Vacuum processing chamber for very large area substrates

Abstract

A plasma reactor for PECVO treatment of large-size substrates according to the invention comprises a vacuum process chamber as an outer chamber and at least one inner reactor with an electrode showerhead acting as RF antenna, said inner reactor again comprising a reactor bottom and a reactor top, being sealingly connected at least during treatment of substrates in the plasma reactor and separated at least during loading / unloading of the substrates. Further embodiments comprise a sealing for said reactor to / bottom and a suspender for the RF antenna / electrode showerhead.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus for very large-area substrates, especially a PECVD processing chamber (respectively an internal reactor) with a planar deviation compensation mechanism. Background of the invention [0002] The present invention relates generally to large area PECVD processing chambers and in particular to such chambers which are themselves reenclosed within a second surrounding vacuum chamber. This "box-in-box" (Plasma Box TM ) are known in the art and described in US Patent No. 4,798,739. The main advantage of this "box within a box" is that a lower pressure can be maintained in the outer airtight chamber than in the inner reactor chamber, so that controlled gas flow can be maintained from the inner chamber to the outer chamber ("differential pumping"). A further advantage of this "box-in-box" system is that the internal chamber can be kept at a constant process temperature, typically around 250-350°C (isothermal reactor)...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, reactors reach larger and larger sizes and must comply with increasing deformation and expansion issues

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