Electronic device manufacturing load port apparatus, systems, and methods

• US 10,453,726 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Blahnik, David T., Reuter, Paul B., Bonecutter, Luke W., Baumgarten, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Glenn F
• Application Number:
  US15/348,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20180130686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67772 involving removal of lid, door, cover
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67775 Docking arrangements

Abstract

An electronic device manufacturing system includes a factory interface that has a load port. The load port may include a panel having an opening therein and a carrier door opener that seals the opening when the door is closed. The carrier door opener may have a groove along an outer portion of the door. The groove may have a cross-sectional shape of a triangular prism frustum. A hollow O-ring may be seated in the groove and is configured to engage the panel when the carrier door opener is closed against the panel. Methods of assembling a factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system are also provided, as are other aspects.

Claims

1. A carrier door opener for a load port configured to interface with a substrate carrier, the carrier door opener comprising:

a groove along a first outer portion of the carrier door opener; and

a hollow O-ring seated in the groove, wherein;

the hollow O-ring is configured to seal against a first portion of a first planar surface of a panel of the load port around a panel opening formed by the panel responsive to the carrier door opener being closed against the panel;

the carrier door opener is configured to contact a door of the substrate carrier located at the load port and retract the door from the substrate carrier; and

a seal extending around a second outer portion of the first planar surface of the panel is to seal the load port to a factory interface.

2. A factory interface of an electronic device manufacturing system, the factory interface comprising:

a load port configured to interface with a substrate carrier, the load port comprising;

a panel forming a panel opening;

a seal extending around a first outer portion of a first planar surface of the panel to seal the load port to a second planar surface of the factory interface; and

a carrier door opener comprising;

a groove along a second outer portion of the carrier door opener; and

a hollow O-ring seated in the groove, wherein;

the hollow O-ring is configured to seal against a second portion of the first planar surface of the panel around the panel opening responsive to the carrier door opener being closed against the panel; and

the carrier door opener is configured to contact a door of the substrate carrier located at the load port and retract the door from the substrate carrier.

3. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the groove of the carrier door opener extends along an outer periphery of the carrier door opener.

4. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the groove of the carrier door opener has a cross-sectional shape of a triangular prism frustum.

5. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the hollow O-ring has a wall thickness in a range of 0.762 mm to 1.016 mm.

6. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the hollow O-ring has a slurry finish surface.

7. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the groove has a top width to bottom width ratio in a range of 0.58 to 0.65.

8. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the groove has a depth that is less than a diameter of the hollow O-ring.

9. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein a ratio of a diameter of the hollow O-ring to a depth of the groove is in a range of 1.35 to 1.45.

10. An electronic device manufacturing system, comprising:

a substrate process tool; and

a factory interface comprising;

a housing having a front side and a rear side, the front side forming a front side opening and the rear side being coupled to the substrate process tool; and

a load port configured to interface with a substrate carrier, the load port comprising;

a panel forming a panel opening;

a seal extending around a first outer portion of a first planar surface of the panel to seal the load port to the front side of the housing around the front side opening;

a carrier door opener that is configured to contact a door of the substrate carrier located at the load port and retract the door from the substrate carrier, wherein the carrier door opener forms a groove along a second outer portion of the carrier door opener; and

a hollow O-ring seated in the groove, wherein the hollow O-ring is configured to seal against a second portion of the first planar surface of the panel around the panel opening responsive to the carrier door opener being closed against the panel.

11. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the groove of the carrier door opener extends along an outer periphery of the carrier door opener.

12. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the groove of the carrier door opener has a cross-sectional shape of a triangular prism frustum.

13. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the groove has a top width to bottom width ratio in a range of 0.58 to 0.65.

14. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the groove has a depth that is less than a diameter of the hollow O-ring.

15. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein a ratio of a diameter of the hollow O-ring to a depth of the groove is in a range of 1.35 to 1.45.

16. A method of assembling a factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system, the method comprising:

providing a load port configured to interface with a substrate carrier, the load port comprising a panel, wherein the panel forms a panel opening, and wherein a seal extends around a first outer portion of a first planar surface of the panel to seal the load port to a second planar surface of the factory interface;

providing a carrier door opener configured to contact a door of the substrate carrier located at the load port and retract the door form the substrate carrier, wherein the carrier door opener forms a groove along an outer portion of the carrier door opener; and

seating a hollow O-ring into the groove, wherein the hollow O-ring is configured to seal against a second portion of the first planar surface of the panel around the panel opening responsive to the carrier door opener being closed against the panel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the groove has a cross-sectional shape of a triangular prism frustum.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the groove has a top width to bottom width ratio in a range of 0.58 to 0.65.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a ratio of a diameter of the hollow O-ring to a depth of the groove is in a range of 1.35 to 1.45.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a factory interface housing having a front side configured to be coupled to the load port, the front side forming a front side opening configured to receive the load port.