Systems and methods to reduce flow accuracy error for liquid & gas mass flow controller devices

Abstract

Exemplary fluid delivery components for a semiconductor processing system may include a liquid delivery source. These components may include a heater fluidly coupled to an outlet of the liquid delivery source. These components may include a liquid flow controller fluidly coupled to the liquid delivery source downstream of the heater. These components may include a liquid evaporator fluidly coupled to a downstream end of the liquid flow controller. These components may include a chamber delivery line coupled to the output of the liquid evaporator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 743,922, filed May 13, 2022, entitled "Systems and methods to reduce flow accuracy error for liquid and gas mass flow controller devices," the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] This technology relates to components and equipment used in semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, this technology relates to gas delivery systems and other semiconductor processing equipment. Prior Technology

[0003] Integrated circuits can be fabricated by creating intricately patterned material layers on a substrate surface. Creating patterned material on the substrate requires controlled methods for material formation and removal. Precursors are typically fed into processing areas and distributed to uniformly deposit or etch material onto the substrate. Many aspects of the processing chamber can affect processing uniformity, such as the uniformity of processing conditions within the chamber, the uniformity of flow through components, and other process and component parameters. Even minute differences on the substrate can affect the formation or removal process.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods that can be used to produce high-quality devices and structures. These and other needs are addressed by this technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Exemplary fluid delivery components for a semiconductor processing system may include a liquid delivery source. These components may include a heater, fluidly coupled to an outlet of the liquid delivery source. These components may include a liquid flow controller, fluidly coupled to the liquid delivery source downstream of the heater. These components may include a liquid evaporator, fluidly coupled to a downstream end of the liquid flow controller. These components may include a chamber delivery line, coupled to the output of the liquid evaporator.

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

[0007] Some embodiments of this technology may include methods for supplying fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber. These methods may include the steps of: allowing liquid to flow from a liquid source to a liquid flow controller. These methods may include the steps of: preheating the liquid to a temperature within about 5°C of the body temperature of the liquid flow controller before the fluid reaches the inlet of the liquid flow controller. These methods may include the steps of: conveying the liquid to a liquid evaporator downstream of the liquid flow controller. These methods may include the steps of: evaporating the liquid into a gas. These methods may include the steps of: conveying the gas to one or more processing chambers.

[0008] In some embodiments, the step of preheating the liquid may include the step of passing the liquid through a block heater. The step of flowing the liquid from the liquid delivery source to the liquid flow controller may include the step of passing the liquid through a fluid line insulated via one or more heater sheaths. These methods may include the step of sensing the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor. The step of preheating the liquid may include the step of controlling the temperature of the heaters based on the sensed temperature of the liquid flow controller body. The step of preheating the liquid may include the step of preheating the liquid to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches the inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5°C of the temperature of the liquid flow controller body. The method may include the step of splitting the gas flow into a plurality of fluid lines. One or more chambers may include a plurality of chambers. Each of the plurality of fluid lines may be fluidly coupled to a corresponding chamber of the plurality of chambers. The gas delivered to the one or more processing chambers may be used in processing operations without a temperature priming process.

[0009] Some embodiments of this technology may include methods for supplying fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber, methods including the steps of: flowing liquid from a liquid source to a liquid flow controller; preheating the liquid to a temperature within about 5°C of the body of the liquid flow controller; delivering the preheated liquid to the liquid flow controller; evaporating the liquid into gas using a liquid evaporator downstream of the liquid flow controller; and delivering the gas to one or more processing chambers.

[0010] In some embodiments, the step of preheating the liquid may include the step of preheating the liquid to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches the inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5°C of the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. The step of allowing the liquid to flow from the liquid delivery source to the liquid flow controller may include the step of allowing the liquid to pass through a fluid line insulated via one or more heater sheaths. These methods may include the step of sensing the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor. The step of preheating the liquid may include the step of controlling the temperature of the heaters based on the sensed temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller. These methods may include the step of dividing the gas flow into a plurality of fluid lines. One or more chambers may include a plurality of chambers. Each of the plurality of fluid lines may be fluidly coupled to a corresponding chamber of the plurality of chambers.

