JP4151855B2 - Vacuum chamber - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vacuum chamber for securing a space for transferring a substrate without exposing it to the atmosphere. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vacuum chamber having a structure that allows easy opening and closing of an upper lid even when the substrate is enlarged.
[0002]
In a manufacturing process of an IC (semiconductor integrated circuit) or TFT (liquid crystal display device), a fine and precise process is performed on a substrate such as a wafer in a vacuum processing chamber. In addition, various processes are performed by moving a wafer or the like between a plurality of processing chambers. In order to maintain the vacuum state from the viewpoint of preventing contamination by dust and the like and improving the processing efficiency during the wafer movement, a vacuum chamber for transferring the wafer is provided, and the series of processing chambers are provided around the vacuum chamber. They are arranged and connected in a cluster. Then, the wafer transfer mechanism is housed in a vacuum chamber located at the center, and by this mechanism, the wafer is received from the wafer carry-in entrance or any of the processing chambers, and transferred to the wafer carry-out exit or any of the process chambers. Internal transfer is made.
[0003]
Specifically, a schematic plan view is shown in FIG. 9, and wafer processing chambers 21 to 26 are connected and arranged around the wafer transfer chamber 10 as a vacuum chamber, and at the center of the bottom 11 of the wafer transfer chamber 10. A frog leg drive mechanism 30 is erected (see FIGS. 9A to 9C), and a frog leg mechanism 40 as a transfer mechanism is supported by the frog leg drive mechanism 30 so as to be drivable (FIG. 9D). reference). The frog-leg driving mechanism 30 receives rotational force from the atmospheric electric motor 37 and the like, and the driven rings 31 and 36 rotate in a vacuum. In the frog-leg mechanism 40, a pair of arms 41 are connected to the rotating rings 31 and 36, a link 42 is connected to the tip of each arm 41, and a wafer blade 43 is connected to the tip of these arms 41. When the driven rings 31 and 36 rotate in the same phase, the wafer blade 43 rotates in the horizontal plane, and when the driven rings 31 and 36 rotate in the reverse phase, the wafer blade 43 moves forward or backward in the horizontal plane.
[0004]
For example, when the wafer 22a in the wafer processing chamber 22 is moved to the wafer processing chamber 23, the frog leg driving mechanism 30 is rotated in the same phase to move the frog leg mechanism 40 to the front of the gate of the wafer processing chamber 22, and then the frog The leg driving mechanism 30 is rotated in reverse phase to advance the wafer blade 43 of the frog leg mechanism 40 into the wafer processing chamber 22 (see FIG. 9A). At this time, in the wafer processing chamber 22, the wafer 22 a is lifted by lifter pins or the like so that it can be transferred to the wafer blade 43.
[0005]
Then, when the frog-leg mechanism 40 on which the wafer 22 a is mounted is driven backward, the wafer 22 a is taken out from the wafer processing chamber 22 into the wafer transfer chamber 10. Further, after the frog leg mechanism 40 is rotated by the frog leg drive mechanism 30 to the front of the gate of the wafer processing chamber 23 (see FIG. 9B), the wafer blade 43 is advanced into the wafer processing chamber 23 (see FIG. 9B). (See FIG. 9C). Therefore, after the wafer 22a is received by a lifter pin or the like in the wafer processing chamber 23, the wafer blade 43 is retracted.
[0006]
Thus, the wafer 22a is transferred along the horizontal plane with little vertical movement or slight vertical movement. That is, the substrate is laterally transferred.
The present invention relates to a vacuum chamber suitable for lateral transfer of a substrate in a vacuum like the wafer transfer chamber.
[0007]
[Prior art]
A wafer transfer chamber 10 (vacuum chamber) shown in a longitudinal cross-sectional view in FIG. 10 includes a chamber main body formed integrally with a chamber bottom 11 and a chamber side wall 13, and a detachable upper lid 12 mounted thereon. It is equipped with. In the chamber main body, a frog leg mechanism 40 (transfer mechanism) is housed in a state where the wafer (substrate) is supported by the frog leg drive mechanism 30 so as to be laterally transferred. Wafer processing chambers 22 and 24, a wafer loading / unloading unit (not shown), and the like are connected to the chamber side wall 13 from the side, and a communication port for moving the wafer blade 43 back and forth is controlled from the outside. Gates 14 and 15 that are opened and closed according to the above are also attached.
