JP2914707B2 - No sliding gate valve - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a gate valve.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a gate valve used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, it is necessary to minimize the generation of dust, but at the same time, contamination between processing chambers isolated by the gate valve is minimized. It is necessary to. However, conventionally, a gate valve used in this type of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is generally mounted in a valve box so as to be freely slidable or pivotable in order to open and close a valve box and a valve opening provided therein. The valve body is composed of a valve plate and a counter plate that are arranged in parallel to face each other, and the valve plate is pressed against a valve seat surrounding the valve opening. Therefore, a gate valve that closes a valve opening is generally used.

As described above, in the conventionally known gate valve, the valve plate constituting the valve body is attached to the valve plate so as to surround the periphery of the valve opening formed in the valve box around the valve opening. When the gate valve is closed, the sealed processing chamber is connected to the valve opening, so that the O-ring is closed when the gate valve is closed. The environment is maintained as a boundary, but the counter plate, which constitutes the other side of the valve body, does not seal other openings formed in the valve box even when the valve plate is closed. Therefore, the counter plate side is provided with a valve body operating rod for operating the internal components of the gate valve and the valve body, and a shaft seal portion (for sealing a portion extending through the valve box). Rose unit), etc., all through the valve opening of the side, and to be exposed to other treatment room environment. Therefore, when a gate valve having such a general configuration is used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, in this case, the inside of the valve box of the gate valve is closed when the valve element is closed. One of the members constituting the body, the counter plate side, is placed in the same environment as the processing chamber, and the opening and closing operation of the gate element of the gate valve pollutes the environment of the other processing chamber. Occurs.

Now, this will be briefly described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, which schematically show a semiconductor production line using a gate valve of this type, which is conventionally known. .

In other words, this semiconductor manufacturing line is composed of a processing chamber (film forming chamber), a transport and load lock chamber, and each chamber can be isolated by a gate valve. In the production line, for example, in a preparation room, when cleaning the surface of a silicon wafer, an operation of heating the wafer to about 900 ° C. with a heater to remove oxide on the wafer surface is performed. If a conventional gate valve is used, since the gate valve has a one-sided seal, all components on the non-seal side inside the valve box will be contaminated with substances generated during cleaning.

After cleaning, the preparation room is evacuated by a vacuum pump and cleaned, but in the case of a conventional gate valve, it is evacuated from a gap such as a counter plate facing a seal plate (valve plate). (The conductance is small.) Also, since a member having an extremely large surface area such as a bellows and a large number of gaps such as particles are easily used for driving a gate valve, such a member is used. If a conventionally known gate valve having such a configuration is used, contaminants will accumulate in the valve box. Further, after the silicon wafer has been subjected to the pretreatment (cleaning, etc.) in the preparation chamber, when the silicon wafer is transferred to the processing chamber (film formation step), the gate valve is opened. As shown in FIG. 5, if the inside of the valve box of the gate valve is contaminated, particles are generated and adhere to the surface of the wafer, or contaminants enter the so-called room, and the inside of the processing chamber is cleaned. And the degree of vacuum will be worsened.

As described above, when a conventionally known gate valve is used in a semiconductor manufacturing line, a valve body and other components are housed in a narrow space due to its manufacture.
When they become contaminated or in a particular environment,
Cleaning these parts alone has been very difficult.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gate valve that can solve the above-described problems that occur when a conventionally known gate valve is incorporated in, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a thin-walled hollow box-shaped valve box having a substantially elliptical front profile, and a valve box disposed inside the valve box. A disc-shaped valve element, wherein the valve element is configured to open and close a pair of valve openings axially opposed to the valve box. A valve seat is formed about both of a pair of opposedly spaced valve openings, and the valve body is disposed in a pair of opposed, axially spaced, parallel pairs to align with the valve seat. These valve plates are connected to each other at their peripheral portions by an annular elastic connecting plate which is extendable and contractible in the axial direction. The enclosed space surrounded by the annular elastic connecting plate In the case where the valve body is closed, a pressure fluid is supplied from the outside of the valve box into this closed space, so that each valve plate is opposed to the elasticity of the annular elastic connecting plate. Each valve opening is closed by moving toward the opposing valve opening, and conversely, when opening the valve opening from this state, the pressure fluid is discharged from the sealed space, and the annular elastic Each valve plate is separated from each valve opening by elastic contraction of the connection plate, and a vacuum exhaust port is provided on the side wall of the valve box, and high-purity N ₂ gas is introduced into the valve box, thereby When suppressing the generation of released gas in the valve box and opening the gate valve, the gas inlet port and the exhaust port are provided on the side wall of the valve box in order to perform the opening operation after discharging the N ₂ gas. Is provided.