[0011] Compared to conventional systems and techniques, this technology offers numerous advantages. For example, embodiments of this technology can improve wafer-to-wafer deposition rate uniformity and film uniformity. Furthermore, in embodiments using a single fluid system to deliver fluid to multiple processing chambers, deposition rate uniformity and film uniformity across different chambers can be improved. Specifically, the deposition rate can be improved by preheating the liquid before delivery to the liquid flow control device, which helps eliminate temperature differences that cause flow rate accuracy problems and subsequent deposition rate issues. Additionally, the components can be modified to accommodate any number of chambers or processes. These and other embodiments, along with their many advantages and features, are described in more detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0012] The nature and advantages of the disclosed technology can be further understood by referring to the rest of the instruction manual and drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary processing system according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0014] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic top view of an exemplary processing system according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0015] Figure 3 illustrates the operation of an exemplary method for directing gas flow to one or more processing chambers according to some embodiments of the present technology.

[0016] Several diagrams are included as illustrations. It should be understood that the diagrams are for illustrative purposes and should not be considered to be drawn to scale unless specifically stated otherwise. In addition, as illustrations, the diagrams are provided to aid understanding, and may not include all states or information compared to the actual representation, and may include exaggerated material for illustrative purposes.

[0017] In the accompanying drawings, similar parts and / or features may have the same element symbol. Furthermore, various parts of the same type may be distinguished by adding a letter after the element symbol to differentiate between similar parts. If only the first element symbol is used in the specification, the description applies to any similar parts having the same first element symbol, regardless of the letter. Implementation

[0018] Plasma-enhanced deposition processes can excite one or more component precursors to promote film formation on a substrate. Any number of material films can be produced to develop semiconductor structures, including conductive and dielectric films, as well as films that facilitate material transport and removal. For example, a hard mask film can be formed to facilitate substrate patterning while protecting the underlying material from being held in other ways. In numerous processing chambers, multiple precursors can be mixed in a gas-controlled plate and transported to the processing area of ​​the chamber where the substrate can be placed. While the stacked components may affect the flow distribution into the processing chamber, many other process variables can similarly affect the uniformity of deposition. For example, temperature differences, flow pattern uniformity, and other processing characteristics can affect the film on the substrate, resulting in film uniformity differences across the substrate for the material being produced or removed.

[0019] Typically, one or more gases flowing into the processing chamber are initially stored in liquid form. These liquids flow to a liquid flow control unit, which selectively directs the fluid to an evaporator, which converts the liquid into a gaseous form for delivery into the processing chamber. However, the temperature difference between the liquid and the liquid flow control unit can cause line pressure differentials that lead to flow rate errors, which in turn reduce wafer-to-wafer and / or across multiple processing chambers deposition rate uniformity. Conventional methods to combat this effect typically involve a temperature equilibrium priming process, in which the same gas formulation used for a given deposition operation flows into the chamber to age it before any deposition operation is performed. Such a priming process is operated by flushing any stagnant fluid in the fluid lines and ensuring liquid temperature equilibrium within the fluid lines to prevent temperature differences between the liquid flow control unit and the incoming liquid. However, this process reduces the efficiency of the deposition process because the priming process adds extra time at the start of operation (in some cases up to or exceeding 15 minutes) and results in wasted processing gas used to flush the fluid lines.

[0020] This technology overcomes these challenges by preheating the liquid before introducing it into the liquid flow control device. Specifically, the liquid can be preheated to a temperature substantially matching the temperature of the liquid flow control device. This eliminates or significantly reduces the temperature difference between the liquid flow control device and the incoming liquid, and subsequently improves flow rate accuracy and the resulting wafer-to-wafer and cross-processing chamber deposition rate uniformity. Embodiments may include a liquid flow control device comprising a temperature sensor located near the flow path of the device, such that the accurate temperature of the liquid flow control device can be used to control the temperature of the liquid heating device. Therefore, this technology can produce improved film deposition, characterized by improved thickness and material property uniformity on the substrate surface.

