Isolation valve

Abstract

An isolation valve, a chamber system incorporating the isolation valve, and a method of using the isolation valve are described. In some embodiments, the isolation valve can include a valve body and a flapper assembly. The valve body can define a first fluid space, a second fluid space, and a mounting surface. The flapper assembly can include a flapper disposed within the valve body, the flapper having a flapper face complementary to the mounting surface. The flapper can be pivotable to a first position within the valve body such that the flapper face can be moved away from the mounting surface to allow fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space. The flapper can be pivotable to a second position within the valve body such that the flapper face can be moved closer to the mounting surface to form a contactless seal and restrict fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 881,181, filed Jul. 31, 2019, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002]

[0002] The technology of this document relates to semiconductor processing and equipment. More specifically, the technology of this document relates to isolation valves for semiconductor processing, and methods and systems that utilize such isolation valves.

Background Art

[0003]

[0003] Integrated circuits can be realized by a process of fabricating a complexly patterned material layer on a substrate surface. As the device sizes in next-generation devices continue to shrink, the importance of the uniformity of processing conditions has been continuously increasing, and chamber design and system settings can play an important role in the quality of the fabricated devices. Therefore, systems and methods that can be used to fabricate high-quality devices and structures are needed.

Summary of the Invention

[0004]

[0004] According to one aspect, an isolation valve can include a valve body and a flapper assembly. The valve body can define a first fluid space, a second fluid space, and a mounting surface. The flapper assembly can include a flapper disposed inside the valve body and having a flapper surface complementary to the mounting surface. The flapper can be pivotable within the valve body to a first position such that the flapper surface can move away from the mounting surface to enable fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space. The flapper can be further pivotable within the valve body to a second position such that the flapper surface can approach the mounting surface to form a non-contact seal and restrict fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space.

[0005]

[0005] In some embodiments, when the flapper can be in the second position, a gap in the range between 2 mm and 0.1 mm can be formed between the flapper surface complementary to the placement surface, and a non-contact seal can be formed. In some embodiments, when the flapper can be in the second position, the ratio of the length of the flow path defined by the flapper surface and the placement surface to the distance between the flapper surface and the placement surface can range between about 1000:1 and about 10:1. In some embodiments, the flapper surface and the placement surface can be flat.

[0006]

[0006] In some embodiments, the flapper assembly can further include a flapper shaft configured to pivot the flapper between the first position and the second position. The valve body can include a first side wall, and the first side wall can define a first aperture connected to the first end of the flapper shaft. The valve body can further include a second side wall opposite the first side wall. The second side wall can define a second aperture connected to the second end of the flapper shaft. In some embodiments, the flapper assembly can further include a drive mechanism operable to drive the flapper shaft. The drive mechanism can be disposed outside the valve body and can be mounted on the outside of the first side wall. In some embodiments, the flapper and the flapper shaft can be formed as a single unit.

[0007]

[0007] In some embodiments, the flapper assembly can further include a flapper shaft for pivoting the flapper between the first position and the second position. The flapper shaft can include a hollow core configured to allow a cooling fluid to pass through to cool the flapper shaft and the flapper. In some embodiments, the valve body can include a plurality of walls. A cooling loop can be disposed within at least one of the plurality of walls. The cooling loop can be configured to allow a cooling fluid to pass through to cool the valve body.

[0008]

[0008] In some embodiments, the valve body may further define a first port for providing fluid access to the first fluid space and a second port for providing fluid access to the second fluid space. The first port and the second port may define a common flow cross-sectional area, and the first port and the second port may be shaped differently from each other. In some embodiments, the first port may be circular, and the second port may be rectangular. In some embodiments, the second port may include a first dimension parallel to the pivot axis of the flapper and a second dimension perpendicular to the pivot axis of the flapper. The ratio of the first dimension to the second dimension may range between about 10:1 and about 1:1.

[0009]

[0009] In some embodiments, at least one of the valve body or the flapper may include at least one of aluminum, aluminum oxide, or aluminum nitride.

[0010]

[0010] According to another aspect, a chamber system may include a first chamber unit, a second chamber unit, and a separation valve. The separation valve may be connected to the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit and may be configured to control the fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit. The separation valve may include a valve body and a flapper. The valve body may define a first port for providing fluid access to the first chamber unit and a second port for providing fluid access to the second chamber unit. The flapper may be disposed inside the valve body and may have a flapper surface. The flapper may be pivotable within the valve body to a first position such that the flapper surface can move away from a seating surface defined by the valve body to allow fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit. The flapper may be further pivotable within the valve body to a second position such that the flapper surface can approach the seating surface to restrict fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit. When the flapper can be in the second position, the seating surface and the flapper surface may form a non-contact seal to restrict fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit.

[0011]

[0011] In some embodiments, when the flapper can be in the second position, the ratio of the length of the flow path defined by the flapper surface and the placement surface to the distance between the flapper surface and the placement surface can range between about 1000:1 and about 10:1.

[0012]

[0012] In some embodiments, the first chamber unit may include a remote plasma unit, and the second chamber unit may include a semiconductor processing chamber configured to generate local plasma together with the second chamber unit for semiconductor processing.

[0013]

[0013] In some embodiments, the isolation valve can be a first isolation valve. The chamber system can further include a third chamber unit and a second isolation valve connected to the first chamber unit and the third chamber unit, the second isolation valve being configured to control the flow of fluid between the first chamber unit and the third chamber unit.

[0014] According to a further aspect, the method may include closing a separation valve coupled to the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit. The separation valve may be operable to control the flow of fluid between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit. The separation valve may include a valve body and a flapper. The valve body may define a first fluid space fluidly connected to the first chamber unit and a second fluid space fluidly connected to the second chamber unit. The flapper may be disposed inside the valve body and may have a flapper surface. The flapper may be pivotable within the valve body to a first position such that the flapper surface can be separated from a seating surface defined by the valve body to allow the flow of fluid between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit. The flapper may be further pivotable within the valve body to a second position such that the flapper surface can be proximate to the seating surface to restrict the flow of fluid between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit. When the flapper may be in the second position, the seating surface and the flapper surface may form a non-contact seal to restrict the flow of fluid between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit. The method may further include flowing a shielding gas into the first fluid space.

[0015]

[0015] In some embodiments, the shielding gas may be flowed at a flow rate in the range between about 200 sccm and about 5 sccm. In some embodiments, the method may further include dynamically controlling the flow rate of the shielding gas such that the pressure in the first fluid space can be greater than the pressure in the second fluid space.

[0016]

[0016] The technology of this book can provide great advantages that surpass conventional systems and techniques. For example, the technology of this book can reliably operate to prevent contamination caused by fluid flowing from one chamber unit to another across a separation valve in a highly corrosive environment, and can achieve non-contact sealing. The technology of this book can further present a simplified design that omits the cooling and protection shields that may be separately required in the support of the elastic contact seal. The above embodiments and other embodiments can be described in more detail in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings, along with many of their advantages and features.

[0017]

[0017] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosed technology can be achieved by referring to the following parts of this specification and the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

[0018] A schematic top view of an exemplary processing system according to a part of an embodiment of the technology of this book is shown.

Figure 2

[0019] A schematic partial isometric view of a chamber system according to a part of an embodiment of the technology of this book is shown.

Figure 3

[0020] A schematic partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary chamber system according to a part of an embodiment of the technology of this book is shown.

Figure 4

[0021] A schematic front isometric view of a separation valve according to a part of an embodiment of the technology of this book is shown.

Figure 5

[0022] A schematic cross-sectional isometric view of the separation valve of FIG. 4 is shown.

Figure 6

[0023] A schematic bottom view of the separation valve of FIG. 4 is shown.

Figure 7

[0024] A schematic rear isometric view of the separation valve of FIG. 4 is shown.

Figure 8

[0025] A schematic perspective side view of a part of the separation valve of FIG. 4 is shown.

Figure 9

[0026] Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional front view of the isolation valve.

Figure 10

[0027] Exemplary steps in a method of operating an isolation valve to facilitate semiconductor processing according to an embodiment of the technology herein are shown. **DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION**

[0019]

[0028] Some of the figures are included as schematic diagrams. It should be understood that the figures are for illustrative purposes and should not be considered to be to scale unless specifically stated to be so. Additionally, the figures are provided to aid understanding as schematic diagrams and may not include all aspects or information compared to a realistic depiction, and may include material emphasized for illustrative purposes.

[0020]

[0029] In the accompanying figures, similar components and / or features may have the same reference numerals. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by having a letter (a letter to distinguish between similar components) after the reference numeral. When only a first reference numeral is used herein, the description is applicable to any of the similar components having the same first reference numeral regardless of the letter.

