JP2011146624A - Vacuum chamber, vacuum processing apparatus, and method of manufacturing vacuum chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum chamber capable of preventing adhesion of particles to an object to be processed, while keeping the cost of the vacuum chamber low, a vacuum processing apparatus equipped with the vacuum chamber, and to provide a method of manufacturing the vacuum chamber. <P>SOLUTION: The vacuum chamber 2 of the large vacuum processing apparatus 1 includes an inner shell member 5, in which a processing space R is formed, and an outer shell member 6, arranged so as to surround the inner shell member 5 wherein the inner shell member 5 is formed from an anti-rust material, and the outer shell material 6 is formed from a low-cost steel material, or the like. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum chamber for vacuum processing a substrate or the like, a vacuum processing apparatus including the vacuum chamber, and a method for manufacturing the vacuum chamber.

  The vacuum processing apparatus includes a chamber in which a processing space for processing a substrate such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer is formed. Conventionally, these chambers have been manufactured by cutting out stainless steel members and aluminum members with emphasis on vacuum sealing properties, thermal conductivity, and material costs.

  In recent years, when flat panel displays and solar cells are enlarged, their substrates have been enlarged, and it has become necessary to enlarge the processing chamber and the transfer chamber for processing the substrates. As a result, the fabrication of the chamber by shaving has become technically and costly difficult, and there is a need for a chamber fabrication method that can be fabricated easily and at a low cost even with a large size. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to develop a method for producing a chamber in which the inner surface forming the processing space inside the vacuum processing apparatus is subjected to rust prevention treatment in order to prevent particles from adhering to the substrate handled inside the vacuum processing apparatus. It was.

  In general, as the size of the chamber increases, the surface area of the outer surface of the chamber that comes into contact with the atmosphere increases, and the atmospheric pressure applied to the chamber also increases when the pressure inside the chamber is reduced to a vacuum state. For this reason, a large chamber capable of processing the size of the 8th generation or more on a flat panel display substrate is required to have higher durability against atmospheric pressure than a small chamber. In order to give durability to such a large chamber and keep the chamber manufacturing cost low, a chamber having a double wall structure is conceivable. Specifically, in order to cool the wall surface of the chamber, the chamber wall has a double wall surface structure, and the space formed between the double wall surfaces of the chamber can be controlled to a predetermined degree of vacuum by a vacuum pump. A vacuum processing apparatus that can supply a liquid refrigerant into the space between the double wall surfaces is known (Patent Document 1). Thereby, the inside of the space between the double wall surfaces is depressurized by a vacuum pump, the liquid refrigerant is supplied to the space between the double wall surfaces, and the liquid refrigerant takes heat of vaporization from the inner wall surface of the double wall surface. Thus, the inner wall surface of the double wall surface is cooled.

JP 2001-156047 A (paragraphs 0017-0020, FIG. 1)

  However, in the technology of the above-mentioned patent document, the inner wall and the outer wall surface of the double wall surface of the chamber are integrally formed. Therefore, when the chamber is made of a rust-proof material, the entire chamber is made of the rust-proof material. There is a problem that the cost is high. Although it is conceivable that only the inner wall surface of the double wall surface of the chamber is subjected to rust prevention treatment using, for example, a clad material, it is difficult to suppress the cost as the chamber size increases.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum chamber capable of preventing the adhesion of particles to an object to be processed while suppressing the cost of the vacuum chamber, a vacuum processing apparatus including the vacuum chamber, and manufacturing the vacuum chamber. It is to provide a method.

In order to achieve the above object, a vacuum chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an inner shell member and an outer shell member.
The inner shell member is formed of a metal material having rust prevention properties, and forms a processing space in which a vacuum processing is performed on an object to be processed.
The outer shell member surrounds the inner shell member.

It is a perspective view which shows the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing of the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a region B on the side wall of the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 and an enlarged view of an inner surface of the side wall of the region B. It is a perspective view which shows one Example of the detailed structure of the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is the elements on larger scale of the side wall of the vacuum processing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment which concerns on this invention, and the elements on larger scale of the inner surface of a side wall. It is sectional drawing of the vacuum chamber which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged view of the area | region C of the side wall of the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the structure of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the 6th Embodiment of this invention.

A vacuum chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an inner shell member and an outer shell member.
The inner shell member is formed of a metal material having rust prevention properties, and forms a processing space in which a vacuum processing is performed on an object to be processed.
The outer shell member surrounds the inner shell member.

