Inflatable slit/gate valve

• US 6,347,918 B1
• Filed: 01/27/1999
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Blahnik, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Keenan, James W.
• Application Number:
  US09/238,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 251/167, 251/195, 251/197, 414/217, 414/939
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/188 by means of hydraulic forces
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

A sealable door assembly including a frontplate which faces an opening to be sealed, a backplate operatively coupled to the frontplate, and at least one inflatable member located between the frontplate and the backplate. When inflated, the inflatable member moves the frontplate into sealing engagement with the opening. In one embodiment the inflatable member includes one or more vacuum grade bellows. A movable mechanism moves the door assembly to selectively occlude the opening. Once the door assembly occludes the opening, the inflatable member is inflated and expands forcing the frontplate in a direction normal to the opening, thereby sealing the opening. The door assembly may be mounted within a pocket formed in an outer wall of a transfer chamber, and a sealing plate may be employed to form a gas tight region within the pocket. The gas tight region may be pressurized to enhance the door'"'"'s seal of the opening.

Claims

1. A vacuum chamber comprising:

an enclosure wall;

a pocket machined in the enclosure wall having an inner pocket wall with an inner opening, and an outer pocket wall with an outer opening in line with the inner opening;

a movable mechanism coupled within the pocket;

a door assembly including;

a door having;

a frontplate adapted to sealingly engage the outer pocket wall to seal the outer opening;

a backplate operatively coupled to the frontplate; and

at least one inflatable member located between the frontplate and the backplate for selectively moving the frontplate into sealing engagement with the outer opening, the inflatable member comprising a vacuum grade member;

the door assembly being mounted to the movable mechanism so as to move between a closed position wherein the door occludes the inner and the outer openings, and an open position wherein the door does not occlude the inner or the outer opening;

a sealing plate different from the frontplate and the backplate and operatively coupled to the movable mechanism, the sealing plate being positioned so as to seal against the inner and outer walls of the pocket, thereby creating a gas tight region within the pocket and adjacent the inner and the outer openings; and

a mechanism operatively connected to the gas tight region for supplying gas thereto.

2. The vacuum chamber of claim 1 wherein the frontplate of the door is parallel to the outer pocket wall, the backplate of the door is parallel to the inner pocket wall, and wherein the inflatable member is coupled so as to move the frontplate in a direction normal to the outer pocket wall, so as to move the backplate in a direction normal to the inner pocket wall, and so as to press the frontplate against the outer pocket wall, while pressing the backplate against the inner pocket wall.

3. The vacuum chamber of claim 2 wherein the inflatable member comprises a plurality of vacuum grade bellows.

4. The vacuum chamber of claim 3 further comprising:

a gas delivery line having a plurality of outlets therein, wherein the plurality of vacuum grade bellows are operatively coupled to the gas delivery line to receive gas through the outlets, and so as to form a modular unit with the gas delivery line.

6. An automated semiconductor fabrication tool comprising:

the vacuum chamber of claim 2 having a wafer handler positioned inside an enclosed region formed by the enclosure wall; and

a processing chamber for processing semiconductor wafers operatively coupled to the outer opening of the pocket.

7. An automated semiconductor fabrication tool comprising:

the vacuum chamber of claim 2 having a wafer handler positioned inside an enclosed region formed by the enclosure wall; and

a load lock chamber operatively coupled to the outer opening of the pocket for loading and unloading semiconductor wafers to and from the fabrication tool.

8. An automated semiconductor fabrication tool comprising:

the vacuum chamber of claim 1 having a wafer handler positioned inside an enclosed region formed by the enclosure wall; and

a load lock chamber operatively coupled to the outer opening of the pocket for loading and unloading semiconductor wafers to and from the fabrication tool.

9. The vacuum chamber of claim 1, wherein the frontplate and the backplate are vertically oriented and the sealing plate is horizontally oriented.

10. The vacuum chamber of claim 9, wherein the movable mechanism includes an air cylinder lift having a shaft, and the shaft of the air cylinder lift passes through the sealing plate.

11. The vacuum chamber of claim 10, wherein the sealing plate remains stationary while the shaft lifts and lowers the sealable door assembly.

12. The vacuum chamber of claim 11, further comprising a vertical bellows which encases the shaft of the air cylinder lift.

5. An automated semiconductor fabrication tool comprising:

the vacuum chamber of 3 claim having a wafer handler positioned inside an enclosed region formed by the enclosure wall; and

a processing chamber, for processing semiconductor wafers, operatively coupled to the outer opening of the pocket.