Systems and methods for pulse-width modulated dose control

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing system with pulse width modulated dose control to supply a desired dose from a valve included in each of a plurality of injector assemblies.SOLUTION: A substrate processing system for treating a substrate includes a manifold and a plurality of injector assemblies 150-1 to 150-X located in a processing chamber. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies is in fluid communication with the manifold and includes a valve including an inlet and an outlet. A dose controller communicates with the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and, on the basis of at least one of manufacturing differences between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, adjusts a pulse width supplied to the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies to cause a desired dose to be supplied from the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 590,815, filed November 27, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 563,129, filed September 26, 2017. The entire disclosures of the above-referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to substrate processing systems, and more particularly to substrate processing systems with pulse width modulated dose control. [Background technology]

[0003] The background description provided herein is intended to present the contents of the present disclosure generally. Work by the presently named inventors within the scope of what is described in this Background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise be considered prior art at the time of filing, are not admitted, expressly or impliedly, as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0004] Substrate processing systems can be used to process substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. Examples of substrate processing include etching, deposition, photoresist removal, etc. During processing, the substrate is placed on a substrate support, such as an electrostatic chuck, and one or more process gases can be introduced into the processing chamber.

[0005] One or more process gases can be delivered to the processing chamber by a gas delivery system. In some systems, the gas delivery system includes a manifold connected by one or more conduits to a showerhead installed in the processing chamber. Most gas delivery systems deliver gases for periods exceeding 5 or 10 seconds. Delays caused by mixing in the manifold, delivery through conduits, and flow resistance in the showerhead make it difficult to quickly change gas mixtures or vary gas doses spatially or temporally. Furthermore, gas mixtures may react as they pass through the gas delivery system. Some processes, such as atomic layer etching (ALE) and atomic layer deposition (ALD), require the delivery of different gas mixtures to the processing chamber at very short intervals, typically less than one or a few seconds. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A substrate processing system for processing a substrate includes a manifold and a plurality of injector assemblies disposed in a processing chamber. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies includes a valve in fluid communication with the manifold and including an inlet and an outlet. A dose controller is configured to communicate with the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and to adjust a pulse width provided to the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies based on at least one of manufacturing variations between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies so that a desired dose is provided from the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies.

[0007] In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust a respective pulse width of each valve based on the corresponding sensed pressure. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust a respective pulse width of each valve based on the corresponding sensed gas temperature.

[0008] In other features, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on corresponding locations of the multiple injector assemblies relative to the substrate. The dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on corresponding empirical data for the multiple injector assemblies. The pressure regulator adjusts the pressure in the manifold. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width so that each of the valves provides approximately the same dose. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width so that each of the valves provides a different dose. Each of the multiple injector assemblies further includes a restrictive orifice. Each of the multiple injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, the inlet of the bypass valve being connected to the inlet of the valve.

[0009] In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at a corresponding valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding sensed pressure. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at a corresponding valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding sensed gas temperature.

[0010] In other features, the dose controller is configured to vary a respective pulse width for each of the plurality of injector assemblies based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve. The dose controller is configured to vary the dose output by the plurality of injector assemblies to provide the spatial skew.

[0011] A substrate processing system for processing a substrate includes a manifold and a plurality of injector assemblies mounted in a processing chamber. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies includes a valve in fluid communication with the manifold and including an inlet and an outlet. A dose controller is configured to communicate with the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and to adjust a pulse width supplied to the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies to perform spatial dosing and at least one of compensating for upstream skew caused by a previous process and pre-compensating for downstream skew expected from a subsequent process.

[0012] In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding pressure. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0013] In other features, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on at least one of manufacturing variations between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The pressure regulator adjusts the pressure in the manifold. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restrictive orifice. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses pressure at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding pressure.

[0014] In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust a pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding gas temperature. The dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width for each of the plurality of injector assemblies based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve.

[0015] In other features, the dose controller is configured to vary the doses output by the multiple injector assemblies to provide a spatial skew.

[0016] A substrate processing system for processing a substrate includes N manifolds and Y injector assembly groups, where Y and N are integers greater than 1. Each of the Y injector assembly groups includes N injector assemblies installed in a processing chamber. Each of the N injector assemblies included in each injector assembly group is in fluid communication with one of the N manifolds and includes a valve including an inlet and an outlet. A dose controller is configured to control pulse widths output to the Y injector assembly groups to perform temporal dosing of the substrate.

[0017] In other features, the temporal dosing includes simultaneously supplying a first gas mixture from a first manifold of the N manifolds using a first group of the Y injector assembly groups and supplying a second gas mixture from a second manifold of the N manifolds using a second group of the Y injector assembly groups.

[0018] In other features, each of the N injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at a valve included in each of the N injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding sensed pressure. Each of the N injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the N injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0019] In other features, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on at least one of manufacturing variations between valves included in each of the N injector assemblies and non-uniformities between valves included in each of the N injector assemblies. The pressure regulator adjusts the pressure in the manifold.

[0020] In other features, each of the N injector assemblies further includes a restricted orifice. Each of the N injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve. Each of the N injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses pressure at the valve included in each of the N injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding pressure.

[0021] In other features, each of the N injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the N injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust a pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0022] In other features, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width for each of the N injector assemblies based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve.

[0023] A substrate processing system for processing a substrate includes a manifold for supplying a main gas flow and a plurality of injector assemblies disposed in a processing chamber. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies includes a valve in fluid communication with the manifold and including an inlet and an outlet. A dose controller is configured to define R groups, each of which includes at least one of the plurality of injector assemblies, where R is an integer greater than 1. The dose controller is configured to communicate with the valves included in each of the R groups and to divide the main gas flow into R gas flows corresponding to R predefined flow rate ratios of the main gas flow by adjusting pulse widths output to the valves associated with each of the R groups. At least one of the R predefined flow rate ratios is different from another one of the R predefined flow rate ratios.

[0024] In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding pressure. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0025] In other features, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on at least one of manufacturing variations between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The pressure regulator adjusts the pressure in the manifold.

[0026] In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restricted orifice. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, the inlet of the bypass valve being connected to the inlet of the valve. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses pressure at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding pressure.

[0027] In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust a pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0028] In other features, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width for each of the multiple injector assemblies based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve. The dose controller is configured to vary the dose output by the multiple injector assemblies to provide the spatial skew.

