Research on the effects of the environment and thermophysical properties on the gas flow in semiconductor manufacturing

Accurate flow control of process gases in semiconductor manufacturing is critical to chip performance. In this work, based on the dynamic pVTt method, an in-situ calibration device consisting of a standard container and a critical nozzle was proposed. The effects of ambient temperature, inlet temperature, and thermophysical properties on the gas flow in semiconductor manufacturing were investigated through a three-dimensional fluid-solid coupled simulation. Results showed that elevated ambient temperature induced about a 30% increase in pressure rise rate and temperature elevation in the container. Flow deviation due to the increased ambient temperature was about 1% ~ 2%. Compared to ambient temperature, the effect of intake temperature on the flow rate was 0.4% bias. As for thermophysical properties, extremely inaccurate specific heat capacity caused a 20% deviation of flow rate, while extremely inaccurate thermal conductivity resulted in a 0.8% deviation of flow rate. This work provides a theoretical basis for gas flow measurement and control in semiconductor manufacturing.