JP2003051474A - High-pressure processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact high-pressure processing apparatus that loads or unloads an object to be treated to and from a treatment chamber easily, and has superior safety and productivity and small installation space. SOLUTION: An opening 9, used as the entrance of an object 8 to be treated, is formed in the surface direction in a pressure vessel 7 having a treatment chamber 4, and a lid member 10 for blocking the opening 9 is pushed by a pushing apparatus 15.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a high-pressure processing apparatus, and more specifically, to a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) processing, a high-pressure gas oxidation / nitriding processing, or a fluid in a supercritical state. The present invention relates to a high-pressure gas treatment device for performing treatments such as cleaning, that is, a heating / pressurizing treatment device used when an object to be treated is solid and is subjected to batch treatment. In particular, the present invention relates to a high-pressure processing apparatus for processing plate-shaped objects such as Si wafers one by one in a short cycle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A large amount of various chemical substances and pure water have been conventionally used in the process of cleaning semiconductors and the like, but in view of increasing environmental problems, harmless, nonflammable and inexpensive supercritical carbon dioxide gas has been used. Supercritical cleaning technology used for the base is expected. In addition, supercritical fluid has excellent permeability to fine pores,
Moreover, by utilizing supercriticality, capillary-free drying without gas-liquid interface is possible. Due to these features, supercritical technology is expected as a new cleaning and drying technology that can cope with the miniaturization of devices and breaks the barrier of the conventional technology.

On the other hand, the supercritical technology is used in the industry for applications such as extraction of specific substances, but in order to use this technology in the semiconductor field, the following new requirements are required. . 1); An extremely clean atmosphere is essential.
Submicron dust particles that are not a problem in the general industry are a problem. Normally, the number of dust particles of 0.2 μ or more allowed on a wafer with a diameter of 200 mm is 20 to 3
It is 0 or less. 2); Since it is used in a clean room where maintenance costs are high, it is required to minimize the installation area.

For this reason, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-340540, a "supercritical drying device" is proposed (conventional example 1). Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-347502 proposes a "substrate cleaning device" (conventional example 2). Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-17333, "a cleaning method and a cleaning system for a substrate using a supercritical gas" is proposed (conventional example 3).

[0005]

In the conventional example 1, the opening can be made small in order to take in and out the wafer as the object to be processed in the plane direction. However, since the holder for holding the object to be processed is integrated with the lid, the object to be processed needs to be completely pulled out from the pressure vessel in the horizontal direction.
There is a problem in that the stroke for inserting and removing the object to be processed becomes large, and the device must be upsized.
In order to effectively use the space in an expensive clean room, it is extremely important to reduce the device size.

Further, in the structure according to the conventional example 1, since the stroke is large, the time required for the opening / closing operation is long, the productivity is lowered, the number of occasions of particle generation is increased, and the waiting state is completely taken out from the pressure vessel. Therefore, the chance of being polluted by contaminants in the atmosphere increases. Furthermore, during high-pressure processing, it is preferable to rotate the object to be processed in the processing chamber in order to improve uniformity and productivity. However, in this structure, the holding part for holding the object is integrated with the lid. Therefore, it is substantially impossible to provide a rotation mechanism for the object to be processed.

In the conventional example 2, since a lid member for opening and closing the board insertion opening is provided inside the tubular main body and the lid member is opened and closed by a hinge operation inside, the lid member is not provided. A space is required for the hinge operation, which results in the problem of particles and the size of the device. Further, also in the conventional example 3, the lid member needs to be moved in the processing chamber, so that the same problem of particles as in the conventional example 2 and the increase in size of the apparatus become problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure processing apparatus in which an object to be processed can be easily put in and taken out of the processing chamber, has high stability, productivity, and maintainability, is compact, and has a small installation area.

