Vacuum Chamber Screen Shutter for Substrate Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum treatment processes often result in contamination of the inner surface of vacuum treatment chambers, particularly during etching and layer deposition, where etched-off material or deposited material can adhere to the chamber walls, necessitating effective protection and handling of substrates.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum treatment chamber design featuring a screen that loops around the central axis, with a stationary substrate support and substrate handling openings and cut-outs aligned for perpendicular loading and unloading of plate-shaped substrates, along with a movable screen-shutter and electro-conductive components for RF biasing and current return paths, enhances substrate handling and reduces contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a screen is provided to protect the inner surface of the vacuum recipient wall from contamination, then contamination of the wall is reduced, but the complexity of the device increases due to the additional screen structure and substrate handling openings
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum recipient is segmented into a treatment chamber (inside the screen) and a handling zone (outside the screen). The screen acts as a partition that separates the contamination-prone treatment area from the clean wall surface, allowing substrate loading/unloading through openings in the screen while protecting the wall from etched-off material and deposited material.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen serves as an intermediary structure between the substrate treatment process and the vacuum recipient wall. It allows the vacuum process to occur while blocking contaminants from reaching the wall, and provides controlled openings for substrate handling without requiring direct access to the wall surface.
2Ease of operation
If substrate loading and unloading is performed through the bottom opening of the screen, then the substrate can be handled, but the handling direction is constrained to be perpendicular to the central axis
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate handling system incorporates multiple dimensional access points: vertical access through the bottom opening for initial loading, and radial access through side openings for unloading. This multi-directional approach allows substrates to be handled in different orientations and directions, accommodating various treatment station configurations and substrate types.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is designed with multiple openings serving different functions: the bottom opening for substrate insertion, side openings for substrate removal and intermediate handling, and potentially top openings for different substrate configurations. This multi-functional design allows the same screen structure to accommodate various handling scenarios without requiring multiple specialized components.
3Ease of operation
If the substrate support is moved up and down to load and unload substrates, then substrate transfer is enabled, but the support structure becomes more complex and may interfere with the vacuum treatment process
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate support system incorporates movable elements (such as movable walls or adjustable support surfaces) that can dynamically adjust their position to facilitate substrate loading and unloading. These dynamic components allow the support structure to adapt its configuration during different operational phases while maintaining a relatively simple overall design that does not interfere with the vacuum treatment process when in its operational position.
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
This design allows for efficient loading and unloading of substrates parallel to their extended surfaces, minimizing contamination and ensuring effective RF biasing and current return paths, thereby improving the vacuum treatment process and reducing chamber contamination.
Implementation Method 1
the screen has an electro-conductive surface... and this surface is electrically connected to a system ground connector of the chamber via the metal side wall
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum treatment chamber includes a vacuum recipient and therein a screen. Within the screen there is provided a stationary substrate support. Within the side wall of the vacuum recipient, there is provided a substrate handling opening and in the screen, a substrate handling cut-out. A drivingly, moveable screen-shutter frees or covers the substrate handling cut-out in the screen. Thereby, horizontal loading and un-loading (L/UL) of a substrate to the stationary substrate support is possible, although establishing an overall closed screen, once a substrate is treated in the vacuum treatment chamber.