Described are methods, systems, and apparatus for processing a gas mixture that contains at least two gases by contacting the gas mixture with a membrane that allows for preferential flow of one of the gases through the membrane, to separate one constituent gas from the mixture.

Gas distribution apparatus, processing chambers and methods using a dead volume-free valve are described. The valve has a first inlet line with upstream and downstream ends and a second inlet line with a downstream end that connects to the first inlet line. A sealing surface at the downstream end of the second inlet line separates the first inlet line from the second inlet line preventing fluid communication between the first inlet line and the second inlet line.

A system, apparatus and method are provided for processing articles. The system includes subsystems for synthesizing, pre-treating, conducting a vapor phase coating process and post-treating articles in the form of powders and solid or porous workpieces. The apparatus permits vapor phase synthesis, treatment and deposition processes to be performed with high efficiency and at high overall throughput. The methods include converting solids, liquids or gases into gaseous and solid streams that can be separated or exchanged with or without treatment and/or coating steps, and produce optimized composite articles for specific applications.

Precursor container, comprising a first volume formed by a first chamber to house precursor material, a second volume formed by a second chamber and separated from the first volume by a partition wall, and a conduit passing through the partition wall and extending from the first volume to the second volume providing the precursor material housed within the first volume with a route to the second volume following a pressure increase in the first volume. The partition wall is a gas-permeable wall allowing gas from the first volume to permeate to the second volume.

Gas supply amount calculation method includes: calculating flow rate of first substance gas by subtracting flow rate of second substance gas from flow rate of mixed gas of the first and second substance gas flowing through gas supply path connected to processing container configured to perform film formation by atomic layer deposition method; calculating first integrated flow rate of the first substance gas over time in remaining plurality of cycles after elapse of a predetermined number of cycles immediately after start of the film formation over a plurality of cycles; calculating average integrated flow rate per cycle by dividing the first integrated flow rate by the number of the remaining plurality of cycles; and calculating total supply amount of the first substance gas in the plurality of cycles by adding multiplication value obtained by multiplying the average integrated flow rate by the predetermined number and the first integrated flow rate.

Described herein is a technique capable of acquiring, monitoring and recording the progress of the reaction between a substrate and a reactive gas contained in a process gas in a process chamber during the processing of the substrate. According to the technique, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process chamber accommodating a substrate; a process gas supply system configured to supply a process gas into the process chamber via a process gas supply pipe; an exhaust pipe configured to exhaust an inner atmosphere of the process chamber; a first gas concentration sensor configured to detect a first concentration of a reactive gas contained in the process gas in the process gas supply pipe; and a second gas concentration sensor configured to detect a second concentration of the reactive gas contained in an exhaust gas in the exhaust pipe.

A film forming method of forming a titanium silicide film in a contact forming region of a substrate includes: preparing the substrate having the contact forming region; and forming the titanium silicide film in the contact forming region of the substrate by atomic layer deposition (ALD) by sequentially supplying TiI.sub.4 gas as a Ti precursor and a Si-containing gas as a reducing gas to the substrate.

A raw material feeding device includes: a raw material container that accommodates a solid or liquid raw material; an upstream path connected to the raw material container; a downstream path connected to the raw material container; a bypass path that connects the upstream path and the downstream path to each other without passing through the raw material container; a downstream side valve; a pressure gauge provided in at least one of the upstream path and the downstream path; and a remaining amount estimation unit that acquires a pressure detection value from the pressure gauge, and estimates a remaining amount of the raw material within the raw material container based on the pressure detection value decreased when the downstream side valve is opened at start of flowing of the raw material gas from the raw material container to the downstream path.

Provided herein are methods, systems, and devices incorporating use of materials to store, ship, and deliver process gases to micro-electronics fabrication processes and other critical process applications.

Provided herein are methods, systems, and devices incorporating use of materials to store, ship, and deliver process gases to micro-electronics fabrication processes and other critical process applications.