US-20260126118-A1 - VALVE APPARATUSES AND RELATED METHODS FOR WAFER TRANSFER IN A SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING SYSTEM

US20260126118A1US 20260126118 A1US20260126118 A1US 20260126118A1US-20260126118-A1

Abstract

A method is provided for transferring a wafer from a transfer chamber to a process chamber via a transfer valve in a semiconductor processing system. The method includes securing an outlet of the transfer chamber to an inlet of a valve body of the transfer valve and securing an outlet of the valve body of the transfer valve to an inlet of the process chamber. The transfer valve includes a rotatable sealing body disposed within an interior cavity of the valve body. The method also includes operating the transfer valve to achieve an open position and translating the wafer from the transfer chamber through the main channel of the transfer valve to the process chamber.

Inventors

Andrew B. Cowe
Tseten Lungjangwa

Assignees

MKS INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251230

Claims (20)

1 . A method for transferring a wafer from a transfer chamber to a process chamber via a transfer valve in a semiconductor processing system, the method comprising: securing an outlet of the transfer chamber to an inlet of a valve body of the transfer valve, wherein the transfer valve includes a rotatable sealing body disposed within an interior cavity of the valve body; securing an outlet of the valve body of the transfer valve to an inlet of the process chamber; and operating the transfer valve to achieve an open position, operating the transfer valve comprising: rotating the sealing body within the interior cavity of the valve body such that a first opening of a main channel of the sealing body is substantially aligned with the inlet of the valve body and a second opening of the main channel of the sealing body is substantially aligned with the outlet of the valve body; and fluidly connecting the outlet of the transfer chamber to the inlet of the process chamber via the main channel of the sealing body of the transfer valve; and translating the wafer from the transfer chamber through the main channel of the transfer valve to the process chamber.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wafer is translated in a lateral direction substantially parallel to a wafer transfer plane without vibratory movement in a direction vertical to the wafer transfer plane.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the outlet of the transfer chamber, the inlet of the valve body, the outlet of the valve body, and the inlet of the process chamber have substantially the same height along the vertical direction.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the valve body to achieve a closed position after the wafer is transferred to the process chamber, operating the valve body comprising: rotating the sealing body within the interior cavity of the valve body such that a first sealing surface on the sealing body is substantially aligned with the inlet of the valve body to fluidly seal the inlet, and a second sealing surface on the sealing body is substantially aligned with the outlet of the valve body to fluidly seal the outlet, and isolating the transfer chamber and the process chamber from each other.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein, in the closed position, an axis of the main channel that extends between the first opening and the second opening of the sealing body is substantially perpendicular to an axis of the valve body that extends between the inlet and the outlet.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the open position, an axis of the main channel that extends between the first opening and the second opening of the sealing body is substantially parallel to an axis of the valve body that extends between the inlet and the outlet.
7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the sealing body rotates about 90 degrees between the open position and the closed position.
8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the sealing body is substantially cylindrical and defines a central longitudinal axis extending therethrough.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first opening and the second opening of the sealing body are disposed on a curved surface of the cylindrical sealing body radially opposite of each other.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the first opening and the second opening is configured to extend along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical sealing body to accommodate a diameter of the wafer.
11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising electrically or pneumatically actuating the sealing body to rotate the sealing body between the open and closed positions about an axis of rotation, wherein the axis of rotation comprises the central longitudinal axis of the sealing body.
12 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising retaining the sealing body stationary in the open or closed position by actuating a closure element disposed within the valve body, wherein the actuatable closure element comprises at least one elastomer primary seal configured to physically contact and compress against an outer surface of the sealing body to retain the sealing body stationary in the open or closed position.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising releasing, by the at least one elastomer primary seal of the closure element, physical contact with the sealing body when the sealing body is rotating between the open and closed positions.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sealing body is substantially spherical.
15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising thermally managing the valve body of the transfer valve by: coupling a thermally managed manifold to the valve body; and providing a coolant to a coolant channel of the manifold to cool the valve body.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the coolant channel is configured to extend into at least a portion of the valve body or the sealing body.
17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising cooling the manifold such that the manifold forms a heat sink that provides additional cooling to the valve body.
