Linear gas bearing with integral vacuum seal for use in serial process ion implantation equipment
US4726689A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 22, 1986 |
| Grant date | Feb 23, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 22, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S277/913
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A high vacuum ion implantation chamber has a lower wall formed with an opening accommodating a depending sleeve through which a shaft passes supporting a substrate support platform at the top and connectable to external linear and rotary drives at the bottom. The sleeve is formed with four axially spaced annular grooves each coupled to a respective vacuum pump that maintains the annular grooves at respective pressures that progressively increase for grooves further away from the vacuum chamber bottom wall. A lowermost annular groove functions as an exhaust along with the region surrounding the shaft at the bottom of the sleeve. The sleeve also includes an air inlet. The gravity forces acting upon the shaft and platform assembly are counterbalanced by the differential pressure acting over the shaft area between the high vacuum chamber and the ambient surroundings.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.