ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING LOAD PORT APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS

• US 20180130686A1
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Blahnik, David T., Reuter, Paul B., Bonecutter, Luke W., Baumgarten, Douglas B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,453,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67772 involving removal of lid, door, cover
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67775 Docking arrangements

Abstract

An electronic device manufacturing system includes a factory interface that has a load port. The load port may include a panel having an opening therein and a carrier door opener that seals the opening when the door is closed. The carrier door opener may have a groove along an outer portion of the door. The groove may have a cross-sectional shape of a triangular prism frustum. A hollow O-ring may be seated in the groove and is configured to engage the panel when the carrier door opener is closed against the panel. Methods of assembling a factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system are also provided, as are other aspects.

Claims

1. A carrier door opener for a load port configured to interface with a substrate carrier, the carrier door opener comprising:

a groove along an outer portion of the carrier door opener; and

a hollow O-ring seated in the groove, the hollow O-ring configured to engage a panel of the load port when the carrier door opener is closed against the panel;

wherein the carrier door opener is configured to seal a panel opening of the load port when the carrier door opener is closed, and to contact and open a door of a substrate carrier located at the load port.

2. A factory interface of an electronic device manufacturing system, the factory interface comprising:

the load port configured to interface with the substrate carrier, the load port comprising;

the panel having the panel opening; and

the carrier door opener of claim 1.

3. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the groove of the carrier door opener extends along an outer periphery of the carrier door opener.

4. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the groove of the carrier door opener has a cross-sectional shape of a triangular prism frustum.

5. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the O-ring has a wall thickness of about 0.762-1.016 mm.

6. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the O-ring has a slurry finish surface.

7. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the groove has a top width to bottom width ratio of about 0.58 to about 0.65.

8. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein the groove has a depth that is less than a diameter of the O-ring.

9. The factory interface of claim 2, wherein a ratio of a diameter of the O-ring to a depth of the groove is about 1.35 to 1.45.

10. An electronic device manufacturing system, comprising:

a substrate process tool; and

a factory interface comprising;

a housing having a front side and a rear side, the front side having a front side opening and the rear side coupled to the substrate process tool; and

a load port configured to interface with a substrate carrier, the load port comprising;

a panel coupled to the front side at the front side opening and having a panel opening;

a carrier door opener that seals the panel opening when the carrier door opener is closed, that contacts and opens a door of a substrate carrier located at the load port, and that comprises a groove along an outer portion of the carrier door opener; and

a hollow O-ring seated in the groove, the hollow O-ring configured to engage the panel when the carrier door opener is closed against the panel.

11. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the groove of the carrier door opener extends along an outer periphery of the carrier door opener.

12. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the groove of the carrier door opener has a cross-sectional shape of a triangular prism frustum.

13. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the groove has a top width to bottom width ratio of about 0.58 to about 0.65.

14. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the groove has a depth that is less than a diameter of the O-ring.

15. The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein a ratio of a diameter of the O-ring to a depth of the groove is about 1.35 to 1.45.

16. A method of assembling a factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system, the method comprising:

providing a load port configured to interface with a substrate carrier, the load port comprising a panel having a panel opening;

providing a carrier door opener that seals the panel opening when the carrier door opener is closed, that contacts and opens a door of a substrate carrier located at the load port, and that comprises a groove along an outer portion of the carrier door opener; and

seating a hollow O-ring into the groove, the hollow O-ring configured to engage the panel when the carrier door opener is closed against the panel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing the carrier door opener comprises providing the carrier door opener comprising a groove that has a cross-sectional shape of a triangular prism frustum.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing the carrier door opener comprises providing the carrier door opener comprising a groove that has a top width to bottom width ratio of about 0.58 to about 0.65.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the seating the hollow O-ring comprises seating the hollow O-ring into the groove wherein a ratio of a diameter of the O-ring to a depth of the groove is about 1.35 to 1.45.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a factory interface housing having a front side configured to be coupled to the load port, the front side having a front side opening configured to receive the load port.