Apparatuses for uniform fluid delivery in a multi-station semiconductor processing chamber

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system for semiconductor processing. The system includes a semiconductor processing chamber having multiple processing stations, multiple manifolds, multiple valves, and multiple fluid manifolds. Each manifold includes an outlet, a common flow path, multiple manifold inlets, multiple orifices, and multiple valve interfaces.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a device for uniform fluid transport in a multi-station semiconductor processing chamber. [Previous Technology]

[0002] During semiconductor processing operations, a substrate is typically supported on a pedestal within a processing chamber, and process gases are flowed into the chamber to deposit one or more layers of material onto or remove one or more layers of material from the substrate. In commercial-scale manufacturing, each substrate or wafer contains many copies of the specific semiconductor device being manufactured, and many substrates are required to achieve the desired device volume. The commercial viability of semiconductor processing operations depends heavily on the intra-wafer uniformity and wafer-to-wafer repeatability of process conditions, as well as station-to-station uniformity. Therefore, efforts are made to ensure that every portion of a given wafer and every wafer being processed is exposed to the same processing conditions. Variations in processing conditions and semiconductor processing tools can lead to variations in deposition conditions, resulting in unacceptable variations throughout the process and the product. Equipment that minimizes process variability is required.

[0003] The prior art and background description contained herein are provided only for the purpose of generally presenting the background of this disclosure. The majority of this disclosure presents the work of the inventors, and the fact that such work is described in the Prior Art section or presented as background elsewhere herein does not imply that it is acknowledged as prior art. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] Details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, embodiments, and advantages will become apparent from the embodiments section, the drawings, and the claims. The following non-limiting embodiments are considered part of this disclosure; other embodiments will also become apparent from the entire contents of this disclosure and the accompanying drawings.

Implementation Method

[0016] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the presented embodiments. The disclosed embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process operations have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosed embodiments. Although the disclosed embodiments will be described in conjunction with specific examples, it should be understood that it is not intended to be limiting of the disclosed embodiments. Definitions

[0017] In this application, the terms "semiconductor wafer," "wafer," "substrate," "wafer substrate," and "partially manufactured integrated circuit" are used interchangeably. Those skilled in the art will understand that the term "partially manufactured integrated circuit" can refer to a silicon wafer during any of the many stages of integrated circuit manufacturing on a silicon wafer. Wafers or substrates used in the semiconductor device industry typically have a diameter of 200 mm, 300 mm, or 450 mm. The following description section assumes that the invention is practiced in conjunction with "wafer." However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. The workpiece may have various different shapes, sizes, and materials. Besides semiconductor wafers, other workpieces that can utilize the invention include various articles such as printed circuit boards, magnetic recording media, magnetic recording sensors, mirrors, optical elements, micromechanical devices, and the like.

[0018] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "fluid connection" is used to refer to volumes, inflatable parts, orifices, etc., that are connected to each other to form a fluid connection, similar to how the term "electrical connection" is used to refer to components connected together to form an electrical connection. If used, the term "fluid insertion" can refer to an assembly, volume, inflatable part, or orifice that is fluidly connected to at least two other components, volumes, inflatable parts, or orifices, such that fluid flowing from one of those other components, volumes, inflatable parts, or orifices to another of those components, volumes, inflatable parts, or orifices will first flow through the "fluid insertion" assembly before reaching the other one of those components, volumes, inflatable parts, or orifices. For example, if a pump system is fluidly inserted between a reservoir and an outlet, fluid flowing from the reservoir to the outlet will first flow through the pump before reaching the outlet. Introduction and Background

[0019] Multi-station semiconductor processing tools ("multi-station tools") have two or more processing stations within a single processing chamber, which can offer numerous advantages, such as increased throughput by utilizing shared processing equipment between stations while processing multiple wafers in parallel. For example, in a chamber with four processing stations, four substrates placed in four separate stations can be processed simultaneously. Many multi-station tools have a process fluid delivery system that delivers multiple process fluids (such as process gases, liquids, and / or vapors) to each station via a gas distribution device (such as a spray head) that allows each process fluid to flow from a common source through a manifold or flow path having one or more junctions and multiple legs. To deliver multiple process fluids to the multi-station chamber, many multi-station tools have multiple manifolds, each connecting a different fluid source to each station. Using such manifolds to flow fluid from a single fluid source to multiple stations offers numerous advantages, such as increased efficiency and reduced costs.

[0020] The inventors have discovered that the fluid delivery system used in some multi-station tools can lead to various undesirable flow conditions that result in station-to-station inhomogeneities. These undesirable effects have been found to occur when the fluid flow rate is in a "low-flow" mode, which can be considered to be less than about 3 standard liters per minute ("slm"), including less than or equal to about 2 slm, about 1.5 slm, about 1 slm, or about 0.5 slm. For example, in multi-station deposition tools, when process gases are used to deposit materials, the resulting variations in inter-station deposition rates when these gases flow in a low-flow mode can affect the thickness of the deposited material and increase inter-station thickness inhomogeneities.

[0021] The inventors have discovered that flow imbalances, crosstalk between manifolds, or both, in process fluid delivery systems when fluids flow in low-flow patterns can lead to undesirable inter-station nonuniformities, such as nonuniform inter-station flow rates. Although the manifolds and fluid delivery flow paths from each fluid source to the wafer are designed and constructed to be as identical and uniform as possible, these flow paths still have inherent variability, such as manufacturing or assembly variability in valves, fluid conduits and components, and gas distribution equipment. These inherent variability can result in inter-station flow rate nonuniformities that remain relatively constant under most given process conditions.

