Slit valve gate, slit valve, and method of manufacturing slit valve gate

Abstract

A slit valve gate is disclosed. The slit valve gate includes a base portion configured to couple to a slit valve actuator. The slit valve gate further includes a seal portion coupled to the base portion. The seal portion is configured to establish an air-tight seal between the slit valve gate and a sealing surface of a slit valve opening. The slit valve gate further includes a clamp portion coupled to the base portion. The clamp portion at least partially retains the seal portion between the clamp portion and the base portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of substrate processing systems, and more specifically to multi-piece slit valve gates. Background Technology

[0002] Substrates are typically processed in vacuum processing systems. These systems include one or more chambers, each performing a substrate processing operation (such as etching, chemical vapor deposition, or physical vapor deposition), which may include heating or cooling of the substrate and plasma to assist the process. Typically, the environment within such processing chambers is maintained at a low sub-atmospheric pressure. Each chamber includes an inlet and outlet for evacuation equipment and processing gas admission, and a slit controlled by a slit valve to receive the substrate. Such processing chambers may communicate with a substrate transfer chamber, which may also have a valve-controlled slit through which the substrate can be received from outside the system.

[0003] A slit valve that opens and closes a gap is typically housed within a port positioned between adjacent chambers. The port typically houses at least one gate coupled to an actuator for actuating the gate. The actuator may be a pneumatic actuator comprising one or more pistons for moving the gate from an open position (in which the gate does not isolate one chamber from an adjacent chamber and the gap is open) to a closed position (in which the gate isolates one chamber from an adjacent chamber and the gap is closed), and vice versa. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In some embodiments, this disclosure relates to a slit valve gate including a base portion configured to couple to a slit valve actuator. The slit valve gate further includes a sealing portion coupled to the base portion. The sealing portion is configured to establish an airtight seal between the slit valve gate and a sealing surface of a slit valve opening. The slit valve gate further includes a clamping portion coupled to the base portion. The clamping portion at least partially retains the sealing portion between the clamping portion and the base portion.

[0005] In some embodiments, this disclosure relates to a slit valve including a slit valve opening and a slit valve actuator. The slit valve further includes a slit valve gate coupled to the slit valve actuator. The slit valve gate is configured to seal the slit valve opening in response to the slit valve actuator moving the slit valve gate to a closed position. The slit valve gate includes a base portion. The slit valve gate is coupled to the slit valve actuator via the base portion. The slit valve gate further includes a sealing portion coupled to the base portion. The sealing portion is configured to establish an airtight seal between the slit valve gate and a sealing surface of the slit valve opening in response to the slit valve actuator moving the slit valve gate to a closed position. The slit valve gate further includes a clamping portion coupled to the base portion. The clamping portion at least partially holds the sealing portion between the clamping portion and the base portion.

[0006] In some embodiments, this disclosure relates to a method. The method includes coupling a sealing portion of a slit valve gate to a base portion of the slit valve gate. The sealing portion is configured to establish an airtight seal between the slit valve gate and a sealing surface of a slit valve opening. The method further includes coupling a clamping portion of the slit valve gate to the base portion. Coupling the clamping portion to the base portion causes the clamping portion to retain the sealing portion at least partially between the clamping portion and the base portion. Attached Figure Description

[0007] This disclosure is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example and not limitation, wherein like reference numerals indicate similar elements. It should be noted that different references to “an” or “one” embodiments in this disclosure do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and such references imply at least one embodiment.

[0008] Figure 1 The figure shows a top view of a wafer processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 The illustration shows a simplified perspective view of a slit valve device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3A The figure shows a simplified perspective view of a slit valve gate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3B The figure shows a simplified perspective view of an exploded slit valve gate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figures 4A to 4B The figure shows a cross-sectional view of a slit valve gate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a slit valve gate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Semiconductor substrates and other substrates are typically processed in vacuum processing chambers and transferred between one or more chambers through slits controlled by slit valve assemblies. These slit valve assemblies typically include at least one gate coupled to an actuator for actuating the gate. The actuator may be a full-stroke pneumatic actuator comprising one or more pistons for moving the gate from an open position (in which the gate does not isolate one chamber from an adjacent chamber) to a closed position (in which the gate isolates one chamber from an adjacent chamber) and vice versa. Other types of actuators may also be used.