[0008]
The upper lid 12 is detachable from the chamber body in order to open the upper portion of the chamber when the frog-leg mechanism 40 is installed or maintained. At the time of attachment to the chamber main body, when the attachment surface is sealed by the O-ring 16 and evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown), the inside of the wafer transfer chamber 10 is evacuated. In addition, since the upper lid 12 is made of a thick single plate aluminum material and is heavy, the upper lid 12 is also provided with a pneumatically driven opening / closing mechanism 17 incorporating an air cylinder or the like so that the opening / closing is easy. It has become.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such a conventional vacuum chamber, in order to secure a space required for the lateral transfer of the substrate, when the size of the substrate to be handled increases, the size of the upper lid as well as the chamber body must be increased. For example, when trying to transfer a 12-inch silicon wafer, the upper lid has a distance of opposite sides or a diameter of about 1.4 m. In addition, the upper lid is bent by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the chamber. In addition to the increase in the pressure receiving area, the distance to the point of action also increases, so the bending moment increases nonlinearly. In order to suppress the deformation of the upper lid, it is necessary to sufficiently increase the rigidity of the upper lid. Specifically, the thickness of the upper lid needs to be 30 mm or more so that the O-ring sealing on the attachment surface to the chamber body is not impaired by deformation occurring in the upper lid of 1.4 m diameter. Arise.
[0010]
For this reason, even if it is made of aluminum, which has a lighter specific gravity than steel, etc., the top lid weighs about 100 kg but will exceed it, so it is impossible to open and close it manually. It is essential to attach it.
However, if it is so heavy, the design of the mechanism is greatly restricted due to the limited number of air cylinders that can be used and the need to place multiple air cylinders in parallel. Since it also causes a decline in the performance, even if it depends on mechanical power, it may not be easy to open and close.
Therefore, it becomes a problem to devise a structure that does not make opening / closing operation or the like difficult even if the upper lid becomes heavy even if the size is increased, or a structure that does not increase the weight of the upper lid if the size is increased. At that time, it is also necessary to ensure that the vacuum state is not impaired.
[0011]
Further, as a transfer mechanism housed in such a vacuum chamber and for driving it, a cylinder is formed at the bottom of the vacuum chamber so that the cylindrical body cavity is on the atmosphere side and the outer periphery of the cylinder body is on the vacuum side. A mechanism is known in which a rotating body is transmitted by a rotating body that stands upright and is magnetically coupled with the side wall of the cylindrical body sandwiched from inside and outside (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 3-13679 and 1). 6-241237). The former is such that the cylindrical body extends from the bottom of the vacuum chamber to the upper lid of the vacuum chamber, and two pairs of rotating bodies that are magnetically coupled are provided, with one pair disposed at the top of the cylindrical body, Are arranged at the bottom of the cylindrical body. On the other hand, in the latter, the cylindrical body does not reach the upper lid of the vacuum chamber, but is closed in the middle, and two pairs of rotating bodies that are magnetically coupled are arranged vertically on the inside and outside of the side wall of the cylindrical body. It is a thing.
[0012]
However, in such a transfer mechanism or the like, only one frog-leg mechanism is driven with two pairs of rotating bodies. For this reason, when the transfer timing of wafers or the like overlaps due to the number of processing chambers or the length of the processing time, there is often a wait for the wafer transfer order, resulting in a decrease in throughput. Therefore, it is also required to increase the number of pairs of rotating bodies in order to increase the number of transfer mechanisms in the vacuum chamber such as a frog-leg mechanism so as to parallelize and speed up the transfer process.
In order to make a plurality of transfer mechanisms in the vacuum chamber, it is an easy method to provide a plurality of conventional units. For example, the vacuum chamber rotation transmission mechanism and transfer mechanism described in JP-A-6-241237 may be installed not only on the bottom of the vacuum chamber but also on the lid as in the vertical arrangement described in JP-A-3-13679. .
[0013]
Specifically, the schematic diagram is shown in FIG. 11A, but the frog leg drive mechanism 30 (rotational transmission for vacuum chamber) including the driven ring 31 (inner vacuum rotating body) and the driven ring 36 (inner vacuum rotating body). The mechanism / support mechanism is erected on the chamber bottom 11 of the wafer transfer chamber 10 (vacuum chamber) to drive the frog-leg mechanism 40, and the same driven ring 56 (rotary body in vacuum) and driven ring 51 ( A frog leg drive mechanism 50 (vacuum chamber rotation transmission mechanism and support mechanism) including a rotary body in a vacuum is suspended from the chamber lid 12 of the wafer transfer chamber 10 (vacuum chamber) to drive the frog leg mechanism 60. Thus, wafer transfer such as access to the wafer processing chamber 21 ahead of the gate 13 and access to the wafer processing chamber 24 ahead of the gate 14. It is possible to parallelize the work.
