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WO2005001910A1 - Apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure - Google Patents

Apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2005001910A1
WO2005001910A1 PCT/KR2004/001532 KR2004001532W WO2005001910A1 WO 2005001910 A1 WO2005001910 A1 WO 2005001910A1 KR 2004001532 W KR2004001532 W KR 2004001532W WO 2005001910 A1 WO2005001910 A1 WO 2005001910A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
differential pressure
gas
flow rate
semiconductor device
flow
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/KR2004/001532
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Kang-Ho Ahn
Original Assignee
Hyundai Calibration & Certification Technologies Co., Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Hyundai Calibration & Certification Technologies Co., Ltd filed Critical Hyundai Calibration & Certification Technologies Co., Ltd
Publication of WO2005001910A1 publication Critical patent/WO2005001910A1/en

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
    • C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
    • C23C16/4401—Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
    • C23C16/4402—Reduction of impurities in the source gas
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
    • H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
    • C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
    • C23C16/455—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber
    • C23C16/45557—Pulsed pressure or control pressure
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
    • H01L21/67253—Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, and more particularly, to an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device fabrication by generating differential pressure in a flow passage through which the gas flows.
  • semiconductor device fabrication employs gases such as dopant gas, etchant gas, diffusion gas and purge gas used for manufacturing semiconductor devices.
  • a heat sensitive type mass flow rate controller operates as follows. A gas flowing though a flow passage of a body of the controller is distributed at a predetermined ratio via a bypass and then sent to a flow sensor. A thermal resistor of the flow sensor changes temperature by means of heat conduction according to the gas flow, a
  • the Wheatstone bridge detects the temperature change in the thermal resistor as a voltage change and outputs an electrical signal, and an amplifier amplifies the electrical signal from the Wheatstone bridge and inputs the amplified electrical signal into the controller.
  • the controller compares the input electrical signal with a set point and opens or closes a control valve operated by a solenoid or thermal actuator based on the comparison results to control the flow rate of the gas.
  • the conventional heat sensitive type mass flow rate controller has a problem in that the flow rate of the gas is indirectly measured in such a manner that the temperature of the themial resistor of the flow sensor is changed by heat capacity according to the gas flow and the temperature change in the thermal resistor is detected as the voltage change by the Wheatstone bridge, resulting in very low response.
  • the conventional heat sensitive type mass flow rate controller has problems in that it does not ensure linearity of the relationship between the flow rate and the electromotive force of the flow sensor tliroughout the entire range of flow rate of the gas, and its reliability is greatly deteriorated due to changes in the sensitivity of the flow sensor according to gas pressure.
  • the conventional heat sensitive type mass flow rate controller has a problem in that it is troublesome to change , ⁇ ⁇ , ⁇ > ⁇ réelle.p ⁇ ..,:__.ion constant for use in the measurement of the flow rate according to the kind of gas.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, wherein differential pressure is generated in the gas flowing through a flow passage and the flow rate is measured using the differential pressure of the gas, thereby greatly improving the response and reliability of the controller.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, wherein the flow rate of the gas can be precisely and rapidly controlled due to a fast response speed of the controller and a stable flow of the gas.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, wherein the controller can be manufactured and maintained conveniently and economically due to its simple structure.
  • a still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, wherein the degree of purity of the gas can be improved by means of a filtering function of a differential pressure generation element itself that is installed in a flow passage and generates differential pressure in a flow of the gas.
  • an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure which comprises a body having a flow passage for the gas used in the semiconductor device fabrication, a control valve for controlling a flow of the gas by opening or closing the flow passage of the body, a differential pressure generation element installed in the flow passage of the body to generate differential pressure, a bypass for connecting upstream and downstream portions of the flow passage with respect to the differential pressure generation element, a pressure sensor received in the bypass to detect the differential pressure in the flow passage generated by the differential pressure generation element, and a central processing unit for calculating the flow rate of the gas according to a detection signal input from the pressure sensor and controlling the control valve.
  • Fig. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the configuration of an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the configuration of an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention to which another example of a differential pressure generation element is applied.
  • Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IN-IN of Fig. 3.
  • a body 10 defining an external appearance of the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases according to the present invention is formed with a flow passage 12 for gases such as dopant, etchant, diffusion and purge gases used in semiconductor device fabrication.
  • the flow passage 12 has a gas inlet 14 and a gas outlet 16.
  • the inlet 14 is connected to a gas supply device 18.
  • the gas discharged through the outlet 16 is supplied to a semiconductor device fabrication process.