[0015] Slit valve assemblies typically include a seal bonded to a base portion of the gate. Traditionally, the seal is overmolded to the base portion. This makes it difficult to easily replace the seals of conventional slit valve gates. When the seal of a conventional slit valve gate fails, the entire gate assembly must be replaced. Furthermore, due to the overmolded nature of the conventional slit valve gate seals, adding a protective coating to the slit valve gate is difficult. For example, to apply a protective coating to a conventional slit valve gate, the sealing surface of the bonded seal is masked. Masking the bonded seal adds complexity and cost to the manufacturing process of the slit valve gate.

[0016] This disclosure relates to a multi-piece slit valve gate, comprising a base portion, a sealing portion, and a clamping portion. In some embodiments, the slit valve gate is configured to be coupled to a slit valve actuator via the base portion. The sealing portion of the slit valve gate (e.g., a seal, an elastomeric seal, etc.) is coupled to the base portion. When the actuator moves the slit valve gate to a closed position (e.g., moves the slit valve gate to cover and seal the slit valve opening), the seal is configured to establish an airtight seal between the slit valve gate and the slit valve opening. The seal thus seals the slit valve opening. The seal is held in the base portion by the clamping portion. The clamping portion is coupled to the base portion (e.g., by one or more mechanical fasteners). The seal is held between the clamping portion and the base portion. In some embodiments, the clamping portion includes a flange that holds the seal in a groove formed by the clamping portion and the base portion.

[0017] Many advancements are achieved by providing the multi-piece slit gate described herein. For example, unlike conventional slit gates, multiple components of the slit gate described herein (e.g., base portion, clamping portion, etc.) can be individually coated with a protective coating. This allows the protective coating to be applied to the components of the slit gate, thereby optimizing resistance to harmful gases or environments exposed to the slit gate. The protective coating can be applied without the masking required for coating conventional slit gates. Furthermore, unlike the seals of conventional slit gates, the sealing portions of the slit gate described herein can be individually replaced (e.g., the seal can be replaced without replacing the remaining portions of the slit gate). This allows for less equipment downtime and lower costs compared to conventional slit gates. Moreover, the slit gate described herein provides increased sealing capability compared to conventional slit gates. As an example, multi-piece slit gates can better prevent contaminants from entering or exiting, at least in part because the sealing parts can be replaced once they begin to degrade, compared to conventional slit gates, thus providing a better environment for substrate processing and reducing material consumption (e.g., gases).

[0018] Figure 1 The figure shows a top view of a substrate processing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to the embodiments described herein, the substrate processing system 100 may include a factory interface 162 (also referred to as an "equipment front end module (EFEM)"), a mainframe 150 (also referred to as a transfer chamber), one or more processing chambers 155, and one or more loading locking chambers 156. The mainframe 150 may be connected to the factory interface 162 via one or more loading locking chambers 156. A substrate carrier 164 may be detachably attached to the front wall of the factory interface 162. The factory interface 162 may include a factory interface robot 161 for moving a substrate 101 (shown in dashed lines for illustrative purposes) and / or other objects (such as process accessory rings, etc.) between the substrate carrier 164 and the loading locking chambers 156. For example, the factory interface 162 may include one or more loading ports, each capable of receiving the substrate carrier 164. An overhead track (OHT) lowers a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) onto the loading port. A factory interface robot 161 picks up substrate 101 from the FOUP and can optionally align substrate 101 in an aligner (not shown). The factory interface robot 161 then places substrate 101 into a loading locking chamber 156. Subsequently, a host robot 150 (located in the host 150) picks up substrate 101 from at least one of the loading locking chambers 156 and delivers substrate 101 to at least one of one or more processing chambers 155.

[0019] As the manufacturing process proceeds, the in-tandem factory interface robot 161 and host robot 150 can move the substrate 101 and / or other objects between the substrate carrier 164 and the processing chamber 155. Various electronic device manufacturing processes (e.g., semiconductor device manufacturing processes, such as oxidation, film deposition, etching, heat treatment, degassing, cooling, etc.) can occur within the process chamber 155.

[0020] After processing is completed in at least one of one or more processor chambers 155, the processed substrate 101 can be picked up by the host robot 150 and transferred to at least one of the loading and locking chambers 156. The loading and locking chamber 156 can be pressurized to atmospheric pressure, after which the processed substrate 101 is picked up by the factory interface robot 161 and placed back into the FOUP. After all substrates from the substrate carrier 164 have been processed, the OHT (not shown) can pick up the FOUP and place it down using different tools according to the designed manufacturing process.