However, in this case, when the frog-leg driving mechanism 50 is left in a free state when the chamber lid 12 is opened and closed, the frog-leg mechanism 60 extends due to its own weight or the like and hits the side wall or the like of the wafer transfer chamber 10. Adding a remote-controllable lock mechanism or the like that prevents the mechanism 50 from being in a free state increases the complexity of the apparatus and further increases the size of the apparatus, making maintenance work and the like involving opening and closing the upper lid more difficult. End up.
[0014]
On the other hand, a cylindrical body extending from the bottom of the vacuum chamber to the top cover of the vacuum chamber is erected on the bottom of the vacuum chamber, and all the pairs of rotating bodies are overlapped along this to simply start from the biaxial drive. Expansion to four-axis drive is also conceivable. Specifically, FIG. 11 (b) shows a schematic view, and FIG. 11 (c) shows a ZZ cross-sectional view. 31, 51, and 56 are overlapped and the main drive ring 35 and the like are installed in the inner cavity of the cylindrical side wall 33 in a quadruple structure.
However, in this case, the mechanism such as the main drive ring 35 disposed in the inner cavity of the cylindrical body is complicated due to the coaxial multiple structure that can be independently driven to rotate, and adjustment of the four pairs of rotating bodies, etc. Must be done in bulk. For this reason, assembly adjustment and maintenance work become extremely troublesome.
Therefore, even if the number of pairs of rotating bodies to be magnetically coupled is increased, it is a further problem to devise a structure that facilitates maintenance work and the like.
[0015]
The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to realize a vacuum chamber that can be easily opened and closed even when the size is increased.
Another object of the present invention is to realize a vacuum chamber having a structure that can be easily maintained even if it is increased in size or the number of rotation transmission shafts is increased.
[0016]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
About the 1st thru | or 4th solution means invented in order to solve such a subject, the structure and effect are demonstrated below.
[0017]
[First Solution]
The vacuum chamber of the first solution means (as described in claim 1 at the beginning of the application), in which the upper lid attached to and detached from the chamber body is formed with a through opening in a vacuum chamber in which a transfer mechanism for horizontally transferring a substrate is accommodated. And a small lid that covers the through-opening.
[0018]
In such a vacuum chamber of the first solution, the upper lid is divided into a frame portion and a small lid, a through opening is formed in the frame portion to reduce the weight of the portion, and the small lid is Since it is a small and lightweight one that covers the through-opening, the upper lid is divided into individual light members. When the upper lid is attached to the chamber body, the frame portion of the upper lid is first attached to the chamber body, and then the small lid is attached to the opening of the frame portion to cover the work. When the upper lid is removed from the chamber body, the operation is performed in the reverse order.
[0019]
As a result, even when the upper lid becomes larger as the substrate and the transfer mechanism become larger, the upper lid is opened and closed in units of frame parts and small lids that are divided and lightened individually. It becomes possible to open and close with a smaller force than the conventional one that opens and closes collectively.
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a vacuum chamber that can be easily opened and closed even when the size is increased.
[0020]
[Second Solution]
The vacuum chamber of the second solution means (as described in claim 2 at the beginning of the application) is the vacuum chamber of the first solution means, wherein the transfer mechanism or the drive mechanism thereof is the chamber body and The frame portion is supported separately.
[0021]
In such a vacuum chamber of the second solution, a transfer mechanism and the like are supported by both the chamber main body and the frame portion in order to avoid a decrease in rigidity when the size and the number of axes are increased. However, in that case, it is divided into upper and lower parts and supported. As a result, it is possible to avoid complications due to the coaxial multiple structure and complications such as maintenance work that occur when all of the driving rotating bodies of the transfer mechanism are simply stacked (FIG. 11B). .
[0022]
And when cleaning the inside of the vacuum chamber when the substrate is damaged, or for operations such as partial adjustment / maintenance of the transfer mechanism, just remove the small lid and put your hands, tools, etc. into the vacuum chamber from the opening of the frame. The work is done by inserting it into
When carrying out large-scale maintenance work on the transfer mechanism and its drive mechanism, first, remove the small lid, insert a hand or a fixture from the opening that appears there, and the transfer mechanism supported by the upper lid Etc. are fixed. Then, the frame portion of the upper lid is removed from the chamber body together with the transfer mechanism and the like.
[0023]
As described above, the transfer mechanism and the like are supported by the upper lid divided into the frame portion and the small lid instead of the single plate upper lid, so that it is not necessary to add a remote-operating lock mechanism or the like. It is possible to prevent the transfer mechanism, the drive mechanism, and the like from extending due to its own weight and hitting the side wall of the vacuum chamber.
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a vacuum chamber that can be easily opened and closed and maintained easily even if the size is increased or the number of rotation transmission shafts is increased.
