ISOLATION FOR MULTI-SINGLE-WAFER PROCESSING APPARATUS
First Claim
1. A multi single wafer (MSW) processing apparatus comprising two or more semi-isolated reaction chambers and a separate indexer volume, the reaction chambers being separated from one another by isolation regions configured with two or more tongue-in groove (TIG) elements, at least one of which is configured in a staircase-like fashion, and in which each gas flow pathway through the TIG elements is independently purged via independent purge lines.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An MSW processing apparatus includes two or more semi-isolated reaction chambers separated from one another by isolation regions configured with two or more TIG elements, either or both of which may be independently purged. The TIG elements may be configured in a staircase-like fashion and include vertical and horizontal conductance spacings, sized so that, under different operational process temperatures of the MSW processing apparatus, a change in the horizontal conductance spacing is less than a change in the vertical conductance spacing.
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Citations
14 Claims
- 1. A multi single wafer (MSW) processing apparatus comprising two or more semi-isolated reaction chambers and a separate indexer volume, the reaction chambers being separated from one another by isolation regions configured with two or more tongue-in groove (TIG) elements, at least one of which is configured in a staircase-like fashion, and in which each gas flow pathway through the TIG elements is independently purged via independent purge lines.
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6. A multi single wafer (MSW) processing apparatus comprising two or more semi-isolated reaction chambers and a separate indexer volume,
the reaction chambers being separated from one another by isolation regions configured with two or more tongue-in groove (TIG) elements, at least one of which is configured in a staircase-like fashion, and in which each flow pathway through the TIG elements is independently purged via independent purge lines, wherein the two or more TIG elements include an inner TIG element and an outer TIG element; the reaction chambers comprising a vertically movable heater-susceptor coupled to an annular flow ring configured as a gas conduit and having an outlet port extending below a bottom of a wafer transport slot valve of the reaction chamber apparatus when the heater-susceptor is in a processing position, wherein the inner TIG element includes the annular flow ring.
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7. A multi single wafer (MSW) processing apparatus comprising two or more semi-isolated reaction chambers and a separate indexer volume,
the reaction chambers being separated from one another by isolation regions configured with two or more tongue-in groove (TIG) elements, at least one of which is configured in a staircase-like fashion, and in which each gas flow pathway through the TIG elements is independently purged via independent purge lines, wherein the two or more TIG elements include an inner TIG element and an outer TIG element; the reaction chambers comprising a heater-susceptor coupled to an annular flow ring conduit at a perimeter of the heater-susceptor, the annular flow ring defined by inner and outer members and configured to isolate an outer chamber of at least one of the reaction chambers above a wafer position from a confined reaction chamber of the reaction chamber when the heater-susceptor is in a processing position, in which instance an outer member of the annular flow ring is in proximity with a second annular ring attached to a lid of the reaction chamber, the outer member of the annular flow ring and the second annular ring forming at least one of the TIG elements, wherein the inner TIG element includes the annular flow ring. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A multi single wafer (MSW) processing apparatus comprising two or more semi-isolated reaction chambers and a separate indexer volume,
the reaction chambers being separated from one another by isolation regions configured with two or more tongue-in groove (TIG) elements, at least one of which is configured in a staircase-like fashion, and in which each gas flow pathway through the TIG elements is independently purged via independent purge lines, wherein the two or more TIG elements include an inner TIG element and an outer TIG element; the reaction chambers each comprising a vertically movable susceptor coupled to an annular flow ring conduit at a perimeter of the susceptor, the annular flow ring conduit configured to pass reaction gas effluent to a downstream pump, wherein the inner TIG element includes the annular flow ring. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Specification