[0021] While the remainder of the disclosure will conventionally utilize the disclosed techniques to identify specific deposition processes, it will be readily understood that such systems and methods are equally applicable to other deposition and cleaning chambers and processes that may occur within said chambers. Therefore, the techniques should not be considered limited to use with these specific deposition processes or chambers. Before describing additional variations and modifications to this system according to embodiments of the present technology, this disclosure will discuss a possible system and chamber that may include a cover stack component according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0022] Figure 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary substrate processing system 100 with deposition, etching, baking, and curing chambers according to some embodiments of the present technology. System 100 may include one or more liquid delivery sources 105, each delivering one or more liquids converted into a gaseous form before being delivered to one or more processing chambers 140. For example, liquid may be delivered to a gas control board, which may include several components regulating the liquid to convert it into a gas delivered to the various processing chambers 140. For example, the gas control board may include a liquid flow controller 115, which may be fluidly coupled to one or more liquid delivery sources 105, such as using one or more liquid supply lines 107. The liquid flow controller 115 may include one or more valves that enable the liquid flow controller 115 to selectively control the liquid flow from the liquid delivery source 105 to downstream components of the processing system 100. System 100 may include a heater 110, which interfaces with the liquid supply line 107 between the liquid delivery source 105 and the liquid flow controller 115. For example, heater 110 may be part of a gas control panel and may be fluidly coupled to the outlet end of fluid delivery source 105 via at least a portion of liquid supply line 107, such that heater 110 is downstream of fluid delivery source 105 and upstream of liquid flow controller 115. This positioning ensures that all liquid delivered to liquid flow controller 115 must pass through heater 110. Heater 110 may be any heating mechanism capable of heating liquid supply line 107 and the liquid passing through it. Heater 110 may be a gas heater and / or an electric heater disposed around and / or in contact with other components of liquid supply line 107 and / or system 100. In a particular embodiment, heater 110 may be a block heater disposed around a portion of calibration block of system 100, although various other forms of heaters may be used in other embodiments. In some embodiments, heater 110 may be positioned near liquid flow controller 115. For example, heater 110 may be positioned less than or about 20 feet, less than or about 15 feet, less than or about 10 feet, less than or about 5 feet, less than or about 3 feet, less than or about 2 feet, less than or about 1 foot, or less than that from liquid flow controller 115. By positioning heater 110 near liquid flow controller 115, heat loss during preheating of liquid delivered to liquid flow controller 115 can be reduced and / or minimized. This can help reduce power consumption and improve the efficiency of heater 110. Heater 110 may be designed to operate at a preset temperature and / or adjust the temperature based on feedback from one or more sensors to preheat liquid to a desired temperature, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0023] In some embodiments, all or part of the liquid supply line 107 may be insulated and / or actively heated, such as by using wrap insulation and / or a heater sheath. In some embodiments, the entire length of the liquid supply line 107 may be covered by an insulation and / or heater sheath. In a particular embodiment, a portion of the liquid supply line 107 located between the outlet of the heater 110 and the inlet of the liquid flow controller 115 may include an insulation and / or heater sheath 112. Using an insulation and / or heater sheath 112 in this area of ​​the liquid supply line 107 helps reduce heat loss from preheating the liquid and enables the heater 110 to preheat the liquid to a temperature similar to or the same as the body of the liquid flow controller 115 (which is typically between or about 20°C and 50°C, between or about 25°C and 45°C, or between or about 30°C and 40°C). In some embodiments, insulation may be provided between the heater 110 and the liquid flow controller 115 to prevent the heater 110 from transferring heat to the body of the liquid flow controller 115.