18 . A transfer valve for a semiconductor processing system, the transfer valve comprising: a valve body having an inlet and an outlet; a sealing body disposed within an interior cavity of the valve body, the sealing body comprises a main channel extending between a first opening on a surface of the sealing body and a second opening on an opposite surface of the sealing body, the sealing body being rotatable between an open position permitting transfer of a wafer from the inlet to the outlet of the valve body via the main channel, and a closed position obstructing the wafer from being transferred from the inlet to the outlet of the valve body; and an actuatable closure element disposed within the valve body, the actuatable closure element comprising at least one elastomer primary seal configured to physically contact and compress against an outer surface of the sealing body to retain the sealing body stationary in the open or closed position.
19 . The transfer valve of claim 18 , wherein, in the closed position, the inlet of the valve body is substantially aligned with a first sealing surface of the sealing body and the outlet of the valve body is substantially aligned with a second sealing surface of the sealing body, the first and second sealing surfaces configured to substantially seal respective ones of the inlet and outlet of the valve body in the closed position.
20 . The transfer valve of claim 18 , wherein, in the closed position, an axis of the main channel that extends between the first opening and the second opening of the sealing body is substantially perpendicular to an axis of the valve body that extends between the inlet and the outlet.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 19/306,637, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/201,877 (“the '877 patent application), filed May 25, 2023, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/849,871, filed Apr. 15, 2020. The '877 patent application also claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Ser. No. 63/347,740, filed Jun. 1, 2022. The entire contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD This application generally relates to transfer valves used in semiconductor processing. Specifically, this application relates to multi-position transfer valves and related methods for transferring wafers between stations within semiconductor processing systems. BACKGROUND Transfer valves are used in semiconductor processing systems for enabling transfer of wafers/substrates between stations. Typical wafer transfers require a motion normal to the wafer transfer plane during the transfer process. This motion is sometimes augmented with a final in-plan motion completing an “L” motion. In addition, these valves typically have bellow assemblies separating drives from transfer cavities. SUMMARY Therefore, there is a need for muti-position transfer valves configured to minimize the transfer cavity to the passage opening and minimize any normal (e.g., vibratory) motion during wafer/substrate transfer. The transfer valves described herein provide a scalable configured combined with particle free performance. The transfer valves also provide less overall volume, limited to the transfer opening and valve depth. In some embodiments, motion within a transfer valve described herein is rotational with a final linear motion of the calipers. In addition, there is a need for multi-position isolation valves and related methods of use for preventing the degradation of the valve sealing element. There is also a need for multi-position isolation valves and related methods of use for enabling the remote plasma source and valve body to be purged simultaneously with semiconductor fabrication processes. Further, there is a need for multi-position isolation valves capable of providing a gas flow path though the valve aperture that can be fully open. The isolation valve described herein overcomes the deficiencies of conventional isolation valves, in part, by exposing far less of the faces or sealing surfaces of its o-rings to reactive gasses and corrosive chemicals passing through the valve body. Accordingly, degradation of the o-rings is significantly reduced which can substantially increase the life expectancy or useable life of the o-rings as compared to those used in conventional isolation valves. For example, the useable life of an o-ring having the features of the isolation valve technology described herein can increase the useable life of an o-ring by several times to that of a conventional isolation valve. Further, the isolation valve described herein enables the gas flow path though the valve aperture to be fully open and unobstructed by other valve components such as a valve nosepiece or a change in direction of the gas flow path through the valve. The technology, in one aspect, features an isolation valve assembly. The isolation valve assembly includes a valve body having an inlet and an outlet. The isolation valve assembly further includes a seal plate disposed within an interior cavity of the valve body. The seal plate is movable between a first position allowing gas flow from the inlet to the outlet, and a second position preventing gas flow from the inlet to the outlet. The isolation valve assembly further includes a closure element disposed within the valve body configured to retain the seal plate stationary in the first position or the second position. The closure element includes a first sealing element positioned adjacent to a first surface of the seal plate. A working surface of the first sealing element is substantially obscured from the gas flow when the seal plate is stationary. The isolation valve technology can further include any of the following features. In some embodiments, the closure element further includes a second sealing element positioned adjacent to a second surface of the seal plate. In some embodiments, a working surface of the second sealing element is substantially obscured from the gas flow when the seal plate is stationary. In some embodiments, the closure element is configured to use a compressive force to retain the seal plate stationary in the first position or the second position. In some embodiments, the first sealing element provides a seal substantially preventing gas flow between the closure element and the first surface of the seal plate when the seal plate is stationary. In some embodiments, the second sealing element provides a seal substantially preventing gas flow between the closure element and the seco