Alcatel

Alcatel Lucent

Roland Bernard

Jean-Pierre Desbiolles

Eric Chevalier

Hisanori Kambara

Gloria Sogan

Jean-Luc Rival

Philippe Maquin

Arnaud Favre

Benoit Barthod

Bertrand Bellet

Thierry Neel

Catherine Le Guet

Xavier Metais

Amaud Favre

Sébastien Munari

Marc Lagedamont

Claude Rousseau

Benoît Barthod

The subject of the present invention is a method for removing pollution from a confined environment containing an interior space bounded by a wall, involving the following steps: the confined environment which has a leak is placed in a sealed chamber having for example an inlet for introducing a gas and a pump for pumping a gas and the gas contained in the chamber and the gas contained inside the space are simultaneously pumped through the leak so that the pressure difference across the wall is always below a wall damaging threshold. Another subject of the invention is a related device for removing pollution from a confined environment.

Method and device for removing pollution from a confined environment

A pumping system comprising at least one pump unit () with a vacuum pump casing in which there are multiple pumping stages that includes at least one pumped gas treatment system is provided. The pumped gas treatment system compromises at least one plasma source located inside the vacuum pump casing of the pump unit, to generate a plasma that at least partially decomposes certain gases passing through the pump unit. This reduces the size of the pumped gas treatment system and improves its efficiency so that a gas pumping and treatment system can be created that is sufficiently small as to allow it to be placed in close proximity to the process chambers.

Plasma-based gas treatment system integrated in a vacuum pump

A transport pod () of the invention for a mask or a semiconductor wafer () comprises a leakproof peripheral wall () surrounding an inside space () receiving the mask or the semiconductor wafer (). Thermally conductive support means () hold the mask or the semiconductor wafer (). A cold plate () thermally coupled to a cold source () generates a temperature gradient facing the main face () of the mask or the semiconductor wafer () that is to be protected against particulate pollution. The cold plate () is held by connection means () including thermal insulation means (). An on-board energy source () powers the cold source (). This significantly reduces deposition of polluting particles on the main face () of the mask or the semiconductor wafer ().

Transport pod with protection by the thermophoresis effect

Apparatus of the invention for transporting substrates () comprises a mini-environment enclosure () that is movable and that can be coupled to a conditioning station (). The mini-environment enclosure () includes a micropump () whose inlet is connected to an inside cavity () that is to contain the substrate () to be transported. An energy supply () is also provided in the mini-environment enclosure () to power the micropump (). The mini-environment enclosure () comprises a peripheral shell () open to two opposite main faces (), and including a closable side opening (). A first main wall () is fitted to close the first main face () in leaktight manner. A second main wall () is fitted and secured to close the second main face () in leaktight manner. The first and second main walls are disposed in planes parallel to the plane containing the substrate. This makes it easier to manufacture the mini-environment enclosure, while also providing modularity so that the main walls () can have functions that are different and can be interchanged.

Apparatus for transporting substrates under a controlled atmosphere

Pumping apparatus of the invention using thermal transpiration micropumps comprises a plurality of individual thermal transpiration micropumps distributed over a substrate () as a plurality of rows (A, B, C, . . . , D) each made up of a plurality of micropumps (), thereby building up a plurality of columns (a, b, . . . , c, d). Respective heater elements () in each of the thermal transpiration micropumps are controlled by suitably controlling a row control conductor (A) and a column control conductor (). This greatly simplifies multiplexed control of a large number of individual micropumps, thus enabling pumping capacity to be adapted.

Pumping apparatus using thermal transpiration micropumps

Provided is a device for the emission of X-rays. The device includes a vacuum pump including a sealed peripheral casing containing a cathode which emits a flux of electrons, a rotary anode mounted at the end of the shaft of the vacuum pump, a collection device for collecting an emitted electron beam and at least one cooling element, disposed opposite one of the main radial faces of the rotary anode, which is fixed to one of the vacuum pump stator or to the sealed peripheral casing.