[0008]

The present invention takes the following technical means in order to achieve the above-mentioned object in a high-pressure processing apparatus having a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed therein. . That is, according to the present invention, a pressure container having an opening for inserting and removing the object to be processed into and out of the processing chamber along the surface direction, a lid member for opening and closing the opening, and the lid member closing the opening. And a pressing device that presses the lid member against the pressure container so that the lid member and the pressing device are substantially orthogonal to a surface direction in which a surface direction in which the object to be processed is taken in and out and a surface direction are substantially orthogonal to each other. It is provided so as to be movable in any direction (claim 1).

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a pressure container having an opening for inserting and removing the object to be processed into and out of the processing chamber in a horizontal direction along the surface direction, and a lid member for opening and closing the opening.
A pressing device that presses the lid member against the pressure container so as to close the opening with the lid member, and the lid member and the pressing device are provided so as to be vertically movable. (Claim 2). Further, according to the present invention, a pressure vessel having an opening for loading and unloading an object to be processed into and from a processing chamber, a lid member for opening and closing the opening, and a linear movement of the lid member to open and close the opening. A lid drive member, and the lid drive member is provided outside the pressure vessel (claim 3).

Further, in the above-mentioned claims 1 to 3, it is recommended that a means for carrying the object to be processed into and out of the processing chamber through the opening is provided (claim 4). Further, in any one of claims 1 to 4 described above, it is recommended that the lid member be separated from the pressure container when the pressing by the pressing device is released (claim 5). Further, in any one of the above-described claims 1 to 5, it is recommended that the lid member and the pressing device are arranged with the pressure vessel interposed therebetween (claim 6).

Further, in any one of the above-mentioned claims 1 to 4, the lid member, the pressing device, and the pressure vessel have claw-shaped projections, and a substantially ring-shaped frame is arranged so as to surround these projections. It is recommended (Claim 7). Further, in the above-mentioned claim 7, the frame is fixed to the pressure vessel, the lid member is movable in the frame of the frame, and the object to be processed can be taken out with the lid member in the frame of the frame. Is recommended (Claim 8). Further, in the above-mentioned claim 7 or 8, it is recommended that the lid member is separated from the pressure vessel and the frame when the pressing by the pressing device is released (claim 9).

Further, in the above-mentioned claim 3, it is recommended that the contact surface portion between the inner surface of the pressure vessel and the contact surface of the lid member is tapered in the opening / closing operation direction of the lid member ( Claim 10). Further, the above-mentioned claims 1 to 10
In claim 1, it is desirable that the pressure container is provided with a temperature adjusting means (claim 11), and in claims 1 to 11, a rotating body for rotating the object to be processed in the processing chamber is provided. Is recommended (claim 12), and further, in claims 1 to 12, it is recommended that a stirring body for stirring the fluid in the processing chamber is provided in the processing chamber (claim 13).

It should be noted that it is possible to provide only one transfer means for transferring the object to be processed in the core chamber in the above description, and to provide an apparatus including the above-described high pressure processing container in a radial arrangement around the core chamber.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In the high-pressure processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, a processing chamber 4 is formed inside by fitting (inlay fitting) the facing surfaces of an upper container body (or a lid) 2 and a lower container body 3. The upper and lower container bodies 2,
3 is fastened by a plurality of bolts 5, the fitting portion is fastened by a face seal 5, and the fitting portion is provided with a face seal 6, in which a pressure having a processing chamber 4 inside is provided. The container 7 is configured.

The pressure vessel 7 may have an integral structure, and other known fastening means (screw, bayonet, etc.) may be used in place of the bolt 5. The pressure vessel 7 has an opening 9 for inserting and removing the object 8 to be processed into and from the processing chamber 4, and in the illustrated example, the object 8 is shown to be inserted and removed in a substantially horizontal direction. However, it is not limited to the horizontal loading / unloading, and may be vertical loading or diagonal loading / unloading. The point is that the object 8 to be processed is a plate-like object such as a semiconductor substrate, Any opening 9 that can be taken in and out of the processing chamber 4 along (parallel to) the plane direction of the body 8 (both plate surface directions) may be used.