[0029] A method for supplying a fluid to a substrate processing system for processing a substrate includes disposing a plurality of injector assemblies in a processing chamber, each including a valve having an inlet and an outlet; coupling the plurality of injector assemblies to a manifold; and adjusting a pulse width supplied to the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies based on at least one of manufacturing variations between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and delivering a desired dose from the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies.

[0030] In other features, the method includes sensing a pressure at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting a pulse width further based on the corresponding pressure. The method includes sensing a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting the pulse width further based on the corresponding gas temperature. The method includes varying the pulse width further based on corresponding locations of the plurality of injector assemblies relative to the substrate.

[0031] In other features, the method includes varying the pulse width further based on empirical data corresponding to the plurality of injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting a pressure within a manifold. The method includes adjusting a pulse width corresponding to each of the plurality of injector assemblies to provide approximately the same dose. The method includes adjusting a pulse width corresponding to each of the plurality of injector assemblies to provide different doses. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restrictive orifice. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve.

[0032] In other features, the method includes sensing pressure at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and adjusting a pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve further based on the corresponding pressure.

[0033] In other features, the method includes sensing a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and adjusting a pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve further based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0034] In other features, the method includes varying a pulse width for each of the plurality of injector assemblies further based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve. The method includes varying a dose output by the plurality of injector assemblies to provide a spatial skew.

[0035] A method for supplying a fluid to a substrate processing system for processing a substrate includes disposing a plurality of injector assemblies in a processing chamber, each including a valve with an inlet and an outlet, coupling the plurality of injector assemblies to a manifold, and adjusting a pulse width supplied to a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies to perform spatial dosing and at least one of compensating for upstream skew caused by a previous process and pre-compensating for downstream skew expected from a later process.

[0036] In other features, the method includes sensing a pressure at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting a pulse width further based on the corresponding pressure. The method includes sensing a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting a pulse width further based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0037] In other features, the method includes varying the pulse width further based on at least one of manufacturing variations between valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting a pressure in a manifold. In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restrictive orifice. In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve.

[0038] In other features, the method includes sensing a pressure at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and adjusting a pulse width of the valve and a bypass valve further based on the corresponding pressure. The method includes sensing a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and adjusting a pulse width of the valve and a bypass valve further based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0039] In other features, the method includes varying a pulse width for each of the plurality of injector assemblies further based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve. The method includes varying a dose output by the plurality of injector assemblies to provide a spatial skew.

[0040] A method for supplying a fluid to a substrate processing system for processing a substrate includes disposing Y injector assembly groups in a processing chamber. Each of the Y injector assembly groups includes N injector assemblies. The method includes coupling each of the N injector assemblies included in the Y injector assembly groups to one of N manifolds. Each of the N injector assemblies includes a valve including an inlet and an outlet, where Y and N are integers greater than 1. The method includes controlling pulse widths output to the Y injector assembly groups to perform temporal dosing of the substrate.

[0041] In other features, performing temporal dosing includes simultaneously delivering a first gas mixture from one of the N manifolds using one of the Y groups of injector assemblies and delivering a different gas mixture from another one of the N manifolds using another one of the Y groups of injector assemblies. The method includes sensing a pressure at a valve included in each of the N injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting a pulse width further based on the corresponding pressure. The method includes sensing a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the N injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting a pulse width further based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0042] In other features, the method includes varying the pulse width further based on at least one of manufacturing variations between valves included in each of the N injector assemblies and non-uniformities between valves included in each of the N injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting a pressure in a manifold. Each of the N injector assemblies further includes a restrictive orifice. Each of the N injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve.

[0043] In other features, the method includes sensing a pressure at a valve included in each of the N injector assemblies and adjusting a pulse width of the valve and a bypass valve further based on the corresponding pressure. The method includes sensing a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the N injector assemblies and adjusting a pulse width of the valve and a bypass valve further based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0044] In other features, the method includes varying the pulse width for each of the N injector assemblies further based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve.

[0045] A method for supplying a fluid to a substrate processing system for processing a substrate includes supplying a main gas flow using a manifold and disposing a plurality of injector assemblies in a processing chamber. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies includes a valve in fluid communication with the manifold and including an inlet and an outlet. The method also includes defining R groups, each of which includes at least one of the plurality of injector assemblies, where R is an integer greater than 1, communicating with a valve included in each of the R groups, and dividing the main gas flow into R gas flows corresponding to R predefined flow rate ratios of the main gas flow by adjusting pulse widths output to the valves associated with each of the R groups, wherein at least one of the R predefined flow rate ratios is different from another one of the R predefined flow rate ratios.

[0046] In other features, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor sensing a pressure at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting the pulse width further based on the corresponding pressure. The method includes sensing a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting the pulse width further based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0047] In other features, the method includes varying the pulse width further based on at least one of manufacturing variations between valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The method includes adjusting a pressure in a manifold. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restrictive orifice. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve.

[0048] In other features, the method includes sensing a pressure at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and adjusting a pulse width of the valve and a bypass valve further based on the corresponding pressure. The method includes sensing a gas temperature at a valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and adjusting a pulse width of the valve and a bypass valve further based on the corresponding gas temperature.

[0049] In other features, the method includes varying a pulse width for each of the plurality of injector assemblies further based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve. The method includes varying a dose output by the plurality of injector assemblies to provide a spatial skew.

[0050] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0051] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0052] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a substrate processing system including a multi-injector showerhead according to the present disclosure.

[0053] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating an example of intentionally varying pulse width to provide approximately the same gas dose using two injectors with manufacturing variations or other non-uniformities, according to the present disclosure.

[0054] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-injector showerhead in which injectors are arranged in multiple zones.

[0055] [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a graph illustrating timing variations between individual injectors or groups of injectors arranged in multiple zones. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a graph illustrating timing variations between individual injectors or groups of injectors arranged in multiple zones. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4C is a graph illustrating timing variations between individual injectors or groups of injectors arranged in multiple zones. [Figure 4D] FIG. 4D is a graph illustrating timing variations between individual injectors or groups of injectors arranged in multiple zones.

[0056] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a multi-injector showerhead according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a multi-injector showerhead according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a multi-injector showerhead according to the present disclosure.

[0057] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a substrate processing system including an active showerhead according to the present disclosure.

[0058] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram showing an example of an active injector in an active showerhead.

[0059] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a method for operating an injector according to the present disclosure. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method for operating an injector according to the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method for operating an injector according to the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a method for operating an injector according to the present disclosure.

