Low particle protected flapper valve
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsCharles T. Carlson, Tammy Jo Pride, Benjamin B. Riordon, Aaron Webb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to a flapper valve. The flapper valve may be used with processing chambers, such as semiconductor substrate processing chambers. In one embodiment, a flapper valve includes a housing having a first opening at a first end thereof and a second opening at a second end thereof, a first flapper pivotably disposed in the housing, and a second flapper pivotably disposed in the housing. The first and second flappers are movable to selectively open and close at least one of the first opening and the second opening.
Claims20
A flapper valve, comprising:
- a housing having a first opening at a first end thereof and a second opening at a second end thereof;
- a first flapper pivotably disposed in the housing;
- and
- a second flapper pivotably disposed in the housing, the first flapper and the second flapper movable to selectively open and close at least one of the first opening and the second opening, the first flapper and the second flapper overlapping in an open position, the first flapper disposed on a first rotating shaft and the second flapper disposed on a second rotating shaft, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft each having seals disposed therearound, the seals isolating an internal volume of the housing from an environment outside the housing.
A flapper valve, comprising:
- a housing having a first opening at a first end thereof and a second opening at a second end thereof;
- a first flapper pivotably disposed in the housing, the first flapper having a first seal coupled thereto, the first seal contacting an interior surface of the housing and sealing the first opening when the first flapper is in a closed position;
- and
- a second flapper pivotably disposed in the housing, the second flapper having a second seal coupled thereto, the second flapper positioned over the first flapper and the second seal surrounding the first seal in an open position, and the second flapper positioned over the second opening in the closed position.
A method of opening a flapper valve, comprising:
- positioning a first flapper in an open position, the first flapper having a first seal thereon;
- positioning a second flapper in the open position, the first second flapper overlapping with the first flapper in the open position, wherein the second flapper includes a second seal which is positioned in contact with the first flapper and surrounding the first seal in the open position;
- flowing an ionized or radicalized gas through the flapper valve while the first flapper and the second flapper are in the open position;
- closing the second flapper after flowing the ionized or radicalized gas through the flapper valve;
- and
- closing the first flapper after closing the second flapper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.