JP2014077170A - Film formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a film formation apparatus which enables securing of a working place without forming protrusions from a floor surface.SOLUTION: A film formation apparatus comprises: a vacuum chamber body 30 which has a carrier device 10 capable of carrying a substrate 101 in the carrying direction (Y direction) which intersects the plate thickness direction while the substrate 101 is erected so that the plate thickness direction (X direction) is horizontal, and which has an opening 31 opened to the inside formed therein; a chamber door 40 capable of opening and closing the opening 31 of the vacuum chamber body 30; and guiding means 80 arranged above the vacuum chamber body 30 and guiding the chamber door 40 in the plate thickness direction so as to allow the door 40 to move horizontally.

Description

  The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus.

  For example, a film forming apparatus that forms a film on an object such as a substrate transports the substrate in an upright state so that the thickness direction of the substrate is horizontal (see, for example, Patent Document 1). . The film forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a vacuum chamber in which a substrate erected substantially vertically is transported and a deck that supports the vacuum chamber. A required mechanism such as a heater is incorporated in the side wall surface of the vacuum chamber. In order to perform maintenance work such as cleaning and replacement on these required mechanisms, the side wall surface is attached to a carriage movable on the deck, and can be opened and closed by moving the carriage in a direction horizontally away from the vacuum chamber. Has been.

JP-A-1-272768

  In the film forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide two rails on the deck on which a carriage provided with four traveling rollers is moved and to secure a work place for maintenance work on the deck. There is. However, since at least one of the rails has a convex shape protruding upward, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of safety to arrange a rail that forms a convex portion at the work place on the deck.

  An object of this invention is to provide the film-forming apparatus which can ensure the work place which eliminated the projection part from a floor surface.

  The present invention is a film forming apparatus for performing a film forming process on a substrate, and transports the substrate in a transport direction intersecting the plate thickness direction in a state where the substrate is erected so that the plate thickness direction of the substrate is horizontal. A vacuum chamber body having an opening capable of opening the interior, a chamber door capable of opening and closing the opening of the vacuum chamber body, and a chamber door provided above the vacuum chamber body. And a guide means for guiding the guide plate so as to be horizontally movable in the plate thickness direction.

  In this film forming apparatus, the chamber door is guided so as to be horizontally movable in the thickness direction of the substrate. Thereby, an opening part can be opened by moving a chamber door in the direction away from a vacuum chamber main body. Further, the opening can be closed by moving the chamber door in a direction approaching the vacuum chamber body. And since this chamber door is guided horizontally by the guide means provided above the vacuum chamber body, a configuration for supporting and guiding the chamber door below the chamber door and on the deck on which the chamber door moves. There is no need to provide. Therefore, it is possible to secure a work place that eliminates the protrusion from the floor surface.

  The guide means extends in the plate thickness direction, and is suspended between the pair of rails that are spaced apart from each other in the conveying direction, spanned between the pair of rails, connected to the chamber door, and reciprocally movable along the rails. And a beam. Since the chamber door is connected to the suspension beam, the vertical position adjustment of the chamber door can be easily performed.

  The transport means includes a return means for holding the substrate by a transport tray that detachably holds the substrate and transporting the substrate in the transport direction and returning the transport tray to the upstream side in the transport direction. The return means is an opening of the vacuum chamber body. The one end side of the pair of rails may be attached to the upper end of the vacuum chamber main body and the other end side may be attached to the upper end of the return means. Thereby, since a pair of rail is made into the state of both-ends support, the chamber door which is a heavy article can be supported suitably. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a new member for supporting the other end side of the pair of rails, it is possible to save the space of the entire film forming apparatus.

  The return means may return the transport tray in an upright state. Thereby, the return means becomes vertically long, and the other end of the rail is easily attached to the upper end of the return means. Therefore, the strength of the return means with respect to the thickness direction of the substrate can be increased.

  Guide rollers that can travel along a pair of rails are provided at both ends of the suspension beam, and the guide means may have a derailment prevention mechanism that prevents derailment of the guide rollers. Thereby, the chamber door suspended by the suspension beam can be prevented from falling off the pair of rails, and the safety of the opening / closing operation of the chamber door can be improved.

  Guide rollers capable of traveling along a pair of rails are provided at both ends of the suspension beam, and the guide means may have a meandering prevention mechanism for preventing meandering of the guide rollers. Thereby, the chamber door suspended by the suspension beam can be smoothly moved horizontally.

  The circumferential surface of the guide roller that travels on one of the pair of rails is formed with a recess or projection that is continuous in the circumferential direction, and the rail that the guide roller travels on has a projection or guide that corresponds to the recess of the guide roller. A concave portion corresponding to the convex portion of the roller may be formed. Thereby, since the moving direction of the guide roller is regulated in the plate thickness direction, derailment and meandering of the guide roller can be suitably prevented.

  A plurality of guide rollers may be arranged at both ends of the suspension beam in the direction in which the rail extends. As a result, the suspension beam is supported on the rail at a plurality of points in the direction in which the rail extends, so that the chamber door can be moved more smoothly by preventing the chamber door from shaking in the direction in which the rail extends. Can do.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the film-forming apparatus which can ensure the work place which eliminated the projection part from a floor surface is provided.

It is a top view which shows the film-forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of a chamber from the front side. It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of a film-forming chamber from the front surface of a conveyance direction. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the opening part of the vacuum chamber main body by the chamber door. It is a figure which shows a clamp mechanism from the side. It is sectional drawing which shows the film-forming apparatus from the front surface of a conveyance direction. It is a figure which expands and shows a part of a guide means and a chamber door from the front side. It is a figure which expands and shows a part of a guide means and a chamber door from the top-plate side. It is sectional drawing which expands a part of guide means and a vacuum chamber, and shows from the front surface of a conveyance direction.