[0021]

[0030] During semiconductor processing, a processing gas (such as a deposition gas) flowing into one processing unit or processing area may also enter another processing unit or processing area. For example, a deposition gas flowing into a processing area of a chamber system may enter a remote plasma unit of the chamber system and form a coating inside the remote plasma unit. Thus, a remote plasma source (such as a remote plasma unit) can be a source of process contamination. This is because a coating formed during one process can subsequently be released to return into the processing area during a subsequent process. Further, the functional life of the remote plasma unit until maintenance or replacement can also be shortened.

[0022]

[0031] The isolation valve can be implemented between the processing region and the remote plasma unit. However, the operating life of a conventional isolation valve can be very short. This is because the elastic seal used in a conventional isolation valve can be damaged by exposure to corrosive chemicals and thermal recombination heating from plasma emissions flowing from the remote plasma unit. To protect the elastic seal, a cooling circuit and / or a protective shield can be implemented, but this can increase manufacturing complexity and cost.

[0023]

[0032] The technology of this document provides an isolation valve that overcomes the above problems by providing an isolation valve that is operable to close to protect a remote plasma source from contamination during semiconductor processing. When closed, this isolation valve can form a non-contact seal by forming a gap with a very low fluid conductance. Shield gas can be flowed into the isolation valve. When the shield gas is connected to the low-conductance gap formed by the isolation valve, it can prevent process gas from flowing through the gap into the remote plasma source.

[0024]

[0033] In this disclosure, the processing chamber or region, and the remote plasma source or unit are typically identified as chamber units that can be separated from each other by the isolation valve described in this document, but the isolation valve can be used to separate any two chamber units of a chamber system. Further, for the purpose of assisting in the understanding of the technology of this document, exemplary chambers and units for semiconductor processing are described, but the technology of this document should not be considered to be limited only to separating chambers and / or units for semiconductor processing. It should be understood that the technology of this document can be used to provide separation between any type of chamber, container, or unit.

[0025]

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of a substrate processing tool or substrate processing system 100 by a deposition chamber, an etching chamber, a baking chamber, and a curing chamber, according to a part of the technology of this book. In this figure, a set of front-opening unified pods 102 supplies substrates of various sizes, and these substrates are received into the factory interface 103 by the robot arms 104a and 104b and placed in the load lock or low-pressure holding region 106. Thereafter, the substrate is sent to one of the substrate processing regions 108 arranged in the chamber system or quad-section 109a-c (each of which may be a substrate processing system having a transfer region fluidly connected to a plurality of processing regions 108). Although a quad system is illustrated, it should be understood that the technology of this book equally encompasses platforms incorporating standalone chambers, twin chambers, and other multiple chamber systems. The second robot arm 110 housed in the transfer chamber 112 may be used to transfer the substrate wafer from the holding region 106 to the quad-section 109 and vice versa, and the second robot arm 110 may be housed in a transfer chamber to which each of the quad-section or the processing system can be connected. Each of the substrate processing regions 108 may be equipped to perform several substrate processing steps, including any number of deposition processes including periodic layer deposition, atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, as well as etching, pre-cleaning, annealing, plasma treatment, degassing, orientation, and other substrate processes.

[0026]

[0035] Each quad section 109 may include a transfer region that can receive a substrate from the second robot arm 110 and deliver the substrate to the second robot arm 110. The transfer region of the chamber system can be aligned with the transfer chamber having the second robot arm 110. In some embodiments, the transfer region may be accessible to the robot in the lateral direction. In subsequent processes, the components of the transfer section can translate the substrate vertically in parallel to the processing region 108 above. Similarly, the transfer region can also be operable to rotate the substrate between positions within each transfer region. The substrate processing region 108 can include any number of system components for depositing, annealing, curing, and / or etching a material film on a substrate or wafer. In one configuration, two sets of processing regions (e.g., the processing regions in quad sections 109a and 109b) may be used to deposit material on the substrate, and a third set of processing chambers (e.g., the processing chamber or processing region within quad section 109c) of the processing chamber can be used to cure, anneal, or process the deposited film. In another configuration, all three sets of chambers (e.g., all 12 chambers shown) can be configured to perform both depositing and / or curing a film on the substrate.

[0027]

[0036] As shown in this figure, the second robot arm 110 can include two arms for simultaneously feeding and / or retrieving a plurality of substrates. For example, each of the quad sections 109 may include two access portions 107 along the surface of the housing in the transfer area, and the two access portions 107 can be laterally aligned with the second robot arm. Such access portions can be defined along the surface adjacent to the transfer chamber 112. In some embodiments, as shown, the first access portion can be aligned with the first substrate support among the plurality of substrate supports of the quad section. Additionally, the second access portion can be aligned with the second substrate support among the plurality of substrate supports of the quad section. The first substrate support may be adjacent to the second substrate support, and in some embodiments, such two substrate supports can define the first row of substrate supports. As shown in this exemplary configuration, the second row of substrate supports can be disposed behind the first row of substrate supports, laterally outside the transfer chamber 112. The two arms of the second robot arm 110 may be spaced apart to enable the two arms to simultaneously enter the quad section or the chamber system and feed or retrieve one or two substrates between the substrate supports within the transfer area.

[0028]

[0037] In one or more of the described transfer areas, additional chambers separate from the manufacturing systems shown in the various embodiments may be incorporated. It will be appreciated that the processing system 100 contemplates additional configurations of deposition chambers, etching chambers, annealing chambers, and curing chambers for material films. Additionally, any number of other processing systems may be utilized in conjunction with the techniques of this document, and such processing systems may incorporate transfer systems for performing any of the specific processes (such as substrate movement). In some embodiments, a processing system that can provide access to a plurality of processing chamber areas while maintaining a vacuum environment within various sections (such as the holding area and the transfer area described above) can enable processes to be performed in a plurality of chambers while maintaining a specific vacuum environment between separate processes.

[0029]

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a schematic partial isometric view of a chamber system 200 according to an embodiment of the technology of this document. This figure may show a partial cross-sectional view taken through two processing regions of the chamber system and a portion of the transfer region. For example, the chamber system 200 may be a quad section of the processing system 100 described above and may include any of the components described above or any of the components of any of the systems.

[0030]

[0039] The chamber system 200 may include a chamber body 201 that defines a transfer region 202 including a substrate support 203, and the substrate support 203 may extend into the chamber body 201 and be translatable in a vertical direction. A first lid plate 207 may be placed on the chamber body 201 and may define an aperture 209 that enables access to a processing region 204 formed with additional chamber system components. A lid stack 205 may be placed around each aperture or at least partially within each aperture, and the chamber system 200 may include a plurality of lid stacks 205. The plurality of lid stacks 205 includes a number of lid stacks equal to the number of apertures 209 of the plurality of apertures. Each of the lid stacks 205 may be placed on the first lid plate 207 and may be placed on a shelf formed by a recessed ridge passing through the second surface of the first lid plate 207. The lid stack 205 may at least partially define the processing region 204 of the chamber system 200.

[0031]

[0040] As shown, the processing region 204 can be vertically offset from the transfer region 202 and can be in fluid connection with the transfer region. Additionally, the processing region can be separated from other processing regions. The processing region can be in fluid connection with other processing regions through the transfer region from below, but can be fluidly separated from each of the other processing regions from above. In some embodiments, each lid stack 205 can further be aligned with the substrate support. For example, as shown, the lid stack 205a can be aligned above the substrate support 203a, and the lid stack 205b can be aligned above the substrate support 203b. The substrate can be delivered for individual processing within a separate processing region when lifted to the operating position (e.g., the second position). When in this position, each processing region 204 can be at least partially defined from below by the associated substrate support in the second position.

[0032]

[0041] FIG. 2 also shows an embodiment in which a second lid plate 210 may be included in the chamber system. The second lid plate 210 may be coupled to each of the lid stacks (which may be disposed between the first lid plate 207 and the second lid plate 210 in some embodiments). The second lid plate 210 may facilitate access to the components of the lid stack 205. The second lid plate 210 may define a plurality of apertures 212 therethrough. Each of the plurality of apertures may be defined to provide fluid access to a particular lid stack 205 or processing region 204. In some embodiments, a remote plasma unit 215 may optionally be included in the chamber system 200 and supported on the second lid plate 210. In some embodiments, the remote plasma unit 215 may be in fluid communication with each aperture 212 of the plurality of apertures through the second lid plate 210. Separation valves 220 may be included along each fluid line to provide fluid control to each of the individual processing regions 204. For example, as shown, aperture 212a may provide fluid access to lid stack 205a. Aperture 212a may further be axially aligned with, in some embodiments, not only any of the lid stack components but also the substrate support 203a. This allows for axial alignment (e.g., along a central axis passing through any of the components associated with a particular processing region, such as the substrate support or a component associated with a particular processing region 204) with each of the components associated with the individual processing regions. Similarly, aperture 212b may, in some embodiments, be capable of providing fluid access to lid stack 205b and may be aligned (including being axially aligned with not only the components of the lid stack but also the substrate support 203b).

