JP2006210767A - Substrate-treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate-treating apparatus for surely supporting a member that constitutes a treatment chamber, using a simple structure at maintenance-time position. <P>SOLUTION: Each of a body 131 and an upper lid 132, that compose each of the treatment chamber 13 of the substrate-treating apparatus 1 and can be separated, is supported by a treatment apparatus frame 11 at a treatment position inside the treatment apparatus frame 11 determined for each member, when treating a substrate W. Each of the body 131 and upper lid 132 for composing each of the treatment chamber 13 can be independently led out to the maintenance position outside the treatment apparatus frame 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus having a processing chamber for performing predetermined processing on a substrate.

  Conventionally, a substrate processing apparatus having a processing chamber for performing predetermined processing on a substrate has been used. In the substrate processing apparatus, in order to reduce the footprint, a plurality of processing chambers are stacked in the vertical direction. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a multistage substrate processing apparatus in which a plurality of processing chambers are stacked in the vertical direction and the processing chambers can be pulled out to a maintenance position outside the housing in order to facilitate maintenance. Is disclosed. In the substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, the processing chamber drawn out to the maintenance position is cantilevered by a member extending in a substantially horizontal direction from the housing.

  In such a substrate processing apparatus, a lid that can be opened and closed around a hinge is used to seal the processing chamber when processing a substrate and to allow access to the inside of the processing chamber when performing maintenance. Is provided on the upper surface of the processing chamber. In the substrate processing chamber provided with such a lid, after the entire processing chamber is pulled out of the housing, the lid is lifted upward to open the interior, and then maintenance inside the processing chamber is performed. It has been broken.

JP 2000-12448 A

  On the other hand, substrates to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus tend to be large, and in recent years, the weight of the processing chamber has sometimes exceeded 1000 kg, and the weight of the lid may also exceed 100 kg. For this reason, in the substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to improve the strength of the member for opening and closing the lid, and the increase in the size and weight of the member and the increase in the size of the entire substrate processing apparatus due to this increase in weight. Conversion and weight increase have been problems.

  The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of reliably supporting members constituting a processing chamber such as a lid with a simple structure.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus having a processing chamber for performing a predetermined processing on a substrate, wherein a plurality of separable members constituting the processing chamber are supported. 1 support structure, and a moving mechanism for moving at least one predetermined member of the plurality of members to the outside of the first support structure.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second support structure that supports the predetermined member outside the first support structure independently of the first support structure, The moving mechanism moves the predetermined member between a first support position where the support by the first support structure is performed and a second support position where the support by the second support structure is performed.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of the processing chambers, and the first support structure includes a plurality of the processing. The movement target material portion constituting each of the chambers is supported, and the moving mechanism moves the predetermined member constituting each of the plurality of processing chambers to the outside of the first support structure.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus of the second aspect, the moving mechanism horizontally moves the predetermined member between the first support position and the second support position.

  According to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, since the predetermined member of the plurality of members constituting the processing chamber can be moved to the outside of the first support structure, the predetermined member can be reliably secured with a simple structure. It can be supported.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the predetermined member is supported by the second support structure independent of the first support structure at the second support position, the predetermined member can be reliably supported with a simple structure. .

  According to the invention of claim 3, even when the substrate processing apparatus has a plurality of processing chambers, the predetermined member can be reliably supported with a simple structure.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the predetermined member can be moved with a small force.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention performs a heating process (or a cooling process) on a substrate. However, this is an exemplification, and the present invention can also be applied when the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a process other than the heat treatment on the substrate. The substrate to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 is not particularly limited. For example, a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for a PDP (plasma display panel), a glass substrate for a magnetic disk, and a glass for an optical disk. A substrate and a ceramic substrate for a magnetic disk. Below, the structure of the said substrate processing apparatus 1 is demonstrated, referring FIGS.

