System for and Method of Multiple Channel Fast Pulse Gas Delivery

Abstract

A system and method are configured to deliver pulses of desired mass of gases. The system delivers a plurality of sequences of pulses of a desired mass of gas through at least two flow channels. The system comprises: a multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system including (a) a plurality of flow channels, each channel comprising a flow sensor and a control valve, and (b) a dedicated controller configured and arranged to receive a recipe of one or more sequences of steps for opening and closing at least some of the control valves so as to deliver as a sequence of pulses of at least one gas through each of the corresponding channels as a function of the recipe. The method comprises: receiving at a dedicated controller from a host computer the prescribed recipe of one or more sequences of steps of pulses of one or more gases to be delivered through the plurality of flow channels; and using the sequence of steps to control each flow channel including a flow sensor and a control valve by opening and closing the control valve of each flow channel in accordance with the sequence of steps of the recipe.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This disclosure relates generally to mole or gas delivery devices, and more particularly, to a method of and system for pulse gas delivery. As used herein the term “gas” includes the term “vapor(s)” should the two terms be considered different.

2. Overview

The manufacture or fabrication of semiconductor devices often requires the careful synchronization and precisely measured delivery of as many as a dozen gases to a process tool. For purposes herein, the term “process tool” may or may not include a process chamber. Various recipes are used in the manufacturing process, involving many discrete process steps, where a semiconductor device is typically cleaned, polished, oxidized, masked, etched, doped, metalized, etc. The steps used, their particular sequence, and the materials involved all contribute to the making of particular devices.

As device sizes have shrunk below 90 nm, one technique known as atomic layer deposition, or ALD, continues to be required for a variety of applications, such as the deposition of barriers for copper interconnects, the creation of tungsten nucleation layers, and the production of highly conducting dielectrics. In the ALD process, two or more precursor gases are delivered in pulses and flow over a wafer surface in a process tool maintained under vacuum. The two or more precursor gases flow in an alternating or sequential manner so that the gases can react with the sites or functional groups on the wafer surface. When all of the available sites are saturated from one of the precursor gases (e.g., gas A), the reaction stops and a purge gas is used to purge the excess precursor molecules from the process tool. The process is repeated, as the next precursor gas (i.e., gas B) flows over the wafer surface. For a process involving two precursor gases, a cycle can be defined as one pulse of precursor A, purge, one pulse of precursor B, and purge. A cycle can include the pulses of additional precursor gases, as well as repeats of a precursor gas, with the use of a purge gas in between successive pulses of precursor gases. This sequence is repeated until a final geometric characteristic, such as thickness, is reached. These sequential, self-limiting surface reactions result in one monolayer of deposited film per cycle.

The delivery of pulses of precursor gases introduced into a process tool can be controlled using a pulse gas delivery (PGD) device. PGD devices control the flow of gas into and out of a delivery chamber of a known volume by controlling the opening and closing of inlet and outlet on/off-type valves in order to control the flow of gas into and out of the chamber, and using the timing of the opening of the outlet shutoff valve to deliver a desired amount (mass) of precursor gas as a pulse into the process chamber of the process tool. Alternatively, a mass flow controller (“MFC”), which is a self-contained device comprising a flow meter, control valve, and control and signal-processing electronics, has been used to deliver an amount of gas at predetermined and repeatable flow rates, in short time intervals.

More recently, certain processes have been developed that require high speed pulsed or time-multiplexed processing. For example, the semiconductor industry is developing advanced, 3-D integrated circuits thru-silicon vias (TSVs) to provide interconnect capability for die-to-die and wafer-to-wafer stacking. Manufacturers are currently considering a wide variety of 3-D integration schemes that present an equally broad range of TSV etch requirements. Plasma etch technology such as the Bosch process, which has been used extensively for deep silicon etching in memory devices and MEMS production, is well suited for TSV creation. The Bosch process, also known as a high speed pulsed or time-multiplexed etching, alternates repeatedly between two modes to achieve nearly vertical structures using SF₆ and the deposition of a chemically inert passivation layer using C₄F₈. Targets for TSV required for commercial success are adequate functionality, low cost, and proven reliability.

These high speed processes require fast response times during the transition time of the pulses in order to better control the processes, making the use of pressure based pulse gas delivery devices problematic. Currently, one approach to increase response time is to use a fast response mass flow controller (MFC) to turn on and off gas flows of the delivery pulse gases delivered to the process tool according to signals received from a host controller. The repeatability and accuracy of pulse delivery using a fast response MFC with a host controller, however, leaves room for improvement, because response times are dependent on the workload of the host controller. The host controller may be prevented from sending timely control signals if it is performing other functions that require its attention. Further, with short duration control signals being sent from the host controller to the mass flow controller, communication jitter can occur causing errors in the delivery of pulses of gas. Workload of the host controller and communication jitter are two sources of error that reduce the repeatability and accuracy of pulse gas delivery when relying on fast communication between the host controller and the mass flow controller delivering pulses of gas.

In some instances it is desirable to provide multiple gases to a process tool. Accordingly, multiple channel versions of PGD devices have been developed. The exemplary PGD device 40 of FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a host controller 42 for controlling the flow through multiple channels using an MFC 44. Each MFC 44 is a self-contained device comprising a flow meter, control valve, and control and signal-processing electronics. In general the host controller controls the flow of gas through the MFC by controlling the setpoint to the MFC. The MFC then controls the position of the control valve as a function of the set point of the flow rate provided by the host controller/user and the actual flow rate measured by the flow meter. In the device shown in FIG. 2, a three-way isolation valve 46 is also provided for each channel for controlling the flow either to the process tool (chamber) when needed for an ongoing process, or diverting the gas through dump line 48 when gas is not needed for the process. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 has speed, accuracy, repeatability and reliability issues, while the configuration shown in FIG. 2 has accuracy, repeatability and reliability issues and waste gas through the dump lines.

