Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
  • H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
  • H01L21/67201—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the construction of the load-lock chamber
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
  • H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment

Definitions

• Embodiments of the present invention relate to a load lock chamber, a vacuum processing system having a load lock chamber and a method for evacuating a load lock chamber.
• Embodiments of the present invention particularly relate to a load lock chamber having vacuum suction outlets, a vacuum processing system for processing a substrate, and a method for evacuating a load lock chamber to vacuum.
• Substrates are often coated, for example, in vacuum processing systems or vacuum coating plants, under high-vacuum conditions, at pressures within the range of 5*10 "4 hPa to 0.5 hPa.
• load and unload locks or entrance and exit chambers are used for the substrates.
• the load lock and the unload lock are provided by the same load lock chamber.
• the task of load and unload lock chambers is to evacuate to a sufficient and low enough transition pressure to the process range and to vent as quickly as possible to atmospheric pressure again as quickly as possible. After the substrate is unloaded from the load lock chamber, the load lock chamber is evacuated again.
• the wish for less contamination during a vacuum process has increased in the last few years. For instance, when producing displays, the acceptance of contamination with particles has decreased and the standard of quality, and also the quality expected by the customer, has increased. Contamination may for instance occur if the chambers of a processing system are not properly evacuated to vacuum, if transport system or components in the process system produce particles during the process, if the substrate to be processed introduces particles into the evacuated process system, and the like.
• a load lock chamber for a vacuum processing system includes load lock walls surrounding a load lock chamber volume.
• the load lock walls include a first load lock wall and a second load lock wall, wherein the second load lock wall is arranged opposite to the first load lock wall.
• the load lock chamber further includes at least one first vacuum suction outlet and at least one second vacuum suction outlet for evacuating the load lock chamber.
• the at least one first vacuum suction outlet is located at the first load lock wall and the at least one second vacuum suction outlet is located at the second load lock wall.
• load lock chamber for a vacuum processing system.
• the load lock chamber includes a carrier for carrying a substrate, wherein the carrier includes a carrier front side facing in the same direction as a substrate front side of a substrate.
• the substrate front side of the substrate is the side to be treated in a vacuum process in the vacuum processing system.
• the carrier further includes a carrier back side at the side of a substrate back side of the substrate.
• the load lock chamber further includes a load lock front wall facing the carrier front side of the carrier, and a load lock back wall facing the carrier back side of the carrier; and two vacuum suction outlets at the load lock back wall.
• a vacuum processing system for processing a substrate is provided.
• the vacuum processing system includes a vacuum processing chamber, which is adapted for processing the substrate; and a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein, which is configured for transferring the substrate from atmospheric conditions to vacuum conditions.
• a vacuum processing system for processing a substrate includes a vacuum processing chamber, which is adapted for processing the substrate.
• the vacuum processing chamber has a processing tool facing a processing area, and the processing area is on a first side of the vacuum processing system.
• the vacuum processing system further includes a load lock chamber, which is configured for transferring the substrate from atmospheric conditions into the vacuum processing system.
• the load lock chamber includes a load lock front wall on the first side of the vacuum processing system, and a load lock back wall facing a second side of the vacuum processing system arranged opposite to the first side of the vacuum processing system.
• the load lock chamber further includes a first vacuum suction outlet and a second vacuum suction outlet at the load lock back wall.
• the method includes opening a first vacuum sealable valve for inserting a substrate into the load lock chamber; inserting at least one substrate into the load lock chamber; closing the first vacuum sealable valve; and evacuating the load lock chamber to a pressure of between 0.05 mbar to 1 mbar by providing suction from at least two load lock walls of the load lock chamber arranged opposite to one another or by providing suction from two vacuum suction outlets at the load lock back wall.
• Embodiments are also directed at apparatuses for carrying out the disclosed methods and include apparatus parts for performing each described method feature. These method features may be performed by way of hardware components, a computer programmed by appropriate software, by any combination of the two or in any other manner. Furthermore, embodiments are also directed at methods operating the described apparatus. It includes method features for carrying out every function of the apparatus.
• Fig. 1 shows a load lock chamber and a vacuum proces chamber according to embodiments described herein;
• Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a load lock chamber having load lock walls according to embodiments described herein;
• Figs. 3a to 3c show a schematic view from the horizontal direction of load lock chambers according to embodiments described herein;
• Fig. 4a and 4b show a schematic view from the horizontal direction of load lock chambers according to embodiments described herein;
• Fig. 5 shows a schematic view from the horizontal direction of a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein;
• Fig. 6 shows a schematic sectional view from the vertical direction of a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein;
• Fig. 7 shows a schematic sectional view from the vertical direction of a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein;
• Fig. 8a and 8b show a schematic perspective view of a carrier carrying a substrate in a front side view and in a back side view according to embodiments described herein;
• Fig. 9 shows a vacuum processing system with a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein.
