US 12,492,469 B2
Sublimation control using downstream pressure sensing
Marvin Clayton Brees, Boulder Creek, CA (US); Davinder Sharma, San Jose, CA (US); and Panya Wongsenakhum, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 18/035,456
Filed by LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 17, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/059681
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 4, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/109003, PCT Pub. Date May 27, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/116,041, filed on Nov. 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0399741 A1, Dec. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. C23C 16/448 (2006.01); C23C 14/54 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01); C23C 16/52 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/448 (2013.01) [C23C 14/542 (2013.01); C23C 16/4485 (2013.01); C23C 16/45557 (2013.01); C23C 16/52 (2013.01); H01L 21/67109 (2013.01); H01L 21/67248 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system to control gas flow, the system comprising:
an ampoule to store a solid precursor material;
a heater to heat the ampoule and to sublimate the solid precursor material into a gaseous precursor;
a mass flow controller to regulate a flow of the gaseous precursor from the ampoule to a processing chamber;
a pressure sensor to measure a pressure of the gaseous precursor input to the mass flow controller; and
a controller configured to apply power to the heater using closed loop control based on the pressure of the gaseous precursor input to the mass flow controller and a pressure setpoint for the pressure of the gaseous precursor input to the mass flow controller.