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US 6,309,161 B1Granted
Load lock with vertically movable support
AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.
InventorChristopher A. Hofmeister
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A load lock has a substrate carrier movable between one position and another position each position vertically separated from the other, to locate the carrier at vertically discrete positions to load substrates onto the carrier or remove substrates from the carrier. A ring seal is provided around the substrate carrier for opening and closing the load lock chamber to the vacuum transport apparatus by controllably vertically positioning it between an uppermost and a lowermost position within the load lock.
Claims20
A load lock comprising:
- a housing defining an internal chamber having a first opening and a second opening communicating therewith;
- a substrate carrier located within said internal chamber and movable therein through said second opening;
- said substrate carrier being aligned with each of said first and second openings and adapted to allow substrates to be moved through said first opening onto said substrate carrier;
- said housing supporting said movable substrate carrier;
- and
- a seal ring having a first seal and a second seal, said seal ring having a seal ring opening adapted to allow gas to pass through said seal ring, said seal ring disposed within said internal chamber and movable, independent of said substrate carrier, between an upper closed position at which the first opening is blocked by said seal ring and a lower open position at which the first opening is open to said internal chamber allowing substrates to be moved through said first opening onto said substrate carrier.
3 more elements
A load lock comprising:
- a housing defining an internal chamber having a first opening and a second opening communicating therewith;
- a substrate carrier located within the internal chamber and movable through the second opening;
- and
- a seal ring having a first seal and a second seal, the seal ring having an opening adapted to allow gas to pass through the seal ring, the seal ring disposed within the internal chamber and movable, independent of said substrate carrier, between a closed position at which the first opening is blocked and a open position at which the first opening is open to the internal chamber allowing substrates to be moved along a substrate path through said first opening onto said substrate carrier.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.