Semiconductor Gas Storage Tanks Stabilize MFCs

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Solution Overview

Problem

In semiconductor manufacturing, gas fed through mass flow controllers (MFCs) often bypasses the processing chamber, resulting in wastage and inefficient use of expensive or rare gases.

Innovation Solution

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with first and second tanks to store gas, and a controller to manage gas flow, ensuring that gas is alternately stored and used from these tanks to stabilize MFCs and minimize wastage, allowing efficient processing of wafers without the need for continuous gas discharge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If gas is fed through MFC to stabilize it before processing, then MFC stability is improved, but gas is wasted by bypassing the chamber

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveMFC stabilityVSAvoidgas waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The gas is fed through the MFC in advance to stabilize it before actual processing, but instead of bypassing the chamber, the gas is stored in a storage unit. This preliminary action maintains MFC stability while preventing gas waste during the stabilization phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discarding the gas that bypasses the chamber during MFC stabilization, the system recovers and stores this gas in a storage unit for later reuse in processing, thereby preventing substance loss while maintaining MFC stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Reliability

If gas continuously flows through MFC to maintain stability, then MFC reliability is improved, but gas consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveMFC reliabilityVSAvoidgas consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system alternates between feeding gas to the MFC for stabilization and using stored gas from the storage unit for chamber processing. This periodic action maintains MFC reliability while reducing continuous gas consumption by utilizing stored gas during processing phases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The storage unit serves as a self-service reservoir that supplies gas to the chamber during processing without requiring continuous gas flow through the MFC. This reduces gas consumption while maintaining system reliability by decoupling MFC operation from continuous gas flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10590532B2Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

Publication Date: 2020.03.17 KIOXIA CORP

AI summary

In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes first and second tanks configured to store a gas fed from a gas feeder. The apparatus further includes a chamber configured to process a wafer by using the gas fed from the gas feeder, the first tank or the second tank. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to control feeding of the gas to the first tank, the second tank and the chamber.