Valve
AssigneeVarian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
InventorsSteven C. Borichevsky, Robert H. Bettencourt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve includes a gate and an actuator. The gate has a gate opening with a first seal fixed to the gate and positioned along a periphery of the gate opening. The gate also has a blocking portion with a second seal fixed to the gate and positioned along a periphery of the blocking portion. The actuator is configured to move the gate between an open position and a closed position, wherein the gate opening is aligned to a chamber opening in a chamber wall and the first seal engages a sealing surface of the chamber wall in the open position and wherein the blocking portion is aligned to the opening in the chamber wall and the second seal engages the sealing surface of the chamber wall in the closed position. The valve is capable of operating in harsh environments.
Claims16
A valve comprising:
- a gate having a gate opening with a first seal fixed to the gate and positioned along a periphery of the gate opening, the gate also having a blocking portion with a second seal fixed to the gate and positioned along a periphery of the blocking portion;
- and
- an actuator configured to move the gate between an open position and a closed position, wherein the gate opening is aligned to a chamber opening in a chamber wall and the first seal engages a sealing surface of the chamber wall in the open position and wherein the blocking portion is aligned to the chamber opening and the second seal engages the sealing surface of the chamber wall in the closed position.
A method of operating a valve comprising:
- moving a gate having a gate opening with a first seal fixed to the gate and positioned along a periphery of the gate opening to an open position where the gate opening is aligned to a chamber opening in a chamber wall and the first seal engages a sealing surface of the chamber wall;
- and
- moving the gate to a closed position, the gate also having a blocking portion with a second seal fixed to the gate and positioned along a periphery of the blocking portion, where the blocking portion is aligned to the chamber opening and the second seal engages the sealing surface of the chamber wall.
An ion implanter comprising:
- a first chamber housing defining a first chamber, the first chamber housing having a chamber wall defining a first aperture;
- a second chamber housing defining a second chamber, the second chamber coupled to the first chamber;
- a vacuum pumping system configured to maintain the first chamber and the second chamber at a vacuum condition;
- a gate positioned in the second chamber, the gate having a gate opening with a first seal fixed to the gate and positioned along a periphery of the gate opening, the gate also having a blocking portion with a second seal fixed to the gate and positioned along a periphery of the blocking portion;
- and
- an actuator configured to move the gate between an open position and a closed position, wherein the gate opening is aligned to the aperture and the first seal engages a sealing surface of the chamber wall in the open position and wherein the blocking portion is aligned to the opening in the chamber wall and the second seal engages the sealing surface of the chamber wall in the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.