[0033]

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional elevation view of one embodiment of the chamber system 200 according to a part of the embodiments of the technology of this book. FIG. 3 may show a cross-sectional view of what is shown in FIG. 2 above and may further illustrate the components of the system. This figure may include any of the components of the system shown and described previously and may also show any further aspects of the system described previously. It should be understood that this figure may further show exemplary components from a perspective through any two adjacent processing regions 108 within any of the quadrants 109 described above. This elevation view may show the configuration or fluid connection of one or more processing regions 204 and the transfer region 202. For example, a continuous transfer region 202 may be defined by the chamber body 201. The housing may define an open internal space in which several substrate supports 203 may be arranged. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an exemplary processing system may include four or more substrate supports 203 (including a plurality of substrate supports 203) disposed around the transfer region within the chamber body. The substrate support may be a pedestal as shown, but several other configurations may also be used. In some embodiments, the pedestal may be vertically translatable between the transfer region 202 and the processing region 204 above the transfer region. The substrate support may be vertically translatable along a path between a first position and a second position within the chamber system, along the central axis of the substrate support. Thus, in some embodiments, each substrate support 203 may be axially aligned with a processing region 204 above defined by one or more chamber components.

[0034]

[0043] The open transfer area can provide the ability of a transfer device 335 (such as a carousel) to engage and move (e.g., rotate) a substrate between various substrate supports. The transfer device 335 can be rotatable about a central axis. Thereby, the substrate can be placed for processing in any of the arbitrary processing areas 204 within the processing system. The transfer device 335 may include one or more end effectors, and such end effectors can engage the substrate from above or below or engage the outer edge of the substrate in order to move the substrate around the substrate support. The transfer device can receive the substrate from a transfer chamber robot (such as the robot 110 described above). The transfer device can then rotate the substrate to an alternative substrate support to facilitate the delivery of additional substrates.

[0035]

[0044] When the transfer device is arranged and in a processing standby state, it can place the end effector or the arm between the substrate supports. As a result, it may be possible to raise the substrate support above the transfer device 335 and send the substrate into the processing region 204 (which may be offset vertically from the transfer region 202). For example, as shown in the figure, the substrate support 203a can send the substrate into the processing region 204a, while the substrate support 203b can send the substrate into the processing region 204b. This can also be done with the other two substrate supports and processing regions, and further with additional substrate supports and processing regions in embodiments that include additional processing regions. In this configuration, the substrate support can at least partially define the processing region 204 from below when operably engaged for substrate processing (e.g., at the second position). The processing region can be axially aligned with the associated substrate support. The processing region may be defined from above by components of the lid stack 205, and each component of the lid stack 205 can include one or more of the illustrated components. In some embodiments, each processing region can have an individual lid stack component, but in some embodiments, the components can be adapted for multiple processing regions 204. In some embodiments, based on this configuration, each processing region 204 can be fluidly separated from each of the other processing regions within the chamber system or quad section from above, while being fluidly connected to the transfer region.

[0036]

[0045] The lid stack 205 may include several components that can facilitate the flow of the precursor through the chamber system and may be at least partially housed between the first lid plate 207 and the second lid plate 210. Above each shelf portion formed by each of the recessed ridges of the first lid plate 207, the liner 305 may be placed. For example, the liner 305 may define a lip or flange, whereby the liner 305 may be enabled to extend from the shelf portion of the first lid plate 207. The liner 305 may, in some embodiments, extend vertically below the first surface of the first lid plate 207 and may extend at least partially into the open transfer region 202. The liner 305 may be made of a material similar to or different from the material of the chamber body and may be or may include a material that limits the deposition or retention of material on the surface of the liner 305. The liner 305 may (if included) define an access diameter for the substrate support 203 and may be characterized by any of the above-described gap amounts of the gap between the substrate support 203 and the liner 305.

[0037]

[0046] The pump liner 310 can be placed on the liner 305. The pump liner 310 can extend at least partially within a recess defined in the second surface of the first lid plate 207 or along a recessed ridge. In some embodiments, the pump liner 310 can be placed on the liner 305 on a shelf formed by the recessed ridge. The pump liner 310 can be an annular component and can at least partially define the processing region 204 in the radial or transverse direction depending on the shape and dimensions of the space. The pump liner can define an exhaust plenum within the liner, and a plurality of apertures providing access to the exhaust plenum are defined in the inner annular surface of the pump liner. The exhaust plenum can extend vertically at least partially above the height of the first lid plate 207, thereby facilitating the delivery of the substance to be exhausted through the exhaust channel formed through the first lid plate and the chamber body described above. A portion of the pump liner can extend at least partially along the second surface of the first lid plate 207 to complete the exhaust channel between the exhaust plenum of the pump liner and the channel formed through the chamber body and the first lid plate.

[0038]

[0047] The faceplate 315 can be placed on the pump liner 310 and can define a plurality of apertures through the faceplate 315 for feeding a precursor into the processing region 204. The faceplate 315 can at least partially define the associated processing region 204 from above and can cooperate at least partially with the pump liner and the substrate support in the raised position to generally define the processing region. The faceplate 315 can operate as an electrode of a system for generating local plasma within the processing region 204 and thus, in some embodiments, can be connected to a power source or can be grounded. In some embodiments, the substrate support 203 can operate as a companion electrode for generating capacitively coupled plasma between the faceplate and the substrate support.

[0039]

[0048] The blocker plate 320 may be placed on the faceplate 315 and may further distribute the processing fluid or precursor to make the flow distribution to the substrate more uniform. The blocker plate 320 may further define several apertures through the plate. In some embodiments, the blocker plate 320 may be characterized by a diameter smaller than the diameter of the faceplate as shown, whereby an annular access portion may be provided on the surface of the faceplate radially outside the blocker plate 320. In some embodiments, the faceplate heater 325 may be placed on the annular access portion and may be in contact with the faceplate 315 to heat the components during processing or other operations. In some embodiments, the blocker plate 320 and the faceplate heater 325 may be characterized as being together and having an outer diameter equal to or substantially equal to the outer diameter of the faceplate 315. Similarly, in some embodiments, the faceplate heater 325 may be characterized as having an outer diameter equal to or substantially equal to the outer diameter of the faceplate 315. The faceplate heater 325 may extend around the blocker plate 320 and may or may not be in direct contact with the blocker plate 320 at the outer edge of the blocker plate 320.

[0040]

[0049] The gas box 330 may be disposed on the blocker plate 320, and each gas box 330 of the lid stack 205 may at least partially support the second lid plate 210. The gas box 330 may define a central aperture, and the central aperture is aligned with a relevant aperture 212 among a plurality of apertures defined through the second lid plate 210. The second lid plate 210 may support a remote plasma unit 215 that may include piping to each of the apertures 212 and into each processing region 204 in some embodiments. An adapter may be disposed to pass through the aperture 212 to connect the piping of the remote plasma unit and the gas box 330. Additionally, in some embodiments, a separation valve 220 may be disposed in the piping to regulate the flow to each of the individual processing regions 204.

[0041]

[0050] Between each component of the lid stack 205, in some embodiments, an O-ring or gasket may be placed that can facilitate vacuum processing within the chamber system 200. The connection of the specific components between the first lid plate 207 and the second lid plate 210 may be made in any number of ways, whereby access to the system components can be facilitated. For example, a first set of connections may be incorporated between the first lid plate 207 and the second lid plate 210, whereby the removal of both lid plates and each lid stack 205 is made easier, providing access to the substrate support or transfer device within the transfer area of the chamber system. The above connection may include any number of physical and removable connections that extend between the two lid plates, whereby they may be separable integrally from the chamber body 207. For example, a drive motor that can lift the components from the chamber body 201 on the main frame that houses the chamber system 200 may be removably connected to the second lid plate 210.

[0042]

[0051] When the connection between the first lid plate 207 and the second lid plate 210 is disengaged, the second lid plate 210 may be removed while the first lid plate 207 remains on the chamber body 201, and access to one or more components of the lid stack 205 may be facilitated. Disassembly within the lid stack 205 may be performed between any two of the aforementioned components (some of which may be connected to the first lid plate 207 and some of which may be connected to the second lid plate 210). For example, in some embodiments, each of the gas boxes 330 may be connected to the second lid plate 210. Thus, if the second lid plate is raised from the chamber system, the gas box can be removed, providing access to the blocker plate and the face plate. Continuing with this example, the blocker plate 320 and the face plate 315 may or may not be connected to the first lid plate 207. For example, the components may be (optionally including a mechanical connection) disengaged and may, for example, float on the first lid plate 207 by arranging features to maintain proper alignment of the components. This example is intended to be non-limiting and it should be understood that it illustrates any number of disassembly configurations between any two of the components of the lid stack when the second lid plate 210 is separated from the first lid plate 207. As a result, depending on the connection between the first lid plate and the second lid plate, the entire lid stack and both lid plates may be removed to provide access to the transfer area, or the second lid plate may be removed to provide access to the lid stack components.

