restricting element configured to restrict a flow rate of a gas; a bypass flow element configured to control a flow rate of the gas in parallel with the flow restricting element; a pressure regulator configured to control at least one of a pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the flow restricting element or a pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the bypass flow element; and a flow meter at an outlet of the mass flow controller configured to measure a flow rate of the gas; a controller coupled to the mass flow controller, flowing the gas from the gas source through the mass flow controller into the processing chamber in consideration of a first pressure setting; measuring a first flow rate associated with the first pressure setting with the flow meter and then determining to change the flow of the gas from the first flow rate associated with the first pressure setting to a second flow rate; determining a second pressure setting associated with the second flow rate; and a controller configured to cause the pressure regulator to modify the pressure of the gas between at least one of the pressure regulator and the flow restriction element, or the pressure regulator and the bypass flow element, taking into account a relationship between flow rate and pressure setting.

2. To determine to change the flow of the gas from the first flow rate to the second flow rate, the controller: The manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising: detecting an error in the process chamber or the mass flow controller.

3. The controller further comprises: receiving data from one or more sensors of the manufacturing system associated with an error in the process chamber or the mass flow controller; determining a value of a control gain metric corresponding to at least one of a proportional control gain metric, an integral control gain metric, or a derivative control gain metric based on the received data; The manufacturing system of claim 2 , further comprising: determining the second flow rate of the gas based on the first flow rate and a value of the control gain metric.

4. To determine to change the flow of the gas from the first flow rate to the second flow rate, the controller:

2. The manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising: determining that a first step of a process recipe for the processing chamber is completed and that a second step of the process recipe should be initiated, the first step of the process recipe being associated with the first flow rate of the gas and the second step of the process recipe being associated with the second flow rate of the gas.

5. To determine a second pressure setting associated with the second flow rate, the controller:

10. The manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising: determining the second pressure setting for the gas corresponding to the second flow rate from calibration data that maps pressure settings to flow rates.

6. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the flow meter is connected to the outlet of the flow restriction element and the outlet of the bypass flow element of the mass flow control device, and the flow meter measures the current flow rate of the gas at the outlet of the flow restriction element and the outlet of the bypass flow element.

7. 10. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the flow restriction element and the bypass flow element of the mass flow controller are components of a rate control valve.

8. 10. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the pressure regulator of the mass flow controller is an electro-pneumatic pressure regulator.

9. flowing, by a controller of a fabrication system, a gas from a gas supply to a processing chamber, the gas supply and the processing chamber each connected to a mass flow controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas from the gas supply to the processing chamber taking into account a first pressure setting; determining, by the controller, to change the flow of the gas from the first flow rate associated with the first pressure setting to a second flow rate after measuring a first flow rate associated with the first pressure setting with a flow meter disposed at an outlet of the mass flow controller and configured to measure a flow rate of the gas; determining, by the controller, a second pressure setting associated with the second flow rate; and and causing the controller to cause a pressure regulator of the mass flow controller to modify a pressure of the gas between at least one of the pressure regulator and a flow restriction element of the mass flow controller, or the pressure regulator and a bypass flow element of the mass flow controller, taking into account a relationship between flow rate and pressure setting.

10. Determining to change the flow of the gas from the first flow rate to the second flow rate comprises: The method of claim 9 , comprising detecting a systematic error present in one or more portions of the manufacturing system.

11. receiving data from one or more sensors in the manufacturing system associated with the system error present in one or more portions of the manufacturing system; determining a value of a control gain metric corresponding to at least one of a proportional control gain metric, an integral control gain metric, or a derivative control gain metric based on the received data; and The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the second flow rate of the gas based on the first flow rate and a value of the control gain metric.

12. Determining to change the flow of the gas from the first flow rate to the second flow rate comprises:

10. The method of claim 9, comprising determining that a first step of a process recipe for the processing chamber is complete and that a second step of the process recipe should be initiated, the first step of the process recipe being associated with the first flow rate of the gas and the second step of the process recipe being associated with the second flow rate of the gas.

13. Determining a second pressure setting associated with the second flow rate comprises:

10. The method of claim 9, comprising determining the second pressure setting for the gas corresponding to the second flow rate from calibration data that maps pressure settings to flow rates.

14. receiving from the flow meter an indication of a current flow rate of the gas at an outlet of at least one of the flow restriction element or the bypass flow element; in response to determining that a third flow rate of the gas does not correspond to the second flow rate, causing the pressure regulator to modify a pressure of the gas between at least one of the pressure regulator and the flow restriction element or the pressure regulator and the bypass flow element taking into account a third pressure setting; receiving another indication from the flow meter of an updated flow rate of the gas at at least one outlet of the flow restriction element or the bypass flow element, the updated flow rate of the gas corresponding to the second flow rate; and 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising updating calibration data of the mass flow controller to include an association between at least one of the second pressure setting and the third flow rate or the third pressure setting and the second flow rate.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to: flowing gas from a gas source to a processing chamber, the gas source and the processing chamber each connected to a mass flow controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas from the gas source to the processing chamber taking into account a first pressure setting; determining to change the flow of the gas from the first flow rate associated with the first pressure setting to a second flow rate after measuring a first flow rate associated with the first pressure setting with a flow meter disposed at an outlet of the mass flow controller and configured to measure a flow rate of the gas; determining a second pressure setting associated with the second flow rate; and A non-transitory computer readable medium for causing a pressure regulator of the mass flow controller to modify a pressure of gas between at least one of the pressure regulator and a flow restriction element of the mass flow controller, or the pressure regulator and a bypass flow element of the mass flow controller, taking into account a relationship between flow rate and a pressure setting.

16. To determine to change the flow of the gas from the first flow rate to the second flow rate, the processing device The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising: detecting an error in the process chamber or the mass flow controller.

17. The processing device further comprises: receiving data associated with the error in the process chamber or the mass flow controller; determining a value of a control gain metric corresponding to at least one of a proportional control gain metric, an integral control gain metric, or a derivative control gain metric based on the received data; and 20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising: determining the second flow rate of the gas based on the first flow rate and a value of the control gain metric.

18. To determine to change the flow of the gas from the first flow rate to the second flow rate, the processing device 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein a first step of a process recipe for the processing chamber is completed and a second step of the process recipe is determined to be started, the first step of the process recipe being associated with the first flow rate of the gas and the second step of the process recipe being associated with the second flow rate of the gas.

19. To determine the second pressure setting associated with the second flow rate, the processing device 16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising determining the second pressure setting for the gas corresponding to the second flow rate from calibration data that maps pressure settings to flow rates.

20. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the flow meter comprises at least one of a thermal-based flow meter or a pressure-based flow meter.

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