  A film forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that words indicating directions such as “up” and “down” are based on the state shown in the drawings and are for convenience. 1 to 9 also show an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system for ease of explanation.

(Deposition system)
A film forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for performing a film forming process on a substrate 101 (for example, a glass substrate). The film forming apparatus 100 is an apparatus that performs film formation by an RPD method (reactive plasma vapor deposition method), for example. The film forming apparatus 100 includes a plasma gun (evaporation apparatus 140) that generates plasma, and uses the generated plasma to ionize the film forming material and attach particles of the film forming material to the surface of the substrate 101. Film formation is performed.

  The film forming apparatus 100 includes a load lock chamber 121, a buffer chamber 122, a film forming chamber (film forming chamber) 123, a buffer chamber 124, and a load lock chamber 125. These vacuum chambers 121 to 125 are arranged in this order. All the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 are constituted by vacuum containers, and open / close gates 131 to 136 are provided at the entrances / exits of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. The film forming apparatus 100 may have a configuration in which a plurality of buffer chambers 122 and 124 and a plurality of film forming chambers 123 are arranged. Moreover, the film-forming apparatus comprised by a series of vacuum chambers may be sufficient.

  A vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to each of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 to bring the inside to an appropriate pressure. Each vacuum chamber 121-125 is provided with a vacuum gauge (not shown) for monitoring the pressure in the chamber. Each vacuum chamber 121 to 125 is connected to a vacuum exhaust pipe connected to a vacuum pump, and a vacuum gauge is installed in the vacuum exhaust pipe.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the film forming apparatus 100 is provided with a transport apparatus 10 for transporting a transport tray 20 that holds a substrate 101. The transfer device 10 is a device that transfers the substrate 101 and the transfer tray 20 in an upright state in the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 (details will be described later).

(Transport tray)
Next, the transport tray 20 will be described. The transfer tray 20 can be used in the film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, and holds the substrate 101 in a detachable manner. The transport tray 20 holds the substrate 101 when transporting the substrate 101 in an upright state. The state in which the substrate 101 is upright is an upright state in which the thickness direction X of the substrate 101 is the horizontal direction. At this time, the film formation surface of the substrate 101 is arranged along the vertical direction (Z direction). Note that the substrate 101 may be held while the substrate 101 is inclined from the upright state. The plate thickness direction X of the substrate 101 may be a substantially horizontal direction or may be inclined from the horizontal direction. The direction X is a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction (Z direction) and orthogonal to the transport direction Y of the substrate 101.

(Vacuum chamber)
Next, the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the load lock chamber 121 is opened to the atmosphere by opening an open / close gate 131 provided on the inlet side, and a substrate 101 to be processed and a transfer tray 20 holding the substrate 101 are introduced. Chamber. The outlet side of the load lock chamber 121 is connected to the inlet side of the buffer chamber 122 via the open / close gate 132.

  The buffer chamber 122 is a pressure adjusting chamber that is communicated with the load lock chamber 121 by opening the open / close gate 132 provided on the inlet side and into which the substrate 101 that has passed through the load lock chamber 121 is introduced. The outlet side of the buffer chamber 122 is connected to the inlet side of the film forming chamber 123 through an open / close gate 133. The buffer chamber 122 is provided with a heater (not shown) for heating the substrate 101. This heater is disposed to face the film formation surface in order to heat the film formation surface (surface on which the film is formed) of the substrate 101. In this embodiment, since the substrate 101 is disposed in an upright state, the film formation surface is disposed along the vertical direction. In the buffer chamber 122, heating is performed so that the substrate temperature becomes about 200 ° C., for example. The buffer chamber 122 is installed in front of the film formation chamber 123 and functions as a heating chamber for heating the substrate 101.

  For example, a lamp heater can be used as the heater. The lamp heater has a rod shape and extends in the vertical direction (Z direction). A plurality of lamp heaters (for example, 12) are installed in the buffer chamber 122, and are arranged at a predetermined interval in the transport direction L (Y direction). The heat of the heater is transferred to the substrate 101, and the substrate 101 is heated.

  The film formation chamber 123 is connected to the buffer chamber 122 by opening the open / close gate 133 provided on the entrance side, and the substrate 101 and the transfer tray 20 that have passed through the buffer chamber 122 are introduced, and a thin film layer is formed on the substrate 101. A processing chamber for film formation. The outlet side of the film forming chamber 123 is connected to the inlet side of the buffer chamber 124 via an open / close gate 134.

  In the film formation chamber 123, a vapor deposition apparatus 140 for forming a film formation material (thin film layer) on the substrate 101 is installed. The vapor deposition apparatus 140 includes a main hearth that holds a film forming material, a plasma gun that irradiates the main hearth with a plasma beam, and the like. In addition, the film formation chamber 123 is provided with a heater for heating the substrate 101. This heater is installed, for example, so as to heat the substrate 101 from the back surface 101f (surface opposite to the film formation surface 101e) side (see FIG. 3). In the film forming chamber 123, the substrate temperature is maintained at about 200 ° C., for example.