[0060] [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a processing chamber including a dose controller and multiple injectors that compensate for upstream and / or downstream skew in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0061] [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a processing chamber including a dose controller and multiple injectors that compensate for upstream skew in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0062] [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a substrate processing method for compensating for upstream skew of an incoming substrate according to the present disclosure.

[0063] [Figure 17A] FIG. 17A is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a processing chamber including a dose controller and multiple injectors that compensate for downstream skew according to the present disclosure. [Figure 17B] FIG. 17B is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a processing chamber including a dose controller and multiple injectors that compensate for downstream skew in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0064] [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a substrate processing method for compensating for downstream skew according to the present disclosure.

[0065] [Figure 19A]FIG. 19A illustrates an example of how multiple injectors may be partitioned into one or more groups to allow for compensation of spatial or temporal skew, according to the present disclosure. [Figure 19B] FIG. 19B illustrates an example of how multiple injectors may be partitioned into one or more groups to allow for compensation for spatial or temporal skew, according to the present disclosure. [Figure 19C] FIG. 19C illustrates an example of how multiple injectors may be partitioned into one or more groups to allow for compensation of spatial or temporal skew, according to the present disclosure.

[0066] [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of injector timing for spatial skew according to the present disclosure. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of injector timing for spatial skew according to the present disclosure.

[0067] [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a partial functional block diagram illustrating an example processing chamber including multiple manifolds that supply different gas mixtures to the injector assemblies to enable time-based skew, in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0068] [Figure 23] 23 is a cross-sectional view of the example manifold of FIG. 22 in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0069] [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of temporal skew in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0070] [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a partial functional block diagram illustrating an example of a processing chamber having a dose controller and multiple injectors that are grouped and controlled to provide predefined main flow ratios in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0071] [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for splitting a main flow into multiple gas streams using multiple injector groups.

[0072] In the drawings, reference numbers may be repeated to refer to similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0073] To reduce delays, the gas delivery system according to the present disclosure uses multiple gas injectors and a common gas delivery manifold to deliver gas to the processing chamber. The injectors are positioned at various locations within the processing chamber above the substrate. There are often manufacturing variations between the same type of gas injectors made by the same manufacturer. When the dose (or pulse width) of the injectors is relatively short, manufacturing variations can result in significant dose variations and / or non-uniformity, even when the same pulse width is used. Reducing manufacturing tolerances sufficiently to eliminate dosing variations between valves has proven cost-prohibitive.

[0074] The dose per pulse also depends on the previous pulse width and / or flow rate. Systems performing ALD and ALE require precise dose control and perform very fast switching between different gas mixtures. In some instances, a dose is delivered and the substrate is exposed to the dose for less than 2 seconds, 1 second, 0.5 seconds, or even shorter. Furthermore, dose variations due to previous pulse widths or flows cannot be tolerated given the frequency of gas mixture switching.

[0075] The systems and methods disclosed herein allow for precise gas dose injection into a processing chamber using multiple injectors installed within the processing chamber. The injectors can be operated under choked or non-choked flow conditions. When operated under choked flow conditions, the flow from the injector is not affected by downstream pressure. When operated under non-choked flow conditions, the flow from the injector can be affected by downstream pressure.

[0076] The pulse width can be varied by a dose controller to compensate for manufacturing variations and / or other non-uniformities between injectors. In some instances, non-uniformities may arise due to dependencies on the dose and flow of the previous injector, etc. The dose controller can also be used to provide time-varying gas concentrations, gas doses with spatial skews, and / or gas doses with time-based skews.

[0077] When the injectors are operated in choked flow conditions, the flow is not affected by downstream pressure. In this example, each of the injectors includes a variable flow restrictor (VFR) and a fixed flow restrictor (FFR). For example, a shut-off valve and a restrictive orifice can be used. The injectors are fed by a common supply manifold. In some examples, manifold pressure is measured at the manifold and / or the injectors using pressure sensors having a sampling rate higher than the switching frequency of the injectors. In some examples, manifold pressure is measured at the manifold and / or the injectors using pressure sensors having a sampling rate at least 10 times higher than the switching frequency of the injectors. In some examples, gas temperature is measured at each of the injectors.

[0078] The pressure and temperature of each injector are output to a dose controller. The dose controller calculates the pulse width of each injector valve to provide an accurate mass flow rate determined by the injector flow setpoint and a flow function. The flow function is based on manifold pressure, gas temperature at the injector, geometric parameters, and / or empirical test data. In some examples, the dose pulse width is defined without gas state conditions and is based on a combination of the desired dose and / or empirical data. In some examples, the pressure in the manifold is actively controlled by a pressure regulator.

[0079] When the injector is operated under non-choked flow conditions, the flow may be affected by downstream pressure. In this example, the injector includes a valve and a bypass valve. In some examples, the manifold pressure at the manifold or valve is measured using a pressure sensor with a high sampling rate. In some examples, the gas temperature is measured at the injector.

[0080] The measured pressure and temperature are output to a dose controller. The dose controller calculates the valve pulse width for each injector, providing an accurate mass flow rate determined by the injector flow setpoint and a flow function. The flow function is based on manifold pressure, gas temperature at the injector, desired valve and bypass valve overlap, geometric parameters, and / or empirical test data. In some examples, the dose pulse width is defined without gas state conditions and is based on a combination of the desired dose, desired valve and bypass valve overlap, geometric parameters, and / or empirical test data. In some examples, the pressure in the manifold is actively controlled by a pressure regulator.

[0081] 1, an example of a substrate processing system 50 according to the present disclosure is shown. The substrate processing system 50 includes a processing chamber 52. A substrate support 54, such as an electrostatic chuck (ESC), is disposed in the processing chamber 52. During processing, a substrate 56 rests on the substrate support 54.

[0082] Gas supply system 60 includes gas sources 62-1, 62-2, ..., and 62-N (collectively, gas sources 62) connected to valves 64-1, 64-2, ..., and 64-N (collectively, valves 64), and mass flow controllers 66-1, 66-2, ..., and 66-N (collectively, MFCs 66). MFCs 66 control the flow of gas from gas sources 62 to manifold 68, where the gases are mixed. The output of manifold 68 is fed to manifold 72 via an optional pressure regulator 70. The output of manifold 72 is input to a multi-injector showerhead 74. Although manifolds 68 and 72 are shown, a single manifold can also be used.

[0083] In some examples, the temperature of the substrate support 54 may be controlled by a resistive heater 76 and / or a coolant channel 78. The coolant channel 78 supplies a cooling fluid from a fluid storage 82 and a pump 80. Pressure sensors 90, 91 may be located in the manifold 68 or the manifold 72, respectively, to measure pressure. A valve 92 and a pump 94 may be used to evacuate reactants from the processing chamber 52 and / or to control the pressure within the processing chamber 52.