  • An upstream portion of the flow passage 12 is connected to a valve chamber 22 of a control valve 20.
  • the valve chamber 22 of the control valve 20 is provided with a valve body 26 for opening or closing the flow passage 12 by means of an operation of an actuator 24 so as to control the flow of the gas.
  • the actuator 24 of the control valve 20 may comprise a solenoid.
  • the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases of the present invention has a differential pressure generation element 30 installed at a downstream portion of the flow passage 12 to generate differential pressure in the flow of the gas.
  • the differential pressure generation element 30 is formed of a porous material 32 for producing resistance against the flow of the gas.
  • the porous material 32 has a plurality of fine pores 34.
  • the porous material 32 comprises a ceramic filter or stainless steel filter.
  • the ceramic filter or stainless steel filter may be made by means of sintering.
  • the stainless steel filter can be made to have a surface with superior precision, cleanliness, chemical stability, corrosion resistance and the like by means of electropolishing.
  • a ceramic filter or stainless steel filter can effectively adsorb and remove impurities contained in the gas penetrating through the pores.
  • a plurality of capillary tubes 36 as another example of the differential pressure generation element 30 are installed in the flow passage 12 of the body 10 along the flow direction of the gas to produce resistance against the flow of the gas. Impurities contained in the gas passing through apertures 38 of the capillary tubes 36 are adsorbed and removed by surfaces of the apertures 38.
  • the capillary tubes 36 are made of a stainless steel material by electropolishing in the same manner as the porous material 32.
  • the capillary tubes 36 as the differential pressure generation element 30 may be substituted with a porous plate. Surfaces of the capillary tubes 36 or the porous plate may be coated with glass.
  • the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases of the present invention includes a bypass 40 for connecting the upstream and downstream portions of the flow passage 12 with respect to the differential pressure generation element 30.
  • the bypass 40 comprises an upstream first pressure port 42 and a downstream second pressure port 44.
  • a pressure sensor 50 for detecting pressure at the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44 is installed between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44 of the bypass 40.
  • the pressure sensor 50 may comprise a differential pressure sensor for detecting differential pressure between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44.
  • a detection signal of the pressure sensor 50 is input into a central processing unit (CPU) 60.
  • the CPU 60 operates the actuator 24 of the control valve 20 according to the detection signal input from the pressure sensor 50 to control the flow of the gas.
  • the control valve 20 and the CPU 60 are received in a casing 70 that is detachably attached to the body 10. Now, the operation of the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention constructed as above will be described. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the gas that is supplied from the gas supply device 18 when the valve body 26 of the control valve 20 is opened is introduced through the inlet 14 of the body 10 and then flows along the flow passage 12 of the body 10 while sequentially passing through the valve chamber 22 and the pores 34 of the porous material 32.
  • the pressure of the gas drops while the gas passes through the pores 34 of the porous material 32, which have cross sectional areas narrower than that of the flow passage 12. Therefore, a pressure difference is produced between the upstream and downstream sides of the porous material 32, and a pressure difference is also produced between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44. At this time, if the flow of the gas passing through the pores 34 of the porous material 32 is a laminar flow, the relationship between the differential pressure and the flow rate exhibits linearity.
  • the pressure sensor 50 detects the differential pressure produced between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44 outputs a detection signal.
  • the CPU 60 compares the detection signal input from the pressure sensor 50 with a set point and then obtains the flow rate of the gas.
  • the CPU 60 determines whether the flow rate of the gas obtained is a predetermined proper flow rate.
  • the CPU 60 also outputs a control signal for operating the actuator 24 of the control valve 20 to properly maintain the flow rate of the gas.
  • the valve body 26 opens or closes the flow passage 12 by means of the operation of the actuator 24 to control the flow of the gas. Accordingly, response and reliability can be greatly improved in such a manner that the pressure sensor 50 detects the differential pressure produced between the upstream and downstream sides of the porous material 32, the CPU 60 calculates the flow rate of the gas, and the valve body 26 of the control valve 20 for opening or closing the flow passage controls the flow rate of the gas.
  • the flow rate of the gas can be precisely and rapidly controlled to be adapted to semiconductor device fabrication.
  • the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases of the present invention can be manufactured conveniently and at a low cost using a simple structure in which the porous material 32 is installed in the flow passage 12 of the body 10 and the pressure sensor 50 detects the differential pressure in the gas due to the porous material 32.
