# US 12,180,587 B2 · Vacuum chamber and arrangement for atomic layer deposition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,587 B2 - Document ID: US12180587B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/475,300 - Filed: 2023-09-27 - Published: 2024-01-25 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-30 - Assignees: Beneq Oy - Applicants: Beneq Oy - Inventors: Johannes Wesslin; Pekka Soininen; Jonas Andersson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180587B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/45544: {characterized by the apparatus} - H10P 72/3306: {Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece} - C23C 16/45561: {Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber} - C23C 16/4587: {the substrate being supported substantially vertically} - H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers} - H10P 72/7618: {characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel} - 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) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A vacuum chamber and an arrangement for atomic layer deposition. The vacuum chamber includes a loading wall provided with a loading opening, a back wall opposite the loading wall, and a first direction extending in a direction between the loading wall and the back wall. The vacuum chamber further includes a first vacuum chamber support rail inside the vacuum chamber and extending in the first direction, and a second vacuum chamber support rail inside the vacuum chamber and extending in the first direction and arranged spaced apart from the first vacuum chamber support rail. The first vacuum chamber support rail is arranged independently movable in vertical direction, and the second vacuum chamber support rail is arranged independently movable in vertical direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vacuum chamber, comprising: a loading wall provided with a loading opening, a back wall opposite the loading wall, and a first direction extending between the loading wall and the back wall; one or more side walls extending between the loading wall and the back wall, the one or more side walls defining a vacuum chamber space inside the vacuum chamber; a first vacuum chamber support rail disposed inside the vacuum chamber and extending in the first direction, the first vacuum chamber support rail configured to be moved in a vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber; a vacuum chamber gas connection arrangement for providing a gas coupling to a movable reaction chamber; and one or more first support forks arranged inside the vacuum chamber, the one or more first support forks comprise two first vertically extending fork elements, the first vacuum chamber support rail being arranged between the two first vertically extending fork elements and arranged to move in the vertical direction between the two first vertically extending fork elements with respect to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, further comprising a second vacuum chamber support rail arranged inside the vacuum chamber and extending in the first direction and disposed spaced apart from the first vacuum chamber support rail, the second vacuum chamber support rail configured to be moved in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vacuum chamber according to claim 2, wherein: the first vacuum chamber support rail and the second vacuum chamber support rail are structurally connected to each other and are movable together in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vacuum chamber according to claim 2, further comprising at least one first rail support arrangement arranged to support the first vacuum chamber support rail inside the vacuum chamber and to move the first vacuum chamber support rail in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber, and at least one second rail support arrangement arranged to support the second vacuum chamber support rail inside the vacuum chamber and to move the second vacuum chamber support rail in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vacuum chamber according to claim 4, wherein: the first rail support arrangement comprises a first lifting motor arranged to move the first vacuum chamber support rail in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber support rail, and the second rail support arrangement comprises a second lifting motor arranged to move the second vacuum chamber support rail in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber and the first vacuum chamber support rail. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vacuum chamber according to claim 5, wherein the first and second lifting motors of the first and second rail support arrangements are arranged outside the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The vacuum chamber according to claim 4, wherein: the first rail support arrangements comprise a support arm connected to the first vacuum chamber support rail, and arranged to extend from outside the vacuum chamber through a bottom wall of the vacuum chamber, the support arm being arranged to support the first vacuum chamber support rail. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The vacuum chamber according to claim 2, wherein the second vacuum chamber support rail is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber gas connection arrangement. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: the first vacuum chamber support rail is configured to be tilted in a horizontal direction with respect to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vacuum chamber according to claim 9, further comprising a first front rail support arrangement and a first back rail support arrangement arranged to support the first vacuum chamber support rail inside the vacuum chamber and to move the first vacuum chamber support rail in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber, the first front rail support arrangement and the first back rail support arrangement being spaced apart from each other along the first vacuum chamber support rail in the first direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vacuum chamber according to claim 10, wherein: the first front rail support arrangement comprises a first front lifting motor, and the first back rail support arrangement comprises a first back lifting motor, the first front lifting motor and the first back lifting motor are arranged to move the first vacuum chamber support rail in the vertical direction independently of each other and with respect to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The vacuum chamber according to claim 10, wherein: the first vacuum chamber support rail comprises a first front end and a first back end, the first vacuum chamber support rail extending in the first direction between the first front end and the first back end, the first front rail support arrangement being connected to the first vacuum chamber support rail at the first front end or in vicinity thereof and the first back rail support arrangement being connected to the first vacuum chamber support rail at the first back end or in vicinity thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum chamber gas connection arrangement comprises a fixed gas manifold and a flexible outer flange assembly surrounding the fixed gas manifold, the flexible outer flange assembly is arranged flexible in the vertical direction and comprises a first connection surface for providing the gas coupling to the movable reaction chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum chamber gas connection arrangement is arranged to a bottom wall of the vacuum chamber such that the first vacuum chamber support rail is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber gas connection arrangement, and wherein the first vacuum chamber support rail is arranged on the bottom wall of the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) An arrangement for the vacuum chamber according to claim 1, comprising: the movable reaction chamber comprising: a first reaction chamber support track extending in the first direction and arranged to be supported by the first vacuum chamber support rail. ### Claim 16 An arrangement for comprising: a vacuum chamber provided with a loading opening and a back wall opposite the loading wall, and a first direction extending between the loading wall and the back wall, and a movable reaction chamber, wherein: the vacuum chamber comprises: a vacuum chamber gas connection arrangement provided inside the vacuum chamber and comprising a first contact surface, a fixed gas manifold, and a flexible outer flange assembly surrounding the fixed gas manifold, the flexible outer flange assembly is arranged flexible in a vertical direction; a first vacuum chamber support rail arranged inside the vacuum chamber and extending in the first direction; and the movable reaction chamber comprises: a first reaction chamber support track extending in the first direction and arranged to be supported by the first vacuum chamber support rail, a reaction chamber gas connection arrangement provided with a second contact surface, the first contact surface of the vacuum chamber gas connection arrangement and the second contact surface of the reaction chamber gas connection arrangement are arranged to connect to each other in the vertical direction for providing a gas coupling upon moving the first vacuum chamber support rail in the vertical direction; and the first vacuum chamber support rail is configured to be moved in the vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the vacuum chamber comprises: a second vacuum chamber support rail arranged inside the vacuum chamber and extending in the first direction and arranged spaced apart from the first vacuum chamber support rail; and the movable reaction chamber comprises: a second reaction chamber support track extending in the first direction of the reaction chamber and spaced apart from the first reaction chamber support track and arranged to be supported by the second vacuum chamber transport rail, the first vacuum chamber support rail and the second vacuum chamber support rail being arranged movable together in relation to the vacuum chamber, or the first vacuum chamber support rail being arranged independently movable in relation to the vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber support rail in the vertical direction, and the second vacuum chamber support rail being arranged independently movable in relation to the vacuum chamber and the first vacuum chamber support rail in the vertical direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein: the first vacuum chamber support rail is configured to be tilted in a horizontal direction with respect to the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 19 A vacuum chamber, comprising: a loading wall provided with a loading opening, a back wall opposite the loading wall, and a first direction extending between the loading wall and the back wall; one or more side walls extending between the loading wall and the back wall, the one or more side walls defining a vacuum chamber space inside the vacuum chamber; a first vacuum chamber support rail disposed inside the vacuum chamber and extending in the first direction, the first vacuum chamber support rail configured to be moved in a vertical direction with respect to the vacuum chamber; and a vacuum chamber gas connection arrangement for providing a gas coupling to a movable reaction chamber, the vacuum chamber gas connection arrangement includes a fixed gas manifold and a flexible outer flange assembly surrounding the fixed gas manifold, the flexible outer flange assembly is arranged flexible in the vertical direction and comprises a first connection surface for providing the gas coupling to the movable reaction chamber.