[0021] The substrate 101 and / or other objects are transferred between one station and an adjacent station via at least one gate (e.g., between host 150 and processing chamber 155, between loading locking chamber 156 and host, between factory interface 162 and loading locking chamber 156, and the like), said at least one gate being part of a slit valve assembly that can be accommodated in port 175. Relative to Figure 2 A slit valve assembly according to certain embodiments is described in further detail. Each slit valve (or gate) is capable of transitioning from a closed position to an open position and vice versa. In the closed position, the slit valve (or gate) isolates one station from an adjacent station. In the open position, the slit valve (or gate) does not isolate one station from an adjacent station, and an object can be conveyed from one station to an adjacent station through the open slits on both opposite sides of port 175. The slit valve may include a multi-piece gate as described in some embodiments herein (e.g., the gate may include a sealing portion coupled to a base portion).

[0022] As used herein, the term "station" refers to a chamber in which objects (such as wafers) transported via a wafer processing system can be temporarily stored. A station, as used herein, can be separated from other parts of the substrate processing system using at least one gate.

[0023] Figure 2 The illustration shows a simplified perspective view of a slit valve device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The slit valve device may include a valve that can be accommodated in... Figure 1The slit valve assembly 200 is shown in port 175. In some embodiments, the slit valve device includes a plurality of slit valve assemblies, each of which is housed in one of the ports 175.

[0024] In some embodiments, the slit valve assembly 200 includes at least one gate 210 configured to switch between an open position and a closed position (e.g., as shown in the figure). Figure 2 (As shown in the diagram). The slit valve assembly 200 may further include a slit valve control mechanism, the mechanism including at least one actuator 215 coupled to the gate 210 via a movable member. The actuator 215 may be configured to apply force to the gate 210. In some embodiments, the actuator 215 is a pneumatic actuator configured to pneumatically move the gate 210 from an open position to a closed position, or vice versa. In some embodiments, the actuator 215 is an electric actuator, a mechanical actuator, or other types of actuator.

[0025] In the closed position (e.g., as Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, the slit valve gate 210 can seal an opening formed in surface 270. The opening formed in surface 270 can be a slit valve opening as described herein. The sealing portion of gate 210 can abut against the sealing surface of surface 270 to establish an airtight seal. In some embodiments, the sealing portion can elastically deform when actuator 215 moves gate 210 to the closed position. This elastic deformation of the sealing portion establishes an airtight seal as described herein. The airtight seal prevents contaminants or gases from passing through the slit valve opening.

[0026] Figure 3A The figure shows a simplified perspective view of a slit valve gate 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3B The figure shows a simplified perspective view of an exploded slit valve gate 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the slit valve gate 300 includes a base portion 310, a sealing portion 320 (e.g., a seal), and / or a clamping portion 330. In many embodiments, the slit valve gate 300 is configured to couple to a slit valve actuator (e.g., Figure 2 (Actuator 215). In some instances, the base portion 310 may be configured to be coupled to the actuator via a mounting interface 312 (e.g., directly or indirectly via a movable member). In some embodiments, the mounting interface 312 is or includes holes and / or recesses formed in the base portion 310.

[0027] The base portion may include a lip 316 surrounding a recess 315. The recess 315 may be configured to receive a clamping portion 330. In some embodiments, the base portion 310 forms a plurality of holes 314 through which fasteners 340 may pass to secure (e.g., fasten) the clamping portion 330 to the base portion 310. In some embodiments, each of the holes 314 is surrounded by a seal (e.g., an O-ring seal) to seal the hole 314. The clamping portion 330 may form corresponding holes (e.g., corresponding to holes 314) to receive the fasteners 340. In some embodiments, the clamping portion 330 is coupled to the base portion 310 via one or more fasteners 340. In some embodiments, the fasteners 340 are screws, bolts, or other threaded fasteners. In some embodiments, the clamping portion 330 is coupled to the base portion 310 via a welded joint, a soldered joint, and / or a brazed joint.

[0028] In some embodiments, the base portion 310 forms an alignment groove 318 to receive a corresponding alignment pin 334 of the clamping portion 330. In some embodiments, the clamping portion 330 includes one or more alignment pins 334 projecting from a surface of the clamping portion 330. In some instances, the clamping portion 330 includes a first alignment pin 334 near a first distal end and a second alignment pin 334 near a second distal end. The alignment pins 334 and the alignment groove 318 are used to align the clamping portion 330 relative to the base portion 310 when the clamping portion 330 is coupled to the base portion 310. Each of the alignment pins 334 may fit into a corresponding groove (e.g., alignment groove 318) formed in the base portion 310. In other embodiments, the base portion 310 may include one or more alignment pins, and the clamping portion 330 may include one or more grooves aligned with the alignment pins to align the clamping portion to the base portion.

