Single shaft, dual cradle vacuum slot valve

• US 6,601,824 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Tomasch, Gregory A., Kroeker, Tony R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg, Ehud
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEASEL, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US10/096,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20020096656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 251/158, 251/167, 251/193, 251/195, 251/203, 251/211, 251/215, 251/296, 251/302, 251/327, 414/217, 414/221, 137/613, 137/614.11, 137/614.13
• US Class Current: 251/167
• 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: Y10T 137/0514 Gate valve

Abstract

A single slot valve shaft is in a vacuum body between adjacent vacuum chambers, such as a process module and a transport module. Separate valves are provided on the single shaft actuator for each of two valve body slots, each body slot being closed or opened according to the position of the single shaft. The separate valves allow a vacuum condition to be maintained in the transport module while an adjacent process module is open to the atmosphere for servicing. The single shaft allows access to an open valve for servicing the open valve by way of stops that limit drive travel and hold the valve in an open, but not vertically-spaced, position relative to a respective slot. The open valve is easily reached by a gloved hand of a service worker. The single shaft is mounted on a first cradle, and the first cradle is mounted on a second cradle. Two separate shaft drives move the two cradles to position the single shaft to locate the valves between the slots to open one slot and close the other slot. Another separate shaft drive moves the single shaft vertically down from the open position and away from the slots to expose seal surfaces around the slots for cleaning.

Claims

1. A dual-sided slot valve for use in a semiconductor process cluster tool architecture arrangement, the dual-sided slot valve comprising:

a housing having a first side and a second side, the housing having a first slot at the first side and a second slot at the second side to permit transport of a substrate between a first process module and a second transport module;

a first door movably mounted within the housing to enable closure of the first slot;

a second door movably mounted within the housing to enable closure of the second slot;

frame members supporting the housing; and

a single shaft assembly which consists of one door-mount section connected to both the first door and the second door, a primary cradle movably mounted on the frame members, and a secondary cradle movably mounted on the primary cradle and carrying the one door-mount section.

2. A dual-sided slot valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary cradle and the secondary cradle are pivotally interconnected and selectively move either of the first and second doors to a closed position to close the respective slot.

3. A dual-sided slot valve as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary cradle is pivotally mounted on the frame members and the secondary cradle is pivotally mounted on the primary cradle so that pivoting of the primary cradle relative to the frame members and pivoting of the secondary cradle relative to the primary cradle cause the one door-mount section to cause the doors to selectively close one of the first slot and the second slot and allow another of the first slot and the second slot to remain open.

4. A dual-sided slot valve as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a first motor for moving the primary cradle on the frame members; and

a second motor mounted on the primary cradle for moving the secondary cradle relative to the primary cradle.

5. A dual-sided slot valve for use in a semiconductor process cluster tool architecture arrangement, the dual-sided slot valve comprising:

a housing having a first side and a second side, the housing having a first slot at the first side and a second slot at the second side to permit transport of a substrate between a first module and a second module;

a first door movably mounted within the housing to enable closure of the first slot;

a second door movably mounted within the housing to enable closure of the second slot;

frame members supporting the housing; and

a single shaft assembly which consists of a primary cradle movably mounted on the frame members, a secondary cradle movably mounted on the primary cradle, and one door-mount section connected to both the first door and the second door and supported by the secondary cradle so that movement of the primary cradle relative to the frame members and movement of the secondary cradle relative to the primary cradle changes the position of the one-door mount section to move both of the doors and open a selected one of the slots and close the other one of the slots.

6. A dual-sided slot valve according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first motor connected to the primary cradle for moving the primary cradle relative to the frame members to move the secondary cradle and the door-mount section; and

a second motor mounted on the primary cradle, the second motor being connected to the secondary cradle for moving the secondary cradle relative to the primary cradle;

the first and second motors being effective to move the door-mount section and open or close the first slot or the second slot.

7. A dual-sided slot valve according to claim 6, wherein:

the first and second motors are configured to position the one door-mount section with both doors in an open position that is spaced from and between each of the first slot and the second slot to open both of the slots; and

when the one door-mount section positions both doors in the open position each of the first door and the second door is in the open position.

8. A dual-sided slot valve according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first motor connected between the primary cradle and the frame members and a second motor connected between the secondary cradle and the primary cradle, each motor having an extended position and a retracted position, the first and second motors in the respective extended positions holding the one door-mount section in a position so that the first door and the second door are in an open position to open both of the slots.

9. A dual-sided slot valve according to claim 8, further comprising:

a controller for operating the first and second motors, the controller causing one of the first and second motors to be in the respective extended or retracted position and the other of the motors to be in the respective retracted or extended position to move the first and second doors along a path in the housing for selectively moving either of the first and second doors to a closed position to close the respective slot and moving the other of the first and second doors to the open position to open the respective slot.

10. A dual-sided slot valve for use in a semiconductor process cluster tool architecture arrangement provided with a process module and a transport module, the dual-sided slot valve comprising:

a vacuum body having a first process module side and a second transport module side, the vacuum body having a process module slot at the first side and a transport module slot at the second side for allowing transport of a substrate between the process module and the transport module, the process module being attached to the first side of the body and the transport module being attached to the second side of the body, the first side of the body having a first wall surface and the second side of the body having a second wall surface;

a single shaft assembly which consists of one door-mount section movable in the body, and interconnected primary and secondary cradles;

the secondary cradle being configured for carrying the one door-mount section;

the one door-mount section being movable laterally relative to the body to provide a direct line of sight between the process module slot and the transport module slot;

first and second motors connected to the respective primary and secondary cradles for moving both of the primary and secondary cradles to position the one door-mount section toward and away from each of the process module slot and the transport module slot;

a third motor for moving the door-mount section laterally of the body away from the direct line of sight between the process module slot and the transport module slot;

a first door mounted to the one door-mount section for movement to open and close the process module slot; and

a second door mounted to the one door-mount section for movement to open and close the transport module slot;

the first and second doors also being mounted by the one door-mount section for movement laterally away from the direct line of sight to permit accessing of the slots and the respective wall surfaces.