Apparatus and method for control, pumping and abatement for vacuum process chambers
US7278831B2 · kind B2 · utility
2Cited by
11References
25Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 31, 2003 |
| Grant date | Oct 9, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 17, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/67155
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The present invention is an apparatus and method for controlling pressure, pumping a vacuum and providing abatement for a plurality of vacuum processing chambers. The system may be used in semiconductor manufacture. Multiple vacuum processing chambers are exhausted by turbo pumps into a common abatement chamber, which is maintained at sub-atmospheric pressure by a backing pump. Pressure in the processing chambers is independently controlled. The internal volume of the abatement device provides a buffer that reduces the effect of pressure changes in one processing chamber affecting pressure in the other chambers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.