JP2002110548A - Method for attaching or detaching reaction furnace chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for attaching or detaching a reaction furnace chamber by which a quartz chamber can be surely replaced with good operability even by a small number of persons in a short time. SOLUTION: The method for attaching or detaching the reaction furnace chamber having the quartz chamber 4 in a bell-jar, pedestals 15 and 17 freely movable and vertically movable in a horizontal plane, and at least two guide shafts 44 stood on the pedestals comprises the steps of contacting the shafts with outer periphery of the flange of the bell-jar, centering a truck and the bell-jar by horizontal movements of the pedestals, and attaching or detaching the quartz chamber and the bell-jar by the vertical movement of the pedestals in a state that the centering is executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for attaching and detaching a reactor of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, for example, a chamber of a reactor of a batch type epitaxial growth apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a reaction furnace of a batch type epitaxial growth apparatus, a reaction chamber made of quartz is provided inside a bell jar made of a heat-resistant alloy such as SUS, and the inside of the reaction chamber is maintained under a reduced pressure in a high-temperature atmosphere to react gas. To form a thin-film crystal film on a substrate such as a wafer.

[0003] Since a reaction product is deposited on the inner wall surface of the reaction chamber during the epitaxial growth step, the reaction chamber needs to be removed and cleaned at an appropriate time.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, a conventional method of attaching and detaching a reaction chamber will be described.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing of an epitaxial growth apparatus, and a reactor 2 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 1.

As described above, the reaction chamber 2 has the quartz chamber 4 provided inside the bell jar 3, and the quartz chamber 4 is attached to the bell jar 3 by the quartz support 5.

The removal of the quartz chamber 4 is performed by a suspension beam 6 provided in advance in the housing 1 as a device for attaching and detaching a reactor. The suspension beam 6 is rotatable about a vertical axis and can be raised and lowered by hydraulic pressure.

[0008] A bolt (not shown) fixing the bell jar 3 to the housing 1 is removed.
The bell jar 3 is lifted. The suspension beam 6 is rotated to move the bell jar 3 to the side of the housing 1. There is no obstacle below the bell jar 3, and it becomes a work space.

While a plurality of workers support the quartz chamber 4, another worker removes the quartz support 5 and separates the quartz chamber 4 from the bell jar 3. The quartz chamber 4 is lowered, placed on a trolley or the like, and moved to a required position.

The operation of mounting the quartz chamber 4 is the reverse of the above-described operation. The bell jar 3 is suspended above the working space by the hanging beam 6, and the quartz chamber 4 is transported to the working space by a cart. The quartz chamber 4 is lifted by a plurality of persons, and another worker attaches the quartz chamber 4 to the bell jar 3 with the quartz support 5. After that, the suspension beam 6 is rotated to move the bell jar 3 to the mounting position of the housing 1.

[0011]

As described above, due to the weight and size of the quartz chamber 4, the quartz chamber 4 needs to be supported by a plurality of persons, at least three workers. Including the detaching worker, four workers are required. Further, the attaching / detaching work is a joint work of a plurality of persons, and the workability is extremely poor and time-consuming. Further, in recent years, the diameter of the wafer has been increased, and the quartz chamber 4 has also been increased in size. Therefore, if the balance of the support of the worker is poor, there is a possibility that the work is broken, and the burden on the worker is heavy.

Some of the bell jars 3 have an inner surface plated with gold, and the gap between the bell jars 3 and the quartz chamber 4 is small. When the quartz chamber 4 is inserted into the bell jar 3, The quartz chamber 4 and the bell jar 3
May be rubbed, and in this case, the gold plating may be peeled off, so that careful attachment and detachment work is required, and there is a problem in terms of workability and burden on the operator.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of attaching and detaching a reaction chamber, which enables a small number of people to easily exchange a quartz chamber with good workability and in a short time.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of attaching and detaching a reactor chamber having a quartz chamber inside a bell jar, wherein the pedestal is movable in a horizontal plane in any direction and is capable of moving up and down. And at least two guide shafts erected on the base, the guide shafts are brought into contact with the outer periphery of the flange of the bell jar, and the bogie and the bell jar are centered by horizontal movement of the pedestal. The present invention relates to a method for attaching and detaching a reaction chamber in which a quartz chamber and a bell jar are attached and detached by raising and lowering the pedestal in a state.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, the replacement of the quartz chamber 4 is performed by using the exchange cart 10 and the temporary support 11 for the quartz chamber.