A lid member 10 for opening and closing the opening 9 is arranged outside the pressure vessel 7, and a seal (high pressure seal) 11 is provided on a contact surface between the lid member 10 and the pressure vessel 7. There is. The seal 11 prevents the processing medium (for example, a supercritical fluid such as CO ₂ ) from leaking from the opening (inlet / outlet) 9, and has a seal groove in either or both of the pressure vessel 7 and the lid member 10. It is formed and fitted in this seal groove, and a seal with a lip, an O-ring or the like can be adopted. The lid member 10 is attached (fixed) to the first platen 12 or integrally formed with the first platen 12 via a step portion, and the first platen 12 and the second platen 13 face each other with the pressure vessel 7 interposed therebetween. The first platen 12 and the second platen 13 are connected to each other by columns 14 arranged in front of and behind the pressure vessel 7 to form a frame structure in a plan view.

A pressing device 15 is provided between the second platen 13 and the pressure vessel 7, and the second platen 13 has a column 15
Since it is connected to the first platen 12 having the lid member 10 via, the pressing force is applied to the pressure vessel 7 so as to close the opening 9 when the pressing device 15 is extended. The lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 that presses the lid member 10 against the pressure container 7 so as to close the opening 9 are arranged with the pressure container 7 interposed therebetween. Pressing device 1
5 can be constituted by a fluid type telescopic cylinder, a screw feed body by a screw shaft or the like which is normally and reversely rotated around a shaft center by a motor or the like, and the pressing device 15 is constituted by the second platen 13
Is interposed between the pressure vessel 7 and the pressure vessel 7 and is not fixed to both surfaces (may be fixed to one side).

The second platen (pressing device base) 13 is connected to a mount 17 via a guide 16, and the guide 16 is constituted by a rail and a bush sliding on the rail or a rolling wheel (roller or the like). It is configured. Guide 1
6 guides when the lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 are moved through the second platen 13, the column 14, and the first platen 12 in a direction substantially along the surface direction. This movement in the surface direction is performed by the contraction operation of the pressing device 15, and this movement distance is sufficient if the lid member 10 moves between the contact position (the state in which the opening 9 is closed) and the separation position. Since the moving distance may be such that the lid member 10 is physically separated from the pressure vessel 7, a short distance, for example, about 0.5 mm may be sufficient, and at most about 10 mm at the longest is sufficient.
The movement along 6 is the same.

As described above, the lid member 10 is separated from the pressure vessel 7 when the pressing by the pressing device 15 is released. The short moving distance in this way means that the installation area of the device is small. In addition, the time can be shortened and the factors that generate particles can be reduced. Stand 1
7 is provided so as to be movable in a direction (vertical direction in the embodiment) substantially orthogonal to the above-mentioned surface direction (horizontal direction in the embodiment), and the second platen 13 is mounted on this pedestal 17 via a guide 16. Since they are connected, the lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 are moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plane direction by the movement of the gantry 17.

As described above, the lid member 10 is the pressure vessel 7.
In the separated position (released state of the pressing device 15), the gantry 17 is moved up and down in the embodiment by a cylinder, screw feed, etc., and is moved from the opening 9 to a retracted position where the object 8 to be processed can be taken in and out. In this way, when the pressing by the pressing device 15 is released, the lid member 10 and the pressure vessel 7 are separated from each other, and no special drive device such as a motor or a cylinder is required. Therefore, the lid member 10 is saved. To move to the position, the pressing device 15 releases the pressing and the gantry 1
It is sufficient to perform a two-step operation of moving in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface direction of 7, and it is possible to reduce the number of driving devices and the number of steps.

