Vacuum processing apparatus

• US 20050051093A1
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Akitaka Makino, Hideki Kihara, Minoru Soraoka, Susumu Tauchi, Youji Takahashi
• Inventors: Kihara, Hideki, Tauchi, Susumu, Makino, Akitaka, Takahashi, Youji, Soraoka, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,247,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/719
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/135 Associated with semiconductor wafer handling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

A vacuum processing apparatus includes a vacuum processing chamber having a processing table for supporting an object to be processed and carrying out processing using a gas. The vacuum processing chamber has an axisymmetric structure, including a double wall structure, and a gate valve for sealing an opening through which the object enters the processing chamber.

Claims

1-3. -3. (Canceled)

4. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising a vacuum processing chamber having a processing table for supporting an object to be processed and carrying out processing using a gas, the vacuum processing chamber having an axisymmetric structure, wherein

the vacuum processing chamber has a double wall structure and comprises a gate valve for sealing an opening through which the object enters the processing chamber.

5. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising a vacuum processing chamber having a processing table for supporting an object to be processed and carrying out processing using a gas, the vacuum processing chamber having an axisymmetric structure with respect to the object to be processed, wherein

the vacuum processing chamber has a double wall structure and comprises a gate valve for sealing an opening formed to the chamber wall through which the object enters the processing chamber;

and

the shape of the gate valve for sealing the opening formed to the inner vacuum processing chamber wall is determined so that it does not interfere with the axisymmetric structure of the vacuum processing chamber.

6. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising a vacuum processing chamber having a processing table for supporting an object to be processed and carrying out processing using a gas, the vacuum processing chamber having an axisymmetric structure with respect to the object to be processed, wherein

the vacuum processing chamber has a double wall structure and comprises a gate valve for sealing an opening formed to the chamber wall through which the object enters the processing chamber;

and

an inner vacuum processing chamber has a wall divided into two portions, an upper portion and a lower portion, with the processing table interposed between the two portions.