[0084] The controller 96 includes a dose controller 98 that controls the dosing provided by the multi-injector showerhead 74. The controller 96 also controls the gas supply from the gas supply system 60. The controller 96 controls the pressure in the processing chamber and / or the evacuation of reactants using valves 92 and pumps 94. The controller 96 controls the temperature of the substrate support 54 and the substrate 56 based on temperature feedback from a sensor (not shown) on the substrate support and / or a sensor (not shown) measuring the coolant temperature.

[0085] Referring now to FIG. 2, two injectors of the same type from the same manufacturer may have manufacturing variations that may cause them not to provide the same dose when the same pulse width is used, especially as the pulse width becomes shorter. If two injectors (shown in FIG. 2 as Injector 1 and Injector 2) are controlled with the same pulse width, different doses will be produced because Injector 1 flows at a higher maximum flow rate (e.g., standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm)) than Injector 2. According to the present disclosure, if the same dose is desired, different pulse widths are used in controlling Injector 1 and Injector 2. As used herein, the term same dose refers to dosing within 5%, 3%, or 1%. To provide the same dose, the first pulse width output to Injector 1 is shorter than the second pulse width output to Injector 2. In other words, to account for manufacturing variations between the injectors, the dose controller 98 compensates for the pulse widths output to each injector. Similar compensation can be made when each injector is controlled to provide a different dosing. In some instances, the injectors are bench tested to determine the differences in gas dosing. In other instances, the injectors are individually operated and the gas dosing is evaluated in situ in the process chamber.

[0086] 3 and 4A-4D, injectors can be arranged in multiple zones and controlled to provide the same dose, the same dose timing, different doses, and / or different dose timing. For example, different dose timings can be used to generate gas waves across the substrate being processed. In other words, gas doses can be delivered to the center and then sequentially delivered to successive zones in a radially outward direction (i.e., opposite the edge-to-center direction). In some examples, different doses for individual injectors can be used to eliminate thickness non-uniformities.

[0087] In FIG. 3, multiple injectors 100 (e.g., 100-1, 100-2, 100-3) are arranged in P zones (e.g., zone 1, zone 2, and zone 3, respectively), where P is an integer greater than zero. In FIG. 4A, the injectors 100 in the multiple zones provide the same dose and the same dose timing. In FIG. 4B, the injectors 100 in the multiple zones provide the same dose with staggered timing. The injectors 100 in FIGS. 4A and 4B are individually compensated to provide the same dose as described above.

[0088] In Figure 4C, the multi-zone injectors 100 provide different doses and start simultaneously. In Figure 4D, the multi-zone injectors 100 provide different doses and end simultaneously. The injectors 100 of Figures 4C and 4D are individually compensated to provide different doses as described above.

[0089] 5-7, various configurations of the multi-injector showerhead 74 are shown. As shown in FIG. 5, the multi-injector showerhead 74 includes injector assemblies 150-1, 150-2, ..., and 150-X (collectively, injector assemblies 150), where X is an integer greater than 1. The injector assemblies 150 include pressure sensors 152-1, 152-2, ..., and 152-X (collectively, pressure sensors 152) for sensing pressure at the inlets of variable flow restrictors (VFRs) 154-1, 154-2, ..., and 154-X (collectively, VFRs 154), respectively. The pulse width of the VFRs 154 is controlled by the dose controller 98, as described further below. The injector assemblies 150 further include temperature sensors 156-1, 156-2, ..., and 156-X (collectively, temperature sensors 156) for sensing gas temperature. In some examples, fixed flow restrictors (FFRs) 158-1, 158-2, . . . , and 158-X (collectively FFRs 158) are connected to the outlet of the VFR 154.

[0090] 6, the multi-injector showerhead 74 includes injector assemblies 160-1, 160-2, ..., and 160-X (collectively, injector assemblies 160) (where X is an integer greater than 1) that include pressure sensors 162-1, 162-2, ..., and 162-X (collectively, pressure sensors 162) for sensing pressure at the inlets of valves 164-1, 164-2, ..., and 164-X (collectively, valves 164), respectively. The pulse width of the valves 164 is controlled by the dose controller 98, as described further below. The injector assemblies 160 further include temperature sensors 166-1, 166-2, ..., and 166-X (collectively, temperature sensors 166) for sensing gas temperature. In some examples, fixed orifices 168-1, 168-2, . . . , and 168-X (collectively fixed orifices 168) are connected to the outlet of valve 164.

[0091] 7 includes injector assemblies 170-1, 170-2, ..., and 170-X (collectively, injector assemblies 170), where X is an integer greater than 1, each including a pressure sensor 172-1, 172-2, ..., and 172-X (collectively, pressure sensors 170). Pressure sensors 172 sense pressure at the inlets of valves 174-1, 174-2, ..., and 174-X (collectively, valves 174) and bypass valves 175-1, 175-2, ..., and 175-X (collectively, bypass valves 175). The pulse widths of valves 174 and bypass valves 175 are controlled by dose controller 98, as described further below. Injector assembly 170 further includes temperature sensors 176-1, 176-2, ..., and 176-X (collectively temperature sensors 176) that sense gas temperature. In some examples, fixed orifices 178-1, 178-2, ..., and 178-X (collectively fixed orifices 178) are disposed at the outputs of valves 174.

[0092] 8-9, another method of implementing the multi-injector showerhead 74 of FIG. 1 is illustrated. In FIG. 8, an active showerhead 200 includes multiple injectors 204. An example of an active showerhead 200 is further illustrated and described in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 346,920 (Lam Docket No. 4081-1US), filed at XXXXXXXXX, XX, XXXX, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIG. 9 illustrates an example injector 204 of the active showerhead 200, which includes a support layer 250, an actuator layer 254, a diaphragm layer 258, a valve seat layer 262, and a gas distribution layer 266. As can be appreciated, the active showerhead 200 includes multiple injectors. In some examples, the injectors of the active showerhead 200 are formed in a substrate layer, such as a semiconductor wafer. The substrate layers can be formed and then bonded together to form the injectors.