In the present invention, the vacuum chamber includes an inner shell member that forms a processing space therein and an outer shell member that surrounds the inner shell member, and the inner shell member is formed of a metal material having rust prevention properties. For this reason, by improving the corrosion resistance of the inner shell member on the inner surface side of the large vacuum chamber, the adhesion of particles to the object to be processed is prevented, and the outer shell member is not a metal material having an expensive rust prevention property. By using an inexpensive metal material, the cost of the outer shell member can be suppressed and the cost of the vacuum chamber can be reduced.
The outer shell member may be made of a metal material different from the inner shell member, and the inner shell member and the outer shell member may be connected by welding.
Thereby, the inner shell member and outer shell member which are comprised with a different metal material can be welded with reliable intensity | strength.

  The inner shell member and the outer shell member are welded to the inner shell member or the outer shell member via a plurality of welding through-holes provided in a lattice dot shape or a lattice shape. Accordingly, the inner shell member and the outer shell member can be easily and efficiently welded through a plurality of welding holes provided in a lattice point shape, and a plurality of welds provided in a lattice shape. The inner shell member and the outer shell member can be more reliably joined via the hole.

  A reduced pressure sealed space may be formed between the inner shell member and the outer shell member. Thereby, since the inside of the decompression sealed space is decompressed, when the processing space inside the inner shell member is decompressed, the inner shell member is damaged due to a pressure difference generated between the decompression sealed space and the processing space. Can be prevented.

  An internal pressure control means for controlling the internal pressure of the decompression sealed space; a detection means for detecting that the internal pressure of the decompression sealed space is equal to or greater than a threshold; and an adjustment means for adjusting the internal pressure of the processing space. Furthermore, you may make it comprise.

  Thereby, the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space can be controlled (depressurized) by the internal pressure control means, and the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space can be detected by the detection means. Further, for example, when the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space becomes greater than or equal to a threshold value due to an external factor, it can be detected by the detection means that the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space is equal to or greater than the threshold value. Then, by adjusting (pressurizing) the internal pressure of the processing space by the adjusting means, the difference between the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space and the internal pressure of the processing space can be reduced. In other words, it is possible to prevent the state where the internal pressure of the decompression sealed space has risen above the threshold value while the processing space is decompressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent damage to the inner shell member due to the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space.

  The vacuum chamber includes an internal pressure control means for controlling an internal pressure of the decompression sealed space, and a detection means for detecting that a differential pressure between the internal pressure of the decompression sealed space and the internal pressure of the processing space is equal to or greater than a threshold value. And adjusting means for adjusting the internal pressure of the processing space.

  The detection means detects the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space and the internal pressure of the processing space. When these differential pressures exceed the threshold by the detection means, the difference between the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space and the internal pressure of the processing space can be reduced by adjusting the internal pressure of the processing space by the adjusting means. In other words, it is possible to prevent the state where the internal pressure of the decompression sealed space has risen above the threshold value while the processing space is decompressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent damage to the inner shell member due to the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space. Further, even when the internal pressure of the processing space varies greatly between the atmospheric pressure and the vacuum pressure in a state where the processing space is reduced, the difference between the internal pressure of the processing space and the internal pressure of the sealed space is kept small. Therefore, the inner shell member can be prevented from being damaged.

A vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber and a processing unit.
The vacuum chamber is any one of the vacuum chambers.
The processing unit is provided in the vacuum chamber and performs processing on the object to be processed.

  A manufacturing method of a vacuum chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention includes forming an outer shell member so that a space is formed therein. A metal member having rust prevention properties is connected to each inner surface of the outer shell member so as to cover the inner surface of the outer shell member, and the metal members are joined to each other, thereby performing vacuum processing on the object to be processed. An inner shell member having a processing space formed therein is formed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
(Configuration of vacuum processing equipment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG.
The vacuum processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention is an apparatus for vacuum processing a large substrate or the like that is an object to be processed. Specifically, it is an apparatus for manufacturing FPD (Flat Panel Display) and thin film solar cells. The vacuum processing apparatus 1 includes a vacuum chamber 2 in which a processing space R shown in FIG. 2 is formed, a vacuum pump (not shown), and the like. A vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the vacuum chamber 2 in order to bring the processing space R in the vacuum chamber 2 into a reduced pressure (vacuum) state.

  The vacuum chamber 2 includes an inner shell member 5 that forms a processing space R therein, and an outer shell member 6 that is disposed so as to surround the inner shell member 5. The outer surface side of the inner shell member 5 and the inner surface side of the outer shell member 6 are in close contact with each other.