First, the exchange trolley 10 will be described.

The traveling pedestal 14 is freely movable by a caster 13, and an elevating pedestal 15 is supported on the traveling pedestal 14 via an elevating guide 12. The elevating pedestal 15 is provided with a required elevating means (for example, a screw). The rod is raised and lowered by rotating the rod by a motor or by hand, or by a hydraulic cylinder such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder (not shown).

A free roller 16 is mounted on the lift base 15.
The horizontal moving seat 17 is provided so as to be freely movable in an arbitrary direction through the intermediary of the lift base 15 and the horizontal moving seat 17 are connected by a connecting unit 18.

The connecting unit 18 will be described with reference to FIG.

A connecting shaft 19 penetrating from below is provided at the center of the elevating pedestal 15, and the upper end of the connecting shaft 19 is in contact with the lower surface of the bottom plate 21 of the horizontal moving seat 17. A slide plate 22 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate 21, and connection bolts 23 are passed through the slide plate 22, the bottom plate 21 and the connection shaft 19 to connect the slide plate 22 and the connection shaft 19.

The bottom plate 21 is sandwiched between the connecting shaft 19 and the slide plate 22, and the bottom plate 21 is freely slidable with respect to the connecting shaft 19 and the slide plate 22. The connection bolt 23 is connected to the bottom plate 21.
The hole 24 through which the horizontal moving seat 17 has a size corresponding to the relative movement amount required for the lifting pedestal 15.

A rotary seat 26 is rotatably provided on the horizontal moving seat 17 via a free roller 25.

As shown in FIG. 4, a rotary shaft 27 penetrates the center of the rotary seat 26 from above, and a lower end thereof is fitted to a bearing 28 provided on an upper plate of the horizontal moving seat 17. The rotating seat 26 and the horizontal moving seat 17 are rotatably connected to each other.

The horizontal moving seat 17 and the rotary seat 26 can be fixed by a rotary clamp 29, and the horizontal moving seat 17 and the elevating pedestal 15 are fixed to a horizontal clamp 31.
Can be fixed.

This will be described with reference to FIG.

A clamp block 32 is fixed to the lower surface of the end of the rotary seat 26, and a clamp bearing 34 is fitted to the clamp block 32. A clamp shaft 35 is provided on the clamp bearing 34 so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction. The clamp shaft 35 is urged by a spring 36 so as to protrude toward the horizontal moving seat 17. The clamp block 32 is provided with a rotating lever 33 extending in the horizontal direction.

An L bracket 37 whose vertical surface faces the clamp block 32 is fixed to the horizontal moving seat 17, and the clamp shaft 3 is mounted on a vertical surface of the L bracket 37.
A clamp plate 38 to which 5 can be fitted is fixed.

A holder plate 39 is fixed to the lower surface of the end of the elevating pedestal 15, and a clamp seat 41 is fixed to the lower surface of the horizontal moving seat 17 so as to face the clamp shaft 35. A clamp bolt 42 is threaded through the holder plate 39, and the upper end of the clamp bolt 42 can contact the clamp seat 41. A horizontal adjustment handle 43 is attached to an end face of the horizontal moving seat 17.

The horizontal moving seat 17 has a rectangular shape, its longitudinal end protrudes from the rotating seat 26, and guide shafts 44 are provided upright at four protruding corners. The guide shaft 44 can be moved up and down, and the upper end of the guide shaft 44 serves as a bell jar positioning portion 44a, which can contact the outer periphery of the flange portion 3a of the bell jar 3, and the upper end of the bell jar positioning portion 44a. The portion is tapered.

