Sealing apparatus for a process chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9261193-B2
Application number	US-201313800750-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	Nov 13, 2008
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A sealing apparatus is provided herein. In some embodiments, the sealing apparatus includes an annular body including a first portion having a circular cross-section and a second portion extending radially outward from the first portion, wherein the second portion has a rectangular cross-section. In some embodiments, a sealing apparatus includes a body configured to be retained in a recess of a first surface; an arm extending from the body away from the first surface and configured to provide a force when deflected towards the body by a second surface to form a seal between the first surface and the second surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
an outer chamber having an opening;
an injector assembly disposed through the opening in the outer chamber;
a recess disposed in the outer chamber in a closed loop about the opening, wherein the recess has a trapezoidal cross-section tapering away from a bottom surface; and
a sealing apparatus comprising:
a continuous body forming a closed loop disposed in the recess, wherein the continuous body has a trapezoidal cross-section having a first side, an opposing second side, a bottom disposed between the first and second sides, and a third side opposite the bottom, wherein the first side, opposing second side, and bottom are at least partially disposed within the recess, and wherein the continuous body tapers away from the bottom surface of the recess; and
an arm coupled to the third side of the continuous body proximate only the first side and extending away from the continuous body from the first side toward the second side such that the arm and the first side form a single continuous taper surface, the arm configured to provide a force when deflected towards the continuous body by the injector assembly to form a first seal between the outer chamber and the injector assembly.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the continuous body and the arm of the sealing apparatus comprise a perfluoroelastomer.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the closed loop is annular.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the arm extends continuously along the continuous body.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the continuous body has a cross-sectional shape that substantially conforms to a cross-sectional shape of the recess to facilitate retaining the continuous body within the recess.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the continuous body is substantially disposed within the recess.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the continuous body has a cross-section that is substantially smaller than a cross-section of the recess, and wherein the continuous body is entirely disposed within the recess.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bottom of the continuous body further comprises a recessed central portion disposed between outer portions of the bottom proximate the first and second sides.

9. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a first chamber body defining a process volume and having a first opening within a first surface of the first chamber body;
a second chamber body disposed about the first chamber body and partially defining an outer volume between the first chamber body and the second chamber body, wherein the second chamber body comprises a second opening within a first surface of the second chamber body;
an injector assembly disposed through the second opening in the second chamber body and coupled to the first chamber body at the first opening to provide a flow of process gas to the process volume;
a recess disposed within the first surface of the second chamber body proximate the second opening and having a bottom surface facing a second chamber body facing surface of the injector assembly, wherein the recess forms a closed loop, wherein the recess has a trapezoidal cross-section tapering away from the bottom surface; and
a sealing apparatus, comprising: a continuous body forming a closed loop and retained in the recess, wherein the continuous body has a trapezoidal cross-section having a first side, an opposing second side, a bottom disposed between the first and second sides, and a third side opposite the bottom, wherein the continuous body tapers away from the bottom, and wherein the continuous body is retained in the recess such that the bottom and the first surface of the first chamber body are substantially parallel; and
an arm coupled to the third side of the continuous body proximate only the first side and extending from the continuous body away from the third side and toward the second side of the continuous body such that the arm and the first side from a single continuous taper surface, the arm configured to provide a force when deflected towards the continuous body by the injector assembly to form a first seal between the first surface of the second chamber body and the second chamber body facing surface of the injector assembly.

10. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
(a) a first chamber body disposed about a second chamber body, the first chamber body comprising:
(i) a first surface;
(ii) a recess disposed in the first surface, wherein the recess forms a closed loop and wherein the first surface extends in opposite directions from a first side of the recess and a second side of the recess, and wherein the recess has a trapezoidal cross-section that tapers away from the first surface;
(iii) a second surface coupled to the first surface, wherein the second surface is substantially perpendicular to the first surface; and
(iv) a third surface coupled to the second surface, wherein the third surface is substantially perpendicular to the second surface;

(b) an injector assembly disposed through an opening in the first chamber body and coupled to the second chamber body, comprising:
(i) a fourth surface facing the recess in the first surface;
(ii) a fifth surface opposing the second surface and coupled to the fourth surface, wherein the fifth surface is substantially perpendicular to the fourth surface; and
(iii) a sixth surface opposing the third surface and coupled to the fifth surface, wherein the sixth surface is substantially perpendicular to the fifth surface; and

(c) a first sealing apparatus, comprising:
(i) a first continuous body that forms a closed loop, wherein the first continuous body has a trapezoidal cross-section having a first side, an opposing second side, a bottom disposed between the first and second sides, and a third side opposite the bottom, wherein the continuous body tapers away from the bottom, and wherein the first continuous body is retained in the recess of the first surface such that the bottom and the first surface are substantially parallel; and
(ii) an arm coupled to the third side of the first continuous body proximate only the first side and extending from the first continuous body away from the third side and toward the second side of the first continuous body such that the arm and the first side from a single continuous taper surface, the arm configured to provide a force when deflected towards the first continuous body by the fourth surface to form a first seal between the first surface and the fourth surface.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a second sealing apparatus comprising a second continuous body forming a closed loop and disposed between the third surface and the sixth surface to form a second seal between the third surface and the sixth surface, wherein the first seal and the second seal form a first closed volume between the first seal and second seal, and wherein the second seal is formed substantially parallel to the first seal.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first continuous body and the arm of the first sealing apparatus comprise a perfluoroelastomer.

13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first continuous body forms a annular closed loop.

14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the arm extends continuously along the first continuous body.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Yudovsky Joseph

Classifications

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/0441

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

• F16J15/02 Primary

  between relatively-stationary surfaces (F16J15/46, F16J15/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01L21/67109

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L21/67126

  Electricity · mapped topic