[0093] The actuator layer 254 includes an actuator 272 that selectively moves a diaphragm 272. In some examples, the diaphragm includes an optional protrusion 273. The diaphragm 272 moves up and down, as shown by the arrows, to allow or block gas flow. The diaphragm layer 258 defines cavities 274 and 276. The valve seat layer 262 defines cavities 282 and 283. The gas distribution layer 266 defines an opening 290 and cavities 292 and 294. In some examples, a filter 286 is disposed in the cavity 294. Gas from a manifold or other gas source is supplied to the opening 290. When the diaphragm 272 is open, as shown in FIG. 9 , gas flows through the cavity 292, the cavity 282, the cavity 276, the filter 286 (if used), and the cavity 294 into the processing chamber. Actuator 272 moves diaphragm 272 to the closed position by biasing its bottom surface (and protrusion 273, if used) against inlet 284. In some examples, pressure sensor 296 and temperature sensor 298 are used to measure the pressure and temperature of cavity 282, respectively.

[0094] 10-13, a method for operating an injector is shown. In FIG. 10, method 300 includes, at 310, determining a desired gas dose for each injector of a plurality of injectors. At 320, pressure is measured at a manifold or gas injector. At 330, gas temperature is measured at the gas injector. At 340, pulse width or pulse duration is adjusted for each injector based on a flow relationship to provide the desired gas dose. The flow relationship is a function of the measured pressure and temperature, bypass valve and flow valve overlap, geometric parameters, and / or empirical data.

[0095] 11, in the absence of sufficient information about gas conditions, dose adjustment is performed in method 350. At 352, a desired gas dose is determined for each injector. At 354, the pulse width or pulse duration is adjusted for each injector based on the flow relationship to provide the desired gas dose. The flow relationship is a function of bypass valve and flow valve overlap, geometric parameters, and / or empirical data.

[0096] 12, a method 400 includes, at 410, determining a desired gas dose for each injector of a plurality of injectors. At 420, pressure is measured at the manifold or gas injector. At 430, gas temperature is measured at the gas injector. At 440, pulse width or pulse duration is adjusted for each injector based on a flow relationship to provide the desired gas dose. The flow relationship is a function of the measured pressure and temperature, bypass valve and flow valve overlap, geometric parameters, and / or empirical data.

[0097] 13, dose adjustment is performed in method 450 without sufficient information about gas conditions. Method 450 includes determining a desired gas dose for each injector of a plurality of injectors at 460. At 470, the pulse width or pulse duration is adjusted for each injector based on a flow relationship to provide the desired gas dose. The flow relationship is a function of bypass valve and flow valve overlap, geometric parameters, and / or empirical data.

[0098] Referring now to FIG. 14 , a substrate processing system 480 includes one or more processing chambers containing multiple injectors (such as those described above) that compensate for non-uniformities or skew (collectively referred to herein as skew) of upstream and / or downstream substrates. The skew data may correspond to a substrate film having a thicker center region than an edge region, a thicker edge region than a center region, a side-to-side difference, or other deviation from a flat surface. The skew may be caused by an upstream process or may be a predicted skew expected from a downstream process. The skew data may be generated for the same substrate being processed, a test substrate, modeling, and / or one or more substrates preceding the substrate being processed. The skew data may be generated as a function (e.g., an average, a moving average, a statistical function, etc.) of two or more substrates.

[0099] The processing chamber 482 performs a substrate process on the substrate, such as deposition, etching, or other substrate processing. In some examples, the substrate process generates skew that is compensated for during downstream processing. In some examples, a metrology station 484 is located downstream from the processing chamber 482 and performs one or more measurements on the processed substrate to generate metrology data for the substrate. In some examples, the metrology station 484 generates skew data based on film thickness measurements and / or generates a surface model of the substrate. The metrology station 484 outputs the metrology data to a downstream processing chamber 488. The processing chamber 488 includes multiple injectors and performs dose control, as described herein, to compensate for the skew. The processing chamber 488 uses the metrology data to determine the amount of compensation needed to offset the skew introduced by the processing chamber 482. In other examples, the metrology station 484 is omitted and compensation is performed based on modeling, previous metrology measurements taken during process setup, or other data.

[0100] For example, the processing chamber 482 may perform a film deposition or a film etch. In some examples, the processing chamber 482 performs a film deposition that is thicker at the center or edge of the substrate. In some examples, the processing chamber 482 performs an etch that removes more film than desired at the center or edge of the substrate. The metrology data detects the skew, and a dose controller associated with the processing chamber 488 compensates for the skew.

[0101] After processing a substrate in processing chamber 488, the substrate may be further processed in a downstream processing chamber 490. After processing in processing chamber 490, metrology data is generated by metrology station 492. The metrology data is fed back to processing chamber 488 to enable pre-compensation for downstream skew. In other examples, metrology station 484 is omitted and compensation is performed based on modeling, previous metrology measurements taken during setup, or other data.

[0102] 15, the process chamber 488 includes a controller 502 having a dose controller 504. The dose controller 504 further includes a compensation module 512 that receives skew data from the metrology station 484, the data store 508, or another data source. The compensation module 512 further receives a desired spatial map 510 of the receiving substrate. The compensation module 512 generates skew compensation data that is output to a dose mapping module 514. The dose mapping module 514 compensates a base dose map 516 based on the skew compensation data from the compensation module 512. For example, when it is desired to add or reduce etching or deposition in a particular region, the local dose or duration of exposure to the precursor or etching gas can be increased or decreased, respectively, compared to other regions. The dose mapping module 514 outputs the compensation dose map to an injector control module 520, which controls the injectors accordingly.

[0103] 16 illustrates a method 530 for processing a substrate using multiple injectors controlled using skew data to compensate for skew in an incoming substrate. At 540, substrate skew data (e.g., a spatial map or set of parameters) is received for an incoming substrate (or a typical or expected incoming substrate). At 544, the skew data is compared to a desired spatial map or set of parameters. At 548, compensation for upstream skew is determined. At 564, a compensation dose map is generated based on the base dose map and the compensation.

[0104] 17A and 17B illustrate an example of a processing chamber including an injector controlled to pre-compensate for skew caused by one or more downstream processes. In FIG. 17A, processing chamber 488 includes a controller 552 having a dose controller 554. Dose controller 554 includes a dose mapping module 560 that receives a desired skew 558 to pre-compensate the delivery substrate for skew caused by one or more downstream processes. Dose mapping module 560 compensates a base dose map 564 based on the desired skew of the delivery substrate to pre-compensate for downstream skew. Dose mapping module 560 outputs the compensation dose map to injector control module 570.

