Vacuum chamber gate valve and method for making same
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsTrace L. Boyd, Martin F. Yeoman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for implementing a gate drive valve assembly used to isolate interfacing chambers. The method includes: (a) providing a drive assembly having at least one surface for attaching to a chamber, the drive assembly being mounted to the chamber such that a shaft contained within the drive assembly translates from the drive assembly through the at least one surface and along a bore in the chamber; and (b) attaching a gate plate to an end of the shaft when the shaft is at least partly within the chamber after translating along the bore.
Claims29
A method for implementing a gate drive valve assembly used to isolate a transport chamber from interfacing chambers, the transport chamber being configured to interface with a preselected number of processing chambers, comprising:
- providing a drive assembly having top surface for attaching to the transport chamber, the drive assembly being mounted to the transport chamber such that a shaft contained within the drive assembly translates from the drive assembly through said top surface and along a bore in a bottom plate of the transport chamber;
- mounting the drive assembly under the transport chamber;
- and
- attaching a gate plate to an end of the shaft when the shaft is at least partly within the chamber after translating along the bore.
An apparatus for establishing a seal between a transport chamber and interfacing chambers, said seal being established from within the transport chamber, the transport chamber being configured to interface with a preselected number of processing chambers, the apparatus comprising:
- a drive assembly having at least one surface for attaching to said transport chamber from an under surface, and the drive assembly being mounted to the under surface of the transport chamber such that a shaft contained within the drive assembly is configured to translate from the drive assembly through said at least one surface and along a bore in the under surface of the transport chamber;
- a gate plate fastened to an end of the shaft when the shaft is positioned at least partly within the transport chamber;
- and
- whereby mounting the drive assembly to the under surface of the transport chamber reduces a clean room footprint occupied by the transport chamber and drive assembly.
An apparatus for implementing a gate drive valve assembly used to isolate a transport chamber from interfacing chambers, the transport chamber being configured to interface with a preselected number of processing chambers, comprising:
- a drive assembly means having a top surface for attaching to a bottom plate of said transport chamber containing a robot arm, the drive assembly being mounted to the bottom plate of the transport chamber such that a shaft contained within the drive assembly translates from the drive assembly through the top surface and along a bore in the bottom plate of the transport chamber;
- means for attaching a gate plate to an end of the shaft when the shaft is at least partly within the chamber after translating along the bore;
- a safety latch means located on a side wall of the drive assembly means, the safety latch means configured to prevent closure of the gate plate when a transfer in and out of the transport chamber by the robot arm is in progress;
- and
- means for sensing when the gate plate is in an open or closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.