Slit valve having increased flow uniformity

• US 8,377,213 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Balasubramanyam, Chandrasekhar, Lee, Helder, Schwartz, Miriam, Wu, Elizabeth, Sangam, Kedarnath
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh, Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ford, Nathan K
• Application Number:
  US12/114,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20090272324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 118/733
• US Class Current: 118/733
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4401 Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45519 Inert gas curtains
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/147 the closure elements having specially formed slits or being of an elongated easily collapsible form
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67772 involving removal of lid, door, cover

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for increasing flow uniformity are provided herein. In some embodiments, a slit valve having increased flow uniformity may be provided, the slit valve may include a housing having an opening disposed therethrough, the opening configured to allow a substrate to pass therethrough; a gas inlet formed in the housing; an outer plenum disposed in the housing and coupled to the gas inlet; an inner plenum disposed in the housing and coupled to the outer plenum via a plurality of holes; and a plurality of gas outlets disposed in the housing and fluidly coupling the opening to the inner plenum.

Claims

1. A slit valve, comprising:

a housing having an opening disposed therethrough, the opening configured to allow a substrate to pass therethrough;

a gas inlet formed in the housing;

an outer plenum disposed in the housing and coupled to the gas inlet;

an inner plenum disposed in the housing and coupled to the outer plenum via a plurality of holes; and

a plurality of gas outlets disposed in the housing and fluidly coupling the opening to the inner plenum.

2. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the outer plenum circumscribes the inner plenum.

3. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are substantially equidistantly distributed about a sidewall of the inner plenum.

4. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are offset from the plurality of gas outlets.

5. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas outlets comprises about 20 gas outlets.

6. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are substantially equidistantly distributed about a sidewall of the inner plenum.

7. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are offset from the plurality of gas outlets.

8. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a recess disposed proximate the opening, wherein the inner and outer plenums are disposed within the recess.

9. The slit valve of claim 8, further comprising:

an insert disposed within the recess and having a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base such that the inner plenum is disposed within the plurality of sidewalls and the outer plenum is disposed between the plurality of sidewalls of the insert and sidewalls of the recess, wherein the plurality of holes that couple the inner and outer plenums are disposed in the plurality of sidewalls of the insert.

10. The slit valve of claim 8, wherein the gas outlets are disposed within a lower surface of the recess between the opening and the inner plenum.

11. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:

a process chamber; and

a slit valve coupled to the process chamber, the slit valve comprising;

a housing having an opening disposed therethrough, the opening configured to allow a substrate to pass therethrough;

a gas inlet formed in the housing;

an outer plenum disposed in the housing and coupled to the gas inlet;

an inner plenum disposed in the housing and coupled to the outer plenum via a plurality of holes; and

a plurality of gas outlets disposed in the housing and fluidly coupling the opening to the inner plenum.

12. The slit valve of claim 11, wherein the outer plenum circumscribes the inner plenum.

13. The slit valve of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a recess disposed proximate the opening, wherein the inner and outer plenums are disposed within the recess.

14. The slit valve of claim 13, further comprising:

an insert disposed within the recess and having a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending from the base such that the inner plenum is disposed within the plurality of sidewalls and the outer plenum is disposed between the plurality of sidewalls of the insert and sidewalls of the recess.

15. The slit valve of claim 13, wherein the gas outlets are disposed within a lower surface of the recess between the opening and the inner plenum.