• Fig. 10 shows a flowchart of a method for evacuating a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein.
• a load lock chamber may be understood as a chamber for a vacuum processing system.
• a load lock chamber may provide a transition chamber from atmospheric conditions to low pressure or vacuum.
• the load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein may have a substrate inlet for receiving a substrate being delivered in atmospheric conditions, and a substrate outlet, which is adapted for being connected to a vacuum chamber, such as a processing chamber or an intermediate chamber.
• the load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein may be evacuable to vacuum, and may include respective equipment, such as vacuum suction outlets, vacuum pumping outlets or vacuum ports which may be connectable to vacuum pumps.
• the load lock chamber may have a substrate transport system for transporting the substrate within the load lock chamber and/or to a vacuum chamber (e.g. a vacuum processing chamber).
• the load lock chamber may include a carrier for carrying the substrate within and/or through the load lock chamber.
• the load lock chamber may have a vacuum sealable valve at the substrate inlet and at the substrate outlet.
• a vacuum sealable valve can be provided from the group consisting of a gate valve, a slit valve, and a slot valve.
• Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a load lock chamber 100 being connected to a processing chamber 700 with a processing tool or processing equipment 710 for showing an example of the possible field of application for embodiments described herein.
• the processing equipment may for instance include a deposition source.
• the substrate is essentially vertically-oriented in the load lock chamber and the processing chamber. It may be understood that a vertically oriented substrate can have some deviation from a vertical, i.e., 90°, orientation in a load lock chamber or a processing system in order to allow for stable transport with an inclination of a few degrees, i.e. the substrates can have a deviation from the vertical orientation of + 20° or less, for example +10° or less.
• substantially vertically oriented substrates it may be understood that the herein described embodiments may also be applied to a load lock chamber and a vacuum processing system for horizontally, or substantially horizontally, arranged substrates.
• the term “substantially” or “essentially” as used herein may mean that there may be a certain deviation from the characteristic denoted with “substantially.”
• the term “substantially horizontal” may refer to a direction, which may deviate from the exact horizontal direction, such as deviating by about 1° to about 10°.
• the term “substantially” describing a value or a value range may include a deviation from the value of up to 15%.
• the load lock chamber is connected to a processing chamber via a sluice 400.
• the substrate 300 may be transported through the sluice 400 after the load lock chamber 100 is evacuated to a suitable pressure level, such as a vacuum pressure level.
• the load lock chamber 100 may also be used as an unload-chamber for unloading a substrate from the processing chamber 700.
• the load lock chamber 100 may have two tracks for transporting substrates to and from the processing chamber 700, as will be explained in detail with respect to Fig. 9.
• the load lock chamber 100 being used as an unload lock chamber may be vented for bringing the pressure level in the load lock chamber to atmospheric pressure conditions.
• the load lock chamber and the processing chamber may directly be connected to each other, as exemplarily shown in Fig. 1.
• a buffer chamber may be provided between a load lock chamber and a processing chamber, as described in detail with respect to Fig. 9.
• a load lock chamber for a vacuum processing system includes load lock walls surrounding a load lock chamber volume.
• the load lock walls include a first load lock wall and a second load lock wall, wherein the second load lock wall is arranged opposite to the first load lock wall.
• the load lock chamber further includes at least one first vacuum suction outlet and at least one second vacuum suction outlet for evacuating the load lock chamber.
• the at least one first vacuum suction outlet is located at the first load lock wall and the at least one second vacuum suction outlet is located at the second load lock wall.
• the pressure in a load lock chamber typically periodically changes between ambience and vacuum conditions.
• the pumping ports for vacuum generation are placed at the bottom of the load lock chamber and cause a pumping flow from the top of the chamber in direction to the bottom of the chamber (top- down direction).
• the pumping flow can be changed from top- down direction to inside-outside direction and from the front side to back side.
• the stream of particles during evacuation of a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein is typically transported from contamination or contaminated areas (like carrier frame, glass holders or the chamber wall).
• Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a load lock chamber 100.
• the load lock chamber 100 shown in Fig. 2 is simplified to a large extent for explaining geometrical terms used in connection with the load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein.
• the load lock chamber 100 shown in Fig. 2 is simplified as a cuboid.
• the load lock chamber may be differently formed (in particular not like a cuboid) and that other shapes may also be possible, as long as other shapes are suitable for the function of a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein.
• the load lock chamber 100 shown in Fig. 2 includes a first load lock wall 101 and a second load lock wall 102, which are arranged opposite to one another.