FIG. 3 shows another multichannel PGD device arrangement 50. Each channel is provided with a delivery chamber 56 of a predetermined volume. Inlet and outlet ON-OFF (shut-off) valves 62 and 64 are provided at the inlet and outlet of each delivery chamber 56. The pressure and temperature of the gas in each chamber is sensed by a corresponding pressure and temperature sensor 58 and 60. The outputs of the pressure and the temperature sensors are provided to the dedicated controller 52, which in turn receives instructions from the host controller or user interface 50 over bus 54. A pulse of gas is delivered through a channel by closing the outlet valve 64 and opening the inlet valve 62 of the channel so as to allow the pressure to build up in the corresponding delivery chamber 56 to a certain determinable level, closing the inlet valve and opening the output valve allow gas to flow out of the outlet valve for a predetermined amount of time so as to deliver a measurable amount of gas (“Δn”) as a function of the volume of the delivery chamber (V), the temperature of the gas (T) as measured by the temperature sensor 60, the pressure (P) in the chamber as measured by the sensor 58, and the rate of decay of the pressure as the gas flows out of the chamber all in accordance with the ideal gas law,

$\begin{array}{cc}\Delta n=\frac{V}{R}\Delta \left(\frac{P}{T}\right)& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

where R is the universal gas constant.

Once the pulse is delivered the outlet valve of the channel can be closed. The delivery chamber can then be charged with gas by opening the inlet valve until the chamber charged to the desired pressure level, and the operation repeated for the delivery of the next pulse of gas. This arrangement, however, cannot deliver constant flows where they might be required. In addition, the rate at which one can deliver pulses of gas is constrained by the time it takes to charge and discharge the delivery chamber. Finally, relative to the other arrangements, the cost of this arrangement can be an issue, depending on the user's requirements.

3. Description of Related Art

Examples of pulse mass flow delivery systems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,615,120; 7,615,120; 7,628,860; 7,628,861, 7,662,233; 7,735,452 and 7,794,544; U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2006/0060139; and 2006/0130755, and pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/689,961, entitled CONTROL FOR AND METHOD OF PULSED GAS DELIVERY, filed Jan. 19, 2010 in the name of Paul Meneghini and assigned the present assignee (Attorney's Docket No. 56231-751 (MKS-194)); and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/893,554, entitled SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF FAST PULSE GAS DELIVERY, filed Sep. 29, 2010 in the name of Junhua Ding, and assigned to the present assignee (Attorney's Docket No. 86400-015 (MKS-218)); and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/035,534, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLE-CHANNEL PULSE GAS DELIVERY SYSTEM, filed Feb. 25, 2011 in the name of Junhua Ding and assigned to the present assignee (Attorney's Docket No. 86400-0027 (MKS-219)).

SUMMARY

As discussed above, workload of a host controller and communication jitter reduce the repeatability and accuracy of pulse gas delivery. Hence, by reducing the workload of the host controller and moving gas delivery control signals from the host to the controller of the MFC, these two factors are reduced, resulting in improved repeatability and accuracy of the gas pulse delivery.

The disclosed system and method provide a comprehensive solution for multiple-channel pulse gas delivery such as a Bosch process. The system and method speeds up the gas delivery cycle and synchronizes the pulse/flow delivery with other operations. The system is designed to provide pulse gas delivery, as well as constant flow of gas. Finally, the system reduces the operational costs for users in terms of labor hours and material costs.

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, the system is configured to deliver pulses of desired mass of gases. The system delivers a plurality of sequences of pulses of a desired mass of gas through at least two flow channels. The system comprises: a multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system including (a) a plurality of flow channels, each channel comprising a flow sensor and a control valve, and (b) a dedicated controller configured and arranged to receive a recipe of one or more sequences of steps for opening and closing at least some of the control valves so as to deliver as a sequence of pulses of at least one gas through each of the corresponding channels as a function of the recipe.

In one embodiment the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to open and close at least some of the control valves of the corresponding channels so that the sequence is the same and for each of the corresponding channels and synchronized with each other.

In one embodiment the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to open and close at least some of the control valves of the corresponding channels so that the sequence is different for at least one of the corresponding channels than for another of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment the further includes a host controller configured and arranged to upload the recipe to the dedicated controller.

In one embodiment the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to run the recipe in response to a trigger signal.

In one embodiment the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to run the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to simultaneously run the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to stagger the running of the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to run a different recipe for at two of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment the system further includes a host controller, wherein the host controller provides at least one trigger signal for triggering the sequence for each of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment the host controller is configured to stagger the trigger signals to a plurality of said mass flow controllers so that the pulse delivery of these mass flow controllers is operated in a time-multiplexed manner.

In one embodiment the host controller is configured and arranged to upload the recipe to the dedicated controller.

In one embodiment the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system operates in one of at least two modes of operation for each flow channel,

In one embodiment in one of the modes of operation the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system is configured and arranged so as to operate as a traditional mass flow controller (MFC) mode receiving a flow set point signal as a part of said recipe for at least one of the channels so as to control the flow rate of gas delivered through that channel.

In one embodiment one of the modes the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system is configured and arranged so as to operate at least one of the channels in a pulse gas delivery (PGD) mode.