[0022] For example, at relatively high or non-low flow rates (e.g., above 3.5 slm or 5 slm), the inherent inter-station flow rate differences are relatively small compared to the fluid flow rate, such that these differences may not affect the process conditions used to perform semiconductor device manufacturing operations in early technology nodes or single-station reactors. However, at low flow rates, the inter-station flow rate differences are relatively large compared to the fluid flow rate and can significantly affect intra-station and inter-station flow balance and flow conditions. In a simplified example, a multi-station tool may have an inherent inter-station flow rate difference of approximately 0.5 slm, which is relatively small compared to high flow rates (e.g., 5 slm), but relatively large compared to a 2 slm flow rate that might split among four stations, resulting in a flow rate of 0.5 slm at each station. In this simplified illustration, a 0.5 slm flow rate per station is roughly equal to a 0.5 slm inter-station flow rate difference, which can lead to significant inter-station variability at these low flow rates.

[0023] Undesirable crosstalk has also been observed between the multiple manifolds of a multi-station tool. "Crosstalk" can be considered as fluid unintentionally flowing from one manifold to another. As described above, many process fluids are delivered to stations in a multi-station tool through multiple manifolds, and each manifold may correspond to a different fluid source and have multiple branches, each fluidly connected to a corresponding station. Each process fluid may flow to a station in the multi-station tool through separate manifolds. Each station may have a common junction, referred to herein as the "manifold trunk," where the inlets of each station converge; that is, branches of each of the multiple manifolds are physically and fluidly connected to a common location of the station. The manifold trunk can therefore have multiple inputs, each fluidly connected to a branch of the respective manifold. The inventors have found that some multi-station tools do not have valves for isolating the manifold trunk from the fluids in each manifold, which allows fluid to flow from a branch of a manifold through the manifold trunk to which it is connected and into another manifold; this is an example of crosstalk between manifolds. This crosstalk can create flow imbalance within a manifold through which fluid is expected to flow, and can create additional flow imbalance between stations by allowing fluid to flow into another manifold and to more than one station.

[0024] The inventors have determined that using flow restrictors or orifices to create choked flow in each branch of each manifold can result in more uniform and balanced inter-station flow. By using choked flow patterns, the fluid flowing from each manifold branch to the treatment station becomes insensitive to downstream pressure variability and the inherent variability of each station. Furthermore, the inventors have determined that using isolation valves at the manifold trunk of each branch of each manifold at each station can prevent crosstalk between manifolds. Systems and Apparatus

[0025] The present disclosure relates to reducing non-uniform inter-station fluid flow and reducing crosstalk between manifolds in a multi-station semiconductor processing tool. The multi-station tool provided herein has a plurality of fluid delivery manifolds, each with multiple branches that are fluidly connected to a corresponding manifold main at each station. The multi-station tool may also include a plurality of flow restrictors (e.g., orifices) positioned at or near the manifold main and used to create flow obstruction within each branch of each manifold. Each manifold main may be fluidly connected to a corresponding station, has multiple inlets, each inlet being fluidly connected to a branch of the corresponding manifold, and has an orifice through which fluid is inserted between each inlet and branch.

[0026] When an orifice is provided between each inlet of each manifold main and the corresponding branch to which fluid is connected, flow obstruction is created from each manifold branch to each manifold main and the corresponding station. Each orifice may have an orifice body and a hole through the orifice body, and in some embodiments, the orifice body may be formed as an orifice plate removably connected to the manifold main. In some embodiments, the orifice body may be made of ruby ​​to achieve lower manufacturing tolerances than other materials and manufacturing methods (e.g., metalworking).

[0027] In some other embodiments of a manifold having a single, common multi-branch splitter between multiple branches (in some embodiments, these branches may have equal or substantially equal lengths), each orifice may be positioned along each branch relatively close to the common multi-branch splitter to create flow obstruction within each branch of the manifold. In some such embodiments, each orifice may be positioned away from the multi-branch splitter at a distance less than or equal to 20%, 10%, or 5% of the corresponding length of the branch to which it is connected.

[0028] The multi-station tool may also have multiple valves, each positioned at each inlet of the manifold main to prevent crosstalk between manifolds. These valves are configured to regulate fluid flow between the manifold branch and the orifice corresponding to each inlet of the manifold main. Thus, each manifold main may include a valve interface to which the valve is configured to interface and connect. In some embodiments using orifice plates, the valve interface may be part of the orifice plate and the valve may interface directly with the orifice plate. Furthermore, in some embodiments, each manifold branch may terminate at a valve, while in other embodiments, the branch may terminate at the valve interface surface of the manifold main.

[0029] FIG1 depicts an example multi-station semiconductor processing tool according to a disclosed embodiment. The multi-station tool 100 includes a processing chamber 102 having four processing stations 104A-104D, each processing station being surrounded by a dashed rectangle. The processing chamber 102 has a top, a bottom, and sidewalls, which at least define an interior 103 in which stations 104A-D are positioned. Each station includes a base 106, a substrate 108 on the base 106, and a spray head 110; these items are marked in processing station 104A.

[0030] The multi-station tool 100 also includes a fluid delivery system 114 (enclosed within the dashed rectangle), which is fluidly coupled to each processing station 104A-104D for delivering process fluids to the spray head 110. The process fluids may include liquids and / or gases, such as membrane precursors, carriers and / or purge and / or process gases, second reactants, etc. The fluid delivery system 114 includes: a plurality of gas sources, two of which are shown as a first fluid source 116 and a second fluid source 118; and a plurality of manifolds for delivering process fluids from each gas source to each processing station 104A-D. Although not depicted, the fluid delivery system 114 may include other features such as additional fluid sources (e.g., at least three, four, six, eight, ten, or twenty fluid sources), more than one mixing vessel, an evaporation point for evaporating liquid reactants to be supplied to the mixing vessel, and various valves, manifolds, heaters, and gas lines to guide and control the flow of fluid throughout the fluid delivery system 114; some of these features will be described in more detail below. The spray head 110 distributes process gases and / or reactants (e.g., membrane precursors) toward the substrate 108 at the corresponding processing station.