• walls being arranged substantially opposite to one another may be understood as opposite to one another regarding the load lock chamber volume.
• the walls being arranged opposite to one another may be arranged at opposite sides of the load lock chamber volume.
• the walls being arranged opposite to one another may be arranged on one axis of the load lock chamber (see e.g. walls 101 and 102 being opposite to one another on the height axis 107 of the load lock chamber or walls 103 and 104 being opposite to one another on the longitudinal axis 108 of the load lock chamber).
• the load lock chamber volume may be described as a volume surrounded by the load lock walls.
• the load lock volume may be understood as the volume being evacuated or evacuable, e.g. through the vacuum suction outlets.
• the load lock chamber 100 further includes walls 103 and 104, which are also arranged opposite to one another.
• the wall 103 may be referred to as a first linking load lock wall, linking the opposite load lock walls 101 and 102.
• the wall 104 may be referred to as a second linking load lock wall, linking the opposite load lock walls 101 and 102, and being arranged opposite to the first linking load lock wall 103.
• the load lock chamber may further include walls 105 and 106, which may also be described as a load lock front wall 105 and a load lock back wall 106.
• the terms "load lock front wall” and "load lock back wall” are described in more detail below.
• Fig. 3a shows an example of a load lock chamber 100 according to embodiments described herein.
• Fig. 3a shows a view from the horizontal direction towards the load lock chamber.
• the load lock chamber of Fig. 3a is shown in a sectional view cut in the vertical direction.
• the load lock chamber 100 includes load lock walls 101, 102, 103, and 104, wherein walls 101 and 102 are opposing walls and walls 103 and 104 are arranged opposite to one another.
• Fig. 3a shows a first vacuum suction outlet 110 being located at the first load lock wall 101 and a second vacuum suction outlet 111 being located at the second load lock wall 102.
• a vacuum suction outlet, or a vacuum pumping outlet, as used herein may be understood as an outlet in the load lock chamber helping to evacuate the load lock chamber.
• a vacuum suction outlet may be an outlet through which a suction force may be applied to the air or gas within a load lock chamber.
• the vacuum suction outlet includes an opening in a load lock wall.
• a vacuum suction outlet may lead to the outside of the load lock chamber.
• the vacuum suction outlet may lead to a channel, a conduit, a passage, a pipe, or a collector pipe, which may be considered as a part of the load lock chamber (either arranged within the load lock walls, as part of the load lock walls, or outside the chamber walls).
• the vacuum suction outlets may include a vacuum pumping port configured for being connected to a vacuum pump, a particle pump, a particle trap, or other devices suitable for evacuating the load lock chamber.
• the example of a load lock chamber 100 shown in Fig. 3a also shows a carrier 120 able to carry a substrate 300, whose edges are shown as dashed lines.
• the carrier 120 may include a frame and clamps for holding the substrate.
• Other implementations of the carrier are also possible, such as an electrostatic carrier, a carrier carrying the substrate by adhesion, or the like.
• the opposing arrangement of the vacuum suction outlets helps in leading the suction flow away from the substrate (or, specifically, the substrate center).
• the arrangement shown in the examples also helps to decrease the (particle) contamination of the substrate before processing.
• the load lock chamber defines a substrate holding position 116 (in particular in the substrate transport direction), where the substrate is held during evacuation.
• the substrate holding position may substantially correspond to the center point of the substrate (while the substrate is stopped in the load lock chamber).
• the vacuum suction outlets shown in Fig. 3a are arranged approximately at the substrate holding position.
• the holding position of a substrate during evacuation of the load lock chamber may be recognized as a position at which the substrate stops or at which the substrate carrier is stopped (and/or locked in place), when the evacuation process of the load lock chamber begins.
• the holding position may allow for locking the carrier into position allowing for standing and carrying the substrate during evacuation.
• the example of a vertically arranged substrate 300 in Fig. 3a further shows a substantially horizontal line 117, which runs substantially at the half height of the substrate in the load lock chamber (e.g. when the substrate is in the substrate holding position).
• a substantially horizontal line 117 which runs substantially at the half height of the substrate in the load lock chamber (e.g. when the substrate is in the substrate holding position).
• the upper half of the load lock chamber above the line 117 is sucked by vacuum suction outlet 110, and the lower half of the load lock chamber below line 117 is sucked by the vacuum suction outlet 111.
• the flow of sucked air or gas is led away from the horizontal center of the substrate in this example.
• the substantially horizontal line may be described as being a (virtual) neutral line.
• Fig. 3b shows a view from the horizontal direction towards a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein.
• the load lock chamber of Fig. 3b is shown in a sectional view cut in the vertical direction.