In one embodiment in the PGD mode the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system is configured and arranged so as to receive a pulse profile and the necessary sequencing of pulses so that the mass flow controller can deliver at least one of the gases from at least one supply through one or more channels to a process tool in accordance with a recipe including at least one profile and at least one sequence of time pulses provided by the user.

In one embodiment the dedicated controller is programmed with at least one profile and at least one sequence of pulses in response to information downloaded or configured from a host controller to the dedicated controller.

In one embodiment the information downloaded or configured from the host controller to the dedicated controller allows the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system to carry out all of the sequencing steps in response to a single trigger signal received from the host controller.

In one embodiment the dedicated controller can be configured and arranged so as to carry any one of at least three different types of pulse gas delivery processes.

In one embodiment the three different types of pulse gas delivery processes include a time based delivery process, a mole based delivery process and a profile based delivery process.

In one embodiment when configured to deliver gas in accordance with the time based delivery process, the dedicated controller is configured and arranged by the user to include the following parameters for the time based delivery process: (1) at least one targeted flow set point (Q_sp), (2) at least one time length of the pulse-on period (T_on), (3) at least one time length of each pulse-off period (T_off), and (4) the total number of pulses (N) required to complete the whole pulse gas delivery process.

In one embodiment the flow sensor of each channel provides signals representative of the mass of the gas flowing through that channel, and wherein when configured to deliver gas in accordance with the mole based delivery process the dedicated controller is configured and arranged by the user to include the following parameters for the mole based delivery process: (1) at least one mole delivery set point (n_sp), (2) at least one target time length of pulse-on period (T_on), (3) at least one target time length of pulse-off period (T_off), and (4) the number of pulses (N) to be delivered, so that the dedicated controller is configured and arranged so as to automatically adjust the flow set point so as to precisely deliver within the targeted pulse-on period the targeted mole amount of gas through the channel based on measurements taken by the flow sensor.

In one embodiment gas is delivered through each channel in accordance with the following equation:

$\Delta n={\int }_{t1}^{t2}Q·t$

• • wherein Δn is the number of moles of gas delivered during the pulse-on period (between times t1 and t2); and
  • Q is the flow rate measured by the flow sensor of the channel during the pulse-on period.

In one embodiment when configured to deliver gas in accordance with the profile based delivery process the dedicated controller is configured and arranged by the user to include the following parameters for each pulse of the profile based delivery process:

• • (1) the flow set point Q_sp1 and a corresponding first pulse on and off period (T_on1 T_off1),
  • (2) the flow set point Q_sp2 and a corresponding second pulse on and off period (T_on2 T_off2), . . . (m) the flow set point Q_spm and a corresponding m-th pulse on and off period (T_onm T_offm), etc. so that a set of parameters are provided for each pulse of the entire set of pulses, allowing the pulses to vary depending on the type of process being run.

In one embodiment when configured to deliver gas in accordance with the profile based delivery process the dedicated controller is configured and arranged by the user to include the following parameters for each pulse of the profile based delivery process:

• • (1) the mole delivery set point (n_sp1) and a corresponding first pulse on and off period (T_on1 T_off1), (2) the mole delivery set point (n_sp2) and a corresponding second pulse on and off period (T_on2 T_off2), . . . (m) the mole delivery set point (n_spm) and a corresponding m-th pulse on and off period (T_onm T_offm), etc.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the method, the method comprises: receiving at a dedicated controller from a host computer the prescribed recipe of one or more sequences of steps of pulses of one or more gases to be delivered through the plurality of flow channels; and using the sequence of steps to control each flow channel including a flow sensor and a control valve by opening and closing the control valve of each flow channel in accordance with the sequence of steps of the recipe.

In one embodiment using the sequence of steps includes opening and closing at least some of the control valves of the corresponding channels so that the sequence is the same and for each of the corresponding channels and synchronized with each other.

In one embodiment using the sequence of steps includes opening and closing at least some of the control valves of the corresponding channels so that the sequence is the different for at least one of the corresponding channels than for another one of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment the method further includes uploading the recipe from the host controller to the dedicated controller.

In one embodiment the method further includes running the recipe for each of the channels in response to a trigger signal.

In one embodiment running the recipe includes running the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment running the recipe includes simultaneously running the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment running the recipe includes staggering the running of the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment running the recipe includes running a different recipe for at two of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment the method further includes the use of a host controller, wherein the host controller provides at least one trigger signal for triggering the sequence for each of the corresponding channels.

In one embodiment the method further includes alternatively receiving a flow setpoint as a part of the recipe for at least one of the channels and controlling the flow rate of gas through of the channels configured and arranged so as to operate as a traditional mass flow controller (MFC) mode so as to control the flow rate of gas delivered through that channel.

In one embodiment the prescribed recipe of one or more sequences of steps includes a pulse profile and the necessary sequencing of pulses so that at least one gas is delivered from at least one supply through one or more channels to a process tool.

In one embodiment the method further includes downloading information from the host controller to the dedicated controller so as to carry out all of the sequencing steps in response to a single trigger signal received from the host controller.

In one embodiment the method includes using the sequence of steps to control each flow channel including a flow sensor and a control valve by opening and closing the control valve of each flow channel in accordance with the sequence of steps of the recipe the dedicated controller can be configured and arranged so as to carry any one of at least three different types of pulse gas delivery processes.

In one embodiment the three different types of pulse gas delivery processes include a time based delivery process, a mole based delivery process and a profile based delivery process.

In one embodiment the time based delivery process includes the following parameters: (1) at least one targeted flow set point (Q_sp), (2) at least one time length of the pulse-on period (T_on), (3) at least one time length of each pulse-off period (T_off), and (4) the total number of pulses (N) required to complete the whole pulse gas delivery process.

