Slit valve having increased flow uniformity

• US 9,423,042 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• 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:
  US13/764,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20130153807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 door to selectively open and close the opening of the slit valve;

a gas inlet formed in the housing;

a plenum disposed in the housing, wherein the gas inlet is coupled to a longitudinal end of the plenum, and wherein the volume of the plenum increases in a direction moving away from the gas inlet;

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

a counterbore disposed on a plenum side of one or more of the gas outlets.

2. The slit valve of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of counterbores, one each in a plenum side of each of the one or more of the gas outlets, wherein at least one counterbore has a volume that is different than a volume of at least one other counterbore.

3. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas outlets comprises up to about 96 gas outlets.

4. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas outlets are arranged in one or more rows.

5. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a recess disposed proximate the opening and a plate disposed atop the recess to define the plenum.

6. The slit valve of claim 5, wherein the plurality of gas outlets are disposed within a lower surface of the recess between the opening and the plenum.

7. The slit valve of claim 1, wherein each gas outlet includes a counterbore disposed on the plenum side of the gas outlet, and wherein a diameter of the counterbores increases in a direction moving away from the gas inlet.

8. A slit valve, comprising:

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

a door to selectively open and close the opening of the slit valve;

a gas inlet formed in the housing;

a plenum disposed in the housing, wherein the gas inlet is coupled to a longitudinal end of the plenum, and wherein the volume of the plenum increases in a direction moving away from the gas inlet; and

a plurality of gas outlets disposed in the housing and fluidly coupling the opening to the plenum, wherein at least one gas outlet has a volume that is different than a volume of at least one other gas outlet.

9. The slit valve of claim 8, wherein the plurality of gas outlets further comprise a plurality of zones, each zone comprising one or more gas outlets, and wherein each gas outlet in a first zone has a volume that is different than a volume of each of the gas outlets disposed in at least one other zone.

10. The slit valve of claim 9, wherein a diameter of the plurality of gas outlets increases from zone-to-zone of the plurality of zones in a direction moving away from the gas inlet.

11. The slit valve of claim 9, wherein gas outlets within each zone of the plurality of zones each comprise a counterbore, and wherein the counterbores in any given zone have a same volume that is different than a volume of counterbores disposed in at least one other zone.

12. The slit valve of claim 11, wherein a diameter of the counterbores increases from zone-to-zone of the plurality of zones in a direction moving away from the gas inlet.

13. 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 door to selectively open and close the opening of the slit valve;

a gas inlet formed in the housing;

a plenum disposed in the housing and coupled to the gas inlet, wherein the as inlet is coupled to a longitudinal end of the plenum, and wherein the volume of the plenum increases in a direction moving away from the gas inlet;

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

a counterbore disposed on a plenum side of one or more of the gas outlets.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of gas outlets further comprise a plurality of zones, each zone comprising one or more gas outlets, and wherein each gas outlet in a first zone has a volume that is different than a volume of each of the gas outlets disposed in at least one other zone.

15. The slit valve of claim 14, wherein a diameter of the plurality of gas outlets increases from zone-to-zone of the plurality of zones in a direction moving away from the gas inlet.

16. The slit valve of claim 14, wherein gas outlets within each zone of the plurality of zones each comprise a counterbore, and wherein the counterbores in any given zone have a same volume that is different than a volume of counterbores disposed in at least one other zone.

17. The slit valve of claim 16, wherein a diameter of the counterbores increases from zone-to-zone in a direction moving away from the gas inlet.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one gas outlet has a volume that is different than a volume of at least one other gas outlet.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of counterbores, one each in a plenum side of each of the one or more of the gas outlets, wherein at least one counterbore has a volume that is different than a volume of at least one other counterbore.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a door configured to selectively open or close the slit valve to isolate an inner volume of the process chamber.