Patent ID: 6595370
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: B01D,C23C,H01L

Abstract:
A wafer transfer chamber having reduced particle contamination problem comprising:a chamber enclosure having a top wall, a bottom wall and four sidewalls forming vacuum tight cavity therein; a pumping means for evacuating said cavity to a pressure smaller than atmospheric pressure; a venting means for venting said cavity to atmospheric pressure; an elevator means having a platform for holding a wafer cassette thereon and for moving upwardly or downwardly into a pumping/venting or unloading position; and a particle filter means having a top panel and four side panels fabricated of a material for filtering out particles, said top panel being stationarily fastened to an interior surface of said top wall of the chamber enclosure while said four side panels forms an enclosure sealingly engaging a top surface of said platform when said platform being raised to an uppermost position by said elevator mean during either a pumping or a venting operation.