[0024]
[Third Solution]
The vacuum chamber of the third solution means is the vacuum chamber of the above first and second solution means (as described in claim 3 at the beginning of the application), and the small lid is attached to the frame portion. A thick outer frame portion to be worn and a thin inner plate portion surrounded by the outer frame portion are provided.
[0025]
In such a vacuum chamber of the third solving means, the small lid in the upper lid of the vacuum chamber has a thin portion of the inner plate portion surrounded by the outer frame portion located on the edge of the small lid. As a result, the weight of the small lid is reduced, and the weight of the entire upper lid is also reduced accordingly.
Even if the small lid is deformed by the pressure difference, the bending force generated by the deformation in the thin inner plate portion can be small for the amount of deformation and the degree to which it is transmitted to the adjacent part is small. Since the bending force and bending moment transmitted to the outer frame portion are reduced, the inclination of the thick outer frame portion is suppressed.
[0026]
As a result, since the upper lid is large, even if the small lid that is a part of the upper lid is enlarged to some extent, the inclination of the outer frame portion is small, and a sealing member such as an O-ring arranged below the edge of the small lid Is kept pressed down by the outer frame portion, so that airtightness can be reliably maintained even if the opening is formed through the frame portion of the upper lid.
Therefore, according to the present invention, the upper lid of the vacuum chamber can be lightened without impairing the vacuum state.
[0027]
[Fourth Solution]
The vacuum chamber of the fourth solution means is the vacuum chamber of the first, second and third solution means (as described in claim 4 at the beginning of the application), wherein the frame portion of the upper lid is It is fixed to the chamber body at its detachable portion.
[0028]
In the vacuum chamber of the fourth solution, the detachability of the entire upper lid is lost, but the advantages of improved airtightness and the need for a special O-ring having a diameter larger than that of a commercially available one are provided. Obtainable.
[0029]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The form for implementing this about the vacuum chamber of this invention achieved by such a solution means is demonstrated.
[0030]
[First Embodiment]
The first embodiment of the present invention is a vacuum chamber of the above-described solving means, wherein a plurality of the through openings and the small lids are provided.
As a result, it is possible to easily reduce the size and weight sufficiently to such an extent that individual small lids and frame portions can be moved only by human power.
[0031]
[Second Embodiment]
The second embodiment of the present invention is the vacuum chamber of the second solving means described above, wherein the transfer mechanism is a single or a plurality of juxtaposed ones.
In this case, a mode in which a single transfer mechanism is driven and supported by the upper and lower drive mechanisms, a mode in which a plurality of transfer mechanisms are supported by the same number of support mechanisms, and a mode in which a number of transfer mechanisms are divided into upper and lower groups and supported. Etc.
[0032]
[Third Embodiment]
The third embodiment of the present invention is the vacuum chamber of the third solving means described above, wherein the inner plate portion is inclined from the outer frame portion to the vacuum side.
In the vacuum chamber having such a structure, the attachment / detachment of the small lid, which is performed when opening and closing the through opening in the frame portion of the upper lid, attaches / detaches the outer frame portion of the small lid to / from the frame portion of the upper lid. Made in The attached thick outer frame portion is less deformed and inclined, while the thin inner plate portion is easily bent and deformed, but the inner plate portion is inclined from the outer frame portion to the vacuum side. Therefore, the force applied to the inner plate portion due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the chamber is received so as to be canceled out by the component force of the tensile stress in the surface direction of the inner plate portion, so that the bending deformation of the inner plate portion can be reduced.
By forming the inner plate portion so as to follow the deformation mode of the inner plate portion in this way, also about inconvenient stress concentration that is likely to occur at the joint portion between the flexible inner plate portion and the rigid outer frame portion, The occurrence can be avoided and suppressed. Therefore, even if a thin inner plate portion is introduced to lighten the small lid in the upper lid of the vacuum chamber without impairing the vacuum state, the small lid can be kept strong.
[0033]
【Example】
Specific examples of the vacuum chamber of the present invention achieved by the above solution and embodiments will be described with reference to first to fourth examples.
The first example embodies the first solving means and the first embodiment, and the second example embodies the second solving means and the second embodiment. An embodiment is a concrete implementation of the third solving means and the third embodiment, and a fourth embodiment is a concrete implementation of the fourth solving means. In either case, the frog-leg mechanism 40 (transfer mechanism) and the frog-leg drive mechanism 30 (support mechanism) are housed in the wafer transfer chamber 10 (vacuum chamber). Further, in the second to fourth embodiments, a frog leg mechanism 60 (transfer mechanism) and a frog leg drive mechanism 50 (support mechanism) are also housed. Hereinafter, such a wafer transfer chamber 10 in which wafer processing chambers 21 to 26 are connected to each other and a wafer (substrate) is laterally transferred between the wafer processing chambers 21 to 26 will be described as conventional. I will focus on the differences.