[0024] The liquid flow controller 115 may include at least one temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115. For example, the sensor may be positioned within the body of the flow controller 115, in, adjacent to, and / or otherwise close to a fluid conduit through which the liquid flows. This positioning ensures that the temperature recorded by the sensor indicates the temperature of the portion of the body of the liquid flow controller 115 closest to the liquid. Data from the sensor may be transmitted to a heater 110. A controller for the heater 110 may adjust and / or otherwise control the temperature of the heater 110 based on the temperature sensed by the sensor of the liquid flow controller 115. For example, the controller for the heater 110 may set the temperature of the heater 110 to a temperature that heats the liquid passing through and / or passing by the heater 110 to a temperature that at least substantially matches the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115. As used herein, substantial matching can be understood to mean within 5°C or about 5°C, within 4°C or about 4°C, within 3°C or about 3°C, within 2.5°C or about 2.5°C, within 2°C or about 2°C, within 1.5°C or about 1.5°C, within 1°C or about 1°C, within 0.5°C or about 0.5°C, or less. The smaller the temperature difference, the better the flow rate accuracy, and ultimately the improved wafer-to-wafer and / or cross-processing chamber deposition rate uniformity. In some embodiments, the controller of heater 110 may set the temperature of heater 110 to a temperature that heats the liquid passing through and / or through heater 110 to a temperature sufficient to ensure that the temperature of the liquid at least substantially matches the temperature of the body of liquid flow controller 115 when the liquid enters liquid flow controller 115. For example, the temperature of heater 110 may be set to be at least or about 0.5°C, at least or about 1°C, at least or about 2°C, at least or about 3°C, at least or about 4°C, at least or about 5°C or more higher than the measured temperature of the body of liquid flow controller 115, to account for any heat loss from the liquid as it travels from the outlet of heater 110 to the inlet of liquid flow controller 115. This may take into account various factors such as the liquid flow rate, the distance between the outlet of heater 110 and the inlet of liquid flow controller 115, the diameter of liquid supply line 107, the presence and / or heating capacity of a heater sheath surrounding a portion of the fluid supply line 107 disposed between the outlet of heater 110 and the inlet of liquid flow controller 115, the temperature of the liquid entering heater 110, and / or other factors.In some embodiments, measurements from the temperature sensor of the liquid flow controller 115 can be used as inputs for closed-loop feedback control, which allows the temperature of the heater 110 to be continuously adjusted to preheat the liquid to a temperature that at least substantially matches the body temperature of the liquid flow controller 115 when the liquid enters it.

[0025] Additional sensors may be included in system 100 to allow the temperature of heater 110 to be controlled to ensure that the liquid is preheated to a temperature at least substantially matching the body temperature of liquid flow controller 115 when it enters liquid flow controller 115. For example, one or more flow sensors may be provided in liquid delivery source 105, liquid delivery line 107, heater 110, and / or liquid flow controller 115 to measure the flow rate of the liquid. In some embodiments, liquid delivery source 105 and / or liquid supply line 107 may include one or more temperature sensors that monitor the temperature of the liquid delivered to heater 110. The measured temperature may be transmitted to heater 110 so that a controller for heater 110 can set the temperature of heater 110 to take into account the liquid inlet temperature. Various other sensors may be included for controlling the temperature of heater 110 to preheat the liquid to a temperature at least substantially matching the body temperature of liquid flow controller 115 when it enters liquid flow controller 115.

[0026] By preheating the liquid to a temperature substantially the same as the body temperature of the liquid flow controller, the temperature difference between the body of the liquid flow controller and the liquid at the liquid inlet can be reduced, minimized, and / or eliminated. This improves the accuracy of the liquid flow rate and ultimately improves wafer-to-wafer deposition rate uniformity. In embodiments comprising multiple chambers, preheating can improve deposition rate uniformity across different chambers. Furthermore, this preheating can shorten and / or completely eliminate any initial temperature equilibrium process, thereby increasing the efficiency of the processing operation and reducing the amount of waste.

[0027] System 100 may include (e.g., using one or more additional liquid supply lines 109) a liquid evaporator 120 fluidly coupled downstream of a liquid flow controller 115. Using one or more valves, the liquid flow controller 115 may selectively control the flow rate and / or flow volume (if any) of the liquid supplied to the liquid evaporator 120. The liquid supplied to the liquid evaporator 120 may be evaporated into a gas that can be delivered to one or more processing chambers 140. For example, in some embodiments, the liquid evaporator 120 may heat the liquid to a sufficiently high temperature to evaporate it. The liquid evaporator 120 may be any type of evaporation unit, such as a bubbler, flash evaporator, direct liquid injection evaporator, and / or other types of evaporators (with or without a carrier gas).

