DEVICE FOR SEALING A VACUUM CHAMBER, VACUUM PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF MONITORING A LOAD LOCK SEAL

1 . A device for sealing a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber providing a first volume, comprising:

an intermediate volume providing a fluid communication between the first volume and a second volume;

a first seal for sealing a first conduit associated with the first volume and sealing the first volume from the intermediate volume;

a second seal for sealing a second conduit associated with the second volume and sealing the second volume from the intermediate volume; and

a third conduit providing a first fluid path to the intermediate volume.

2 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a fourth conduit providing a second fluid path to the intermediate volume.

3 . The device of claim 2 , further comprising:

a valve coupled to a gas conduit to pressurize the intermediate volume.

4 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a pressure gauge or pressure sensor coupled to the third conduit to monitor a pressure in the intermediate volume.

5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a device body including at least a portion of the intermediate volume, wherein at least one of the first seal and the second seal is coupled to the device body.

6 . The device of claim 5 , further comprising:

a sealing plate configured to be attached to the vacuum chamber to mount the device to the vacuum chamber, wherein at least one of the device body, the first seal and the second seal is coupled to the sealing plate.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate volume is 30 l or less.

8 . A vacuum processing system for processing a substrate, comprising:

a vacuum chamber with a first wall and having a first volume;

a first transfer chamber adjacent to the first wall and having a second volume;

an opening at the first wall configured to transfer the substrate between the first transfer chamber and the vacuum chamber; and

a sealing device at the opening for sealing the opening to isolate the first volume and the second volume with respect to each other in a closed state, the sealing device comprising:

a first seal for sealing a first conduit;

a second seal for sealing a second conduit; and

an intermediate volume between the first seal and the second seal, the intermediate volume providing a substrate transfer conduit between the first volume and the second volume at an open state of the sealing device.

9 . The vacuum processing system of claim 8 , wherein the sealing device further comprises:

a third conduit providing a first fluid path passing through at least one of the first volume and the second volume to the intermediate volume.

10 . The vacuum processing system of claim 8 , wherein the sealing device is a device according to claim 1 .

11 . The vacuum processing system of claim 8 , further comprising:

a second transfer chamber adjacent to the vacuum chamber; and

a further device for sealing according to claim 1 provided as a load lock valve between the vacuum chamber and the second transfer chamber.

12 . A method of monitoring a load lock seal sealing a fluid communication between a first volume and a second volume, comprising:

closing a first seal and a second seal arranged between the first volume and the second volume;

providing a first pressure in the first volume;

providing a second pressure in the second volume, the second pressure being higher than the first pressure;

monitoring a third pressure in an intermediate volume of the load lock seal, the intermediate volume being arranged between the first seal and the second seal and the third pressure being between the first pressure and the second pressure; and

generating a seal failure alarm based upon the third pressure.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the seal failure alarm indicates a failure of the first seal if the third pressure drops below a first failure threshold or a pressure variation of the third pressure drops below a first variation threshold, or wherein the seal failure alarm indicates a failure of the second seal if the third pressure raises a second failure threshold or the pressure variation rises above a second variation threshold.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the intermediate volume is filled with argon at the third pressure.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising at least one of:

measuring a pressure in the first volume;

measuring a pressure in the second volume;

detecting argon in the first volume; and

detecting argon in the second volume.