Patent ID: 6814813
Filing Date: 2004-11-09
Classification: C23C,Y10S

Abstract:
A chemical vapor deposition apparatus comprising:a subatmospheric substrate transfer chamber; a subatmospheric deposition chamber defined at least in part by a chamber sidewall; a passageway in the chamber sidewall extending from the transfer chamber to the deposition chamber, and through which semiconductor substrates pass between the transfer chamber and the deposition chamber for deposition processing; the passageway extending through the chamber sidewall along a shortest possible straight line from the transfer chamber to the deposition chamber, the passageway having a top and bottom; a pair of top and bottom opposing purge gas inlets received within the passageway, the top and bottom opposing purge gas inlets being received along a straight line which is perpendicular to said shortest possible straight line from the transfer chamber to the deposition chamber; and a gate associated with the passageway downstream of the passageway purge gas inlets and configured to open and close at least a portion of the passageway to the chamber, the gate being a mechanical gate mounted for movement which is perpendicular to said shortest possible straight line from the transfer chamber to the deposition chamber.