In one embodiment the mole based delivery process includes the following parameters: (1) at least one mole delivery set point (n_sp), (2) at least one target time length of pulse-on period (T_on), (3) at least one target time length of pulse-off period (T_off), and (4) the number of pulses (N) to be delivered, wherein the process includes automatically adjusting the flow set point so as to precisely deliver within the targeted pulse-on period the targeted mole amount of gas through each channel based on measurements taken by a flow sensor.

In one embodiment the method further includes delivering a gas through each channel in accordance with the following equation:

$\Delta n={\int }_{t1}^{t2}Q·t$

• • wherein Δn is the number of moles of gas delivered during the pulse-on period (between times t1 and t2); and
  • Q is the flow rate measured by the flow sensor of the channel during the pulse-on period.

In one embodiment the method further includes delivering each pulse of the profile based delivery process including the following inputs:

• • (1) the flow set point Q_sp1 and a corresponding first pulse on and off period (T_on1 T_off1),
  • (2) the flow set point Q_sp2 and a corresponding second pulse on and off period (T_on2 T_off2), . . . (m) the flow set point Q_spm and a corresponding m-th pulse on and off period (T_onm T_offm), etc. so that a set of parameters are provided for each pulse of the entire set of pulses, allowing the pulses to vary depending on the type of process being run.

In one embodiment the method further includes delivering gas in accordance with the profile based delivery process including the following parameters for each pulse:

• • (1) the mole delivery set point (n_sp1) and a corresponding first pulse on and off period (T_on1 T_off1), (2) the mole delivery set point (n_sp2) and a corresponding second pulse on and off period (T_on2 T_off2), . . . (m) the mole delivery set point (n_spm) and a corresponding m-th pulse on and off period (T_onm T_offm), etc.

These, as well as other components, steps, features, objects, benefits, and advantages, will now become clear from a review of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The drawings disclose illustrative embodiments. They do not set forth all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead. Details which may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save space or for more effective illustration. Conversely, some embodiments may be practiced without all of the details which are disclosed. When the same numeral appears in different drawings, it refers to the same or like components or steps.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a prior art multiple channel gas delivery system for providing high speed pulse delivery;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of another prior art multiple channel gas delivery system for providing high speed pulse delivery;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another prior art multiple channel gas delivery system for providing high speed pulse delivery;

FIG. 4 are graphical representations of a test gas pulse illustrating the flow rate over time;

FIG. 5 is an embodiment of a single channel gas delivery system using a high performance MFC and modified according to the teachings described herein;

FIG. 6 illustrates a typical time based pulse gas delivery profile downloaded to the MFC so that the MFC can deliver a series of gas pulses without the need to interact with the host controller, and thus operate freely of the host controller overhead functions;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are examples of sets of profiles of M pulses for configuring the MFC controller so that the MFC controller can automatically deliver, in response to a trigger signal from the host controller, the M-pulse profile by turning on and off itself so as to generate the pulses in the sequence dictated by the recipe downloaded by the host computer; and

FIG. 8 is an embodiment of a multiple channel gas delivery system according to the teachings described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Illustrative embodiments are now discussed. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead. Details which may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save space or for a more effective presentation. Conversely, some embodiments may be practiced without all of the details which are disclosed.

An experiment was conducted using a test set-up for analyzing fast gas pulse delivery using a fast response MFC controlled by a host computer in order to illustrate the steepness of the transient edges of each pulse of gas delivered from the MFC as a measure of the response of the MFC going from zero flow to full flow and from full flow to zero flow. Each pulse of gas delivered by the MFC was controlled with a host computer, which included a sequence of delivery steps typical of a recipe. One pulse produced by a fast response MFC during the delivery phase is shown in FIG. 4. As shown the transient edges of the gas pulse (flow rate vs. time) is fairly steep indicating quick response times of the control valve of the MFC. In analyzing the results of the experiment, however, the performance suffered making the system unreliable for high speed processes such as the Bosch process.

More specifically, the experiment used a mass flow verifier to measure the amount of gas delivered from a fast response MFC controlled by a host computer, and data was generated to determine the repeatability of the system. The pulses of gas that were delivered by the MFC suffered from repeatability errors because of the variations in the timing of the response of the MFC to each pulse relative to the timing of the response to the previous pulse, i.e., repeatability errors with respect to the response of the MFC to a command from the host computer to provide a pulse varying from when it should occur based on the timing of the previous pulse and the time that it actually occurred. It was determined that among the causes for this error is the already high demand for the host controller's resources. Although a host controller may queue an on/off signal to be sent to the MFC, the signal may not be sent immediately, depending on the work load of the host controller at that moment. Similarly, even when an on/off signal is transmitted, communication jitter between the host controller and the MFC caused by a short and/or fast pulse width degrades the performance of the pulse gas delivery, including repeatable and accurate performance. The relative timing of pulses is crucial to the success of many high speed pulse delivery applications. Thus, it is desirable to provide a solution for high speed pulse delivery applications, such as the Bosch process used for TSV creation that reduces or overcomes these problems.

Referring to FIG. 5, one embodiment of a high performance MFC 160 useful in controlling a high speed pulse delivery application is configured to be connected between a source of gas 140 and a processing tool 200 and to receive a series of instructions from a user interface/host controller 150 so as to provide a series of controlled pulses of source gas to processing tool 200. High performance mass flow controller (MFC) 160, such as a πMFC manufactured and sold by the present assignee, includes a flow sensor 170 and an adjustable control valve 190. The sensor 170 senses the mass flow through the sensor, and provides a signal representative of the measured flow to the dedicated MFC controller 180. The dedicated controller 180 compares the measured flow with a flow set point so as to provide a control signal used to control the adjustable control valve 190 so that the output flow of the valve to the process tool 200, such as a process chamber, is maintained at the set point value.