[0031] In Figure 1, the fluid delivery system 114 is illustrated as having two manifolds, a first manifold 120 depicted by a thick solid line and a second manifold 122 depicted by a thick dashed line, as shown in the illustration. The first manifold 120 includes a common input 124 that can form a single fluid connection with a first fluid source 116, and includes a plurality of branches 126A-D, each branch 126A-D fluidly connected to a corresponding station 104A-D. The common input 124 may have a point 128 indicating where the manifold first branches into multiple branches. In some embodiments, the first manifold 120 may have multiple branches and splitters (not shown), resulting in the first manifold 120 having four separate branches 126A-D, each branch 126A-D terminating at a different corresponding station 104A-D. For example, as shown in Figure 1, for the first manifold 120 at or after point 128 of the common input 124, a first branch 126A is fluidly connected to a first processing station 104A, a second branch 126B is fluidly connected to a second processing station 104B, a third branch 126C is fluidly connected to a third processing station 104C, and a fourth branch 126D is fluidly connected to a fourth processing station 104D. In some embodiments, each of branches 126A-D may have the same length or substantially the same length.

[0032] The second manifold 122 in FIG1 includes a common input 129 that can form a single fluid connection with the second fluid source 118, and includes multiple branches 130A-D, each branch 130A-D being fluidly connected to a corresponding station 104A-D. The common input 129 may have a point 132 indicating where the second manifold 122 branches into multiple branches. In some embodiments, the second manifold 122 may have multiple branches and splitters (not shown), resulting in the second manifold 122 having four separate branches 130A-D, each branch 130A-D terminating at a different corresponding station 104A-D. As shown in Figure 1, for the second manifold 122, at or after point 132 of the common input 129, a first branch 130A is fluidly connected to the first processing station 104A, a second branch 130B is fluidly connected to the second processing station 104B, a third branch 130C is fluidly connected to the third processing station 104C, and a fourth branch 130D is fluidly connected to the fourth processing station 104D. In some embodiments, each of branches 130A-D may have the same length or substantially the same length. To illustrate the individual branches in Figure 1, each branch 126A-D and 130A-D extends from its corresponding upstream (the solid circle of the respective first or second manifold).

[0033] To enable each branch of each manifold to be fluidly connected to each treatment station, the multi-station tool 100 includes a plurality of manifold trunks 134A-D, each manifold trunk 134A-D corresponding to one of the treatment stations 104A-D, and each manifold trunk 134A-D has a plurality of trunk inlets, each of which is configured to be fluidly connected to a branch of the manifold. Each manifold trunk 134A-D is fluidly connected to a corresponding station inlet 136A-D of each station 104A-D. Each station inlet 136A-D is fluidly connected to a spray head of the corresponding station 104A-D, such that fluid flows through the station inlet to the station's spray head. For example, fluid can flow through station inlet 136A to the spray head 110 of station 104A. As shown in Figure 1, manifold main 134A corresponds to station 104A and is fluidly connected to station inlet 136A and station 104A; manifold main 134B corresponds to station 104B and is fluidly connected to station inlet 136B and station 104B; manifold main 134C corresponds to station 104C and is fluidly connected to station inlet 136C and station 104C; and manifold main 134D corresponds to station 104D and is fluidly connected to station inlet 136C and station 104C.

[0034] Each manifold trunk includes a plurality of trunk inlets, such as the two inlets shown in FIG1. ​​Each trunk inlet is fluidly connected to a branch of a manifold; thus, each branch of each manifold is connected to a trunk inlet of a trunk manifold for a corresponding station, such that each branch is fluidly connected to a different processing station. In some embodiments, each manifold trunk has at least the same number of trunk inlets as the number of manifolds, and each manifold includes at least the same number of branches as the number of stations. For example, manifold trunk 134A includes a first trunk inlet 138A and a second trunk inlet 138B (both represented as ellipses), a first branch 126A of the first manifold 120 is fluidly connected to the first trunk inlet 138A, and a first branch 130A of the second manifold 122 is fluidly connected to the second trunk inlet 138B.

[0035] Similarly, manifold main 134B includes a first main inlet 140A and a second main inlet 140B, a second branch 126B of the first manifold 120 is fluidly connected to the first main inlet 140A, and a second branch 130B of the second manifold 122 is fluidly connected to the second main inlet 140B. For manifold main 134C, it includes a first main inlet 142A and a second main inlet 142B, a third branch 126C of the first manifold 120 is fluidly connected to the first main inlet 142A, and a third branch 130C of the second manifold 122 is fluidly connected to the second main inlet 142B. Finally, for the manifold main 134D, it includes a first main inlet 144A and a second main inlet 144B, and the fourth branch 126D of the first manifold 120 is fluidly connected to the first main inlet 144A, and the fourth branch 130D of the second manifold is fluidly connected to the second main inlet 144B.

[0036] Based on these arrangements and configurations, each branch of the first manifold 120 is fluidly connected to a different branch from the main manifold 134A-D, and each branch is fluidly connected to a corresponding treatment station 104A-D. The first manifold 120 is thus fluidly connected to each treatment station 104A-D, with one branch connecting the first manifold 120 to a corresponding treatment station. Furthermore, each branch of the second manifold 122 is fluidly connected to a different branch from the main manifold 134A-D, and each branch is fluidly connected to a corresponding treatment station 104A-D. Therefore, the second manifold 122 is fluidly connected to each treatment station, with one branch connecting the second manifold 122 to a corresponding treatment station.

[0037] Additional features and flow elements of the multi-station tool 100 will now be discussed. For clarity, some of these features are not included in Figure 1 but are illustrated in other figures provided herein. Some of these features include orifices and valves. As described above, in order to create a flow restriction pattern in each branch of each manifold flowing into the main manifold, the multi-station tool provided herein may use a plurality of flow restrictors (e.g., orifices), each flow restrictor being fluidly connected to a corresponding branch of each manifold and fluidly positioned upstream of the main inlet to which the branch is fluidly connected. Each orifice creates flow restriction through an orifice diameter having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the manifold branch to which the orifice is fluidly connected, for example, an orifice diameter less than or equal to, for example, about 50%, about 40%, about 25%, about 20%, about 10%, or about 5% of, the inner diameter of the branch.

