CHAMBER ISOLATION VALVE RF GROUNDING

• US 20090090883A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,327,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/193
• 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

Embodiments described herein provide a method and apparatus for grounding a chamber isolation valve. 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; 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.

2. The chamber isolation valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrically conductive member is an electrically conductive elastomeric member and the electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises an elastomeric material having a volume resistivity after heat aging of no more than about 0.200 ohm-cm.

3. The chamber isolation valve of claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically conductive elastomeric member comprises a sealing member of the door.

4. The chamber isolation valve of claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically conductive 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.

5. The chamber isolation valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrically conductive member comprises a metallic material.

6. The chamber isolation valve of claim 5, wherein the metallic material comprises a conductive metal filler disposed in an elastomeric material.

7. 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

at least one electrically conductive surface comprising a conductive part of the bracing member that is 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 the at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system comprises an electrically conductive member.

8. The chamber isolation valve of claim 7, wherein the conductive part of the bracing member comprises one or more reaction bumpers.

9. The chamber isolation valve of claim 7, wherein the at least one 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.

10. The chamber isolation valve of claim 7, wherein the at least one electrically conductive member comprises a sealing member of the door.

11. The chamber isolation valve of claim 7, 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.

12. The chamber isolation valve of claim 7, wherein the at least one grounded component of the plasma processing system comprises a chamber opening sealing surface.

13. The chamber isolation valve of claim 7, wherein the at least one electrically conductive member comprises a metallic material.

14. 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; and

a conductive member disposed on and extending from the closure member, the conductive 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.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the closure member is disposed in a housing and the door and the bracing member are movable relative to the housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the conductive member comprises a sealing member disposed on the door.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the conductive member is coupled to the bracing member.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the conductive member comprises an elastomeric material.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the elastomeric material comprises an elastomeric extrusion.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the elastomeric extrusion is selected from the group consisting of an O-strip, a D-strip or a P-strip.