Asymmetrical sealing and gas flow control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11276585-B2
Application number	US-201816053203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2018
Priority date	Jan 30, 2018
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A sealing device configured for use in a vacuum chamber between a reaction region of the vacuum chamber and an exhaust port includes a ring-shaped body with an upper surface and a lower surface. A distance between the upper surface and the lower surface of the sealing device is a thickness of the ring-shaped body. The thickness of the ring-shaped body differs along a circumference of the ring-shaped body such that the ring-shaped body has a wedge shape. The thickness of the ring-shaped body, around its circumference is dependent upon a structure of the exhaust port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sealing device configured for use in a vacuum chamber between a reaction region of the vacuum chamber and an exhaust port, comprising:
a support plate;
an upper seal having a ring-shaped body disposed on the support plate;
a lower seal contacting the upper seal and the support plate;
an upper surface of the upper seal; and
a lower surface of upper seal,
wherein a thickness of the upper seal differs along a circumference of the upper seal such that the upper seal has a ring-wedge shape,
wherein the thickness of the upper seal, around its circumference is dependent upon a structure of the exhaust port,
wherein a maximum width of the upper seal is greater than a maximum width of the lower seal,
wherein the upper seal includes a taper surface between the upper surface of the upper seal and a vertical inner side surface of the upper seal, and
wherein a length of the taper surface of the upper seal differs along the circumference of the upper seal.

2. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the sealing device constitutes a part of a lower surface of an exhaust passage surrounding the reaction region.

3. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the sealing device is disposed opposite to a gas distribution plate for supplying a process gas to the reaction region.

4. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the structure of the exhaust port includes one or more of a distance from the exhaust port, a direction of the exhaust port, and a number of additional exhaust ports other than the exhaust port.

5. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein a reference plane includes an internal-diameter center axis of the body and the exhaust port, and a cross-sectional shape of the upper seal taken in the reference plane is asymmetrical with respect to the internal-diameter center axis.

6. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the upper seal taken in a reference plane is thicker or thinner at a position closer to the exhaust port in an exhaust passage than at a position farther from the exhaust port.

7. The sealing device of claim 6 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the upper seal taken in the reference plane has a difference of 0.5 mm or more in thickness between a thickest portion and a thinnest portion.

8. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the upper seal taken in a reference plane continuously increases or decreases in thickness along a diameter direction or a circumferential direction of the upper seal.

9. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the upper seal is inclined with respect to the lower surface of the upper seal.

10. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the upper seal has a curved shape whose center of curvature is positioned outside of the internal-diameter center axis of the upper seal.

11. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the inner side surface of the upper seal has a cylindrical shape and an outer side surface having an elliptical barrel shape, or a polygonal barrel shape.

12. The sealing device of claim 1 , wherein the lower seal is thickest where it is overlapped with the vertical inner side surface of the upper seal.

13. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a vacuum chamber including a chamber wall in which an exhaust port is formed and including a substrate support,
a gas distribution plate, and
an exhaust passage contained therein,
wherein the substrate support is configured to support a substrate, which is a processing target, and is disposed below the gas distribution plate,
wherein the gas distribution plate is disposed opposite to the substrate support with a reaction region interposed therebetween, and is configured to supply a process gas to the reaction region,
wherein the exhaust passage is formed in the chamber wall of the vacuum chamber to surround the reaction region,
wherein a sealing device is disposed in an exhaust path in which the process gas is moved from the reaction region to the exhaust port via the exhaust passage,
wherein the sealing device has a support plate and an upper seal disposed thereon with a lower seal contacting the upper seal and the support plate,
wherein the sealing device is a part of the exhaust path so that a gap is formed between an upper surface of the upper seal and the gas distribution plate,
wherein the upper seal of the sealing device has a ring-wedge shape with a thickness varying along a circumferential direction of the body according to a positional relationship with the exhaust port,
wherein a width of the upper seal is greater than a width of the lower seal,
wherein the upper seal includes a taper surface between an upper surface of the upper seal and a vertical inner side surface of the upper seal, and
wherein a length of the taper surface of the upper seal differs along a circumference of the upper seal.

14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the sealing device is formed to a thickness larger or smaller at a position closer to the exhaust port in the exhaust passage than at a position farther from the exhaust port.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the upper seal of the sealing device continuously increases or decreases in thickness along the circumferential direction of the body.

16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the upper surface of the upper seal is inclined with respect to a lower surface of the upper seal.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the vacuum chamber includes two or more exhaust ports.

18. A sealing device configured for use in a vacuum chamber, comprises:
a support plate;
an upper seal, disposed on the support plate, opposite to a gas distribution plate that is configured to supply a process gas to a reaction region, in an exhaust path, the exhaust path being in communication with the reaction region and an exhaust passage; and
a lower seal contacting the upper seal and the support plate,
wherein the upper seal has a ring-wedge shape varying cross-sectional shape taken in a first reference plane, which contains an internal-diameter center axis of the body and at least one exhaust port of the vacuum chamber,
wherein a width of the upper seal is greater than a width of the lower seal,
wherein the upper seal includes a taper surface between an upper surface of the upper seal and a vertical inner side surface of the upper seal, and
wherein a length of the taper surface of the upper seal differs along a circumference of the upper seal.

19. The sealing device of claim 18 , wherein the upper surface of the upper seal is a curved surface whose center of curvature is disposed outside of the internal-diameter center axis of the upper seal.

20. The sealing device of claim 18 , wherein the body has one pair of cross-sectional parts taken in the first reference plane and opposite to each other with respect to the internal-diameter center axis, and wherein upper surfaces of the one pair of cross-sectional parts are present in a continuous straight line or curved line.

21. The sealing device of claim 20 , wherein the continuous straight line is inclined upward with respect to the ground, and
wherein an inner diameter of the upper seal is 300 mm or less and an outer diameter of the upper seal is 320 mm or more.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee June Hee
• Yoon Young Jong
• Yu Seok Heon
• Jin Pill Kyu
• Woo Jeong Woo

Classifications

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/7611

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

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

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P72/0441 Primary

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