Gas inlet valve for vacuum process chambers

Abstract

The invention relates to a gas inlet valve for the controlled inlet of a process gas into a vacuum process chamber, wherein the gas inlet valve comprises: a gas flow unit with a gas inlet, a gas outlet and an inner volume which has free access to the gas inlet and to the gas outlet, wherein the gas flow unit has a sealing surface in the inner volume, an adjusting device with an adjusting unit, wherein the adjusting unit projects into the inner volume and is adjustably mounted outside the gas flow unit in the adjusting device, wherein the adjusting unit has a plate which is arranged inside the inner volume, wherein the plate can be brought into a closed position by means of the adjusting device, in which the plate rests on the sealing surface and thus prevents a gas flow, and wherein the plate can be brought by means of the adjusting device into an open position in which the plate is spaced from the sealing surface and thus allows a gas flow, two flexible sealing elements, which are fixed in each case to the gas flow unit and to the adjusting unit and thereby seal the inner volume, and a position determination unit which is arranged on or in the adjusting device and is adapted to determine a position of a part of the adjusting unit which has a fixed local relation to the plate.