In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the MFC 160 has two modes of operation, providing one significant advantage over pressure based pulse gas delivery devices. A first mode is a traditional mass flow controller (MFC) mode, where a host controller 150 sends flow set point signals to the MFC 160 to control the flow delivered to the processing tool 200. A second mode is a pulse gas delivery (PGD) mode. In the PGD mode, MFC 160 is arranged to receive the pulse profile and the necessary profile and sequencing of pulses so that the MFC can deliver a gas from the supply 140 to the chamber 200 in accordance with a recipe including a profile and sequence of timed pulses provided by the user. The profile and sequencing of the pulses can be initially programmed by the information being downloaded from the user interface/host controller 150 to the dedicated MFC controller 180. The downloaded profile and sequencing allows the MFC to carry out all of the sequencing steps in response to a single trigger signal from the interface/controller 150. Using a dedicated MFC 160, the dedicated controller can be configured and arranged so as to carry out all of the sequencing steps in a well-controlled and timely manner, freeing the host controller/interface to carry out all of its other functions without interfering with the pulse gas delivery.

The PGD mode provides operational steps for three delivery types of pulse gas delivery processes—time based delivery, mole based delivery, and profile based delivery providing a further advantage over the pressure based gas pulse delivery devices. In the time based pulse delivery process, the user is required to configure and arrange the dedicated MFC controller 180 with the following parameters for the process that is to be controlled: (1) at least one targeted flow set point (Q_sp), (2) at least one time length of the pulse-on period (T_on), (3) at least one time length of each pulse-off period (T_off), and (4) the total number of pulses (N) required to complete the process.

As shown in FIG. 6, the parameters are configured or downloaded from the host controller 150 to the dedicated MFC controller 180 (shown in FIG. 5) of the MFC 160 so that the MFC controller 180 controls the pulse delivery as a function of these parameters. When the pulse gas delivery sequence is to be delivered, the host computer simply provides a trigger signal to the MFC, and the MFC carries out the sequence of pulses. As shown in FIG. 6, once the MFC 160 receives the trigger signal from the host controller 150 to start delivery, the MFC 160 controls the PGD process according to the recipe by turning the MFC on (controlling the flow to the targeted flow set point by regulating the openness of the valve) and off (controlling the flow to zero by closing the valve) based on the prescribed pulse on period and the pulse off period for each pulse period. This results in very good control of the sequencing, timing and duration of the pulses.

For mole based pulse delivery, a user specifies the following parameters: (1) mole delivery set point (n_sp), (2) the targeted time length of the pulse-on period (T_on), (3) the targeted time length of the pulse-off period (T_off), and (4) the number of pulses (N). Based on this information, the dedicated controller 180 of MFC 160 is configured and arranged so as to automatically adjust the flow set point to precisely deliver within the targeted pulse-on period the targeted mole amount of gas based on measurements taken by a flow sensor 170 (also shown in FIG. 5), according to the following equation:

$\begin{array}{cc}\Delta n={\int }_{t1}^{t2}Q·t& \left(2\right)\end{array}$

wherein Δn is the number of moles of gas delivered during the pulse-on period (between times t1 and t2); and

Q is the flow rate measured by sensor 170 of the MFC 160 during the pulse-on period.

Thus, using the mole based pulse delivery mode, the MFC controls, and adjusts as necessary, the flow setpoint so as to control the number of moles delivered with each pulse. Based on these parameters, the MFC 160 automatically delivers N pulses of flow in a precise timing sequence, with each pulse delivering Δn moles during the pulse on period (T_on) that the MFC is on, and turning the MFC off for the pulse off period (T_off). During operation of the mole based pulse delivery operation, the MFC 160 will automatically adjust the flow set point (Q_sp) based on the feedback of the flow measurement according to Eq. (2) in order to precisely deliver the desired number of moles (n_sp) within the targeted pulse-on period (T_on) for each pulse.

Mole based delivery is preferred (but not required) when multiple process tools are being used or flow to different parts of a process tool are required to be matched. In such a case multiple high performance MFCs are used to provide flow through the corresponding multiple delivery channels. To ensure that mole delivery is accurate, as shown in FIG. 5, each MFC 160 uses feedback control loop from its flow sensor 170 to control its valve 190. Thus, when multiple delivery channels are used, there may be variations in response time, valve conductance, etc. In such a case mole based pulse delivery can be used to ensure that the amount (moles) of gas delivered with each pulse in each delivery channel is the same, regardless of these factors, since mole delivery will be independent of these factors. In one embodiment, feedback is used to correct the errors in the amount of gas delivered caused by valve response times.

It is contemplated that other parameters or other combinations of parameters may be used to control gas delivery. For example, for time based delivery an off flow set point can be entered for delivery of gas during the T_off period, instead of defaulting to zero.

Repeatability and accuracy are improved by both time based and mole based delivery method using the dedicated controller of a MFC because the PGD control responsibility has been taken away from the host controller 150 (reducing delays due to work load) and because the signal transmission is closer to (and in fact within) the MFC 160 (reducing communication jitter).

