Wafer Backside Pressure Control Through Shared Gas Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current backside gas delivery systems in semiconductor manufacturing are slow, not shareable between processing stations, imprecise, and require expensive mass flow controllers with manual calibration, leading to inefficient gas resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing system with shared gas resources, including a pressure controller, flow-regulating orifice, and bypass valves, allows simultaneous gas delivery to multiple processing chambers, maintaining consistent pressure and flow rates across stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional backside gas delivery system is used, then gas can be delivered to processing chambers, but the system is slow, not shareable between stations, and requires expensive mass flow controllers with manual calibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple gas delivery systems into a single shared gas delivery system that can serve multiple processing chambers simultaneously. The controller is configured to receive commands for multiple chambers and coordinate gas delivery through shared valves and conduits, eliminating the need for separate mass flow controllers at each station while improving productivity and reducing complexity.
2Measurement precision
If mass flow controllers are used for precise gas delivery, then flow precision is improved, but the system becomes more expensive and requires manual calibration
Solution Approach 1:
The controller incorporates automated calibration capabilities that allow the system to self-adjust and optimize gas flow parameters without requiring manual intervention. The controller can automatically determine optimal valve positions and timing to achieve precise gas delivery, eliminating the need for expensive mass flow controllers and manual calibration procedures while maintaining measurement precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances gas delivery efficiency by enabling simultaneous gas delivery to multiple processing stations, reducing the need for expensive mass flow controllers and manual calibration, and improving precision and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a flow-regulating orifice having an inlet and an outlet, where the inlet is configured to be coupled to a gas source and the outlet that is in fluid communication with the inlet of the pressure controller
Implementation Method 2
a pressure controller having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet of the pressure controller is in fluid communication with the inlet junction... maintaining consistent pressure
Implementation Method 3
a first inlet valve disposed between the central junction and an inlet junction... delivering a first flow rate of gas to a first backside gas delivery port
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein generally pertain to a system and method for resource sharing among processing stations in a substrate processing system. The system including at least a first processing chamber with a first processing volume, a substrate support disposed within the first processing volume having a first backside gas delivery port, a backside gas conduit, a gas delivery port, a first inlet valve between a central junction and an inlet junction, and a first bypass valve between the central junction and a first bypass port. The system includes a pressure controller with an inlet and outlet; the outlet connects to the inlet junction. Also, a flow-regulating orifice with an inlet coupled to a gas source and an outlet communicating with the pressure controller's inlet.