{1 Overall configuration}
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is defined in which the floor surface FL on which the substrate processing apparatus 1 is installed is defined as an XY plane, and the direction in which the conveyance path 901 extends on the floor surface FL is the X-axis direction. The transfer path 901 is a moving path of a transfer robot that transfers the substrate W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 1. The substrate processing apparatus 1 moves to the substrate W transferred from the upstream process by the transfer robot. On the other hand, predetermined processing is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is a multi-stage apparatus in which a plurality of processing chambers 13 are stacked in a vertical direction inside a processing apparatus frame 11. Although FIG. 1 shows the substrate processing apparatus 1 having three processing chambers 13, the number of processing chambers 13 may be two or less or four or more. The processing apparatus frame 11 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing formed by connecting rod-shaped members such as pipes and angles as a skeleton, and functions as a support structure that supports the processing chamber 13 inside. A plate-like member serving as an exterior or a shelf board is attached to the skeleton of the processing apparatus frame 11 as necessary. Each of the processing chambers 13 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a lid, and can be separated into a box-shaped main body 131 serving as a lower member and an upper lid 132 serving as an upper member.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a maintenance frame 21 adjacent to the processing apparatus frame 11. Similarly to the processing apparatus frame 11, the maintenance frame 21 is also formed by connecting rod-like members such as pipes and angles serving as a skeleton, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The maintenance frame 21 may be installed only during maintenance or may be installed constantly. In the case where the maintenance frame 21 is always installed, the processing apparatus frame 11 and the maintenance frame 21 may be combined to form a single frame.

  Each of the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 constituting each of the processing chambers 13 performs processing on the substrate W at the processing apparatus frame 11 at the processing position inside the processing apparatus frame 11 determined for each member. However, when performing maintenance (maintenance), it is supported by the maintenance frame 21 at a maintenance position inside the maintenance frame 21 determined for each member. Each of the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 can move independently between the processing position and the maintenance position.

  The processing apparatus frame 11 and the maintenance frame 21 are provided on different areas of the floor surface FL where the substrate processing apparatus 1 is installed. The maintenance frame 21 is independent of the processing apparatus frame 11 and is a processing apparatus. The support structure supports the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 outside the frame 11. Thus, the processing device frame 11 and the maintenance frame 21 can support the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 without depending on each other, and the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 are supported by the maintenance frame 21 at the maintenance position. In this case, a large action (load) is not applied from the maintenance frame 21 to the processing apparatus frame 11. Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, even when the main body 131 and the upper lid 132, which are members to be moved (drawn), are moved to a maintenance position outside the processing apparatus frame 1, the maintenance is independent of the processing apparatus frame 11. Since the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 are supported by the frame 21, unlike the conventional cantilever support, a large load is not applied to the processing apparatus frame 11. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 reliably supports the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 at the maintenance position, and does not require a complicated structure such as a member for cantilever support. 131 and the upper lid 132 are supported. In addition, as will be described later, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 can be separated inside the processing apparatus frame 11, and then only necessary members can be pulled out from the processing apparatus frame 11. It is not necessary to provide a complicated member for opening the upper lid 132 in the processing chamber 13. In this respect as well, the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 can be reliably supported with a simple structure.

  Furthermore, in the conventional technology, in order to prevent deflection and sagging due to cantilever support, the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 are required to have considerable rigidity. However, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 are By using the maintenance frame 21 that supports each of them, the rigidity required for the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 is reduced. For this reason, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 can be reduced in weight, and the force required to pull out to the maintenance position is also reduced. In other words, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, while avoiding an increase in the weight of the main body 131 and the upper lid 132, that is, while avoiding an increase in the overall weight of the substrate processing apparatus 1, It also means that the size can be increased.

  Further, since the substrate processing apparatus 1 does not fall over even if a plurality of the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 are moved from the inside of the processing apparatus frame 11 to the inside of the maintenance frame 21, a plurality of members are pulled out. It is not necessary to provide a mechanism for preventing the problem, and the structure can be simplified.

  Hereinafter, the drawer of the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 from the processing position to the maintenance position will be described.

{2 Configuration of treatment chamber and its surroundings}
2 to 7 are enlarged views showing the configuration of one processing chamber 13 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and its surroundings. 2 to 5 correspond to front views as viewed from the −Y direction, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 are at the processing positions PT and PT ′, respectively, and FIG. 3 shows the main body 131 at the maintenance position. 4 is a state where the upper lid 132 is at a position PO ′ above the processing position PT ′ (hereinafter also referred to as “open position”), FIG. FIG. 5 shows a state where the main body 131 is in the processing position PT and the upper lid 132 is in the opened position PO ′. 6 and 7 correspond to side views seen from the + X direction, FIG. 6 shows a state in which the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 are at the processing positions PT and PT ′, and FIG. 7 shows the main body 131 at the processing position PT. And the upper lid 132 is in the open position PO ′.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, on the bottom surface 131 </ b> L of the main body 131, a hot plate that heats the substrate W (or a cool plate that cools the substrate W) 15 is installed. A lift pin (not shown) used for raising and lowering the substrate W inside the processing chamber 13, a drive unit for the lift pin, and the like (hereinafter collectively referred to as “accompaniment”) are installed. In the present embodiment, the accessory moves with the main body 131.

  Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a main body moving mechanism 16 that moves the main body 131 between the processing position PT and the maintenance position PM, and an upper lid 132 between the processing position PT ′ and the maintenance position PM ′. And an upper lid moving mechanism 17 for moving. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, at least one member (one or both) of the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 is moved to the processing position PT (PT ′) and the maintenance position PM (PM) by the main body moving mechanism 16 and the upper lid moving mechanism 17. '), And only the members that need to be retreated can be retreated to the maintenance position PM (PM').

  Hereinafter, the main body moving mechanism 16 and the upper lid moving mechanism 17 will be sequentially described.

○ Main body transport mechanism;
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, the main body moving mechanism 16 is laid on a rail 162 a laid on a pedestal 161 a protruding on the inner surface of the processing apparatus frame 11, and on a pedestal 161 b protruding on the inner surface of the maintenance frame 21. A rail 162b, a movable block 163 fixed to one end portion of the bottom surface 131L of the main body 131, and a wheel 164 attached to the other end portion of the bottom surface 131L of the main body 131 are provided. The rails 162a and 162b and the movable block 163 constitute a linear guide (linear motion guide mechanism). By sliding the movable block 163 on the rails 162a and 162b, the moving direction of the main body 131 is changed to the rails 162a and 162b. Is regulated in the longitudinal direction. The wheel 164 is rotatable about the Y-axis direction and moves while rotating on the gantry 161a, 161b, thereby reducing the force required for the movement of the main body 131.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the processing apparatus frame 11 and the maintenance frame 21 are configured such that the processing position PT and the maintenance position PM of the main body 131 coincide with each other. For this reason, the rails 162a and 162b on which the movable block 163 slides are laid horizontally with the longitudinal direction as the ± X direction, and the upper surfaces of the mounts 161a and 161b, which are the places where the wheels 164 pass, are also horizontal (XY plane). Yes. Further, the gap between the bases 161a and 161b and the rails 162a and 162b in the vicinity of the boundary between the processing device frame 11 and the maintenance frame 21 is sufficiently small so as not to prevent the main body 131 from sliding. 161b and rails 162a and 162b provide a moving path that connects the processing position PT and the maintenance position PM continuously (without interruption). Accordingly, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the main body 131 is moved horizontally using the main body moving mechanism 16, and the main body 131 can be smoothly moved between the processing position PT and the maintenance position PM with a small force. ing.

  In the above-described example, the main body moving mechanism 16 that supports one end portion of the main body 131 via the linear guide and supports the other end portion of the main body 131 via the wheel has been described. It is not impeded that the motor is supported via the wheels or both ends are supported via the linear guide. However, in the combination of the linear guide and the wheel as described above, it is easier to keep the position of the main body in the Y-axis direction constant compared to the case where only the wheel is used. There is an advantage that it can be accurately introduced into the interior of the machine. In addition, when only the linear guide is used, a pair of rails laid in parallel with high accuracy is required. However, the rails 162a and 162b are required by the combination of the linear guide and the wheel as described above. There is also an advantage that the dimensional accuracy is not too severe.

  2 to 7 show an example in which two movable blocks 163 and two wheels 164 are provided on the bottom surface 131L of the main body 131. However, the number of the movable blocks 163 and wheels 164 is the same as that of the main body 131. The size and weight should be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, instead of the wheels 164, a rotatable roller may be provided on the bottom surface 131L of the main body 131 to reduce the force required to move the main body 131.

○ Upper lid transport mechanism;
The upper lid moving mechanism 17 includes an upper lid slide mechanism that moves the upper lid 132 between the opening position PO ′ and the maintenance position PM ′. 2 to 7, the upper lid slide mechanism includes a pair of rails 171 a supported inside the processing apparatus frame 11, a pair of rails 171 b supported inside the maintenance frame 21, and an upper lid 132. And a wheel 173 provided at the end.