• Fig. 3b shows an embodiment of a load lock chamber 100 having two first vacuum suction outlets 110 at the first load lock wall 101 and two second vacuum suction outlets 111 at the second load lock wall 102.
• the example of Fig. 3b shows that the vacuum suction outlets 110 and 111 can be arranged at a side of the load lock chamber, such as towards walls 103 and 104, respectively.
• the center position of a substrate may be understood as the center of the substrate in transport direction at the time, of evacuation of the load lock chamber.
• Fig. 3b shows a view from the horizontal direction towards a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein.
• the load lock chamber of Fig. 3c is shown in a sectional view cut in the vertical direction.
• FIG. 3c shows an embodiment of a load lock chamber 100 having two first vacuum suction outlets 110 at the first linking load lock wall 103 and two second vacuum suction outlets 111 at the second linking load lock wall 104.
• the example of Fig. 3c shows that the vacuum suction outlets 110 and 111 can be arranged towards the top and the bottom of the load lock chamber, such as towards walls 101 and 102, respectively.
• the arrangement of the vacuum suction outlets may help to lead the flow of sucked gas or air away from the center of the substrate.
• a vertical line 116 which may define a substrate holding position
• a horizontal line 117 which may define the horizontal center line of the substrate in the load lock chamber are shown.
• the right half of the load lock chamber at the right side of the line 116 is sucked by vacuum suction outlet 110
• the left half of the load lock chamber on the left side of line 116 is sucked by the vacuum suction outlet 111.
• the flow of sucked air or gas is led away from the vertical center of the substrate in this example.
• the substantially vertical line may be described as being a (virtual) neutral line.
• Fig. 4a shows an example of a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein.
• Fig. 4a shows a view from the horizontal direction towards the load lock chamber.
• the load lock chamber of Fig. 4a is shown in a sectional view cut in the vertical direction.
• the load lock chamber 100 includes load lock walls 101, 102, 103 and 104.
• the load lock chamber 100 of Fig. 4a provides vacuum suction outlets 112, 113, and 111 at three load lock walls 102, 103 and 104 of the load lock chamber.
• the load lock walls 103 and 104 providing the vacuum suction outlets 112 and 113 are load lock walls arranged opposite to one another. As can be seen in Fig. 4a, the load lock wall 103 and the load lock wall 104 provide channels 130 and 131 for guiding the sucked air from the vacuum suction outlets 112 and 113 to a pumping port, which may be connected to a vacuum pump. In Fig. 4a, the vacuum suction outlets 111 may be configured for including or for being connected to a vacuum pumping port, which is connectable to a vacuum pump.
• the arrows shown in Fig. 4a show a schematic flow direction of the stream sucked from the load lock chamber volume.
• Fig. 4a shows an arrangement of a load lock chamber 100 having vacuum suction outlets 110, which lead the air or gas in the load lock chamber via channels 130 and 131 for being further sucked through the vacuum suction outlets 111 to a vacuum pump, as indicated by the arrows.
• the skilled person may understand that the vacuum suction outlets 111 (or vacuum pumping ports, being e.g.
• connectable to a vacuum pump may also be arranged at another side of the load lock chamber, such as the upper side first wall 101, or the first linking wall 103 and the second linking wall 104.
• the remaining walls of the load lock chamber may be equipped with channels for guiding the sucked air or gas.
• Fig. 5 shows a view from the horizontal direction towards the load lock chamber.
• the load lock chamber of Fig. 5 is shown in a sectional view cut in the vertical direction.
• Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of a load lock chamber 100 providing vacuum pumping ports at four load lock walls 101, 102, 103, and 104.
• the load lock chamber 100 of Fig. 5 also provides channels 130 and 131, in which the gas or air sucked from the load lock chamber volume is guided from the vacuum suction outlets 112 and 113.
• the channels 130 and 131 lead the sucked gas or air to a vacuum suction outlet, which includes or is configured for being connected to a vacuum pumping port.
• both channels 130 and 131 lead to the vacuum suction outlets 111.
• the channels may be connected (or stand in fluid connection) to the vacuum suction outlets 110 in another embodiment.
• the channels may both stand in fluid communication with the vacuum suction outlets 110 and 111 at the load lock walls 101 and 102.
• each of the channels 130, 131 may stand in fluid communication with the vacuum suction outlets of one of the load lock walls, respectively.
• the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 may be described as an O-shape arrangement of vacuum suction outlets.
• the number of vacuum suction outlets for each load lock wall may be larger than two, such as four, five, or larger than five, such as eight or ten.
• a load lock wall may be provided with a plurality of openings acting as vacuum suction outlets.
• a load lock wall may be provided as a kind of a shower or a sintered material for providing a plurality of openings acting as vacuum suction outlets, in particular over the whole area of a load lock wall.
