Reduced pressure and normal pressure treatment apparatus
US5769952A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 17, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 23, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 17, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/599
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A reduced pressure treatment unit comprising a plurality of treatment chambers conducting reduced pressure process treatment of a treatment object (wafer) and a normal pressure treatment unit conducting normal pressure process treatment of the treatment object, which are connected by a load lock chamber. The reduced pressure treatment unit comprises a plurality of reduced pressure process treatment chambers connected by means of a gate valve to a reduced pressure transport chamber equipped with a robot arm. The normal pressure treatment unit comprises a plurality of normal pressure process treatment chambers disposed in the vicinity of a robot arm. The load lock chamber is disposed at a position where the transport ranges of the two robot arms overlap. Also, the gate valve opening and closing the transport opening between the load lock and treatment chambers comprises a surface layer portion exposed to the atmosphere within the treatment chamber and a rear base portion whereby the surface layer portion is freely attached and removed with respect to the base portion by, e.g., screws, thus enabling independent replacement of the surface layer portion.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.