  The buffer chamber 124 communicates with the film forming chamber 123 by opening an open / close gate 134 provided on the inlet side, and the substrate 101 formed by the film forming chamber 123 and the transfer tray 20 holding the substrate 101 are introduced. This is a pressure adjusting chamber. The outlet side of the buffer chamber 124 is connected to the inlet side of the load lock chamber 125 through an open / close gate 135. The buffer chamber 124 is provided with a cooling plate (not shown) for cooling the substrate 101. The cooling plate is disposed to face the film formation surface of the substrate 101 in order to cool the film formation surface of the substrate 101. The structure provided with the cooling plate which cools the board | substrate 101 from the back surface 101f side of the board | substrate 101 may be sufficient. In the buffer chamber 124, the substrate temperature is cooled to about 120 ° C., for example. The buffer chamber 124 is installed after the film forming chamber 123 and functions as a cooling chamber for cooling the substrate 101. The buffer chamber 124 may not be provided with a cooling unit. The substrate 101 may be cooled (air cooled) with the atmosphere in an atmospheric pressure environment after exiting the vacuum chamber.

  The configuration of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 are box-shaped, and include a vacuum chamber body 30 having a top plate 151, a bottom plate 152, a back wall 154, an entrance wall 155, and an exit wall 156. The chamber door 40 which comprises the front wall 153 is provided. 2 and 3, the chamber door 40 is not shown.

(Vacuum chamber body)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the top plate 151 and the bottom plate 152 constituting the vacuum chamber main body 30 are wall bodies arranged to face each other in the vertical direction (Z direction). The entrance wall 155 and the exit wall 156 constituting the vacuum chamber main body 30 are wall bodies arranged to face the transport direction Y. The entrance wall 155 is an entrance-side wall body on which the substrate 101 and the transfer tray 20 are carried into the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. The exit wall 156 is an exit-side wall body on the side where the substrate 101 and the transfer tray 20 are carried out of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. A back wall 154 (see FIG. 3) that constitutes the vacuum chamber body 30 is a wall body arranged to face the plate thickness direction (X direction) of the substrate 101.

  The entrance wall 155 is formed with an entrance (opening) 155 a for carrying the transport tray 20 and the substrate 101 into the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. The exit wall 156 is formed with an outlet (opening) 156 a for carrying the transport tray 20 and the substrate 101 out of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the film forming chamber 123 is arranged so that at least a part of the back wall 154 protrudes outward (in a direction away from the transfer path on which the substrate 101 is transferred), thereby forming a recess 154a. Is formed. The vapor deposition apparatus 140 is disposed in the recess 154a. In the film forming chamber 123, plasma is generated by a plasma gun, and the film forming material held in the main hearth is heated and evaporated. The film forming material is evaporated and ionized, and particles of the film forming material diffuse into the recess 154a. The particles of the film formation material diffused into the recess 154a fly toward the substrate 101 and adhere to the surface of the substrate 101 (film formation surface 101e).

  The top plate 151 and the bottom plate 152 are joined to the entrance wall 155 at one end in the transport direction Y and joined to the exit wall 156 at the other end in the transport direction Y (see FIG. 2). The back wall 154 is joined to the entrance wall 155 at one end in the transport direction Y, and joined to the exit wall 156 at the other end in the transport direction Y. The top plate 151 and the bottom plate 152 are joined to the back wall 154 on the back side. These wall bodies 151, 152, 154 to 156 are integrally coupled by welding, for example.

  The vacuum chamber body 30 includes a top plate 151, a bottom plate 152, a back wall 154, an entrance wall 155, and an exit wall 156 that constitute five of the six surfaces that define a vacuum region. For this reason, the vacuum chamber main body 30 is not provided with the front wall 153, and the area | region comprised by the front wall 153 becomes the opening part 31 which open | releases the inside of the vacuum chambers 121-125 (refer FIG. 3, 4). End surfaces of the top plate 151, the bottom plate 152, the entrance wall 155, and the exit wall 156 that define the opening 31 of the vacuum chamber body 30 are in contact with the chamber door 40 described later. An O-ring is disposed along the region on the end surface that comes into contact with the chamber door 40.

(Chamber door)
Next, the chamber door 40 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the chamber door 40 is a door that opens or closes the opening 31 of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. The chamber door 40 functions as the front wall 153 of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 when the openings 31 of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 are closed, and cooperates with the vacuum chamber body 30 to define a vacuum region. The chamber door 40 is disposed at a position facing the opening 31 and is supported from above by a guide means 80 described later so as to be movable in the plate thickness direction (X direction). That is, the chamber door 40 is suspended from the guide means 80 and is movable in a direction away from the vacuum chamber main body 30 and a direction close thereto.

  The chamber door 40 includes a flat door body 41 that completely covers the opening 31 when viewed from the X direction.

  A rib 42 for increasing the strength in the normal direction of the door body 41 is provided on the back surface 41b opposite to the main surface 41a. The rib 42 includes a plurality of first ribs 42a and a plurality of second ribs 42b arranged in a lattice pattern. The first rib 42a has a flat plate shape and is fixed to the door body 41 so that the transport direction (Y direction) is the plate thickness direction. The second rib 42b has a flat plate shape and is fixed to the door body 41 so that the vertical direction (Z direction) is the thickness direction. These first and second ribs 42a and 42b increase the strength in the normal direction (X direction) of the chamber door 40, so that deformation of the chamber door 40 when the pressure in the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 is reduced is suppressed. .

  Two connecting brackets 43 for connecting to the guide means 80 are fixed to the back surface 41b of the chamber door 40 (see FIG. 7). Two connection brackets 43 are fixed to the upper part of the back surface 41b of the chamber door 40, and the respective connection brackets 43 are separated from each other in the transport direction (Y direction). Details of the connection bracket 43 will be described later.

(Clamp mechanism)
Next, the clamp mechanism 50 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. After the opening 31 of the vacuum chamber body 30 is closed by the chamber door 40, the inside of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 is decompressed. At this time, if there is a gap between the chamber door 40 and the vacuum chamber body 30, the inside of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 cannot be decompressed. Accordingly, pressure reduction by a vacuum pump or the like is started in a state where there is no gap between the chamber door 40 and the vacuum chamber main body 30. The clamp mechanism 50 is for pressing the chamber door 40 against the vacuum chamber body 30 in order to eliminate a gap between the O-ring of the vacuum chamber body 30 and the chamber door 40.