[0105] 17B shows an example of a system for generating a desired skew relative to an outgoing substrate. The dose controller 554 further includes a metrology station 492 or data store 508 that outputs a spatial map or set of parameters to a compensation module 572. The compensation module 572 further receives a desired spatial map 574 for a downstream substrate. The compensation module 572 generates the desired skew relative to the outgoing substrate. As can be appreciated, the system shown in FIG. 17B can be combined with the system shown in FIG. 17A. Furthermore, the systems shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B can be combined with the system shown in FIG. 15.

[0106] 18 illustrates a method 580 for processing a substrate using an injector that compensates for a substrate delivery to offset skew caused by one or more downstream processes. At 582, skew data for one or more downstream processes is received. At 584, the skew data is compared to a desired spatial map. At 588, compensation is determined to pre-compensate for the skew of the one or more downstream processes. At 594, a compensation dose map is generated based on the base dose map and the compensation for the one or more downstream processes.

[0107] Referring now to FIGS. 19A-19C, injectors can be individually located and / or arranged in groups to define various types of zones or zone shapes. For example, groups can correspond to radial zones, pie-shaped zones, and / or slice-shaped zones. In FIG. 19A, the injectors are grouped into radial zones Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4. Four radial zones are shown, although more or fewer radial zones may be used. In FIG. 19B, the injectors are grouped into radial zones and / or pie-shaped zones Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. Four pie-shaped zones are shown, although more or fewer pie-shaped zones may be used. In FIG. 19C, slices S1, S2, ..., and S10 are shown, which can be used in addition to or instead of the examples of FIGS. 19A and 19B. In some examples, the sides of the slices are parallel and abut adjacent slices. The angular orientation or angular offset of the slices can be varied as needed relative to a given reference to a slot in the substrate or a processing chamber. The slices can be used to accommodate left and right skew.

[0108] 20 and 21 are example timing diagrams illustrating injector timing for spatially based skew by individual injector or injector group. One or more of the timing diagrams in FIG. 20 provide different injector dose control timing for individual injectors or injector groups. For individual injectors or injector groups associated with timing profile A, the pulse width decreases slowly as a function of time. For individual injectors or injector groups associated with timing profiles B and C, the pulse width decreases at a slightly faster rate compared to timing profile A. For individual injectors or injector groups associated with timing profile D, the pulse width is fixed for the corresponding time period. The variable pulse width associated with individual injectors or injector groups allows for precise control of spatial and / or temporal dosing.

[0109] In Figure 21, timing profiles can be used to create different spatial patterns. The injector or injector group associated with timing profile D has a fixed pulse width during the corresponding period. The injectors or injector groups associated with timing profiles B and C have pulses with a duration approximately half that of timing profile D. The injector or injector group associated with timing profile A has pulse widths similar to timing profiles B and C some of the time and skipped pulses other of the time. The variable pulse widths associated with individual injectors or injector groups allow precise control of spatial and / or temporal dosing.

[0110] 22, a portion of a processing chamber 650 is shown including multiple manifolds 654-1, 654-2, ..., and 654-N (collectively manifolds 654) and gas supply systems 658-1, 658-2, ..., and 658-N (collectively gas supply systems 658), where N is an integer greater than 1. Manifold 654 supplies different gas mixtures to injector assembly groups 660-1, 660-2, ..., and 660-Y (collectively injector assembly groups 660), where Y is an integer greater than 1. While one gas supply system per manifold is shown in this figure, there may be more or fewer gas supply systems.

[0111] As described further below, the injector assembly 660 can be configured to generate a temporal skew. Each of the injector assembly groups 660-1, 660-2, ..., and 660-Y includes N injectors 662-11, 662-12, ..., and 662-YN. Each of the N injectors included in the injector assembly group 660 is connected to one of the N manifolds 654-1, 654-2, ..., and 654-N, respectively. This configuration allows the gas mixture supplied to the N manifolds 654 to be supplied to each of the injector assembly groups 660.

[0112] Referring now to FIG. 23 , each of manifolds 654-1, 654-2, ..., and 654-N defines a plenum 668-1, 668-2, ..., and 668-N (collectively plenum 668) and includes a plurality of through-holes 670. In some examples, plenum 668 is generally flat and cylindrical. To maintain separation of the gas mixture from plenum 668-1, posts 672 with corresponding aligned through-holes 673 are disposed in lower plenums 668-2 ... 668-N. This allows the gas mixture in plenum 668-1 to travel through through-holes 670 and 673 and reach the corresponding injectors without mixing within plenums 668-2 ... 668-N. A similar approach is used for the others of plenum 668. While this illustration shows a specific manifold arrangement, other manifold arrangements can also be used.

[0113] Temporal skew can be implemented using the processing chamber shown in Figures 22-23. An example of temporal skew is shown in Figure 24. At a first location 1 (including one or more injector assemblies), the gas mixture is switched from a first gas mixture 1 to a second gas mixture 2 at time t1, and then switched to a third gas mixture 3 at time t3. At a second location 2 (including one or more injector assemblies), the gas mixture is switched from a first gas mixture 1 to a second gas mixture 2 at time t2, and then switched to a third gas mixture 3 at time t4. At a third location 3 (including one or more injector assemblies), the gas mixture is switched from a first gas mixture 1 to a second gas mixture 2 at time t3, and then switched to a third gas mixture 3 at time t4. At a fourth location 4 (including one or more injector assemblies), the gas mixture is switched from the first gas mixture 1 to the second gas mixture 2 at time t4, and then to the third gas mixture 3 at time t5.

[0114] For example, the first location 1 can correspond to a central zone, and locations 2-4 can correspond to radial zones of increasing radius around the central zone (the same approach can be used for other injector groups having other shapes). As can be appreciated, the gas mixtures used are process-dependent and can include a deposition gas mixture, an etch gas mixture, a purge gas, or other gas mixtures. For example, gas mixture 1 can include a first precursor for an ALD or ALE process, a second gas mixture can include a purge gas, and a third gas mixture can include a second precursor for an ALD or ALE process.

[0115] 25, a processing chamber 700 includes multiple injectors 722 that are grouped in various ways as described herein. The injectors 722 are controlled by a dose controller 720 to provide a predefined main flow ratio. The main flow rate is supplied to a manifold 718 by a gas delivery system 708 that includes a gas source 710 and an MFC 714. In the example shown in FIG. 25, the injectors 722 are divided into R groups (GRP1, GRP2, ..., and GRP·R) that are associated with R spatial regions of the substrate. The number of injectors included in each of the R groups can be the same or different.