[0043]

[0052] FIG. 4 shows a schematic front isometric view of a separation valve 400 according to a part of an embodiment of the technology of this document. FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional isometric view of the separation valve 400 of FIG. 4. The separation valve 400 can be incorporated into a chamber system to fluidly connect between two chamber units and provide fluid control between the two chamber units. In some embodiments, similar to the separation valve 220, the separation valve 400 can be incorporated into the chamber system in the same manner as the chamber system 200 to fluidly connect a remote plasma unit (such as the remote plasma unit 215) and a processing chamber or a processing region of the processing chamber (such as the processing region 204). Although an example of two chamber units is described, the separation valve 400 can be configured to fluidly connect more than two chamber units and provide fluid control for more than two chamber units by using suitable connections (such as manifolds and / or pipes). For example, in some embodiments, the separation valve 400 can be configured to fluidly connect more than one chamber unit upstream of the separation valve 400 with one chamber unit downstream of the separation valve 400. In some embodiments, the separation valve 400 can be configured to fluidly connect one chamber unit upstream of the separation valve 400 with more than one chamber unit downstream of the separation valve 400. In some embodiments, the separation valve 400 can be configured to fluidly connect a plurality of chamber units upstream of the separation valve 400 with a plurality of chamber units downstream of the separation valve 400. Suitable manifolds and / or pipes can be utilized to connect one or more chamber units upstream or downstream of the separation valve 400 to the inlet or outlet of the separation valve 400.

[0044]

[0053] The isolation valve 400 may include a valve body 402 and a flapper assembly 404. The valve body 402 may include a first or upper wall 406, a second or bottom wall 408, and several third or side walls 410a, 410b, 410c, 410d, which may collectively define an internal space 411 (see FIG. 5) of the valve body 402. The valve body 402 may define a port (such as an inlet port 405) in the upper wall 406 to provide fluid access to the internal space 411 of the valve body 402, and may define another port, such as an outlet port 407 (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 but shown in FIG. 6), in the bottom wall 408. In this document, for the purpose of explanation, terms related to position or direction (such as upper, bottom, side, etc.) are used, but these terms are not intended to limit the orientation or configuration of the isolation valve 400 during assembly and / or operation. Since the isolation valve 400 is incorporated into the chamber system and / or connected to other components of the chamber system, it may be configured in any orientation.

[0045]

[0054] In some embodiments, as described above, the inlet port 405 may be connected to a remote plasma unit (such as the remote plasma unit 215), and the outlet port 407 may be connected to a processing chamber or a processing region (such as the processing region 204). Therefore, as detailed below, the isolation valve 400 may be configured to allow the flow of fluid (such as a plasma emission formed from a cleaning gas containing NF3) from the remote plasma unit to the processing region. The isolation valve 400 may also be configured to prevent the flow of fluid (such as a processing gas that may or may not contain plasma) from the processing region to the remote plasma unit to prevent contamination of the remote plasma unit by the processing gas.

[0046]

[0055] In some embodiments, the upper wall 406, the bottom wall 408, and the side walls 410a, 410b, 410d can be formed as one piece. One of the side walls (e.g., side wall 410c) can be formed as a separate piece and function as a mounting platform for the flapper assembly 404. The side wall 410c (with the flapper assembly 404 mounted thereon) can then be assembled with the one-piece of the upper wall 406, the bottom wall 408, and the side walls 410a, 410b, 410d to form the isolation valve 400.

[0047]

[0056] Specifically, referring to FIG. 5, the flapper assembly 404 can include a flapper 412, a flapper shaft 414, and a drive mechanism 416. In some embodiments, the flapper 412 and the flapper shaft 414 can be formed as a single piece. In some embodiments, the flapper 412 and the flapper shaft 414 can be formed as separate pieces and then connected to each other. To mount the flapper assembly 404 to the side wall 410c, one end or the first end of the flapper shaft 414 can be disposed to pass through an aperture formed in the side wall 410c and connected to the drive mechanism 416. The drive mechanism 416 may be mounted to the side wall 410c, which will be described in detail below.

[0048]

[0057] One or more bearing supports 420a are arranged around the flapper shaft 414 inside the aperture of the side wall 410c to support the flapper shaft 414 and reduce rotational friction. In some embodiments, a single bearing support 420a may be used. In some embodiments, more than one bearing support 420a may be used to improve the axial alignment between the flapper shaft 414 and the aperture of the side wall 410c. The bearing support 420a may be arranged close to the outside of the side wall 410c so that any exposure to the fluid flow (such as corrosive gas flow) in the internal space 411 of the separation valve 400 can be limited or avoided. Two sealing members 421a, 423a (such as elastic seals) may be arranged around the flapper shaft 414 inside the aperture of the side wall 410c. The sealing member 421a arranged closer to the inside of the side wall 410c, and thus closer to the internal space 411, may be made of, or include, a material with process resistance (such as perfluoroelastomer (FFKM)) to withstand or resist corrosion that may be caused by exposure to, for example, fluorine radicals or other corrosive gases, and / or exposure to high temperatures. The sealing member 423a arranged farther from the internal space 411 may be made of, or include, a material that may have lower chemical resistance compared to the material of the sealing member 421a but can provide excellent sealing characteristics. In some embodiments, the sealing member 423a may be made of, or include, fluoroelastomer (FKM), Viton® etc. In some embodiments, the sealing members 421a, 423a may be made of, or include, a common material.

[0049]

[0058] When the flapper assembly 404 is attached to the side wall 410c, the flapper 412 and the flapper shaft 414 can be disposed or slid within the internal space 411 of the separation valve 400. The other end or the second end of the flapper shaft 414 can be disposed through an aperture formed in the side wall 410a and supported by the side wall 410a. A sealing sleeve 424 can be disposed inside the aperture of the side wall 410a around the flapper shaft 414. While the flapper shaft 414 can be configured to rotate relative to the sealing sleeve 424, the sealing sleeve 424 can remain stationary relative to the side wall 410a. The inner surface of the side wall 410a can define a recessed ridge around the aperture of the side wall 410a. This recessed ridge is configured to receive the flange 425 of the sealing sleeve 424 such that when the sealing sleeve 424 is fitted inside the aperture of the side wall 410a, the sealing sleeve 424 and its flange 425 can be flush with the inner surface of the side wall 410c. The flange 425 of the sealing sleeve 424 can be a groove that includes a groove for receiving a sealing member 426 (such as an elastic seal) inside to form a static seal between the sealing sleeve 424 and the recessed ridge of the side wall 410a.

[0050]

[0059] The sealing sleeve 424 can be configured to house one or more bearing supports 420b for supporting the flapper shaft 414. The bearing supports 420b can be disposed adjacent to the outside of the side wall 410c so that any exposure of the fluid flow (such as a corrosive gas flow) in the internal space 411 of the isolation valve 400 can be limited or avoided. To limit the axial relative movement between the bearing support 420b and the flapper shaft 414, a nut 427 and a bearing washer 428 can be connected to the end of the flapper shaft 414. Sealing members 421b, 423b (such as elastic seals) can be disposed between the flapper shaft 414 and the sealing sleeve 424. Similar to the sealing member 421a, the sealing member 421b disposed closer to the inside of the side wall 410a, and thus closer to the internal space 411, can be made of a material (such as perfluoroelastomer (FFKM)) having process resistance or including such a material in order to withstand or resist corrosion that can be caused by, for example, exposure to fluorine radicals or other corrosive gases and / or exposure to high temperatures. Similar to the sealing member 423a, the sealing member 423b disposed farther from the internal space 411 can be made of a material that can provide excellent sealing characteristics although it may have lower chemical resistance compared to the material of the sealing member 421b or include such a material. In some embodiments, the sealing member 423b can be made of or include, for example, fluoroelastomer (FKM), Viton® etc. In some embodiments, the sealing members 421b, 423b can be made of a common material or include a common material.

[0051]

[0060] In some embodiments, additional seals (such as elastic seal rings) can be provided between the interface or contact surface of the side wall 410c and the upper wall 406, the bottom wall 408, and the side walls 410b, 410d, and fasteners can be used to further fix the side wall 410c to the other walls. The fasteners can be removed to disassemble or remove the flapper assembly 404. The flapper shaft 414 can be pushed from the outside of the side wall 410a, and the flapper 412 and the flapper assembly 404 can slide out of the valve body 402 and be removed.