In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pressing device 15 may press the lid member 10 so as to close the opening 9. It can also be placed one above the other. 3 to 5
Shows a second embodiment of the high-pressure processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, and since the basic configuration and operation are the same as those of the above-described first embodiment, common parts are indicated by common symbols. That is, a pressure vessel 7 having an opening 9 for inserting and removing the object 8 to be processed into and out of the processing chamber 4 along the surface direction, a lid member 10 for opening and closing the opening 9, and the opening by the lid member 10. And a pressing device 15 for pressing the lid member 10 against the pressure container 7 so as to close the portion 9, and the lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 are substantially along the surface direction in which the object 8 is taken in and out. It is provided so as to be movable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction and the surface direction.

Hereinafter, the first described above with reference to FIGS.
Differences from the embodiment will be described. The pressure container 7 defines a processing chamber 4 inside by fitting lids 7B and 7C above and below the container body 7A and fastening them with bolts 5, and the container body 7A and the upper and lower lids 7B and 7C. A face seal 6 is interposed in the fitting portion of the container, and an opening 9 is formed in the container body 7A for inserting and removing the object 8 to be processed in the processing chamber 4 in the horizontal direction along the surface direction.

The pressure vessel 7 may be an integral type as in the first embodiment described above, and the fastening means when the split type is used as shown in the drawing may be something other than a bolt. It is also possible to form the opening 9 in a vertical direction or an oblique direction. Lid member 1 for closing the opening 9
0 is arranged outside the container body 7A, and seals 11 are provided above and below the opening 9 on the contact surface with the body 7A. The pressing device 15 for pressing the lid member 10 against the pressure container 7 so as to close the opening 9 with the lid member 10 forms a plurality of cylinder chambers 15B on the base portion 15A and fits into the cylinder chamber 15B. When a fluid pressure is applied to the cylinder chamber 15B, a pressing force can be applied to the lid member 10 via the piston 15C and the pressing is released (cylinder chamber 1).
When the supply of the fluid pressure to 5B is released), the lid member 10
Are separated from the pressure vessel 7.

Therefore, the base portion 15 of the pressing device 15 is
A is connected to the pedestal 17 via the guide 16,
The lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 can be moved in the plane direction (horizontal direction) via the guide 16 and can also be moved in a direction orthogonal to the plane direction (vertical direction) by the elevating operation of the gantry 17. Claw-shaped projections 18 are provided in front of and behind the pressure vessel 7 and in front of and behind the pressing device 15 (substantially before and after the base 15A).
A and 18B are formed, and the protrusions 18A and 18B are formed.
A substantially ring-shaped frame 19 is arranged so as to surround the above, and the projection 18A,
18B is engaged.

Since it suffices that the frame 19 can bear the pressing force of the pressing device 15, the engaging window 19A may have the facing surface portions 19B and 19C. Therefore, the shape of the frame 19 is U-shaped (inverted U-shaped). May be included). The claw-shaped protrusion 18B may be formed by projecting it forward and backward of the lid member 10, and the protrusion 18A is fixed to the pressure vessel 7 (the pressure vessel 7 and the engagement window 19).
The frame 19 having A may be integrated). That is, the lid member 10 can be moved within the frame of the frame 19 (range of the engagement window 19A), and the object 8 can be taken out with the lid member 10 present (present) in the frame 19. Anything (free to put in and take out) will do.

Specifically, when the pressing force of the pressing device 15 is released, the lid member 10 is physically separated from the pressure vessel 7 and moves in the planar direction along the guide 16, and thereafter, the lifting / lowering operation of the gantry 17 is performed. By moving the lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 in the direction (downward) substantially orthogonal to the surface direction through the opening, the object 8 to be processed can be taken in and out through the opening 9. When the lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 are moved downward, the protrusions 18A and 18B are provided with the facing surface portions 19B,
As described above, the movement of the lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 in the plane direction and the direction orthogonal to the plane direction is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above. Distance), the installation area of the device can be reduced and the process can be shortened. In particular, the lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 are made to stand by in the vertical direction (downward) immediately after the pressing force is released (pressing release). It is possible to contribute to the shortening of the process.