[0028] The gas produced by evaporator 120 can be delivered to other gas control panel components. For example, the gas can be delivered to a line pressure baratron 125, several valves 130, a mass flow controller, and / or other gas delivery architecture components, some or all of which may be part of the gas control panel in some embodiments. As shown, the gas produced by evaporator 120 can pass through line pressure baratron 125, which monitors the pressure of gas within one or more chamber delivery lines 122 coupled to the outlet of evaporator 120 and delivering gas to one or more processing chambers 140. Valve 130 and / or mass flow controller can be used to selectively control the flow rate and / or pressure within chamber delivery lines 122. In some embodiments, valve 130 can be adjusted based on pressure measurements from line pressure baratron 125 to maintain the gas within chamber delivery lines 122 at a desired pressure level. The gas control panel may include at least one pressure switch 135, which can control the airflow and / or operation to one or more processing chambers 140 based on the pressure within the chamber delivery line 122 to maintain a desired pressure within the chamber delivery line 122. Once passed through the pressure switch 135, gas can be delivered to the processing chamber 140. In some embodiments, gas can be delivered to a single chamber 140, while in other embodiments, gas can be delivered simultaneously to multiple chambers 140. For example, gas can be delivered through one or more splitters (not shown) that can divide the gas into one or more fluid lines 145, each of which delivers gas to a separate chamber 140.

[0029] In some embodiments, the gas may be mixed with one or more other gases before being delivered to the processing chamber 140. Gas mixing may occur (e.g., using one or more gas blocks) within a gas control panel, and / or at one or more components interfacing between the gas control panel and the processing chamber 140. The gas may include cleaning gases, purifying gases, plasma-generating precursors, and / or other types of processing gases used in semiconductor manufacturing operations.

[0030] As shown, system 100 includes four processing chambers 140, although any number of processing chambers 140 may exist in various embodiments. For example, processing system 100 may include single-chamber, dual-chamber, and other multi-chamber systems. Each chamber 140 may define a processing area in which one or more processing operations may be performed, such as deposition processes (including cyclic layer deposition, atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and physical vapor deposition) and etching, pre-cleaning, annealing, plasma treatment, degassing, orientation, and other substrate processes. Several robotic arms 150 may be used to move substrates in and out of the processing chambers 140.

[0031] As described above, the gas control board may include one or more chamber delivery lines 122 and fluid lines 145 that deliver a mixture of one or more gases to one or more processing chambers and / or manifolds. For example, the gas control board may be positioned remotely from the processing chamber 140 (e.g., below the processing chamber). The chamber delivery lines 122 may be coupled to the fluid lines 145 (e.g., weldments) that guide gas from the gas control board to the processing chamber 140 and / or the manifolds of the processing system. Figure 2 illustrates a schematic top view of one embodiment of a semiconductor processing system 200 according to some embodiments of the present technology. This figure may include components of any system previously illustrated and described, and may also illustrate further configurations of any previously described system. It should be understood that the illustration may also depict exemplary components, such as those visible on any of the aforementioned chambers 140.

[0032] The semiconductor processing system 200 may include a cover plate 205 that defines a plurality of holes, each hole providing access to a plurality of processing chambers (which may be similar to processing chamber 140) located beneath the cover plate 205. Each of the plurality of holes may define fluid access to a specific cover stack, processing chamber, and / or processing region.

[0033] Gas separator assembly 210 may be seated on the top surface of cover plate 205. For example, gas separator assembly 210 may be centered between holes in cover plate 205. Gas separator assembly 210 may be fluidly coupled to several input weldments 215, each input weldment 215 being coupled to and / or a portion thereof to a corresponding chamber delivery line 222 (which may be similar to chamber delivery line 122) of a gas control board (such as the gas control board of system 100). Input weldments 215 may deliver gases (such as precursors, plasma effluents, and / or purge gases) from several gas sources to gas separator assembly 210. For example, each of the input weldments 215 may extend vertically from the gas control board located below cover plate 205 and through feeder plate 220. A portion of the input weldment 215 above feeder plate 220 may be horizontally bent and may direct gas toward gas separator assembly 210. In some embodiments, part or all of the input weldment 215 may be disposed within a heater sheath 219 which helps prevent heat loss along the length of the input weldment 215.