[0052]

[0061] The flapper assembly 404 can be mounted on and supported by the side wall 410a and can slide into or out of the valve body 402 for assembly or disassembly, so no additional connections are required within the isolation valve 400. Thus, the components of the flapper assembly 404 that can be exposed to a fluid flow (such as a corrosive cleaning gas flow containing F radicals) can be limited when assembled. In some embodiments, only the flapper 412 and the flapper shaft 414 are exposed to the fluid flow, and other components that can be exposed to the fluid flow can be eliminated. By constructing the flapper 412 and the flapper shaft 414 from suitable materials, it is possible to minimize degradation due to exposure to the fluid flow, and the operating life of the flapper assembly 404 and the isolation valve 400 can be improved.

[0053]

[0062] In some embodiments, not only the flapper 412 and the flapper shaft 414, but also the seal sleeve 424 and the valve body 402 can be made of the same or similar materials commonly used in the fabrication of semiconductor processing chambers. The flapper 412, the flapper shaft 414, the seal sleeve 424, and / or the valve body 402 can be made of metal (e.g., aluminum, aluminum oxide, or aluminum nitride with or without treatments such as surface coating or anodization). Other suitable materials for making the flapper 412, the flapper shaft 414, and / or the valve body 402 can be selected based on the fluid flow through the internal space 411 of the isolation valve 400 and other various considerations.

[0054]

[0063] In some embodiments, the separation valve 400 may include an optional cooling circuit to cool the flapper assembly 404 and / or the valve body 402. For example, in some embodiments, the fluid flow through the internal space 411 of the separation valve 400 may include plasma emissions, and such plasma emissions may recombine and release heat, heating the flapper 412, the flapper shaft 414, the valve body 402, and / or other components of the separation valve 400. In some embodiments, one or more of the side walls 410 may include two ports 429a, 429b for a cooling fluid (such as water or air) flowing through a cooling loop disposed inside the valve body 402 to cool the valve body 402. For example, the cooling loop may be disposed in the bottom wall 408 surrounding the outlet port 407 (see FIG. 6) of the separation valve 400.

[0055]

[0064] In some embodiments, the flapper shaft 414 may include a hollow core 418 through which a cooling fluid (e.g., water, air, etc.) flows to cool the flapper shaft 414. The flapper 412 may further be cooled by the cooling fluid supplied through the flapper shaft 414 via heat conduction. In some embodiments, a separate cooling circuit may also be provided for the flapper 412. As described above, since the elastic seal is not exposed to the fluid flow, heating may not be a significant problem. Further, depending on the manner in which the isolation valve 400 may be coupled to the chamber unit that supplies the plasma emissions, the recombination of radicals that may occur within the isolation valve 400 may be limited. For example, the isolation valve 400 may be incorporated within the chamber system 200 described above with reference to FIG. 2 to provide fluid control between the remote plasma unit 215 and the processing region 204. Thus, the isolation valve 400 may be disposed at a relatively long distance from the remote plasma unit 215, provided by the piping connecting the remote plasma unit 215 and the isolation valve 400. As a result, the recombination heat that may be generated within the isolation valve 400 can be significantly reduced compared to the case where the remote plasma unit 215 may be directly connected to the inlet port 405 of the isolation valve 400, and cooling for the flapper shaft 414, the flapper 412, and / or the valve body 402 may be omitted. If cooling can be omitted, the flapper shaft 414 may be made of a solid core, and recesses may be formed in the side wall 410a instead of apertures or through holes (see FIG. 4) to receive the ends of the flapper shaft 414.

[0056]

[0065] Figure 6 shows a schematic bottom view of the isolation valve 400 of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 shows various connections for connection to the cooling fluid tube, in addition to the various components shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, including connections 430a, 430b for connection to a tube for supplying a cooling fluid to cool the valve body 402, and connections 432a, 432b for connection to a tube for supplying a cooling fluid to cool the flapper shaft 414 and the flapper 412. In some embodiments, the connections 432a, 432b for connection to a tube for supplying a cooling fluid to the flapper shaft 414 may include a rotary connection. For example, each of the connections 432a, 432b may include a rotary feed-through (such as screw-type rotary feed-throughs 434a, 434b). By utilizing the rotary feed-throughs 434a, 434b, the tubes do not rotate or twist even when the flapper shaft 414 rotates to open and close the flapper 412, and the stress or material fatigue that would otherwise be caused by the rotation of the flapper shaft 414 can be avoided. In some embodiments, each of the connections 432a, 432b may further include adapters 433a, 433b for connecting the rotary feed-throughs 434a, 434b and the other components of the connections 432a, 432b to the flapper shaft 414. The adapters 433a, 433b may be made of a polymer material to protect the flapper shaft 414 from galvanic corrosion. Some of the polymer materials suitable for the adapters 433a, 433b may include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyamide, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polylactic acid (polylactide), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polycarbonate (PC), polyethersulfone (PES), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherimide (PEI), polyethylene (PEI), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene, and the like.

[0057]

[0066] FIG. 7 shows a schematic rear isometric view of the isolation valve 400 of FIG. 4. As shown, the drive mechanism 416 can include a pneumatic actuator 440. The pneumatic actuator 440 can include a pivoting end that can be connected to an extended portion of the side wall 410c and that can be supported by this extended portion. The pneumatic actuator 440 can include a housing 442, a piston inside the housing, and a piston rod 444 connected to the piston and extending outside the housing 442 to rotate the flapper shaft 414. The piston can be driven to move linearly inside the housing 442 by pressurizing one side of the piston and exhausting the other side of the piston, or vice versa, through two valve pilot connections 445a, 445b arranged on each side of the piston.

[0058]

[0067] The piston rod 444 can be connected or linked to a crank arm 446 extending from a sleeve 448 disposed around the end of the flapper shaft 414. The sleeve 448 can be fixedly connected to the flapper shaft 414, whereby the linear motion of the piston of the pneumatic actuator 440 is converted into rotational motion of the crank arm 446, sleeve 448, and flapper shaft 414 to pivot the flapper 412 between a first position or open position that allows fluid flow through the isolation valve 400 and a second position or closed position that restricts fluid flow through the isolation valve 400. The pneumatic actuator 440 can further include position sensors 450a, 450b (such as Hall effect sensors) for sensing the position of the piston inside the housing 442 to determine the position of the flapper 412 inside the isolation valve 400. Although a pneumatic actuator 440 is described as an example, other drive mechanisms (such as bellows with sliding seals, rack and pinion drives, and any other suitable drive mechanism) can be implemented.

[0059]

[0068] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism 416 may further include a collar 422 attached to the side wall 410c. The collar 422 may include an annular flange 454 disposed around the sleeve 448. The collar 422 may further include an annular sector 456 that may define two hard stops 458a, 458b that may define the rotation range of the crank arm 446. In some embodiments, the collar 422 may be configured such that the flapper 412 may be in the open position when the crank arm 446 is disposed adjacent to one of the hard stops (such as hard stop 458a) or may stop at one of such hard stops, and the flapper 412 may be in the closed position when the crank arm 446 is disposed adjacent to another one of the hard stops (such as hard stop 458b) or may stop at another one of such hard stops.

[0060]

[0069] In the illustrated embodiment, the entire drive mechanism 416 can be disposed outside the valve body 402. Thus, the drive mechanism 416 can be easily removed and / or replaced for maintenance or repair without the need to disconnect the isolation valve 400 from the chamber system into which the isolation valve 400 can be incorporated. The drive mechanism 416 can be maintained or repaired without breaking the vacuum of the chamber system. Further, since the flapper 412 can be actuated by the pneumatic actuator 440 and the position of the flapper 412 can be determined by the position sensor 450 of the pneumatic actuator 440, an internal valve harness is not required and the design and operation of the flapper 412 can be simplified. The integration of the isolation valve 400 with the chamber system can also be simplified in some embodiments. This is because the integration of separate flapper control is not required and only the connection between the gas panel of the chamber system and the valve pilot connections 445a, 445b may be required. Although a pneumatic actuator is illustrated and described as an example, in some embodiments, the drive mechanism 416 may include a servo motor coupled to the flapper 412 to control the movement and / or position of the flapper 412. As will be described in detail below, when the flapper 412 can be in the closed position, a low-conductance gap can be created and / or maintained between the flapper 412 and the surface(s) in the vicinity of or adjacent to the flapper 412. The servo motor can control and / or maintain the size of this gap with high precision.

