US 11,746,417 B2
Clean isolation valve for reduced dead volume
Ashutosh Agarwal, San Jose, CA (US); and Sanjeev Baluja, Campbell, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/948,323.
Application 17/948,323 is a division of application No. 17/025,294, filed on Sep. 18, 2020, granted, now 11,479,857.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/022,466, filed on May 9, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/902,912, filed on Sep. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0017577 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. C23C 16/40 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/45544 (2013.01) [C23C 16/45565 (2013.01); H01J 37/3244 (2013.01); H01J 37/32357 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A processing method comprising: flowing a first gas through a first inlet line of a dead volume-free valve into a processing chamber, a spacer within an opening in a top of the processing chamber, wherein the spacer is positioned around a gas distribution plate within the opening in the top of the processing chamber, the dead volume-free valve comprising: the first inlet line having an upstream end and a downstream end defining a length of the first inlet line, a second inlet line having an upstream end and a downstream end defining a length of the second inlet line, the downstream end of the inlet line connecting with the first inlet line along the length of the first inlet line, and a sealing surface at the downstream end of the second inlet line, the sealing surface configured to separate the first inlet line and the second inlet line to prevent fluid communication between the first inlet line and the second inlet line; and flowing a second gas through the second inlet line of the dead volume-free valve into the processing chamber, wherein the first gas does not flow into the second inlet line and switching between the first gas and second gas does not include a purge step to clear the valve of residual gas.