[0034] Gas separator assembly 210 receives gas from input weldment 215 and recursively separates the gas flow into a greater number of gas outputs, each gas output communicating with one or more valves 227 to help control the gas flow through valve block 225. For example, actuation of valve 227 controls whether the purified and / or treated gas flows to a corresponding treatment chamber or is transferred from a treatment chamber to another location in system 200. For example, the outlets of gas separator assembly 210 may each be fluidly coupled to output weldment 230 (which may resemble fluid line 145). Output weldment 230 may deliver purified and / or treated gas to output manifold 235 associated with a specific treatment chamber. For example, output manifold 235 may be positioned above each orifice formed in cover plate 205 and fluidly coupled to cover stack components to deliver one or more gases to the treatment area of ​​the corresponding treatment chamber.

[0035] Figure 3 illustrates the operation of an exemplary method 300 for supplying fluid to a processing chamber according to some embodiments of the present technology. This method can be implemented in various processing systems, including the aforementioned processing system 100 or 200 (which may include a gas control panel according to embodiments of the present technology, such as any gas control panel previously discussed). Method 300 may include several optional operations, which may or may not be specifically related to some embodiments of the method according to the present technology.

[0036] Method 300 may include a processing method that may include operations for forming a hard mask film or other deposition operations. The method may include optional operations prior to the commencement of method 300, or the method may include additional operations. For example, method 300 may include operations performed in a different order than those shown. Method 300 may include the following steps: In operation 305, allowing liquid to flow from a liquid source. In operation 310, as the liquid flows to the liquid flow controller, the liquid may be preheated to a temperature within about 5°C of the body temperature of the liquid flow controller before the fluid reaches the inlet of the liquid flow controller. For example, the liquid may pass through a heater (such as, but not limited to, a block heater) disposed between the liquid delivery source and the liquid flow controller. In some embodiments, the liquid may be preheated to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches the inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5°C of the body temperature of the liquid flow controller. For example, the temperature of the heater may be adjusted to preheat the liquid to a temperature higher than the body temperature of the liquid flow controller to account for any heat loss that may occur as the liquid is transported from the outlet of the heater to the inlet of the liquid flow controller. In some embodiments, the temperature of the heater may be set at least or about 0.5°C, at least or about 1°C, at least or about 2°C, at least or about 3°C, at least or about 4°C, at least or about 5°C or more higher than the measured temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller 115 to account for any heat loss from the liquid as it travels from the outlet of the heater to the inlet of the liquid flow controller. The temperature of the heater may be controlled to account for various factors such as the flow rate of the liquid, the distance between the outlet of the heater and the inlet of the liquid flow controller, the diameter of the liquid supply line transporting the liquid through the heater, the presence and / or heating capacity of a heater sheath surrounding a portion of the fluid supply line disposed between the outlet of the heater and the inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid entering the heater, and / or other factors. In some embodiments, the step of allowing the liquid to flow from the liquid source to the liquid flow controller may include the step of allowing the liquid to pass through a fluid line insulated via one or more heater sheaths. This arrangement helps to mitigate heat loss of the liquid as it travels from the outlet of the heater to the inlet of the liquid flow controller.

[0037] Method 300 may optionally include the following steps: sensing the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor. Based on the sensed temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the heater may be set and / or adjusted to ensure that the liquid is preheated to the correct temperature. In some embodiments, the temperature of the liquid may be monitored before it enters the heater, which may further enable the temperature of the heater to be adjusted to preheat the liquid to the correct temperature. In some embodiments, a measurement of the flow rate of the liquid through the heater and / or other indications may be provided to the controller of the heater to further adjust the temperature of the heater.

[0038] By preheating the liquid to a temperature substantially the same as the body temperature of the liquid flow controller, the temperature difference between the body of the liquid flow controller and the liquid at the liquid inlet can be reduced, minimized, and / or eliminated. This improves liquid flow error and ultimately improves wafer-to-wafer deposition rate uniformity. In embodiments comprising multiple chambers, preheating can improve deposition rate uniformity across different chambers. Furthermore, this preheating can shorten and / or completely eliminate any initial temperature equilibrium process, thereby increasing the efficiency of the processing operation and reducing waste.

