Abstract:
A vacuum conduit connected to a vacuum pump has a shield surface which absorbs radiation to reduce the total radiation falling on the vacuum pump. The vacuum system includes the vacuum conduit connected between a process chamber and the vacuum pump and a surface treatment along at least a portion of the shield surface adapted to absorb radiation. Since the treatment is on the interior surface of the vacuum conduit and does not extend into the center of the conduit, gaseous flow to the pump is not impeded. In this manner radiation entering the vacuum pump and falling on the cryogenic array is reduced without impeding gaseous flow to the cryogenic surface. The system therefore minimizes the radiation load on the cryogenic array in the vacuum pump without impeding the gaseous flow through the vacuum pump.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   Vacuum process chambers are often employed in manufacturing to provide a vacuum environment for tasks such as semiconductor wafer fabrication, electron microscopy, gas chromatography, and others. Such chambers are typically achieved by attaching a vacuum pump to the vacuum process chamber by a vacuum connection such as a flange and a conduit. The vacuum pump operates to remove substantially all of the molecules from the process chamber, therefore creating a vacuum environment. 
   A cryogenic vacuum pump, known as a cryopump, employs a refrigeration mechanism to achieve low temperatures that will cause many gases to condense onto a surface cooled by the refrigeration mechanism. One type of cryopump is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,671, issued Jan. 26, 1999 and assigned to the assignee of the present application. Such a cryopump uses a two-stage helium driven refrigerator to cool a cold finger to near 10 degrees Kelvin(K.). Another type of cryopump, often referred to as a water pump is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,438, issued Mar. 30, 1999 and also assigned to the assignee of the present application. A cryogenic water pump is typically employed in conjunction with a turbomolecular pump, and is also used to condense gases onto a helium cooled surface, or cryogenic array, which is cooled to around 100K. 
   Since the cryogenic arrays are cooled to very low temperatures, heat flow to the cryogenically cooled surface is ideally minimized. Undesired heat increases the time required to cool down the pump, increases the helium consumption of the pump, and influences the minimum temperature the cryopump achieves. 
   Note that both a cryopump and a waterpump, as disclosed herein, employ one or more refrigerant-cooled surfaces for condensing gases for the purpose of removing the gases from a closed environment such as a process chamber. A waterpump, for example, may be considered functionally equivalent to a cryopump having a single refrigerant-cooled surface, or stage. Accordingly, both a cryopump and a waterpump may benefit from radiation absorption as disclosed herein and therefore, the term “cryopump” may hereinafter be taken to imply either a cryopump or a waterpump. 
   A radiation shield may be employed around the cryogenic array to minimize the thermal load on the cryogenic array. Such a radiation shield may take the form of an enclosure around the cryogenic array, and may include louvers or chevrons to allow fluid communication with the vacuum process chamber. Louvers and chevrons, however, can interfere with the fluid communication, or gaseous flow, from the vacuum process chamber, decreasing flow rate and efficiency, and, therefore, increasing the time required to achieve the desired vacuum state. 
   SUMMARY 
   A radiation shield for such a vacuum system employs a vacuum conduit connected to a vacuum pump, the vacuum conduit having an internal shield surface which absorbs radiation to reduce the total radiation falling on the vacuum pump. Since the surface treatment is on the interior surface of the conduit and does not extend into the center of a fluid path defined by the conduit, gaseous flow to the pump is not impeded. A vacuum system which eliminates the radiation load from the process chamber before the radiation falls on the cryogenic array, and which does not obstruct the flow of gases to the cryogenic array, provides an unimpeded flow of gases while also reducing the radiation load on the cryogenic array. The system therefore minimizes the radiation load on the cryogenic array in the vacuum pump without interfering with the gaseous flow through the vacuum pump. 
   The use of a surface treatment having a high emissivity causes more radiation from a high temperature source to be absorbed, because emissivity is directly related to absorption, and therefore less radiation from the high temperature source is reflected onto the vacuum pump. Since the vacuum conduit comprising the surface treatment may be a preexisting conduit in the fluid path between the vacuum pump and vacuum process chamber, no additional surface area is introduced into the vacuum system. In this manner, an existing vacuum conduit is adapted to reduce the total radiation load which the cryopump would otherwise need to accommodate by intercepting some incoming thermal radiation and re-radiating it from a lower temperature. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  shows a prior art cryopump adapted to be attached to a valve between a vacuum process chamber and a vacuum pump; 