6 to 13 show a third embodiment of the high pressure processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. Since the basic structure and operation are the same as those of the above-described first and second embodiments, common parts are shown. Are referred to by a common code. That is, the pressure vessel 7 having an opening 9 for putting the object 8 into and out of the processing chamber 4, a lid member 10 for opening and closing the opening 9, and a linear movement of the lid member 10 to linearly move the opening 9 And a lid drive member 18 that opens and closes. The lid drive member 18 is provided outside the pressure vessel 7.

The lid driving member 18 is provided with a pressing device 15 for pressing the lid member 10 against the pressure vessel 7 so as to close the opening 9. Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 6 to 11, the pressure vessel 7 includes a vessel body 7A and an upper lid 7B, and the processing chamber 4 is defined therein by fastening with a bolt or the like not shown. A face seal 6 is interposed between the upper lid 7B and the container body 7A. Container body 7
In A, an opening 9 for inserting and removing the object 8 to be processed into and from the processing chamber 4 is formed in a horizontal direction, and the opening 9 can be opened and closed by a lid member 10 having a seal 11 above and below the opening 9.

The lid member 10 has a plurality of pistons 10A. The pistons 10A are fitted in a cylinder 12A formed on a platen 12, and the pistons 10A and the cylinders 12A.
And constitute a pressing device 15. Guide rods 20A are fixed in the front and rear of the pressure vessel 7 in the vertical direction, and a bearing cylinder 20 is slidably fitted to each of the guide rods 20A. A connecting shaft 21 is provided in the horizontal direction in front of and behind the platen 12, and the connecting shaft 21 is fixed to the bearing cylinder 20 so that a lid driving body 18 including the lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 is lifted (not shown). Guide bar 20A by means (expansion cylinder, feed screw, etc.)
You can move up and down along.

As shown in FIG. 8, temperature adjusting means 2 having heat medium jackets 22A and 23A above and below the processing chamber 4 is provided.
2, 23 are provided, and the heat medium jackets 22A, 2
By circulating a heat medium of a controlled temperature from a heat source (not shown) in 3A, the processing body 4 can be operated at a predetermined temperature, for example, a temperature range of 40 to 100 ° C. As shown in FIG. 6, a conveying means 24 is provided corresponding to the opening (entrance / exit of the object to be processed) 9 formed in the pressure vessel 7, and the conveying means 24 is provided with the object 8 to be processed according to the instructed control signal. Can be taken out from the processing chamber 4 through the opening 9 and can be conveyed at a high speed to a predetermined place such as a cassette.

On the contrary, the object 8 to be processed can be taken out from the place where the object to be processed such as a cassette is placed and conveyed to the processing chamber 4. Referring to FIG. 19, an example of the transporting means 24 is shown, in which an output shaft 24B of a rotary motor 24A is provided with a telescopic cylinder 24C in the horizontal direction, a rod of the cylinder 24C is provided with a fork-shaped hand portion 24D, and this hand portion is provided. The object 8 can be conveyed horizontally to the tray 24D via the tray 24E. Referring to FIG. 12, a rotary body (apparatus) 25 for rotating the object 8 to be processed in the processing chamber 4 via the mounting table 25A for the object 8 is provided together with the temperature adjusting means 22 and 23. The body 25 is a rotary motor 25
It is configured by connecting the mounting table 25A to the output shaft 25C of B.

As described above, by providing the rotating body 25, an appropriate rotational movement is imparted to the object 8 to be processed, the relative speed between the surface of the object 8 to be processed and the pressure medium is increased, and high-pressure processing is performed. The uniformity and reaction efficiency can be increased. FIG. 13 shows another means for homogenizing the stirring member 2 in the processing chamber 4.
The one with 6 is illustrated. This agitator 26 is
The output shaft 26B of the stirring motor 26A is provided with a stirring blade 26C.