[0034]
[First embodiment]
The vacuum chamber of the first embodiment of the present invention, whose perspective view of the upper lid is shown in FIG. 1 (a) and whose longitudinal cross-sectional view of the entire structure is shown in FIG. 10 is different from the conventional vacuum chamber of FIG. 10 in that the introduced upper lid is divided into an upper lid frame portion 120 and small lids 121, 122, 123. In the illustration, fasteners such as bolts and attachments, and attached devices such as vacuum pumps and pressure gauges are omitted. Further, the opening / closing mechanism 17 is not shown in the perspective view of FIG. However, the electric motor 37 that is a driving source of the frog-leg driving mechanism 30 is provided on the atmosphere side through the chamber bottom 11.
[0035]
The upper lid frame portion 120 is formed with three large openings 120a, 120b,... Penetrating the edge portion corresponding to the upper end of the chamber side wall 13, and three beam portions extending from the edge portion to the central portion and connected. It is made up of. And when the edge part is attached with respect to the upper end of the chamber side wall 13 with the volt | bolt which is not illustrated, it seals on both sides of the O-ring 16 between them. Thus, the upper lid has a frame portion in which a plurality of through openings are formed, and is attached to and detached from the chamber body at the frame portion.
[0036]
The small lid 121 is formed to be slightly larger than one opening 120a of the upper lid frame portion 120. When the small lid 121 is attached to the upper lid frame portion 120 with a bolt (not shown), the small lid 121 covers the opening 120a and also the O-ring 121a. It is designed to seal with a pinch in between. The same applies to the small lid 122 and the small lid 123. As a result, the upper lid is provided with a plurality of small lids covering the plurality of formed through openings. The small lid 121 is also provided with a quartz window 121b for looking into the wafer processing chamber 21 and the like before the gate, and a handle 121c for holding by hand or hooking a crane. . The small lids 122 and 123 are the same.
[0037]
In the wafer transfer chamber 10 having such a structure, when the inside is evacuated, atmospheric pressure is applied to the upper lid from above and the center of the upper lid is pushed downward, but the frame portion 120 and the small lid 121 constituting the upper lid. , 122, 123 are thick and sufficient rigidity is secured, so that the upper lid is not deformed so much.
In this way, the lower surface of the edge portion of the frame portion 120 of the upper lid is kept in close contact with the upper surface of the chamber side wall 13, so that the airtightness in the wafer transfer chamber 10 is reliably maintained by the O ring 16.
[0038]
On the other hand, when the wafer is about to fall from the frog-leg mechanism 40 in the wafer transfer chamber 10 or when a part of the frog-leg mechanism 40 is repaired, the pressure inside the chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure and the frog-leg mechanism is restored. The operation of the mechanism 40 is stopped, and the small lid 121 and the like above the stop position are removed (see FIG. 2A). Then, the wafer and the frog-leg mechanism 40 below the opening 120a are treated. After the treatment, the small lid 121 and the like are returned to close the opening 120a.
In this way, partial maintenance work or the like is performed just by removing the small lid, but since each small lid is about 20 to 30 kg, it can be easily opened and closed.
[0039]
On the other hand, when repairing or replacing the frog-leg driving mechanism 30 that supports the frog-leg mechanism 40, the pressure in the chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure, the operation of the frog-leg mechanism 40 is stopped, and the small lids 121 and 122 are further stopped. , 123 are sequentially removed from the upper lid frame 120. Then, the upper lid frame portion 120 is also opened using the opening / closing mechanism 17 or the like (see FIG. 2B). Then, the frog leg drive mechanism 30 in the chamber main body is treated from above the wide open. After the treatment, the upper lid frame portion 120, the small lid 121, etc. are returned in the reverse order and covered.
In this way, overall maintenance work and the like with the entire upper lid removed is performed. In addition to easy opening and closing of each small lid, the upper lid frame 120 is also about 40-50 kg, so the opening / closing mechanism 17 is small. Even simple ones can be opened and closed easily.
[0040]
[Second Embodiment]
The vacuum chamber of the third embodiment of the present invention whose structure is shown in the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 3 (a) is provided with not only the frog leg mechanism 40 but also a frog leg mechanism 60 as a transfer mechanism. This is different from the vacuum chamber of the first embodiment described above. FIG. 3B is a plan view of the frog-leg mechanisms 40 and 60 viewed in a superimposed manner.
