Semiconductor Processing System, and Control Assembly and Method Thereof

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a semiconductor processing system, and control assembly and method thereof. The semiconductor processing system includes a mass flow controller (MFC), a control assembly and a process chamber. The MFC is coupled to a gas source to receive an input gas. The control assembly, which is coupled to the MFC, includes a charge chamber, an inlet valve and an outlet valve. The charge chamber is arranged to accommodate the input gas. The inlet valve is arranged to control a charge of the input gas for the charge chamber. The outlet valve is arranged to control a release of the input gas accommodated in the charge chamber. The process chamber is coupled to the outlet valve of the control assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A semiconductor processing system, comprising:
 a mass flow controller (MFC) coupled to a gas source to receive an input gas;   a control assembly coupled to the MFC, and comprising:
 a charge chamber arranged to accommodate the input gas; and 
 an inlet valve and an outlet valve, wherein the inlet valve is arranged to control a charge of the input gas for the charge chamber, and the outlet valve is arranged to control a release of the input gas accommodated in the charge chamber; and 
   a process chamber coupled to the outlet valve of the control assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet valve is a first outlet valve coupled between the charge chamber and the process chamber, and the control assembly further comprises:
 a second outlet valve coupled between the charge chamber and a dump line.   
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas source is a carrier gas source, the input gas is a carrier gas, and the semiconductor processing system further comprises:
 a precursor tank coupled between the MFC and the inlet valve.   
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas source is a reactant gas source, and the input gas is a reactant gas. 
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the control assembly is a first control assembly, the charge chamber is a first charge chamber, the inlet valve is a first inlet valve, and the outlet valve is a first outlet valve, and the semiconductor processing system further comprises:
 a second control assembly coupled between the MFC and the process chamber, and comprising:
 a second charge chamber arranged to accommodate the input gas; and 
 a second inlet valve and a second outlet valve, wherein the second inlet valve is arranged to control a charge of the input gas for the second charge chamber, and the second outlet valve is arranged to control a release of the input gas accommodated in the second charge chamber. 
   
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the control assembly is a first control assembly, the charge chamber is a first charge chamber, the inlet valve is a first inlet valve, the outlet valve is a first outlet valve, the process chamber is a first process chamber, and the semiconductor processing system further comprises:
 a second control assembly coupled to the MFC, and comprising:
 a second charge chamber arranged to accommodate the input gas; and 
 a second inlet valve and a second outlet valve, wherein the second inlet valve is arranged to control a charge of the input gas for the second charge chamber, and the second outlet valve is arranged to control a release of the input gas accommodated in the second charge chamber; and 
   a second process chamber coupled to the second outlet valve of the second control assembly.   
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor processing system of  claim 3 , wherein the MFC is a first MFC, the control assembly is a first control assembly, the charge chamber is a first charge chamber, the inlet valve is a first inlet valve, the outlet valve is a first outlet valve, and the semiconductor processing system further comprises:
 a second MFC coupled to a reactant gas source to receive a reactant gas; and   a second control assembly coupled between the second MFC and the process chamber, and comprising:
 a second charge chamber arranged to accommodate the reactant gas; and 
 a second inlet valve and a second outlet valve, wherein the second inlet valve is arranged to control a charge of the reactant gas for the second charge chamber, and the second outlet valve is arranged to control a release of the reactant gas accommodated in the second charge chamber. 
   
     
     
         8 . A method of controlling a semiconductor processing system including a control assembly coupled between a gas source and a process chamber, comprising:
 operating in a process stage, comprising:
 activating an inlet valve of the control assembly coupled between the gas source and a charge chamber of the control assembly to charge the charge chamber with an input gas from the gas source; and 
 activating a first outlet valve of the control assembly coupled between the charge chamber and the process chamber to release the input gas in the charge chamber into the process chamber. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein activating durations of the inlet valve and the first outlet valve are staggered in the process stage. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the inlet valve and the first outlet valve are activated sequentially and repeatedly in the process stage. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 operating in a transition stage, comprising:
 activating the inlet valve to charge the charge chamber with the input gas from the gas source; and 
 activating a second outlet valve of the control assembly coupled between the charge chamber and a dump line. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein activating durations of the inlet valve and the second outlet valve are staggered in the transition stage. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , the inlet valve and the second outlet valve are activated sequentially and repeatedly in the transition stage. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 operating in an offline purging stage, comprising:
 activating the inlet valve and the second outlet valve simultaneously to clean a gas line coupled between the gas source and the charge chamber. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the gas source is a carrier gas source, the input gas is a carrier gas, the control assembly is a first control assembly, the semiconductor processing system further includes a second control assembly coupled between a reactant gas source and the process chamber, and operating in the process stage further comprises:
 activating an inlet valve of the second control assembly coupled between the reactant gas source and a charge chamber of the second control assembly to charge the charge chamber of the second control assembly with a reactant gas from the reactant gas source; and   activating an outlet valve of the second control assembly coupled between the charge chamber of the second control assembly and the process chamber to release the reactant gas into the process chamber.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein activating durations of the inlet valve of the second control assembly and the outlet valve of the second control assembly are staggered in the process stage. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the inlet valve of the second control assembly and the outlet valve of the second control assembly are activated sequentially and repeatedly in the process stage. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein activating durations of the first outlet valve of the first control assembly and the outlet valve of the second control assembly are staggered. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein operating in the process stage further comprises:
 providing a purge gas into the process chamber with a first flow rate when the inlet valve of the first control assembly and the inlet valve of the second control assembly are both activated and the first outlet valve of the first control assembly and the outlet valve of the second control assembly are both deactivated; and   providing the purge gas into a dump line when the outlet valve of the first control assembly or the outlet valve of the second control assembly is activated.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein operating in the process stage further comprises:
 continuously providing a diluent gas into the process chamber with a second flow rate, wherein the first flow rate is higher than the second flow rate.   
     
     
         21 . A control assembly of a semiconductor processing system, comprising:
 an inlet valve;   an outlet valve; and   a charge chamber coupled between the inlet valve and the outlet valve;   wherein the inlet valve is coupled between a gas source and the charge chamber and arranged to control a charge of an input gas from the gas source for the charge chamber, and the outlet valve is coupled between the charge chamber and a process chamber and arranged to control a release of the input gas in the charge chamber to the process chamber.   
     
     
         22 . The control assembly of  claim 21 , wherein activating durations of the inlet valve and the outlet valve are staggered. 
     
     
         23 . The control assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the outlet valve is a first outlet valve, and the control assembly further comprises:
 a second outlet valve coupled between the charge chamber and a dump line.   
     
     
         24 . The control assembly of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a pressure transducer coupled to the charge chamber, wherein the pressure transducer is arranged to monitor a pressure in the charge chamber when the inlet valve is activated.