  The rail 171a is a rod-shaped member having a groove-shaped (U-shaped) cross-sectional shape, and is supported horizontally such that the longitudinal direction is the ± X direction. The rail 171a is supported in parallel and at the same height so that the openings face each other, and the width of the opening (width of the groove) is larger than the diameter of the wheel 173. The same applies to the rail 171b. Of the rails 171 a and 171 b, the pair of rails 171 a inside the processing apparatus frame 11 can be moved up and down while maintaining parallel and the same height, and the pair of rails 171 b inside the maintenance frame 21 is attached to the maintenance frame 21. It is fixed against. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the upper lid 132 is slid between the opening position PO 'and the maintenance position PM' in a state where the rails 171a and 171b are in the same height. The sliding of the upper lid 132 is realized by rotating a wheel 173 that can rotate about the Y-axis direction as a rotation axis in contact with the lower surfaces of the rails 171a and 171b inside the grooves of the rails 171a and 171b. In addition, a guide ball 174 having a spherical arc-shaped outer shape is provided on the side surface of the wheel 173 so as to protrude. The guide ball 174 is in contact with the side surfaces of the rails 171a and 171b, and the position of the upper lid 132 in the ± Y direction. Is regulated to a predetermined position. The guide ball 174 prevents the upper lid 132 from moving in the ± Y direction when moving in the ± X direction.

  2 to 7 show an example in which four wheels 173 are provided at the end of the upper lid 132. However, the number of wheels 173 should be changed as appropriate in consideration of the size and weight of the upper lid 132. Kimono. Further, instead of the wheel 173, the upper lid 132 may be slid using a linear guide, a slide rail, or the like.

  The raising and lowering of the rail 171 is realized by an air cylinder 175 in which the main body 175 a is fixed to the processing device frame 11. More specifically, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the piston 175 b of the air cylinder 175 in which the main body 175 a is fixed to the processing apparatus frame 11 is connected to the rail 171 a, and the piston 175 b is moved in the vertical direction in accordance with the supplied air signal. The rail 171a is moved up and down by reciprocating. The air cylinder 175 functions as an upper lid elevating mechanism that elevates and lowers the upper lid 132 together with the rail 171a when the upper lid 132 is inside the processing apparatus frame 11. Of course, a hydraulic cylinder or an electric cylinder may be used instead of the air cylinder 175, or the upper lid 132 may be raised and lowered manually by an operator using an auxiliary mechanism such as a link mechanism.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, when performing heat treatment on the substrate W, it is desirable to block the inside of the processing chamber 13 from the outside air in order to make the temperature distribution inside the processing chamber 13 constant. For this reason, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, when performing heat treatment on the substrate W, the upper lid 131 is lowered together with the rail 171 a from the open position PO ′ to the processing position PT ′ and provided at the upper end of the side surface of the main body 131. The state where the packing 131a and the upper lid 132 are in contact with each other, and the upper surface of the rail 171a and the wheel 173 are brought into contact with each other to apply a downward load to the upper lid 132 so that the upper lid 132 is pressed against the packing 131a. The state where the inside of the chamber 13 is kept airtight is realized. By realizing such an airtight state, the substrate processing apparatus 1 does not require a lock mechanism or the like for bringing the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 into close contact with each other. In addition, even if the main body 131 or the upper lid 132 is expanded due to heat treatment, an airtight state inside the processing chamber 13 can be easily realized. Further, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, since the upper lid 132 is pressed against the main body 131 during the substrate processing, the lifting of the upper lid 132 due to heating is effectively prevented. Of course, the same effect can be obtained even if the packing 131a for ensuring airtightness is provided not on the main body 131 side but on the upper lid 132.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, when the upper lid 132 is moved from the processing position PT ′ to the maintenance position PM ′, the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 are separated by raising the rail 171a to the same height as the rail 171b. Once the upper lid 132 is raised to the open position PO ′, the upper lid 132 is then slid to the maintenance position PM ′. At this time, the gap between the rails 171a and 172b in the vicinity of the boundary between the processing device frame 11 and the maintenance frame 21 is sufficiently small so as not to prevent the upper lid 132 from sliding, and the rails 171a and 172b are opened. A movement path that continuously connects the position PO ′ and the maintenance position PM ′ is provided. Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the main part of the movement of the upper lid 132 using the upper lid moving mechanism 17 is horizontal movement, and the upper lid 132 is smoothly moved between the processing position PT ′ and the maintenance position PM ′ with a small force. It is possible to move to.

{3 Maintenance}
Hereinafter, the retraction of the main body 131 or the upper lid 132 when performing maintenance on the main body 131 or the upper lid 132 of the processing chamber 13 will be described with specific examples. 8 to 11 referred to below are front views of the substrate processing apparatus 1 as viewed from the −Y direction, and are schematic front views for explaining the position of the main body 131 or the upper lid 132. The main body moving mechanism 16 and the upper lid moving mechanism 17 are omitted.