By providing this agitator 26, it is possible to increase the uniformity and reaction efficiency during high-pressure processing. In the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 13, the pressure vessel 7 is fixed without moving during normal operation, such as when the object 8 to be processed is taken in and out, and the lid driving body 18 moves up and down. Because of this, and because there are no obstacles above and below the pressure vessel 7, it is possible to freely arrange the rotating body 25 and the stirring body 26 described above. However, pressure vessel 7
The lid drive body 18 may be fixed (the pressing device 15 is operated) by moving up and down.

Further, the conveying means 24, the rotating body 25, and the agitating body 26 can be adopted in the first and second embodiments described above. Furthermore, the rotating body 25 and the agitating body 26 may be combined, and the table 2 in the rotating body 25 may be combined.
It is possible to perform both rotation and stirring by attaching fins or the like to the outer periphery of 5A. Next, an operation example of the third embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 13 will be described.
9 to 11, the lid driving body 18 is in the lowered position (operation start or preparation position), and the opening 9 is in the released state.

In this state, the object 8 to be processed prepared in the cassette or the like is taken out, transferred into the processing chamber 4 by the transfer means 24, and placed on the table 25A of the rotating body 25. The transfer processing 24 is retracted, and the lid member 10 and the pressing device 15 that form the lid driving body 18 are both raised, and the opening 9 is made to face the lid member 10. Then, the pressing device 15 is operated to press the opening 9 with the lid member 10. That is, the lid member 10 is pressed against the pressure vessel 7 by sending a high-pressure fluid into the cylinder chamber 19A. The pressing force at this time needs to be larger than a value obtained by multiplying the cross-sectional area surrounded by the seal 11 around the opening 9 by the maximum pressure generated in the processing chamber 4, whereby the pressing process is performed. The lid member 10
Is always pressed against the pressure vessel 7 and the pressure in the processing chamber 4 is maintained.

A heat medium having a predetermined temperature is passed through the heat medium jackets 22A and 23A at a predetermined flow rate, and the upper and lower surfaces of the processing chamber 4 are maintained at a preset temperature. Further, after the lid member 10 is closed, the rotating body 25 is driven when it is installed and rotated at a predetermined rotation speed. After that, the pressure medium is introduced into the processing chamber 4 through one or a plurality of pressure introducing holes (not shown) provided in the pressure vessel 7 to raise the pressure. When cleaning with supercritical carbon dioxide as the pressure medium, the maximum pressure is usually in the range of 7.5 to 20 MPa.

After reaching a predetermined temperature and pressure, the temperature is maintained for a predetermined time, and after the holding is completed, the pressure medium is discharged from a pressure discharge hole (not shown) to return the inside of the processing chamber 4 to the atmospheric pressure, and the rotating device 25 is stopped. Depending on the nature of the object to be processed 8, one or more additives may be added to the supercritical carbon dioxide gas during the holding, or the temperature or the pressure may be changed. After the pressure in the processing chamber 4 returns to atmospheric pressure, the lid member 10 is retracted to the open position. This evacuation is performed by physically separating the lid member 10 from the pressure vessel 7 if the supply of the fluid to the pressing device 15 is stopped. Then, the lid driver 18
Is lowered to the lower limit position, and then the conveying means 24 is driven to take out the object to be processed 8 from the processing chamber 4 and store it in a cassette or the like to complete the processing.

According to the third embodiment of the present invention, since the lid member for loading / unloading the object to be processed into / from the high pressure processing chamber is laid from the outside of the pressure vessel via the face seal, the lid member can be opened and closed very easily. Moreover, the time required for opening and closing is short and the productivity is high. In addition, since there is no sliding portion when opening and closing, no dust is generated and it is clean. Furthermore, since the disk-shaped object to be processed is taken in and out in the plane direction, the required cross-sectional area of the opening can be reduced, and therefore the pressing force can be small, resulting in a compact device and energy saving. .