[0029] In some embodiments, the clamping portion 330 is configured to retain the sealing portion 320. A flange 332 (e.g., the flange of the clamping portion 330) and a lip 316 (e.g., the lip of the base portion 310) retain the sealing portion 320. The flange 332 may extend from the surface of the clamping portion 330 around the outer periphery of the clamping portion 330. In some embodiments, when the clamping portion 330 is coupled to the base portion 310, the flange 332 and the lip 316 may substantially form a groove to retain the sealing portion 320. In some embodiments, the lip 316 and the flange 332 together form a dovetail groove, as described below. In other embodiments, the lip 316 and the flange 332 may together form a groove having other cross-sectional shapes, such as an inverted T-shaped groove, an L-shaped groove, a hemispherical groove, a circular groove, etc.

[0030] In some embodiments, the sealing portion 320 is an elastomeric seal. The sealing portion 320 may be made of materials such as rubber, silicone, plastic, expanded foam, fluoropolymers, or other suitable polymers and / or elastomers. The sealing portion 320 may have a cross-sectional profile as described below (e.g., see reference...). Figures 4A to 4B In some embodiments, the sealing portion 320 may have a circular profile (e.g., similar to an O-ring). Alternatively, the sealing portion 320 may have other cross-sectional profiles, such as an inverted T-shape, L-shape, hemispherical shape, circular shape, etc. In some embodiments, the sealing portion 320 may be hollow (e.g., may form an internal cavity). Including an internal cavity within the sealing portion 320 can cause the sealing portion 320 to be more flexible compared to a seal that does not include an internal cavity (e.g., solid). In some embodiments, the sealing portion 320 may be at least partially compressed when pushed against a sealing surface (e.g., when an actuator moves the slit valve gate 300 to the closed position) and may form an airtight seal. In some embodiments, the sealing portion 320 may substantially fill a groove (e.g., a dovetail groove) formed by the clamping portion 330 and the base portion 310.

[0031] In some embodiments, the base portion 310 and / or the clamping portion 330 are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, steel alloys, stainless steel, nickel alloys, titanium, ceramics, and / or plastics. The base portion 310 and the clamping portion 330 may be made of different materials. In some examples, the base portion 310 may be made of aluminum, while the clamping portion 330 may be made of stainless steel. The materials of the base portion 310 and / or the clamping portion 330 may be selected based on the specific coating to be applied to each of the components, and / or based on the environment in which each of the components may be exposed (e.g., corrosive environments, plasma environments, etc.). The materials of the base portion 310 and / or the clamping portion 330 may be selected to have complementary coefficients of thermal expansion. In some examples, the base portion 310 is made of a material having a similar (e.g., substantially similar) coefficient of thermal expansion to the material of the clamping portion 330. In some embodiments, at least one surface of the base portion 310 and / or at least one surface of the clamping portion 330 is polished. In some embodiments, the surface of the base portion 310 and / or the surface of the clamping portion are electropolished.

[0032] In some embodiments, the substrate portion 310 and / or the clamping portion 330 include a coating (e.g., a protective coating). The coating may cover at least one surface of the substrate portion 310 and / or at least one surface of the clamping portion 330. In some embodiments, the coating is a corrosion-resistant protective coating and / or a plasma-resistant protective coating. In some embodiments, the coating is a nickel-plated coating and / or anodized coating. The coating may be an electroplated coating. In some embodiments, the coating is an oxide coating. The coating may be selectively applied to either the substrate portion 310 or the clamping portion 330. In some embodiments, the substrate portion 310 includes a first coating, and the clamping portion 330 includes a second coating. In some embodiments, the first coating may be different from the second coating. The coating may be optimized for the environment in which the slit valve gate operates.