• the plurality of openings acting as vacuum suction outlets may lead to a channel or the like for gathering the air or gas sucked through the openings.
• a load lock chamber for a vacuum processing system which includes a carrier for carrying a substrate.
• the carrier includes a carrier front side facing in the same direction as a substrate front side of a substrate.
• the front side of the substrate is the side to be treated in a vacuum process in the vacuum processing system.
• the carrier further includes a carrier back side at the side of a back side of the substrate.
• the load lock chamber further includes a load lock front wall facing the carrier front side of the carrier, and a load lock back wall facing the carrier back side of the carrier.
• the load lock chamber includes two vacuum suction outlets at the load lock back wall or a first vacuum suction outlet at the load lock back wall and a second vacuum suction outlet at the load lock front wall.
• Fig. 6 shows an example of the load lock chamber 200 in a schematic sectional view cut in horizontal direction.
• the view to the load lock chamber of Fig. 6 is a view from the vertical direction, in particular from above the load lock chamber.
• Fig. 6 shows the sectional view in horizontal direction of a substrate 300 being arranged in a vertical arrangement.
• embodiments described herein may also be applied to load lock chambers, in which the substrate is substantially horizontally arranged. In the embodiment shown in Fig.
• the load lock walls 205 and 206 are provided with a plurality of openings acting as vacuum suction outlets 210, 211.
• the load lock walls 205 and 206 may be described as a kind of a shower or a sintered material for providing a plurality of openings acting as vacuum suction outlets, in particular over the whole area of the load lock walls 205, 206.
• the plurality of openings being distributed over the whole area of the load lock chamber walls 205, 206 may prevent the substrate 300 being bent in one direction due to irregularities in the sucking stream of gas or air in the load lock chamber. As can be seen in Fig.
• the load lock chamber 200 includes a load lock front wall 205 and a load lock back wall 206.
• the terms explained in Fig. 2 may also be applied to the terms in Figs. 6 and 7 correspondingly.
• the schematic geometry of the load lock chamber shown in Figs. 6 and 7 may be as described with respect to Fig. 2.
• a first linking load lock wall 203 and a second linking load lock wall 204 is shown.
• the first linking load lock wall and the second linking load lock wall may be opposing walls of the load lock chamber.
• the first linking load lock wall and the second linking load lock wall may be walls linking the load lock front wall and the load lock back wall, and/or the first load lock wall and the second load lock wall (as exemplarily shown in Fig. 2).
• the load lock chamber 200 shown in Fig. 6 provides the plurality of first vacuum suction outlets 210 at the load lock front wall 205 of the load lock chamber and the plurality of second vacuum suction outlets 211 at the load lock back wall 206 of the load lock chamber, wherein the load lock back wall is arranged opposite to the load lock front wall.
• the load lock front wall may be understood as a wall of the load lock chamber, which faces the front side of the substrate.
• the front side of the substrate is the side (or the surface) of the substrate, which is to be treated or processed in a processing chamber, to which the load lock chamber is connected (either directly or via further chambers or treatment units, such as heating units and the like).
• the load lock front wall may be understood as a wall of the load lock chamber facing the front side of the carrier in the load lock chamber.
• the front side of the carrier may be a side of the carrier pointing in the same direction as the substrate front side.
• the carrier may have a different shape at the carrier front side than at the carrier back side.
• the load lock front wall may be understood as a wall being arranged at a first side of the processing system, which the load lock chamber may be a part of.
• the first side of the processing system may be a side of the processing system, at which the processing area is provided.
• the processing area of the processing system may include a processing tool or processing equipment for processing the substrate (in particular the front side of the substrate), e.g. a heating device, a cooling device, a material source, deposition equipment, plasma generating equipment, evaporating equipment, coating equipment, cleaning equipment, etching equipment, and the like.
• the load lock front wall of the load lock chamber may be arranged at the same side as the processing area of the processing system, which the load lock chamber may be part of.
• the load lock front wall of the load lock chamber may be oriented in the same direction as the processing area of the processing system, which the load lock chamber may be part of.
• the load lock back wall is a wall of the load lock chamber being arranged opposite to the load lock front wall.
• the above description of the load lock front wall may be applied to the load lock back wall correspondingly, where appropriate.
• the load lock back wall may be a wall of the load lock chamber facing the back wall of the substrate and/or the back wall of the substrate carrier.
• the load lock front wall is denoted with reference sign 205 and the load lock back wall is denoted with reference sign 206.
• the embodiment of the load lock chamber of Fig. 6 shows a substrate 300 being carried by a substrate carrier 220.
• the substrate carrier front side is denoted with reference sign 225 and the substrate front side is denoted with reference sign 305.
