Patent · US Active

Apparatus for controlling flow and method of calibrating same

US10663337B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
193References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 29, 2017
Grant dateMay 26, 2020
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 27, 2038

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01F1/36
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Apparatuses for controlling gas flow are important components for delivering process gases for semiconductor fabrication. In one embodiment, a method of calibrating an apparatus for controlling gas flow is disclosed. Specifically, the apparatus may be calibrated on installation using a two-step process of measuring the volume of gas box downstream from the apparatus by flowing nitrogen gas into the gas box and measuring the resulting temperature and rate of pressure rise. Using the computed volume of the gas box, a sweep of several mass flow rates may be performed using the process gas and the gas map for the process gas. The apparatus is calibrated based on the measured temperature and pressure values, which allow calculation of the actual mass flow rate for the process gas as compared with the commanded mass flow rates.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.