[0033] In some embodiments, the coating is deposited using techniques such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), ion-assisted deposition (IAD), plasma spraying (PS), low-pressure plasma spraying (LPPS), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma spray chemical vapor deposition (PS-CVD), sputtering, and combinations thereof, or other techniques suitable for forming conformal coatings or modifications thereof. In some embodiments, the coating comprises a ceramic material resistant to corrosion by process gases or reactive species. For example, in some embodiments, the coating may comprise a plasma-resistant ceramic coating containing rare-earth ceramics selected from Y₂O₃, YZrO, Y₂O₃ ... x Zr y O z YZrOF, Y3Al5O 12 Y4Al2O9, YF3, Y x O y F z YOF, Er2O3, Er3Al5O 12 ErF3, E x O y F z ErOF, La2O3, Lu2O3, Sc2O3, ScF3, ScOF, Gd2O3, Sm2O3, Dy2O3, Y2O3-ZrO2 solid solutions, ceramics containing Y2Al4O9 and Y2O3-ZrO2 solid solutions, amorphous phases containing mixtures of Al2O3 and Y2O3, or combinations thereof.

[0034] In some embodiments, the coating comprises Al2O3. In one embodiment, the coating comprises Al2O3 deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD).

[0035] In some embodiments, the coating is generally of uniform thickness, conforms to the underlying surface being coated, is non-porous and crack-free, acts as a barrier against the diffusion of metallic contaminants, and has high purity (e.g., greater than about 99% purity, or greater than about 99.95% purity). In some embodiments, ALD can be advantageously used to coat the entire dimensions of sensor assemblies. In some embodiments, the coating is resistant to cracking and / or delamination at a variety of temperatures, such as up to 350°C.

[0036] In some implementations, when the coating thickness at one location is compared to the coating thickness at another location (or when the coating thickness at one location is compared to the average thickness of the coating, or when the standard deviation of the coating thickness across several locations is evaluated), the coating may have a uniform thickness with a thickness variation of less than about + / -20%, less than about + / -10%, or less than about + / -5%.

[0037] In some embodiments, the coating may conform to the underlying surface being coated, including underlying surface features and / or complex geometries and / or coated portions having a high aspect ratio. For example, the coating may conformally and uniformly coat portions having a high aspect ratio, such as length:width (L:W) or length:diameter (L:D) ratios ranging from about 2:1 to about 500:1, from about 5:1 to about 300:1, from about 10:1 to about 150:1, from about 15:1 to about 100:1, or from about 20:1 to about 50:1.

[0038] In some embodiments, the coating may be very dense and have very low porosity, such as less than about 1%, less than about 0.5%, less than about 0.1%, or no porosity (0% porosity). In some embodiments, the coating may have a crack-free microstructure, hermeticity, and high dielectric breakdown resistance.

[0039] In some implementations, the coating can be deposited at low deposition temperatures, such as up to 350°C, which allows the coating to be used with a variety of materials.

[0040] Figures 4A to 4B The figure shows a cross-sectional view of a slit valve gate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4A The diagram shows a slit valve gate 400A in the closed position. Figure 4B A detailed view of the groove 436 of the slit valve gate 400B is shown. Reference numerals similar to those in other figures are included. Figures 4A to 4B Some features in it may have, for example Figures 4A to 4B Those same properties, functions, and / or structures.

[0041] See Figure 4A The clamping portion 430 and the base portion 410 of the slit valve gate 400A can retain the sealing portion 420. The sealing portion 420 can abut against the sealing surface 470 surrounding the slit valve opening 472 (e.g., when the slit valve gate 400A is in the closed position). The sealing portion 420 can establish an airtight seal in response to the slit valve gate 400A moving to the closed position (e.g., by an actuator). In some embodiments, the base portion 410 can correspond to Figures 3A to 3B The base portion 310 and the sealing portion 420 can correspond to Figures 3A to 3B The sealing portion 320, and / or the clamping portion 430 may correspond to Figures 3A to 3B The clamping part 330.

[0042] See Figure 4B A flange 432 extending from the surface of the clamping portion 430, together with a lip 416 of the base portion 410, retains the sealing portion 420 in the groove 436. In some embodiments, when the clamping portion 430 is coupled to the base portion 410, the clamping portion 430 and the base portion 410 generally form a groove (e.g., groove 436). In some instances, the base portion 410 forms a first portion of the groove 436, and the clamping portion 430 forms a second portion of the groove 436. In some instances, the flange 432 forms a portion of the groove 436 (e.g., a first wall), and the lip 416 forms another portion of the groove 436 (e.g., an opposing second wall). The groove 436 may be a dovetail groove, such as... Figure 4B As shown and described herein, groove 436 may have another cross-sectional shape as described herein. Sealing portion 420 may substantially conform to groove 436.

