Deformation reduction at the main chamber

Details Deformation reduction at the main chamber Deformation reduction at the main chamber

2000-08-08

2004-03-30

Alejandro-Mulero, Luz (Department: 1763)

Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture

Differential fluid etching apparatus

Having glow discharge electrode gas energizing means

C156S345470, C118S7230ER, C118S7230AN

Reexamination Certificate

active

06712929

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to vacuum chambers. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved vacuum chamber in a plasma processing device.
Vacuum chambers may be used in manufacturing. Vacuum chambers may be used for plasma processing.
To facilitate discussion,
FIG. 1
is a schematic view of a prior art vacuum chamber
10
used in a plasma processing process. The vacuum chamber
10
may have a chamber wall
12
, a bottom
14
, a cover
16
and at least one exhaust port
18
to remove gas from the vacuum chamber to maintain a vacuum. The cover
16
may be mounted on the chamber wall
12
with a seal
22
between the cover
16
and the chamber wall
12
to help maintain the vacuum. The cover
16
may be supported around the edge of the cover with no support in the middle. In a plasma processing device that capacitively establishes a plasma, a lower electrode
24
may be supported by the bottom
14
, and an upper electrode
26
may be supported by the cover. Such plasma processing devices may require a uniform spacing between the upper electrode
26
and the lower electrode
24
. The vacuum load may cause the cover
16
to deform, as indicated by dashed lines
28
in FIG.
1
. Since the upper electrode
26
is supported by the cover
16
, the deformation of the cover
16
may cause the upper electrode
26
to deform, as indicated by dashed line
30
. The deformation of the upper electrode
26
may cause the spacing between the upper electrode
26
and the lower electrode
24
to not be uniform. If the upper electrode
26
or some other critical element fastened to more than one point on the cover is brittle, the deformation may crack the upper electrode or other critical element. A critical element is defined as a device such as the upper electrode or an antenna, supported by the cover
16
, which is affected by the deformation of the cover.
As larger wafers are being processed in plasma devices using vacuum chambers, larger vacuum chambers are required. Wider diameters of the larger covers may cause the larger covers to be more susceptible to deformation under a vacuum load.
To avoid deformation, the covers may be made thicker, which makes the covers heavier and more expensive.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to have a vacuum chamber cover that remains flat in vacuum conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a vacuum chamber cover is provided. A vacuum chamber wall defines a main cavity and an opening. An exhaust port is in fluid connection with the central cavity to establish a vacuum in the main cavity. A cover for sealing the opening when the cover is supported by the chamber wall is provided. The cover is formed by a first section adjacent to the main cavity. A second section of the cover is placed on a side of the first section that is opposite the main cavity. A pocket is placed between the first section and the second section.
These and other features of the present invention will be described in more detail below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4585920 (1986-04-01), Hoog et al.
patent: 5685949 (1997-11-01), Yashima
patent: 5722668 (1998-03-01), Rice et al.
patent: 5997649 (1999-12-01), Hillman
patent: 6199505 (2001-03-01), Sato et al.
patent: 6365063 (2002-04-01), Collins et al.
patent: 6422172 (2002-07-01), Tanaka et al.

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