Apparatus for preventing particle deposition in a capacitance diaphragm gauge

• US 5,948,169 A
• Filed: 03/11/1998
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Wen-Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): FIELER, ERIN L
• Application Number:
  US09/038,758
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/723, 73/715, 73/718, 73/724
• US Class Current: 118/723.0FI
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4401 Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence

Abstract

Apparatus for reducing a material deposition in a housing is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes: a first pressure sensing device which senses a pressure in a reaction chamber, a pumping device for pumping the vapor from the reaction chamber to the pumping device, a valve that is opened when the pressure is larger than a first value and smaller than a second value, a bypass valve which is closed when the pressure is larger than the third value and smaller than the fourth value, a check valve that blocks a gas flow from the check valve to the bypass valve, and a pipe for connecting all of the above.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reducing deposition of residue in a first housing, said residue being formed from a vapor in said first housing, said vapor generated by a semiconductor process reaction chamber during a process, said apparatus comprising:

first pressure sensing means for sensing a pressure in said reaction chamber responding to a first capacitance in said first pressure sensing means, said first pressure sensing means comprising said first housing, said first housing comprising a first diaphragm, said first capacitance being formed by using said first diaphragm and a first platform as a first plurality of electrodes of a first capacitor, said first capacitance being changed owing to a first deflection of said first diaphragm under forces due to said pressure;

pumping means for pumping said vapor from said reaction chamber;

monitoring gas flow control means, said monitoring gas flow control means being opened when said pressure is larger than a first value and smaller than a second value, said first value being smaller than said second value, a first end of said monitoring gas flow control means being connected to said reaction chamber, a second end of said monitoring gas flow control means being connected to said first housing of said first pressure sensing means;

bypass gas flow control means, said bypass gas flow control means being closed when said pressure is larger than a third value and smaller than a fourth value, said third value being smaller than said fourth value, said fourth value being larger than said second value;

a filter connected to said bypass gas flow control means for preventing said residue from passing through said filter;

a flow direction control means for blocking a gas flow from said flow direction control means to said bypass gas flow control means; and

a pipe for connecting said first housing of said first pressure sensing means, said bypass gas flow control means, said filter, said flow direction control means and said pumping means.

2. The apparatus as claim 1, wherein said monitoring gas flow control means is a valve.

3. The apparatus as claim 1, wherein said bypass gas flow control means is a valve.

4. The apparatus as claim 1, wherein said flow direction control means comprises a check valve, said check valve being a unidirectional valve.

5. The apparatus as claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises:

a second pressure sensing means for sensing said pressure in said pipe and responding to a second capacitance in said first pressure sensing means, said second pressure sensing means comprising a second housing, said second housing comprising a second diaphragm, said second capacitance being formed by using said second diaphragm and a second platform as a second plurality of electrodes of a second capacitor, said second capacitance being changed due to a second deflection of said second diaphragm under forces due to said pressure, said second housing being connected to said monitoring gas flow control means and said bypass gas flow control means; and

reference gas flow control means, said reference gas flow control means being opened when said pressure being larger than a fifth value and smaller than a sixth value, said fifth value being smaller than said sixth value, a first end of said reference gas flow control means being connected to said gas containing means, a second end of said reference gas flow control means being connected to said second housing of said second pressure sensing means.

6. An apparatus for reducing deposition of residue in a first housing, said residue being formed from a vapor in said first housing, said vapor generated by a semiconductor process reaction chamber during a process, said apparatus comprising:

first pressure sensing means for sensing a pressure in said reaction chamber responding to a first capacitance in said first pressure sensing means, said first pressure sensing means comprising said first housing, said first housing comprising a first diaphragm, said first capacitance being formed by using said first diaphragm and a first platform as a first plurality of electrodes of a first capacitor, said first capacitance being changed owing to a first deflection of said first diaphragm under forces due to said pressure;

pumping means for pumping said vapor from said reaction chamber;

monitoring gas flow control means, said monitoring gas flow control means being opened when said pressure is larger than a first value and smaller than a second value, said first value being smaller than said second value, a first end of said monitoring gas flow control means being connected to said reaction chamber, a second end of said monitoring gas flow control means being connected to said first housing of said first pressure sensing means;

bypass gas flow control means, said bypass gas flow control means being closed when said pressure is larger than a third value and smaller than a fourth value, said third value being smaller than said fourth value, said fourth value being larger than said second value;

a filter connected to said bypass gas flow control means for preventing said residue from passing through said filter;

a flow direction control means for blocking a gas flow from said flow direction control means to said bypass gas flow control means;

a pipe for connecting said first housing of said first pressure sensing means, said bypass gas flow control means, said filter, said flow direction control means and said pumping means;

second pressure sensing means for sensing said pressure in said gas containing means responding to a second capacitance in said second pressure sensing means, said second pressure sensing means comprising a second housing, said second housing comprising a second diaphragm, said second capacitance being formed by using said second diaphragm and a second platform as a second plurality of electrodes of a second capacitor, said second capacitance being changed owing to a second deflection of said second diaphragm under forces due to said pressure, said second housing being connected to said monitoring gas flow control means and said bypass gas flow control means; and

reference gas flow control means, said reference gas flow control means being opened when said pressure being larger than a fifth value and smaller than a sixth value, said fifth value is smaller than said sixth value, a first end of said reference gas flow control means being connected to said gas containing means, a second end of said reference gas flow control means being connected to said second housing of said second pressure sensing means.

7. The apparatus as claim 6, wherein said monitoring gas flow control means is a valve.

8. The apparatus as claim 6, wherein said bypass gas flow control means is a valve.

9. The apparatus as claim 7, wherein said flow direction control means comprises a check valve, said check valve being a unidirectional valve.