• the front side 305 of the substrate 300 and the front side 225 of the carrier 220 are flush with each other.
• the substrate is carried with the front side being flush with the front side of the carrier for avoiding shadowing effects when processing the substrate.
• the carrier may be provided in a different shape to the shape shown in Figs.
• the carrier may be adapted for electrostatically, magnetically or adhesively fix the substrate, or may include a reception for a mask to be applied to the carrier and the substrate during processing, such as an edge exclusion mask.
• the carrier itself may provide an edge exclusion mask.
• the two vacuum suction outlets 213 and 214 arranged one at the load lock front wall 205, the other one at the load lock back wall 206, are located at a center position of the substrate.
• the center position may correspond to a center position of the substrate in horizontal direction (in the case of a vertically arranged substrate).
• the center position of a substrate may be understood as the center of the substrate in transport direction at the time during evacuation of the load lock chamber (e.g. in the substrate holding position).
• the vacuum suction outlets 210 and 211 being arranged at both the load lock front wall and the back wall of the load lock chamber may also help in preventing a bending of the substrate in one direction.
• the arrows shown in Fig. 6 show the flow direction during evacuation of the load lock chamber.
• Fig. 7 shows an example of the load lock chamber 200 in a schematic sectional view cut in horizontal direction.
• the view to the load lock chamber of Fig. 7 is a view from the vertical direction, in particular from above the load lock chamber.
• Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of a load lock chamber 200 including a load lock front wall 205, a load lock back wall 206, and a substrate carrier 220 having a front side 225.
• Substrate 300 with the substrate front side 305 is shown carried by the substrate carrier 220.
• the load lock chamber 200 of Fig. 7 includes two vacuum suction outlets 210 and 211 being both arranged at the load lock back wall 206.
• the two vacuum suction outlets 210 and 211 are arranged with a distance to the center position of the substrate, in particular at the edge region or at a border region of the substrate 300.
• the edge region or border region (or each of the edge regions shown at the left and right side of the substrate in Fig. 7) may include about 20% of the extension of the substrate in horizontal direction.
• the two vacuum suction outlets help guiding the flow of gas or air away from the substrate center position during evacuation of the substrate.
• the two vacuum suction outlets 210 and 211 not only help in guiding the air or gas in the load lock chamber away from the substrate center position, but also away from the front side 305 of the substrate 300.
• the flow is guided from the front side of the substrate to the back side of the substrate.
• Figs. 8a and 8b show a carrier 220 (also referred to as a substrate carrier) for carrying a substrate.
• the carrier 220 is configured for carrying the substrate within the load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein.
• the carrier may be configured for transporting the substrate through the load lock chamber.
• the carrier may be adapted for holding the substrate before the substrate enters the load lock chamber and after the substrate leaves the load lock chamber, such as when the substrate is on the way into the vacuum processing system.
• the front side carrier may be adapted for carrying a mask for the substrate, such as a mask for covering parts of the substrate during processing (e.g. during a deposition process).
• the mask may be an edge exclusion mask.
• the carrier may be configured for receiving the mask before entering the load lock chamber, before the carrier enters the processing chamber, or while the carrier is in the processing chamber.
• the carrier front side 225 (shown in Fig. 8a) and the carrier back side 226 (shown in Fig. 8b) of the carrier 220 may be designed differently.
• the back side 226 may include receptions 223 (or recesses, notches, or pouches) for fixing devices (such as clamping devices, movable clamping devices or the like), operational devices 227, control devices, handles 224 and the like.
• the front side of the carrier may include reception (s) 221 for a mask, marks 222 for positioning the substrate, and the like.
• the front side of the carrier may be configured for being subjected to a process.
• the front side of the carrier may have a defined resistance against temperature, chemicals, deposition and the like.
• the carrier front side may be designed so as not to contain complex geometries, which may difficultly be cleaned after the substrate is processed.
• the front side of the carrier may have a simple geometry including e.g. even surfaces, less receptions for equipment compared to the back side of the carrier, a suitable material or surface treatment (e.g. for smoothening the carrier front side surface) as the case may be.
• Fig. 8a shows a front view of the carrier 220 with the carrier front side 225.
• Fig. 8b shows a back view of the carrier with the carrier back side 226.
• the carrier 220 holds a substrate 300.
• the front side 305 of the substrate 300 can be seen, in Fig. 8b, the back side 306 of the substrate 300 can be seen.
• the carrier 220 is constructed such that the substrate front side 305 is substantially flush with the carrier front side 225, when a substrate is carried by the carrier 220.
• the carrier front side and the substrate front side being substantially flush may be understood in that the carrier front side and the substrate front side form a continuous plane in the plane of the substrate.
• the load lock chamber may include guiding devices, such as rails for guiding the carrier in the load lock chamber.