  The clamp mechanism 50 is provided at each of the four corners of the vacuum chamber body 30 and the chamber door 40 (see FIG. 4). The clamp mechanism 50 includes a base portion 51 fixed to the top plate 151 of the vacuum chamber body 30, an air cylinder 52 connected to the base portion 51, a base portion 51 and a clamp portion 53 connected to the air cylinder 52, And a receiving portion 54 provided on the chamber door 40.

  The air cylinder 52 has a cylinder tube 52a, a piston (not shown) that reciprocates inside the cylinder tube 52a, and a piston rod 52b that has one end connected to the piston and the other end protruding outside the cylinder tube 52a. doing. The rear end of the cylinder tube 52a is rotatably connected to the base 51. The other end of the piston rod 52b is rotatably connected to one end 53a of the clamp portion 53. The clamp portion 53 has a substantially crank shape, and comes into contact with the one end 53 a connected to the shaft 52 b of the air cylinder 52, a support portion 53 b rotatably connected to the base portion 51, and the chamber door 40. And the other end 53c provided with a roller 55 that presses the chamber door 40 toward the vacuum chamber main body 30 side.

  FIG. 5 shows a state where the chamber door 40 is pressed toward the vacuum chamber body 30 by the clamp mechanism 50 and the opening 31 of the vacuum chamber body 30 is closed. At this time, the air cylinder 52 moves the shaft 52b in the plate thickness direction (positive X direction) of the substrate 101. With this movement, one end 53a of the clamp part 53 connected to the shaft 52b is rotated by a predetermined angle. With the rotation of the one end 53 a, the other end 53 c of the clamp portion 53 moves downward and moves toward the vacuum chamber body 30, and the roller 55 is fitted to the receiving portion 54. Accordingly, the chamber door 40 is pressed against the vacuum chamber body 30.

  When opening the opening 31 of the vacuum chamber body 30, the shaft 52b of the air cylinder 52 is moved in the reverse direction. Along with this movement, one end 53a of the clamp part 53 moves in the reverse direction (negative X direction) in the plate thickness direction, and the other end 53c moves upward to separate the roller 55 from the receiving part 54 of the chamber door 40. To do. As a result, the clamped state of the chamber door 40 is released.

(Transport device)
Next, the transport apparatus 10 that transports the substrate 101 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport device 10 serving as a transport unit includes a plurality of transport rollers 11 disposed on the lower end side of the substrate 101 and a plurality of driven rollers (guides) disposed on the upper end side of the substrate 101. Roller) 12 and 13.

  The plurality of transport rollers 11 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the transport direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the transport roller 11 is fixed to a rotating shaft 14 that extends in the X direction. The rotating shaft 14 is rotatably supported by a pair of bearings 19. The pair of bearings 19 are fixed to the bottom plate 152.

  The rotating shaft 14 is inserted through an opening 154 a provided in the back wall 154 of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. The opening 154a is provided with a shaft seal device 15 that rotatably supports the rotary shaft 14 and seals between the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 and the external environment. As the shaft seal device 15, for example, a magnetic fluid bearing can be used. The rotation shaft 14 extends from the inside to the outside of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 through the back wall 154. In addition, the rotating shaft 14 may be comprised as an integral thing, and may be comprised by connecting a some member to an axial direction.

  Outside the vacuum chambers 121 to 125, a drive source (for example, an electric motor) 16 for rotationally driving the rotary shaft 14 is installed. The driving force output from the driving source 16 is transmitted to the plurality of rotating shafts 14 by a power transmission mechanism having a belt wheel 17 and an endless belt 18. A plurality of belt wheels 17 are attached to ends of the rotary shaft 14 arranged outside the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. An endless belt 18 is stretched around a belt wheel 17 provided on the rotary shaft 14 adjacent to the conveyance direction Y. Similarly, a belt wheel 17 is attached to the output shaft of the drive source 16, and an endless belt 18 is bridged between the belt wheel 17 of the output shaft and the belt wheel 17 attached to the adjacent rotating shaft 14. . As a result, the driving force output from the driving source 16 can be distributed to drive the plurality of rotating shafts 14 to rotate. The power transmission mechanism is not limited to the one provided with the endless belt 18 and the belt wheel 17 and may be other power transmission mechanisms. For example, it may be provided with a chain and a sprocket, or may be provided with other power transmission shafts.

  Moreover, the structure which has a pair of collar part arrange | positioned so that the conveyance roller 11 may pinch the both sides of the lower end part of the conveyance tray 20 may be sufficient. As a result, the collar portion comes into contact with the side surface of the rail of the transport tray 20 (the surface facing the X direction) to regulate the position of the transport tray 20 in the X direction.

  The driven rollers 12 and 13 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the transport direction Y. The driven rollers 12 and 13 are supported by the top plate 151 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the Z direction. As the driven rollers 12 and 13, rolling bearings can be used. The driven rollers 12 and 13 may be other rotating bodies. Since the driven rollers 12 and 13 smoothly rotate without contact with the transport tray 20, it is preferable that the rotational inertia is small. The driven rollers 12 and 13 can contact the inner wall of the guide groove of the transport tray 20 and rotate according to the movement of the transport tray 20.

(Frame)
Next, the chamber mount 60 that supports the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the chamber frame 60 is for supporting the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. The chamber pedestal 60 includes, for example, a pedestal main body 61 formed of a structural steel pipe having a rectangular cross section, a vertical support 62 fixed to the bottom plate 152 of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125, and a horizontal support fixed to the back wall 154. 63. The chamber mount 60 has a rail support portion 64 that supports rails 82 and 83 described later.