Further, since the lid holding member (lid driving member) is movable up and down, and the lid member is retracted downward with a distance of several mm from the pressure vessel, it is more compact than the conventional device. Further, after the high-pressure processing is completed, the object to be processed stands by in the processing chamber in a state of being protected from the surrounding atmosphere containing contaminants, and the transfer means, which is a robot, directly receives the object to be processed into the processing chamber. Since the object is conveyed at high speed to the cassette or the like, the possibility that the object to be processed is contaminated during conveyance is extremely low. In addition, the time required for transportation is short and the productivity is high.

14 to 17 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The pressure vessel 7 is formed with an opening 9 through which the object to be treated 8 is put into and taken out of the treatment chamber 4 formed therein. The processing chamber 4 has a table 25A for the object 8 to be processed, and the table 25A is used for the rotating body 2 as shown in FIG.
5 is desirable. The opening 9 can be opened and closed by a lid member 10 housed in the processing chamber 4, and the lid member 10 has a seal member 11 that seals around the opening 9.
The seal member 11 is in contact with the inner surface of the pressure vessel 7.

The lid member 10 can be lifted and lowered by a lid driving body 18 installed outside the pressure vessel 7, where the lid member 10 vertically moves from the contact position with the pressure vessel 7 to the wafer 8. It is provided so that it can be moved in and out as much as possible. The moving distance in the vertical direction is a disk-shaped wafer 8 and a robot (transfer means for transferring the wafer 8;
(See 9) It is enough if there is a gap that allows
A gap of about mm is sufficient. Therefore, the lid member 1
Since the moving stroke of 0 is small and the dead space generated in the pressure vessel 7 can be reduced, the pressure vessel 7 can be downsized, and the amount of gas required for processing and the amount of cleaning liquid required for cleaning can be reduced. Therefore, the entire apparatus can be downsized, the installation area is small, and the object 8 to be processed can be easily put in and taken out from the processing chamber 4, and a high-pressure processing apparatus having high safety, productivity, and maintainability can be provided. It will be possible.

16 and 17 show modified examples. Figure 1
6 shows a state during high-pressure processing, while FIG.
Indicates the state when the object to be processed is taken in and out. In the case of the lid shape shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the seal material 11 moves while rubbing the portion in contact with the inner surface of the pressure vessel 7 when moving in the vertical direction. In this case, the lid member 10 is slightly moved to the inside of the pressure vessel 7 (the sealing material 1
It is sufficient that there is a gap between 1 and the inner surface of the pressure vessel 7, so it is sufficient to move a few mm.) Then, it may be moved vertically.

However, according to FIGS. 16 and 17, the lid member 10 is moved without sliding between the sealing material 11 and the inner surface of the pressure vessel 7 without such extra action, and the object to be treated (wafer 8) is moved. It can be taken in and out. That is, as shown in FIG. 16, the contact surface portion of the lid member 10 and the contact surface portion with the pressure vessel 7 is tapered in the opening / closing operation direction of the lid member 10. According to FIG.
Even if it moves vertically as shown in Fig. 7, the sealing material 1
1 does not slide on the inner surface of the pressure vessel 7.

During the pressurizing process shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, the high pressure is applied in the process chamber 4, so that the lid member 10 is pressed against the inner surface of the pressure vessel 7 and the sealing material 11 is used for predetermined operation. The pressure is maintained. Further, although all the vertical movements of the lid member 10 are illustrated as downward movements, they can be moved upwards. Further, in the fourth embodiment, it is free to provide the temperature adjusting means and the stirring means in the processing chamber.

FIG. 18 shows another useful embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 18, the transfer means 24 illustrated in FIG. 19 is installed in a core chamber 27, and a gate device 28 is provided around the core chamber 27 so that a plurality of high-pressure processing devices 1 can be opened and closed, for example, in a radial arrangement. Are placed through. The high-pressure processing device 1 includes the above-described first to first
It may be any of the four embodiments, and the first to fourth
The above embodiments may be combined and arranged. The hand means of the transfer means 24 arranged in the core chamber 27 is movable in the horizontal direction (including linear movement and rotary movement).
In addition, it is desirable that it can be raised and lowered.