  The inner shell member 5 is formed of a rust preventive material. The antirust material is, for example, stainless steel (SUS304 or the like). A processing space R that is a sealed space is formed inside the inner shell member 5. The inner shell member 5 is thinner than the outer shell member 6. Thereby, the quantity of the antirust material required in order to comprise the inner shell member 5 is suppressed. The processing space R is brought into a vacuum state by a vacuum pump (not shown). Further, by opening a sealing valve (not shown), the inside of the processing space R is changed from, for example, a reduced pressure (vacuum) state to an atmospheric pressure atmosphere.

  The outer shell member 6 is disposed so as to surround the inner shell member 5. The outer shell member 6 is made of a non-rust-proof material. The non-rust-proof material is, for example, an inexpensive steel material (SS400, SB, etc.). These inexpensive plate-shaped steel materials constitute the upper wall, the side wall, and the bottom wall of the outer shell member 6. These plate-shaped steel materials are bolted through a sealing member (not shown) to form an outer shell member 6.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 2 a is formed on the side wall of the vacuum chamber 2, and the opening 2 a is closed by a gate valve 8. The opening 2a can be connected to the opening of another vacuum chamber. By opening the gate valve 8, the substrate can be transferred into and out of the processing space R through the opening 2a. The position, shape, number, and the like of the opening 2a are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate.

  A reinforcing member 3 that reinforces the vacuum chamber 2 is provided on the outer surface side of the vacuum chamber 2. The reinforcing member 3 is welded or bolted to the upper wall or side wall of the vacuum chamber 2. The reinforcing member 3 has a rod shape or a plate shape. In addition, the arrangement | positioning position, shape, etc. of the reinforcement member 3 are not specifically limited, For example, you may reinforce the vacuum chamber 2 using the reinforcement member of T shape, H shape, and (DELTA) shape.

  A built-in component (not shown) is arranged inside the vacuum chamber 2. Built-in parts (not shown) are, for example, a transfer robot for transferring a substrate, a heat treatment unit for heat-treating a substrate, and the like, but are not particularly limited as long as they are processing units capable of performing a predetermined process on the substrate. Not. Further, such a processing unit may not be provided in the vacuum chamber 2.

  The vacuum chamber 2 is a large vacuum chamber 2 capable of processing a large substrate, as can be seen from the size of a person shown in FIG. Further, the vacuum chamber 2 may be used by being placed on a support stand or the like (not shown), and can be appropriately changed according to the positional relationship with another processing apparatus, for example.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the region B on the side wall of the vacuum processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 2 and an enlarged view of the inner surface of the side wall of the region B.
The inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 of the vacuum chamber 2 are joined by welding at a plurality of welding locations 7, for example. The plurality of welding locations 7 are provided in a lattice point shape. That is, a plurality of through holes 9 are formed in advance at positions corresponding to the plurality of welding locations 7 of the inner shell member 5, and the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member are formed by the welding material injected into these through holes 9. 6 is welded.

  The thickness of the inner shell member 5 is determined by the air pressure from the outer shell member 6 when the inside of the processing space R is in a vacuum state with air entering between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6. The thickness can prevent the inner shell member 5 from being broken and the inner shell member 5 from being deformed.

  The number of the welding locations 7 (or the pitch between the adjacent welding locations 7) is determined when the processing space R is in a vacuum state with air entering between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6. The number of places (pitch) at which a joining force capable of preventing breakage of the inner shell member 5 from the outer shell member 6 due to the air pressure is obtained.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a detailed configuration of the vacuum processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG.
More specifically, a transfer robot 21 that holds a glass substrate horizontally and carries it in and out through the opening 2a is installed in the vacuum chamber 2 of FIG. Through each opening 2a, a thin film is formed on the glass substrate by a load lock chamber 22 for carrying the glass substrate in and out of the vacuum processing apparatus 1 from inside the vacuum processing apparatus 1, CVD (Chemical vapor deposition) method, sputtering method or the like. Possible deposition chambers 23, 24, 25 are connected.

  When the glass substrate is loaded into the load lock chamber 22, the load lock chamber 22 is evacuated, and then a vacuum valve (not shown) that is installed in one of the openings 2 a and separates the vacuum chamber 2 from the load lock chamber 22 is opened. The glass substrate in the load lock chamber 22 is drawn into the vacuum chamber 2 by the transfer robot 21 in the vacuum chamber 2, and the vacuum valve is closed. Next, a vacuum valve (not shown) that is installed in another opening 2 a and separates the vacuum chamber 2 and the film forming chamber 23 is opened, and the glass substrate is carried into the film forming chamber 23 by the transfer robot 21. When the glass substrate is installed at a substrate installation position (not shown) of the film formation chamber 23, the transfer robot 21 moves out of the film formation chamber 23, the vacuum valve is closed, and film formation in the film formation chamber 23 starts. The glass substrate subjected to film formation may be replaced by the transfer robot 21 from the film formation chamber 23 to another film formation chamber 24, and from the film formation chamber 24 to another film formation chamber 25, where another type of film may be formed. . The processing contents in the film forming chambers 23, 24, and 25, the processing procedure in the film forming process, and the like can be changed as appropriate.

