Process chamber and substrate processing apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10991600-B2
Application number	US-201715848481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Jun 19, 2017
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A process chamber and a substrate processing apparatus including the same are disclosed. The process chamber includes a first housing and a second housing on the first housing. The first housing includes a first outer wall, a first partition wall facing the first outer wall, and a first side wall connecting the first outer wall and the first partition wall. The second housing includes a second outer wall, a second partition wall between the second outer wall and the first partition wall, and a second side wall connecting the second outer wall and the second partition wall. Each of the first and second outer walls has a thickness greater than a thickness of the first partition wall and a thickness of the second partition wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process chamber comprising:
a first housing;
a first substrate support member in the first housing;
a second housing on the first housing;
a second substrate support member in the second housing; and
a fixing bar disposed beside the first and second housings,
wherein the first housing comprises:
a first bottom wall having a first insert hole receiving the fixing bar;
a first top wall facing the first bottom wall;
a first side wall connected between the first bottom wall and the first top wall and having a first opening to provide a substrate in the first housing; and
a first sliding door disposed between the fixing bar and the first opening and configured to close and open the first opening, the first sliding door connected to the first support member,

wherein the second housing comprises:
a second top wall having a second insert hole receiving the fixing bar;
a second bottom wall between the second top wall and the first top wall; and
a second side wall connected between the second top wall and the second bottom wall and having a second opening to provide the substrate in the second housing; and
a second sliding door disposed between the fixing bar and the second opening and configured to close and open the second opening, the second sliding door connected to the second support member,

wherein each of the first side wall and the second side wall have a right supply hole and a left supply hole disposed on both sides of the first and second substrate support member to provide a fluid in the first housing and the second housing,
wherein each of the first side wall and the second side wall have a right exhaust hole and left exhaust hole adjacent to the right supply hole and the left supply hole respectively to extract the fluid in the first housing and the second housing,
wherein the first and second sliding doors are provided in the first and second housing in a first direction, and
wherein the right supply hole, the left supply hole, the right exhaust hole, and the left exhaust hole extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

2. The process chamber of claim 1 ,
wherein the first housing further comprises:
at least one first supply passageway penetrating the first housing; and
at least one first exhaust passageway penetrating the first housing, and

the second housing further comprises:
at least one second supply passageway penetrating the second housing; and
at least one second exhaust passageway penetrating the second housing.

3. The process chamber of claim 2 ,
wherein the first top wall comprises:
a first wall surface facing the first bottom wall; and
a second wall surface facing the second bottom wall,

wherein the second bottom wall comprises:
a third wall surface facing the second wall surface; and
a fourth wall surface facing the second top wall,

wherein the at least one first exhaust passageway penetrates the first bottom wall,
wherein the at least one first supply passageway comprises:
a first supply flow path extending from the first wall surface toward the second wall surface; and
a second supply flow path extending from the first supply flow path toward the first side wall,

wherein the at least one second supply passageway penetrates the second top wall, and
wherein the at least one second exhaust passageway comprises:
a first exhaust flow path extending from the fourth wall surface toward the third wall surface; and
a second exhaust flow path extending from the first exhaust flow path toward the second side wall.

4. The process chamber of claim 3 , wherein the first supply flow path, the first exhaust flow path, the at least one second supply passageway, and the at least one first exhaust passageway are vertically aligned with each other.

5. The process chamber of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one first supply passageway, at least a portion of the at least one first exhaust passageway, at least a portion of the at least one second supply passageway, and at least a portion of the at least one second exhaust passageway are vertically aligned with each other.

6. The process chamber of claim 2 , wherein
the at least one first supply passageway comprises a plurality of first supply passageways provided along a circumference of the first side wall,
the at least one first exhaust passageway comprises a plurality of first exhaust passageways provided along the circumference of the first side wall,
the at least one second supply passageway comprises a plurality of second supply passageways provided along a circumference of the second side wall, and
the at least one second exhaust passageway comprises a plurality of second exhaust passageways provided along the circumference of the second side wall.

7. The process chamber of claim 6 , wherein
one of the plurality of first exhaust passageways faces one of the plurality of first supply passageways, and
one of the plurality of second exhaust passageways faces one of the plurality of second supply passageways.

8. The process chamber of claim 7 ,
the first sliding door comprises a first sub-supply passageway penetrating the first sliding door
the second sliding door comprises a second sub-supply passageway penetrating the second sliding door,
wherein the first sub-supply passageway faces another one of the plurality of first exhaust passageways, and
wherein the second sub-supply passageway faces another one of the plurality of second exhaust passageways.

9. The process chamber of claim 1 , further comprising at least one third housing between the first housing and the second housing,
wherein the at least one third housing comprises:
a third bottom wall;
a third top wall between the third bottom wall and the second housing; and
a third side wall connecting the third bottom wall and the third top wall.

10. The process chamber of claim 9 , wherein the first top wall, the second bottom wall, the third bottom wall, and the third top wall each have the same thickness.

11. The process chamber of claim 9 , wherein the at least one third housing further comprises:
at least one third supply passageway penetrating the at least one third housing; and
at least one third exhaust passageway penetrating the at least one third housing.

12. The process chamber of claim 11 ,
wherein the third bottom wall comprises:
a fifth wall surface facing the first housing; and
a sixth wall surface facing the third top wall,

wherein the at least one third exhaust passageway comprises:
a third exhaust flow path extending from the fifth wall surface toward the sixth wall surface; and
a fourth exhaust flow path extending from the third exhaust flow path toward the third side wall,

wherein the third top wall comprises:
a seventh wall surface facing the third bottom wall; and
an eighth wall surface facing the second housing, and

wherein the at least one third supply passageway comprises:
a third supply flow path extending from the seventh wall surface toward the eighth wall surface; and
a fourth supply flow path extending from the third supply flow path toward the third side wall.

13. The process chamber of claim 11 , wherein the at least one third supply passageway comprises a plurality of third supply passageways provided along a circumference of the third side wall,
the at least one third exhaust passageway comprises a plurality of third exhaust passageways provided along the circumference of the third side wall.

14. The process chamber of claim 13 , wherein one of the plurality of third supply passageways faces one of the plural

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Yong-Jhin
• Kim Young-Hoo
• Jeong Jihoon
• Kim Yungjun
• Oh Jung-Min
• Lee Kuntack
• Lee Hyosan

Classifications

• H10P72/0466

  characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

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

• H10P72/0458

  vertical arrangement · CPC title

• H10P72/0441

  Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like · CPC title

• H10P70/20

  Cleaning during device manufacture · CPC title