[0039] Method 300 may include the following steps: In operation 315, the liquid is delivered to a liquid evaporator downstream of the liquid flow controller. For example, the liquid flow controller may selectively throttle and / or otherwise control the liquid flow rate to the liquid evaporator. In operation 320, the evaporator evaporates the liquid into a gas. For example, the evaporator may be an effervescent evaporator, a flash evaporator, a direct liquid injection evaporator, and / or other types of evaporators capable of converting liquid into a gaseous form. Once converted, the gas may be delivered to one or more processing chambers in operation 325. In some embodiments, the gas flow to the chambers may be controlled by one or more valves, a mass flow controller, a pressure switch, and / or other components of a gas control panel and / or other parts of the processing system. In some embodiments, the gas may be mixed with one or more other gases before flowing into the processing chambers. For example, the gas may be mixed with other gases in a gas control panel to produce a gas mixture for a given treatment and / or cleaning formulation. In some embodiments using multiple processing chambers, the gas flow may be split into several fluid lines before being delivered to the chambers. For example, gas can flow through one or more gas separators that split the flow into separate flow paths, each flow path / fluid line being fluidly coupled to a corresponding chamber in a plurality of chambers. In this way, an equal amount of gas flow can be delivered to each of the multiple chambers using a single flow from a gas control panel.

[0040] As described above, in some embodiments, the gas delivered to the one or more processing chambers can be used in processing operations without a temperature equilibration initial process or only a shortened initial process. The gas delivered to the processing chambers can be used to perform film deposition operations, etching operations, and / or other substrate processing operations. For example, in some embodiments, the gas may include one or more precursors, and the film deposition operation may include the step of introducing one or more precursors into the processing chamber. For example, the precursor may flow into a chamber (such as a chamber included in system 100 or 200), and the precursor may be passed through one or more of the following before being delivered to the processing area of ​​the chamber: a gas box, a baffle plate, or a panel. In some embodiments, the precursor may be a carbon-containing precursor or may include a carbon-containing precursor. Plasma may be generated from the precursor within the processing area, such as by providing RF power to the panel to generate plasma. Materials formed in the plasma (such as carbon-containing materials) may be deposited on the substrate to form one or more film layers on top of the substrate.

[0041] In some embodiments, the gas delivered to the processing chamber can be used to perform cleaning and / or purification operations before and / or after the substrate processing operations. It should be understood that any number of different gases can flow sequentially in a manner similar to that described above to perform any number of processing, cleaning, and / or purification operations in one or more processing chambers.

[0042] In the foregoing description, numerous details have been set forth for illustrative purposes in order to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the present technology. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains that certain embodiments may be practiced without some of these details or with others.

[0043] Several embodiments have been disclosed, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents can be used without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present technology, many conventional processes and components have not been described. Therefore, the above description should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present technology.

[0044] When providing a numerical range, it should be understood that, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, all intermediate values ​​between the upper and lower limits of the range, down to the smallest unit fraction of the lower limit, are specifically disclosed. Any smaller range between any specified numerical values, or any unspecified intermediate value within a specified range, and any other specified numerical value or intermediate value within the specified range, are covered. The upper and lower limits of such smaller ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range, and each range (whether one or both of the upper and lower limits are included in such smaller ranges) is also covered in this technique, unless any limitation is specifically excluded from the specified range. When a specified range includes one or both of such limit values, it also includes ranges that exclude one or both of those included limit values.

[0045] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used as in this specification and the appended claims include plural references. Thus, for example, referring to “a region” includes a plurality of such regions, and referring to “the hole” includes references to one or more holes and equivalents known to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0046] Furthermore, the terms "comprise(s)", "compris", "contain(s)", "containing", and "include(s)", when used in this specification and the following claims, are intended to specify the presence of the indicated feature, integer, component, or operation, but such terms do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, operations, actions, or groups.

[0047] 100: Processing System 105: Liquid delivery source 107: Liquid supply lines 109: Liquid supply lines 110: Heater 112: Heater jacket 115: Liquid Flow Controller 120: Evaporator 122: Chamber delivery pipeline 125: Pipeline pressure gauge 130: Valve 135: Pressure switch 140: Processing Chamber 145: Fluid Piping 150: Robotic Arm 200: Semiconductor Processing System 205: Cover plate 215: Input weldment 219: Heater sheath 220: Feedthrough plate 222: Chamber delivery pipeline 235: Output manifold 300: Method 305: Operation 310: Operation 315: Operation 320: Operation 325: Operation

[0048] Domestic storage information (please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A fluid transport assembly for a semiconductor processing system, comprising: A liquid delivery source; A heater, fluidly coupled to an outlet of the liquid supply source, wherein the heater preheats a liquid supplied by the liquid supply source to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5°C of a temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller; a liquid flow controller, fluidly coupled to the liquid supply source downstream of the heater; a liquid evaporator, fluidly coupled to a downstream end of the liquid flow controller; and a chamber delivery line, coupled to an output of the liquid evaporator.

