Chamber isolation valve RF grounding

• US 8,327,878 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Ke Ling, Kurita, Shinichi, Beer, Emanuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bastianelli, John
• Application Number:
  US12/333,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20090090883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 251/193, 251/195, 251/196, 277/919, 277/920, 137/554
• US Class Current: 137/554
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/0227 Packings
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/166 Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32844 Treating effluent gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/30 of perfluorocarbons [PFC], hydrofluorocarbons [HFC] or sulfur hexafluoride [SF6]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/919 Seal including electrical feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/92 Seal including electromagnetic shielding feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8242 Electrical

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for grounding a chamber isolation valve for a processing system are provided. In one embodiment, a grounded chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system is described. The chamber isolation valve includes a door and a bracing member movably attached to and opposing the door, and at least one electrically conductive member in electrical communication with the door, the at least one electrically conductive member comprising one or more reaction bumpers disposed on the bracing member that are adapted to contact at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system when the door is in the closed position.

Claims

1. A grounded chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system, comprising:

a door and a bracing member movably attached to and opposing the door;

at least one or more elastomeric door sealing members coupled to the door; and

at least one electrically conductive member in electrical communication with the door, the at least one electrically conductive member comprising a plurality of reaction bumpers disposed on a top and bottom of the bracing member that are adapted to contact at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system when the door is in the closed position while preventing direct contact between the bracing member and the at least one grounded component.

2. The chamber isolation valve of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric member is an elastomeric extrusion, wherein the elastomeric extrusion is selected from the group consisting of an O-strip, a D-strip or a P-strip.

3. The chamber isolation valve of claim 1, wherein the reaction bumper comprises a metallic material.

4. The chamber isolation valve of claim 3, wherein the metallic material comprises a conductive metal filler disposed in an elastomeric material.

5. A grounded chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system, comprising:

a door and a bracing member movably attached to and opposing the door; and

an elastomeric member coupled to the door; and

a plurality of electrically conductive surfaces disposed on the bracing member that are in electrical communication with the door and adapted to contact at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system when the door is in the closed position, wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive surfaces comprise an electrically conductive member.

6. The chamber isolation valve of claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive member comprises one or more reaction bumpers.

7. The chamber isolation valve of claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive member is an elastomeric extrusion, wherein the elastomeric extrusion is selected from the group consisting of an O-strip, a D-strip or a P-strip.

8. The chamber isolation valve of claim 5, wherein the elastomeric member comprises a sealing member of the door.

9. The chamber isolation valve of claim 5, wherein the door and bracing member are disposed in a valve housing and the at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system is a surface of the valve housing.

10. The chamber isolation valve of claim 5, wherein the at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system comprises a chamber opening sealing surface.

11. The chamber isolation valve of claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive member comprises a metallic material.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a closure member movably disposed between a first opening in a first chamber and a second opening in a second chamber, the closure member comprising;

a door; and

a bracing member, the door and the bracing member being movable relative to each other, the bracing member comprising a plurality of conductive members disposed thereon; and

an elastomeric door sealing member disposed on and extending from the door, the bracing member electrically coupling the door and a sealing surface proximate the first opening when the bracing member and the door are moved away from each other.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the closure member is disposed in a housing and the door and the bracing member are movable relative to the housing.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of conductive members comprise a reaction bumper.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a first portion of the plurality of conductive members comprises one or more reaction bumpers and a second portion of the plurality of conductive members comprises an elastomeric material.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the elastomeric material comprises an elastomeric extrusion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the elastomeric extrusion is selected from the group consisting of an O-strip, a D-strip or a P-strip.

18. A grounded chamber isolation valve for a plasma processing system, comprising:

a door and a bracing member movably attached to and opposing the door;

at least one elastomeric sealing members disposed on the door;

a plurality of reaction bumpers disposed on the bracing member that are adapted to buttress the door when the door is in the closed position; and

one or more electrically conductive members in electrical communication with the door comprising;

at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member disposed on the door adapted to contact at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system when the door is in the closed position to act as an electrical ground path for the door, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member does not protrude beyond the at least one or more elastomeric sealing member.

19. The chamber isolation valve of claim 18 further comprises a housing having an opening adapted to be sealed by the door, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member is disposed at a location below the at least one elastomeric sealing member and below the opening when the door is in a closed position.