Slit valve apparatus and method

摘要

A slit valve apparatus associated with an aperture in a chamber wall through which a semiconductor wafer may be passed along a transfer plane. The apparatus is characterized by a valve seat which is angled relative to the transfer plane and a door which moves linearly along an axis substantially perpendicular to the valve seat. All frictionally engaged parts of the slit valve assembly are isolated from the interior of the chamber by a bellow sleeve to reduce the formation of particles. The method is characterized by the steps of surrounding the aperture with a first seating surface defining a sealing plane which is angularly disposed with respect to the transfer plane and engaging or disengaging a second seating surface with the first seating surface by linearly moving the second seating surface in a direction perpendicular to the sealing plane.