[0116] In one example, it may be desirable to provide two or more different predetermined main flow ratios to R spatial regions of the substrate. For example, an etching or deposition process may require supplying more etching gas or deposition precursor gas to a center or edge region than to other regions of the substrate. By varying the pulse widths to the R groups of injectors, the predetermined ratios of main flows at manifold 718 can be delivered to the R spatial regions without the need for flow splitters.

[0117] Traditionally, gases flowing from manifold 718 have been split using a flow splitter. In some instances, the flow splitter includes a sonic nozzle. However, systems using flow splitters take a long time to reach steady-state flow conditions. Therefore, flow splitters are difficult to use in processes that require improved spatial control and / or fast gas exchange, such as ALD and ALE processes.

[0118] The injectors associated with the R groups are controlled using R pulse widths to provide R predetermined main flow ratios delivered to manifold 718, where R is an integer greater than zero.

[0119] For example, all R groups can be pulsed using the same pulse width to deliver the same dose (assuming each group has the same number of injectors). Alternatively, two or more different pulse widths can be used to vary the ratio for at least some of the R groups. For example, one of the R groups can be pulsed with a pulse width that is half the pulse width of the others of the R groups, resulting in a lower flow rate to that one of the R groups and a higher flow rate to the others of the R groups. In another example, the pulse widths for all R groups can be varied to provide an increasing spatial profile, a decreasing spatial profile, a bell-shaped profile, an inverted bell-shaped profile, or other gas dosing profile.

[0120] 26 illustrates a method 750 for splitting a main gas flow into R gas flows delivered to R spatial regions of a substrate. At 754, a ratio of the main gas flow delivered to each of the R spatial regions of the substrate is determined. At 758, pulse widths of injectors corresponding to the R spatial regions of the substrate are determined to provide R ratios. At 762, the main gas flow is delivered to a manifold. At 766, the gas flow delivered to the manifold is divided using the R pulse width values ​​corresponding to the injectors in the R spatial regions.

[0121] The foregoing description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be embodied in a variety of forms. Accordingly, while the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be limited to such examples, as other variations will become apparent upon review of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps in a method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of the disclosure. Furthermore, although each of the embodiments is described above as having particular features, any one or more of those features described in connection with any embodiment of the present disclosure may also be implemented in any other embodiment and / or may be combined with features of any other embodiment, even if not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and one or more embodiments substituted for one another remain within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0122] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using a variety of terms, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Except as expressly described as "direct," when a relationship between a first element and a second element is described in the above disclosure, the relationship may be direct, with no intervening elements between the first and second elements, or it may be indirect, with one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted in the sense of a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical OR, and not in the sense of "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0123] In some embodiments, the controller is part of a system that may be part of the examples described above. Such systems may include semiconductor processing equipment, including one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more processing platforms, and / or specific processing components (such as a wafer pedestal, gas flow system, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling system operation before, during, and after semiconductor wafer or substrate processing. Such electronics may be referred to as a "controller" and may control various components or subcomponents of one or more systems. The controller may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, depending on the processing requirements and / or type of system. Such processes may include process gas supply, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid supply settings, position and motion settings, wafer transfer (in and out) to the tool, and wafer transfer (in and out) to other transfer tools and / or load locks connected or interfaced with the particular system.

[0124] Broadly, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. Integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors, i.e., microcontrollers, that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions may be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that define operational parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or for a system. The operational parameters, in some embodiments, may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to implement one or more processing steps in the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or wafer dies.

[0125] In some embodiments, the controller may be part of, coupled to, or a combination of a computer integrated with, coupled to, or otherwise networked to the system. For example, the controller may be in the “cloud” or all or part of a fab host computer system. This allows for remote access of wafer processing. The computer may provide remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a fabrication operation, review the history of past fabrication operations, review trends or performance criteria from multiple fabrication operations, modify parameters of a current process, configure processing steps following a current process, or initiate a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide process recipes to the system over a network. Such a network may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that allows entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data. Such data identifies parameters for each processing step performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process being performed and the type of tool the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as discussed above, the controller may be distributed, for example, by having one or more individual controllers networked together and working together toward a common purpose (such as the processes and controls described herein). An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would include one or more integrated circuits on the chamber in communication with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) and coupled to control the process in the chamber.

[0126] Without limitation, exemplary systems may include a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a tracking chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

