# US 10,865,479 B2 · Mechanism for creating vacuum in processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,479 B2 - Document ID: US10865479B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/939,383 - Filed: 2018-03-29 - Published: 2019-05-16 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-16 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yung-Syuan Lan; Chia-Wei Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865479B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/45565: {Shower nozzles} - C23C 16/4405: {Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases} - C23C 16/4412: {Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps} - C23C 16/45574: {Nozzles for more than one gas} - H01J 37/32357: {Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream} - H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means} - H01J 37/32862: {In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A processing apparatus is provided. The processing apparatus includes a processing chamber having a gas outlet. The processing apparatus further includes a pump. The pump communicates with the gas outlet and is configured to exhaust gas from the processing chamber via the gas outlet. The processing apparatus also includes an intersecting module. The intersecting module includes a number of support members and a number of internal ventilating plates. The support members are arranged along a longitudinal direction, and each of the internal ventilating plates has a number of orifices. At least one of the internal ventilating plates is positioned between two of the support members positioned adjacent to each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A processing apparatus, comprising: a processing chamber having a gas outlet; a pump communicating with the gas outlet and configured to exhaust gas from the processing chamber via the gas outlet; and an intersecting module positioned between the pump and the gas outlet and comprising: a plurality of support members being ring structures and arranged along a longitudinal direction which is parallel to a connecting line of center points of the ring structures; and a plurality of internal ventilating plates each having a plurality of orifices, wherein at least one of the internal ventilating plates is positioned between two of the support members positioned adjacent to each other, wherein each of the internal ventilating plates is inclined relative to a transversal direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal ventilating plates are arranged in such a manner that projections of two of the internal ventilating plates in the longitudinal direction overlap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of internal ventilating plates comprises a first group of internal ventilating plates positioned between a first support member and a second support member of the support members, and a second group of internal ventilating plates positioned between the second support member and a third support member of the support members; wherein the first group of internal ventilating plates and the second group of internal ventilating plates are arranged in a staggered manner. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the internal ventilating plates, positioned between a first support member and a second support member of the support members, is inclined relative to the transversal direction by an obtuse angle; and wherein another one of the internal ventilating plates, positioned between the second support member and a third support member of the support members, is inclined relative to the transversal direction by an acute angle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a boundary ventilating plate having a plurality of orifices and positioned on one of the support members that is closest to the gas outlet of the processing chamber; wherein the boundary ventilating plate is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support members have a consistent width in a transversal direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a valve housing positioned closer to the gas outlet than the pump, wherein a front opening and a rear opening are formed at two sides of the valve housing; and a valve member positioned in the valve housing configured to adjust gas flow from the processing chamber via the front opening and the rear opening to the pump; wherein the intersecting module covers the front opening with the ventilating plates arranged parallel with the front opening. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The processing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein, in a transversal direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a width of the intersecting module is greater than a width of the front opening. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pump includes a turbo-molecular pump. ### Claim 10 An intersecting module, comprising: a plurality of support members being ring structures and arranged along a longitudinal direction which is parallel to a connecting line of center points of the ring structures; and a plurality of internal ventilating plates each having a plurality of orifices, wherein at least one of the internal ventilating plates is positioned between two of the support members positioned adjacent to each other; wherein the internal ventilating plates are arranged in such a manner that projections of two of the internal ventilating plates in the longitudinal direction overlap, wherein one of the internal ventilating plates is inclined relative to a transversal direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by a first angle, another of the internal ventilating plates is inclined relative to the transversal direction by a second angle, and the first angle is different from the second angle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The intersecting module as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the internal ventilating plates is inclined relative to the transversal direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The intersecting module as claimed in claim 11, wherein one of the internal ventilating plates, positioned between a first support member and a second support member of the support members, is inclined relative to the transversal direction by an obtuse angle; and wherein another one of the internal ventilating plates, positioned between the second support member and a third support member of the support members, is inclined relative to the transversal direction by an acute angle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The intersecting module as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a boundary ventilating plate having a plurality of orifices and positioned on one of the support members; wherein the boundary ventilating plate is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The intersecting module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the support members have a consistent width in a transversal direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 15 An intersecting module, comprising: a first support member, a second support member and a third support member being ring structures and arranged along a longitudinal direction which is parallel to a connecting line of center points of the ring structures; and a plurality of internal ventilating plates each having a plurality of orifices, wherein a first group of internal ventilating plates are positioned between the first support member and the second support member, and a second group of internal ventilating plates are positioned between the second support member and the third support member; wherein the first group of internal ventilating plates and the second group of internal ventilating plates are arranged in a staggered manner. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The intersecting module as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of the internal ventilating plates is inclined relative to a transversal direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The intersecting module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first group of internal ventilating plates are inclined relative to the transversal direction by an obtuse angle; and wherein the second group of internal ventilating plates are inclined relative to the transversal direction by an acute angle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The intersecting module as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a boundary ventilating plate having a plurality of orifices and positioned on the first support member; wherein the boundary ventilating plate is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The intersecting module as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first support member, the second support member and the third support member have a consistent width in a transversal direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a gas distribution device configured to distribute a reaction gas in the processing chamber.