Load Lock Chamber Corner Exhaust Ports for Substrate Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load lock chambers face challenges in reducing abrupt pressure changes between vacuum processing environments and atmospheric interfaces, leading to potential substrate contamination during the transfer of large area substrates.
Innovation Solution
A load lock chamber design with environmentally isolated environments and strategically located exhaust ports at the corners to draw vacuum, minimizing contamination by pulling particles and contaminants away from the substrate, and using a plurality of openings for efficient evacuation and venting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If exhaust ports are located at the corners of the load lock chamber, then substrate contamination is reduced by pulling particles away from the substrate, but the complexity of the chamber design increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust ports are strategically positioned at the corners of the load lock chamber, creating localized vacuum zones that selectively draw contaminants away from the substrate area. This local optimization of exhaust port placement ensures that particles are pulled toward the corners rather than across the substrate surface, reducing contamination while maintaining a relatively simple overall chamber design.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple vacuum processes are performed in separate chambers, then substrate contamination is reduced by isolating processes, but the transfer time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The load lock chamber serves as an intermediary environment between the vacuum processing chambers and the atmospheric factory interface. It acts as a buffer zone that can be independently evacuated or vented, allowing substrates to be transferred without requiring the entire system to be evacuated. This intermediary chamber reduces transfer time while maintaining contamination control through its isolated vacuum environment.
3Ease of operation
If the load lock chamber is evacuated to match vacuum chamber pressure, then substrate transfer is enabled, but the time required to evacuate the chamber increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum system is segmented into independent zones: the load lock chamber and the vacuum processing chambers. Each zone can be evacuated independently using separate vacuum pumps. This segmentation allows the load lock chamber to be quickly evacuated to match vacuum chamber pressure without requiring the entire system to be evacuated, significantly reducing the time required for substrate transfer operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces substrate contamination by efficiently evacuating particles and contaminants through corner exhaust ports, maintaining vacuum integrity and preventing pressure abruptness, thus ensuring cleaner substrate transfer.
Implementation Method 1
Each processing environment may have a plurality of exhaust ports for drawing a vacuum. The exhaust ports may be located at the corners of the processing environment. When a substrate is inserted into the load lock chamber from the factory interface, the environment may need to be evacuated. Due to the exhaust ports located at the corners of the environment, any particles or contaminants that may be present may be pulled to the closest corner and out of the load lock chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention generally includes a load lock chamber for transferring large area substrates into a vacuum processing chamber. The load lock chamber may have one or more separate, environmentally isolated environments. Each processing environment may have a plurality exhaust ports for drawing a vacuum. The exhaust ports may be located at the corners of the processing environment. When a substrate is inserted into the load lock chamber from the factory interface, the environment may need to be evacuated. Due to the exhaust ports located at the corners of the environment, any particles or contaminants that may be present may be pulled to the closest corner and out of the load lock chamber without being pulled across the substrate. Thus, substrate contamination may be reduced.