Chamber isolation valve RF grounding

• US 20070000608A1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kurita, Shinichi, Beer, Emanuel, Lee, Ke
• Granted Patent: US 7,469,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.300
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/0227 Packings
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/166 Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32844 Treating effluent gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/30 of perfluorocarbons [PFC], hydrofluorocarbons [HFC] or sulfur hexafluoride [SF6]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/919 Seal including electrical feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/92 Seal including electromagnetic shielding feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8242 Electrical

Abstract

A method and apparatus for grounding a chamber isolation valve are provided. Generally, the method makes use of an electrically conductive elastomeric member or members to effectively ground a chamber isolation valve and/or isolation valve door while avoiding metal-to-metal contact between moving parts in the processing system. In one embodiment, the elastomeric member is attached to and in electrical communication with the door of the chamber isolation valve. The elastomeric member is brought into contact with a grounded component of the plasma processing system when the door is in the closed position. In another embodiment, the conductive elastomeric member is attached to a bracing member of the isolation valve and is brought into contact with a grounded component of the plasma processing system when the bracing member is deployed to hold the isolation valve door in place during substrate processing. Other configurations are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of grounding a chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system during plasma processing of substrates, wherein the chamber isolation valve contains a door, a bracing member, or both, and a vacuum seal, comprising:

moving the chamber isolation valve to the closed position; and

establishing electrical contact between the chamber isolation valve and at least one electrically grounded component of the plasma-processing system using at least one electrically conductive member.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrically conductive member is an electrically conductive elastomeric member and the volume resistivity of the elastomeric member after heat aging is no more than about 0.200 ohm-cm.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one elastomeric member is fixedly attached to and in electrical communication with the chamber isolation valve door.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one elastomeric member is fixedly attached to and in electrical communication with the chamber isolation valve bracing member.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member is an elastomeric extrusion, wherein the elastomeric extrusion is selected from the group consisting of an O-strip, a D-strip or a P-strip.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member is mounted along the external periphery of the vacuum seal of the chamber isolation valve.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member is mounted along the periphery of the contact portion of a bracing member of the chamber isolation valve.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member is mounted along the lower external periphery of the vacuum seal of the chamber isolation valve.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member is mounted along the lower periphery of the contact portion of the bracing member of the chamber isolation valve.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises one or more reaction bumpers of the chamber isolation valve'"'"'s bracing member.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing electrical contact between the chamber isolation valve and at least one electrically grounded component of the plasma-processing system by means of an electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises:

moving at least one conductive surface of the chamber isolation valve into electrical contact with a grounded component of the plasma processing system, wherein the grounded component comprises an electrically conductive elastomeric member.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one conductive surface is part of the chamber isolation valve door.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one conductive surface comprises a conductive part of the bracing member of the chamber isolation valve.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the part of the bracing member is the reaction bumper.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the grounded component of the plasma processing system is a valve housing front plate.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the grounded component of the plasma processing system is a chamber opening sealing surface.

17. A method of grounding a chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system during plasma processing of substrates, wherein the chamber isolation valve contains a door, a bracing member, or both, and a vacuum seal, comprising:

moving the chamber isolation valve to the closed position; and

contacting at least one electrically grounded component of the plasma-processing system with at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member, the elastomeric member(s) being fixedly attached to and in electrical communication with the chamber isolation valve.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the volume resistivity of the at least one elastomeric member after heat aging is no more than about 0.200 ohm-cm.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member is an elastomeric extrusion, wherein the elastomeric extrusion is selected from the group consisting of an O-strip, a D-strip or a P-strip.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein fixedly attached to comprises mounted along the external periphery of the vacuum seal of the chamber isolation valve.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein fixedly attached to comprises mounted along the periphery of the contact portion of the bracing member of the chamber isolation valve.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein fixedly attached to comprises mounted along the lower external periphery of the vacuum seal of the chamber isolation valve.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein fixedly attached to comprises mounted along the lower periphery of the contact portion of the bracing member of the chamber isolation valve.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises one or more reaction bumpers of the chamber isolation valve'"'"'s bracing member.

25. A method of grounding a chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system during plasma processing of substrates, wherein the chamber isolation valve contains a door, a bracing member, or both, comprising:

moving the chamber isolation valve to the closed position; and

moving at least one conductive surface of the chamber isolation valve into electrical contact with at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system, wherein the at least one grounded component comprises an electrically conductive elastomeric member.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises elastomeric member having a volume resistivity after heat aging of no more than about 0.200 ohm-cm.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the electrically conductive elastomeric member is an elastomeric extrusion, wherein the elastomeric extrusion is selected from the group consisting of an O-strip, a D-strip or a P-strip.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one conductive surface is part of the chamber isolation valve door.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one conductive surface comprises a conductive part of the bracing member of the chamber isolation valve.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the part of the bracing member is the reaction bumper.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system is a valve housing front plate.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system is a chamber opening sealing surface.

33. A grounded chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system, comprising:

a door; and

at least one electrically conductive member in electrical communication with the door adapted to contact at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system when the door is in the closed position.

34. The chamber isolation valve of claim 33, wherein the at least one electrically conductive member is an electrically conductive elastomeric member and the electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises an elastomeric member having a volume resistivity after heat aging of no more than about 0.200 ohm-cm.

35. The chamber isolation valve of claim 34, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member is an elastomeric extrusion, wherein the elastomeric extrusion is selected from the group consisting of an O-strip, a D-strip or a P-strip.

36. The chamber isolation valve of claim 34, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member is mounted below or beside the chamber opening when the chamber isolation valve is in the closed position.

37. The chamber isolation valve of claim 34, wherein the chamber isolation valve further comprises a bracing member and the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises one or more reaction bumpers of the bracing member.

38. The chamber isolation valve of claim 34, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises a sealing member of the door.

39. A grounded chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system, comprising:

a door;

a bracing member; and

at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member in electrical communication with the bracing member adapted to contact at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system when the door is in the closed position.

40. A grounded chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system, comprising:

a door; and

at least one electrically conductive surface in electrical communication with the door and adapted to contact at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system when the door is in the closed position, wherein the at least one grounded component comprises an electrically conductive elastomeric member.

41. The chamber isolation valve of claim 40, wherein an electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises an elastomeric member having a volume resistivity after heat aging of no more than about 0.200 ohm-cm.

42. The chamber isolation valve of claim 40, wherein the electrically conductive elastomeric member is an elastomeric extrusion, wherein the elastomeric extrusion is selected from the group consisting of an O-strip, a D-strip or a P-strip.

43. The chamber isolation valve of claim 40, wherein the at least one electrically conductive surface is mounted below or beside the chamber opening when the chamber isolation valve is in the closed position.

44. The chamber isolation valve of claim 40, wherein the chamber isolation valve further comprises a bracing member and the at least one electrically conductive surface comprises a conductive part of the bracing member.

45. The chamber isolation valve of claim 44, wherein the part of the bracing member is the reaction bumper.

46. The chamber isolation valve of claim 40, wherein the at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system is a valve housing front plate.

47. The chamber isolation valve of claim 40, wherein the at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system is a chamber opening sealing surface.

48. The chamber isolation valve of claim 40, wherein the at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system is a chamber opening sealing surface.