[0038] Figures 2A-2D show an example orifice and orifice plate. Figure 2A depicts an off-angle view of an example orifice located within the orifice plate, while Figure 2B depicts an exploded view of the orifice and orifice plate of Figure 2A. Orifice 246 (surrounded by a dashed ellipse in Figure 2B) has an orifice body 247 and a hole 249 extending through the orifice body 247. The orifice body 247 is positioned within the orifice plate 251 and, in the illustrated embodiment, is positioned above a seat 253 within a bore 257 of the orifice plate 251. In some embodiments, the orifice body can be anvil-shaped into the orifice plate through an anvil process, wherein the orifice plate material is deformed around the orifice body to encapsulate the orifice into the orifice plate.

[0039] Figure 2C depicts a cross-sectional side view of the orifice and orifice plate of Figure 2A. Orifice 246, orifice body 247, and aperture 249 can be seen, with the aperture having a diameter D1. The orifice body 247 is positioned on a seat 253 of the orifice plate 251, and the orifice plate has been deformed around the orifice body 247 (some representative deformations are identified by identifier 241). Figure 2D depicts a cross-sectional side view of the orifice and orifice plate of Figure 2C, and a portion of pipe 254; pipe 254 represents a manifold branch or manifold pipe fluidly connected to the orifice. Orifice 246 creates flow obstruction in the manifold branch through an aperture diameter D1 having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the manifold branch fluidly connected to the orifice (here, the inner diameter D2 of pipe 254). For example, the diameter D1 of aperture 249 can be, for example, less than or equal to about 50%, about 40%, about 25%, about 20%, about 10%, or about 5% of the branch inner diameter D2.

[0040] In some embodiments, the orifice body may be made of ruby. This material allows for lower manufacturing tolerances, thus enabling more accurate and precise orifice diameters and consequently, better flow control. The lower the tolerance of each orifice diameter, the smaller the variation between each orifice body, and the more uniform the inter-station flow using such an orifice. In some embodiments, the use of ruby ​​allows the orifice to be formed by laser drilling, which in some cases can have lower tolerances and therefore can be a more precise machine drilling process. In other embodiments, the orifice may be formed by machine drilling. In some other embodiments, the orifice body may be made of another material or a combination of materials, such as aluminum, aluminum alloys, or dielectric materials such as ceramics.

[0041] The multiple flow restrictors (e.g., the orifices of Figures 2A-D) are not shown in Figure 1, but are shown in Figure 3, which depicts an enlarged portion of the multi-station tool of Figure 1. Here, the horizontal band of the multi-station tool 100 is shown and includes the top of the processing chamber 102, station inlets 136A-D, manifold trunks 134A-D and their respective trunk inlets 138A, 138B, 140A, 140B, 142A, 142B, 144A, and 144B, segments of branches 126A-D of the first manifold 120, and segments of branches 130A-D of the second manifold 122. The multiple orifices 146A-H are also depicted in Figure 3 and represented by rectangles with horizontal lines.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3, each of the plurality of orifices 146A-H is fluidly connected to a corresponding main inlet 138A, 138B, 140A, 140B, 142A, 142B, 144A, and 144B of each manifold main 134A-D. For example, orifice 146A is fluidly connected to and corresponds to main inlet 138A, orifice 146B is fluidly connected to and corresponds to main inlet 138B, orifice 146C is fluidly connected to and corresponds to main inlet 140A, orifice 146D is fluidly connected to and corresponds to main inlet 140B, and orifice 146E is fluidly connected to and corresponds to main inlet 142A.

[0043] These orifices 146A-H are also fluidly inserted between the corresponding main inlet and the branch line fluidly connected to the corresponding main inlet, such that fluid flowing from the branch line to the main inlet flows through an orifice. In some embodiments, each branch of the first and second manifolds also has a terminal point fluidly connected to the corresponding orifice, such that each orifice is fluidly inserted between the branch line and the corresponding main inlet. For example, branch 126A of the first manifold 120 has a terminal point 148A located upstream of orifice 146A, fluidly connected to orifice 146A and main inlet 138A, and positioned such that orifice 146A is fluidly inserted between terminal point 148A and the corresponding main inlet 138A. This fluid insertion causes fluid to flow from the branch line's terminal point 148A through the corresponding orifice 146A and to the corresponding main inlet 138A.

[0044] In another case, branch 130A of the second manifold 122 has a terminal point 148B upstream of orifice 146B, fluidly connected to orifice 146B and main inlet 138B, and positioned such that orifice 146B is fluid-intercalated between terminal point 148B and the corresponding main inlet 138B. This fluid-intercalation causes fluid to flow from terminal point 148B through the corresponding orifice 146B and to the corresponding main inlet 138B. For each branch 126B-D of the first manifold 120 and each branch 130B-D of the second manifold 122, the remaining terminal points 148C-H are included in FIG3 and arranged with similar fluid positioning.

[0045] Some additional features of the manifold trunk will now be discussed. As described above, the manifold trunk is configured to allow fluid to flow through each trunk inlet and toward the corresponding station inlet. This configuration may include each manifold trunk having an outlet for fluid connection to the corresponding station inlet and a common flow path for fluid connection to each trunk inlet and station inlet, and arranged such that fluid flowing through each inlet travels through the common flow path to the outlet. Figure 4 depicts an enlarged cross-sectional side view of a portion of the manifold trunk, the corresponding station inlet, two orifices, and two manifold branches of Figure 3. Here, the manifold trunk 134A has an outlet 152 and a port for fluid connection to station inlet 136A, through which fluid leaves the manifold trunk 134A and enters station inlet 136A.