[0043] In some embodiments, the sealing portion 420 has an approximately trapezoidal cross-section. In some embodiments, the sealing portion 420 has an approximately triangular cross-section. In some embodiments, the sealing portion 420 has an approximately T-shaped cross-section. In some embodiments, the sealing portion 420 has a circular (e.g., substantially circular) cross-section. The cross-section of the sealing portion 420 may have substantially rounded corners. In some embodiments, the cross-section of the sealing portion 420 may include two shoulders 421A. A rounded portion 421B may protrude from the shoulders 421A. When the slit valve gate moves to the closed position, the rounded portion 421B may contact the sealing surface 470. The sealing portion 420 may substantially fill the groove formed by the base portion 410 and the clamping portion 430 (e.g., the groove formed by the lip 416 and the flange 432), and may include a portion protruding above the surface of the clamping portion 430. In some instances, the cross-sectional shape of the sealing portion 420 conforms (generally conforms) to the groove 436 formed by the base portion 410 and the clamping portion 430.

[0044] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a method 500 for manufacturing a slit valve gate according to an embodiment of this disclosure. In some embodiments, method 500 may be performed mechanically (e.g., assembly machinery, robotic machinery, etc.) and / or by a technician (e.g., user, engineer, assembler, person, etc.). In some embodiments, method 500 is performed by and / or caused by processing logic, said processing logic including hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, processing device, etc.), software (such as instructions that run on a processing device, general-purpose computer system, or dedicated machine), firmware, microcode, or a combination of the foregoing.

[0045] For the sake of simplicity, method 500 is depicted and described as a series of operations. However, operations according to this disclosure may occur in various sequences and / or together with other operations not presented and described herein. Furthermore, in some embodiments, not all of the operations shown are performed to implement method 500 according to the disclosed subject matter. Moreover, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that method 500 may alternatively be represented by a state diagram or events as a series of interrelated states.

[0046] At block 510, a sealing portion (e.g., a seal) of the slit gate is coupled to (e.g., as described herein) the base portion of the slit gate (or inserted into or placed against the base portion of the slit gate). The sealing portion may correspond to Figures 3A to 3B The sealing portion 320 and / or Figures 4A to 4BThe sealing portion 420. In some embodiments, the seal is inserted into a groove (e.g., a portion of a groove) formed by the base portion. In some embodiments, the seal may be inserted into a portion adjacent to the base portion (e.g., Figures 3A to 4B The outer periphery of the lip (e.g., the base portion 310) Figure 3B The lip 316) forms a portion of the dovetail groove. Before coupling the sealing portion to the base portion, the surface of the base portion may be coated with a protective coating.

[0047] At box 520, the clamping portion of the slit valve gate is coupled to the base portion. The clamping portion (e.g., Figures 3A to 3B The clamping portion 330 can be held by one or more fasteners (e.g., Figure 3B Fastener 340) is coupled to the base portion (e.g., Figures 3A to 3B The base portion 310). In some embodiments, the clamping portion may be coupled to the base portion via a joint such as a welded joint, a hard welded joint, and / or a soft welded joint. In some embodiments, the clamping portion is coupled to the base portion by an adhesive. In some embodiments, one or more alignment pins of the clamping portion (e.g., Figure 3B Alignment pin 334) and corresponding alignment hole (e.g., Figure 3B Alignment groove 318). In some embodiments, the clamping portion is fitted into a groove formed in the base portion (e.g., Figure 3B The clamping portion is located in the groove 315. Before coupling the clamping portion to the base portion, the surface of the clamping portion may be coated with a protective coating. Coupling the clamping portion to the base portion secures the sealing portion between the lip of the base portion and the lip of the clamping portion, such that a portion of the sealing portion protrudes above the clamping portion, thereby providing a sealing surface.

[0048] At box 530, a protective coating may be deposited on one or more of the base portion or the clamping portion. In some embodiments, the protective coating is deposited before the clamping portion is coupled to the base portion and / or before the sealing portion is coupled to the base portion.