       FIG. 2  shows a prior art water pump having a flange for mounting between a vacuum process chamber and a vacuum pump; 
       FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  show surfaces having different emissivity; 
       FIG. 3   c  shows the effect of emissivity and temperature on a cryopump; 
       FIG. 4   a  shows a cryopump employing the surface of  FIG. 3   a;    
       FIG. 4   b  shows a cryopump employing the surface of  FIG. 3   b;    
       FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a water pump having a surface treatment for absorbing radiation; 
       FIG. 6   a  shows a perspective view of a vatterfly valve assembly employing a surface treatment; and 
       FIG. 6   b  shows a side view of the vatterfly valve assembly of  FIG. 6   a.    
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   A description of preferred embodiments of the invention follows. 
   In a cryogenic vacuum pump, a cooling surface, or cryogenic array, is cooled by a helium refrigerator. As helium remains gaseous at very low temperatures, helium is an ideal refrigerant for a cryogenic process. As the cryogenic array is cooled, it achieves a temperature low enough to condense gases from the vacuum process chamber. As the gases are condensed or adsorbed onto the cryogenic array, a vacuum is created in the vacuum process chamber. The cryogenic array may be cooled to a point at which most gases will condense, or may be cooled to a point at which most of the water vapor will condense, while the remaining gases may be removed by a supplemental vacuum pump such as a turbomolecular pump. 
   Prior to discussing the invention as defined by the present claims, a discussion of a cryopumping apparatus adapted for a vacuum process chambers may be beneficial.  FIG. 1  shows a typical prior art cryopump. The cryopump  20  includes a drive motor  40  and a crosshead assembly  42 . The crosshead converts the rotary motion of the motor  40  to reciprocating motion to drive a displacer within the two-stage cold finger  44 . With each cycle, helium gas introduced into the cold finger under pressure through line  46  is expanded and thus cooled to maintain the cold finger at cryogenic temperatures. Helium then warmed by a heat exchange matrix in the displacer is exhausted through line  48 . 
   A first-stage heat station  50  is mounted at the cold end of the first stage  52  of the refrigerator. Similarly, heat station  54  is mounted to the cold end of the second stage  56 . Suitable temperature sensor elements  58  and  60  are mounted to the rear of the heat stations  50  and  54 . 
   The primary pumping surface is a cryopanel array  62  mounted to the heat station  54 . This array comprises a plurality of disks as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,907. Low temperature adsorbent is mounted to protected surfaces of the array  62  to adsorb noncondensible gases. 
   A cup-shaped radiation shield  64  is mounted to the first stage heat station  50 . The second stage of the cold finger extends through an opening in that radiation shield  64 . This radiation shield  64  surrounds the primary cryopanel array to the rear and sides to minimize heating of the primary cryopanel array by radiation. The temperature of the radiation shield may range from as low as 40K at the heat station  50  to as high as 130K adjacent to the opening  68  to an evacuated chamber. 
   A frontal cryopanel array  70  serves as both a radiation shield for the primary cryopanel array and as a cryopumping surface for higher boiling temperature gases such as water vapor. This panel comprises a circular array of concentric louvers and chevrons  72  joined by a spoke-like plate  74 . The configuration of this cryopanel  70  need not be confined to circular, concentric components; but it should be so arranged as to act as a radiant heat shield and a higher temperature cryopumping panel while providing a path for lower boiling temperature gases to the primary cryopanel. The frontal cryopanel array  70 , while effective at reducing radiation, may tend to impede the flow of gases past the chevrons and louvers. 
   Also illustrated in  FIG. 1  is a heater assembly  69  comprising a tube which hermetically seals electric heating units. The heating units heat the first stage through a heater mount  71  and a second stage through a heater mount  73  for temperature control, particularly during regeneration. 