[0127] As described above, depending on the process step or steps being performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, nearby tools, tools installed throughout the factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used for material transport to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory. The present disclosure can also be realized in the following forms. [Form 1] 1. A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising: A manifold; A plurality of injector assemblies mounted in a processing chamber, comprising: a plurality of injector assemblies, each in fluid communication with the manifold and including a valve including an inlet and an outlet; Doze controller and It is equipped with The dose controller: configured to communicate with the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies; and and adjusting a pulse width supplied to the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies based on at least one of manufacturing variations between the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformity between the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, so as to deliver a desired dose from the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. Substrate processing system. [Form 2] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses pressure at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. [Form 3] The substrate processing system according to aspect 2, The dose controller is configured to adjust the respective pulse width of each valve based on the corresponding sensed pressure. [Form 4] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. [Form 5] The substrate processing system according to aspect 4, The dose controller is configured to adjust the respective pulse width of each valve based on the corresponding sensed gas temperature. [Form 6] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The substrate processing system, wherein the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on corresponding locations of the plurality of injector assemblies relative to the substrate. [Form 7] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on corresponding empirical data for the plurality of injector assemblies. [Form 8] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The substrate processing system further comprises a pressure regulator that adjusts the pressure within the manifold. [Form 9] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width so that each of the valves provides approximately the same dose. [Form 10] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width so that each of the valves provides a different dose. [Form 11] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restricted orifice. [Form 12] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve. [Form 13] 13. The substrate processing system according to claim 12, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at a corresponding valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding sensed pressure. [Form 14] 13. The substrate processing system according to claim 12, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at a corresponding valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding sensed gas temperature. [Form 15] 13. The substrate processing system according to claim 12, The dose controller is configured to vary the respective pulse width for each of the plurality of injector assemblies based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve. [Form 16] The substrate processing system according to aspect 1, The substrate processing system, wherein the dose controller is configured to vary the dose output by the plurality of injector assemblies to provide a spatial skew. [Form 17] 1. A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising: A manifold; a plurality of injector assemblies disposed in the processing chamber, each of the plurality of injector assemblies being in fluid communication with the manifold and including a valve having an inlet and an outlet; Doze controller and It is equipped with The dose controller: configured to communicate with the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies; and adjusting a pulse width supplied to the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies to perform spatial dosing; Compensation for upstream skew caused by previous processes, and Pre-compensation for downstream skew expected from subsequent processes configured to perform at least one of Substrate processing system. [Form 18] 18. The substrate processing system according to claim 17, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses pressure at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. [Form 19] 19. The substrate processing system according to claim 18, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding pressure. [Form 20] 18. The substrate processing system according to claim 17, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. [Form 21] 20. The substrate processing system according to claim 20, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding gas temperature. [Form 22] 18. The substrate processing system according to claim 17, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on at least one of manufacturing variations between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. [Form 23] 18. The substrate processing system according to claim 17, The substrate processing system further comprises a pressure regulator that adjusts the pressure within the manifold. [Form 24] 18. The substrate processing system according to claim 17, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restricted orifice. [Form 25] 18. The substrate processing system according to claim 17, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve. [Form 26] 25. The substrate processing system according to claim 25, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding pressure. [Form 27] 25. The substrate processing system according to claim 25, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding gas temperature. [Form 28] 25. The substrate processing system according to claim 25, The dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width for each of the plurality of injector assemblies based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve. [Form 29] 18. The substrate processing system according to claim 17, The substrate processing system, wherein the dose controller is configured to vary the dose output by the plurality of injector assemblies to provide a spatial skew. [Form 30] 1. A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising: N manifolds; Y injector assembly groups, where Y and N are integers greater than 1, each of the Y injector assembly groups including N injector assemblies installed in a processing chamber, each of the N injector assemblies in each injector assembly group being in fluid communication with one of the N manifolds and including a valve including an inlet and an outlet; a dose controller configured to control pulse widths output to the Y injector assembly groups to effect temporal dosing of the substrate; A substrate processing system comprising: [Form 31] 30. The substrate processing system according to claim 30, the temporal dosing includes simultaneously supplying a first gas mixture from a first manifold of the N manifolds using a first group of the Y injector assembly groups and supplying a second gas mixture from a second manifold of the N manifolds using a second group of the Y injector assembly groups. [Form 32] 30. The substrate processing system according to claim 30, Each of the N injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at the valve included in each of the N injector assemblies. [Form 33] 33. The substrate processing system according to claim 32, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on a corresponding sensed pressure. [Form 34] 30. The substrate processing system according to claim 30, Each of the N injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at the valve included in each of the N injector assemblies. [Form 35] 34. The substrate processing system according to claim 34, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding gas temperature. [Form 36] 30. The substrate processing system according to claim 30, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on at least one of manufacturing variations between the valves included in each of the N injector assemblies and non-uniformities between the valves included in each of the N injector assemblies. [Form 37] 30. The substrate processing system according to claim 30, The substrate processing system further comprises a pressure regulator that adjusts the pressure within the manifold. [Form 38] 30. The substrate processing system according to claim 30, A substrate processing system wherein each of the N injector assemblies further includes a restricted orifice. [Form 39] 30. The substrate processing system according to claim 30, A substrate processing system wherein each of the N injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve. [Form 40] 39. The substrate processing system according to claim 39, each of the N injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure in the valve included in each of the N injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding pressure. [Form 41] 39. The substrate processing system according to claim 39, each of the N injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at the valve included in each of the N injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding gas temperature. [Form 42] 39. The substrate processing system according to claim 39, The dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width for each of the N injector assemblies based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve. [Form 43] 1. A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising: a manifold supplying a main gas flow; a plurality of injector assemblies disposed in the processing chamber, each of the plurality of injector assemblies being in fluid communication with the manifold and including a valve having an inlet and an outlet; Doze controller and It is equipped with The dose controller: configured to define R groups, each of which includes at least one of the plurality of injector assemblies, where R is an integer greater than 1; configured to communicate with the valves in each of the R groups; and configured to divide the main gas flow into R gas flows corresponding to R predefined flow ratios of the main gas flow by adjusting pulse widths output to the valves respectively associated with the R groups, at least one of the R predefined flow ratios being different from another one of the R predefined flow ratios; Substrate processing system. [Form 44] 44. The substrate processing system according to claim 43, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses pressure at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. [Form 45] 44. The substrate processing system according to claim 44, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding pressure. [Form 46] 44. The substrate processing system according to claim 43, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. [Form 47] 46. ​​The substrate processing system according to claim 45, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding gas temperature. [Form 48] 44. The substrate processing system according to claim 43, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on at least one of manufacturing variations between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. [Form 49] 44. The substrate processing system according to claim 43, The substrate processing system further comprises a pressure regulator that adjusts the pressure within the manifold. [Form 50] 44. The substrate processing system according to claim 43, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restricted orifice. [Form 51] 44. The substrate processing system according to claim 43, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve. [Form 52] 52. The substrate processing system according to claim 51, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding pressure. [Form 53] 52. The substrate processing system according to claim 51, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding gas temperature. [Form 54] 52. The substrate processing system according to claim 51, The dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width for each of the plurality of injector assemblies based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve. [Form 55] 44. The substrate processing system according to claim 43, The substrate processing system, wherein the dose controller is configured to vary the dose output by the plurality of injector assemblies to provide a spatial skew.

Claims

1. 1. A substrate processing system for processing a substrate, comprising: A manifold; a plurality of injector assemblies disposed in the processing chamber, each of the plurality of injector assemblies being in fluid communication with the manifold and including a valve having an inlet and an outlet; Doze controller and It is equipped with The dose controller: configured to communicate with the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies; and adjusting a pulse width supplied to the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies to perform spatial dosing; Compensation for upstream skew caused by previous processes, and Pre-compensation for downstream skew expected from subsequent processes configured to perform at least one of Substrate processing system.

2. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses pressure at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies.

3. 3. The substrate processing system according to claim 2, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding pressure.

4. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies.

5. 5. The substrate processing system according to claim 4, The dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width based on the corresponding gas temperature.

6. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on at least one of manufacturing variations between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities between the valves included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies.

7. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, The substrate processing system further comprises a pressure regulator that adjusts the pressure within the manifold.

8. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restricted orifice.

9. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, The substrate processing system, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve, an inlet of the bypass valve connected to the inlet of the valve.

10. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 9, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor that senses a pressure at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding pressure.

11. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 9, each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor that senses a gas temperature at the valve included in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse width of the valve and the bypass valve based on the corresponding gas temperature.

12. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 9, The dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width for each of the plurality of injector assemblies based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve.

13. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, The substrate processing system, wherein the dose controller is configured to vary the dose output by the plurality of injector assemblies to provide a spatial skew.

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