Apparatus for dry processing a semiconductor wafer

Claim 2

Apparatus for dry processing a semiconductor wafer in the manufacture of circuit patterns thereon comprising, (a) a vacuum chamber for containing said semiconductor wafer to be processed, (b) an opening into said chamber for the flow of a processing fluid in gaseous form into said chamber, (c) a source of said processing fluid in liquid form, (d) between said source of processing fluid in liquid form and said chamber opening, a fluid meter having a liquid fluid input and an output into a relatively low pressure evaporation chamber that connects to said opening into said processing chamber for converting said metered fluid into metered gas fluid, said metered gas fluid being isolated from said liquid fluid by said fluid meter and (f) means for energizing said fluid meter, (g) whereby said fluid meter passes liquid fluid from said source in metered quantities into said evaporation chamber as a mixture of gas and vapor and said mixture is substantially all converted into gas that flows through said opening into said processing chamber.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein (a) a liquid fluid trap is provided between said fluid meter output and said processing chamber.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein (a) means are provided for controlling and monitoring the pressure and temperature in said processing chamber and for controlling the flow of said processing fluid in liquid form to said fluid meter to maintain a predetermined pressure and temperature in said processing chamber.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein (a) said fluid meter is energized in impulses and (b) said flow of said processing fluid in liquid form is increased by increasing the impulse rate of said fluid meter energization.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein (a) the flow of said processing fluid in gaseous form into said processing chamber is directly proportional to said fluid meter energization impulse rate.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said fluid meter is constructed and operated similar to an automotive throttle body injector (TBI) of the sort that feeds gasoline to an automobile engine.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said fluid meter is constructed and operated similar to an automotive throttle body injector (TBI) of the sort that feeds gasoline to an automobile engine.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said fluid meter is constructed and operated similar to an automotive throttle body injector (TBI) of the sort that feeds gasoline to an automobile engine.

Claim 10

In apparatus for dry processing a semiconductor wafer that includes a vacuum processing chamber that contains the semiconductor wafer to be processed, an opening into said chamber for the flow of processing gas into said chamber and a source of processing fluid in liquid form, the improvement comprising, (a) means defining a fluid flow path between said source of processing fluid in liquid form and said opening for converting said liquid fluid into gas fluid whereby said gas fluid is isolated from said liquid fluid, (b) a liquid fluid conduit is provided for said liquid fluid from said source to said converting means at essentially the same temperature and pressure as said liquid fluid at said source, (c) said converting means includes metering means having a liquid fluid input and an output into a relatively low pressure evaporation chamber that connects to said opening into said processing chamber and (d) means for driving said metering means, (e) whereby said metering passes liquid fluid from said source in metered quantities into said evaporation chamber as a mixture of gas and vapor in said mixture is substantially all converted into gas that flows through said opening into said processing chamber.

Claim 11

In apparatus for dry processing a semiconductor wafer that includes a vacuum processing chamber that contains the semiconductor wafer to be processed, an opening into said chamber for the flow of processing gas into said chamber and a source of processing fluid in liquid form, the improvement comprising, (a) means defining a fluid flow path between said source of processing fluid in liquid form and said opening for converting said liquid fluid into gas fluid whereby said gas fluid is isolated from said liquid fluid, (b) a liquid fluid conduit is provided for said liquid fluid from said source to said converting means at essentially the same temperature and pressure as said liquid fluid at said source, (c) said converting means includes metering means having a liquid fluid input and an output into a relatively low pressure evaporation chamber that connects to said opening into said processing chamber and (d) means for driving said metering means, (e) whereby said metering passes liquid fluid from said source in metered quantities into said evaporation chamber as a mixture of gas and vapor in said mixture is substantially all converted into gas that flows through said opening into said processing chamber.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein (a) a liquid trap is provided between said metering means output and said processing chamber.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein (a) means are provided for controlling and monitoring the pressure and temperature in said processing chamber and for controlling the flow of said processing fluid in liquid form to said metering means to maintain predetermined pressure and temperature in said processing chamber.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 11 wherein (a) said flow of said processing fluid in liquid form is increased by increasing the energization rate of said metering means.

Claim 15

Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein (a) said flow of said processing fluid in gaseous form into said processing chamber is directly proportional to said energization rate of said metering means.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said metering means is constructed and operated similar to an automotive throttle body injector (TBI) of the sort that feeds gasoline to an automobile engine.

Claim 19

A method as in claim 15 wherein (a) said cyclic passing is done by forcing said minute quantities of said processing fluid in liquid form into said relatively low pressure chamber that connects to said processing chamber.

Claim 20

A method as in claim 15 wherein the the flow of said processing fluid in liquid form for cyclic converting to gas is controlled by varying the rate of said passing.

Claim 21

A method as in claim 15 wherein the flow of said processing fluid in liquid form for cyclic converting to gas is controlled by varying the duty cycle of said cycles.

Claim 22

In apparatus for dry processing a semiconductor wafer that includes a vacuum processing chamber that contains the semiconductor wafer to be processed, an opening into said chamber for the flow of processing gas into said chamber, a source of processing fluid in liquid form, a fluid flow path between said source of processing fluid in liquid form and said opening for converting said liquid fluid into gas fluid, said converting means includes an impulse type fluid injector, means for energizing said impulse injector so that it draws liquid fluid from said source and injects minute quantities of said fluid into said evaporation chamber as a mixture of gas and vapor wherein said mixture is substantially all converted into gas that flows through said opening into said processing chamber, means for controlling said impulse injector to maintain a predetermined chamber pressure comprising, (a) means for detecting pressure in said chamber, producing a signal representative thereof, herein called the chamber pressure signal, (b) a source of control pulses for said impulse injector and (c) means for modulating said control pulses in response to said pressure signal.

Claim 23

In apparatus for dry processing a semiconductor wafer that includes a vacuum processing chamber that contains the semiconductor wafer to be processed, an opening into said chamber for the flow of processing gas into said chamber, a source of processing fluid in liquid form, a fluid flow path between said source of processing fluid in liquid form and said opening for converting said liquid fluid into gas fluid, said converting means includes an impulse type fluid injector, means for energizing said impulse injector so that it draws liquid fluid from said source and injects minute quantities of said fluid into said evaporation chamber as a mixture of gas and vapor wherein said mixture is substantially all converted into gas that flows through said opening into said processing chamber, means for controlling said impulse injector to maintain a predetermined chamber pressure comprising, (a) means for detecting pressure in said chamber, producing a signal representative thereof, herein called the chamber pressure signal, (b) a source of control pulses for said impulse injector and (c) means for modulating said control pulses in response to said pressure signal.

Claim 24

Apparatus as in claim 19 wherein said means for modulating modulates the rate of said control pulses.

Claim 25

Apparatus as in claim 20 wherein said rate of control pulses is modulated so that said rate is least when said chamber pressure is at said predetermined chamber pressure.

Claim 26

Apparatus as in claim 21 wherein, (a) means are provided producing a signal representative of said predetermined chamber pressure, (b) means are provided for comparing said detected chamber pressure and said predetermined chamber pressure producing a signal representative of the difference and (c) said pulse rate is proportional to said difference signal.

Claim 27

Apparatus as in claim 22 wherein said rate of control pulses is proportional to said difference when said detected chamber pressure is less than said predetermined chamber pressure.

Claim 28

Apparatus as in claim 23 wherein injection by said injector stops when said detected chamber pressure is greater than said predetermined chamber pressure.