   The cryopump is typically attached to a vacuum process chamber via a conduit including a flange  22 . In accordance with the present invention, adhesion of a high emissivity surface treatment to a shield surface defined by the interior surface of the conduit forms a radiation shield for the cryopump which can absorb radiation which would otherwise have fallen on the cryopump. Such a surface treatment is typically employed in conjunction with the existing louvers and chevrons, however, in alternate embodiments could be employed alone, if operating conditions permit. Since ideally the conduit is a vessel which is already in the system, no additional conduit length which could impede gaseous flow is imposed. Further, although the emissive and reflective properties are discussed herein with respect to a surface treatment, such properties may also apply to the surface of a conduit formed from a homogeneous substance. 
     FIG. 2  shows a prior art water pump suitable for use with the invention as defined by the present claims. Referring to  FIG. 2 , a water pump  10  has a pump body  13  with a flange  11  for securing the waterpump to a cryogenic process chamber  15 . A fluid conduit  21  having a fluid flow path  32  is defined by the pump body  13  and the flange  11 . A cryogenic refrigerator  16  is mounted to the side of pump body  13  and extends laterally from the pump body  13 . The refrigerator  16  has a cold finger  31  which is conductively coupled to an optically open flat annular cryopumping array  30  in the pump body  13  for cooling the array  30  to cryogenic temperatures. The array  30  is positioned midway within the pump body  13  and extends along the perimeter of the pump body  13  for condensing water vapor thereon. The orientation plane defined by the array  30  is transverse to the fluid flow path  32  such that the fluid flow path  32  extends through an opening  24  in array  30 . Opening  24  is large and centrally located so that array  30  provides little fluid resistance for gases flowing along the fluid flow path  32 . Pump body  13  is mounted to a turbomolecular vacuum pump  12  by a series of bolts  18  positioned concentrically about the pump body  13 . The flange  11  is similarly mounted to a vacuum process chamber  15 . Consequently, there is a direct in-line fluid flow path from the process chamber  15 , through the water pump  10  and into turbomolecular pump  12 . 
   In operation, in order to evacuate the process chamber  15 , refrigerator  16  is turned on, cooling the array  30  to cryogenic temperatures. Turbomolecular pump  12  is turned on and rotating turbine blades of turbomolecular pump  12  begin to pump gases from process chamber  15  through water pump  10 . The non-condensing gases pass through array  30  while water vapor condenses on the surfaces of array  30 . The remaining non-condensing gases such as nitrogen and argon are pumped from the system by turbomolecular pump  12 . Periodically, when the array  30  becomes full with frost, water pump  10  is regenerated to release the water vapor trapped on the array  30 . 
   The array  30  operates on the principle that gases passing through fluid conduit  32  and the central opening  24  in array  30  flow in a typical molecular flow pattern. Array  30  is capable of trapping about 90% of the water vapor passing through water pump  10 . For example, if a 4 inch turbomolecular pump  12  is used without water pump  10 , the water pumping speed is only about 250 liters per second at a pressure of about 10 −5  torr. The addition of water pump  10  to turbomolecular pump  12  increases the water pumping speed to about 1300 liters per second at a pressure of about 10 −5  torr. 
   Continuing to refer to  FIG. 2 , radiation may be received by the shield surface around the fluid flow path  32 , such as the conduit defined by the interior surface of flange  11  and the pump body  13 . In the case of the invention as defined by the present claims, adhesion of a surface treatment to the shield surface may absorb radiation which would have otherwise have fallen on the waterpump. 
   The surface treatment is ideally a substance with a high emissivity, as described further below. Briefly discussing pertinent aspects of radiated electromagnetic energy, the properties of a surface which affect the radiated energy include emissivity ε, reflectance r, transmittance t, and absorbency α. A further component, scattering, may also affect the radiated energy. The reflectance of a surface is the percentage of total radiation falling on a body which is reflected back from the surface. Reflectance is zero for a blackbody and nearly 1.00 for a highly polished surface. Transmissivity is the percentage of total radiation falling on a body which passes directly through it without being absorbed. Transmissivity is zero for a blackbody and nearly 1.00 for a material like glass. The emissivity of an object is the ratio of radiant energy emitted by that object divided by the radiant energy which a blackbody would emit at the same temperature. Emissivity ε equals absorbency α at a constant temperature. Further, since the total radiation received is either absorbed, reflected, or transmitted:
 