Compact source with very bright X-ray beam

A SMIF type mini-environment () can be connected onto a purge station (). The purge station comprises a leaktight purge compartment () whose top face includes a closable transfer passage () facing the bottom face () of the mini-environment pod (). An elevator () is suitable for vertically displacing the bottom wall () of the mini-environment pod () when coupled thereto, simultaneously moving the stack () of substrate wafers carried by the bottom wall () so as to introduce them together into the leaktight purge compartment (). The stack () of substrate wafers is then purged inside a leaktight purge compartment () of the purge station (), while simultaneously purging the mini-environment pod (). This provides purging that is much more effective and much faster, thus encouraging the use of SMIF mini-environment pods in microelectronic processes.

Station for controlling and purging a mini-environment

In the invention, the atmosphere in a process chamber is conditioned using a primary pump, a secondary pump, speed control means for controlling the speed of the primary pump, and at least first gas analyzer means adapted for analyzing the extracted gases upstream from the primary pump and for producing first analysis signals. First signal processing means control the pumping speed as a function of the first analysis signals, so as to determine the variation in the pressure inside the process chamber during the transient stages of the treatment. In this way, deposits and turbulence are avoided in the process chamber, as are deposits in the pumping line, so that the secondary pump can be placed in the immediate vicinity of the process chamber.

Apparatus for conditioning the atmosphere in a chamber

According to the invention, a semiconductor component manufacturing plant is constructed in a building having an upper storey and a lower storey separated from one another by a support slab and a false floor. The support slab has passageway openings, whilst the false floor consists of plates themselves having through passages. Vacuum generation means are disposed in an intermediate space situated between the support slab and the false floor which itself carries a process chamber situated in the upper space constituting a clean room. Suction means situated in the lower storey create a gaseous flow directed downwards from the clean room through the intermediate space to the lower storey. In this way, the false floor acts as a non-return mechanism for noise, thermal or chemical pollution coming from the vacuum generation means.

Semiconductor component manufacturing plant with ventilated false floor

In the invention, the atmosphere in a vacuum chamber ( ) is conditioned using a primary pump ( ), a secondary pump ( ), speed control means ( ) for controlling the speed of the primary pump, and at least first gas treatment means ( ) adapted for treating the extracted gases downstream from the primary pump ( ). The vacuum chamber ( ) is contained in a room ( ) having a false floor ( ) covering a space ( ). The primary pump ( ) and the gas treatment means ( ) are housed in the available space ( ) under the false floor ( ), so that the secondary pump ( ) can be placed in the immediate vicinity of the vacuum chamber ( ), and the primary pump ( ) is in the proximity of the vacuum chamber ( ).

Apparatus for conditioning the atmosphere in a vacuum chamber

The invention relates to a gas analysis system for analyzing gases in an enclosure under controlled pressure, which system comprises apparatus for ionizing the gases to be analyzed, and apparatus for analyzing the ionized gases. According to the invention the apparatus for ionizing the gases to be analyzed comprises a dedicated plasma source in contact with the gases contained in the enclosure and combined with a generator for generating a plasma from the gases to be analyzed; and the apparatus for analyzing the ionized gases comprises a radiation sensor situated in the vicinity of the zone in which the plasma is generated, and connected to an optical spectrometer for analyzing the variation of the radiation spectrum emitted by the generated plasma.

Method and a system for identifying gaseous effluents, and a facility provided with such a system

A mini-environment control device includes an individual enclosure to contain a sample and to isolate it from the external environment. An array of micropumps attached to the individual enclosure generates and maintains a controlled vacuum in the individual enclosure. Transfer means introduce the sample into the individual enclosure and extract it therefrom. The micropumps of the array of micropumps can be of a type employing the thermal transpiration effect. Temperature and pressure microsensors and a gas analyzer enable the operation of the array of micropumps to be controlled by an onboard microcomputer. The atmosphere surrounding a sample is therefore controlled.

Mini-environment control system and method

In the invention, the gases present in a transfer chamber are pumped out by means of a primary pump that is driven by variable-speed drive means, that is connected in series with a turbomolecular secondary pump, and that is associated with gas monitoring means for monitoring one or more appropriate characteristic parameters of the pumped gases and for producing control signals acting on the drive means of the primary pump so as to adapt its pumping speed in order to avoid any condensation or solidification of the gases in the airlock or transfer chamber. It is thus possible to optimize the speed at which the pressure is lowered, and to reduce the pollution brought into the process chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Viuz-la-Chiesaz, France

Roland Bernard