Enclosure for a target processing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144134-B2
Application number	US-201514705928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2015
Priority date	May 7, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly for enclosing a target processing machine. The assembly comprises an enclosure and a transfer unit. The enclosure comprises a base plate for arranging said target processing machine thereon, side wall panels, which are fixed to said base plate, and a top wall panel which is fixed to said side wall panels. In addition, the enclosure comprises an access opening in a side wall of the enclosure. The transfer unit comprising one or more transfer elements for moving the transfer unit with respect to the base plate. The transfer unit further comprises a door panel which is arranged for closing the access opening, wherein the door panel is movably mounted to the transfer unit by means of a flexible coupling which allows a movement of the door panel with respect to the transfer unit at least in a direction towards and/or away from the enclosure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Assembly for enclosing a target processing machine, wherein the assembly comprises an enclosure and a transfer unit, wherein the enclosure comprising:
a base plate for arranging said target processing machine thereon,
side wall panels, which are fixed to said base plate, and
a top wall panel which is fixed to said side wall panels,
wherein the enclosure comprises an access opening in a side wall of the enclosure,
wherein the transfer unit comprising one or more transfer elements for moving the transfer unit with respect to the base plate, wherein the transfer unit comprises a door panel which is arranged for closing the access opening, wherein
the door panel is mounted to the transfer unit by means of an flexible coupling, wherein the flexible coupling is arranged to allow a movement of the door panel with respect to the transfer unit at least in a direction towards and/or away from the enclosure at least when the transfer unit is arranged in front of the access opening of the enclosure, wherein the transfer unit with the door panel is arranged to be detachable from the enclosure.

2. Assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible coupling comprises a spring mount.

3. Assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the door panel is arranged to abut against the enclosure for closing the access opening.

4. Assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer unit with the door panel is removable from the enclosure in its entirety.

5. Assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly comprises a positioning member and a complementary positioning member, wherein the positioning member is fixedly connected to the base plate and the complementary positioning member is fixedly connected to the transfer unit, wherein the positioning member and the complementary position member are arranged to align the base plate and the transfer unit with respect to each other, at least when the positioning member and the complementary positioning member are joined together.

6. Assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the positioning member and the complementary positioning member each comprises one of a first alignment member and a first complementary alignment member to provide a fixed distance between the base plate and the transfer unit, at least when the first alignment member and the first complementary alignment member are joined together.

7. Assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the first alignment member comprises a socket and wherein the first complementary alignment member comprises a spigot, wherein the spigot is insertable in the socket to provide the fixed distance between the base plate and the transfer unit, preferably wherein the spigot is insertable in the socket to provide a fixed position of the transfer unit with respect to the base plate.

8. Assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the positioning member and the complementary positioning member each comprises one of a second alignment member and a second complementary alignment member to provide a fixed rotational orientation between the base plate and the transfer unit, in particular a fixed rotational orientation around an axis which extends substantially perpendicular to the base plate, at least when the second alignment member and the second complementary alignment member are joined together.

9. Assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the second alignment member comprises a contact surface and the second complementary alignment member comprises an abutment member, wherein the abutment member is arrangeable to abut against the contact surface to provide the fixed rotational orientation between the base plate and the transfer unit.

10. Assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the base plate comprises a preload member and the transfer unit comprises a complementary preload member, wherein the preload member and the complementary preload member are arranged to be coupled to each other and to provide a mechanical preload of the transfer unit with the door panel towards the enclosure.

11. Assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the preload member and the complementary preload member comprises one of an aperture and a hook, wherein the hook is arranged to move into the aperture for coupling the preload member and the complementary preload member to each other.

12. Assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly comprises a pedestal, and wherein the pedestal is provided with a transfer unit location for arranging the transfer unit thereon.

13. Assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the baseplate is arranged at a fixed and/or rigid position on said pedestal.

14. Assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the transfer unit comprises support members and the transfer unit location of the pedestal comprises support member contact surfaces, wherein each of said support member contact surfaces is arranged to receive one of the support members, wherein the support members and support member contact surfaces are arranged to provide a fixed distance between the transfer unit and the pedestal and/or to provide a fixed rotational orientation around an axis which extends substantially parallel to the pedestal.

15. Assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the pedestal is provided with an interface unit arranged at the transfer unit location, wherein the interface unit is connectable to the transfer unit at least when the transfer unit is arranged substantially at the transfer unit location on the pedestal.

16. Assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the interface unit is arranged to provide a connection between the transfer unit and technical service connections for providing facilities to the transfer unit, wherein the facilities comprises one or more of a power supply, a water supply and/or drain, a vacuum duct and an air supply.

17. Assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the interface unit comprising an actuator for moving the interface unit or a coupling unit of the interface unit, towards the transfer unit to provide said connection, preferably wherein the actuator is arranged for moving the interface unit or said coupling unit is a substantially vertical direction.

18. Assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a pre-vacuum seal and a vacuum seal, which are both arranged around the access opening in the side wall of the enclosure at least when the door panel is arranged in front of the access opening of the enclosure.

19. Assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the vacuum seal is arranged between the pre-vacuum seal and the access opening.

20. Assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the pre-vacuum seal comprises a flexible flap which extends in a direction between the door panel and the enclosure over a distance which is larger than the thickness of the vacuum seal in this direction, at least when the door panel is arranged in front of the access opening of the enclosure.

21. Assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the pre-vacuum seal is arranged in the side wall of the enclosure, preferably in a first recess in the side wall of the enclosure.

22. Assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the vacuum seal is arranged in the side wall of the enclosure, preferably in a second recess in the side wall of the enclosure.

23. Assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer elements comprises one or more air pads which are connectable to a compressed air supply.

24. Assembly according to claim 23 , wherein the one or more air pads are arranged at a bottom side of the t

Assignees

• Mapper Lithography Ip Bv

Inventors

• Vijverberg Joep Gerard
• Plandsoen Laurens Vincent
• Van Gelder Bas
• De Boer Guido
• Dansberg Michel Pieter

Classifications

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/0474

  comprising at least one lithography chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H01L21/67775

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01J37/3177

  Multi-beam, e.g. fly's eye, comb probe · CPC title