• the carrier for a load lock chamber according to embodiments described herein may include transport devices, such as rollers, for being transported and for moving in the guiding devices.
• the load lock chamber as described herein (and a carrier for a load lock chamber as described herein) may be adapted for large area substrates.
• large area substrates or respective carriers, wherein the carriers have a plurality of substrates may have a size of at least 0.67 m 2 .
• the size can be about 0.67m 2 (0.73x0.92m - Gen 4.5) or above, more typically about 2 m 2 to about 9 m 2 or even up to 12 m 2 .
• the substrates or carriers, for which the structures, systems, chambers, sluices, and valves according to embodiments described herein are provided are large area substrates as described herein.
• a large area substrate or carrier can be GEN 4.5, which corresponds to about 0.67 m 2 substrates (0.73x0.92m), GEN 5, which corresponds to about 1.4 m 2 substrates (1.1 m x 1.3 m), GEN 7.5, which corresponds to about 4.29 m 2 substrates (1.95 m x 2.2 m), GEN 8.5, which corresponds to about 5.7m 2 substrates (2.2 m x 2.5 m), or even GEN 10, which corresponds to about 8.7 m 2 substrates (2.85 m x 3.05 m). Even larger generations such as GEN 11 and GEN 12 and corresponding substrate areas can similarly be implemented.
• the system may be configured for TFT manufacturing, e.g. with static deposition.
• the load lock chamber and the arrangement of vacuum suction outlets of embodiments described herein provide a flow of gas or air during evacuation of the load lock chamber, which is directed away from the substrate, in particular away from the substrate front side and/or the substrate center. Particles being sucked out of the load lock chamber are guided away from the substrate front side. By guiding the sucked particles away from the substrate front side, the particles flowing in the load lock chamber do not pass the substrate front side and, accordingly, do not cause contaminations on the substrate front side.
• the embodiments described herein having either a vacuum suction outlet at opposing sides of the load lock chamber or vacuum suction outlets at the back side of the load lock chamber decrease the contamination of the substrate front side and increase the quality of the processed product.
• the vacuum suction outlets may be located so that the vacuum suction outlets induce a flow or stream of gas or air during evacuation away from a position with the load lock chamber, at which the substrate is held during evacuation.
• the load lock chamber provides a substrate holding position, where the substrate is held during evacuation.
• a vacuum processing system for processing a substrate may include a vacuum processing chamber, which is adapted for processing the substrate; and a load lock chamber according to any of the embodiments described herein.
• the load lock chamber may be configured for transferring the substrate from atmospheric conditions to vacuum conditions.
• the load lock chamber is configured for transferring the substrate from atmospheric conditions to the vacuum processing chamber.
• the load lock chamber when the substrate is in the load lock chamber, the load lock chamber may be evacuated, e.g. for bringing the load lock chamber to a low pressure, a low vacuum, or a medium vacuum.
• the load lock chamber may be brought to a typical pressure of about 1 mbar.
• the processing chamber may have a higher vacuum than the load lock chamber (i.e. a lower pressure), e.g. by having an ultimate vacuum (base pressure) of between about 10 - " 8 mbar and about 10 - " 5 mbar.
• a vacuum processing system for processing a substrate.
• the vacuum processing system may include a vacuum processing chamber which is adapted for processing the substrate.
• the vacuum processing chamber may have a processing tool facing a processing area, and the processing area is on a first side of the vacuum processing system.
• the vacuum processing system may further include a load lock chamber, which is configured for transferring the substrate from atmospheric conditions to vacuum conditions.
• the load lock chamber may include a load lock front wall on the first side of the vacuum processing system, and a load lock back wall facing a second side of the vacuum processing system arranged opposite to the first side of the vacuum processing system.
• the load lock chamber further includes a first vacuum suction outlet and a second vacuum suction outlet at the load lock back wall or a first vacuum suction outlet at the load lock front wall and a second vacuum suction outlet at the load lock back wall.
• Fig. 9 shows a vacuum processing system according to embodiments described herein.
• Fig. 9 shows a vacuum processing system 500 according to embodiments described herein.
• the example of a processing system includes a first vacuum processing chamber 501 and a buffer chamber 521.
• the vacuum processing system 500 may in some embodiments include further processing chambers.
• the vacuum chambers can be deposition chambers or other processing chambers, wherein a vacuum is generated within the chambers.
• a load lock chamber 522 can be seen, which provides for the transition from atmospheric conditions exterior of the processing system to vacuum conditions within the chambers of the processing system.
• the load lock chamber 522 may be a load lock chamber as described in detail above and may include an arrangement of vacuum suction outlets as described in detail in embodiments above.
