Load lock chamber with substrate temperature regulation

Abstract

A load lock chamber and method for regulating the temperature of substrates positioned within a chamber are provided. In one embodiment, the load lock chamber is configured to remove gases heated during venting of the load lock chamber. In another embodiment, the load lock chamber is configured to provide a cross flow of vent gases. In yet another embodiment, the load lock chamber includes a resistive heating element configured to uniformly head substrates positioned within the load lock chamber.

1 . A load lock chamber comprising: 
 a chamber body having a first side adapted for coupling to a vacuum chamber and a second side adapted for coupling to a factory interface;    N vertically stacked substrate transfer chambers formed in the chamber body, where N is an integer greater than two;    N-1 interior walls, each interior wall separating and environmentally isolating adjacent substrate transfer chambers;    a substrate support disposed in each of the substrate transfer chambers;    a plate disposed above the substrate support in at least one of the substrate transfer chambers; and    a resistive heater coupled to the plate.    
   
   
       2 . The load lock chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the resistive heater is configured to provide greater heat flux proximate an edge of the plate relative to a center of the plate.  
   
   
       3 . The load lock chamber of  claim 1 , wherein each of the substrate transfer chambers further comprises: 
 a cooling plate.    
   
   
       4 . The load lock chamber of  claim 3 , wherein the cooling plate further comprises: 
 a plurality of passages adapted to flow a heat transfer fluid therethrough.    
   
   
       5 . The load lock chamber of  claim 3 , wherein the substrate supports further comprises: 
 a plurality of substrate support pins, at least one of the substrate support pins disposed through the cooling plate.    
   
   
       6 . The load lock chamber of  claim 5  further comprising: 
 an actuator coupled to the cooling plate and adapted to control the elevation of the cooling plate relative to a distal end of the substrate support pins.    
   
   
       7 . The load lock chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate transfer chamber has an internal volume of less than or equal to about 1000 cubic liters.  
   
   
       8 . The load lock chamber of  claim 1 , wherein each of the substrate transfer chambers are adapted to accommodate a substrate having a plan area of at least 2.7 square meters.  
   
   
       9 . The load lock chamber of  claim 1 , wherein at least a first chamber of the substrate transfer chambers further comprises: 
 at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port adapted to regulate pressure within the first chamber, wherein at least one inlet port is disposed on a sidewall of the first chamber opposite the outlet port.    
   
   
       10 . The load lock chamber of  claim 1 , wherein at least a first chamber of the substrate transfer chambers further comprises: 
 a plurality of inlet ports;    at least two control valves coupled to the inlet ports and adapted to independently regulate flow from at least two of the inlet ports into the first chamber.    
   
   
       11 . The load lock chamber of  claim 1 , wherein at least a first chamber of the substrate transfer chambers further comprises: 
 a plurality of inlet ports;    at least two heaters configured to independently regulate temperatures of flows from at least two of the inlet ports into the first chamber.    
   
   
       12 . A load lock chamber comprising: 
 a chamber body having a first substrate transfer port and a second substrate transfer port disposed therein;    a substrate transfer chamber formed in the chamber body;    a plurality of vent ports disposed through at least one sidewall of the chamber body and fluidly coupled to the substrate transfer chamber; and    at least one pump port disposed in at least one sidewall of the chamber body and fluidly coupled to the substrate transfer chamber.    
   
   
       13 . The load lock chamber of  claim 12 , wherein the pump port is disposed on a sidewall opposite at least one of the vent ports.  
   
   
       14 . The load lock chamber of  claim 12 , at least one pump port further comprises: 
 a plurality of vent ports.    
   
   
       15 . A method for regulating temperature of a substrate in a load lock chamber, comprising: 
 transferring a substrate from a vacuum environment into a load lock chamber;    sealing the load lock chamber from the vacuum environment;    flowing a vent gas into the load lock chamber to increase pressure therein;    removing a portion of the vent gas from the load lock chamber; and    opening a substrate access port between the load lock chamber and an environment having a pressure greater than the vacuum environment.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 flowing vent gas between an inlet port and an outlet port while increasing the pressure within the load lock chamber.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 flowing vent gas between an inlet port and an outlet port while maintaining substantially constant pressure within the load lock chamber.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 flowing vent gas between an inlet port and an outlet port while increasing the pressure within the load lock chamber for a first period of time; and    flowing vent gas between the inlet port and the outlet port while maintaining substantially constant pressure within the load lock chamber for a second period of time.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 flowing vent gas into the load lock chamber from a first inlet port; and    flowing vent gas into the load lock chamber from a second inlet port.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising: 
 controlling a flow rate of vent gas through the first inlet port independently from a flow rate of vent gas through the second inlet port.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising: 
 controlling a temperature of the vent gas flowing through the first inlet port independently from a temperature of the vent gas flowing through the second inlet port.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the load lock chamber further comprises an upper transfer chamber, a middle transfer chamber and a lower transfer chamber, and wherein the method further comprises: 
 transferring all substrates to be processed from the ambient environment to the vacuum environment through the upper transfer chamber; and    transferring substrates from the vacuum environment to the ambient environment through the lower transfer chamber.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising: 
 heating substrates passing through the upper transfer chamber by applying power to a resistive heater disposed in the upper transfer chamber.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising: 
 transferring substrates from the vacuum environment to the ambient environment only through the lower transfer chamber and the middle transfer chamber.    
   
   
       25 . A method for regulating temperature of a substrate in a load lock chamber, comprising: 
 providing a substrate in the load lock chamber sealed between a vacuum environment and an ambient environment;    flowing a gas into contact with the substrate disposed in the sealed chamber; and    removing a portion of the gas from the sealed load lock chamber.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the steps of flowing and removing the gas further comprises: 
 flowing the gas from at least one inlet port across the substrate and out an exhaust port in a direction substantially parallel to a plane of the substrate.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the step of flowing the gas into the load lock chamber further comprises: 
 controlling a flow rate of gas through a first inlet port independently from a flow rate of gas through a second inlet port.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the step of flowing the gas into the load lock chamber further comprises: 
 controlling a temperature of the gas flowing through a first inlet port independently from a temperature of a gas flowing through a second inlet port.