  After completion of all the predetermined film formation, the glass substrate is carried into the vacuum chamber 2 by the transfer robot 21 from the film formation chamber 23, 24 or 25, and is carried from the vacuum chamber 2 into the load lock chamber 22. Finally, when the load lock chamber 22 is returned to atmospheric pressure, the glass substrate is taken out of the vacuum processing apparatus 1.

  In the octagonal vacuum chamber 2 of FIG. 1, the openings 2a are installed on four sides of the octagon, so that a total of four chambers (that is, three film forming chambers and one load lock chamber) can be connected. However, if the shape of the vacuum chamber 2 and the number of openings 2a are changed, the number of load lock chambers and processing chambers that can be connected to the vacuum chamber 2 can be changed accordingly. Thus, the vacuum chamber 2 can be used as a transfer chamber. The vacuum chamber 2 may be used as a processing chamber for performing various processes such as a film forming process on a glass substrate or the like.

(Method for manufacturing vacuum chamber 2)
Next, a method for manufacturing the vacuum chamber 2 will be described.
First, the outer shell member 6 is formed by bolting an inexpensive steel plate made of iron or the like that constitutes the upper wall, side wall, bottom wall and the like of the outer shell member 6 through a sealing member. Thereby, the outer shell member 6 can form a sealed space in the inside thereof by sealing the opening 2 a with the gate valve 8. Next, a plurality of rust-proof stainless steel plates constituting the upper wall, side wall, bottom wall and the like of the inner shell member 5 are arranged so as to correspond to the inner surface of the outer shell member 6 from the inner side of the outer shell member 6. In addition, the stainless steel plate is welded to the outer shell member 6 at each welding spot 7 described above. Subsequently, the edge part of each stainless steel plate which comprises the upper wall, side wall, bottom wall, etc. of the inner shell member 5 is welded. Thereby, the inner shell member 5 in which the processing space R is formed is formed.

(Action etc.)
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the vacuum chamber 2 includes the inner shell member 5 that forms the processing space R inside, and the outer shell member 6 that is disposed so as to surround the inner shell member 5. The shell member 5 is made of a rust-proof material, and the outer shell member 6 is made of an inexpensive steel material or the like. For this reason, by improving the corrosion resistance of the inner shell member 5 on the inner surface side of the vacuum chamber 2 of the large vacuum processing apparatus 1, the generation of particles from the inner shell member 5 is prevented, and the adhesion of particles to the substrate is prevented. To prevent. As a result, the quality of the substrate subjected to the vacuum processing can be improved. In addition, the outer shell member 6 can reduce the cost while securing the strength and can reduce the cost of the vacuum processing apparatus 1.

  In particular, as the vacuum chamber 2 increases in size, the areas of the side wall, the top wall, the bottom wall, and the like of the vacuum chamber 2 increase. For this reason, since the area of the inner surface side surrounding the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2 is increased, the amount of rust-proof material required is increased. However, in this embodiment, since the inner shell member 5 is provided on the inner surface side of the vacuum chamber 2 with a thickness thinner than that of the outer shell member 6, the amount of necessary stainless steel can be suppressed, and the vacuum processing apparatus 1 Significant cost reduction can be achieved.

  The inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 are welded at a plurality of welding points 7. As a result, it is possible to prevent the inner shell member 5 from being broken from the outer shell member 6 due to the pressure of the air that has entered between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6. The thickness of the inner shell member 5 is such that the inner shell member 5 is deformed or damaged by the pressure of the air that has entered between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 under reduced pressure (vacuum) in the processing space R. Since the thickness is not large, it is possible to prevent the inner shell member 5 from being damaged during vacuum processing or the like. As a result, the leakage of the vacuum chamber 2 can be prevented and, for example, the transfer robot, the substrate processing unit, etc. disposed inside the vacuum chamber 2 are damaged by the broken pieces caused by the breakage of the inner shell member 5. Can be prevented.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the following description of the present embodiment, the same components and the like as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof will be omitted, and different points will be mainly described.
(Configuration of vacuum processing equipment)
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged sectional view of a side wall of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention and a partially enlarged view of the inner surface of the side wall.
The vacuum chamber 2 of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 are welded and joined in a lattice shape.

