Gate valve unit, substrate processing device and substrate processing method thereof

A substrate processing device, comprising:

• a plurality of gate valve units;
• a plurality of process chambers each being configured to perform a processing process for a substrate, wherein the process chambers include a depressurizable hot wall chamber having a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature and a first substrate transferring port provided in the sidewall;
• and
• a depressurizable transfer chamber connected to each of the process chambers via one of the gate valve units and having a transfer arm mechanism configured to transfer the substrate to and from the process chambers and a second substrate transferring port,
• wherein a gate valve unit placed between the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, has:
• a housing having a sidewall provided with one or more communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the first substrate transferring port and a second housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the second substrate transferring port;
• a valve body configured to be movable up and down in the housing;
• and a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member,
• said one or more communicating holes allow a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member to communicate with an internal space of the housing,
• the first sealing member and the second sealing member are provided between a sidewall of the transfer chamber and the sidewall of the housing, and
• the second substrate transferring port is surrounded by the first sealing member and the second sealing member and is opened and closed by the valve body, and
• wherein the gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member is vacuum-evacuated by the hot wall chamber through said one or more communicating holes by depressurizing the hot wall chamber under a state in which the second substrate transferring port is closed by the valve body and the first substrate transferring port is opened.

A substrate processing device, comprising:

• a plurality of gate valve units;
• a plurality of hot wall chambers, wherein each of the hot wall chambers has a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature and a first substrate transferring port provided in the sidewall and is configured to perform a processing process for a substrate;
• and
• a depressurizable transfer chamber connected to each of the hot wall chambers via one of the gate valve units and having a transfer arm mechanism configured to transfer the substrate to and from the hot wall chambers and a second substrate transferring port provided in a sidewall of the transfer chamber,
• wherein said one of the gate valve units has:
• a housing having a sidewall provided with one or more communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the first substrate transferring port of a hot wall chamber connected to said one of the gate valve units and a second housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the second substrate transferring port;
• a valve body configured to be movable up and down in the housing;
• and a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member,
• said one or more communicating holes allow a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member to communicate with an internal space of the housing,
• the first sealing member and the second sealing member are provided between the side wall of the housing and the sidewall of one chamber among the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, which is required to maintain a higher vacuum degree than the other chamber among the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, and
• the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is surrounded by the first sealing member and the second sealing member and is opened and closed by the valve body
• wherein the gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member is vacuum-evacuated by the other chamber through said one or more communicating holes by depressurizing the other chamber under a state in which the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is closed by the valve body and the substrate transferring port of the other chamber is opened.

A gate valve unit, which is adapted to be provided between a depressurizable hot wall chamber, which has a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature and a first substrate transferring port provided in the sidewall, and a depressurizable transfer chamber having a transfer arm mechanism for transferring a substrate to and from the hot wall chamber and a second substrate transferring port provided in a sidewall of the transfer chamber, the gate valve unit comprising:

• a housing having a sidewall provided with one or more communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the first substrate transferring port, and a second housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the second substrate transferring port;
• a valve body configured to be movable up and down in the housing;
• and
• a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member,
• wherein said one or more communicating holes allow a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member to communicate with an internal space of the housing,
• the first sealing member and the second sealing member are provided between the sidewall of the housing and the sidewall of one chamber among the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, which is required to maintain a higher degree of vacuum than the other chamber among the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, and,
• the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is surrounded by the first sealing member and the second sealing member and is opened and closed by the valve body, and
• wherein the gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member is vacuum-evacuated by the other chamber through said one or more communicating holes by depressurizing the other chamber under a state in which the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is closed by the valve body and the substrate transferring port of the other chamber is opened.

A substrate processing method using a substrate processing device comprising:

• a depressurizable hot wall chamber having a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature, and a first substrate transferring port provided in the sidewall;
• and
• a depressurizable transfer chamber having a transfer arm mechanism for transferring a substrate to and from the hot wall chamber and a second substrate transferring port provided in a sidewall of the transfer chamber;
• and
• a gate valve unit provided between the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber,
• wherein the gate valve unit includes:
• a housing having a sidewall provided with one or more communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the first substrate transferring port and a second housing substrate transferring port corresponding to the second substrate transferring port;
• a valve body configured to be movable up and down in the housing;
• and
• a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member, and
• wherein said one or more communicating holes allow a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member to communicate with an internal space of the housing,
• the first sealing member and the second sealing member are provided between the side wall of the housing and the sidewall of one chamber among the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, which is required to maintain a higher vacuum degree than the other chamber among the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber, and
• the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is surrounded by the first sealing member and the second sealing member,
• the method comprising:
• depressurizing the other chamber so that the gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member is vacuum-evacuated through said one or more communicating holes by the other chamber under a state in which the substrate transferring port of the one chamber is closed by the valve body and the substrate transferring port of the other chamber is opened.