Vacuum chamber bottom

• US 20070028842A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Inagawa, Makoto, Hosokawa, Akihiro
• Application Number:
  US11/213,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20070028842A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/728
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32458 Vessel

Abstract

A process chamber having an reinforced chamber body is provided. The reinforced chamber body may include one or more chamber walls, a chamber bottom, and a chamber support assembly attached to an exterior side of the chamber bottom. The chamber support assembly may include one or more elongated base support structures and one or more lateral support structures connected to the one or more elongated base support structures. The process chamber may also include a plurality of substrate support pins attached to an interior side of the chamber bottom and adapted to support a large area substrate thereon.

Claims

1. A chamber body for a chamber adapted to support a large area substrate therein, comprising:

one or more chamber walls;

a chamber bottom; and

a chamber support assembly attached an exterior side of the chamber bottom, comprising;

one or more elongated base support structures; and

one or more lateral support structures.

2. The chamber body of claim 1, wherein the one or more elongated base support structures and the one or more lateral support structures comprise a height of about four inches or larger.

3. The chamber body of claim 1, wherein the one or more elongated base support structures and the one or more lateral support structures comprise a stainless steel material.

4. The chamber body of claim 1, wherein the chamber support assembly further comprises one or more cross support structures connected to the one or more lateral support structures.

5. The chamber body of claim 1, wherein the chamber support assembly further comprises one or more additional support structures positioned below the one or more chamber walls.

6. The chamber body of claim 1, wherein the one or more elongated base support structures and the one or more lateral support structures are connected to each other.

7. The chamber body of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of substrate support pins attached to an interior side of the chamber bottom and adapted to support a large area rectangular substrate of about one square meter or larger thereon.

8. The chamber body of claim 7, wherein the one or more elongated base support structures and the one or more lateral support structures of the chamber support assembly are positioned below and relative to the locations of the plurality of the substrate support pins to ensure mechanical support for the plurality of the substrate support pins.

9. The chamber body of claim 1, wherein the one or more chamber walls and the chamber bottom comprises a thickness of about one inch or less.

10. The chamber body of claim 1, wherein the one or more elongated base support structures and the one or more lateral support structures comprises a thickness of about two inches or less.

11. A process chamber for processing a large area substrate therein, comprising:

a chamber body comprising one or more chamber walls and a chamber bottom; and

a plurality of substrate support pins attached to an interior side of the chamber bottom and adapted to support the large area substrate.

12. The process chamber of claim 11, further comprising a susceptor having a plurality of substrate support pin holes thereon adapted for the plurality of the substrate support pins to pass through.

13. The process chamber of claim 12, wherein the plurality of substrate support pins are adapted to maintain in an vertical orientation with respect to the susceptor.

14. The process chamber of claim 11, wherein the one or more chamber walls and the chamber bottom comprise a thickness of about one inch or less.

15. The process chamber of claim 11, wherein the plurality of substrate support pins are configured to support a large area rectangular substrate of about one square meter or larger.

16. A method of reinforcing a chamber bottom of a vacuum chamber, comprising:

providing a plurality of elongated base support structures in a first direction;

providing a plurality of lateral support structures in a second direction; and

attaching the elongated base support structures and the lateral support structures to the chamber bottom of the vacuum chamber.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing a plurality of cross support structures and a plurality of additional support structure; and

attaching the plurality of cross support structures and the plurality of additional support structure to the chamber bottom of the vacuum chamber.

19. A method of transferring a substrate into a chamber having a susceptor therein, comprising:

providing a plurality of substrate support pins attached to an interior side of the bottom of the chamber;

placing the substrate onto the plurality of the substrate support pins; and

moving the susceptor in a vertical direction to lift the substrate from the plurality of the substrate support pins.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the susceptor comprises a plurality of substrate support pin holes corresponding to the plurality of the substrate support pins and adapted for the plurality of the substrate support pins to pass through.