LOAD LOCK DOOR ASSEMBLY, LOAD LOCK APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROCESSING SYSTEMS, AND METHODS

• US 20150311102A1
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Morey, Travis, Merry, Nir, Reuter, Paul B., Kremerman, Izya, Hudgens, Jeffrey C., Hruzek, Dean C., Weiss, Eran
• Granted Patent: US 10,278,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/00 Details of cabinets, racks or shelf units not covered by a single one of groups A47B43/00 - A47B95/00; General details of furniture doors E06B
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67201 characterized by the construction of the load-lock chamber

Abstract

A load lock door assembly with side actuation is disclosed. Load lock door assembly includes a load lock door and a door support assembly coupled thereto. Door support assembly includes one or more pivot members pivotable relative to one or more sides of the load lock body, a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door, one or more separator side actuators coupled between the door support bracket being actuatable to separate the load lock door from a sealing surface, and one or more pivot side actuator operable to pivot the load lock door above or below the load lock entry. Load lock apparatus with side actuation, systems including one or more load lock door assemblies with side actuation, and methods of operating load lock door assemblies are provided, as are numerous other aspects.

Claims

1. A load lock door assembly, comprising:

a load lock door adapted to seal against a sealing surface proximate to a load lock entry of a load lock body; and

a door support assembly coupled to the load lock door, the door support assembly including;

one or more pivot member operatively pivotable relative to one or more sides of the load lock body,

a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door,

one or more separator side actuator coupled between the door support bracket the one or more pivot member and actuatable to separate the load lock door from the sealing surface, and

one or more pivot side actuator operable to pivot the load lock door.

2. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, wherein the load lock door and the door support assembly are housed in a factory interface chamber.

3. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, comprising a first separator side actuator on a first side of the load lock body.

4. The load lock door assembly of claim 3, comprising a second separator side actuator on a second side of the load lock body.

5. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more separator side actuator coupled between the door support bracket the pivot member is actuatable to open a first lateral side of the load lock door before a second side of the load lock door.

6. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, wherein the load lock door is first separable using the one or more separator side actuator and then pivotable using the one or more pivot side actuator.

7. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, comprising:

a first pivot member on a first side of the load lock body,

a first separator side actuator on a first side of the load lock body;

a first pivot side actuator on a first side of the load lock body;

a second pivot member on a second side of the load lock body,

a second separator side actuator on a second side of the load lock body; and

a second pivot side actuator on a second side of the load lock body.

8. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, comprising a linear slide configured and operative to allow translation of the door support bracket relative to the pivot member.

9. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, wherein the pivot member comprises a first slide portion configured and operative to slidably receive a second slide portion of the door support bracket, a first actuation support adapted to couple to the separator side actuator, and a second actuation support adapted to couple to the pivot side actuator.

10. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, wherein the door support bracket comprises a pivot joint allowing first side of the load lock door to be opened before a second side of the load lock door.

11. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, wherein the door support bracket comprises a flexibility allowing first side of the load lock door to be opened before a second side of the load lock door.

12. The load lock door assembly of claim 1, wherein the door support bracket and load lock door pivot about a vertical axis.

13. A load lock apparatus, comprising:

a load lock chamber adapted to be coupled to, and accessed from, a transfer chamber of a mainframe housing and a factory interface chamber, the load lock chamber formed in a load lock body having first side and a second side, a load lock entry, and a sealing surface proximate the entry; and

a load lock door assembly operable with the load lock entry, the load lock door assembly including;

a load lock door, and

a door support assembly coupled between the load lock door and the load lock body, the door support assembly including;

a pivot bracket operatively pivotable relative to the first side,

a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door,

a separator side actuator on the first side operable between the door support bracket and the pivot bracket to separate the load lock door, and

a pivot side actuator operable between the pivot bracket and the load lock body to pivot the load lock door.

14. An electronic device processing system, comprising:

a mainframe housing including a transfer chamber housing a robot configured to move substrates;

a factory interface having a factory interface chamber; and

a load lock apparatus coupled to the mainframe housing and the factory interface, the load lock apparatus including a load lock body and load lock chamber, the load lock chamber accessible from the transfer chamber and the factory interface chamber, a load lock door assembly operable to seal an entry into the load lock chamber from the factory interface chamber, the load lock door assembly including;

a load lock door sealable against a sealing surface proximate to the entry; and

a door support assembly coupled to the load lock door, the door support assembly including;

one or more pivot member operatively pivotable relative to one or more sides of the load lock body,

a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door,

one or more separator side actuator coupled between the door support bracket and the one or more pivot member and actuatable to separate the load lock door from the sealing surface, and

one or more pivot side actuator operable to pivot the load lock door.

15. A method of operating a load lock door assembly, comprising:

providing a load lock door assembly including a load lock door sealable against a sealing surface proximate to a load lock entry, and a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door;

actuating one or more separator side actuator coupled to the door support bracket to separate the load lock door from the sealing surface; and

actuating one or more pivot side actuator to pivot the load lock door.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the actuating one or more separator side actuator comprises:

first actuating a first side actuator; and

a second actuating a second side actuator wherein a first lateral side of the load lock door opens before a second lateral side of the load lock door.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the actuating one or more pivot side actuator to pivot the load lock door comprises action of the one or more pivot side actuator to pivot a pivot member.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the actuating one or more separator side actuator comprises sliding the door support bracket relative to a pivot member on a slide mechanism.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the actuating one or more pivot side actuator comprises pivoting a pivot member on a side of a load lock body.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the actuating one or more separator side actuator comprises pivoting a pivot joint of the door support bracket.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including contents that are configured to cause a processor of a controller to perform a method of operating a load lock door assembly, comprising:

providing a load lock door assembly including a load lock door sealable against a sealing surface proximate to a load lock entry, and a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door;

sending a signal from the controller to actuate one or more separator side actuator coupled to the door support bracket to separate the load lock door from the sealing surface; and

sending a signal from the controller to actuate one or more pivot side actuator to pivot the load lock door.