GATE VALVE UNIT, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING DEVICE AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140003892A1
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kaoru, Hara, Masamichi, Miyashita, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,121,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/00 Conveying systems characterised by their application for specified purposes not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/566 using a load-lock chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/16 from metal carbonyl compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4401 Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/0227 Packings
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/182 by means of toggle links
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/30 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28556 by chemical means, e.g. CVD, LPCVD, PECVD, laser CVD H01L21/28518 - H01L21/28537 and H01L21/28568 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76841 Barrier, adhesion or liner layers

Abstract

A substrate processing device includes a depressurizable hot wall chamber having a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature and a first substrate transferring port provided in the sidewall, a depressurizable transfer chamber having a transfer arm mechanism and a second substrate transferring port, and a gate valve unit provided between the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber. The gate valve unit includes: a housing having a sidewall provided with communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port, and a second housing substrate transferring port; a valve body which is elevatable in the housing; and a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member. The communicating holes communicate a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member with an internal space of the housing.

Claims

1. A substrate processing device, comprising:

a depressurizable hot wall chamber having a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature and a first substrate transferring port provided in the sidewall;

a depressurizable transfer chamber having a transfer arm mechanism for transferring a substrate to and from the hot wall chamber and a second substrate transferring port; and

a gate valve unit provided between the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber,

wherein the gate valve unit includes;

a housing having a sidewall provided with communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the first substrate transferring port, and a second housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the second substrate transferring port;

a valve body which is movable up and down in the housing; and

a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member, and

wherein the communicating holes allow a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member to communicate with an internal space of the housing,

the first sealing member and the second sealing member are provided between the sidewall of one of the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, which is required to maintain a higher vacuum degree than that of the other chamber, and the sidewall of the housing, and

the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is surrounded by the first sealing member and the second sealing member and is opened and closed by the valve body.

2. The substrate processing device of claim 1, wherein the gap between the sealing members is vacuum-evacuated by the other chamber through the communicating holes by depressurizing the other chamber under a state in which the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is closed by the valve body and the substrate transferring port of the other chamber is opened.

3. The substrate processing device of claim 1, wherein the gate valve unit further includes an elevating shaft mounted to the valve body, a bellows provided to cover a lower portion of the elevating shaft and configured to be stretchable depending on an elevating operation of the elevating shaft, and a bellows heater configured to heat the bellows.

4. The substrate processing device of claim 3, wherein the gate valve unit further includes a valve body restriction member disposed at a position not to block the communicating holes;

the valve body includes a main body of the valve body and a valve body supporting part which supports the main body of the valve body by a link mechanism and to which the elevating shaft is mounted;

the valve body restriction member restricts an elevating operation of the valve body at a position opposite to the substrate transferring port of the one chamber and moves the main body of the valve body in a direction to make the main body contact with the substrate transferring port of the one chamber through the link mechanism.

5. A substrate processing device, comprising:

a plurality of gate valve units;

a plurality of process chambers each having a first substrate transferring port and configured to perform a processing process for a substrate; and

a depressurizable transfer chamber having a second transferring port, which is connected to the process chambers via the respective gate valve units and has a transfer arm mechanism configured to transfer the substrate to and from the process chambers,

wherein the process chambers include;

a depressurizable hot wall chamber having a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature; and

a depressurizable high vacuum chamber configured to perform the processing process in a high vacuum atmosphere,

at least the gate valve unit placed between the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, among the gate valve units, has;

a housing having a sidewall provided with communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the first substrate transferring port and a second housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the second substrate transferring port;

a valve body configured to be movable up and down in the housing; and

a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member,

the communicating holes allow a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member to communicate with an internal space of the housing,

the first sealing member and the second sealing member are provided between a sidewall of the transfer chamber and the sidewall of the housing, and

the second substrate transferring port of the transfer chamber is surrounded by the first sealing member and the second sealing member and is opened and closed by the valve body.

6. A substrate processing device, comprising:

a plurality of gate valve units;

a plurality of process chambers each having a first substrate transferring port and configured to perform a processing process for a substrate; and

a depressurizable transfer chamber having a second transferring port, which is connected to the process chambers via the respective gate valve units and has a transfer arm mechanism configured to transfer the substrate to and from the process chambers,

wherein each of the process chambers has a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature, and is a depressurizable hot wall chamber configured to perform the processing process in a high vacuum atmosphere,

each of the gate valve units has;

a housing having a sidewall provided with communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the first substrate transferring port and a second housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the second substrate transferring port;

a valve body configured to be movable up and down in the housing; and

a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member,

the communicating holes allow a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member to communicate with an internal space of the housing,

the first sealing member and the second sealing member are provided between the sidewall of one of each hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, which is required to maintain a higher vacuum degree than the other chamber, and the sidewall of the housing, and

the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is surrounded by the first sealing member and the second sealing member and is opened and closed by the valve body.

7. A gate valve unit, which is adapted to be provided between a depressurizable hot wall chamber having a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature and a first substrate transferring port provided in the sidewall, and a depressurizable transfer chamber having a transfer arm mechanism for transferring a substrate to and from the hot wall chamber and a second substrate transferring port, the gate valve unit comprising:

a housing having a sidewall provided with communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the first substrate transferring port, and a second housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the second substrate transferring port;

a valve body configured to be movable up and down in the housing; and

a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member,

wherein the communicating holes allow a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member to communicate with an internal space of the housing,

the first sealing member and the second sealing member are provided between the sidewall of one of the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, which is required to maintain a higher degree of vacuum than the other chamber, and the sidewall of the housing,

the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is surrounded by the first sealing member and the second sealing member and is opened and closed by the valve body.

8. A substrate processing method using a substrate processing device comprising:

a depressurizable hot wall chamber having a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature, and a first substrate transferring port provided in the sidewall; and

a depressurizable transfer chamber having a transfer arm mechanism for transferring a substrate to and from the hot wall chamber and a second substrate transferring port; and

a gate valve unit provided between the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber,

wherein the gate valve unit includes;

a housing having a sidewall provided with communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the first substrate transferring port and a second housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the second substrate transferring port;

a valve body configured to be movable up and down in the housing; and

a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member,

the communicating holes allow a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member to communicate with an internal space of the housing,

the first sealing member and the second sealing member are provided between the sidewall of one of the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, which is required to maintain a higher vacuum degree than the other chamber, and the sidewall of the housing, and

the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is surrounded by the first sealing member and the second sealing member,

the method comprising;

when the one chamber is maintained in a high vacuum atmosphere, under a state in which the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is closed by the valve body, and the substrate transferring port of the other chamber is opened, depressurizing the other chamber so that the gap between the sealing members is vacuum-evacuated through the communicate holes by the other chamber.