  • the porous material 32 and the pressure sensor 50 can be replaced easily and the maintenance thereof can be made economically due to easy and convenient repairs. Impurities contained in the gas passing through the pores 34 of the porous material 32 is adsorbed and removed by the pores 34, resulting in effective improvement of the degree of purity of the gas. Referring to Figs.
  • the pressure of the gas that has passed through the apertures 38 of the capillary tubes 36 as another example of the differential pressure generation element 30 drops in the same manner as the porous material 32 described above.
  • the pressure sensor 50 detects the differential pressure between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44 and outputs a detection signal.
  • the CPU 60 compares the detection signal input from the pressure sensor 50 with a set point, obtains the flow rate of the gas, and then outputs a control signal for operating the actuator 24 of the control valve 20 in the same manner as above described.
  • the valve body 26 opens or closes the flow passage 12 by means of the operation of the actuator 24 to control the flow of the gas.
  • Impurities contained in the gas passing through the apertures 38 of the capillary tubes 36 are adsorbed and removed by the inner surfaces of the apertures 38. Accordingly, the degree of purity of the gas can be effectively improved.
  • the preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are merely for illustrative purposes. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications or substitutions within the technical sprit and scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that such embodiments fall within the scope of the present invention. Further, although the present invention has been described in connection with control of the flow rate of a gas used in semiconductor device fabrication, it can also be applied to control of the flow rate of a gas or other fluids used in a chemical process.
  • a differential pressure generation element such as a porous material or capillary tubes is installed in a flow passage for the gas to generate differential pressure in the gas flowing along the flow passage, and the flow rate of the gas is measured based on the differential pressure in the gas, thereby greatly improving response characteristics and reliability. Further, it is possible to precisely and rapidly control the flow rate of the gas due to a fast response speed and stable flow of the gas.

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Abstract

Provided is apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure by generating differential pressure in a fluid path. A differential pressure generation element generates pressure difference in the fluid path of gases used in semiconductor device fabrication, a pressure sensor which is installed at a bypass of the fluid path detects the pressure difference, and a central processing unit (CPU) measures and controls a flow rate of the gases, thereby the present invention is capable of controlling the flow rate precisely and rapidly, and enhancing the degree of purity of the gases by the filtering function of the differential pressure generation element itself.

Description

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING FLOW RATE OF GASES USED IN SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE BY DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE
Technical Field The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, and more particularly, to an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device fabrication by generating differential pressure in a flow passage through which the gas flows.
Background Art As well known, semiconductor device fabrication employs gases such as dopant gas, etchant gas, diffusion gas and purge gas used for manufacturing semiconductor devices.
The semiconductor device fabrication, requires that such gases have high purity. Further, the flow rates of the gases that determine characteristics of semiconductor devices should be precisely and rapidly controlled in semiconductor device fabrication. As an example of techniques for controlling the flow rate of a gas in semiconductor device fabrication, a heat sensitive type mass flow rate controller operates as follows. A gas flowing though a flow passage of a body of the controller is distributed at a predetermined ratio via a bypass and then sent to a flow sensor. A thermal resistor of the flow sensor changes temperature by means of heat conduction according to the gas flow, a
Wheatstone bridge detects the temperature change in the thermal resistor as a voltage change and outputs an electrical signal, and an amplifier amplifies the electrical signal from the Wheatstone bridge and inputs the amplified electrical signal into the controller. The controller compares the input electrical signal with a set point and opens or closes a control valve operated by a solenoid or thermal actuator based on the comparison results to control the flow rate of the gas. However, the conventional heat sensitive type mass flow rate controller has a problem in that the flow rate of the gas is indirectly measured in such a manner that the temperature of the themial resistor of the flow sensor is changed by heat capacity according to the gas flow and the temperature change in the thermal resistor is detected as the voltage change by the Wheatstone bridge, resulting in very low response. Further, the conventional heat sensitive type mass flow rate controller has problems in that it does not ensure linearity of the relationship between the flow rate and the electromotive force of the flow sensor tliroughout the entire range of flow rate of the gas, and its reliability is greatly deteriorated due to changes in the sensitivity of the flow sensor according to gas pressure. Moreover, the conventional heat sensitive type mass flow rate controller has a problem in that it is troublesome to change ,ι <,<>ι„.pπ..,:__.ion constant for use in the measurement of the flow rate according to the kind of gas.