2. The fluid delivery assembly for a semiconductor processing system as described in claim 1, wherein: The heater preheats a liquid supplied by the liquid delivery source to a temperature within approximately 5°C of a temperature in the body of the liquid flow controller.

3. The fluid delivery assembly for a semiconductor processing system as described in claim 1, further comprising: One or more processing chambers, the one or more processing chambers being coupled to an outlet end of the chamber delivery line.

4. The fluid delivery assembly for a semiconductor processing system as described in claim 1, wherein: The heater includes a block heater.

5. The fluid delivery assembly for a semiconductor processing system as described in claim 1, further comprising: At least one heater sheath is provided around a fluid supply line extending between the heater and the liquid flow controller.

6. The fluid delivery assembly for a semiconductor processing system as described in claim 1, wherein: The heater is located approximately 10 feet inside the liquid flow controller.

7. The fluid delivery assembly for a semiconductor processing system as described in claim 1, wherein: The liquid flow controller includes a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of a body of the liquid flow controller; and the temperature sensor is communicatively coupled to the heater.

8. A method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber, the method comprising the steps of: flowing a liquid from a liquid source to a liquid flow controller; preheating the liquid to a temperature within about 5°C of a body temperature of the liquid flow controller before the fluid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller; delivering the liquid to a liquid evaporator downstream of the liquid flow controller; evaporating the liquid into a gas; and delivering the gas to one or more processing chambers.

9. A method for supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 8, wherein: The preheating of the liquid includes the following steps: passing the liquid through a block heater.

10. A method for supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 8, wherein: The steps of allowing the liquid to flow from the liquid delivery source to the liquid flow controller include the following steps: allowing the liquid to pass through a fluid line that is insulated by one or more heater sheaths.

11. The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 8, further comprising the steps of: sensing the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor, wherein the step of preheating the liquid comprises the step of: controlling a temperature of a heater based on the sensed temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller.

12. A method for supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 8, wherein: The preheating of the liquid includes the following steps: heating the liquid to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5°C of a body of the liquid flow controller.

13. The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 8, further comprising the step of: dividing the stream of gas into a plurality of fluid lines, wherein: The one or more chambers include a plurality of chambers; and each of the plurality of fluid lines is fluidly coupled to a corresponding chamber of the plurality of chambers.

14. A method for supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 8, wherein: The gas delivered to the one or more processing chambers is used in the processing operation without a temperature priming process.

15. A method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber, the method comprising the steps of: discharging a liquid from a liquid source; preheating the liquid to a temperature within about 5°C of a temperature of a body of a liquid flow controller; delivering the preheated liquid to the liquid flow controller; evaporating the liquid into a gas using a liquid evaporator downstream of the liquid flow controller; and delivering the gas to one or more processing chambers.

16. A method for supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 15, wherein: The preheating of the liquid includes the following steps: heating the liquid to a sufficiently high temperature such that when the liquid reaches an inlet of the liquid flow controller, the temperature of the liquid is within about 5°C of a body of the liquid flow controller.

17. A method for supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 15, wherein: The steps of causing the liquid to flow from the liquid delivery source to the liquid flow controller include the following steps: passing the liquid through a fluid line that is insulated by one or more heater sheaths.

18. The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 15, further comprising the steps of: sensing the temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller using a temperature sensor, wherein the step of preheating the liquid comprises the step of: controlling a temperature of a heater based on the sensed temperature of the body of the liquid flow controller.

19. The method of supplying a fluid to a semiconductor processing chamber as described in claim 15, further comprising the step of: dividing the stream of gas into a plurality of fluid lines, wherein: The one or more chambers include a plurality of chambers; and each of the plurality of fluid lines is fluidly coupled to a corresponding chamber of the plurality of chambers.

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