Brooks Instrument GF135 Specifications

DS-TMF-GF135-MFC-eng

November, 2017

Data Sheet

GF135

Digital Mass Flow Controller

Model GF135

Thermal Mass Flow

Pressure Transient Insensitive

Mass Flow Controller with Real-Time

Flow Error Detection and Advanced Diagnostics

OverviewOverview

Overview

OverviewOverview

Designed for the next step in semiconductor etch, thin film and other advanced process gas control applications, the GF135 combines all of the benefits provided by the most advanced pressure transient insensitive mass flow controller (MFC) and adds real-time flow error detection with advanced diagnostics.

Device manufacturers are driving programs to improve wafer level yield. The current downstream quality control approach can allow hundreds of wafers to be processed before issues are detected. Process gas stability and repeatability have been identified as critical to meeting yield enhancement goals and MFC accuracy has been identified as critical to maintaining process control.

The GF135 provides third generation pressure transient insensitivity, market leading process gas accuracy and ultra fast flow settling times for reduced process cycle time and to address advanced 3D device processing requirements. This platform also offers patent pending real-time flow error trending using Rate of Decay (ROD) techniques that are immune to typical MFC failure/degradation modes ensuring accurate and reliable diagnostic capabilities. After a baseline is established at tool start-up, the GF135 can detect changes in flow rate to within 2% of set point. These advanced diagnostic capabilities provide a shift from downstream quality control to real-time quality assurance and predictive maintenance resulting in higher yield and improved uptime.

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The GF135, with integral real-time ROD flow error detection, drops into the standard ultra high purity surface mount or VCR® MFC footprint providing an easy path to upgrade critical gas lines on existing systems.

With the GF135, the user will be able to take advantage of enhanced process gas accuracy, market leading pressure transient performance and MFC health indicators such as automatic trending of sensor stability and valve shutdown (leak-by). Using these health indicators and user programmable alarm limits, via MFC service port or remote digital commands, the user can establish limits to improve the yield and/or manage maintenance schedules to maximize uptime.

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Real-time flow error detection Support yield improvement programs by capturing wafer impacting flow deviations

Sensor stability tracking Improves system uptime by supporting predictive maintenance

Valve leak-by tracking Allows user to monitor and set limits to minimze first wafer effects

Enhanced process gas accuracy Meet process gas chemistry control challenges at 10nm

Market leading ultra-fast flow settling time Optimize wafer process cycle time by reducing non-productive flow stabilizaton steps.

Enhanced pressure insensitivity Superior process gas control for enhanced etch and deposition control

Corrosion resistant Hastelloy

Drop-in upgrade for surface-mount and VCR MFCs Easy upgrade for critical gas lines on existing systems

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Real-time Flow Error DetectionReal-time Flow Error Detection

Real-time Flow Error Detection

Real-time Flow Error DetectionReal-time Flow Error Detection

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sensor Provides unmatched long-term sensor stability ensuring maximum yield and throughput

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BenefitsBenefits

Benefits

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Supports advanced 3D device processing

Process contamination buildup in the flow sensor results in higher than indicated actual flow. Process contamination buildup in the flow restrictor results in lower than indicated actual flow. Process contamination on the valve orifice or seat results in leak past the valve. All of these situations can cause lost wafers and cost thousands. When using a standard MFC, these errors cannot be detected without stopping production to run a flow check. The GF135 has patent pending real-time flow error detection and trending using Rate of Decay (ROD) techniques that are immune to typical MFC failure/degradation modes ensuring accurate and reliable diagnostic capabilities. After a baseline is established at tool start-up, the GF135 can detect changes in flow, drift and leak rate.