[0046] The manifold main 134A also includes a common flow path 154 extending through the manifold main, and in some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, a linear path along an axis 156 extending along the length of the manifold main 134A. In some cases, the common flow path spans between the outlet and the opposite ends of the manifold main (the top of the manifold main 134A in FIG4). The first main inlet 138A and the second main inlet 138B are fluidly connected to the common flow path 154 and arranged such that fluid flowing through each main inlet flows into the common flow path 154, to the outlet 152, and to the corresponding station inlet 136A for the manifold main 134A, as indicated by the small directional arrows. FIG4 also includes a portion of a branch 126A of the first manifold 120 fluidly connected to the orifice 146A and the first main inlet 138A, and a portion of a branch 130A of the second manifold 122 fluidly connected to the orifice 146B and the second main inlet 138B.

[0047] As described above, undesirable crosstalk may occur between the manifold and the main manifold without isolation valves. This crosstalk can be illustrated in Figure 4. Here, undesirable crosstalk may include fluid flowing through branch 126A of the first manifold 120 into the main manifold 134A, instead of flowing to the station inlet 136A. The fluid could flow through the main manifold 134A, exit the main inlet 138B, and enter branch 130A of the second manifold 122. This crosstalk is indicated by black arrow 158. This crosstalking fluid can then flow into another branch of the second manifold 122 (e.g., branch 130B) and into the station inlet 136B and the corresponding station 104B (not shown in Figure 4).

[0048] To prevent such undesirable crosstalk, some embodiments provided herein may use valves to prevent crosstalk between the first and second manifolds. This may include having a valve at each manifold trunk to prevent fluid from flowing through one manifold, into the manifold trunk, and into another manifold. Figure 4 includes valve 150A, which is fluidly connected to the first branch 126A and configured to prevent fluid from flowing through branch 126A to trunk inlet 138A, and also to prevent fluid from flowing in the opposite direction through trunk inlet 138A and into branch 126A. Another valve 150B is also seen fluidly connected to another branch 130A and configured in the same manner as valve 150A to prevent flow between trunk inlet 138B and the other branch 130A.

[0049] These valves and their arrangement are further depicted and explained in Figure 3. The multi-station tool 100 here includes a plurality of valves 150A-H, which are configured to regulate flow between each branch of each manifold and the corresponding main inlet of each branch. As shown in Figure 3, each valve 150A-H is fluidly connected to a corresponding branch of the manifold and configured to regulate fluid flow between that branch and the corresponding main inlet. For example, similar to Figure 4, valve 150A is fluidly connected to branch 126A, orifice 146A of the first manifold 120, and main inlet 138A of the manifold main 134A. This valve 150A is configured to regulate fluid flow between branch 126A and the corresponding orifice 146A and the corresponding main inlet 138A. In another example, valve 150D is fluidly connected to branch 130B, orifice 146B of second manifold 122, and main inlet 140B of manifold main 134B, such that valve 150D can regulate fluid flow between branch 130B and the corresponding orifice 146D and main inlet 140B.

[0050] Valves can be positioned in various ways to regulate fluid flow between branch lines and corresponding orifices and main inlets connected to the branch lines. In one example, a valve can be fluidly connected to an orifice, including directly interfacing with the orifice, and the corresponding manifold branch line can terminate at the valve, allowing fluid to flow through the valve to the corresponding orifice and main inlet. Valves 150E-H are shown as examples of valves directly interfacing with orifices 146E-H; these valves 150E-H are also the locations of the termination points 148E-H of branches 126C, 130C, and 126D. In another example, a valve can be positioned along a branch line and inserted between the termination point of the branch line and the common input of the manifold of that branch line. In these embodiments, the branch line can terminate at an orifice, for example, shown by valves 150A-D, orifices 146A-D, and termination points 148A-D of branches 126A, 130A, 126B, and 130B, respectively.

[0051] In some embodiments, the manifold trunk may include valve interfaces, each configured to interface with one of the valves. The valve interface may include a flat surface and connection features, such as a threaded hole, a bolt-through hole, a threaded screw-in hole, or other features capable of securing the valve to the manifold trunk. In some cases, the valve interface may be a surface-mount interface and the valve may be a surface-mount valve. The valve interface may also include a threaded hole for directly screwing the valve into the hole.

[0052] In some embodiments, the orifice may include a valve interface and a valve may be directly connected to the valve interface and the orifice. The orifice may have a valve interface provided as part of the orifice, such as part of the orifice body. In some embodiments, the orifice may be connected to another portion including interface features, such as the orifice plate of Figures 2A-D having interface features. The interface features of the orifice plate may include a flat surface against which a valve piston may abut and seal the orifice opening, and fixing features for connecting the valve to the orifice plate, including orifices, threaded connections, clamps, and the like. In some embodiments, the orifice plate may be removably connected to the manifold trunk. For example, such a removable connection may involve bolts, clamps, or screws. For example, using a removable connection allows the orifice plate to be replaced with orifices of different sizes to provide different flow control.

[0053] FIG. 5A depicts an angled view of another example manifold backbone having two orifice plates and two valves, and FIG. 5B depicts a cross-sectional side view of FIG. 5A. In FIG. 5, the manifold backbone 534 together with its common flow path 554 is visible, which flows through the manifold backbone 534 and extends through the end 580 of the manifold backbone 534. The manifold backbone 534 also includes an outlet 552 fluidly connected to the common flow path 554. A first valve 550A is visible interfacing with a first orifice plate 551A, a second valve 550B is visible interfacing with an interface feature 555B, and a second orifice plate 551B is also visible interfacing with an interface feature 555B. The first orifice plate 551A is mounted or connected to a mounting surface 561A of the manifold backbone 534, and the second orifice plate 551B is mounted or connected to another mounting surface 561B of the interface feature 555B of the manifold backbone 534. Each mounting surface of the manifold trunk can be configured to receive and connect to an orifice plate, and may include a flat surface to form a sealing surface with the orifice plate, a seal or other sealing gasket, an additional fixing plate, holes for receiving bolts, screws, or features for receiving clamps.