[0061]

[0070] FIG. 8 shows a schematic perspective side view of a portion of the separation valve 400 of FIG. 4. For purposes of illustration and to aid understanding, FIG. 8 shows both the open position (shown as a vertical position in FIG. 8) and the closed position (shown as a horizontal position in FIG. 8) of the flapper 412. However, it should be understood that the separation valve 400 may include only one flapper 412. As shown, the valve body 402 can define a first fluid space 460 and a second fluid space 462. The valve body 402 may further define a third space or swing space 464 in which the flapper 412 can swing or pivot. The first fluid space 460 and the swing space 464 may overlap.

[0062]

[0071] When the flapper 412 is pivoted to the open position, fluid can flow from the inlet port 405 into the first fluid space 460, into the second fluid space 462, and out of the separation valve 400 through the outlet port 407. For example, a plasma discharge (e.g., a plasma discharge formed from a cleaning gas by a remote plasma unit) can flow from the remote plasma unit, through the inlet port 405, into the first fluid space 460, and into the second fluid space 462. Such plasma discharge can then flow into the processing region through the outlet port 407 to clean various components within the processing region and flow downstream of the processing region. Although an example of fluid flow from the inlet port 405 to the outlet port 407 is described, when the flapper 412 is in the open position, in some embodiments, fluid may flow from the outlet port 407 to the inlet port 405 through the second fluid space 462 and the first fluid space 460 depending on the process.

[0063]

[0072] When the flapper 412 is pivoted to the closed position, the flow of fluid from the inlet port 405 to the outlet port 407 (and vice versa) can be restricted. For example, during semiconductor processing, a process gas can be flowed into the processing region to process a semiconductor substrate housed in the processing region. The flapper 412 can be pivoted to the closed position to limit a process gas that can flow into the remote plasma unit and contaminate the remote plasma unit. As will be described in detail below, a shielding gas may also be flowed to further limit and prevent any process gas that can flow into the remote plasma unit through the isolation valve 400.

[0064]

[0073] Referring further to FIG. 8, the inlet port 405 and the outlet port 407 may be shaped differently from each other, and the first fluid space 460 and the second fluid space 462 may include different cross-sections. The inlet port 405 may be circular (as shown, for example, in FIGS. 4 and 5), and at least a portion of the first fluid space 460 proximate to the inlet port 405 may have a circular cross-section corresponding to the inlet port 405. The outlet port 407 may be rectangular (as shown, for example, in FIG. 6), and the entire second fluid space 462 may have a rectangular cross-section corresponding to the outlet port 407. The outlet port 407 may be shaped differently from the inlet port 405, but may define the same or a similar flow cross-sectional area as the inlet port 405 so as to facilitate the flow of fluid through the isolation valve 400.

[0065]

[0074] The outlet port 407 and / or the second fluid space 462 may include a first dimension or width that, as shown in FIG. 8, may be less than the diameter of the inlet port 405. Referring to FIG. 9, which shows a schematic cross-sectional front view of the separation valve 400 with the flapper 412 in the closed position, the outlet port 407 and / or the second fluid space 462 may include a second dimension or length that may be greater than the diameter of the inlet port 405. The length may be parallel to the pivot axis of the flapper 412, and the width may be perpendicular to the pivot axis of the flapper 412. The length-to-width aspect ratio of the outlet port 407 and / or the second fluid space 462 may range between about 10:1 and about 1:1, between about 8:1 and about 1:1, between about 6:1 and about 1:1, between about 5:1 and about 1:1, between about 4:1 and about 1:1, between about 3:1 and about 1:1, or between about 2:1 and about 1:1. By way of example, a rectangular cross-section of the rectangular outlet port 407 and / or the second fluid space 462 is described, but the cross-section of the outlet port 407 and / or the second fluid space 462 may include different shapes (e.g., oval or other oval or elongated shape). In some embodiments, the outlet port 407 and / or the second fluid space 462 may not have an elongated shape, and in some embodiments, the first dimension or width of the outlet port 407 and / or the second fluid space 462 may be the same as or greater than its second dimension or length.

[0066]

[0075] By having a larger first dimension or length parallel to the pivot axis of the flapper 412, a relatively short second or width dimension perpendicular to the pivot axis of the flapper 412 can be utilized to maintain a flow cross-sectional area the same as or similar to that of the inlet port 405. Thus, the radial span or length of the flapper 412 that may be required to cover the second fluid space 462 can be reduced. Reducing the length of the flapper 412 can, in turn, lead to a reduction in the pivot radius or swing radius of the flapper 412 and a reduction in the swing space 464 inside the valve body 402 for accommodating the flapper 412. Thus, it can be achieved that the package size of the separation valve 400 is made overall more compact or reduced. In some embodiments, the outer dimension of the separation valve 400 measured along the flow path, or the distance between the inlet port 405 and the outlet port 407, can be about 150 mm or less, about 140 mm or less, about 130 mm or less, about 120 mm or less, about 110 mm or less, about 100 mm or less, or can be below these values.

[0067]

[0076] Continuing to refer to FIGS. 8 and 9, when the flapper 412 is in the closed position, the flapper surface 470 or the surface of the flapper 412 facing the outlet port 407 can be disposed close to the seating surface 472 defined by the bottom wall 408 of the valve body 402 surrounding the second fluid space 462. In some embodiments, the flapper surface 470 may not contact the seating surface 472, and a small gap 474 can be maintained between the flapper surface 470 and the seating surface 472. In some embodiments, the gap 474 can extend or exist between the free end of the flapper 412 and the side wall 410d defining a part of the swing space 464. As shown in FIG. 9, the gap 474 can also extend or exist between the side surface of the flapper 412 and the side walls 410a, 410c.

[0068]

[0077] Although a flat or planar flapper surface 470 and a flat or planar mounting surface 472 are illustrated, the flapper surface 470 and the mounting surface 472 may not be flat or planar in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the mounting surface 472 may have a convex outer shape, and the flapper surface 470 may have a complementary concave outer shape (or vice versa). The mounting surface 472 and the flapper surface 470 may have any other outer shape, but the complementary surface outer shapes of the flapper surface 470 and the mounting surface 472 can help achieve a reduction in fluid conductance through the gap 474, as will be described later.

[0069]

[0078] In some embodiments, the flapper 412 and the valve body 402 may be configured such that the gap 474 can be made sufficiently small when the flapper 412 is in the closed position, and the flow path through the gap 474 between the first fluid space 460 and the second fluid space 462 can be made sufficiently long so that a low fluid conductance between the first fluid space 460 and the second fluid space 462 through the gap 474 can be achieved. In some embodiments, the gap 474 (e.g., the distance between the flapper surface 470 and the mounting surface 472) can range between about 2 mm and about 0.1 mm, between about 1.5 mm and about 0.5 mm, or between about 1.2 mm and about 0.8 mm. In some embodiments, the gap 474 can be about 2 mm or less, about 1.9 mm or less, about 1.8 mm or less, about 1.7 mm or less, about 1.6 mm or less, about 1.5 mm or less, about 1.4 mm or less, about 1.3 mm or less, about 1.2 mm or less, about 1.1 mm or less, about 1.0 mm or less, about 0.9 mm or less, about 0.8 mm or less, about 0.7 mm or less, about 0.6 mm or less, about 0.5 mm or less, about 0.4 mm or less, about 0.3 mm or less, about 0.2 mm or less, about 0.1 mm or less.

[0070]

[0079] To achieve a relatively low fluid conductance, the second fluid space 462 and the flapper 412 are configured such that when the flapper 412 is closed, the distance between the outer periphery of the second fluid space 462 and the outer periphery of the flapper surface 470 is, in some embodiments, about 5 mm or more, about 10 mm or more, about 15 mm or more, about 20 mm or more, about 25 mm or more, about 30 mm or more, or more, but about 50 mm or less, so as to maintain a relatively small package size. An appropriate thickness of the flapper 412 can also achieve an increase in the flow path. As described above, the gap 474 can also extend or exist between the side surface of the flapper 412 and the side walls 410a, 410c of the valve body 402, as shown in FIG. 9. The thickness of the flapper 412 measured between the flapper surface 470 facing the outlet port 407 and the flapper surface 476 facing the inlet port 405 can range between about 5 mm and about 50 mm, between about 10 mm and about 40 mm, or between about 20 mm and about 30 mm in various embodiments.