  Specifically, a plurality of lattice-shaped through holes 10 are formed in the inner shell member 5. The plurality of through-holes 10 are each formed in a lattice shape by being divided into positions excluding the region near the lattice point of the first embodiment described above. The inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 are welded at the welding locations 7A and 7B with the welding material injected into the plurality of lattice-shaped through holes 10. That is, the welding locations 7A and 7B are each formed in a lattice shape by being divided into positions other than the vicinity of the lattice points of the first embodiment described above. Specifically, the linear welding points 7A are linearly formed at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction, and similarly, the linear welding points 7B are linear at predetermined intervals in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. It is formed in a shape. Each welding location 7A, 7B is separated from each other. The inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 are welded by, for example, automatic laser welding.

  An interval L2 between the welding locations 7A adjacent in the vertical direction is larger than the width L1 of the welding location 7B. An interval L3 between the welding locations 7B adjacent in the horizontal direction is larger than the width L4 of the welding location 7A. In the present embodiment, the width L1 and the width L4 are substantially the same, and the interval L2 and the interval L3 are substantially the same.

  The number of welding locations 7A and 7B (or the area of the welding location) is determined when the inside of the processing space R is in a vacuum state with air entering between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6. The number of locations at which the strength that can prevent the inner shell member 5 from being broken from the outer shell member 6 due to the air pressure can be obtained.

(Action etc.)
According to such a configuration, since the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 are welded at the plurality of grid-like welded portions 7A and 7B, the welding area is increased and the joint strength is reliably improved. Can do. In addition, since the plurality of welding locations 7A and 7B are formed separately at positions excluding the region near the lattice points, the space between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 is the welding location 7A, 7B can prevent division in a sealed state. As a result, even if the outer shell member 6 is damaged by an external impact or the like and air enters the space between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 from the damaged portion, Air can flow in the space between the shell member 6. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the inner shell member 5 from being damaged due to the internal pressure rising only at a predetermined location.

  Further, the interval L2 between the welding locations 7A adjacent in the vertical direction is larger than the width L1 of the welding locations 7B, and the interval L3 between the welding locations 7B adjacent in the horizontal direction is larger than the width L4 of the welding locations 7A. For this reason, even if air enters the space between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 from the damaged portion as described above, the welded portions 7A and 7B cause the air flow in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. There is no hindrance. For this reason, the flow of the air that has entered between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 can be made smoother, and air does not stay at a specific location. As a result, volume change accompanying local and sudden pressure change can be reduced or dispersed, and damage to the vacuum processing apparatus can be prevented.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described.
(Configuration of vacuum chamber)
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum chamber according to the third embodiment.
The vacuum processing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment includes a vacuum chamber 2A in which a reduced sealed space M is formed between the inner shell member 5A and the outer shell member 6 as compared to the first embodiment. The point is different.

The decompressed sealed space M is formed by being surrounded by the inner shell member 5A and the outer shell member 6, and the inside is decompressed and is in a vacuum state. Specifically, the internal pressure of the reduced sealed space M is, for example, 0.1 atm or less. In FIG. 6, the reduced sealed space M is illustrated in a size different from the actual size so that it can be easily seen (hereinafter, the same applies to FIGS. 7 and 8).
The thickness of the inner shell member 5A is thinner than the thickness of the inner shell member 5 of the first embodiment.

(Action etc.)
According to such a configuration, even when the processing space R inside the inner shell member 5A is in a vacuum state, the decompressed sealed space M is maintained in a vacuum state. The differential pressure from the internal pressure of the sealed space M can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to prevent the inner shell member 5 from being damaged at the plurality of welded portions 7 or the like due to the differential pressure between the reduced pressure in the sealed space M and the processing space R. As a result, the reliability of the vacuum processing apparatus 20 can be improved, and the cost of the vacuum chamber 2A can be reduced. Further, by preventing the inner shell member 5A from being damaged, it is possible to prevent a transfer robot or the like (not shown) provided in the vacuum chamber 2A from being damaged by a damaged piece of the inner shell member 5A. High cost can be prevented.

  Further, since the sealed space M that has been depressurized in advance as described above can be used to prevent the inner shell member 5A from being damaged, the thickness of the inner shell member 5A is set to the inner shell of the first embodiment. The thickness of the member 5 can be made thinner. Therefore, the cost of the vacuum processing apparatus 20 can be further reduced by further reducing the amount of the material of the inner shell member 5A required for manufacturing the vacuum chamber 2A.

[Fourth Embodiment]
(Configuration of vacuum processing equipment)
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
Compared to the third embodiment described above, the vacuum processing apparatus 100 includes a pressure detection sensor 31 (detection means), a vacuum pump 32 (internal pressure control means), a sealing valve 33, a gas supply unit 34 (adjustment means), The difference is that the sealing valve 35 and the pipes 36 and 37 are provided.