○ Maintenance of the main body;
When performing maintenance of the main body, as shown in FIG. 8, the operator pulls out the main body 131M to be maintained from the processing position PT (dotted line) to the maintenance position PM (solid line) using the main body moving mechanism 16. Then start maintenance. More specifically, the operator raises the upper lid 132 corresponding to the main body 131M from the processing position PT ′ (dotted line) to the open position PO ′ (solid line) to separate the main body 131M and the upper lid 132, and then The main body 131M is slid from the processing position PT to the maintenance position PM, and maintenance is started inside the maintenance frame 21. The slide of the main body 131M may be performed manually, or may be performed using a drive mechanism using a motor or the like as a power source. It is not impeded to perform maintenance after constructing a working scaffold on the maintenance frame 21.

  The main body 131M pulled out to the maintenance position PM is completely open at the upper surface, and can be easily subjected to maintenance such as cleaning. Here, if the maintenance frame 21 is configured so that there is no part that interferes with the lift of the accessory of the main body 131M, large-scale maintenance such as replacement of the accessory is easy. Is feasible. In addition, if the elevating mechanism for the main body 131 is provided in the maintenance frame 21, maintenance can be performed after the main body 131M is lowered to an appropriate height, so that the maintenance workability can be improved.

  Further, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, even when the upper surface of the main body 131M is completely opened, it is not necessary to lift the upper lid 132 upward, so it is not necessary to secure a space for lifting the upper lid 132 upward. A mechanism for lifting the upper lid 132 is also unnecessary. For this reason, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can effectively use the space of the factory where it is installed. Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, even when the upper surface of the main body 131M is open, there is no heavy object such as the upper lid 132 above the upper surface, so that it is possible to easily ensure the safety of the operator during maintenance.

  After completion of the maintenance, the main body 131M is returned to the processing position PT, and thereafter, the upper lid 132 is lowered and comes into close contact with the upper lid 132 again.

  In the above description, an example in which the entire main body 131M is pulled out to the maintenance frame 21 has been shown. However, when maintenance is performed only near the end of the main body 131 in the + X direction, maintenance is performed without pulling out the entire body 131M. A part of the main body 131 may be pulled out to the maintenance frame 21 so that only the upper surface near the end is opened. In the above description, an example in which the maintenance target main body 131M is pulled out to the maintenance frame 21 has been shown. However, as shown in FIG. 9, the maintenance target main body 131M is left inside the processing apparatus frame 11, Even if the remaining main body 131 and upper lid 132 are pulled out to the maintenance frame 21, the maintenance can be easily performed in the processing apparatus frame 11 as well.

○ Maintenance of the upper lid;
When performing the maintenance of the upper lid, as shown in FIG. 10, the operator pulls out the upper lid 132M to be maintained from the processing position PT ′ to the maintenance position PM ′ using the upper lid moving mechanism 17, and then performs the work. Start. More specifically, the operator raises the upper lid 132M from the processing position PT ′ to the opening position PO ′ to separate the main body 131 and the upper lid 132M, and then, from the opening position PO ′ to the maintenance position PM ′. The upper lid 132M is slid and maintenance is started inside the maintenance frame 21. The sliding of the upper lid 132M may also be performed manually, or may be performed using a drive mechanism using a motor or the like as a power source. Similarly, it is not hindered to perform work after constructing a work scaffold on the maintenance frame 21.

  The upper lid 132M pulled out to the maintenance position PM 'has a completely open lower surface that is easily soiled, so that maintenance such as cleaning can be easily performed. Further, if the elevating mechanism for the upper lid 132 is provided in the maintenance frame 21, the work can be performed after the upper lid 132M is lowered to an appropriate height, so that the maintenance workability can be improved. After the maintenance is completed, the upper lid 132M is returned to the processing position PT 'and then lowered, and again comes into close contact with the main body 131.

  In the above description, an example in which the entire upper lid 132M is pulled out to the maintenance frame 21 has been shown. However, when maintenance is performed only near the end portion of the upper lid 132 in the + X direction, maintenance is performed without pulling out the entire upper lid 132M. A part of the upper lid 132M may be pulled out to the maintenance frame 21 so that only the lower surface near the end is opened. In the above description, an example in which the upper lid 132M to be maintained is pulled out to the maintenance frame 21 has been shown. However, as shown in FIG. 11, the upper lid 132M to be maintained is left inside the processing apparatus frame 11, Even if the remaining main body 131 and upper lid 132 are pulled out to the maintenance frame 21, the maintenance can be easily performed in the processing apparatus frame 11 as well.