(Layout)
As shown in FIG. 1, the transport device 10 transports (returns) the transport tray discharged from the vacuum chamber 125 and transports the transport tray back into the vacuum chamber 121. The transport apparatus 10 is formed so that the transport path L (L1 to L4) of the transport tray 20 forms a rectangular orbit (transport path L) in plan view so that the transport tray 20 can be used repeatedly.

  The conveyance path of the conveyance tray 20 includes a first conveyance path L1 extending in the Y direction in the figure, a second conveyance path L2 extending in the X direction in the figure downstream of the first conveyance path L1, and a second conveyance path L2. A third transport path L3 that extends downstream in the Y direction and transports the transport tray 20 in a direction opposite to the first transport path L1, and a second transport path extends in the X direction downstream of the third transport path L3. A fourth transport path L4 that transports the transport tray 20 in the direction opposite to L2 is provided. The downstream side of the fourth transport path L4 is connected to the upstream side of the first transport path L1.

  The first transport path L1, the second transport path L2, the third transport path L3, and the fourth transport path L4 are linearly formed in plan view. The first conveyance path L1 and the third conveyance path L3 are arranged in parallel, and the second conveyance path L2 and the fourth conveyance path L4 are arranged in parallel. The transport tray 20 passes through the first transport path L1, the second transport path L2, the third transport path L3, and the fourth transport path L4, and enters the first transport path L1 again. Said vacuum chamber 121-125 comprises the 1st conveyance path | route L1.

  In the first transport path L1 and the third transport path L3, the transport tray 20 is transported in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the plate thickness direction. In the second transport path L2 and the fourth transport path L4, the transport tray 20 is transported in the plate thickness direction (X direction). Thereby, since the conveyance tray 20 changes the conveyance direction without changing the posture at the connection point of each conveyance path, the conveyance time of the entire apparatus can be shortened. Further, since a mechanism for changing the posture of the transport tray 20 is not required, the apparatus can be prevented from being complicated.

  The film forming apparatus 100 transports the substrate 101 before film formation in a horizontal state and passes the fifth transport path L5 (substrate transport mechanism) through which the circular orbit (L1 to L4) passes from the outside to the inside, and the substrate after film formation. A sixth transport path L6 that transports 101 in a horizontal state and passes from the inside to the outside of the circular orbit (L1 to L4) is provided.

  The fifth transport path L5 is formed in the X direction on the upstream side of the load lock chamber 121 so as to cross the first transport path L1. A substrate mounting device 160A for mounting the substrate 101 on the transport tray 20 is disposed at the intersection of the fifth transport path L5 and the first transport path L1. The fifth transport path L5 includes a substrate carry-in conveyor 195 that transports the substrate 101 in the X direction outside the orbit, and a transport roller of the substrate mounting apparatus 160A. The substrate 101 before film formation passes through the fifth conveyance path L5, crosses the first conveyance path L1, is carried into the inside from the outside of the orbit, and is received by the film formation apparatus 100. The substrate mounting device 160A includes a tray tilting frame that supports the transport tray 20. Further, the substrate mounting device 160A has a configuration capable of switching the posture of the tray tilting frame between a first posture for holding the transport tray 20 in an upright state and a second posture for holding the transport tray 20 in a horizontal state. It has become. Further, the fifth transport path L5 may be formed so as to cross other transport paths such as the third transport path L3 and the fourth transport path L4.

  The sixth transfer path L6 is formed in the X direction on the downstream side of the load lock chamber 125 so as to cross the first transfer path L1. At the intersection of the sixth transport path L6 and the first transport path L1, a substrate removal device 160B for removing the substrate 101 from the transport tray 20 is disposed. The board removing device 160B has the same configuration as the board mounting device 160A.

  The sixth transport path L6 transports the substrate 101 in the opposite direction to the fifth transport path L5. The sixth transport path L6 includes a substrate carry-out conveyor 196 that transports the substrate in the X direction outside the orbit, and a transport roller of the substrate detaching device 160B. The substrate 101 after film formation is removed from the transfer tray 20 by the substrate removing device 160B, then passes through the sixth transfer path L6, crosses the first transfer path L1, and is transferred from the inside to the outside of the orbit. Then, the substrate 101 after film formation is recovered. The collected substrate 101 is carried out of the film forming apparatus 100. The sixth transport path L6 may be formed so as to cross other transport paths such as the second transport path L2 and the third transport path L3.

(Return means)
Here, the return conveyor 65 which is a return means will be described. The return conveyor 65 constitutes a third transport path L3 that transports the transport tray 20 in the direction opposite to the transport direction L1 of the transport device 10 provided in the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. As shown in FIG. 6, the return conveyor 65 includes a main frame 66 and a transport device 67 disposed on the main frame 66. The main frame 66 defines a space in which the transport tray 20 is transported, and is configured by combining, for example, a plurality of structural steel pipes.

  In the main frame 66, the transport tray 20 is returned to the upstream side in a standing state. Therefore, the main frame 66 has a wall-like outer shape whose length in the vertical direction (Z direction) and conveyance direction (Y direction) is larger than the length of the substrate 101 in the thickness direction (X direction). ing. The transfer device 67 has a configuration similar to the transfer device 10 provided in the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. The transport device 67 includes a plurality of transport rollers disposed on the lower end surface side of the transport tray 20 and a plurality of driven rollers disposed on the upper end side of the transport tray 20.

(Maintenance deck)
Next, the maintenance deck 70 will be described. The maintenance deck 70 is for securing a work place where the worker M enters when performing maintenance work or the like of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125. Moreover, it has a function as a utility for installing the piping and wiring 71 connected to the vacuum chambers 121 to 125.