Finally, the third mode of operation is the profile pulse mode. In one embodiment of the profile pulse type of delivery, a user creates a profile characterizing one or more pulses. For each pulse in the profile, the user specifies the flow set point and the corresponding on and off pulse period, i.e., (1) the flow set point Q_sp1 and a corresponding first pulse on and off period (T_on1 T_off1), (2) the flow set point Q_sp2 and a corresponding second pulse on and off period (T_on2 T_off2), . . . (m) the flow set point Q_spm and a corresponding m-th pulse on and off period (T_onm T_offm), etc. Thus, a set of parameters are provided for each pulse of the entire set of pulses, allowing the pulses to vary depending on the type of process being run. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate two examples of sets of pulse profiles. While in some embodiments, a user can define an ordinary on/off pulse with varying set points during T_on (as seen in FIG. 7A), in other embodiments, the user may enter more than one flow set point for both the on period and off period such that a stair-step type profile can be created as seen in FIG. 7B. The latter is possible because the MFC employs a proportional control valve. Unlike a shutoff/on valve, the proportional control valve can be set at any position between a totally open position and a totally closed position, providing a further advantage over the pressure based PGD device, such as the one shown in FIG. 3. In the profile pulse delivery mode, the user can also specify the mole delivery set point (n_spi) instead of the flow set point Q_spi along with the corresponding pulse on and off period (T_oni T_offi) for each of the pulses in the profile recipe.

Thus, the MFC 160, and not the host controller 150, coordinates the opening and closing operation of the control valve 190 and, accordingly, gas delivery. Historically, MFCs were analog devices incapable of accurately performing such PDG control responsibilities with such relatively short pulses. Newer, digital MFCs, however, are capable of taking on the responsibility of controlling the proportional control valve of the MFC and carry out the complex pulse gas delivery steps. Given the aforementioned need for faster PGD processes, higher repeatability and accuracy is achieved using the dedicated MFC controller 180 to run the PGD delivery process than would otherwise be possible. Instead of the host controller having to send signals to turn on and off the MFC, the process functions are carried out alone by the MFC 160 of FIG. 5, eliminating a significant amount of hardware while assuring more accurate delivery. The required control recipe parameters vary based on the type of PGD mode being used, as described in more detail below. The host controller 150 may also send an abort signal to the MFC controller 180 at any time to abort pulse gas delivery. For example, if a safety check fails, the host controller 150 may demand the MFC 160 to immediately stop triggered gas delivery sequencing that is in process. Similarly, if the host controller 150 detects that incorrect gas delivery is being performed, then the host controller 150 may send an abort signal. In this way the host computer 150 can continue to monitor other processes, while the gas delivery steps are dedicated to the dedicated controller 180 of MFC 160.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIG. 8 a host controller 150 can be used in conjunction with a multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system 210. System 210 includes a plurality of flow channels 160n (n=1, 2, . . . , N). Each flow channel 160n comprising a flow sensor 170n and a control valve 190n. The system 210 also includes a dedicated controller 180 connected to receive instructions from host controller 150, to obtained flow data from each of the flow sensors 170n, and to provide control signals to each of the valves 190n in order to control the pulse gas delivery to each of the processing tools 200n. The parameters are configured or downloaded from the host controller 150 to the dedicated controller 180 (shown in FIG. 8) of the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system 210 so that the controller 180 controls the pulse gas delivery of each of the flow channels 160n as a function of these parameters. If a process requires the simultaneous delivery of identical pulse sequences by each channel 160n, when the identical pulse gas delivery sequences are to be delivered, the host computer simply provides a trigger signal to the dedicated controller 180 which controls each of the flow channels 160n to deliver the sequence of pulses. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, once the controller 180 receives the trigger signal from the host controller 150 to start delivery, it controls the pulse gas delivery process in the corresponding channel according to the recipe by turning the flow channel 160n on (controlling the flow to the targeted flow set point by regulating the openness of the valve) and off (controlling the flow to zero by closing the valve) based on the prescribed pulse on period and the pulse off period for each pulse period. This results in very good control of the sequencing, timing and duration of the pulses. Since the flow channels 160n provide accurate and repeatable delivery of each pulse, they can be calibrated to provide substantially the same performance when delivering the same pulse sequence. This is regardless of the mode of delivery, i.e., regardless whether the mode of delivery is time based, mole based or profile pulse based. Alternatively, the controller host controller 150 can download a sequence for each channel, where the sequence for two or more of the channels can vary from one another with respect to one or more parameters.

In addition, the controller 180 can monitor the status of each of the flow channels 160n and send status data back to the host controller 150. Controller 180 and host controller 150 can also exchange synchronization signals between each other for other operations.

Another advantage is that by using flow sensor 170n and control valve 190n in each flow channel 160n, the system 210 can not only be used to deliver pulse gas through each channel, but also deliver constant flow through one or more channels as specified by the host controller 150 and downloaded to the controller 180. In addition to the PGD mode of operation, the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system can be configured and arranged so as to operate as a traditional mass flow controller (MFC) mode receiving a flow set point signal as a part of said recipe for at least one of the channels so as to control the flow rate of gas delivered through that channel.

It should be noted that the multiple channels can be connected to the same process tool, as for example, to different locations within a vacuum chamber. It can also be connected to multiple process tools, as for example, a number of chambers. In addition, the sequence of the pulses can be the same for all of the channels. In that case the mass flow controllers used to control the flow of gas in each channel can be used to synchronize the delivery of the pulses so that they are delivered all at the exact same time. Alternatively, the sequences delivered by each mass flow controller through a corresponding channel can vary from channel to channel. In addition, the dedicated controller can multiplex the operation of the mass flow controllers of the corresponding channels, which may be preferable when using very low pressure gases. Similarly, the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to stagger the running of the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels. Further, the multiple channels can be used to deliver the same gas through all of the channels, or used to deliver different gases through two or more of corresponding channels at the same time.