[0054] Additional features are visible in Figure 5B. A common flow path 554 extends from one end of the manifold trunk 534 to an outlet 552 (possibly including along a linear axis 556) and is fluidly connected to a first trunk inlet 538A and a second trunk inlet 538B of the manifold trunk 534. A first orifice plate 551A, identical to those in Figures 2A-D, is connected to the manifold trunk 534 such that an orifice 546 including a hole 549 is fluidly connected to the first trunk inlet 538A. The first orifice plate 551A includes a valve interface including a surface 555A, identified as object 255 in Figures 5B and 2A, to which a first valve 550A can be connected and interfaced. For the first valve 550A, a manifold branch 526 terminates at the first valve 550A, such that the branch 526 is fluidly connected through the first valve 550A to the orifice 546 of the orifice plate 551A and the first main inlet 538A. Therefore, fluid can flow from the branch 526 to the first valve 550A, and then to the orifice 546 and the first main inlet 538A. The orifice 546 is also fluidly inserted between the first inlet 538A and the termination point of the first valve 550A and the branch 526.

[0055] For the second inlet 538B, a different arrangement of the interface feature is depicted, shown as block 555B, which has two flow paths 559A and 559B through which fluid can flow. The second orifice plate 551B, also identical to that in Figures 2A-D, is connected to the interface feature (block 555B), and the branch line 530 of the manifold terminates at the second orifice plate 551B. Fluid is inserted between the second inlet and the termination point of the branch line 530 through the second orifice plate 551B (including its orifice). Fluid can flow from the branch line 530 to the second inlet 538B by flowing through the orifice of the orifice plate 551B, through the two flow paths 559A and 559B, and through the second valve 550B. This flow path is indicated by small arrow lines. The second valve 550B interfaces with the interface feature (block 555B) and is movable to stop the flow passing through flow paths 559A and 559B; Figure 5B shows the open position that allows flow as indicated by the arrow.

[0056] In some embodiments, one of the manifolds may include a plurality of branches, which in some embodiments may have equal or substantially the same length and all extend away from a single multi-branch manifold that provides a single branch from a common input. Figure 6 depicts another example manifold. The manifold 660 includes a common input 662 fluidly connected to a gas source 664, and a multi-branch manifold 666 that branches the common input 662 into flow paths equal to the number of branches present. In this example, there are four branches 668A-D, and therefore the multi-branch manifold is a single 4-way branch connected to each branch 668A-D, and each branch 668A-D extends away from this multi-branch manifold 666. Each branch 668A-D is also fluidly connected to a single station of a multi-station tool, as indicated by stations 104A-D in Figure 6. A multi-branch manifold 666 can be fluidly inserted between the common input 662 and the branches 668A-D. Each branch also includes a current limiter aligned with the branch, such as orifices 646A-D. Orifices 646A-D are indicated by dashed lines to show that these are internal features. In some cases, the orifices may be cylindrical as shown in Figure 6, while in other embodiments, they may have tapered or non-linear geometries.

[0057] Similarly, each of these orifices 646A-D has a hole 649A-D with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the branch to which it is connected. For example, the diameter of the hole 649A-D may be less than or equal to about 50%, about 40%, about 25%, about 20%, about 10%, or about 5% of the inner diameter of the branch. For one or more advantageous reasons, such as allowing for equalization of flow obstruction downstream of each orifice 646A-D and for a longer heating period, each orifice 646A-D may also be positioned relatively close to the multi-branch confluence 666. This positioning may be a distance D3 from the multi-branch confluence 666, which is less than or equal to 20%, 15%, 10%, or 5% of the total length D4 of the branches connected to the orifice. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, the branches may all have equal or substantially equal lengths; in some other embodiments, the branches may not have the same length.

[0058] In some embodiments, the multi-station tool may have multiple sensors associated with multiple valves and configured to determine whether each valve is open or closed, and the multi-station tool is configured to receive sensor data and control each valve to be in a closed, fully open, or partially open state. Referring back to FIG3, the multi-station tool 100 includes multiple sensors, each represented as a shaded ellipse and some of which are labeled with the identifier "171" and letters corresponding to the letters of the valves to which they are connected. For example, sensor 171G corresponds to valve 150G, and sensor 171E corresponds to valve 150E. It can be seen that each sensor is associated with a corresponding valve, and each sensor is configured to generate sensor data associated with whether the valve is in a closed, fully open, or partially open state.

[0059] In some embodiments, the multi-station tool described herein may include a controller configured to control various states of the multi-station tool. For example, referring to Figures 1 and 3, controller 172 is shown having one or more memory devices 174 and one or more processors 176. Controller 172 (which may include one or more physical or logic controllers) is communicatively connected to and controls some or all of the operations of, for example, the multi-station tool (including valves, sensors, and fluid sources). Controller 172 may be configured to allow fluid from each fluid source (e.g., first and second fluid sources 116 and 118) to flow into a corresponding common input of a manifold fluidly connected to each gas source.

[0060] The controller may also be configured to receive sensor data from each sensor, determine whether each sensor is in a closed, fully open, or partially open state, and set each sensor to a closed, fully open, or partially open state. This may be advantageous for preventing crosstalk between manifolds and for achieving uniform flow within the desired manifold. For example, referring to FIG1, before or simultaneously with the flow of fluid from the first fluid source 116 through the first manifold 120, the controller may determine, based on the received sensor data, whether each valve 150A, 150C, 150E, and 150G in the first manifold 120 is fully open or partially open, and whether each valve 150B, 150D, 150F, and 150G in the second manifold 122 is closed, fully open, or partially open. If any of the valves 150B, 150D, 150F, and 150G in the second manifold 122 are in a closed, fully open, or partially open state before or simultaneously with fluid flowing from the first fluid source 116 through the first manifold 120, the controller can close these valves.

[0061] In some embodiments, the multi-station tool includes a switching system for controlling, for example, flow rate and duration, substrate heating unit, substrate cooling unit, loading and unloading of the substrate in the chamber, thermal floating of the substrate, and process gas unit during the execution of the exposure embodiment. In some embodiments, the device may have a switching time of up to about 500 ms or up to about 750 ms. The switching time may depend on flow chemistry, the selected formulation, reactor architecture, and other factors.

