Methods and apparatus for providing a floating seal for chamber doors

• US 20060028596A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kurita, Shinichi, Leung, Billy C., Berkstresser, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,648,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/58
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 53/00 Sealing or packing elements sealings in general F16J15/00; Sealings formed by liquid or plastics material
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/232 Resilient strips of hard material, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67772 involving removal of lid, door, cover

Abstract

A method is provided that includes isolating a sealing surface from a chamber wall of a chamber and sealing the chamber between the sealing surface and the chamber wall. An apparatus is provided that includes a chamber wall section prone to deflection, a stationary section providing a sealing surface, and a flexible bellows attached to the chamber wall section and the stationary section. A system is also provided that includes a chamber including a chamber wall having an opening, a door disposed to seal the opening, a sealing surface adjacent the opening and isolated from the chamber wall, and a seal between the sealing surface and the chamber wall. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

isolating a sealing surface from a chamber wall of a chamber; and

sealing the chamber between the sealing surface and the chamber wall.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein isolating a sealing surface includes forming a gap in the chamber wall between the sealing surface and the chamber wall.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein forming the gap includes forming the gap of sufficient size to accommodate a largest anticipated amount of chamber wall deflection.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein forming the gap includes forming the gap to span along a major dimension of a chamber opening.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein isolating a sealing surface includes isolating a sealing surface around a chamber opening.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein isolating a sealing surface around a chamber opening includes forming gaps in the chamber wall adjacent the chamber opening.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein forming the gaps includes forming a first horizontal gap above the chamber opening and forming a second horizontal gap below the chamber opening,

wherein the first and second gaps are formed of sufficient size to accommodate a largest anticipated amount of chamber wall deflection and to span a width of the chamber opening.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein sealing the chamber includes using flexible bellows to seal the gaps between the sealing surface and the chamber wall.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein sealing the chamber includes using a bellows to seal the chamber between the sealing surface and the chamber wall.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein using a bellows includes using a bellows constructed of a molded compound.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein using a bellows includes using a flexible metal bellows.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein using a flexible metal bellows includes using a metal bellows that is flexible in a direction of anticipated deflection of the chamber wall.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a chamber wall section subject to deflection;

a stationary section providing a sealing surface; and

a flexible bellows attached to the chamber wall section and the stationary section.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the flexible bellows is a molded compound and seals a gap between the chamber wall section and the stationary section.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the flexible bellows is a single-piece metal convolution and seals a gap between the chamber wall section and the stationary section.

16. A system comprising:

a chamber including a chamber wall having an opening;

a door disposed to seal the opening;

a sealing surface adjacent the opening and isolated from the chamber wall; and

a seal between the sealing surface and the chamber wall.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the sealing surface is isolated from the chamber wall by a gap in the chamber wall between the sealing surface and the chamber wall.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the gap is of sufficient size to accommodate a largest anticipated amount of chamber wall deflection.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the gap spans along a major dimension of the opening.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the sealing surface extends around the opening.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the sealing surface around the opening is isolated by at least two gaps in the chamber wall adjacent the opening.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the gaps include a first horizontal gap disposed above the opening and a second horizontal gap disposed below the opening,

wherein the first and second gaps are of sufficient size to jointly accommodate a largest anticipated amount of chamber wall deflection and to each span a width of the opening.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the seal includes a first flexible bellows that seals the first horizontal gap and a second flexible bellows that seals the second horizontal gap.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the seal includes a bellows adapted to seal the chamber between the sealing surface and the chamber wall.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the bellows is constructed of a molded compound.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the bellows includes a flexible metal bellows.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the flexible metal is flexible in a direction of anticipated deflection of the chamber wall.