LOAD LOCK CHAMBER WITH DECOUPLED SLIT VALVE DOOR SEAL COMPARTMENT

• US 20080087214A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Anwar, Suhail, Kurita, Shinichi, Lee, Jae-Chull
• Granted Patent: US 8,124,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/50
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67201 characterized by the construction of the load-lock chamber

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a load lock chamber having a decoupled slit valve door seal compartment. In one embodiment, a load lock chamber includes a main assembly, a first slit valve door seal compartment and a seal assembly. The main assembly has a substrate transfer cavity formed therein. Two substrate access ports are formed through the main assembly and fluidly couple to the cavity. The first slit valve door seal compartment has an aperture disposed adjacent to and aligned with one of the access ports. The first slit valve door seal compartment is decoupled from the main assembly. The seal assembly couples the first slit valve door seal compartment to the main assembly.

Claims

1. A load lock chamber, comprising:

a main assembly having a substrate transfer cavity and two substrate access ports formed through the main assembly, the two substrate access ports fluidly coupled to the cavity;

a first slit valve door seal compartment having an aperture adjacent and aligned with one of the access ports, the first slit valve door seal compartment decoupled from the main assembly; and

a seal assembly coupling the first slit valve door seal compartment to the main assembly.

2. The load lock chamber of claim 1, wherein the seal assembly further comprises:

a ribbon shaped gasket having a first lateral edge clamped against the main assembly and a second first lateral edge clamped against the first slit valve door seal compartment.

3. The load lock chamber of claim 2, wherein the ribbon is annular and flexible.

4. The load lock chamber of claim 2, wherein the ribbon further comprises:

a first plurality of holes arranged along the first lateral edge; and

a second plurality of holes arranged along the second lateral edge.

5. The load lock chamber of claim 4 further comprising:

at least a first clamp block coupled by fasteners passing through the first plurality of holes to the main assembly; and

at least a second clamp block coupled by fasteners passing through the second plurality of holes to the first slit valve door seal compartment.

6. The load lock chamber of claim 1, wherein the seal assembly further comprises:

a substantially rectangular tube circumscribing the aperture of the slit valve door compartment.

7. The load lock chamber of claim 2, wherein the ribbon further comprises:

a first annular ridge extending from the ribbon inward of the first plurality of holes; and

a second annular ridge extending from the ribbon inward of the second plurality of holes.

8. The load lock chamber of claim 2, wherein the ribbon further comprises:

an annular wave between the first and second lateral edges.

9. The load lock chamber of claim 1, wherein the main assembly and the first slit valve door seal compartment further comprise:

facing sides coupled by the seal assembly, wherein the facing sides together form a stepped recess, the seal assembly disposed in an upper portion of the recess, a lower portion of the recess positioned between the seal assembly and the substrate access port circumscribed by the seal assembly.

10. The load lock chamber of claim 9, wherein an interface between the upper and lower portions of the recess is rounded.

11. The load lock chamber of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of quartz tubes extending into the main assembly; and

a lamp disposed in each to the tubes.

12. The load lock chamber of claim 1 further comprising:

a first clamp block securing the seal assembly to the main assembly, a lower corner of the first clamp block facing the first slit valve door seal compartment being rounded; and

a second clamp block securing the seal assembly to the first slit valve door seal compartment, a lower corner of the second clamp block facing the main assembly being rounded.

13. The load lock chamber of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of first clamp blocks securing the seal assembly to the main assembly; and

a plurality of second clamp blocks securing the seal assembly to the first slit valve door seal compartment.

14. The load lock chamber of claim 13, wherein the plurality of first clamp blocks further comprises:

at least four L-shaped corner sections.

15. The load lock chamber of claim 13, wherein the first clamp blocks are disposed in the substrate access port circumscribed by the seal assembly.

16. The load lock chamber of claim 1 further comprising:

a second slit valve door seal compartment having an aperture adjacent and aligned with one of the access ports, the second slit valve door seal compartment decoupled from the main assembly; and

a second seal assembly coupling the second slit valve door seal compartment to the main assembly.

17. A load lock chamber, comprising:

a main assembly having a substrate transfer cavity, a first substrate access port and a second substrate access port formed through the main assembly, the substrate access ports fluidly coupled to the cavity;

a first slit valve door seal compartment having a substrate transfer passage, the substrate transfer passage having a port adjacent and aligned with the first access port, the first slit valve door seal compartment decoupled from the main assembly;

a slit valve door engaging a sealing face of the first slit door seal compartment to selectively seal the first substrate transfer passage and first substrate access port; and

an annular resilient seal forming a seal between the first slit valve door seal compartment and the main assembly.

18. The load lock chamber of claim 17, wherein the first slit valve door seal compartment and the main assembly are in a spaced-apart relation.

19. The load lock chamber of claim 17, wherein the annular resilient seal has a substantially cylindrical form having a centerline orientated parallel or superimposed with a centerline of the first substrate port through the main assembly.

20. A load lock chamber, comprising:

a main assembly having a substrate transfer cavity and at least six substrate access ports formed through the main assembly, the substrate access ports fluidly coupled to the cavity;

a first slit valve door seal compartment having a first substrate transfer passage, a second substrate transfer passage and a third substrate transfer passage, the substrate transfer passages of the first slit valve door seal compartment aligned with respective first, second and third substrate access ports of the main assembly, the first slit valve door seal compartment disposed in a spaced-apart relation to the main assembly;

a first slit valve door disposed in the first slit door seal compartment, the first slit valve door selectively engaging a sealing face of the first slit door seal compartment to selectively seal the first substrate transfer passage;

a second slit valve door disposed in the first slit door seal compartment, the second slit valve door selectively engaging a sealing face of the first slit door seal compartment to selectively seal the second substrate transfer passage;

a third slit valve door disposed in the first slit door seal compartment, the third slit valve door selectively engaging a sealing face of the first slit door seal compartment to selectively seal the third substrate transfer passage;

a first cylindrical resilient seal forming a seal between the first slit valve door seal compartment and the main assembly;

a second slit valve door seal compartment having a first substrate transfer passage, a second substrate transfer passage and a third substrate transfer passage, the substrate transfer passages of the second slit valve door seal compartment aligned with respective fourth, fifth and sixth substrate access ports of the main assembly, the second slit valve door seal compartment disposed in a spaced-apart relation to the main assembly;

a fourth slit valve door disposed in the second slit valve door seal compartment, the fourth slit valve door selectively engaging a sealing face of the second slit valve door seal compartment to selectively seal the fourth substrate transfer passage;

a fifth slit valve door disposed in the second slit valve door seal compartment, the fifth slit valve door selectively engaging a sealing face of the second slit valve door seal compartment to selectively seal the fifth substrate transfer passage;

a sixth slit valve door disposed in the second slit valve door seal compartment, the sixth slit valve door selectively engaging a sealing face of the second slit valve door seal compartment to selectively seal the sixth substrate transfer passage; and

a second cylindrical resilient seal forming a seal between the second slit valve door seal compartment and the main assembly.