Embodiments Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, a gate valve according to the present invention comprises a thin-walled hollow box-shaped valve box 1 having a substantially elliptical front profile, and a substantially disk-shaped valve disposed therein. It is composed from the body 2 which, the valve element 2 is adapted to open and close the valve opening 1 ₁ and 1 ₂ of a pair of drilled opposite the valve casing 1 in the axial direction. On the outside of the valve box 1, on the upper surface 3,
A pair of brackets 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ are vertically fixedly attached at intervals in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 2), and a substantially inverted U-shape is set within the interval between the brackets 4 ₁ , 4 _2. Bearing member 5
And the respective leg portions 5 ₁ , 5 ₂ are pivotally mounted on the respective brackets 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ facing each other by the respective pivot bearings 6 ₁ , 6 ₂ fixed to the respective brackets 4 ₁ , 4 _2. at the center of the central web portion 5 ₃ of the member 5, place the rod 7 of the hollow stick by fixing in the vicinity of its upper end, the lower end portion thereof, are secured to the valve body 2 in the radial direction. Further, an air cylinder 8 is mounted on the outer surface of the valve box 1 so as to be pivotable at its piston rod end so that its axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the valve box 1 (see FIG. 1). The end of the piston rod is pivotally attached to the rod 7 above the inverted U-shaped bearing member 5 near the upper end thereof. When the air cylinder 8 is operated so that its piston rod expands and contracts in this manner, the rod 7
Pivots together with the bearing member 5 secured thereto on the pivot bearings 6 ₁ , 6 ₂ with respect to the brackets 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ secured to the valve box 1, and thus secured to the lower end of the rod 7. In FIG. 1, the valve body 2 is set in an open state in which the turning position to the right is indicated by a broken line, and a closed state in which the turning position to the left is also indicated by a broken line. It is configured so that it can be taken selectively.

Moreover, the valve box 1, when it it closed its valve opening 1 ₁ and 1 ₂ is the valve body, the interior becomes a closed space, in order to prevent that self contaminated by discharged gas,
A vacuum exhaust port 10 is provided on a side wall of the valve box 1. The vacuum exhaust port 10 is shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 as being installed on the front wall of the valve box 2. However, this vacuum exhaust port 10 is connected to other equipment. If there is a risk of interference, etc.
It can also be provided on the peripheral wall of the valve box 1, as shown as 10 '. Also, this evacuation port 10 or 10 ′
Not only is it used for evacuation of the valve box 1 but also through this, high-purity nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas is sealed and placed in the valve box 1, thereby suppressing generation of released gas. When opening the gate valve, after exhausting this N ₂ gas,
A method of performing the opening operation is also effective. Thus, the port 10, 10 'for evacuation, can also be used as a port and a port for evacuation for the introduction of high-purity N ₂ gas. Alternatively, a port for this may be provided in addition to the evacuation ports 10, 10 '.

Next, the valve body 2, the inside of the valve box 1 of elliptical shape, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the valve opening 1 _1, 1 ₂ and closed ready position opposed to, the valve opening 1 _1, from a position facing the 1 _2, the thickness of the valve body 2 pivoted at the center plane bisecting was avoided from the valve opening 1 _1, 1 ₂ opposite to the position, the open position shown by broken lines in FIG. 1 It is configured to be able to take. When pivoting between these two positions, the valve element 2 is in a contracted state as shown in FIG. 3, and the pivoting movement of the valve element 2 causes the valve openings 1 ₁ , between 1 ₂ around which is formed in the valve seat 17 ₁ and 17 ₂ of the surface, it is so no any relative sliding motion.

Further, in particular, the valve body 2, as shown in FIG. 3, the valve seat 17 ₁ and 17 ₂ of the valve box 1, respectively, so as to face, in their coaxial, generally circular thin metal 1 consisting of a plate
It consists of a pair of mutually spaced valve plates 30 ₁ and 30 ₂ and these valve plates 30 ₁
And 30 _2, respectively, the side facing the valve seat 17 ₁ and 17 ₂ which surrounds the valve opening 1 _1, 1 ₂ of the valve casing 1, the inner surface of the valve box 1, the valve opening
1 _1, 1 the valve seat 17 ₁ and 17 ₂ formed around the _2, respectively, on its side with are arranged parallel to the valve seat 17 ₁
And 17 ₂ and the sealing material 31 of the annular shape so as to seal to junction
Is attached.

