Apparatus with a valve and method of operation

Abstract

An apparatus includes, a reaction chamber to accommodate a substrate to be processed, and a pulsing valve fluidly connected to the reaction chamber. The pulsing valve has a reactive chemical inlet to receive reactive chemical, a reaction chamber outlet to mediate provided fluid connection of the pulsing valve to the reaction chamber, a closure to control fluid flow from the reactive chemical inlet in the pulsing valve to the reaction chamber outlet, and an additional flow channel inlet or outlet to continuously purge the closure through the additional flow channel during an entire substrate processing cycle or sequence.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a reaction chamber to accommodate a substrate to be processed;   a pulsing valve fluidly connected to the reaction chamber, the pulsing valve comprising:   a reactive chemical inlet to receive reactive chemical;   a reaction chamber outlet to mediate provided fluid connection of the pulsing valve to the reaction chamber;   a closure to control fluid flow from the reactive chemical inlet in the pulsing valve to the reaction chamber outlet; and   an additional flow channel inlet or outlet to continuously purge the closure through the additional flow channel during an entire substrate processing cycle or sequence.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising the closure having an open and closed configuration to open and close, respectively, or at least partially close a route from the reactive chemical inlet to the reaction chamber outlet. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising the closure having only a steady configuration, the apparatus being configured to adjust fluid flow with the aid of flow controlling elements positioned in flow channels in fluid communication with the pulsing valve. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , configured to purge, during the entire substrate processing cycle or sequence, the entire surface area of the closure exposed to processing gases. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum chamber surrounding the reaction chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , comprising the pulsing valve within the vacuum chamber on the outside of the reaction chamber in a heated area defined by the vacuum chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flow direction of the purge is along the surface of the closure. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , configured to purge the closure during the entire substrate processing cycle or sequence. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a suction channel on the reactive chemical inlet side of the closure to enable a reactive chemical flow through the reactive chemical inlet to the suction channel to purge the closure. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , configured to provide the suction channel with suction during the entire substrate processing cycle or sequence. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the pulsing valve further comprising a carrier gas inlet fluidly connected to the reaction chamber via the reaction chamber outlet. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , configured to pulse reactive chemical into a carrier gas flow flowing from the carrier gas inlet towards the reaction chamber via the reaction chamber outlet. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pulsing valve is embedded into or forms part of a reaction chamber wall or lid. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the additional flow channel resides within a flow channel providing the reactive chemical inlet. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the additional flow channel has a cross-sectional flow area that is less than 25% of the cross-sectional flow area of a flow channel providing the reactive chemical inlet. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a flow channel providing the reactive chemical inlet resides within the additional flow channel. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flow path from the carrier gas inlet to the reaction chamber is unrestricted. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pulsing valve is implemented without non-continuously purged gaps. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the pulsing valve further comprising a heating arrangement configured to operate the pulsing valve at an elevated temperature. 
     
     
         20 . A method, comprising:
 supplying reactive chemical through a pulsing valve along a route extending from a reactive chemical inlet to a reaction chamber outlet of the pulsing valve;   controlling the closing of the route by a pulsing valve closure; and   purging the closure continuously through an additional flow channel during an entire substrate processing cycle or sequence.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , comprising:
 purging the closure at the area of the reactive chemical inlet continuously by said reactive chemical during the entire substrate processing cycle or sequence; and   purging the closure around that area continuously by carrier gas.   
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A pulsing valve, comprising:
 a reactive chemical inlet to receive reactive chemical;   a reaction chamber outlet to fluidly connect the pulsing valve to a reaction chamber;   a closure to control fluid flow from the reactive chemical inlet in the pulsing valve to the reaction chamber outlet; and   an additional flow channel inlet or outlet to continuously purge the closure through the additional flow channel during an entire substrate processing cycle or sequence.