  One end of the pipe 36 penetrates the outer shell member 6 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and does not penetrate the inner shell member 5A. The opening 38 at the tip of the pipe 36 faces the sealed space M. The sealed space M and the pipe 36 communicate with each other through the opening 38 so that the gas can flow.

A vacuum pump 32 is connected to the other end of the pipe 36. The vacuum pump 32 sucks the gas in the sealed space M through the pipe 36 to bring the sealed space M into a reduced pressure (vacuum) state.
The pipe 36 is provided with a sealing valve 33 interposed therebetween. The sealing valve 33 is a valve for opening and closing a gas flow path in the pipe 36.

  The pressure detection sensor 31 has a notification function for notifying the operator that the detected pressure value is equal to or greater than a threshold value by detecting the internal pressure of the sealed space M. This threshold is, for example, a pressure that is 50% of the atmospheric pressure. This threshold value is not particularly limited, and can be changed as appropriate. The pressure detection sensor 31 is provided connected to the pipe 36. More specifically, the pressure detection sensor 31 detects the internal pressure of the sealed space M, and determines whether or not the detected pressure value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. Then, when the detected pressure value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the pressure detection sensor 31 notifies the worker by, for example, generating light or sound or turning on an electrical switch.

One end of the pipe 37 passes through the outer shell member 6 and the inner shell member 5A. The opening 39 at the tip of the pipe 37 faces the processing space R as shown in FIG. The processing space R and the pipe 37 communicate with each other through the opening 39 so that the gas can flow. A sealing valve 35 is connected to the other end of the pipe 37. The sealing valve 35 is a valve for opening and closing a gas flow path in the pipe 37.
The gas supply unit 34 supplies gas to the processing space R in the vacuum chamber 2 </ b> A via the pipe 37.

(Vacuum processing operation using the vacuum processing apparatus 100)
Next, a vacuum processing operation for a substrate, which is an object to be processed, using the vacuum processing apparatus 100 will be described.
First, the internal pressure of the sealed space M shown in FIG. 8 is previously reduced to a predetermined pressure. Specifically, the sealing valve 33 is opened, and the internal pressure of the sealed space M is reduced to, for example, 0.1 atm (1 atm = 101.325 Pa) or less by the vacuum pump 32 to make a vacuum state. As a result, the pressure detection sensor 31 detects that the internal pressure of the sealed space M is 0.1 atm or less and notifies the operator.

Next, a vacuum pump (not shown) is driven to bring the inside of the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2A into a vacuum state having a degree of vacuum that is substantially the same as the degree of vacuum of the sealed space M, for example, and then a predetermined vacuum processing is performed on the substrate that is the target object Apply to.
At this time, since the sealed space M is in a vacuum state, even if the inside of the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2 is reduced to a vacuum state, a difference between the internal pressure of the sealed space M and the internal pressure of the processing space R does not substantially occur. .

(Method for preventing damage to inner shell member 5A)
Next, a method for preventing the inner shell member 5A of the vacuum chamber 2A of the vacuum processing apparatus 100 from being damaged will be described.

  As described above, the sealed space M is kept in a reduced pressure (vacuum) state, and the pressure detection sensor 31 detects the internal pressure of the sealed space M. When the pressure detection sensor 31 detects the internal pressure of the sealed space M and determines that the internal pressure of the sealed space M is equal to or greater than a threshold value (0.5 atm), the pressure detection sensor 31 notifies the operator by light, sound, electrical display, or the like. Inform.

  The worker who has received this notification opens the shut-off valve 35, supplies gas from the gas supply unit 34 to the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2A via the pipe 37, and sets the internal pressure of the processing space R to, for example, atmospheric pressure. To rise. This reduces the difference between the internal pressure of the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2A and the internal pressure of the sealed space M, and reduces the force acting on the inner shell member 5 due to the difference between the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber 2A and the internal pressure of the sealed space M. Let

(Action etc.)
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the pressure value detected by the pressure detection sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined threshold value (0.5 atm) due to damage to the outer wall member 6 due to an external factor, the pressure The detection sensor 31 can notify the worker. Thereby, the operator can open the sealing valve 35, supply gas from the gas supply unit 34 to the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2A via the pipe 37, and increase the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber 2A. . Then, the difference between the internal pressure of the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2A and the internal pressure of the sealed space M can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to prevent the inner shell member 5A from being damaged at the welded portion 7 or the like by the internal pressure in the sealed space M when the internal pressure in the sealed space M is increased.