  The maintenance deck 70 is installed between the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 and the return conveyor 65. The maintenance deck 70 includes a floor plate 72 positioned slightly below the bottom plate 152 of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125, and a plurality of legs 73 that support the floor plate 72. Between the floor plate 72 of the maintenance deck 70 and the floor G on which the film forming apparatus 100 is installed, piping and wiring 71 connected to the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 are routed. Further, since the floor plate 72 of the maintenance deck 70 is disposed slightly below the bottom plate 152 of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125, a predetermined gap H is formed between the floor plate 72 and the lower end 40a of the chamber door 40. Is formed.

(Guidance means)
Next, the guide means will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the guide means 80 is for suspending the chamber door 40 and guiding the chamber door 40 so as to be horizontally movable in the plate thickness direction (X direction). The guide means 80 includes a pair of rail sets 81 extending in the plate thickness direction (X direction) and a suspension beam 84 spanned between the two rails 82 and 83 included in the rail set 81. Have.

(rail)
As shown in FIG. 6, the first ends E1 of the rails 82 and 83 are attached to the top plate 151 which is the upper end of the vacuum chamber main body 30 via the attachment member 151a. More specifically, rails 82 and 83 are attached to the top plate 151 on the opening 31 side of the top plate 151. Further, the tips of the first ends E1 of the rails 82 and 83 are attached to the rail support portion 64 of the chamber frame 60. The second end E2 of the rails 82 and 83 is attached to the upper end 66a of the main frame 66 of the return conveyor 65. Since the rail support portion 64 of the chamber base 60, the top plate 151 of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125, and the upper end 66a of the main frame 66 of the return conveyor 65 have substantially the same height, the rails 82 and 83 attached thereto are provided. Keeps the level.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the rails 82 and 83 are, for example, groove-shaped steel having a U-shaped cross section (channel shape), and are horizontally arranged apart from each other in the transport direction (Y direction). The rails 82 and 83 have a web W and two flanges F standing from both ends of the web W in a direction orthogonal to the web W, and the recesses 82a and 83a surrounded by the web W and the flange F are provided. Have. The two rails 82 and 83 are arranged so that the concave portions 82a and 83a face each other.

  A guide 85 is disposed on the lower flange F <b> 1 of one rail 82. A guide 86 is disposed on the lower flange F <b> 1 of the other rail 83. Guides 85 and 86 are travel paths on which guide rollers 96 and 97 described later travel. The guide 85 extends in the plate thickness direction (X direction) of the substrate 101, and a convex portion 87a corresponding to the concave portion 96a of the guide roller 96 is formed in the plate thickness direction (X direction) on the contact surface 87 with the guide roller 96. It is extended and provided. The guide 86 extends in the plate thickness direction (X direction), and the contact surface 88 with the guide roller 97 is formed to be substantially flat.

(Hanging beam)
The suspension beam 84 includes a main beam 91 spanned between the rails 82 and 83, and roller holding portions 92 fixed to both ends of the main beam 91. The suspension beam 84 has a substantially H-shaped outer shape when viewed from the Z direction (see FIG. 8).

  For the main beam 91, for example, a structural steel pipe having a rectangular cross section can be used. A suspension bracket 93 connected to the connection bracket 43 of the chamber door 40 is fixed to the main beam 91. The suspension bracket 93 is provided at a position corresponding to the vertical direction (Z direction) with respect to the connection bracket 43.

  The connection bracket 43 and the suspension bracket 93 are connected by a connection bolt 94 having a threaded portion. More specifically, the connecting bolt 94 has a positioning nut 95 disposed on one end 94a side, and is inserted into the through hole of the connecting bracket 43 from the other end 94b side. The through hole has an inner diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the nut 95. Therefore, the connection bracket 43 is supported by the nut 95. In addition, since the position of the nut 95 is moved in the vertical direction by rotating the nut 95, the vertical position of the chamber door 40 can be easily adjusted. Then, the other end 94 b of the connecting bolt 94 is screwed and fixed to a female screw portion provided on the hanging bracket 93, whereby the chamber door 40 is connected to the hanging beam 84.

  The roller holding portion 92 is arranged with the direction in which the rails 82 and 83 extend as the longitudinal direction, and is welded and fixed to the main beam 91 at the approximate center in the longitudinal direction of the roller holding portion 92 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). Guide rollers 96 and 97 are rotatably attached to both end portions of each roller holding portion 92. That is, two guide rollers 96 and 97 are attached to the roller holding portion 92 of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the guide roller 96 that rolls on the guide 85 having the convex portion 87 a of the rail 82 has a concave portion 96 a that is continuous in the circumferential direction with a shape corresponding to the convex portion 87 a of the rail 82. Yes. By combining the convex portion 87a of the rail 82 and the concave portion 96a of the guide roller 96 in this way, the moving direction of the guide roller 96 on the guide 85 is restricted only in the X direction. Is prevented. Therefore, the meandering prevention mechanism and the derailment prevention mechanism of the present embodiment are configured by the convex portion 87 a of the rail 82 and the concave portion 96 a of the guide roller 96. The guide roller 97 that rolls on the guide 86 of the rail 83 has a cylindrical shape including a flat circumferential surface 97 a that rolls on the guide 86 of the rail 83.

