Methods and apparatus for providing a floating seal having an isolated sealing surface for chamber doors

• US 8,648,977 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Leung, Billy C., Berkstresser, David E., Kurita, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): PERREAULT, ANDREW D
• Application Number:
  US11/194,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20060028596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,116 Days
• Field of Search: 220/378, 220/216, 349/58, 277/315, 277/312, 277/300, 277/628
• US Class Current: 349/58
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 53/00 Sealing or packing elements sealings in general F16J15/00; Sealings formed by liquid or plastics material
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/232 Resilient strips of hard material, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67772 involving removal of lid, door, cover

Abstract

A method is provided that includes isolating a sealing surface from a chamber wall of a chamber and sealing the chamber between the sealing surface and the chamber wall. An apparatus is provided that includes a chamber wall section prone to deflection, a stationary section providing a sealing surface, and a flexible bellows attached to the chamber wall section and the stationary section. A system is also provided that includes a chamber including a chamber wall having an opening, a door disposed to seal the opening, a sealing surface adjacent the opening and isolated from the chamber wall, and a seal between the sealing surface and the chamber wall. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a chamber having a chamber wall, the chamber wall including a chamber opening for a doorway;

providing a flexible seat around the chamber opening such that at least one gap is formed between the flexible seat and the chamber wall;

mounting a sealing surface for a door on the flexible seat such that the gap is between the sealing surface and the chamber wall;

sealing the at least one gap between the sealing surface and the chamber wall;

wherein;

the at least one gap includes a first horizontal gap above the chamber opening and a second horizontal gap below the chamber opening; and

the first and second gaps are formed of sufficient size to accommodate a largest pre-determined amount of chamber wall deflection and to span a width of the chamber opening.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one gap spans along a major dimension of the chamber opening.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein sealing the at least one gap includes using a bellows to seal the at least one gap between the sealing surface and the chamber wall.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein using a bellows includes using a bellows constructed of a molded compound.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein using a bellows includes using a flexible metal bellows.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein using a flexible metal bellows includes using a metal bellows that is flexible in a direction of anticipated deflection of the chamber wall.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein using a bellows includes using a flexible metal bellows having a corner block at each end.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein using a bellows includes using a single-piece bellows having a length of approximately 1550 mm, a height of approximately 8 mm, and a depth of approximately 12 mm.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one gap is approximately 8 mm between the sealing surface and the chamber wall.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a distance from the chamber opening to the at least one gap is approximately 25 mm.