Between the valve plate 30 ₁ and 30 _2, the internal support 32 for a pair big thick that the outer diameter has a disc-shaped metallic than the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface thereof, coaxially But each internal support 32 has an opposing disc-shaped surface.
32 _1, are parallel spaced from each other spacing extends in the direction perpendicular to the valve opening 1 _1, 1 ₂ of axis X-X,
On the opposite side, two concentric circular projections 32 ₂ , 32 ₃
There are formed, in each of the inner annular projection 32 _{and second} outer surface, the inner peripheral edge of the valve plate 30 ₁ and 30 ₂ are fixed are respectively sealed by welding.

Furthermore, the outer annular projection 32 ₃ external internal supports 32, an inner diameter larger than and an outer diameter of the valve plate 30 ₁ and 30 ₂ to the internal support 32 coaxially spaced therefrom intervals radially An annular external support 33 made of metal is provided, and the external support 33 has a certain thickness and a width substantially corresponding to the total thickness of the internal supports 32.

In this way, the outer annular projection 32 _{3 on the} inner support 32
An annular space is left in the radial direction between the outer peripheral surface of the outer support 33 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer support 33, and this space is formed by the inner peripheral surface of the outer support 33 and each inner support. 32 outer annular projections 32
To the ₃ outer peripheral surface of each peripheral flange 34 ₁ and the inner peripheral flange portion 34 is fixed ₂ is sealed in and mutually pair spaced thin metal plate made of a diaphragm, or cyclic It is sealed and connected by an elastic connecting plate. The annular elastic connecting plate 34 protrudes from the radial plane alternately in the direction perpendicular thereto, and at least one concentrically (in this embodiment, 3
Annular ridge 34 ₀ of pieces) are formed in the waveform. Annular elastic linking plates (diaphragm) 34 made of an annular thin metal thus has an annular ridge 34 _0, the selection and molding process of the material, represents a very high elasticity, in particular, to exhibit excellent resilience Can be done.

In this manner, the opposing surfaces 32 of the pair of internal supports 32
A sealed space 35 communicating with each other is formed between the pair ₁ and between the opposing surfaces of the pair of annular elastic connecting plates 34. In the sealed space 35, the external support 32 is radially mounted. A pressurized fluid such as compressed air can be supplied and discharged from a fluid passage 36 opened therethrough. When the pressurized fluid is supplied to the inside of the sealed space 35, the opposed disk of the internal support 32 Jo plane 32 ₁ is pressed by the fluid pressure, along with this, the annular elastic connecting plate 34 elastically deforms the respective valve plate 30 ₁ and 30 secured to the outside of the inner support 32
₂ and a valve seat 17 ₁ and a valve seat 17 ₁ formed inside the valve box 1, respectively.
17 Press it toward ₂ . In this case, the annular elastic connecting plates 34 are themselves pressed by the fluid pressure,
Against its elasticity, it is freely and elastically deformed outward, and assists the movement of the internal support 32 in the same direction. Thus, the valve plate 30 ₁ and 30 ₂ via a sealing member 31 of the respective annular, to the valve seat 17 ₁ bonded to 17 _2, to fully close the valve opening 1 _1, 1 _2.

Conversely, when the pressurized fluid is discharged from the inside of the closed space 35 through the flow passage 36, the annular elastic connecting plate 34 returns to its original state due to its inherent elasticity. Thus, the valve plate 30 ₁ and 30 ₂ fixed to also return to its original position, and opening the valve opening 1 _1, 1 ₂ of the valve casing 1.

In this way, according to the present invention, as the valve body of the gate valve, the opening and closing of the valve plate 30 ₁ and 30 _2, in particular, the opening can be carried out by only strong elastic restoring effect to exert an annular elastic linking plates 34 . Valve plate 30 ₁ and 30 ₂
Have the same structure, so that when the valve body 2 is opened and closed, the loads applied to both the annular elastic connecting plates 34 become equal, and a favorable result can be given to increase the life thereof. The opening and closing of the valve body 1 can be performed quickly, and the overall configuration of the gate valve itself can be simplified.

Here, in the present invention, in order to enable such excellent effects to be exerted, the annular elastic connecting plate 34 greatly contributes, but this is partly for the same purpose. It should be noted that the metal bellows used in the above are fundamentally different in all respects in configuration, operation and effect. This is because the metal bellows are formed by forming a large number of irregularities on the wall of a circular pipe made of a thin metal plate, or by superposing a large number of annular thin metal plates,
The inner and outer peripheral portions are welded to each other to form a tubular body, and the tubular elastic body performs its function by expansion and contraction of the tubular body itself. has an annular shape, perpendicular to the plate surface to form a raised 34 ₀ of at least one annular concentric, two annular elastic connecting plate 34 thus formed, another interval Are arranged in parallel with placing, in this case, the selection of the material of the thin metal plate,
Each annular elastic connecting plate
This is because No. 34 exerts a unique elasticity, in particular, a strong restoring force after elastic deformation. In contrast, general metal bellows have such a specific action or effect,
It cannot be demonstrated.