  In the film forming apparatus 100, the chamber door 40 is guided so as to be horizontally movable in the plate thickness direction (X direction) of the substrate 101. Therefore, the chamber door 40 is moved in a direction away from the vacuum chamber body 30 (positive X direction). Thus, the opening 31 can be opened. Moreover, the opening part 31 can be closed by moving the chamber door 40 in the direction (negative X direction) approaching the vacuum chamber main body 30. The chamber door 40 is lowered by the guide means 80 and guided in the horizontal direction (X direction). According to this, it is not necessary to provide a member such as a rail for moving and supporting the chamber door 40 below the chamber door 40 and on the maintenance deck 70 on which the chamber door 40 moves. Accordingly, it is possible to secure a work place in which the protrusions from the floor plate 72 of the maintenance deck 70 are eliminated.

  The chamber door 40 is suspended from the suspension beam 84 by a connection bracket 43 fixed to the chamber door 40, a suspension bracket 93 fixed to the suspension beam 84, and a connection bolt 94. Therefore, it is possible to easily adjust the position of the chamber door 40 in the vertical direction (Z direction). Furthermore, according to the configuration in which the chamber door 40 is suspended, the familiarity of the chamber door 40 with respect to the vacuum chamber main body 30 can be enhanced during the decompression operation of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125.

  By the way, when the chamber door is guided and supported by a rail or the like provided on the floor surface of the maintenance deck, the chamber door may fall over when it is moved. For this reason, in order to prevent the chamber door from overturning, it is necessary to provide a support structure for preventing overturning at the lower portion of the chamber door. Furthermore, when the chamber door is supported by a rail or the like provided on the floor surface of the maintenance deck, the strength of the maintenance deck needs to be increased because the chamber door is heavy. On the other hand, since the chamber door 40 of this embodiment is connected to the suspension beam 84 and suspended, the chamber door 40 does not fall down, and it is not necessary to provide a support structure for preventing the fall. Therefore, the safety of the opening / closing operation of the chamber door 40 can be improved, and the space saving of the opening / closing area of the chamber door 40 can be achieved. Since the maintenance deck 70 does not support the weight of the chamber door 40, the structure of the maintenance deck 70 due to the addition of a strength member or the like can be suppressed, and the structure of the maintenance deck 70 can be simplified.

  The pair of rails 81 has one end attached to the vacuum chamber body 30 and the other end attached to the return conveyor 65. Thereby, since a pair of rail 81 is made into the state of both-ends support, the chamber door 40 which is a heavy article can be suspended suitably.

  Furthermore, since the tip on one end side of the pair of rails 81 is also attached to the chamber mount 60, the attachment strength of the pair of rails 81 can be further increased. In addition, since the pair of rails 81 are attached to the top plate 151 of the vacuum chamber body 30, the top plate 151 can be deformed when the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 are decompressed by increasing the strength of the top plate 151 in the normal direction. Can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the rails 82 and 83 are attached to the top plate 151 in the vicinity of the opening 31 that is easily deformed in the top plate 151, the deformation of the top plate 151 can be suppressed more suitably. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a new member for supporting the other end side of the pair of rails 81, the entire film forming apparatus 100 can be saved in space.

  The return conveyor 65 returns the transport tray 20 in an upright state. Thereby, the main frame 66 of the return conveyor 65 becomes vertically long, and the other ends of the rails 82 and 83 are easily attached to the upper end of the main frame 66. Further, since the main frame 66 of the return conveyor 65 has a wall-like outer shape as a single unit, the direction (X direction) orthogonal to the transport direction (Y direction) compared to the strength in the vertical direction (Z direction). The strength of is weak. The main frame 66 of this embodiment has an upper end attached to the rails 82 and 83. Therefore, since the rails 82 and 83 act as strength members in the plate thickness direction (X direction) orthogonal to the transport direction (Y direction), the strength in the plate thickness direction (X direction) can be increased. Furthermore, since the strength of the main frame 66 in the plate thickness direction (X direction) is reinforced by the rails 82 and 83, the width dimension of the main frame 66 in the X direction can be reduced.

  Guide rollers 96 and 97 that can travel along a pair of rails 81 are provided at both ends of the suspension beam 84. The guide means 80 has a derailment prevention mechanism that prevents the guide rollers 96 and 97 from derailing. Accordingly, the chamber door 40 supported by the suspension beam 84 from the pair of rails 81 can be prevented from falling off, and the safety of the opening / closing operation of the chamber door 4 can be improved.

  The guide means 80 has a meandering prevention mechanism that prevents meandering of the guide rollers 96 and 97. Thereby, the chamber door 40 supported by the suspension beam 84 can be smoothly moved horizontally. Further, since the chamber door 40 is moved in parallel with the rails 82 and 83, it is necessary to evenly push or pull the chamber door 40 by a plurality of workers M so that a rotational moment does not act on the chamber door 40. In addition, the worker M can open and close the chamber door 40 alone.

  A circumferential concave portion 96a is formed on the peripheral surface of the guide roller 96 traveling on the rail 82, and a convex portion 87a corresponding to the concave portion 96a of the guide roller 96 is formed on the guide 85 of the rail 82 on which the guide roller 96 travels. Is formed. Thereby, since the moving direction of the guide roller 96 is regulated only in the plate thickness direction (X direction), derailment and meandering of the guide roller 96 can be suitably prevented.

  At both ends of the suspension beam 84, a plurality of guide rollers 96, 97 are arranged in the direction (X direction) in which the rails 82, 83 extend. Thereby, since the suspension beam 84 is supported on the rails 82 and 83 at a plurality of points in the extending direction of the rails 82 and 83 (X direction), the extending direction of the rails 82 and 83 (X direction). The chamber door 40 can be moved more smoothly by preventing the chamber door 40 from shaking.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was concretely demonstrated based on the embodiment, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. The film forming apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the ion plating method, and other film forming methods (for example, a sputtering method) may be applied.

