Slit valve door with moving mating part

• US 10,453,718 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Behdjat, Mehran, Kurita, Shinichi, White, John M., Anwar, Suhail, Inagawa, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Keasel, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/035,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20140023460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a slit valve door assembly for sealing an opening in a chamber. A slit valve door that is pressed against the chamber to seal the slit valve opening moves with the chamber as the slit valve opening shrinks so that an o-ring pressed between the slit valve door and the chamber may move with the slit valve door and the chamber. Thus, less rubbing of the o-ring against the chamber may occur. With less rubbing, fewer particles may be generated and the o-ring lifetime may be extended. With a longer lifetime for the o-ring, substrate throughput may be increased.

Claims

1. A slit valve door, comprising:

a first body;

a second body that is separate from the first body and that is movable relative to the first body, the second body having a first surface and a second surface substantially perpendicular to the first surface;

a bearing coupled between the first body and the second body;

a first bellows coupled to the first body and the first surface of the second body; and

a second bellows coupled to the first body and a third surface of the second body, wherein the third surface is parallel to the second surface of the second body.

2. The slit valve door of claim 1, wherein the bearing comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly ether ether ketone and poly tetrafluoro ethylene.

3. The slit valve door comprising:

a first body;

a second body that is separate from the first body and that is movable relative to the first body, the second body having a first surface and a second surface substantially perpendicular to the first surface;

a bearing coupled between the first body and the second body, wherein the bearing comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly ether ether ketone and poly tetrafluoro ethylene;

a first bellow coupled to the first body and the first surface of the second body;

a second bellows coupled to the first body and a third surface of the second body, wherein the third surface is parallel to the second surface of the second body; and

an O-ring coupled to the second body.

4. A slit valve door, comprising:

a first body;

a second body that is separate from the first body and that is movable relative to the first body, the second body having a first surface and a second surface substantially perpendicular to the first surface;

a bearing coupled between the first body and the second body;

a first bellows coupled to the first body and the second body, wherein an orientation of the second bellows is orthogonal to an orientation of the first bellows; and

an O-ring coupled to the second body.

5. A slit valve door, comprising:

a first body;

a second body coupled to the first body at an edge thereof and spaced from the first body such that a slit is present between the first body and the second body, the second body having a first surface and a second surface substantially perpendicular to the first surface;

a first bellows coupled to the first body and the first surface of the second body and over the slit; and

a second bellows coupled to the first body and the second body, wherein an orientation of the second bellows is orthogonal to an orientation of the first bellows.

6. A slit valve door, comprising:

a first body;

a second body coupled to the first body at an edge thereof and spaced from the first body such that a slit is present between the first body and the second body, the the first surface;

a first bellows coupled to the first body and the first surface of the second body and over the slit;

a second bellows coupled to the first body and a third surface of the second body, wherein the third surface is parallel to the second surface of orientation of the first bellows; and

an O-ring coupled to the second body.