[0062] In several embodiments, the controller 172 is part of an apparatus or system, which may be part of one of the examples described above. Such systems or apparatus may include semiconductor processing equipment comprising: a processing tool or a plurality of processing tools; a chamber or a plurality of chambers; a processing platform or a plurality of processing platforms; and / or specific processing components (gas flow system, substrate heating unit, substrate cooling unit, etc.). Such systems may be integrated with electronic equipment to control their operation before, during, and after processing steps of the semiconductor wafer or substrate. Such electronic equipment may be referred to as a "controller" and may control various components or sub-components of the system or plurality of systems. Depending on the processing parameters and / or system type, controller 172 can be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of processing gases, temperature settings (such as 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 delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer into and out of tools connected to or interfacing with a particular system and other transfer tools and / or load locks.

[0063] In a broader sense, the controller 172 may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receives instructions, issues instructions, controls operations, initiates cleaning operations, initiates endpoint measurements, and the like. These integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware storing program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors, or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions may be instructions transmitted to the controller in the form of various independent settings (or program files), defining operating parameters on or on a semiconductor wafer or for performing specific programming on a system. In some embodiments, these operating parameters may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to perform one or more processing operations during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of the wafer.

[0064] In several embodiments, the controller 172 may be coupled to or be part of a computer that is integrated with, coupled to, or otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the "cloud" or be all or part of a wafer fab host computer system that allows remote access to wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, view historical records of past manufacturing operations, view trends or performance indicators from multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of the current process, set processing operations after the current process, or start a new process. In several examples, the remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide process recipes to the system via a network, which may include a local area network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that allows input or programming of parameters and / or settings, and then transfers the parameters and / or settings from the remote computer to the system. In several examples, the controller 172 receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each of the processing operations to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that these parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool to which the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller 172 may be distributed, for example, through a plurality of separate controllers that are networked together and operate toward a common purpose (e.g., the processes and control described herein). An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is a plurality of integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with a plurality of integrated circuits located remotely (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), these integrated circuits combining to control the process on the chamber.

[0065] As shown above, depending on one or more process operations to be performed by the equipment, the controller 172 may communicate with one or more of the following: other equipment circuits or modules, other tool assemblies, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the plant, a host computer, another controller, or tools used in material handling to carry wafer containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports within the semiconductor manufacturing plant.

[0066] It should be understood that the sequence indicators used herein, such as (a), (b), (c), ..., are for organizational purposes only and are not intended to convey any particular order or importance to the items associated with each sequence indicator. For example, "(a) obtain information about velocity and (b) obtain information about position" would include: obtaining information about position before obtaining information about velocity, obtaining information about velocity before obtaining information about position, and obtaining information about position and obtaining information about velocity simultaneously. However, in some cases, some items associated with a sequence indicator may inherently require a specific order, such as "(a) obtain information about velocity, (b) determine the first acceleration based on the information about velocity, and (c) obtain information about position"; in this example, (a) would need to be performed before (b) because (b) depends on the information obtained in (a) — however, (c) could be performed before or after (a) or (b).

[0067] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the patent claim is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be endowed with the widest range consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and the novel features.

[0068] Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments in this patent specification may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. Furthermore, although features may be described above as functioning in certain combinations and even initially requested, in some cases more than one feature may be removed from the requested combination, and the requested combination may be for sub-combinations or variations thereof.

[0069] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific order in the diagrams, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or requiring all depicted operations to be performed to obtain the desired result. Furthermore, the diagrams may schematically depict another example process in the form of a flowchart. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the schematically illustrated example process. For example, more than one additional operation may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the operations shown. In some cases, multiplexing and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of various system components in the above embodiments should not be construed as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. Furthermore, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions described in the claims may be performed in a different order and still achieve the desired result. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0005] The various embodiments disclosed herein are drawn in an illustrative manner and are not intended to be limiting. In the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals refer to similar elements.

[0006] Figure 1 depicts an example multi-station semiconductor processing tool according to the disclosed embodiments.

[0007] Figure 2A depicts an off-angle view of an example orifice located within an orifice plate.

[0008] Figure 2B depicts an exploded view of the orifice and orifice plate of Figure 2A.

[0009] Figure 2C depicts a cross-sectional side view of the orifice and orifice plate of Figure 2A.

[0010] Figure 2D depicts a cross-sectional side view of the orifice and orifice plate of Figure 2C together with a section of pipe.

[0011] Figure 3 depicts an enlarged version of the multi-station tool in Figure 1.

[0012] Figure 4 depicts an enlarged cross-sectional side view of a portion of a manifold main trunk, the corresponding station entrance, the two orifices, and the two manifold branches of Figure 3.

[0013] Figure 5A depicts an off-angle view of another example manifold trunk with two orifice plates and two valves.

[0014] Figure 5B depicts a cross-sectional side view of Figure 5A.

[0015] Figure 6 depicts another example manifold.

Claims

1. A system for semiconductor processing, comprising: a semiconductor processing chamber having a plurality of processing stations, each processing station including a station inlet; a plurality of manifolds, wherein each manifold is fluidly connected to a corresponding processing station and includes: an outlet fluidly connected to the station inlet of the corresponding processing station; a common flow path fluidly connected to the outlet; a plurality of manifold inlets fluidly connected to the common flow path such that fluid flows from each manifold inlet to the outlet via the common flow path; a plurality of orifices, each orifice having an orifice body and a hole extending through the orifice body, and each orifice being fluidly connected to a corresponding manifold inlet such that each manifold inlet is fluidly inserted between a corresponding orifice and the common flow path; a plurality of valve interfaces corresponding to each orifice of the manifold; a plurality of valves, each valve interfacing with a corresponding valve interface of each manifold; and a plurality of fluid manifolds, wherein: Each fluid manifold has a common input that is fluidly connected to a plurality of branches. For each fluid manifold, each branch is fluidly connected to one of the main branches of the manifold that is different from the other branches, and has a terminal point where fluid is fluidly connected to a corresponding orifice at each of the main branches of the manifold, such that fluid is inserted between the corresponding orifice and the corresponding manifold inlet, and each valve is configured to regulate the fluid flow between the corresponding branch and the corresponding orifice.