Test results using the disclosed approach indicated an improvement in the repeatability error over the experimental approach using a host computer to control the process by two orders of magnitude.

As described, the gas delivery system reliably measures the amount of material (mass) flowing into the semiconductor tool, and provides for accurate delivery of the mass of a gas in pulses of relatively short duration in a reliable and repeatable fashion. Further, the system employs a more simplified operation, while providing delivery of the desired number of moles of gas over a wide range of values, without the need to divert gas to achieve the accurate, reliable and repeatable results.

Further, the advantages of the multiple channel pulse as delivery system described herein can speed up gas delivery which is critical for certain semiconductor wafer processes such as the Bosch process. The system simplifies multiple flow/pulse gas delivery and can synchronize the delivery with other operations such as pulsed RF generation. It improves the repeatability and accuracy of gas delivery, which is very important for most processes. In addition, the system provides a simple operation and saves cost on gas consumption.

The components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages which have been discussed are merely illustrative. None of them, or the discussions relating to them, is intended to limit the scope of protection in any way. Numerous other embodiments are also contemplated. These include embodiments which have fewer, additional, and/or different components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages. These also include embodiments in which the components and/or steps are arranged and/or ordered differently.

Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications which are set forth in this specification, including in the claims which follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range which is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.

All articles, patents, patent applications, and other publications which have been cited in this disclosure are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The phrase “means for” when used in a claim is intended to and should be interpreted to embrace the corresponding structures and materials which have been described and their equivalents. Similarly, the phrase “step for” when used in a claim is intended to and should be interpreted to embrace the corresponding acts which have been described and their equivalents. The absence of these phrases in a claim mean that the claim is not intended to and should not be interpreted to be limited to any of the corresponding structures, materials, or acts or to their equivalents.

Nothing which has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is recited in the claims.

The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims which now follow. That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as is consistent with the ordinary meaning of the language which is used in the claims when interpreted in light of this specification and the prosecution history which follows and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents.

Claims

1. A system for delivering a plurality of sequences of pulses of a desired mass of gases through at least two flow channels, the system comprising: a multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system including (a) a plurality of flow channels, each channel comprising a flow sensor and a control valve, and (b) a dedicated controller configured and arranged to receive a recipe of one or more sequences of steps for opening and closing at least some of the control valves so as to deliver as a sequence of pulses of at least one gas through each of the corresponding channels as a function of the recipe.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to open and close at least some of the control valves of the corresponding channels so that the sequence is the same and for each of the corresponding channels and synchronized with each other.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to open and close at least some of the control valves of the corresponding channels so that the sequence is different for at least one of the corresponding channels than for another of the corresponding channels.

4. A system according to claim 1, further including a host controller configured and arranged to upload the recipe to the dedicated controller.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to run the recipe in response to a trigger signal.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to run the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to simultaneously run the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

8. A system according to claim 5, wherein the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to stagger the running of the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

9. A system according to claim 5, wherein the dedicated controller is configured and arranged to run a different recipe for at two of the corresponding channels.

10. A system according to claim 1, further including a host controller, wherein the host controller provides at least one trigger signal for triggering the sequence for each of the corresponding channels.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the host controller is configured to stagger the trigger signals to a plurality of said mass flow controllers so that the pulse delivery of these mass flow controllers is operated in a time-multiplexed manner.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the host controller is configured and arranged to upload the recipe to the dedicated controller.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system operates in one of at least two modes of operation for each flow channel,

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein in one of the modes of operation the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system is configured and arranged so as to operate as a traditional mass flow controller (MFC) mode receiving a flow set point signal as a part of said recipe for at least one of the channels so as to control the flow rate of gas delivered through that channel.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein in one of the modes the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system is configured and arranged so as to operate at least one of the channels in a pulse gas delivery (PGD) mode.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein in the PGD mode the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system is configured and arranged so as to receive a pulse profile and the necessary sequencing of pulses so that the mass flow controller can deliver at least one of the gases from at least one supply through one or more channels to a process tool in accordance with a recipe including at least one profile and at least one sequence of time pulses provided by the user.

17. A system according to claim 13, wherein the dedicated controller is programmed with at least one profile and at least one sequence of pulses in response to information downloaded or configured from a host controller to the dedicated controller.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the information downloaded or configured from the host controller to the dedicated controller allows the multi-channel fast pulse gas delivery system to carry out all of the sequencing steps in response to a single trigger signal received from the host controller.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein the dedicated controller can be configured and arranged so as to carry any one of at least three different types of pulse gas delivery processes.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the three different types of pulse gas delivery processes include a time based delivery process, a mole based delivery process and a profile based delivery process.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein when configured to deliver gas in accordance with the time based delivery process, the dedicated controller is configured and arranged by the user to include the following parameters for the time based delivery process: (1) at least one targeted flow set point (Qsp), (2) at least one time length of the pulse-on period (Ton), (3) at least one time length of each pulse-off period (Toff), and (4) the total number of pulses (N) required to complete the whole pulse gas delivery process.

22. A system according to claim 20, wherein the flow sensor of each channel provides signals representative of the mass of the gas flowing through that channel, and wherein when configured to deliver gas in accordance with the mole based delivery process the dedicated controller is configured and arranged by the user to include the following parameters for the mole based delivery process: (1) at least one mole delivery set point (nsp), (2) at least one target time length of pulse-on period (Ton), (3) at least one target time length of pulse-off period (Toff), and (4) the number of pulses (N) to be delivered, so that the dedicated controller is configured and arranged so as to automatically adjust the flow set point so as to precisely deliver within the targeted pulse-on period the targeted mole amount of gas through the channel based on measurements taken by the flow sensor.

