Reactors for vapor deposition of materials onto a microelectronic workpiece, systems that include such reactors, and methods for depositing materials onto microelectronic workpieces. In one embodiment, a reactor for vapor deposition of a material comprises a reaction chamber and a gas distributor. The reaction chamber can include an inlet and an outlet. The gas distributor is positioned in the reaction chamber. The gas distributor has a compartment coupled to the inlet to receive a gas flow and a distributor plate including a first surface facing the compartment, a second surface facing the reaction chamber, and a plurality of passageways. The passageways extend through the distributor plate from the first surface to the second surface. Additionally, at least one of the passageways has at least a partially occluded flow path through the plate. For example, the occluded passageway can be canted at an oblique angle relative to the first surface of the distributor plate so that gas flowing through the canted passageway changes direction as it passes through the distributor plate.

Apparatus and method for depositing materials onto microelectronic workpieces

A system and method for controlling a mass flow controller to have a constant control loop gain under a variety of different types of fluids and operating conditions, and for configuring the mass flow controller for operation with a fluid and/or operating conditions different from that used during a production of the mass flow controller. Further, the system and method includes providing control by reducing the effects of hysteresis in solenoid actuated devices by providing a non-operational signal to the solenoid actuated device.

System and method for a mass flow controller

A reactor comprising an energy source, a plasma unit positioned relative to the energy source, and a processing vessel connected to the plasma unit. The energy source has a generator that produces a plasma energy and a transmitter to transmit the plasma energy. The plasma unit has a first portion or transmissive portion through which the plasma energy can propagate, a second portion or distributor portion having a plurality of outlets, and a chamber in fluid communication with the plurality of outlets. The chamber is generally between or within the first and second portions. The plasma energy can pass through at least the first portion and into the chamber to create a plasma in the chamber. The second portion can also be transmissive or opaque to the plasma energy. The processing vessel includes a workpiece holder across from the outlets of the second portion of the plasma unit.

Apparatus and methods for manufacturing microfeatures on workpieces using plasma vapor processes

The present disclosure suggests several systems and methods for batch processing of microfeature workpieces, e.g., semiconductor wafers or the like. One exemplary implementation provides a method of depositing a reaction product on each of a batch of workpieces positioned in a process chamber in a spaced-apart relationship. A first gas may be delivered to an elongate first delivery conduit that includes a plurality of outlets spaced along a length of the conduit. A first gas flow may be directed by the outlets to flow into at least one of the process spaces between adjacent workpieces along a first vector that is transverse to the direction in which the workpieces are spaced. A second gas may be delivered to an elongate second delivery conduit that also has outlets spaced along its length. A second gas flow of the second gas may be directed by the outlets to flow into the process spaces along a second vector that is transverse to the first direction.

Methods and apparatus for processing microfeature workpieces, e.g., for depositing materials on microfeature workpieces

Methods and apparatus for in-situ calibration of a flow controller are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of flowing a gas includes providing a flow controller configured to provide a first gas at a first value of a flow rate based on a calculated first relationship determined by using a standard gas; determining an actual first relationship between the flow rate and the setpoint for the first gas from a plurality of values of the flow rate of the first gas determined at a corresponding plurality of values of the setpoint of the flow controller, wherein each of the plurality of values of the flow rate is determined from flowing the first gas through the flow controller at corresponding ones of the plurality of values for the setpoint; and flowing the first gas at the first value of the flow rate based on the actual first relationship.

Methods for in-situ calibration of a flow controller

A process mass flow instrument for measuring the mass flow rate of a process fluid including a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a flow passage connecting the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, a fluid flow sensor which provides a raw output signal corresponding to an unknown mass flow rate and a processor which contains an empirically derived conversion routine for converting the raw output signal to an adjusted signal indicating the mass flow rate of the process fluid. A method for determining an unknown mass flow using an empirically derived conversion function, the function being derived by correlating the output signals of a mass flow instrument sensing the flow of a calibration fluid with the output signals of the mass flow instrument sensing the flow of the process fluid.

Method and apparatus for detecting and controlling mass flow

A flowmeter (100) or mass flow controller (101) used in a manufacturing process with toxic and reactive process fluids. A fluid flow sensor (114) sensesfluid flow. A set point is established based upon predetermined temperature and pressure conditions at which the fluid will be utilized in the process. A valve drive (124) operates a fluid flow valve (126) to the resulting fluid flow rate, this being based upon the sensed flow rate and the set point. A control unit (122) controls the valve drive. The control unit accesses a calibration data set to determine the amount of fluid to be delivered by the fluid flow valve based uponthe sensed flow rate and the set point. This calibration data set is created for the controller over its operational range using a calibration fluid having similar thermodynamic transport properties to a process fluid. The instrument is calibrated using the calibration fluid and the data set is produced by converting the calibration data using process fluid data stored in a data base (200). Accessing the data set stored in the instrument together with routing signals over a communication network (300) permits the instrument to precisely control process fluids without having to introduce external correction factors or other adjustments to the process.

Thermal mass flowmeter and mass flow controller, flowmetering system and method

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the accuracy of a flowmeter and a mass-flow-rate control apparatus which are used for a production process using a toxic and reactive process fluid. SOLUTION: A flow rate sensor 114 detects a flow rate, and a setting point is set on the basis of a preset temperature condition and a preset pressure conditions. A valve driving device 124 which is controlled by a control device 122 operates a flow control valve 126 so as to become a flow rate based on the detected flow rate and on the setting point. The control device 22 accesses a calibration data set, and it decides the quantity of a fluid to be supplied by the flow control valve 126 on the basis of the detected flow rate and the setting point. The data set is generated over the whole operating range of a flow-rate control apparatus 101 by using a calibration fluid whose characteristic is similar to that of a process fluid. The flow-rate control apparatus 101 is calibrated by using the calibration fluid, and the data set is generated in such a way that fluid data which is stored in a database is used and that calibration data is converted.

Gary P. Campbell

Papers

Method and apparatus for detecting and controlling mass flow

Thermal mass flowmeter and mass flow controller, flowmetering system and method

Flowmeter and mass-flow-rate control apparatus

Capteur thermique de débit massique et régulateur de débit massique, procédé et dispositif de mesure de débit

Thermischer Massendurchflussmesser und -regler sowie Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Durchflussmessung