According to the high-pressure processing equipment shown in FIG. 18, the processing efficiency can be greatly improved in a clean environment. In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, it is useful to batch-process the objects to be processed, but other than the batch processing may be performed.

[0047]

According to the present invention, the object to be processed can be easily put in and taken out of the processing chamber, and the stability, productivity, and maintainability are high.
Further, it is possible to provide a compact high-pressure processing apparatus having a small installation area.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a partial cutout during a pressure treatment showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway plan view before a pressure treatment showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the inside of a pressure vessel showing a modified example of the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the inside of a pressure vessel showing a modified example of the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part during a pressure treatment showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part at the end of pressurization, showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention during the pressure treatment.

FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention at the end of pressurization.

FIG. 18 is a plan view showing another useful application example of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a conveyance means (robot) used in the device of the present invention.
It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 High-pressure processing equipment 4 processing room 7 Pressure vessel 9 openings (entrance / exit) 10 Lid member 15 Pressing device 18 Lid driver

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yoichi Inoue             2-3-3 Niihama, Arai-cho, Takasago, Hyogo Prefecture             Takasago Works, Kobe Steel, Ltd. (72) Inventor Hideshi Yamane             2-3-3 Niihama, Arai-cho, Takasago, Hyogo Prefecture             Takasago Works, Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A high-pressure processing apparatus having a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed therein, comprising: a pressure vessel having an opening for taking an object into and out of the processing chamber along a surface direction thereof; A lid member that opens and closes the opening, and a pressing device that presses the lid member against the pressure container so as to close the opening with the lid member, and the lid member and the pressing device include the object to be processed. A high-pressure processing apparatus, wherein the high-pressure processing apparatus is provided so as to be movable in a direction substantially along the plane direction for inserting and taking out and in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plane direction. 2. A high-pressure processing apparatus having a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed therein, comprising: a pressure vessel having an opening for inserting and removing the object to be processed in a horizontal direction along the surface direction. A lid member that opens and closes the opening, and a pressing device that presses the lid member against the pressure container so as to close the opening with the lid member, and the lid member and the pressing device are arranged in a vertical direction. A high-pressure processing apparatus, which is provided so as to be movable. 3. A high-pressure processing apparatus having a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed therein, comprising: a pressure container having an opening for inserting and removing the object to be processed; and a lid for opening and closing the opening. A high-pressure processing apparatus comprising: a member; and a lid driving member that linearly moves the lid member to open and close the opening, and the lid driving member is provided outside the pressure container. 4. The high-pressure processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer means for loading and unloading the object to be processed into and out of the processing chamber through the opening. 5. The high-pressure processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lid member is configured to separate from the pressure vessel when the pressing by the pressing device is released. 6. The high-pressure processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lid member and a pressing device are arranged with the pressure vessel sandwiched therebetween. 7. The lid member or the pressing device and the pressure container have claw-shaped projections, and a substantially ring-shaped frame is arranged so as to surround these projections. The high-pressure processing apparatus according to any one of 4 above. 8. The frame is fixed to a pressure vessel, the lid member is movable within the frame of the frame, and the object to be processed can be taken out with the lid member inside the frame. The high-pressure processing apparatus according to claim 7. 9. The high-pressure processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lid member is configured to separate from the pressure container and the frame when the pressing by the pressing device is released. 10. The high-pressure treatment according to claim 3, wherein the contact surface portion between the inner surface of the pressure vessel and the facing surface of the lid member is tapered in the opening / closing direction of the lid member. apparatus. 11. The high-pressure processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure vessel is provided with temperature adjusting means. 12. The rotating body for rotating the object to be processed in the processing chamber is provided.
11. The high pressure processing device according to any one of 11. 13. The processing chamber is provided with an agitator for agitating the fluid in the processing chamber.
The high pressure processing device according to any one of 1.