[0071]

[0080] Depending on the configurations of the flapper 412 and the valve body 402, in some embodiments, the flow path between the first fluid space 460 and the second fluid space 462 through the gap 474 can range between about 100 mm and about 10 mm, between about 90 mm and about 20 mm, between about 80 mm and about 30 mm, or between about 70 mm and about 40 mm. In some embodiments, the flow path can be about 10 mm or more, about 20 mm or more, about 30 mm or more, about 40 mm or more, about 50 mm or more, about 60 mm or more, about 70 mm or more, about 80 mm or more, about 90 mm or more, about 100 mm or more, or can exceed these. In some embodiments, the ratio of the flow path to the gap 474 can range between about 1000:1 and about 10:1, between about 500:1 and about 20:1, between about 200:1 and about 20:1, between about 100:1 and about 30:1, between about 80:1 and about 30:1, or between about 60:1 and about 40:1. In some embodiments, the ratio of the flow path to the gap 474 can be about 10:1 or more, about 20:1 or more, about 30:1 or more, about 40:1 or more, about 50:1 or more, about 60:1 or more, about 80:1 or more, about 100:1 or more, about 200:1 or more, about 500:1 or more, about 1000:1 or more, or can exceed these. In some embodiments, a gap 474 of about 1 mm or less and a ratio of the flow path to the gap of about 40:1 or more achieve a desirable low level of fluid conductance while keeping the manufacturing cost low.

[0072]

[0081] By having a relatively small gap 474 and / or a relatively long flow path through the gap 474 between the first fluid space 460 and the second fluid space 462, the fluid conductance through the gap 474 can be low. In some embodiments, the fluid conductance through the gap 474 can range between about 0.5 liters per second and about 0.01 liters per second, between about 0.4 liters per second and about 0.02 liters per second, between about 0.3 liters per second and about 0.03 liters per second, between about 0.2 liters per second and about 0.04 liters per second, or between about 0.1 liters per second and about 0.05 liters per second. In some embodiments, the fluid conductance through the gap 474 can be about 0.5 liters per second or less, about 0.4 liters per second or less, about 0.3 liters per second or less, about 0.2 liters per second or less, about 0.1 liters per second or less, about 0.09 liters per second or less, about 0.08 liters per second or less, about 0.07 liters per second or less, about 0.06 liters per second or less, about 0.05 liters per second or less, about 0.04 liters per second or less, about 0.03 liters per second or less, about 0.02 liters per second or less, about 0.01 liters per second or less, or can be below these values.

[0073]

[0082] To prevent any fluid flow from the second fluid space 462 to the first fluid space 460 through the gap 474, shield gas can be introduced into the first fluid space 460. In some embodiments, the shield gas can be introduced into the first fluid space 460 through a shield gas inlet 468, as shown in FIG. 9. In some embodiments, the shield gas inlet 468 may be provided at a different location to first introduce the shield gas into the swing space 464 and then into the first fluid space 460. The shield gas inlet 468 can be provided in any of the side walls 410a, 410b, 410c, 410d, or the top wall 406. In some embodiments, a separate shield gas inlet may not be provided and the shield gas can be introduced into the first fluid space 460 through the inlet port 405.

[0074]

[0083] Since the fluid conductance through the gap 474 is low, although some process gas may be present along the flow path within the gap 474 (e.g., in the vicinity of the second fluid space 462), the process gas can be concentrated within the second fluid space 462, and the process gas that can diffuse through the gap 474 into the first fluid space 460 and / or then into the remote plasma unit and cause contamination of the remote plasma unit is almost or substantially eliminated. Similarly, the shielding gas can be concentrated within the first fluid space 460, and the shielding gas that can diffuse through the gap 474 into the second fluid space 462 and / or then into the processing region is almost or substantially eliminated. Even if there is shielding gas that can flow into the second fluid space 462, to limit its impact on the process executed within the processing region, the shielding gas can be an inert gas (such as helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, nitrogen, or any other suitable gas that may not react with the process gas). In some embodiments, during semiconductor processing, a purge gas can be flowed into the second fluid space 462. The same gas can be used as the shielding gas and supplied into the first fluid space 460.

[0075]

[0084] In some embodiments, the concentration of the process gas at the inlet port 405, which can be measured as the ratio of the process gas to the shielding gas, is about 1:10 6 or less, about 1:10 7 or less, about 1:10 8 or less, about 1:10 9 or less, about 1:10 10 or less, about 1:10 11 or less, about 1:10 12 or less, about 1:10 13 or less, about 1:10 14be as low as or lower than these. In some embodiments, by using the isolation valve 400 described herein, even when the pressure in the processing region is relatively high (e.g., 1 torr or higher, 5 torr or higher, 10 torr or higher, 15 torr or higher, or higher than these), a desirable processing gas concentration can be achieved and the inflow of the processing gas into the remote plasma unit can be substantially prevented by using only a relatively low flow rate of the shielding gas. In some embodiments, depending on the pressure in the processing region and / or various other considerations, the flow rate of the shielding gas can range between about 200 sccm and about 5 sccm, between about 150 sccm and about 10 sccm, between about 100 sccm and about 15 sccm, between about 80 sccm and about 20 sccm, or between about 60 sccm and about 40 sccm. In some embodiments, the shielding gas can be flowed at a flow rate of less than about 200 sccm, less than about 150 sccm, less than about 100 sccm, less than about 80 sccm, less than about 60 sccm, less than about 50 sccm, less than about 40 sccm, less than about 30 sccm, less than about 20 sccm, less than about 10 sccm, or lower than these.

[0076]

[0085] In some embodiments, one or more pressure transducers may be utilized to monitor the pressure within the first fluid space 460 and / or the second fluid space 462. In some embodiments, one or more pressure transducers may be incorporated into the valve body 402 (e.g., mounted to one of the walls 406, 408, 410 that define the first fluid space 460 and / or the second fluid space 462). A closed-loop control system may be implemented to dynamically control the flow rate of the shielding gas based on the pressure within the first fluid space 460 and / or the pressure within the second fluid space 462, thereby maintaining the pressure within the first fluid space 460 to be equal to or greater than the pressure within the second fluid space 462, and any process gas may be limited or prevented from entering the first fluid space 460. For example, to limit or prevent the inflow of process gas into the first fluid space 460, the flow rate of the shielding gas may be dynamically controlled in various embodiments to maintain the pressure within the first fluid space 460 to exceed the pressure within the second fluid space 462 by between about 1% and about 20%. For example, the pressure within the first fluid space 460 may be maintained to exceed the pressure within the second fluid space 462 by at least about 1%, at least about 2%, at least about 3%, at least about 4%, at least about 5%, at least about 6%, at least about 7%, at least about 8%, at least about 9%, at least about 10%, at least about 12%, at least about 14%, at least about 16%, at least about 18%, at least about 20%, or more than these values.

[0077]

[0086] By using the separation valve described in this book to create a relatively small gap and a relatively long flow path, and by using a shielding gas, it becomes possible to achieve separation without mechanical contact, and a non-contact or contactless seal for separating two chamber units (for example, a remote plasma unit and a processing area) can be realized. Since contact is not required, an elastic seal is not necessary, and wear or deterioration of the related seal is no longer a problem. This separation valve can operate reliably even in a highly corrosive environment. Furthermore, much of the complexity inherent in supporting an elastic seal, such as a cooling shield and a protective shield, can also be avoided, thereby simplifying the design and reducing costs. It should be noted that the terms "contactless" or "non-contact" used in this book do not exclude embodiments in which the flapper surface 470 and the mounting surface 472 can contact each other due to manufacturing tolerances or various other considerations. Rather, the terms "contactless" or "non-contact" are used in this book simply to distinguish from a conventional separation valve in which a seal is achieved through mechanical contact (for example, contact that can be formed between an elastic seal and a mounting surface).

[0078]

[0087] During processing, since the remote plasma unit and the processing area can be separated by the separation valve, the flow of the processing gas from the processing area to the remote plasma unit and the resulting contamination can be prevented. Even if the remote plasma unit may be contaminated by various other causes, such contamination is prevented from entering the processing area by the separation valve, thereby improving the processing quality and production throughput.

[0079]

[0088] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary process in a method 1000 for operating the isolation valve 400 described in this document to facilitate various semiconductor processing steps. As described above, the isolation valve 400 is incorporated into a chamber system (such as chamber system 200) and can be connected to two chamber units of the chamber system (for example, a remote plasma unit upstream of the isolation valve and a processing region downstream of the isolation valve 400). The isolation valve 400 can be operated to facilitate cleaning of the processing region using plasma emissions that can be generated from a cleaning gas by the remote plasma unit. The isolation valve 400 can further be operated to prevent contamination of the remote plasma unit by process gases that can flow into the processing region during semiconductor processing.

