IP Library Granted Patent US 11,834,736
Granted Patent B2
US 11,834,736 · App. 18/092,413 · Granted Dec 5, 2023

Systems and methods for pulse width modulated dose control

Inventor: Mariusch Gregor (Gilroy, CA)
Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
C23C16/45544B05B1/14B05B1/30C23C16/45557C23C16/45565H01L21/67069H01L21/67253
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,834,736
App. No.
18/092,413
Granted
Dec 5, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate processing system for treating a substrate includes a manifold, a plurality of injector assemblies located in a processing chamber, and a dose controller. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies is in fluid communication with the manifold and includes a valve including an inlet and an outlet. The dose controller is configured to communicate with the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust a pulse width supplied to the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies to provide spatial dosing and at least one of compensate for upstream skew caused by a prior process and pre-compensate for downstream skew expected from a subsequent process.

Claims (20)

1. A substrate processing system for treating a substrate, comprising:

a manifold;

a plurality of injector assemblies located in a processing chamber, wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies is in fluid communication with the manifold and includes a valve including an inlet and an outlet; and

a dose controller configured to:

communicate with the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies;

adjust a pulse width supplied to the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies to provide spatial dosing and at least one of:

compensate for upstream skew caused by a prior process; and

pre-compensate for downstream skew expected from a subsequent process.

2. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor sensing pressure at the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies.

3. The substrate processing system of claim 2 , wherein the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse widths based on the corresponding pressures.

4. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor sensing gas temperature at the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies.

5. The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse widths based on the corresponding gas temperatures.

6. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse widths based on at least one of manufacturing differences between the valves in each of the plurality of injector assemblies and non-uniformities of the valves in each of the plurality of injector assemblies.

7. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure regulator to regulate a pressure inside the manifold.

8. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a restricted orifice.

9. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a bypass valve having an inlet connected to an inlet of the valve.

10. The substrate processing system of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a pressure sensor sensing pressure at the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and wherein the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse widths of the valves and pulse widths of the bypass valves based on the corresponding pressures.

11. The substrate processing system of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of injector assemblies further includes a temperature sensor sensing gas temperature at the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies, and wherein the dose controller is configured to adjust the pulse widths of the valves and pulse widths of the bypass valves based on the corresponding gas temperatures.

12. The substrate processing system of claim 9 , wherein the dose controller is configured to vary the pulse width based on a desired overlap of the valve and the bypass valve for each of the plurality of injector assemblies.

13. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the dose controller is configured to vary doses output by the plurality of injector assemblies to provide spatial skew.

Continuity (4)
Division 16650328
Provisional Application 62590815 · Nov 27, 2017
Provisional Application 62563129 · Sep 26, 2017
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