Disclosure of Invention The present invention is conceived to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, wherein differential pressure is generated in the gas flowing through a flow passage and the flow rate is measured using the differential pressure of the gas, thereby greatly improving the response and reliability of the controller. Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, wherein the flow rate of the gas can be precisely and rapidly controlled due to a fast response speed of the controller and a stable flow of the gas. A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, wherein the controller can be manufactured and maintained conveniently and economically due to its simple structure. A still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, wherein the degree of purity of the gas can be improved by means of a filtering function of a differential pressure generation element itself that is installed in a flow passage and generates differential pressure in a flow of the gas. According to the present invention for achieving these objects, there is provided an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, which comprises a body having a flow passage for the gas used in the semiconductor device fabrication, a control valve for controlling a flow of the gas by opening or closing the flow passage of the body, a differential pressure generation element installed in the flow passage of the body to generate differential pressure, a bypass for connecting upstream and downstream portions of the flow passage with respect to the differential pressure generation element, a pressure sensor received in the bypass to detect the differential pressure in the flow passage generated by the differential pressure generation element, and a central processing unit for calculating the flow rate of the gas according to a detection signal input from the pressure sensor and controlling the control valve.
Brief Description of Drawings Fig. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the configuration of an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the configuration of an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention to which another example of a differential pressure generation element is applied. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IN-IN of Fig. 3.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, a body 10 defining an external appearance of the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases according to the present invention is formed with a flow passage 12 for gases such as dopant, etchant, diffusion and purge gases used in semiconductor device fabrication. The flow passage 12 has a gas inlet 14 and a gas outlet 16. The inlet 14 is connected to a gas supply device 18. The gas discharged through the outlet 16 is supplied to a semiconductor device fabrication process. An upstream portion of the flow passage 12 is connected to a valve chamber 22 of a control valve 20. The valve chamber 22 of the control valve 20 is provided with a valve body 26 for opening or closing the flow passage 12 by means of an operation of an actuator 24 so as to control the flow of the gas. In this embodiment, the actuator 24 of the control valve 20 may comprise a solenoid. The apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases of the present invention has a differential pressure generation element 30 installed at a downstream portion of the flow passage 12 to generate differential pressure in the flow of the gas. The differential pressure generation element 30 is formed of a porous material 32 for producing resistance against the flow of the gas. The porous material 32 has a plurality of fine pores 34. The porous material 32 comprises a ceramic filter or stainless steel filter. The ceramic filter or stainless steel filter may be made by means of sintering. Further, the stainless steel filter can be made to have a surface with superior precision, cleanliness, chemical stability, corrosion resistance and the like by means of electropolishing. Such a ceramic filter or stainless steel filter can effectively adsorb and remove impurities contained in the gas penetrating through the pores. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, a plurality of capillary tubes 36 as another example of the differential pressure generation element 30 are installed in the flow passage 12 of the body 10 along the flow direction of the gas to produce resistance against the flow of the gas. Impurities contained in the gas passing through apertures 38 of the capillary tubes 36 are adsorbed and removed by surfaces of the apertures 38. The capillary tubes 36 are made of a stainless steel material by electropolishing in the same manner as the porous material 32. hi this embodiment, the capillary tubes 36 as the differential pressure generation element 30 may be substituted with a porous plate. Surfaces of the capillary tubes 36 or the porous plate may be coated with glass. Referring again to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases of the present invention includes a bypass 40 for connecting the upstream and downstream portions of the flow passage 12 with respect to the differential pressure generation element 30. The bypass 40 comprises an upstream first pressure port 42 and a downstream second pressure port 44. A pressure sensor 50 for detecting pressure at the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44 is installed between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44 of the bypass 40. The pressure sensor 50 may comprise a differential pressure sensor for detecting differential pressure between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44. A detection signal of the pressure sensor 50 is input into a central processing unit (CPU) 60. The CPU 60 operates the actuator 24 of the control valve 20 according to the detection signal input from the pressure sensor 50 to control the flow of the gas. The control valve 20 and the CPU 60 are received in a casing 70 that is detachably attached to the body 10. Now, the operation of the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention constructed as above will be described. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the gas that is supplied from the gas supply device 18 when the valve body 26 of the control valve 20 is opened is introduced through the inlet 14 of the body 10 and then flows along the flow passage 12 of the body 10 while sequentially passing through the valve chamber 22 and the pores 34 of the porous material 32. The pressure of the gas drops while the gas passes through the pores 34 of the porous material 32, which have cross sectional areas narrower than that of the flow passage 12. Therefore, a pressure difference is produced between the upstream and downstream sides of the porous material 32, and a pressure difference is also produced between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44. At this time, if the flow of the gas passing through the pores 34 of the porous material 32 is a laminar flow, the relationship between the differential pressure and the flow rate exhibits linearity. The pressure sensor 50 detects the differential pressure produced between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44 outputs a detection signal. The CPU 60 compares the detection signal input from the pressure sensor 50 with a set point and then obtains the flow rate of the gas. Further, the CPU 60 determines whether the flow rate of the gas obtained is a predetermined proper flow rate. The CPU 60 also outputs a control signal for operating the actuator 24 of the control valve 20 to properly maintain the flow rate of the gas. The valve body 26 opens or closes the flow passage 12 by means of the operation of the actuator 24 to control the flow of the gas. Accordingly, response and reliability can be greatly improved in such a manner that the pressure sensor 50 detects the differential pressure produced between the upstream and downstream sides of the porous material 32, the CPU 60 calculates the flow rate of the gas, and the valve body 26 of the control valve 20 for opening or closing the flow passage controls the flow rate of the gas. In addition, the flow rate of the gas can be precisely and rapidly controlled to be adapted to semiconductor device fabrication. Meanwhile, the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases of the present invention can be manufactured conveniently and at a low cost using a simple structure in which the porous material 32 is installed in the flow passage 12 of the body 10 and the pressure sensor 50 detects the differential pressure in the gas due to the porous material 32. The porous material 32 and the pressure sensor 50 can be replaced easily and the maintenance thereof can be made economically due to easy and convenient repairs. Impurities contained in the gas passing through the pores 34 of the porous material 32 is adsorbed and removed by the pores 34, resulting in effective improvement of the degree of purity of the gas. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the pressure of the gas that has passed through the apertures 38 of the capillary tubes 36 as another example of the differential pressure generation element 30 drops in the same manner as the porous material 32 described above. The pressure sensor 50 detects the differential pressure between the first and second pressure ports 42 and 44 and outputs a detection signal. The CPU 60 compares the detection signal input from the pressure sensor 50 with a set point, obtains the flow rate of the gas, and then outputs a control signal for operating the actuator 24 of the control valve 20 in the same manner as above described. The valve body 26 opens or closes the flow passage 12 by means of the operation of the actuator 24 to control the flow of the gas. Impurities contained in the gas passing through the apertures 38 of the capillary tubes 36 are adsorbed and removed by the inner surfaces of the apertures 38. Accordingly, the degree of purity of the gas can be effectively improved. The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are merely for illustrative purposes. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications or substitutions within the technical sprit and scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that such embodiments fall within the scope of the present invention. Further, although the present invention has been described in connection with control of the flow rate of a gas used in semiconductor device fabrication, it can also be applied to control of the flow rate of a gas or other fluids used in a chemical process.
Industrial Applicability As above described, with the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure according to the present invention, a differential pressure generation element such as a porous material or capillary tubes is installed in a flow passage for the gas to generate differential pressure in the gas flowing along the flow passage, and the flow rate of the gas is measured based on the differential pressure in the gas, thereby greatly improving response characteristics and reliability. Further, it is possible to precisely and rapidly control the flow rate of the gas due to a fast response speed and stable flow of the gas. Moreover, there are advantages in that manufacture and maintenance of the apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases can be made conveniently and economically due to its simple structure, and the degree of purity of the gas can be improved by means of a filtering function of the differential pressure generation element itself that is installed in the flow passage and generates the differential pressure in the flow of the gas.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure, comprising: a body having a flow passage for the gas used in the semiconductor device fabrication; a control valve for controlling a flow of the gas by opening or closing the flow passage of the body; a differential pressure generation element installed in the flow passage of the body to generate differential pressure; a bypass for connecting upstream and downstream portions of the flow passage with respect to the differential pressure generation element; a pressure sensor received in the bypass to detect the differential pressure in the flow passage generated by the differential pressure generation element; and a central processing unit for calculating the flow rate of the gas according to a detection signal input from the pressure sensor and controlling the control valve.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the differential pressure generation element comprises a porous material.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the differential pressure generation element comprises a plurality of capillary tubes installed along a flow direction of the gas.
PCT/KR2004/001532 2003-06-27 2004-06-24 Apparatus for controlling flow rate of gases used in semiconductor device by differential pressure WO2005001910A1 (en)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
KR1020030042583A KR100418683B1 (en) 2003-06-27 2003-06-27 Differential pressure type fluid mass flow controller for controlling flow gases used in semiconductor device fabrication
KR10-2003-0042583 2003-06-27

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