[0041]
The frog-leg mechanism 60 is substantially the same as the frog-leg mechanism 40. In the figure, the constituent elements thereof are shown by adding “20” to the reference numerals of the corresponding constituent elements of the frog-leg mechanism 40. In order to avoid interference with the frog-leg mechanism 40, it is disposed above the frog-leg mechanism 40. Further, the wafer blade 63 of the frog-leg mechanism 60 is positioned at a height immediately above the wafer blade 43 of the frog-leg mechanism 40 so as to easily pass through the narrow gates 14 and 15. Thereby, this vacuum chamber has a plurality of transfer mechanisms arranged in parallel.
[0042]
The frog-leg driving mechanism 50 is substantially the same as the frog-leg driving mechanism 30. In the figure, the constituent elements of the frog-leg driving mechanism 50 are denoted by the reference numerals of the corresponding constituent elements of the frog-leg driving mechanism 30 plus “20”. However, it is suspended from the upper lid frame portion 120 immediately above the frog leg drive mechanism 30 while being turned upside down from the frog leg drive mechanism 30. The electric motor 57 is installed so as to protrude from the through hole drilled in the center of the upper lid frame portion 120 to the atmosphere side in consideration of workability such as wiring and maintenance. As a result, the vacuum chamber is provided with a plurality of drive mechanisms for the transfer mechanism.
[0043]
As described above, in addition to the frog leg drive mechanism 30 supported by the chamber bottom 11, the frog leg mechanism 60 is supported by the frog leg drive mechanism 50 supported by the upper lid frame 120. As a result, this vacuum chamber is such that the transfer mechanism and its driving mechanism are supported separately in both the chamber body and the upper lid frame.
[0044]
The use mode and operation of the vacuum chamber and the transfer mechanism of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram when transferring wafers between processing chambers in parallel, FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram when exchanging wafers between processing chambers at once, and FIG. 6 is a vacuum chamber. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing when opening an upper cover for internal cleaning, repair, exchange, etc. of a transfer mechanism. Hereinafter, an apparatus installation operation, a wafer parallel transfer operation, a wafer replacement operation, and an upper lid removal operation will be described in this order.
[0045]
The wafer processing chambers 21 to 26 are connected around the wafer transfer chamber 10. Normally, any one of the chambers is used for loading and unloading wafers. For the frog leg driving mechanism 30 and the frog leg mechanism 40, a unit that has been subjected to a unit test and has been confirmed to operate independently is used. The frog-leg driving mechanism 50 and the frog-leg mechanism 60 are the same. Then, the frog leg drive mechanism 30 is fixed to the chamber bottom 11, the frog leg mechanism 40 is attached thereto, and the power supply line to the electric motor 37 is connected to the driver and the controller.
[0046]
Also. The frog leg driving mechanism 50 is fixed to the upper lid frame part 120 which is removed from the chamber body and from which the small lids 121, 122 and 123 are also removed, and the frog leg mechanism 60 is also attached thereto. At this time, the frog leg mechanism 60 is temporarily fixed by using a tool such as a chain or a lock pin so that the frog leg mechanism 60 does not extend or deform arbitrarily. Then, the upper lid frame 120 together with the frog leg mechanism 60 and the frog leg drive mechanism 50 is placed on the chamber body and fixed with a bolt (not shown).
[0047]
In this state, the temporary fixing tool is removed from the frog-leg mechanism 60 through the opening 120a of the upper lid frame 120. Then, the small lids 121, 122, and 123 are placed on the upper lid frame portion 120 to close the opening 120 a and the like.
Finally, the power supply line to the electric motor 57 is connected to a driver and a controller, and an accessory device such as a vacuum pump is appropriately connected to complete the installation of the device.
[0048]
After the installation, the mechanism in the vacuum chamber can be driven from the atmosphere side by magnetic coupling. That is, when the electric motor 37 is actuated, the main ring 35 rotates in the atmospheric cylindrical side wall 33, and the driven ring 31 rotates along with the outer periphery of the cylindrical side wall 33 in the vacuum state. One arm 41 of 40 is driven. Similarly, the other ring 41 of the frog leg mechanism 40 is driven by the rotation of the driven ring 36 of the frog leg drive mechanism 30 by the operation of another electric motor (not shown). Further, the pair of arms 61 of the frog leg mechanism 60 is driven by the electric motor 57 or the like via the driven rings 51 and 56 of the frog leg drive mechanism 50.
[0049]
Next, in order to transfer the wafers between the processing chambers in parallel, for example, the wafer 22a in the wafer processing chamber 22 is moved to the wafer processing chamber 23 and at the same time the wafer 23a in the wafer processing chamber 23 is moved to the wafer processing chamber 25. When moving, the frog leg driving mechanism 50 is rotated in the same phase to move the frog leg mechanism 60 to the front of the gate of the wafer processing chamber 22, and the frog leg driving mechanism 30 is also rotated in the same phase to move the frog leg mechanism 40 in the wafer processing chamber 23. After moving to the front of the gate, the frog leg driving mechanisms 30 and 50 are rotated in reverse phase to advance the wafer blades 43 and 63 of the frog leg mechanisms 40 and 60 into the wafer processing chambers 23 and 22 (FIG. 4 ( a)). At this time, in the wafer processing chambers 22 and 23, the wafers 22a and 23a are lifted by lifter pins or the like so that they can be transferred to the wafer blades 63 and 43.