• the load lock chamber 522 and the vacuum chamber 501 may be connected via linear transport paths by a transport system.
• the transport system may include a dual track transportation system including several transportation tracks 561, 563, 564.
• the transport system may further include a rotation module allowing the rotation of substrates along the transportation path.
• large area substrates which are typically used for display manufacturing, can be transported along the linear transportation paths in the vacuum processing system 500.
• the linear transport paths are provided by transportation tracks 561 and 563, such as linear transportation tracks having, e.g., a plurality of rollers arranged along a line.
• the transportation tracks and/or rotation tracks can be provided by a transportation system at the bottom of the large area substrates and a guiding system at the top of the essentially vertically oriented large area substrates.
• the dual track transportation systems in the vacuum chambers i.e. transportation systems having a first transportation path and a second transportation path
• the fixed dual track system includes a first transportation track and a second transportation track, wherein the first transportation track and the second transportation track cannot be laterally displaced, i.e.
• a movable single track system provides a dual track transportation system by having a linear transportation track, which can be displaced laterally, i.e. perpendicular to the transport direction, such that the substrate can either be provided on the first transportation path or the second transportation path, wherein the first transportation path and the second transportation path are distant from each other.
• a movable dual track system includes the first transportation track and a second transportation track, wherein both transportation tracks can be displaced laterally, i.e. both transportation tracks can switch their respective position from the first transportation path to the second transportation path and vice versa.
• the vacuum processing system 500 may include a processing tool, such as a processing tool 570 exemplarily shown in chamber 501 of the vacuum processing system 500.
• the processing tool provided in the vacuum processing system may be provided by a material deposition source, an evaporator, a target, a plasma generating device, a heating device, a cooling device, a cleaning device and the like.
• heating, cooling, cleaning, bringing the substrate into a high vacuum condition and the like may be provided in a buffer chamber, such as buffer chamber 521 in Fig. 9.
• the processing tool faces a processing area 580, and the processing area is on a first side 590 of the vacuum processing system (the load lock front wall 505 of the load lock chamber being arranged at the first side 590).
• the vacuum processing system further includes a second side 591 opposing the first side 590 (the load lock back wall 506 of the load lock chamber faces the second side 591 of the vacuum processing system).
• the first side 590 of the vacuum processing system 500 may be described by a vacuum processing chamber, which has approximately the same orientation within the vacuum processing system as the load lock chamber.
• the first side may be described as a side to which the front side of the substrate faces during evacuation of the load lock chamber.
• Fig. 10 shows a flow chart of a method for evacuating a load lock chamber for a vacuum processing system.
• the method 600 includes in block 610, opening a first vacuum sealable valve for inserting a substrate into the load lock chamber.
• the first vacuum sealable valve may be provided as a transition between the load lock chamber and the environment of a processing system, which the load lock chamber may be a part of.
• the load lock chamber may be a load lock chamber as described with respect to Figs. 1 to 7. The features of the load lock chamber described above may be applied to the load lock chamber as used in the method according to embodiments described herein as well.
• block 620 at least one substrate is inserted into the load lock chamber.
• the substrate may be provided in a carrier, which is able to carry and transport the substrate, in particular within the vacuum processing system.
• the carrier may be a carrier as described with respect to Figs. 7, 8a and 8b.
• the carrier may provide a carrier front side facing in the same direction as the substrate front side, which is the side of the substrate to be processed.
• the first vacuum sealable valve is closed.
• the load lock chamber is then evacuated to a pressure of between 0.05 mbar to 1 mbar by providing suction from at least two opposing load lock walls of the load lock chamber.
• the suction may be provided via vacuum suction outlets.
• the suction may be provided by vacuum pumping ports being located at two opposing walls of the load lock chamber, such as a first wall 101 and a second wall 102, or a front wall 205 and a back wall 206 of the load lock chamber as shown in the above described figures.
• the suction may be provided via vacuum suction outlets, which may be connectable to a vacuum pump.
• the vacuum suction outlets may be provided at the walls of the load lock chamber in a U-shape arrangement, a X-shape arrangement or an O-shape arrangement, as described in detail above. Some of the examples may provide suction for evacuating the load lock chamber from three or even four sides of the load lock chamber.
• block 630 may additionally or alternatively include evacuating the load lock chamber to a pressure of between 0.05 mbar to 1 mbar by providing suction from at least two vacuum suction outlets provided at or in the back wall of the load lock chamber.
• the load lock chamber may include a front side corresponding to the front side of the substrate (the side or surface of the substrate to be treated), and a back side opposite to the front side, as explained in detail above, especially with respect to Figs 6 to 8.

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• 2015
  • 2015-05-15 CN CN201580078936.9A patent/CN107567653B/zh active Active
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