1=α+ r+t 
 
As disclosed herein, the fluid conduit  21  is typically an opaque material in a closed system, therefore transmission and scattering effects are negligible, and accordingly, emissivity and reflectivity are the properties considered herein. Referring to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b,  two examples of surfaces having different emissivity and reflectivity are shown. Referring to  FIG. 3   a,  a surface  200  receives radiant energy as shown by arrows  202 . The surface has the following properties:
 
ε=0.9
 
r=0.1
 
α=0.9
 
   Accordingly, 10% of the received energy is reflected, as shown by arrows  206 , and the remaining 90% is absorbed, as shown by arrow  208 , consistent with the above equations. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3   b,  another surface  210  is shown. Radiant energy is directed at the surface  210 , as shown by arrows  212 . Surface  210  has the following properties:
 
ε=0.1
 
r=0.9
 
α=0.1
 
Accordingly, only 10% of the received energy is absorbed, as shown by arrows  218 , with the remaining 90% being reflected, as shown by arrows  216 .
 
   Accordingly, application of a surface treatment having a high emissivity in the path of gaseous flow to a cryopump can have the effect of absorbing radiation which would have otherwise have fallen on the cryopump. A particular radiation absorbing surface treatment can be applied to a cryopump, water pump, or other cryogenic apparatus as described further below. In a particular embodiment, the emissivity of the surface treatment should be greater than 0.8, so that sufficient radiation may be absorbed. However, emissive properties of even a small degree will tend to absorb more energy than is emitted if the emissive surface is maintained at a low temperature relative to the radiation source. 
     FIG. 3   c  shows a general example of radiation activity in a cryopump. Radiation emitted from a body varies with temperature. The Stefan-Boltzman law indicates that the radiation emitted increases as the fourth power of the absolute temperature:
   Q=AσεT   4   
where σ is the Stefan&#39;s constant, 5.67*10 −8 Wm −2 *K −4  and A is the area. This law illustrates that as the temperature of a radiated body increases, the emitted energy increases exponentially. Conversely, if the temperature decreases, emitted radiation can be reduced by an exponential amount. Therefore, by keeping the temperature of an emissive body relatively low, emitted radiation is limited, while, since the surface is not reflective, radiation is still absorbed.
 
   Referring to  FIG. 3   c,  the process chamber  15  has temperature T 3  and surfaces with emissivity e 3 , and emits radiation toward the cryopump  20 . Some of the radiation Q 3  from the chamber  15  will strike surface  102 , as shown by arrow  220   a  and some will be transmitted directly, as shown by arrow  220   b.  A portion of the radiation striking the surface  102  will be reflected, and a portion will be absorbed, according to the reflectivity r of the surface  102 . The portion reflected is shown by arrow  222 . The portion absorbed will cause the surface  102  to warm. Surface  102  will emit radiation Q 2  according to its emissivity and temperature, as shown by arrow  224 . 
   In a typical vacuum environment, the temperature in the process chamber is relatively higher than the cryopump  20  or the surface  102 , and therefore the process chamber tends to be the primary source of radiation, because of the T 3   4  term. Similarly, if the surface  102  has a high emissivity and is maintained at a relatively low temperature, the reflected energy and T 2   4  terms remain relatively small, resulting in reduced radiation emitted or reflected onto the cryopump from the surface  102 . 
     FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  show an example of radiation activity in a cryopump employing the surface treatments of  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b.  Referring to  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b,  radiation emission and absorption according to the above equations are illustrated.  FIG. 4   a  shows the effect of the highly emissive substance of  FIG. 3   a  employed as a surface treatment  100  on a shield surface  102  defined by the interior of a vacuum conduit  104  between a process chamber  15  and a cryopump  20 . The vacuum conduit  104  has embedded channels  106  for carrying water for drawing heat off the interior surface  102 . In this example, we assume a typical operating scenario in which the process chamber  15  emits 10 kW onto the conduit surface  102  and the conduit  104  is cooled to 300K, or room temperature. Note that additional radiation shielding in the form of chevrons and louvers  72  may be employed and also that some radiation may pass directly through the conduit without contacting the conduit surface  102 , however, for purposes of this illustration, we assume 10 kW fall on the conduit surface  102  from the process chamber  15 . Therefore, the radiation reflected is:
   Q   reflect =10 kW*0.1=1 kW 
and the radiation absorbed is:
   Q   absorb =10 kW*0.9=9 kW 
   The absorbed radiation, however, results in emitted radiation back onto the cryopump, as follows. For this example, the conduit  104  shown is 20 cm in diameter and 20 cm long. For simplification, assume that we ignore the effects of radiation from the cryopump, and assume further that all the radiation reflected and emitted from the surface  102  falls on the cryopump. In actuality, these effects would further reduce the radiation falling on the cryopump; however, the example herein will be illustrative, nonetheless. As indicated above, the conduit has an interior surface with the properties of the material shown in  FIG. 3   a.  The interior surface area is π*diameter*length, or about 1200 cm 2 . Assume further that an ideal blackbody emits 0.05 w/cm 2  at 300K. The ideal blackbody would emit:
 
