Single-sided inflatable vertical slit valve

• US 20060011140A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Rice, Mike, Blahnik, Jeff, Kraus, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 7,422,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/733
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28

Abstract

A vacuum chamber having a gate valve including a chamber housing defining an internal vacuum region and first and second openings through the chamber housing and a gate valve secured to the chamber housing. The gate valve includes a sealing door located in the processing region and configured to seal the first opening in the chamber housing; a vertical actuator located outside the chamber housing; a one-sided horizontal actuator located within the processing region and connected to the sealing door; and a valve shaft extending through the second opening in the chamber housing and connecting the vertical actuator to the one-sided horizontal actuator.

Claims

1. A vacuum chamber having a gate valve, comprising:

a chamber housing defining an internal vacuum region and first and second openings through the chamber housing; and

a gate valve secured to the chamber housing, the gate valve comprising;

a sealing door located in the internal vacuum region and configured to seal the first opening in the chamber housing;

a vertical actuator located outside the chamber housing;

a one-sided horizontal actuator located within the internal vacuum region and connected to the sealing door; and

a valve shaft extending through the second opening in the chamber housing and connecting the vertical actuator to the one-sided horizontal actuator.

2. The vacuum chamber of claim 1, wherein the one-sided horizontal actuator comprises spring bellows.

3. The vacuum chamber of claim 1, wherein the vertical actuator comprises a housing that defines two pneumatic chambers surrounding an actuator seal secured to the valve shaft.

4. The vacuum chamber of claim 3, wherein the one-sided horizontal actuator comprises spring bellows.

5. The vacuum chamber of claim 1, wherein the vertical actuator is hydraulically actuated.

6. The vacuum chamber of claim 1, wherein the vertical actuator is pneumatically actuated.

12. The vacuum chamber of claim 11, wherein the support block comprises six spring bellows pockets and the one-sided horizontal actuator comprises six spring bellows.

13. The vacuum chamber of claim 12, wherein the spring bellows are welded into the spring bellows pockets.

14. The vacuum chamber of claim 13, wherein the bellows end plates are connected to the sealing door with screws.

7. A vacuum chamber having a gate valve, comprising:

a chamber housing defining an internal vacuum region and first and second openings through the chamber housing; and

a gate valve secured to the chamber housing, the gate valve comprising;

a sealing door located in the internal vacuum region and configured to seal the first opening in the chamber housing;

a vertical actuator located outside the chamber housing;

a one-sided horizontal actuator located within the processing region and connected to the sealing door, wherein the one-sided horizontal actuator comprises spring bellows; and

a valve shaft extending through the second opening in the chamber housing and connecting the vertical actuator to the one-sided horizontal actuator, the valve shaft comprising a gas channel in fluid communication with the spring bellows.

8. The vacuum chamber of claim 7, wherein the vertical actuator comprises a housing that defines two pneumatic chambers surrounding an actuator seal secured to the valve shaft.

9. The vacuum chamber of claim 7, wherein the vertical actuator is hydraulically actuated.

10. The vacuum chamber of claim 7, wherein the vertical actuator is pneumatically actuated.

11. A vacuum chamber having a gate valve, comprising:

a chamber housing defining an internal vacuum region and first and second openings through the chamber housing; and

a gate valve secured to the chamber housing, the gate valve comprising;

a sealing door located in the internal vacuum region and configured to seal the first opening in the chamber housing;

a vertical actuator located outside the chamber housing, wherein the vertical actuator comprises a housing that defines two pneumatic chambers surrounding an actuator seal;

a one-sided horizontal actuator located within the processing region and connected to the sealing door, wherein the one-sided horizontal actuator comprises spring bellows, bellows end plates, and a support block; and

a valve shaft extending through the second opening in the chamber housing and connecting the actuator seal to the one-sided horizontal actuator, the valve shaft having a gas channel in fluid communication with the spring bellows.

15. A method for sealing an opening in a chamber housing, comprising:

elevating a seal to a position adjacent the opening by pressuring a first chamber;

sealing the opening by pressurizing one or more spring bellows;

retracting the seal from the opening by releasing pressure within the one or more spring bellows; and

lowering the seal by pressurizing a second chamber.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a vertical actuator comprises a housing that defines the first chamber and the second chamber.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the vertical actuator is located outside the chamber housing.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more spring bellows consist of six spring bellows.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first and second chambers are pneumatic chambers.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each spring bellows comprises a pneumatic chamber.