The rotary seat 26 has a shape in which four corners protrude, and a concave portion 26a is formed on two opposing sides. The four protruding corners of the rotary seat 26 are positioned so as not to interfere with the quartz support 5. The quartz chamber receivers 45 are fixed at four places on the same circumference at the four corners. The quartz chamber receiver 45 is made of a synthetic resin such as a fluorinated resin, and has a tapered portion 45a as shown in FIG. 3, and has a self-aligning function when the quartz chamber 4 is mounted on the quartz chamber receiver 45. Has a function.

A push handle 46 is provided on one end of the traveling base 14, and a docking unit 47 is provided on the other end.

The docking unit 47 will be described with reference to FIG.

A frame support member 48 is fixed to the other end surface of the traveling pedestal 14, and a docking frame 49 is rotatably attached to a lower end of the frame support member 48. The docking frame 49 is fixed to the frame support member 48 in a vertical posture and a horizontal posture, is in a stored state in a vertical posture, and is in a state where it can be docked with the housing 1 in a horizontal posture.

At the end of the frame support member 49, a docking pin 50 is provided which projects horizontally in a docked state.

A docking block 51 is provided at a lower portion of the housing 1, and the docking pin 50 can be fitted to the docking block 51.

The quartz chamber temporary support 11 will be described with reference to FIGS.

The mounting bracket 52 has two upper and lower recesses 53,5.
The flange portion 3a of the bell jar 3 can be fitted into the upper concave portion 53, and the quartz chamber receiving beam 57 can be fitted into the lower concave portion 54. A screw hole 55 for attaching and detaching a support is formed at a position of the flange portion 3a deviated from a position where the quartz support 5 is mounted. When the flange portion 3a is fitted, the retaining screw 56 prevents the flange portion 3a from being fitted. 3a and the mounting bracket 52 are fixed.

The quartz chamber receiving beam 57 fitted in the lower concave portion 54 is fixed to the mounting bracket 52 by a retaining screw 58, and a vertically extending lifting screw 59 is provided at the tip of the quartz chamber receiving beam 57. Screw through. A quartz chamber support 61 is rotatably fitted to the upper end of the lifting screw 59, and a receiving block 62 made of a synthetic resin such as a fluorinated resin is fixed to the quartz chamber support 61, and is attached to the receiving block 62. A receiving groove 62a on which the quartz chamber 4 is placed is formed.

A pair of guide plates 63, 63 are fixed to the lower surface of the quartz chamber support 61 so as to extend downward, and the guide plates 63, 63 slidably hold the quartz chamber receiving beam 57. . The lower ends of the guide plates 63, 63 are connected by a block 64, and the lifting screw 59 is rotatably passed through.

The operation will be described below.

The exchange trolley 10 is moved to the vicinity of the housing 1 via the push handle 46. The guide shaft 44 is lowered.

The docking frame 49 is set in a horizontal state, and the docking pin 50 is fitted to the docking block 51. With the docking pin 50 completely fitted to the docking block 51, the exchange carriage 10 is set correctly at the exchange position of the quartz chamber 4.

The bell jar 3 is lifted by the hanging beam 6 together with the quartz chamber 4, and the hanging beam 6 is
, And is positioned on the exchange carriage 10.

With the quartz chamber support 61 of the quartz chamber temporary support 11 lowered, the mounting bracket 52 is fixed to the flange portion 3a by a retaining screw 56.

The lifting screw 59 is turned. Since the quartz chamber receiving beam 57 is fixed, the quartz chamber support 61, the guide plate 63, and the lifting screw 59 are integrally raised. The guide plate 6
Reference numeral 3 functions not only as a guide when ascending and descending, but also as a detent.

The receiving block 62 rises and comes into contact with the lower end of the quartz chamber 4. Thereafter, the lifting screw 59 is further rotated to slightly lift the quartz chamber 4 from the quartz support 5. In this state, the quartz support 5 is removed. The quartz chamber 4 and the bell jar 3
Is completed. The quartz chamber 4 is mounted on the bell jar 3 via the quartz chamber temporary support 11.