[0049] The coatings (e.g., metal layers, electrode layers, dielectric layers, dielectric sleeves, etc.) according to the embodiments described herein can be formed using deposition processes selected from chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), plasma-enhanced physical vapor deposition (PEPVD), and atomic layer deposition (ALD). CVD is a well-known technique for depositing pure metal coatings. In a typical CVD process, a substrate is exposed to at least one volatile precursor under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The precursor reacts or decomposes on the substrate surface to form a film. The reaction chamber is then purged with an inert gas flowing through it. In a PECVD process, the chemical reaction is initiated by plasma that generates a reactive precursor gas. In an ALD process, the thin film layer is grown by repeatedly exposing the surface of the substrate to pulses of a gaseous chemical precursor, which reacts with the surface chemically one at a time in a self-limiting manner. CVD and ALD are non-line-of-sight processes that can be used to coat high aspect ratio features. PVD processes also occur under vacuum conditions and typically involve sputtering and / or evaporating target materials to form gases deposited and / or reacted on the substrate surface. PVD (typically including evaporation, plasma spraying, etc.) is a line-of-sight process. In PEPVD processes (typically including ion-assisted deposition, ion-assisted evaporation deposition, ion-assisted sputtering deposition, ion plating, etc.), plasma or high-energy ions are generated to react with the deposited material (such as an ion beam) from the PVD process, and sputtering or evaporation of the target material is involved. PEPVD is a line-of-sight process, but can be modified to a non-line-of-sight process where the substrate is biased during the deposition process. Compared to ALD, PVD and PEPVD can deposit relatively thick coatings (up to about 500 μm, or about 250 μm, or from about 5 μm to about 250 μm) at relatively low deposition temperatures (<200 °C).

[0050] In some embodiments, the coating is deposited using one or more of ALD, IAD, LPPS, CVD, PS-CVD, or sputtering. In some embodiments, the coating comprises rare earth ceramics selected from Y₂O₃, YZrO, Y₂O₃, etc. x Zr y O z YZrOF, Y3Al5O 12Y4Al2O9, YF3, Y x O y F z YOF, Er2O3, Er3Al5O 12 ErF3, E x O y F z The coating may contain ErOF, La2O3, Lu2O3, Sc2O3, ScF3, ScOF, Gd2O3, Sm2O3, Dy2O3, Y2O3-ZrO2 solid solutions, ceramics comprising Y2Al4O9 and Y2O3-ZrO2 solid solutions, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the coating comprises Al2O3. In some embodiments, the coating comprises Al2O3 deposited by ALD. In some embodiments, the coating comprises multiple layers. In some embodiments, the coating has a thickness of about 10 nanometers to about 500 nanometers, or any subrange or single value of about 10 nanometers to about 500 nanometers.

[0051] In the foregoing description, numerous specific details (such as specific materials, dimensions, process parameters, etc.) have been set forth to provide a thorough understanding of this disclosure. Specific features, structures, materials, or properties may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. The terms “example” or “exemplary” are used herein to mean as an instance, example, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as an “example” or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or superior to other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the terms “example” or “exemplary” is intended only to indicate a concept in a specific manner. As used in this disclosure, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless otherwise specified or clearly understood from the context, “X includes A or B” is intended to mean any naturally inclusive permutation. That is, if X includes A; X includes B; or X includes both A and B, then “X includes A or B” is satisfied in any of the above cases. Throughout the specification, references to “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” or “one embodiment” mean that a specific feature, structure, or property described in connection with said embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "one embodiment," "some embodiments," or "one embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification do not necessarily all represent the same embodiment.

[0052] Embodiments of this disclosure have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive. Various modifications to this disclosure, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art and are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0053] As used herein, the singular forms “a” and “the” include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “a chip” includes a single chip as well as two or more chips, and so on.

[0054] As used herein, the term "about" in relation to the quantity being measured refers to the normal variation of the quantity being measured, as would be expected by a person skilled in the art when performing the measurement and exercising a degree of care commensurate with the accuracy of the measurement target and the measuring equipment. In some embodiments, the term "about" includes the stated number ± 10%, such that "about 10" would include numbers from 9 to 11.

[0055] Unless otherwise stated herein, descriptions of numerical ranges herein are intended only as a shorthand for individually referring to each individual value falling within the range, and each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if each individual value were individually described herein. Unless otherwise stated herein or clearly contradicted by the context, all methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order. Any and all instances or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein are intended only to illustrate certain materials and methods and do not constitute a limitation on the scope. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating that any non-claimed element is essential for the practice of the disclosed materials and methods.