[0050]
Then, when the frog-leg mechanism 60 on which the wafer 22a is placed and the frog-leg mechanism 40 on which the wafer 23a is placed are driven backward, the wafers 22a and 23a are taken out from the wafer processing chambers 22 and 23 into the wafer transfer chamber 10. Further, the frog leg driving mechanism 50 rotates the frog leg mechanism 60 until the gate of the wafer processing chamber 23 is rotated. At the same time, the frog leg driving mechanism 30 rotates the frog leg mechanism 40 until the gate of the wafer processing chamber 25 is rotated. (See FIG. 4B).
[0051]
Then, the wafer blades 43 and 63 are advanced into the wafer processing chambers 25 and 23 (see FIG. 4C) and received by lifter pins or the like in the wafer processing chambers 25 and 23, and then the wafer blades 43 and 63 are retracted. Let Thus, the synchronous control of the electric motors 37, 57, etc. is performed so that the frog-leg mechanisms 40, 60 are driven by the frog-leg driving mechanisms 30, 50.
Thus, the two wafers 22a and 23a move quickly.
[0052]
On the other hand, in order to exchange the wafers between the processing chambers at once, for example, when the wafer 22a in the wafer processing chamber 22 and the wafer 23a in the wafer processing chamber 23 are exchanged, before the wafer processing chambers 22 and 23, respectively. The frog-leg mechanisms 40 and 60 are rotated and moved forward (see FIG. 5A), the wafers 22a and 23a are received and then retracted (see FIG. 5B), and the frog-leg mechanisms 40 and 60 are further moved. Is moved forward (see FIG. 5C) and advanced (see FIG. 5D), and the wafers 22a and 23a are transferred and then retracted (see FIG. 5E). In this way, the two wafers 22a and 23a are quickly replaced without being taken out of the wafer transfer chamber 10 even once.
[0053]
To remove the upper lid from the chamber body for maintenance or the like, the operation is performed in the reverse order of the installation. For example, when the frog-leg mechanism 60 fails, first, the power supply line to the electric motor 57 is removed, and the small lids 121, 122, 123 are removed from the upper lid frame portion 120 (see FIG. 6A). Next, the frog-leg mechanism 60 is temporarily fixed through the opening 120 a of the upper lid frame portion 120. Thereafter, the upper lid frame portion 120 together with the frog leg mechanism 60 and the frog leg drive mechanism 50 is lifted and removed from the chamber body (see FIG. 6B).
[0054]
Thus, even if the frog leg mechanism 60 is removed together with the upper lid, the frog leg mechanism 60 is temporarily fixed, so that the frog leg mechanism 60 does not collide with the chamber side wall 13 and the like, and the upper lid can be easily attached to the chamber body. Removed from.
And after exchanging the frog-leg mechanism 60, it restore | restores to an operable state similarly to the installation operation mentioned above.
[0055]
[Third embodiment]
The vacuum chamber of the third embodiment of the present invention whose longitudinal sectional structure is shown in FIG. 7 is different from that of the second embodiment described above in that the small lid 121 and the like are as follows.
[0056]
In the small lid 121, a thick outer frame portion 121d, a thin inner plate portion 121e, and a window portion 121f are welded together to keep airtightness.
The outer frame portion 121d is manufactured by punching the inner side from an aluminum thick plate having substantially the same outer periphery as that of the second embodiment, and the inner periphery is formed to be slightly smaller than the opening 120a of the upper lid frame portion 120. Although not shown in the figure, drilling of a bolt insertion hole for enabling attachment to and removal from the upper lid frame 120, smooth finishing of the O-ring contact surface, and the like are also performed.
[0057]
The inner plate portion 121e is manufactured from a thin aluminum plate by any one of the processing methods such as forging, drawing, and pressing selected according to the number of manufactured pieces, and the central portion is extended to be bent into a bowl shape or a partial spherical shape. It is done. The curvature of the curved shape is based on the pressure of the inside and outside of the chamber based on the shape of a soft cloth or chain that has little rigidity, or the value calculated by computer simulation. Due to the difference, the force applied to the plate portion is set to a curvature that balances the component force of the tensile stress in the surface direction of the plate portion.
