Load lock door assembly, load lock apparatus, electronic device processing systems, and methods

A load lock apparatus, comprising:

• a load lock chamber adapted to be coupled to, and accessed from, a transfer chamber of a mainframe housing and a factory interface chamber, the load lock chamber formed in a load lock body having first side and a second side, a load lock entry, and a sealing surface proximate the entry;
• and
• a load lock door assembly operable with the load lock entry, the load lock door assembly including:
• a load lock door, and
• a door support assembly coupled between the load lock door and the load lock body, the door support assembly including:
• a pivot bracket operatively pivotable relative to the first side,
• a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door,
• a separator side actuator on the first side operable between the door support bracket and the pivot bracket to separate the load lock door, and
• a pivot side actuator operable between the pivot bracket and the load lock body to pivot the load lock door.

An electronic device processing system, comprising:

• a mainframe housing including a transfer chamber housing a robot configured to move substrates;
• a factory interface having a factory interface chamber;
• and
• a load lock apparatus coupled to the mainframe housing and the factory interface, the load lock apparatus including a load lock body and load lock chamber, the load lock chamber accessible from the transfer chamber and the factory interface chamber, a load lock door assembly operable to seal an entry into the load lock chamber from the factory interface chamber, the load lock door assembly including:
• a load lock door sealable against a sealing surface proximate to the entry;
• and
• a door support assembly coupled to the load lock door, the door support assembly including:
• one or more pivot member operatively pivotable relative to one or more sides of the load lock body,
• a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door,
• one or more separator side actuator coupled between the door support bracket and the one or more pivot member and actuatable to separate the load lock door from the sealing surface, and
• one or more pivot side actuator operable to pivot the load lock door.

A method of operating a load lock door assembly, comprising:

• providing a load lock door assembly including a load lock door sealable against a sealing surface proximate to a load lock entry, and a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door;
• actuating one or more separator side actuator coupled to the door support bracket to separate the load lock door from the sealing surface;
• and
• actuating one or more pivot side actuator to pivot the load lock door.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including contents that are configured to cause a processor of a controller to perform a method of operating a load lock door assembly, comprising:

• providing a load lock door assembly including a load lock door sealable against a sealing surface proximate to a load lock entry, and a door support bracket coupled to the load lock door;
• sending a signal from the controller to actuate one or more separator side actuator coupled to the door support bracket to separate the load lock door from the sealing surface;
• and
• sending a signal from the controller to actuate one or more pivot side actuator to pivot the load lock door.