Methods and apparatus for sealing an opening of a processing chamber

• US 7,086,638 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kurita, Shinichi, Blonigan, Wendell T, Lee, Ke Ling
• Primary Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US10/844,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20040245489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 251/175, 251195-202
• US Class Current: 251/199
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a slit valve is provided that is adapted to seal an opening and that includes a valve housing having a first wall, a first opening formed in the first wall, a second wall and a second opening formed in the second wall. The slit valve also includes a closure member having a sealing portion adapted to contact the second wall and seal the second opening, and a bracing member moveable relative to the sealing portion and adapted to contact the first wall. The slit valve further includes at least one actuating mechanism adapted to (1) move the sealing portion toward the second wall and into contact with the second wall; and (2) move the bracing member away from the sealing portion and into contact with the first wall so as to brace the sealing portion against the second wall. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Claims

1. A slit valve adapted to seal an opening comprising:

a valve housing having;

a first wall;

a first opening formed in the first wall;

a second wall; and

a second opening formed in the second wall;

a closure member having;

a sealing portion adapted to contact the second wall and seal the second opening; and

a bracing member moveable relative to the sealing portion and adapted to contact the first wall; and

at least one actuating mechanism adapted to;

move the sealing portion toward the second wall and into contact with the second wall; and

move the bracing member away from the sealing portion and into contact with the first wall so as to brace the sealing portion against the second wall;

wherein the at least one actuating mechanism includes a bellows oriented such that movement of the bracing member away from the sealing portion produces a contraction of the bellows.

2. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuating mechanism includes an actuator that comprises a portion of the closure member and is disposed between the bracing member and the sealing portion.

3. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the sealing portion includes a resilient element adapted to contact and seal against the second wall.

4. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the bracing member includes a resilient element adapted to contact the first wall.

5. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the bracing member is adapted to assume a retracted transverse position within the sealing portion.

6. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuating mechanism comprises a pneumatic actuator adapted to be selectably activated via positive pressure and vacuum pressure.

7. The slit valve of claim 6, wherein the pneumatic actuator is adapted to employ positive pressure to move the bracing member from a retracted transverse position against the sealing portion to a deployed transverse position against the first wall.

8. The slit valve of claim 6, wherein the pneumatic actuator is adapted to employ vacuum pressure to move the bracing member from a deployed transverse position against the first wall to a retracted transverse position against the sealing member.

9. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuating mechanism includes a pneumatic actuator comprising a pressure cell.

10. The slit valve of claim 9, wherein a portion of the bracing member defines a boundary of the pressure cell.

11. The slit valve of claim 9, wherein a portion of the sealing portion defines a boundary of the pressure cell.

12. The slit valve of claim 10, wherein the bellows also defines a boundary of the pressure cell.

13. The slit valve of claim 12, wherein the bracing member is coupled to the sealing portion via the bellows.

14. The slit valve of claim 13, wherein no coupling between the bracing member and the sealing portion exists except via the bellows.

15. The slit valve of claim 12, wherein the bellows is oriented such that an expansion of the pressure cell produces contraction of the bellows.

16. The slit valve of claim 12, wherein the bracing member comprises a plate, and wherein the plate also defines a boundary of the pressure cell.

17. The slit valve of claim 16, wherein the bracing member is adapted to assume a retracted transverse position away from the first wall such that the plate of the bracing member is within the sealing portion.

18. The slit valve of claim 16, wherein the bracing member is adapted to assume a deployed transverse position against the first wall such that the plate of the bracing member remains within the sealing portion.

19. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuating mechanism includes a first actuating mechanism that is external to the slit valve housing.

20. The slit valve of claim 19, wherein the first actuating mechanism comprises a pneumatic actuator adapted to be activated via positive pressure.

21. The slit valve of claim 20, wherein the pneumatic actuator is adapted to employ positive pressure to move the closure member so as to move the sealing portion from a deployed transverse position against the second wall to a retracted transverse position between the first and second walls.

22. The slit valve of claim 1, further comprising an additional actuating mechanism for moving the closure member such that the sealing portion moves between a retracted longitudinal position away from the first and second openings and a deployed longitudinal position between the first and second openings.

23. The slit valve of claim 22, wherein the additional actuating mechanism is external to the valve housing.

24. The slit valve of claim 22, wherein the additional actuating mechanism comprises a pneumatic actuator adapted to be activated via positive pressure.

25. The slit valve of claim 24, wherein the pneumatic actuator is adapted to employ positive pressure to move the closure member so as to move the sealing portion from the retracted longitudinal position to the deployed longitudinal position of the sealing portion.

26. The slit valve of claim 25, wherein the pneumatic actuator is further adapted to employ positive pressure to move the closure member so as to move the sealing portion from the deployed longitudinal position to the retracted longitudinal position of the sealing portion.

27. A method of sealing an opening of a slit valve housing comprising:

providing a valve housing having;

a first wall;

a first opening formed in the first wall;

a second wall; and

a second opening formed in the second wall;

providing a closure member having;

a sealing portion adapted to contact the second wall and seal the second opening; and

a bracing member moveable relative to the sealing portion and adapted to contact the first wall;

moving the sealing portion toward the second wall and into contact with the second wall; and

moving the bracing member away from the sealing portion and into contact with the first wall so as to brace the sealing portion against the second wall, wherein moving the bracing member away from the sealing portion comprises compressing a bellows.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first and second openings are transversely aligned.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein moving the sealing portion comprises moving the closure member transversely.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein moving the bracing member away from the sealing portion comprises moving the bracing member transversely.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising longitudinally moving the closure member so as to cause the bracing member and the sealing portion to move into transverse alignment with the openings.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein longitudinally moving the closure member comprises:

preventing the sealing portion from contacting the second wall; and

preventing the bracing member from contacting the first wall.

33. A slit valve adapted to seal an opening comprising:

a valve housing having;

a first wall;

a first opening formed in the first wall;

a second wall; and

a second opening formed in the second wall;

a closure member having;

a sealing portion adapted to contact the second wall and seal the second opening, and

a bracing member that includes a plate that defines a boundary of a pressure cell, the bracing member being moveable relative to the sealing portion and adapted to contact the first wall, wherein the bracing member is adapted to assume a retracted transverse position away from the first wall such that the plate of the bracing member is within the sealing portion; and

at least one actuating mechanism adapted to;

move the sealing portion toward the second wall and into contact with the second wall; and

move the bracing member away from the sealing portion and into contact with the first wall so as to brace the sealing portion against the second wall.

34. A slit valve adapted to seal an opening comprising:

a valve housing having;

a first wall;

a first opening formed in the first wall;

a second wall; and

a second opening formed in the second wall;

a closure member having;

a sealing portion adapted to contact the second wall and seal the second opening; and

a bracing member that includes a plate that defines a boundary of a pressure cell, the bracing member being moveable relative to the sealing portion and adapted to contact the first wall, wherein the bracing member is adapted to assume a deployed transverse position against the first wall such that the plate of the bracing member remains within the sealing portion; and

at least one actuating mechanism adapted to;

move the sealing portion toward the second wall and into contact with the second wall; and

move the bracing member away from the sealing portion and into contact with the first wall so as to brace the sealing portion against the second wall.