TRANSPORT DEVICE HAVING A DEFLECTABLE SEALING FRAME

• US 20120027952A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Singulus Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Singulus Technologies AG
• Inventors: Reising, Michael, Kempf, Stefan, Roth, Georg
• Granted Patent: US 8,740,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J

Abstract

The invention describes a device for transporting a substrate (5) into a working area (2, 3, 22) which can be temporarily separated in a vacuum-tight manner, and a corresponding method. A transport means (4) transports a substrate (5) in the plane (XY) to a defined working area (2, 3, 22) of a chamber (1). The transport means (4) has a deflectable sealing frame (6) which can be moved in a Z-direction perpendicular with respect to the XY-plane. The sealing frame (6) has two opposing sealing surfaces (10, 11) in the Z-direction. By pressing a closure means (16, 21, 24) against a first sealing surface (10, 11) and thus pressing the second sealing surface (11, 10) against a chamber wall (32, 31), the space of the working area (2, 3, 22) of the chamber (1) can be sealed.

Claims

1. A device for transporting a substrate (5) in an XY-plane between working areas (2, 3, 22) in a chamber (1) comprising:

(a) transport means (4) being movable in the XY-direction between the working areas (2, 3, 22),

(b) at least one sealing frame (6) being held in the transport means (4) in a manner deflectable in a Z-direction perpendicular with respect to the XY-plane, wherein the sealing frame (6) has a first and a second sealing surface (10, 11) opposing one another preferably in Z-direction for sealing a space of a working area (2, 3, 22) comprising a working station (15, 18, 30), and wherein the sealing frame (6) comprises a substrate support (7) for receiving a substrate (5), and

(c) closure means (16, 21, 24) configured such that, by pressing against the first sealing surface of the deflectable sealing frame (6), it deflects the sealing frame (6) in the Z-direction perpendicular with respect to the XY-plane of the transport means until the second sealing surface of the deflectable sealing frame (6) contacts the chamber wall (32, 31) neighboring the working station (15, 18, 30), so that due to the contact of the opposing sealing surfaces (10, 11) with the closure means (16, 21, 24) as well as with the chamber wall (32, 31) the area inside the sealing frame (6) is sealed in a vacuum-tight manner in order to thus seal a space around a working station (15, 18, 30).

2. The device according to claim 1, comprising means with springs (12) for holding the deflectable sealing frame (6) without exertion of an external force in a central position in the Z-direction relative to the transport means (4) and for deflecting the sealing frame from the central position in the Z-direction.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the springs (12) are arranged between a holding element (4a, 4b) of the transport means (4) and a holding element (13;

13a) of the sealing frame (6) in a manner acting in the Z-direction.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the springs (12;

F₁, F₂) are leaf springs.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transport means (4) comprises a rotary plate for transporting the substrates (5) within the chamber (1) on a circular path around an axis (A).

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transport means (4) comprises moving means for transporting the substrates (5) linearly within the chamber in the XY-plane.

7. The device according to claim 1, comprising one respective O-ring between the sealing frame (6) and the closure means (16, 21, 24) and between the sealing frame (6) and the chamber wall (32, 31).

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing frame (6) comprises suspension means (8) for receiving the substrate support (7).

9. The device according to claim 1, comprising a valve (9, 19, 29) for closing or opening a conduit for pumping gases off or introducing gases into the closed space of a working area (2, 3, 22).

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the closure means (24) is cup-shaped.

11. The device according to claim 1, comprising a bellows (26) for connecting the process space (37) of the working area (22) with a stationary vacuum arrangement.

12. The device according to claim 1, comprising a bellows (25) for sealing the chamber (1) between the closure means (24) and the chamber wall (31).

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the working area (2) is configured as a lock with a lock opening in the chamber wall (31) and a lock cover (18) for introducing and removing the substrates (5).

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the working area (3, 22) comprises a plasma source (15, 30).

15. The device according to claim 1 comprising lifting means (17, 20, 23) for lifting or lowering the closure means (16, 21, 24).

16. A method for transporting a substrate (5), comprising a device according to claim 1, in the XY-plane and for temporarily sealing a space of the working area (2, 3, 22) in the chamber (1), comprising the steps of:

transporting the substrate (5) by using the transport means (4) in the XY-plane into the working area (2, 3, 22) of the chamber (1),

deflecting the sealing frame (6) of the transport means (4) in the Z-direction perpendicular with respect to the XY-plane by pressing the closure means (16, 21, 24) against the deflectable sealing frame (6), and

sealing the space of the working area (2, 3, 22) of the chamber (1) by contact of the closure means (16, 21, 24) with a first sealing surface (10, 11) of the sealing frame (6) and contact of a second sealing surface (10, 11) of the sealing frame (6) with the chamber wall (31, 32).

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the closure means (16, 21, 24) is moved in a controlled manner at a variable speed in the Z-direction perpendicular with respect to the XY-plane.