Gas pressure balance valve, gas pressure balance method, and load locking chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023250894-A1
Application number	US-202217808495-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2022
Priority date	Feb 10, 2022
Publication date	Aug 10, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gas pressure balance valve includes a valve body, a one-way valve and a buffer assembly. The valve body includes a gas inlet end and a gas outlet end, the gas inlet end is connected with a first gas pressure area, the gas outlet end is connected with a second gas pressure area, and a pressure difference is existed between the first gas pressure area and the second gas pressure area. The one-way valve is located in the valve body, and configured to achieve the balance between the pressures of the first gas pressure area and the second gas pressure area. The buffer assembly is located between the gas inlet end and the one-way valve, and configured to adjust the pressure on the surface of the one-way valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gas pressure balance valve, comprising:
a valve body comprising a gas inlet end and a gas outlet end, wherein the gas inlet end is configured to be connected with a first gas pressure area, the gas outlet end is configured to be connected with a second gas pressure area, and a pressure difference is existed between the first gas pressure area and the second gas pressure area; a one-way valve, located in the valve body, and configured to perform a pressure adjustment to achieve the balance between pressures of the first gas pressure area and the second gas pressure area; and a buffer assembly, located between the gas inlet end and the one-way valve, and configured to adjust a pressure on a surface of the one-way valve.

2 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 1 , wherein the buffer assembly comprises:
a plurality of upper baffles, located on an inner wall on one side of the valve body and extending towards an inside of the valve body; and a plurality of lower baffles, located on the inner wall on another side of the valve body and extending towards the inside of the valve body, wherein the plurality of upper baffles and the plurality of lower baffles are arranged alternately at intervals in a direction towards the one-way valve.

3 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 1 , wherein the buffer assembly comprises:
a plurality of ring-shaped baffles, arranged along an inner wall of the valve body and spaced apart from each other, wherein inner diameters of the plurality of ring-shaped baffles are gradually increased.

4 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 1 , wherein the buffer assembly comprises:
a plurality of baffles, located in the valve body and spaced part from each other inside the valve body, wherein outer diameters of the plurality of baffles are different from one another, and a gap is formed between each of the baffles and an inner wall of the valve body.

5 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve body comprises a first pipe and a second pipe, one end of the first pipe forms the gas inlet end, one end of the second pipe forms the gas outlet end, and the other end of the first pipe and the other end of the second pipe face towards each other and form a pipe orifice; and wherein the one-way valve is located in the second pipe, the buffer assembly is located at the pipe orifice and acts along with a change in the pressure of the first gas pressure area to adjust a degree of opening of the pipe orifice and then dynamically adjust the pressure on the surface of the one-way valve.

6 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 5 , wherein an area between the one-way valve and the pipe orifice forms a buffer space, the buffer assembly comprises a drive member and a blocking sheet, and the blocking sheet is connected to the drive member and movable with respect to the pipe orifice under the drive of the drive member to adjust the degree of opening of the pipe orifice.

7 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 6 , wherein the drive member comprises at least one of a hydraulic drive member, a pneumatic drive member, or a motor drive member.

8 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 7 , wherein the hydraulic drive member comprises:
a compressed gas source; a first valve, connected to the compressed gas source; a first pressure introducing pipe, wherein one end of the first pressure introducing pipe is connected to the first valve, the other end of the first pressure introducing pipe abuts against one end of the blocking sheet, and a hydraulic fluid is provided in the first pressure introducing pipe; and a second pressure introducing pipe, wherein one end of the second pressure introducing pipe is connected to the first valve, the other end of the second pressure introducing pipe abuts against the other end of the blocking sheet, and a hydraulic fluid is provided in the second pressure introducing pipe, wherein the compressed gas source is configured to supply a compressed gas into the first pressure introducing pipe or the second pressure introducing pipe through the first valve, to drive the hydraulic fluid to drive the blocking sheet to move.

9 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 8 , wherein the hydraulic drive member further comprises a second valve and a third valve,
the second valve is located on the first pressure introducing pipe, to adjust a flow rate of the compressed gas in the first pressure introducing pipe; and the third valve is located on the second pressure introducing pipe, to adjust a flow rate of the compressed gas in the second pressure introducing pipe.

10 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 6 , wherein a pressure release hole is formed on the blocking sheet, and under the drive of the drive member, the degree of opening of the pipe orifice is adjusted by the blocking sheet through the pressure release hole.

11 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 10 , wherein an opening of the pressure release hole on the blocking sheet is flared from one end to the other end, wherein an inner diameter at a maximum opening position of the pressure release hole is greater than or equal to an inner diameter of the pipe orifice.

12 . The gas pressure balance valve of claim 1 , wherein the gas pressure balance valve is applied to a load locking chamber, surface of the gas inlet end of the valve body comprises external threads, and the load locking chamber comprises corresponding internal threads.

13 . A gas pressure balance method using the gas pressure balance valve of claim 1 , comprising:
providing the gas pressure balance valve between a first gas pressure area and a second gas pressure area having a pressure difference therebetween, with the gas inlet end of the valve body of the gas pressure balance valve being connected with the first gas pressure area, and the gas outlet end being connected with the second gas pressure area; and adjusting the pressure of the first gas pressure area, wherein a pressure of the first gas pressure area is adjusted through a buffer assembly and a one-way valve in the valve body, to achieve a balance between pressures of the first gas pressure area and the second gas pressure area.

14 . The gas pressure balance method of claim 13 , further comprising:
dynamically adjusting a pressure on the surface of the one-way valve through the buffer assembly according to a change in the pressure of the first gas pressure area.

15 . A load locking chamber, comprising:
a chamber, configured to accommodate a substrate; the gas pressure balance valve of claim 1 , wherein the gas inlet end of the valve body of the gas pressure balance valve is connected with the chamber, and the gas outlet end is connected with an atmospheric environment; and a suction port, formed on the chamber and connected to a suction pump for adjusting a pressure in the chamber through the suction port.

16 . The load locking chamber of claim 15 , wherein the load locking chamber is connected to an atmospheric transfer chamber and a vacuum transfer chamber, and the load locking chamber is configured to transfer an untreated substrate from the atmospheric transfer chamber to the vacuum transfer chamber and to transfer a treated substrate from the vacuum transfer chamber to the atmospheric transfer chamber.

Assignees

• Changxin Memory Tech Inc

Inventors

• Li Wenzhe
• Zhang Wenbo

Classifications

• H10P72/0466 Primary

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

• Y10T137/88054

  Direct response normally closed valve limits direction of flow · CPC title

• F16K47/08 Primary

  for decreasing pressure {or noise level} and having a throttling member separate from the closure member {, e.g. screens, slots, labyrinths} · CPC title

• F16K15/00

  Check valves (valves specially adapted for inflatable balls A63B41/00) · CPC title

• G05D16/028

  Controlling a pressure difference (control of flow G05D7/00) · CPC title