  When the pressure value detected by the pressure detection sensor 31 exceeds a threshold value, the sealing valve 33 is opened, and the gas in the sealed space M is exhausted via the pipe 36 by the vacuum pump 32, thereby closing the sealed space. You may make it reduce the internal pressure of M to a value lower than a threshold value (0.5 atmosphere). Thereby, the difference between the internal pressure of the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2A and the internal pressure of the sealed space M can be reduced. As a result, similarly, the inner shell member 5A can be prevented from being damaged.

  In addition, after the internal pressure of the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2 is set to a vacuum state (for example, 0.1 atm or less), the internal pressure of the sealed space M may gradually increase due to a minute leak of air to the sealed space M. However, since the vacuum processing apparatus 100 of the fourth embodiment includes the pressure detection sensor 31, even if the internal pressure of the sealed space M may gradually increase, the pressure detection sensor 31 may It is possible to detect the internal pressure and prevent the inner shell member 5A from being damaged as described above.

  In addition, you may make it perform operation by the operator mentioned above automatically using a computer. In this case, the vacuum processing apparatus 100 further includes a controller (not shown) that receives the output from the pressure detection sensor 31 and controls the gas supply unit 34, the sealing valves 33 and 35, the vacuum pump 32, and the like.

[Fifth Embodiment]
(Configuration of vacuum processing equipment)
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
The vacuum processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the welding location between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6A of the vacuum chamber 2B.
The outer shell member 6A of the vacuum chamber 2B has a plurality of through-holes 40 formed in a lattice point shape. The lattice point shape in which the through hole 40 is formed is a position corresponding to the welding spot 7 shown in FIG. In addition, the position and shape in which the through-hole 40 was formed are not specifically limited, According to the magnitude | size, thickness, material, etc. of the inner shell member 5, it can change suitably.

  The outer shell member 6A is joined to the inner shell member 5 by welding at a welding point 41. The outer shell member 6A and the inner shell member 5 are welded by an operator from the outside of the outer shell member 6A. More specifically, similarly to the outer shell member 6 described above, the outer shell member 6A is configured using an inexpensive steel material such as iron in which a plurality of through holes 40 are formed. Next, the stainless steel plates serving as the side wall, the upper wall, and the bottom wall of the inner shell member 5 are overlapped and aligned so as to cover the inner surface of the outer shell member 6A. In this state, the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6A are welded by the welding material from the outside of the outer shell member 6A through the plurality of through holes 40.

(Action etc.)
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the outer shell member 6A is formed with a plurality of through holes 40 in the form of lattice points, and the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6A Are joined from the outside of the inner shell member 5. For this reason, as a result of the welding operation between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6A, it is possible to prevent the welding material from entering the inner shell member 5 or providing the welding material on the surface of the inner shell member 5. be able to. As a result, the generation of particles in the processing space R can be reduced. Moreover, since the worker can perform the welding work from the outside of the outer shell member 6A, workability can be improved.

[Sixth Embodiment]
(Configuration of vacuum processing equipment)
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.
The vacuum processing apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment is different from the fourth embodiment in that a vacuum gauge 51 and a detection unit 52 are provided.

  The vacuum gauge 52 detects the internal pressure of the processing space R. The detection unit 52 is configured by a computer, obtains a differential pressure between the pressure value detected by the vacuum gauge 32 and the pressure value detected by the pressure detection sensor 31, and determines whether or not the differential pressure is equal to or greater than a threshold value. to decide. And the detection part 52 alert | reports to a user, when a differential pressure is more than a threshold value. Or the detection part 52 controls the gas supply part 34, the sealing valves 33 and 35, the vacuum pump 32, etc. by predetermined operation | movement. In this case, the detection unit 52 corresponds to the “controller” in the fourth embodiment. The threshold value is, for example, 0.1 atmospheric pressure, but is not limited to this.

(Action etc.)
According to such a configuration, the detection unit 52 compares the pressure value detected by the vacuum gauge 51 with the pressure value detected by the pressure detection sensor 31, and the differential pressure between them is a threshold value (for example, 0.1 atm). Whether it is the above or not can be notified to the user when it is equal to or greater than the threshold. When this notification is given, the user increases the internal pressure of the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2A by the gas supply unit 34, decreases the internal pressure of the sealed space M by the vacuum pump 32, increases the internal pressure of the processing space R, and The internal pressure of the sealed space M can be reduced in parallel. Or the detection part 52 can control the gas supply part 34, the sealing valves 33 and 35, the vacuum pump 32, etc. so that these operation may be performed automatically.

