| 摘要 |
A vacuum control unit of a load lock chamber and a method thereof are provided to prevent defects of process characteristics caused by particles of a load lock chamber. A plurality of load lock chambers(12,14,16) receive wafers to be transferred to a process chamber(10). A dummy load lock chamber stores a dummy wafer in order to transfer the wafers to the process chamber in an absent state of the wafer in the load lock chambers. A plurality of isolation valves(20,22,24) are used for isolating the process chamber and the load lock chambers from each other. A vacuum pump(26) is used for forming high vacuum states of the load lock chambers and the dummy load lock chamber. A plurality of roughing valves(30,32,34) are installed on the load lock chambers and vacuum lines connected to the dummy load lock chamber in order to form vacuum states of the load lock chambers and the dummy load lock chamber in an atmospheric state. A plurality of universal valves(36,38) are connected between the vacuum lines of the load lock chambers and the vacuum line of the dummy load lock chamber in order to open maintain the high vacuum states according to a predetermined control signal in closing states of the roughing valves. A controller(40) outputs a plurality of roughing valve open/close control signals, and outputs open control signals and close control signals of the universal valves.
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