2. As in the system of request item 1, wherein, One of the manifold trunks further includes an orifice plate, wherein: the orifice plate includes an orifice of the manifold trunk and a valve interface, one of the valves is connected to the valve interface of the orifice plate, and the orifice plate is inserted between the valve and the trunk inlet corresponding to the orifice.

3. The system as described in claim 2, wherein each manifold trunk further comprises a plurality of orifice plates, wherein: Each orifice plate includes a corresponding orifice and a corresponding valve interface of the manifold main. Each valve is connected to the valve interface of a corresponding orifice plate, and each orifice plate is inserted between the corresponding valve and one of the main inlets corresponding to the corresponding orifice.

4. The system as described in request item 2, wherein, The orifice is formed by inserting an anvil into the orifice plate.

5. The system as described in request item 2, wherein, The orifice plate is removably connected to the manifold trunk.

6. As in request item 1, where, The main body of the aperture contains rubies.

7. As in request item 1, the system wherein: Each manifold branch includes a delivery line having an inner diameter, and each orifice of each orifice has a diameter smaller than 40% of that inner diameter.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each orifice has a diameter smaller than 20% of the inner diameter.

9. The system as described in request item 1, wherein: Each valve interface is a surface mount interface, and each valve is a surface mount valve.

10. The system as described in request item 1, wherein: Each manifold branch terminates at a corresponding valve, and the corresponding valve is fluidly connected to the orifice.

11. The system as described in request item 1, wherein, Each manifold branch terminates at a corresponding valve interface.

12. As in request item 1, where, The main manifold is located outside the processing chamber.

13. As in request item 1, where, The branches of each manifold are of substantially the same length.

14. The system as described in request item 1, wherein: The semiconductor processing chamber includes a first processing station and a second processing station. The plurality of manifold trunks include a first manifold trunk and a second manifold trunk. The plurality of manifolds includes a first manifold and a second manifold, each manifold having two branches. The first manifold trunk is fluidly connected to a first inlet of the first processing station. The second manifold trunk is fluidly connected to a second inlet of the second processing station. A first branch of the first manifold is fluidly connected to a first inlet of the first manifold trunk, such that a first orifice of the first manifold trunk is fluidly inserted between the first inlet of the first manifold trunk and a terminal point of the first branch of the first manifold. A second branch of the first manifold is fluidly connected to a first inlet of the second manifold trunk, such that a first orifice of the second manifold trunk is fluidly inserted between the first inlet of the second manifold trunk and a terminal point of the second branch of the first manifold. A first branch of the second manifold is fluidly connected to a second main inlet of the first manifold main, such that a second orifice of the first manifold main is fluidly inserted between the second main inlet of the first manifold main and a terminal point of the first branch of the second manifold, and a second branch of the second manifold is fluidly connected to a second main inlet of the second manifold main, such that a second orifice of the second manifold main is fluidly inserted between the second main inlet of the second manifold main and a terminal point of the second branch of the second manifold.

15. The system as described in request item 14, wherein: The semiconductor processing chamber further includes a third processing station and a fourth processing station. Each of the first and second manifolds has four branches. The plurality of manifold trunks further includes a third manifold trunk and a fourth manifold trunk. The third manifold trunk is fluidly connected to a third station inlet of the third processing station. The fourth manifold trunk is fluidly connected to a fourth station inlet of the fourth processing station. A third branch of the first manifold is fluidly connected to a first trunk inlet of the third manifold trunk, such that a first orifice of the third manifold trunk is fluidly inserted between the first trunk inlet of the third manifold trunk and a terminal point of the third branch of the first manifold. A fourth branch of the first manifold is fluidly connected to a first trunk inlet of the fourth manifold trunk, such that a first orifice of the fourth manifold trunk is fluidly inserted between the first trunk inlet of the fourth manifold trunk and a terminal point of the fourth branch of the first manifold. A third branch of the second manifold is fluidly connected to a second main inlet of the third manifold, such that a second orifice of the third manifold is fluidly inserted between the second main inlet of the third manifold and a terminal point of the third branch of the second manifold; and a fourth branch of the second manifold is fluidly connected to a second main inlet of the fourth manifold, such that a second orifice of the fourth manifold is fluidly inserted between the second main inlet of the fourth manifold and a terminal point of the fourth branch of the second manifold.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprises: a plurality of sensors, each sensor configured to generate sensor data associated with whether a corresponding valve is open or closed; and a controller communicatively connected to the plurality of valves and the plurality of sensors, and comprising at least one memory and at least one processor, the memory storing computer-executable instructions for: receiving sensor data from the plurality of sensors; determining, based on the sensor data, whether each of the valves fluidly connected to a manifold is open or closed; determining, based on the sensor data, whether each of the valves fluidly connected to other manifolds of the plurality of manifolds is open or closed; opening a valve in response to determining that one of the valves fluidly connected to the manifold is closed; and closing a valve in response to determining that one of the valves fluidly connected to other manifolds of the plurality of manifolds is open.

17. The system of claim 1 further includes at least one second manifold, wherein: The second manifold includes a second common input, a multi-branch manifold, and a plurality of second branches fluidly connected to and extending away from the multi-branch manifold, such that the multi-branch manifold is inserted between the second common input and the plurality of second branches. The multi-branch manifold includes a number of distributors matching the number of second branches. Each second branch includes a second delivery line having a second inner diameter. The second manifold further includes a plurality of second orifices, each second orifice comprising a hole and a body, the hole having a diameter less than 40% of the second inner diameter, arranged along a corresponding second branch such that fluid flowing through the second branch flows through a second orifice and is positioned at a distance from the multi-branch manifold less than 20% of the length of the second branch to which the second orifice is connected.

18. The system as described in request item 17, wherein, These second branch lines are of substantially equal length.

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