The rotary clamp 29 and the horizontal clamp 31
Are released, so that the rotary seat 26 is freely rotatable and the horizontal moving seat 17 is horizontally movable in any direction. The guide shaft 44 is raised, and the bell jar 3 is lowered.

When the bell jar 3 descends, the flange portion 3a comes into contact with the bell jar positioning portion 44a, and the guide shaft 44 is rotatable and movable. As a result, the bell jar 3 moves, and the self-aligning action is exhibited. The lowering operation of the bell jar 3 completes the alignment of the bell jar 3 with the exchange trolley 10 at the same time. When the alignment is completed, the rotary seat 26 is rotated by holding the rotary lever 33, and the quartz chamber 4 and the bell jar 3 are aligned in the rotational direction.

The lifting base 1 is moved by lifting means (not shown).
5 is raised to bring the quartz chamber receiver 45 into contact with the lower end of the quartz chamber 4.

By turning the lifting screw 59, the quartz chamber support 61 is lowered, and the quartz chamber 4 is completely placed on the quartz chamber receiver 45. When the separation of the quartz chamber 4 and the quartz chamber temporary support 11 is completed, the screwing between the retaining screw 56 and the flange 3a is released, and the quartz chamber temporary support 11 is removed.

The rotating seat 26 is lowered via the lifting base 15 by lifting means (not shown). Further, the bell jar 3 is raised by the suspension beam 6.

The guide shaft 44 is lowered, the clamp shaft 35 is fitted to the clamp plate 38, the rotation of the rotary seat 26 is locked, and the clamp bolt 42 is pressed against the clamp seat 41 to The horizontal movement of the horizontal movement seat 17 is locked.

The engagement between the docking pin 50 and the docking block 51 is released, and the docking frame 49 is rotated upward, stored, and locked.

The exchange cart 10 becomes movable, and moves to transport the quartz chamber 4 to a predetermined place.

The mounting of the quartz chamber 4 is performed by reversing the above-described removal procedure.

In the above embodiment, four guide shafts 44 are used. However, the rotation of the rotary seat 26 is utilized, and two guide shafts 44 are used to rotate the rotary seat 26.
The position may be adjusted while rotating. Further, if the rotating body of the free roller is a sphere as in the present embodiment, it can be moved in any direction, so that the rotating seat 26 can be omitted. Incidentally, it is of course possible to use a cylindrical roller for the rotating body.

[0058]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a pedestal movable in a horizontal plane in any direction and capable of moving up and down, and at least two guide shafts erected on the pedestal. The shaft is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the flange of the bell jar, the pedestal is horizontally moved, the bogie and the bell jar are aligned, and the pedestal is moved up and down with the center aligned, and the quartz chamber and the bell jar are attached and detached. Therefore, it is not necessary to manually hold and align the quartz chamber, the number of workers is small, workability is improved, and more accurate alignment is possible, so that the inner surface treatment of the bell jar is damaged. It has excellent effects such as disappearance.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an exchange trolley used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the front exchange carrier.

FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrows CC in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion B in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a docking unit of the exchange cart.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a quartz chamber temporary support used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the quartz chamber temporary support device.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the quartz chamber temporary support in the same embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional method of attaching and detaching a reaction chamber.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a bell jar and a quartz chamber in a reactor chamber.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 housing 2 reaction furnace 3 bell jar 4 quartz chamber 5 quartz support 10 exchange trolley 11 quartz chamber temporary support tool 14 running pedestal 15 elevating pedestal 16 free roller 17 horizontal moving seat 26 rotary seat 29 rotary clamp 31 horizontal clamp 44 guide shaft 47 docking Unit 52 Mounting bracket 59 Lifting screw 61 Quartz chamber support

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a method for attaching and detaching a reactor chamber having a quartz chamber inside a bell jar, a pedestal movable in a horizontal plane in a free direction and capable of moving up and down, and at least two erected standing pedestals on the pedestal The guide shaft is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the flange of the bell jar, and the trolley and the bell jar are aligned by horizontal movement of the pedestal. A method for attaching and detaching a reactor chamber, comprising attaching and detaching a chamber and a bell jar.