After installing the GF135, a commissioning routine creates a performance baseline at actual process conditions. During wafer

Model GF135 on Gas Stick

processing, the device automatically takes flow error detection readings at each new process set point and compares the result to the baseline. The proprietary ROD measurement technique momentarily stops the upstream delivery of gas from the tool supply while maintaining flow into the process chamber at the requested flow rate. A highly accurate pressure measurement is taken while the gas is being depleted from the inlet volume and an advanced signal processing algorithm calculates ROD flow rate in

MFC accurately flowing 40 sccm Cl2 (20%) ROD data points collected over 16 minute s Error detection data points show tight consistency well within the ± 2% of S.P detection window

real time. Before the flow to the process is affected by the diminishing pressure, the upstream supply is re-established with no perturbation to the delivered flow. By calculating flow at various set points during wafer processing, the MFC detects any sensor or bypass clogging. It also detects if a sensor offset is

OEM Test: GF135 Critical Flow Accuracy with

Time (Seconds)

Error Detection Monitoring Active

developing since the effects of clogging and drift manifest themselves differently at different set points. The same method is used when the MFC is given a zero set point to calculate valve leak. This enables the MFC to measure zero offset. The MFC can report the valve leak, sensor offset and flow offset to the tool through a documented interface protocol, as well as auto-correcting itself if the user enables that feature. Finally, the MFC stores this data for

MFC flowing 4 sccm Cl2 (2% of F.S.) for 50 minutes ROD measurements taken at 5 second intervals

No spiking or overshoot after each ROD measurement

one year and can report on the changes using the historical data. By providing automated monitoring of flow rate changes, the

GF135 is able to arm the user with real time warnings of wafer impacting flow deviations.

OEM Test: Flow Stability While Running Continuous

Flow Error Detection Measurements at Critical 2% Set Point

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Ultra-Fast ResponseUltra-Fast Response

Ultra-Fast Response

Ultra-Fast ResponseUltra-Fast Response

By combining Brooks’ patented flow sensor technology with a high speed ARM processor and fast acting diaphragm free valve assembly, the GF Series delivers up to 3 times faster response and settling time compared to other mass flow controllers, enabling:

• Improved wafer throughput by reducing nonproductive flow settling steps

• Critical Etch and 3D device processes requiring ultra-fast sub 500 millisecond etch steps

• Reduced diverted gas consumption and associated abatement costs

• Time-sensitive gas delivery steps in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)

• Processes requiring a slow ramped gas turn-on or time critical transitions between flow rates with user programmable ramp function

Enhanced Process Gas AccuracyEnhanced Process Gas Accuracy

Enhanced Process Gas Accuracy

Enhanced Process Gas AccuracyEnhanced Process Gas Accuracy A major advancement over traditional single point gas conversion factors, Brooks delivers up to a three-times improvement in process gas accuracy. This is achieved through advanced gas modeling optimized through actual gas testing providing compensation for non-linear gases.

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Comparison of GF135 vs Competititor’s Response Time

to Ascending & Descending Set Points

The GF135 is a gas and range specific device for critical gas process applications requiring the widest working range with tightest flow control accuracy. A typical application is for multistep processes requiring a high flow rate (up to 5 slpm) and a very accurate low flow rate. Traditionally this has been addressed by using two mass flow controllers. With wide turndown (100:1) and superior accuracy offered by the GF135, it is often possible to replace two mass flow controllers with one, providing immediate cost savings while freeing up a gas line for greater gas panel flexibility.

Pressure Transient InsensitivityPressure Transient Insensitivity

Pressure Transient Insensitivity

Pressure Transient InsensitivityPressure Transient Insensitivity Cost and space constraints have driven gas panel designers to remove point of use pressure regulators and pressure monitoring components, placing more burden on the mass flow controller to control accurately under dynamic pressure conditions. Conventional mass flow controllers react strongly to small inlet pressure fluctuations resulting in unstable performance and unpredictable accuracy (see Non-Pressure Insensitive MFC). This drove Brooks to develop Pressure Transient Insensitive mass flow controller technology (PTI-MFC). The GF135 PTI-MFC is a third generation PTI-MFC utilizing a patented control algorithm that inverts the pressure signal, compares it to the pre-fluctuation signal and drives real-time valve position compensation to maintain stable flow. Enhanced pressure transient insensitivity is achieved through faster sensing, faster processing, and a reduction in internal dead volume between the sensors and valve orifice.

Pressure Fluctuations in Non-Pressure Transient Insensitivity MFC

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