In the present invention, the annular elastic connecting plate used as an important constituent member has a characteristic elastic characteristic. However, the present invention can be widely applied to other devices and the like that are required to exhibit the same operation or effect.

Effects of the Invention Since the gate valve according to the present invention has the above-described configuration and operation, particularly when the gate valve is used as a structural part of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the gate valve faces the valve box in the axial direction. A pair of valve openings are provided, and these valve openings are opened and closed by a valve body composed of a pair of valve plates having the same configuration and disposed opposite to each other. The outside of each adjacent processing chamber connected to the gate valve can always be maintained in a unique environment, and the inside of the valve box is closed when its valve opening is closed by a valve body. The inside is a closed space, and self-contamination by the released gas can be prevented by discharging the released gas to the outside of the valve box through the vacuum exhaust port provided on the side wall of the valve box. , It is possible to prevent the valve body and other components disposed inside the valve box from being contaminated or to be in a specific environment, and therefore, it is possible to keep its components clean at all times. is there.

FIG. 6 shows a case where this gate valve is replaced with the gate valve according to the present invention in a semiconductor manufacturing line using the conventionally known gate valve shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This will be specifically described based on the following. As can be seen from the figure, by using the gate valve according to the present invention, the processing chamber, the preparation chamber, the load lock chamber and the valve box portion of the gate valve are completely separated, and therefore, the conventional gate valve is used. As in the case of using, the phenomenon of contaminant stagnation in the gate valve does not occur, and the adhesion of particles to the silicon wafer and the occurrence of contamination in the processing chamber can be effectively prevented. You can see that.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a structural view showing a main part of a semiconductor manufacturing line using a conventionally known gate valve in a state in which the gate valve is closed, and FIG. FIG. 6 shows the configuration diagram in the state.
1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a semiconductor manufacturing line using a gate valve according to the present invention in a state where the gate valve is closed. 1 ... valve case, 2 ... valve body, 10, 10 '... evacuation port, 17 _1, 17 ₂ ... valve seat, 30 _1, 30 ₂ ... valve plate, 31
... annular sealing material, 32 ... internal support, 33 ... external support, 34 ... annular elastic connecting plate, 35 ... closed space, 36 ... fluid passage.

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-63-254275 (JP, A) JP-A-57-114065 (JP, A) JP-A-1-261573 (JP, A) JP-B-63-58310 (JP) , B2) Jiko 55-23255 (JP, Y2) JP-B 51-41691 (JP, B1) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) F16K 3/18, 3/10 F16K 27/04

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A thin-walled hollow box-shaped valve box having a substantially elliptical front profile, and a substantially disk-shaped valve element disposed inside the valve box, wherein the valve element is a valve. A gate valve configured to open and close a pair of valve openings axially opposed to a box, around a pair of valve openings axially opposed to said valve box. The valve body is formed of a pair of opposing valve plates axially spaced and parallel to align with each valve seat, the valve plates comprising: At the peripheral portion, the sealing members are sealed and connected to each other by an annular elastic connecting plate that is axially expandable and contractable, thereby forming a sealed space surrounded by the elastic elastic connecting plate that is elastic between the valve plates. In the event of valve blockage, In the space, by supplying pressure fluid from the valve body outside, each valve plate, respectively,
Each valve opening is closed by moving toward each opposing valve opening against the elasticity of the annular elastic connecting plate,
Conversely, when opening the valve opening from this state, the pressure fluid is discharged from the closed space, and the valve plate is separated from each valve opening by elastic contraction of the annular elastic connecting plate, In the side wall of the valve box, a vacuum exhaust port is provided, and high-purity N ₂ gas is introduced into the valve box, thereby suppressing generation of released gas in the valve box and opening the gate valve. In the non-sliding gate valve, a gas inlet port and an exhaust port are provided on a side wall of the valve box for performing an opening operation after discharging the N ₂ gas. 2. The annular elastic connecting plate is made of an annular thin metal plate, and has a plate surface which alternately protrudes vertically from the surface to form at least one annular ridge concentrically in a wavy shape. The non-sliding gate valve according to claim 1, wherein the gate valve is formed.