[0080]

[0089] Method 1000 can begin in step 1005 by opening the isolation valve 400 (e.g., pivoting the flapper 412 of the isolation valve 400 to the open position) to enable the flow of fluid from the remote plasma unit to the processing region. In step 1010, cleaning fluid can be flowed from the remote plasma unit to the processing region through the isolation valve 400. The cleaning fluid can include plasma emissions generated from a cleaning gas or a mixed gas (which can include NF3 or other cleaning gases) by the remote plasma unit. Thus, the plasma emissions can include fluorine radicals or other highly corrosive cleaning radicals for cleaning various chamber components within and downstream of the processing region. When the cleaning process is complete, the chamber system can be evacuated in step 1015 to remove any remaining cleaning plasma emissions. In step 1020, the isolation valve 400 can be closed by pivoting the flapper 412 to the closed position. In step 1025, a shielding gas can be flowed upstream of the flapper 412 of the isolation valve 400. The shielding gas can be flowed at any of the flow rates described above. In step 1030, a process gas can be flowed into the processing region to perform one or more semiconductor processing steps (such as deposition or etching) that can involve in-situ plasma generation within the processing region. As described above, the long flow path and small flow cross-sectional area defined by the flapper 412 and the mounting surface 472 can function as a non-contact, conductance-limiting seal. As a result, when the shielding gas is flowed, it is possible to prevent the flow of fluid from the processing region to the remote plasma unit (or vice versa), and contamination due to the flow of fluid from one of the remote plasma unit or the processing region to the other of the remote plasma unit or the processing region can be prevented. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the shielding gas can be dynamically controlled and / or adjusted based on the pressure upstream of the flapper 412 (e.g., the pressure of the remote plasma unit) and / or the pressure downstream of the flapper 412 (e.g., the pressure of the processing region). Thereby, the pressure upstream of the flapper 412 is maintained above the pressure downstream of the flapper 412, and any process gas can be limited or prevented from entering the remote plasma unit.

[0081]

[0090] In the above description, for the purpose of bringing about an understanding of various embodiments of the technology of this book, a number of detailed matters have been specified for the purpose of explanation. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain embodiments can be practiced even without some of such detailed matters or with additional detailed matters.

[0082]

[0091] Although several embodiments have been disclosed, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents can be used without departing from the essence of the embodiments. In addition, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the technology of this book, some well-known processes and elements have not been described. Therefore, the above description should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the technology of this book. In addition, although a method or process can be described as continuous or stepwise, it should be understood that these steps can be implemented simultaneously or in an order different from that described.

[0083]

[0092] When a range of values is provided, each intervening value between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed down to the smallest unit of the lower limit, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Any narrower range between any of the recited values or intervening values not recited in the recited range, and all other recited values or intervening values in such recited range, are included. The upper and lower limits of the narrower range can be included in or excluded from the range individually. Each range where either, neither, or both of the limiting values are included in the narrower range is also included in the technology of this book, provided that there are no limiting values specifically excluded within the recited range. When the recited range includes one or both of the limiting values, ranges excluding either or both of the included limiting values are also included.

[0084]

[0093] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a precursor" includes a plurality of such precursors, reference to "the layer" includes reference to one or more layers known to those skilled in the art and their equivalents, and so forth.

[0085]

[0094] Also, the terms "comprise(s) / comprising", "contain(s) / containing", and "include(s) / including", as used in this specification and the following claims, are used to specify the presence of the stated features, integers, components, or steps, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.

Claims

1. A separation valve, comprising: a valve body defining a first fluid space, a second fluid space, and a mounting surface; a flapper assembly disposed inside the valve body and having a flapper having a flapper surface complementary to the mounting surface; a shielding gas inlet defined in the valve body, the shielding gas inlet being configured to supply shielding gas to the first fluid space; the flapper being pivotable within the valve body to a first position such that the flapper surface is separated from the mounting surface to enable fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space; the flapper being further pivotable within the valve body to a second position such that the flapper surface is close to the mounting surface to form a non-contact seal and restrict fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space; the flapper assembly further comprising a flapper shaft for pivoting the flapper between the first position and the second position; the separation valve, wherein the flapper shaft includes a hollow core configured to allow a cooling fluid to pass therethrough to cool the flapper shaft and the flapper.

2. The separation valve according to claim 1, wherein when the flapper is in the second position, a gap in the range of 2 mm to 0.1 mm is formed between the mounting surface and the complementary flapper surface to form the non-contact seal.

3. The separation valve according to claim 1, wherein when the flapper is in the second position, a ratio of a length of a flow path defined by the flapper surface and the mounting surface to a distance between the flapper surface and the mounting surface is in the range of about 1000:1 to about 10:

1.

4. The valve body comprises a first side wall defining a first aperture connected to a first end of the flapper shaft, and the valve body further comprises a second side wall opposite to the first side wall, The separation valve according to claim 1, wherein the second side wall defines a second aperture connected to a second end of the flapper shaft.

5. The flapper assembly further comprises a drive mechanism operable to drive the flapper shaft, The separation valve according to claim 4, wherein the drive mechanism is disposed outside the valve body and mounted on an outer side of the first side wall.

6. A separation valve, comprising: A valve body that defines a first fluid space, a second fluid space, and a placement surface, A flapper assembly having a flapper disposed inside the valve body, the flapper having a flapper surface complementary to the placement surface, A shield gas inlet defined in the valve body, the shield gas inlet being configured to supply shield gas to the first fluid space, and a shield gas inlet, The flapper is pivotable to a first position within the valve body such that the flapper surface moves away from the placement surface to allow fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space, The flapper is further pivotable to a second position within the valve body such that the flapper surface approaches the placement surface to form a non-contact seal and restrict fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space, The valve body includes a plurality of walls, A separation valve in which a cooling loop is disposed within at least one of the plurality of walls and configured to cool the valve body by passing a cooling fluid therethrough. **Claim 7** A separation valve, A valve body that defines a first fluid space, a second fluid space, and a placement surface, A flapper assembly having a flapper disposed inside the valve body, the flapper having a flapper surface complementary to the placement surface, A shield gas inlet defined in the valve body, the shield gas inlet being configured to supply shield gas to the first fluid space, and a shield gas inlet, The flapper is pivotable to a first position within the valve body such that the flapper surface moves away from the placement surface to allow fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space, The flapper is further pivotable to a second position within the valve body such that the flapper surface approaches the placement surface to form a non-contact seal and restrict fluid flow between the first fluid space and the second fluid space, The valve body further defines a first port for providing fluid access to the first fluid space and a second port for providing fluid access to the second fluid space, The first port and the second port define a common flow cross-sectional area, A separation valve in which the first port and the second port are of different shapes. **Claim 8** The first port is circular, The separation valve according to claim 7, wherein the second port is rectangular.

9. The second port includes a first dimension parallel to the pivot axis of the flapper and a second dimension perpendicular to the pivot axis of the flapper, The separation valve according to claim 7, wherein the ratio of the first dimension to the second dimension is in the range between about 10:1 and about 1:

1.

10. A chamber system, A first chamber unit, A second chamber unit, A separation valve connected to the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit, the separation valve being configured to control the flow of fluid between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit, the separation valve comprising: A valve body defining a first port providing fluid access to the first chamber unit and a second port providing fluid access to the second chamber unit, A flapper disposed inside the valve body, the flapper having a flapper surface, A shield gas inlet defined in the valve body, the shield gas inlet being configured to supply shield gas to a first fluid space of the valve body, and a shield gas inlet, The flapper is pivotable to a first position within the valve body such that the flapper surface is separated from a mounting surface defined by the valve body to allow fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit, The flapper is further pivotable to a second position within the valve body such that the flapper surface is proximate to the mounting surface to restrict fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit, When the flapper is in the second position, the mounting surface and the flapper surface form a non-contact seal to restrict fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit, A chamber system including a flapper shaft for pivoting the flapper between the first position and the second position, the flapper shaft including a hollow core configured to pass a cooling fluid for cooling the flapper shaft and the flapper.

11. When the flapper is in the second position, the ratio of the length of the flow path defined by the flapper surface and the placement surface to the distance between the flapper surface and the placement surface is in the range between about 1000:1 and about 10:

1. The chamber system according to claim 10.

12. The separation valve is a first separation valve, and the chamber system further includes a third chamber unit and a second separation valve connected to the first chamber unit and the third chamber unit, the second separation valve being configured to control the flow of fluid between the first chamber unit and the third chamber unit. The chamber system according to claim 10.

13. A method comprising: Closing a separation valve connected to a first chamber unit and a second chamber unit, the separation valve being operable to control the flow of fluid between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit, the separation valve comprising: A valve body defining a first fluid space fluidly connected to the first chamber unit and a second fluid space fluidly connected to the second chamber unit; A flapper disposed inside the valve body, the flapper having a flapper surface; The flapper is pivotable to a first position within the valve body such that the flapper surface is separated from a placement surface defined by the valve body to allow fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit; The flapper is further pivotable to a second position within the valve body such that the flapper surface is close to the placement surface to restrict fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit; When the flapper is in the second position, the placement surface and the flapper surface form a non-contact seal to restrict fluid flow between the first chamber unit and the second chamber unit; The method further comprises: Introducing a shielding gas into the first fluid space; Dynamically controlling the flow rate of the shielding gas such that the pressure in the first fluid space is greater than the pressure in the second fluid space. A method.

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