Patent EP1126508A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP1126508A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Processing apparatus having integrated pumping system
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
•
Filing: 2001-02-14
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2021-02-14
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus 115 for processing a substrate 20, comprises an integrated pumping system 155 having a high operating efficiency, small size, and low vibrational and noise levels. The apparatus 115 comprises a chamber, such as a load-lock chamber 110, transfer chamber 115, or process chamber 120. An integrated pump 165 is abutting or adjacent to one of the chambers 110, 115, 120 for evacuating gas from the chambers. In operation, the pump is located within the actual envelope or footprint of the apparatus and has an inlet 170 connected to a chamber 110, 115, 120, and an outlet 175 that exhausts the gas to atmospheric pressure. Preferably, the integrated pump 165 comprises a pre-vacuum pump or a low vacuum pump and is housed in a noise reducing enclosure having means for moving the pump between locations and means for stacking pumps vertically in use.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter Reimer
- 👤 Pedram Sabouri
- 👤 Dennis R. Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:25
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0451; H10P72/0452; H10P72/0454; H10P72/0402; H10P72/0461
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a plurality of vacuum chambers, the vacuum chambers defining a peripheral envelope
of space; a plurality of pumps, each of the pumps having an inlet connected to at least one of
the vacuum chambers and an outlet for exhausting gas to atmospheric pressure and; a system controller, for controlling gas pressure in at least one of the chambers, and
the rate of evacuation of gas from the chambers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of pumps is disposed within
the envelope of space defined by the chambers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the system controller is
programmable to control the gas pressure by changing the speed of one of the pumps in
relation to a signal from a chamber pressure gauge according to a programmed set of
instructions for processing the substrate.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
59 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the system controller is
programmable to control the rate of evacuation of gas by changing the speed of one of the
pumps in relation to a signal from a chamber pressure gauge according to a programmed set
of instructions for reducing condensation of moisture in the chamber.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the system controller is
programmable to control the efficiency of at least one of the pumps by changing the speed
of the pump.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the system controller is programmable
to control the efficiency of at least one of the pumps by changing the speed of the pump
between a low speed, a high speed and an idle speed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the low speed is about 30 Hz, the high
speed is about 100 Hz and the idle speed is about 30 Hz.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the low speed requires energy
of about 500 to 750 watts, the high speed requires energy of about 3000 watts and the idle
speed requires energy of about 500 watts.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
61 words
An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a plurality of components including at least one vacuum chamber, the components
defining a peripheral envelope of space; and at least one pump having an inlet connected to the vacuum chamber and an outlet
exhausting gas to atmospheric pressure, whereby the pump is locatable within the peripheral
envelope of space defined by the components.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
73 words
An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a plurality of vacuum chambers defining an envelope of space in a clean room; and at least two pumps, each pump having an inlet connected to at least one of the
chambers for evacuating gas in the chamber and an outlet that exhausts the evacuated gas to
a pressure approximately equal to atmospheric pressure, the pumps located within the
envelope of space defined by the chambers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of vacuum chambers
includes: at least one process chamber; at least one load-lock chamber; and at least one transfer chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the process chambers
and the load-lock chamber are elevated off the clean room floor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the pumps is disposed beneath
one of the elevated process chambers and a fourth pump is disposed beneath one of the
elevated load-lock chambers.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
75 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13, wherein a first transfer chamber
is disposed adjacent a second transfer chamber, the first and second transfer chambers having
a plurality of process chambers disposed in a radial fashion there around and wherein two of
the pumps are each disposed between adjacent process chambers, one pump is disposed
beneath a load-lock chamber, and two pumps are disposed each beneath one of the process
chambers.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
51 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 11 to 14, further comprising at least four
process chambers and two load-lock chambers connected to the transfer chamber and at least
one pump disposed beneath each of the process chambers and at least one pump disposed
beneath one of the load-lock chambers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising two pumps stacked vertically
and disposed at least partially beneath one of the load-lock chambers.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
53 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 11 to 16, further comprising a transfer
chamber with at least four process chambers and two load-lock chambers disposed
therearound and six pumps disposed at a first end of the envelope beneath a gas supply panel,
the pumps substantially within the footprint of the apparatus.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
28 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 10 to 17, wherein the pumps are each
housed in an enclosure, the enclosure including noise and vibration reducing members.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 10 to 18, wherein the pumps include
movable members to facilitate moving the pumps around a surface of a clean room floor .
