Load lock chamber for large area substrate processing system
US8070408B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 27, 2008 |
| Grant date | Dec 6, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 11, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/67236
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.