Gas Supply System with Dynamic Flow Control for Substrate Processing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas supply systems for substrate processing apparatuses have complex line configurations and prolonged gas delivery times due to individual gas supply systems for each portion of the substrate, leading to inefficient throughput and in-surface uniformity.
Innovation Solution
A gas supply system with a processing gas supply unit, branch lines, and an additional gas supply unit, where the additional gas is initially supplied at a higher flow rate than the set flow rate to rapidly increase inner pressure and then adjusted to the set flow rate, simplifying the line configuration and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If individual gas supply systems are used for each portion of the substrate, then in-surface uniformity can be improved, but line configuration becomes complex and control burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing chamber is divided into multiple gas chambers (first gas chamber, second gas chamber, etc.), each supplied with processing gas through separate branch lines from a common processing gas supply line. This segmentation allows independent flow rate control for each region while maintaining a relatively simple common supply line configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple processing gas supply lines are merged into a single common processing gas supply line that branches to various gas chambers. This merging reduces the overall complexity of the gas supply system while still allowing individual control through branch flow control units.
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional gas is supplied at a very small flow rate, then gas concentration stability can be achieved, but time required for gas to reach processing chamber increases
Solution Approach 1:
Before supplying additional gas at the target small flow rate, the system first supplies additional gas at a larger initial flow rate to rapidly increase the inner pressure of the additional gas supply line. This preliminary action ensures that the additional gas reaches the processing chamber quickly, after which the flow rate is reduced to the target small value for stable concentration control.
Solution Approach 2:
The additional gas flow rate is dynamically adjusted in two stages: initially supplied at a larger flow rate to quickly pressurize the supply line and deliver gas to the chamber, then switched to a smaller target flow rate to maintain stable gas concentration. This dynamic adjustment optimizes both delivery speed and concentration stability.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple gas supply lines are used for different portions, then local gas concentration control is improved, but space required for lines increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple processing gas supply lines are merged into a single common processing gas supply line that serves multiple gas chambers through branching. This merging significantly reduces the total space required for gas lines while maintaining the capability for local gas concentration control through individual branch lines and flow control units.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed includes: a processing gas supply unit; a processing gas supply line; a first and a second branch line; a branch flow control unit; an additional gas supply unit; an additional gas supply line; and a control unit. The control unit performs, before processing the substrate to be processed, a processing gas supply control and an additional gas supply control by using the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit, respectively, wherein the additional gas supply control includes a control that supplies the additional gas at an initial flow rate greater than a set flow rate and then at the set flow rate after a lapse of a period of time.