Claim 20
Independent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 11 to 19, wherein two of the pumps are
stacked vertically and are at least partially disposed under one of the chambers.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 10 to 20, wherein each of the pumps
includes an exhaust line and wherein the exhaust lines are bundled together to form a single
exhaust bundle.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the exhaust bundle is wrapped in a
heater.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein the heater includes a conductor carrying
electrical current to heat gas within the exhaust lines.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
43 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 10 to 24, wherein each of the pumps
includes an exhaust line and two or more of the exhaust lines are integrated into one common
exhaust line for removing exhaust from two or more pumps.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
53 words
An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a transfer chamber; a plurality of process chambers connected to the transfer chamber; and a plurality of pumps disposed adjacent the transfer chamber in an alternating
relationship with the process chambers within a perimeter of the apparatus as defined by the
outermost edges of the chambers.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein at least one of the pumps is mounted
on another pump.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
39 words
A pump for use with a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: an inlet connected to a vacuum chamber and an outlet exhausting gas to atmospheric
pressure; and the pump constructed and arranged to operate within an envelope of the apparatus.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
48 words
A pump as claimed in claim 27, wherein the pump is surrounded by an enclosure, the
enclosure having a substantially planar top surface, bottom surface, two side surfaces and two
end surfaces, and constructed and arranged to reduce noise and vibration emanating from the
pump and surface temperature.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
46 words
A pump as claimed in claim 27 or claim 28, further including a vacuum chamber
disposed above the pump whereby the pump and chamber are housed together in a frame, the
pump within the envelope of space defined by the outer perimeter of the vacuum chamber.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
A pump as claimed in claim 28 or claim 29, wherein the height, length and width
ratio of the enclosure is about 1:2:1.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
23 words
A pump as claimed in claim 28 or claim 29, wherein the height, length and width
ratio of the enclosure is about 2:1:1.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
38 words
A pump as claimed in any of claims 28 to 31, wherein the noise level of the pump
when measured at a base pressure and a distance of 1 meter is equal to or less than 58 dB.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
34 words
A pump as claimed in any of claims 28 to 32, wherein the pump enclosure has a
plurality of machine interfaces, all of which are located on a single surface of the pump
enclosure.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
36 words
A pump as claimed in any of claims 28 to 32, wherein the bottom surface of a first
pump enclosure is fixable to a top surface of a second pump enclosure, the pump enclosures
thereby stackable.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
46 words
A pump as claimed in claim 34, wherein the top surface of the second pump enclosure
has a plurality of landing indentations, the landing indentations constructed and arranged to
receive a plurality of similarly spaced landing protrusions extending from the bottom surface
of another pump enclosure.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
86 words
A pump as claimed in claim 34 or claim 35, wherein the bottom surface of the first
pump enclosure includes at least one tab extending downward therefrom, the tab including
an aperture there through and wherein the top surface of the second enclosure includes at
least one tab projecting upward therefrom, the tab including an aperture there through,
whereby when a first pump is stacked upon a second pump, the apertures align to receive a
fastener thereby fixing the first and second pumps to each other.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
74 words
A pump as claimed in any of claims 28 to 36, wherein a first end of the bottom
surface of the pump enclosure includes two wheels partially recessed therein, and a second
end of the bottom surface of the pump enclosure includes at least one pivoting wheel and a
handle assembly attachable to the pump enclosure, the wheels and handle assembly
facilitating the movement of the pump along a clean room floor by personnel.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
42 words
An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 28 to 37, wherein the pump is mountable
on a layer of vibration absorbing material, the plate located between and affixed to the
bottom surface of the pump enclosure and the clean room floor.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
50 words
A pump as claimed in any of claims 28 to 38, wherein the pump enclosure includes
a ventilation system capable of drawing air through the enclosure from a first end of the
enclosure to a second end of the enclosure where the air is exhausted to a ventilation exhaust
line.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
47 words
A pump as claimed in claim 39, wherein the ventilation system further includes a
shroud constructed around an exhaust connection of the pump, the shroud in communication
with the ventilation exhaust line whereby air around the exhaust connection is captured and
exhausted through the ventilation exhaust line.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
24 words
A pump as claimed in any of claims 27 to 40, wherein the pump is a multiple inlet
pump operating at least two chambers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.