{4 Modifications}
○ Retraction of members;
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which both the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 can be retracted to the maintenance position PM (PM ′) has been described. However, only the main body 131 or the upper lid 132 has the maintenance position PM (PM ′). The present invention also includes an embodiment that can be evacuated. Alternatively, it is not impeded to adopt an aspect in which the processing chamber 13 is separated into three or more members, and all or a part thereof can be independently retracted to the maintenance position.

  Further, not the entire main body 131 but only the bottom surface of the main body 131 and the accompanying items are retracted to the maintenance position, and the remaining portion of the main body 131 remains inside the processing apparatus frame 11. Adoption of a mode in which the accompanying objects remain inside the processing apparatus frame 11 and the remaining part of the main body is retracted to the maintenance position is not hindered.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which both the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 are supported by the maintenance frame 21 at the maintenance position. However, either the main body 131 or the upper lid 132 is processed as in the related art. The apparatus frame 11 may be cantilevered.

○ Regarding the lifting mechanism;
In the above-described embodiment, the main body 131 and the upper cover 132 are separated by raising the upper lid 132. However, the main body 131 or the packing 131a is configured to be movable up and down by an elevating mechanism, and the main body 131 or the packing 131a is lowered. The main body 131 and the upper lid 132 may be separated.

  Further, the elevating mechanism is not necessarily required, and the main body 131 and the upper lid 132 may be brought into close contact with each other only by horizontally moving the upper lid 132 from the maintenance frame 21 to the processing apparatus frame 11.

○ Supporting the processing chamber;
In the substrate processing apparatus in which the main body or the upper lid can be pulled out to the maintenance position by cantilever support instead of the maintenance frame 21 described above, it is not impeded that the pulled-out main body or upper lid is supported by the structure from below. For example, as shown in the side view of FIG. 12, in the substrate processing apparatus 3 in which the main body 331 is supported by the processing apparatus frame 31 via the cantilever slide beam 381, a part of the main body 331 separated from the upper lid 332 is processed. It is not impeded that the entire body 331 is pulled out from the processing apparatus frame 31 after being pulled out from the apparatus frame 31 and placing the bottom surface on the structure 401 that can move horizontally on the floor surface.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which expands and shows the structure of the process chamber 13 of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and its periphery. It is a front view which expands and shows the structure of the process chamber 13 of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and its periphery. It is a front view which expands and shows the structure of the process chamber 13 of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and its periphery. It is a front view which expands and shows the structure of the process chamber 13 of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and its periphery. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing a configuration of a processing chamber 13 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and its surroundings. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing a configuration of a processing chamber 13 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and its surroundings. It is the schematic front view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus 1 from the -Y direction. It is the schematic front view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus 1 from the -Y direction. It is the schematic front view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus 1 from the -Y direction. It is the schematic front view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus 1 from the -Y direction. It is a side view which shows the schematic whole structure of the substrate processing apparatus 3 which concerns on a modification.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,3 Substrate processing apparatus 11 Processing apparatus frame 13 Processing chamber 16 Main body conveyance mechanism 17 Upper lid conveyance mechanism 21 Maintenance frame 131 Main body 132 Upper lid W Substrate PT, PT ′ Processing position PM, PM ′ Maintenance position

Claims (4)

A substrate processing apparatus having a processing chamber for performing predetermined processing on a substrate,
A first support structure for supporting a plurality of separable members constituting the processing chamber;
A moving mechanism for moving at least one predetermined member of the plurality of members to the outside of the first support structure;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
A second support structure for supporting the predetermined member outside the first support structure independently of the first support structure;
The moving mechanism moves the predetermined member between a first support position where the support by the first support structure is performed and a second support position where the support by the second support structure is performed. Substrate processing apparatus. In the substrate processing apparatus of Claim 1 or Claim 2,
The substrate processing apparatus has a plurality of the processing chambers,
The first support structure supports the moving target material portion constituting each of the plurality of processing chambers,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the moving mechanism moves the predetermined member constituting each of the plurality of processing chambers to the outside of the first support structure. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the moving mechanism horizontally moves the predetermined member between the first support position and the second support position.

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