Patent ID: 11940819
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B  F  Y | IPC B  F  G

Claim 0:
1. A fast gas exchange manifold for a process chamber, comprising:
a manifold housing having a plurality of inlets and a plurality of outlets for flowing a plurality of process gases therethrough, wherein the plurality of outlets correspond with a plurality of zones in the process chamber;
a plurality of first valves disposed in the manifold housing and fluidly coupled to the plurality of inlets;
a plurality of mass flow controllers disposed in the manifold housing downstream of the plurality of first valves, wherein each of the plurality of first valves is associated with one or two of the mass flow controllers, and wherein each mass flow controller is associated with one of the plurality of zones, and wherein a first inlet of the plurality of inlets is fluidly coupled to a first mass flow controller and a second mass flow controller of the plurality of mass flow controllers to selectively flow a first one of the plurality of process gases to either the first mass flow controller or the second mass flow controller;
a plurality of mixing lines extending downstream from the plurality of mass flow controllers to a plurality of outlet lines corresponding with the plurality of outlets, wherein the plurality of mixing lines associated with each of the plurality of zones are fluidly coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of outlets; and
a plurality of outlet valves disposed in line with corresponding ones of the plurality of outlet lines, wherein a flow path is defined between each inlet of the plurality of inlets and each outlet of the plurality of outlets, and wherein each flow path includes one or more of the plurality of first valves and one or more of the plurality of mass flow controllers.