Semiconductor device manufacturing system having means for reducing a pressure difference between loadlock and processing chambers
First Claim
1. A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising:
- a loadlock chamber;
a low level vacuum pump connected to said loadlock chamber so as to create a low level vacuum in said loadlock chamber;
a processing chamber in which a semiconductor manufacturing process is carried out while the processing chamber is maintained at a high level vacuum of a pressure that is less than that of said low level vacuum;
a gate valve interposed between and connecting said loadlock chamber and said processing chamber, said gate valve being movable between a closed position at which said processing chamber is isolated from said loadlock chamber and an open position at which said chambers are open to each other so as to facilitate the transfer of objects from said loadlock chamber to said processing chamber; and
pressure relieving means for reducing the pressure difference between the low level vacuum of said loadlock chamber and the high level vacuum of said processing chamber when the gate valve is moved from said closed to said open position thereof.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A semiconductor manufacturing system includes a loadlock chamber, a low level vacuum pump connected to said loadlock chamber so as to create a low level vacuum in the loadlock chamber, a processing chamber in which a semiconductor manufacturing process is carried out while the processing chamber is maintained at a high level vacuum, a gate valve interposed between and connecting the loadlock chamber and the processing chamber, and a pressure relieving device for reducing the pressure difference between the low level vacuum of the loadlock chamber and the high level vacuum of the processing chamber at the time the gate valve is opened. The pressure relieving device is a high level vacuum pump which can be dedicated to the loadlock chamber or which can be the same pump as that used to evacuate the processing chamber. The high level vacuum pump is connected to the loadlock chamber by an air valve. The system is operated under a method in which air is fed to both the air valve and with a certain delay thereafter to the gate valve. The air valve opens first, and the high level vacuum pump evacuates the loadlock chamber before the fed air opens the gate valve. In this way, particles in the loadlock chamber are prevented from being induced into the processing chamber at the time of transfer of objects from the loadlock chamber to the processing chamber through the gate valve.
46 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising:
-
a loadlock chamber; a low level vacuum pump connected to said loadlock chamber so as to create a low level vacuum in said loadlock chamber; a processing chamber in which a semiconductor manufacturing process is carried out while the processing chamber is maintained at a high level vacuum of a pressure that is less than that of said low level vacuum; a gate valve interposed between and connecting said loadlock chamber and said processing chamber, said gate valve being movable between a closed position at which said processing chamber is isolated from said loadlock chamber and an open position at which said chambers are open to each other so as to facilitate the transfer of objects from said loadlock chamber to said processing chamber; and pressure relieving means for reducing the pressure difference between the low level vacuum of said loadlock chamber and the high level vacuum of said processing chamber when the gate valve is moved from said closed to said open position thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising:
-
a loadlock chamber; a low level vacuum pump connected to said loadlock chamber so as to create a low level vacuum in said loadlock chamber; a processing chamber in which a semiconductor manufacturing process is carried out while the processing chamber is maintained at a high level vacuum of a presuure that is less than that of said low level vacuum; an air actuatable gate valve interposed between and connecting said loadlock chamber and said processing chamber, said gate valve being movable between a closed position at which said processing chamber is isolated from said loadlock chamber and an open position at which said chambers are open to each other so as to facilitate the transfer of objects from said loadlock chamber to said processing chamber; an air supply line system connected to said gate valve and through which system air passes to move said gate valve between said open and closed positions thereof; a high level vacuum pump; a high level vacuum line connecting said high level vacuum pump to said loadlock chamber, whereby said loadlock chamber can also be evacuated to a high level vacuum of a pressure that is less than that of said low level vacuum; and an air valve disposed in said high level vacuum line, said air valve being movable by air between an open position at which said high level vacuum pump is in open communication with said loadlock chamber and a closed position at which said high level vacuum line is closed between said high level vacuum pump and said loadlock chamber, said air valve being operatively connected to said air supply line system so as to be opened by air passing through said system to open said gate valve. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of operating a semiconductor system which includes a loadlock chamber, a low level vacuum pump connected to said loadlock chamber, a processing chamber, a gate valve interposed between and connecting said loadlock chamber and said processing chamber, said gate valve being movable between a closed position at which said processing chamber is isolated from said loadlock chamber and an open position at which said chambers are open to each other, a high level vacuum line connecting said high level vacuum pump to said loadlock chamber, and an air valve disposed in said high level vacuum line, said air valve being movable by air between an open position at which said high level vacuum pump is in open communication with said loadlock chamber and a closed position at which said high level vacuum line is closed between said high level vacuum pump and said loadlock chamber, said method comprising:
-
loading at least one object to be processed into the loadlock chamber and operating the low level vacuum pump to maintain the loadlock chamber at a constant low vacuum level; evacuating the processing chamber until the processing chamber is maintained at a constant high vacuum level of a pressure that is less than that of said low vacuum level; subsequently opening the air valve to place the high level vacuum pump in open communication with the loadlock chamber and operating the high level vacuum pump until the loadlock chamber assumes a constant high vacuum level of a pressure that is less than that of said low vacuum level, whereby a pressure differential between the loadlock chamber and the processing chamber is reduced; subsequently opening the gate valve; and subsequently transferring the at least one object from the loadlock chamber to the processing chamber through the open gate valve. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
Specification