Claims

1. A slit valve gate, comprising: A base portion, the base portion being configured to be coupled to a slit valve actuator; A sealing portion coupled to the base portion, wherein the sealing portion includes a cross-sectional shape including a circular portion protruding from a region between circular shoulders, and wherein the sealing portion is configured to establish an airtight seal between the sealing surfaces of the slit valve gate and the slit valve opening. and A clamping portion, coupled to the base portion, wherein the clamping portion at least partially holds the sealing portion between the clamping portion and the base portion, wherein a rounded shoulder and the rounded portion protrude above a first surface of the clamping portion and a second surface of the base portion, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the sealing portion conforms to a groove formed by the base portion and the clamping portion, wherein the groove is a dovetail groove, and wherein a first portion of the dovetail groove is formed by the clamping portion and a second portion of the dovetail groove is formed by the base portion.

2. The slit valve gate as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: Multiple mechanical fasteners secure the clamping portion to the base portion.

3. The slit valve gate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping portion is coupled to the base portion via a welded joint, a soft welded joint, or a hard welded joint.

4. The slit valve gate of claim 1, wherein the clamping portion includes a plurality of alignment pins protruding from a face of the clamping portion, and wherein the plurality of alignment pins are fitted into corresponding grooves formed in the base portion.

5. The slit valve gate of claim 1, wherein one or more of the base portion or the clamping portion comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, ceramics, and plastics.

6. The slit valve gate of claim 1, wherein one or more of the base portion or the clamping portion is coated with a protective coating.

7. The slit valve gate of claim 1, wherein the clamping portion includes a flange surrounding the periphery of the clamping portion, and wherein the flange at least partially retains the sealing portion in the groove.

8. A slit valve, comprising: Slit valve opening; Slit valve actuator; and A slit valve gate coupled to the slit valve actuator, wherein the slit valve gate is configured to seal the slit valve opening in response to the slit valve actuator moving the slit valve gate to a closed position, wherein the slit valve gate comprises: A base portion, wherein the slit valve gate is coupled to the slit valve actuator via the base portion; A sealing portion coupled to the base portion, wherein the sealing portion includes a cross-sectional shape including a circular portion protruding from a region between circular shoulders, and wherein the sealing portion is configured to establish an airtight seal between the slit valve gate and the sealing surface of the slit valve opening in response to the slit valve actuator moving the slit valve gate to the closed position. and A clamping portion, coupled to the base portion, wherein the clamping portion at least partially holds the sealing portion between the clamping portion and the base portion, wherein The rounded shoulder and the rounded portion protrude above the first surface of the clamping portion and the second surface of the base portion, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the sealing portion conforms to a groove formed by the base portion and the clamping portion, wherein the groove is a dovetail groove, and wherein the first portion of the dovetail groove is formed by the clamping portion and the second portion of the dovetail groove is formed by the base portion.

9. The slit valve of claim 8, further comprising: Multiple mechanical fasteners secure the clamping portion to the base portion.

10. The slit valve of claim 8, wherein the clamping portion includes an alignment pin projecting from a face of the clamping portion, and wherein the alignment pin is fitted into a corresponding groove formed in the base portion.

11. The slit valve of claim 8, wherein one or more of the base portion or the clamping portion comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, ceramic, or plastic.

12. The slit valve of claim 8, wherein one or more of the base portion or the clamping portion is coated with a protective coating.

13. The slit valve of claim 8, wherein the clamping portion includes a flange surrounding the periphery of the clamping portion, and wherein the flange at least partially retains the sealing portion in the groove.

14. A method for manufacturing a slit valve gate, the method comprising the following steps: A sealing portion of a slit valve gate is coupled to a base portion of the slit valve gate, wherein the sealing portion comprises a cross-sectional shape including a circular portion that protrudes from a region between circular shoulders, and wherein the sealing portion is configured to establish an airtight seal between the slit valve gate and the sealing surface of the slit valve opening; and The clamping portion of the slit valve gate is coupled to the base portion, wherein the coupling of the clamping portion to the base portion causes the clamping portion to retain the sealing portion at least partially between the clamping portion and the base portion, wherein the rounded shoulder and the rounded portion protrude above a first surface of the clamping portion and a second surface of the base portion, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the sealing portion conforms to a groove formed by the base portion and the clamping portion, wherein the groove is a dovetail groove, and wherein a first portion of the dovetail groove is formed by the clamping portion and a second portion of the dovetail groove is formed by the base portion.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the following steps: A protective coating is deposited on one or more of the substrate portion or the clamping portion.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the clamping portion includes a flange surrounding the periphery of the clamping portion, wherein the clamping portion and the base portion form the groove in response to coupling the clamping portion to the base portion, and wherein the flange at least partially retains the sealing portion in the groove in response to coupling the clamping portion to the base portion.

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