 Q   black =1200 cm 2 *0.05 w/cm 2 =60 W
 
The surface material shown in  FIG. 3   a  has an emissivity of 0.9. Therefore, in the example, the conduit of  FIG. 4   a  emits:
 
 Q   emit =1200 cm 2 *(0.05*0.9)W/cm 2 =54 W@300K
 
Consistent with the two assumptions described above. Note that the actual radiation falling on the cryopump would be less, because the cryopump emits some radiation back to the chamber and because not all the emitted radiation falls on the cryopump. Accordingly, the total radiation falling on the cryopump is the sum of radiation reflected and radiation emitted in all directions:
 
 Q   cryo =1000 W+54 W=1054 W
 
The surface treatment  100  maybe an emissive substance such as paint, amythrocite, polytetrafluoroethylene (TEFLON®), oxide or glass adapted to absorb radiation. Since it is applied to the interior surface of the vacuum conduit  104 , it ideally has low outgassing properties so as to not compromise the vacuum environment.
 
   Referring now to the prior art of  FIG. 4   b  a conduit having interior properties of the material of  FIG. 3   b  is shown. The surface material shown in  FIG. 4   b  has a reflectivity of 0.9 and an emissivity of 0.1, and further assume that it is also at 300K. Therefore, in the example, the shield surface  102  of  FIG. 4   b  reflects:
 
 Q   reflect =10 kW*0.9=9 kW
 
and absorbs:
 
 Q   absorb =10 kW*0.1=1 kW
 
Further, the radiation absorbed results in radiation emitted:
 
 Q   emit =1200 cm 2 *(0.05*0.1)w/cm 2 =6 W
 
The total radiation falling on the cryopump, therefore, is:
 
 Q   cryo =9000 W+6 W=9006 W
 
   In contrast to the vacuum conduit shown in  FIG. 4   a,  the total radiation falling on the cryopump is increased because more radiation is reflected from the interior shield surface  102  of the conduit. Since the highly emissive interior surface  100  of the vacuum conduit  104  shown in  FIG. 4   a  absorbs heat and gets warmer than room temperature, it radiates some more heat to the cryopump. However, since its temperature is lower than the heat source in the process chamber, the emitted radiation is of lower intensity than that which arrives. By water cooling the outside of the conduit, for example, the temperature of the interior surface can be maintained near room temperature despite absorbing high levels of radiation, thereby reducing radiation transfer to the cryopump. The highly emissive vacuum conduit surface absorbs heat from the process chamber radiation source and emits little energy of its own. Therefore, by forming a highly emissive vacuum conduit surface and by keeping it at a relatively low temperature, such as room temperature, a small amount of emitted radiation is sacrificed while absorbing a relatively large amount which would otherwise be reflected. 
     FIG. 5  shows a particular embodiment adapted for a water pump  10  including the surface treatment  100  for absorbing radiation. The vacuum conduit  104  is defined by the flange  11  adjacent to the cryopumping surface  30  and adapted to be attached between a vacuum process chamber and a turbomolecular pump or other vacuum-producing apparatus. As in the cryopump embodiment of  FIG. 4   a,  the surface treatment  100  is disposed in the fluid flow path  32  for absorbing radiation. 
     FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  show another particular embodiment adapted for a cryopump employing a vatterfly valve. The vacuum conduit  104  is defined by the interior of a vatterfly valve  110 . The vatterfly valve is adapted to be disposed between a vacuum process chamber  15  and a vacuum pump (not shown). The surface treatment  100  is applied to the interior walls  112  of the vatterfly valve  110 . A valve plate  120  is operable to rotate 90° as shown by arrow  122  for sealing off the process chamber  15 . As described above, the surface treatment is highly emissive so as to absorb radiation, and has low outgassing properties. 
   While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited except by the following claims.