  According to this, the differential pressure between the internal pressure of the processing space R and the internal pressure of the sealed space M can always be kept small. As a result, damage to the inner shell member 5A of the vacuum chamber 2A can be prevented. Further, even when the internal pressure of the processing space R varies greatly between the atmospheric pressure and the vacuum pressure, such as when the vacuum processing apparatus 100 is started up or during maintenance, the internal pressure of the processing space R and the internal pressure of the sealed space M Can be kept small at all times, so that the vacuum chamber 2A can be prevented from being damaged.

In addition, embodiment which concerns on this invention is not limited to embodiment described above, Other various embodiment can be considered.
In each of the above embodiments, for example, the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 are joined by welding. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 may be coupled by bolt fastening. According to such a configuration, the coupling force between the inner shell member 5 and the outer shell member 6 can be easily adjusted by adjusting the fastening force of the bolt, and the bolt of the outer shell member 6 can be adjusted. By making it the same shape as the bolt etc. for connecting an upper wall and a side wall, cost reduction and productivity can be improved.

  In the fourth embodiment, in order to reduce the difference between the internal pressure of the sealed space M and the internal pressure of the processing space R when the pressure value detected by the pressure detection sensor 31 is equal to or greater than a threshold value (0.5 atm). In the above example, the gas supply unit 34 and the vacuum pump 32 are used separately. However, the internal pressure of the processing space R of the vacuum chamber 2 </ b> A may be increased by the gas supply unit 34, and the internal pressure of the sealed space M may be decreased by the vacuum pump 32. Thereby, an internal pressure difference can be reduced more reliably in a shorter time, and damage to the vacuum processing apparatus can be prevented.

  In each of the above embodiments, the substantially octagonal vacuum chamber 2 or the like is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to other polygonal vacuum chambers such as a quadrangular shape. Specifically, the shape of the vacuum chamber can be appropriately changed according to the number of processing apparatuses arranged around the vacuum chamber.

  In the said 4th Embodiment, while the pressure detection sensor 31 detected the internal pressure of the sealed space M, the example which has a function which alert | reports that this internal pressure is more than a threshold value was shown. However, the pressure detection sensor 31 may have only a display function for displaying the detected pressure value of the sealed space M with a meter or the like instead of the notification function. In this case, the cost of the vacuum processing apparatus can be reduced. In this case, after the sealed space M is in a reduced pressure (vacuum) state as described above, the operator may periodically check the internal pressure of the sealed space M detected by the pressure detection sensor. . Thereby, damage etc. of inner shell member 5A of vacuum chamber 2 can be prevented.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 20, 100, 200 ... Vacuum processing apparatus 2, 2, 2A, 2B ... Vacuum chamber, 5, 5A ... Inner shell member, 6, 6A ... Outer shell member, 7, 7A, 7B, 71 ... Welding location, 9, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 40 ... Through-hole, 31 ... Pressure detection sensor, 32 ... Vacuum pump, 33, 35 ... Sealing valve, 34 ... Gas supply part, 36, 37 ... Piping, 51 ... Vacuum gauge, 52 ... Detection part

Claims (8)

An inner shell member that is formed of a metal material having rust prevention properties and that forms a processing space in which a vacuum treatment is performed on the object to be processed;
A vacuum chamber comprising: an outer shell member surrounding the inner shell member. The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein
The outer shell member is made of a metal material different from the inner shell member,
The inner shell member and the outer shell member are connected to each other by welding. A vacuum chamber according to claim 2,
The inner shell member and the outer shell member are welded to the inner shell member or the outer shell member via a plurality of welding through-holes provided in a lattice dot shape or a lattice shape. A vacuum chamber according to claim 3,
A vacuum chamber in which a reduced pressure sealed space is formed between the inner shell member and the outer shell member. A vacuum chamber according to claim 4,
An internal pressure control means for controlling the internal pressure of the vacuum sealed space;
Detecting means for detecting that the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space is equal to or higher than a threshold;
A vacuum chamber further comprising adjusting means for adjusting the internal pressure of the processing space. A vacuum chamber according to claim 4,
An internal pressure control means for controlling the internal pressure of the vacuum sealed space;
Detecting means for detecting that the differential pressure between the internal pressure of the reduced pressure sealed space and the internal pressure of the processing space is equal to or greater than a threshold;
A vacuum chamber further comprising adjusting means for adjusting the internal pressure of the processing space. A vacuum chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a processing unit that is provided in the vacuum chamber and performs processing on the object to be processed. Form the outer shell member so that a space is formed inside,
A metal member having rust prevention properties is connected to each inner surface of the outer shell member so as to cover the inner surface of the outer shell member, and the metal members are joined to each other, thereby performing vacuum processing on the object to be processed. A vacuum chamber manufacturing method for forming an inner shell member having a processing space formed therein.

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