23. A system according to claim 20, wherein gas is delivered through each channel in accordance with the following equation:

24. A system according to claim 20, wherein when configured to deliver gas in accordance with the profile based delivery process the dedicated controller is configured and arranged by the user to include the following parameters for each pulse of the profile based delivery process: (1) the flow set point Qsp1 and a corresponding first pulse on and off period (Ton1 Toff1), (2) the flow set point Qsp2 and a corresponding second pulse on and off period (Ton2 Toff2), . . . (m) the flow set point Qspm and a corresponding m-th pulse on and off period (Tonm Toffm), etc. so that a set of parameters are provided for each pulse of the entire set of pulses, allowing the pulses to vary depending on the type of process being run.

25. A system according to claim 20, wherein when configured to deliver gas in accordance with the profile based delivery process the dedicated controller is configured and arranged by the user to include the following parameters for each pulse of the profile based delivery process: (1) the mole delivery set point (nsp1) and a corresponding first pulse on and off period (Ton1 Toff1), (2) the mole delivery set point (nsp2) and a corresponding second pulse on and off period (Ton2 Toff2), . . . (m) the mole delivery set point (nspm) and a corresponding m-th pulse on and off period (Tonm Toffm), etc.

26. A method of delivering a corresponding plurality of sequences of pulses of a desired mass of gases through a plurality of flow channels in accordance with a prescribed recipe of a sequence of steps, the method comprising: receiving at a dedicated controller from a host computer the prescribed recipe of one or more sequences of steps of pulses of one or more gases to be delivered through the plurality of flow channels; andusing the sequence of steps to control each flow channel including a flow sensor and a control, by opening and closing the control valve of each flow channel in accordance with the sequence of steps of the recipe.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein using the sequence of steps includes opening and closing at least some of the control valves of the corresponding channels so that the sequence is the same and for each of the corresponding channels and synchronized with each other.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein using the sequence of steps includes opening and closing at least some of the control valves of the corresponding channels so that the sequence is the different for at least one of the corresponding channels than for another one of the corresponding channels.

29. A method according to claim 26, further including uploading the recipe from the host controller to the dedicated controller.

30. A method according to claim 26, further including running the recipe for each of the channels in response to a trigger signal.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein running the recipe includes running the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein running the recipe includes simultaneously running the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein running the recipe includes staggering the running of the same recipe for all of the corresponding channels.

34. A method according to claim 32, wherein running the recipe includes running a different recipe for at two of the corresponding channels.

35. A method according to claim 26, further including a host controller, wherein the host controller provides at least one trigger signal for triggering the sequence for each of the corresponding channels.

36. A method according to claim 26, further including alternatively receiving a flow setpoint as a part of the recipe for at least one of the channels and controlling the flow rate of gas through of the channels configured and arranged so as to operate as a traditional mass flow controller (MFC) mode so as to control the flow rate of gas delivered through that channel.

37. A method according to claim 26, wherein the prescribed recipe of one or more sequences of steps includes a pulse profile and the necessary sequencing of pulses so that at least one gas is delivered as pulses from at least one supply through one or more channels to a process tool.

38. A method according to claim 26, further including downloading information from the host controller to the dedicated controller so as to carry out all of the sequencing steps in response to a single trigger signal received from the host controller.

39. A method according to claim 26, wherein using the sequence of steps to control each flow channel including a flow sensor and a control valve by opening and closing the control valve of each flow channel in accordance with the sequence of steps of the recipe the dedicated controller can be configured and arranged so as to carry any one of at least three different types of pulse gas delivery processes.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the three different types of pulse gas delivery processes include a time based delivery process, a mole based delivery process and a profile based delivery process.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein the time based delivery process includes the following parameters: (1) at least one targeted flow set point (Qsp), (2) at least one time length of the pulse-on period (Ton), (3) at least one time length of each pulse-off period (Toff), and (4) the total number of pulses (N) required to complete the whole pulse gas delivery process.

42. A method according to claim 40, wherein the mole based delivery process includes the following parameters: (1) at least one mole delivery set point (nsp), (2) at least one target time length of pulse-on period (Ton), (3) at least one target time length of pulse-off period (Toff), and (4) the number of pulses (N) to be delivered, wherein the process includes automatically adjusting the flow set point so as to precisely deliver within the targeted pulse-on period the targeted mole amount of gas through each channel based on measurements taken by a flow sensor.

43. A method according to claim 40, further including delivering a gas through each channel in accordance with the following equation:

44. A method according to claim 40, further including delivering each pulse of the profile based delivery process including the following inputs: (1) the flow set point Qsp1 and a corresponding first pulse on and off period (Ton1 Toff1), (2) the flow set point Qsp2 and a corresponding second pulse on and off period (Ton2 Toff2), . . . (m) the flow set point Qspm and a corresponding m-th pulse on and off period (Tonm Toffm), etc. so that a set of parameters are provided for each pulse of the entire set of pulses, allowing the pulses to vary depending on the type of process being run.

45. A method according to claim 40, further including delivering gas in accordance with the profile based delivery process including the following parameters for each pulse: (1) the mole delivery set point (nsp1) and a corresponding first pulse on and off period (Ton1 Toff1), (2) the mole delivery set point (nsp2) and a corresponding second pulse on and off period (Ton2 Toff2), . . . (m) the mole delivery set point (nspm) and a corresponding m-th pulse on and off period (Tonm Toffm), etc.