  The film forming apparatus and the film forming apparatus tray of the present invention are not limited to those which carry the substrate upright, but may carry the substrate inclined. For example, the tilted substrate may be transported by tilting the film forming apparatus and the transport tray. For example, the circumferential surface of the transport roller may be formed so as to intersect the rotation axis. A film forming apparatus that transports a substrate using a transport tray that supports the substrate at an inclination may be used. The tilt angle when the substrate is tilted can be set to about 0 ° to 15 ° with respect to the vertical direction.

  The guide means 80 of the present invention may be configured such that a convex portion is formed on the guide roller 96, a concave portion is formed on the guide 85 of the rail 82, and a convex portion corresponding to the concave portion is formed on the guide roller 96. . Such irregularities of the guide 85 and the guide roller 96 may be provided not only on the rail 82 side but also on the guide 86 and guide roller 97 on the rail 83 side. Further, the number of guide rollers 96 and 97 traveling on one rail 82 and 83 is not limited to two, and the roller holding portion 92 may include two or more guide rollers 96 and 97.

  In the present invention, the operator M manually moves the chamber door 40. However, the chamber door 40 may be moved using a driving source that drives the suspension beam 84 in the horizontal direction. For example, a high torque motor for rotating the guide rollers 96 and 97 can be used as a drive source, and a linear guide using a ball screw may be used as a drive source.

  In the present invention, the entire front wall 153 of the vacuum chambers 121 to 125 is the chamber door 40, but a part of the front wall 153 may be the chamber door 40. In this case, for example, the front wall 153 is fixed to the top plate 151, the bottom plate 152, the back wall 154, the entrance wall 155, and the exit wall 156, and a substantially square front wall having a rectangular opening and a horizontal direction And a chamber door that closes the opening that is movable.

  In the present invention, the opening 31 that opens the inside of the vacuum chamber and the chamber door 40 that closes the opening 31 are provided on the front wall 153 side, but the opening and the chamber door are provided on the back wall 154 side. Also good. The opening and the chamber door may be provided on both the front wall 153 side and the back wall 154 side.

  In the present invention, the guide means 80 has the convex portion 87a of the rail 82 and the concave portion 96a of the guide roller 96 for the meandering prevention mechanism and the derailment prevention mechanism. The rail 82 of the guide means 80 may not include the convex portion 87a, and the guide roller 96 may not include the concave portion 96a. In the present invention, the guide rollers 96 and 97 are provided on the suspension beam 84 in the guide means 80, but may be provided on the pair of rails 81 side.

  Furthermore, the derailment prevention mechanism and the meandering prevention mechanism are not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiment. For example, you may have the rail which has a flat running surface, and the guide roller which has a surrounding surface without the unevenness | corrugation which contact | abuts a running surface. In such a configuration, a spherical bearing is disposed on the rail so as to sandwich the guide roller in the direction of the rotation axis of the guide roller. According to such a configuration, the chamber door can be moved only in the X direction by rolling the guide roller on the traveling surface in the direction in which the rail extends. Furthermore, the movement in the Y direction is restricted by a spherical bearing arranged so as to sandwich the guide roller. Therefore, the chamber door can be moved only in the X direction without derailing and meandering.

  In the above embodiment, a part of the wall of the film forming chamber 123 is configured to be openable / closable. However, the other chambers may be configured to be openable / closable like the film forming chamber 123. .

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,67 ... Conveyance apparatus (conveyance means), 20 ... Conveyance tray, 30 ... Vacuum chamber main body, 31 ... Opening part, 40 ... Chamber door, 65 ... Return conveyor (return means), 70 ... Maintenance deck, 80 ... Guide means , 82, 83 ... rail, 84 ... suspended beam, 96, 97 ... guide roller, 100 ... film forming apparatus, 101 ... substrate, 121-125 ... vacuum vessel.

Claims (8)

A film forming apparatus for performing a film forming process on a substrate,
An opening having a transfer means capable of transferring the substrate in a transfer direction intersecting the plate thickness direction in a state where the substrate is erected so that the plate thickness direction of the substrate is a horizontal direction, and opening the inside A vacuum chamber main body formed with
A chamber door capable of opening and closing the opening of the vacuum chamber body;
A guide means provided above the vacuum chamber body and guiding the chamber door so as to be horizontally movable in the plate thickness direction;
A film forming apparatus comprising: The guiding means includes
A pair of rails extending in the plate thickness direction and spaced apart in the transport direction;
A suspended beam that is spanned between the pair of rails, connected to the chamber door, and capable of reciprocating along the rails;
The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The transport means holds the substrate by a transport tray that detachably holds the substrate and transports the substrate in the transport direction,
A return means for returning the transport tray to the upstream side in the transport direction;
The return means is opposed to the opening of the vacuum chamber main body, and is spaced apart in the plate thickness direction.
3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein one end side of the pair of rails is attached to an upper end of the vacuum chamber body, and the other end side is attached to an upper end of the return means.   The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the return unit returns the transfer tray in an upright state. Guide rollers capable of traveling along the pair of rails are provided at both ends of the suspension beam,
The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide unit includes a derailment prevention mechanism that prevents derailment of the guide roller. Guide rollers capable of traveling along the pair of rails are provided at both ends of the suspension beam,
The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide unit includes a meandering prevention mechanism that prevents meandering of the guide roller. On the peripheral surface of the guide roller that travels on one of the pair of rails, a concave portion or a convex portion that is continuous in the circumferential direction is formed,
The rail on which the guide roller travels is formed with a convex portion corresponding to the concave portion of the guide roller or a concave portion corresponding to the convex portion of the guide roller. 2. The film forming apparatus according to 1.   The film forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the guide rollers are arranged in the extending direction of the rails at both ends of the suspension beam.

Images