[0058]
Then, after the extra edge of the inner plate portion 121e is cut off so that the outer periphery coincides with the inner periphery of the outer frame portion 121d, the edge of the inner plate portion 121e is at the corner between the lower surface and the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame portion 121d. On the other hand, it is joined by welding. Thereby, the small lid 121 is surrounded by the outer frame portion 121d so that the inner plate portion 121e is surrounded by the outer frame portion 121d, and the inner plate portion 121e is lowered from the joint portion with the outer frame portion 121d toward the inside of the chamber body. Is inclined to the vacuum side.
[0059]
In order to visually confirm the wafer transfer state by the frog-leg mechanism 40, a window portion 121f disposed in front of the gate of each wafer processing chamber 21 is also welded to a corresponding portion of the inner plate portion 121e. Etc., the weight of the small lid 121 can be at most 10 kg. The same applies to the other small lids 122 and 123.
[0060]
In the wafer transfer chamber 10 having such a structure, when the inside is evacuated, atmospheric pressure is also applied to the small lid 121 from above, and the inner plate portion 121e is pushed downward. The inner plate portion 121e is hardly deformed and is slightly bent, and most of the generated stress becomes a pulling force in the plane. The force transmitted from the inner plate portion 121e to the joint portion with the outer frame portion 121d is limited to the same one. And since the moment with respect to the outer frame part 121d based on this force is small, it is easily canceled by fastening force, such as a volt | bolt.
Thus, since the lower surface of the outer frame portion 121d keeps in close contact with the upper surface of the upper lid frame portion 120, the periphery of the opening 120a of the upper lid frame portion 120 is sealed by the O-ring sandwiched therebetween, and similarly, the periphery of the opening 120b is also sealed. Therefore, airtightness in the wafer transfer chamber 10 is reliably maintained.
[0061]
[Fourth embodiment]
The vacuum chamber of the fourth embodiment of the present invention whose longitudinal sectional structure is shown in FIG. 8 is the above-mentioned in that the frame portion 120 of the upper lid is fixed to the side wall 13 of the chamber body by bonding at its detachable portion. It differs from that of the third embodiment.
[0062]
The joint 120d is hermetically joined by a metallic joining material such as silver or gold, or a resin adhesive having required characteristics such as thermoplasticity and elasticity. An O-ring is not used.
In consideration of the case where the joint is peeled off, as long as the airtightness is not impaired, instead of joining the entire surface of the detachable part, a shallow groove is formed in the outermost peripheral part of the detachable part. A bonding material or the like may be embedded.
[0063]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, in the vacuum chamber of the first solving means of the present invention, the opening and closing operation of the upper lid is performed in a lightly divided unit, so that the substrate and the transfer mechanism are large. There is an advantageous effect that it is possible to realize a vacuum chamber that can be easily opened and closed even if the upper lid becomes larger as the shape is increased.
[0064]
Further, in the vacuum chamber of the second solving means of the present invention, by combining the division of the upper lid into the frame portion and the small lid and the division of the support mechanism such as the transfer mechanism, the coaxial multiple structure is achieved. In addition to avoiding complications of maintenance and complicated maintenance work, it is also possible to easily avoid interference with the vacuum chamber side walls of the transfer mechanism, etc. There is an advantageous effect that a vacuum chamber that can be easily opened and closed and that can be easily maintained can be realized.
[0065]
Further, in the vacuum chamber of the third solving means of the present invention, the thin inner plate portion is introduced by leaving the outer frame portion that presses the sealing member for the small lid covering the opening of the upper lid, and the inner plate portion is deformed. By reducing the effect on the inclination of the outer frame, the inclination of the outer frame can be suppressed even if the small lid is enlarged together with the upper lid. As a result, the upper lid of the vacuum chamber is lightened without impairing the vacuum state. There is an advantageous effect of being able to.
[0066]
In addition, the vacuum chamber of the fourth solving means of the present invention has an advantageous effect that the airtightness is improved and a special O-ring having a diameter larger than that of a commercially available one is not required.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view of a first embodiment of a vacuum chamber according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state when the upper lid is opened.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a second embodiment of the vacuum chamber of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the wafer transfer robot and the like inside.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of another operation of the wafer transfer robot and the like inside thereof;
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state when the upper lid is opened.
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a third embodiment of the vacuum chamber of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the vacuum chamber of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a usage example of a general vacuum chamber.
FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional vacuum chamber.
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram assumed when the rotation transmission mechanism is expanded directly.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Wafer transfer chamber (vacuum chamber)
11 Chamber bottom (chamber body)
12 Top cover
13 Chamber side wall (chamber body)
14,15 gate
16 O-ring (sealing member)
17 Opening and closing mechanism
21 to 26 Wafer processing chamber
22a, 23a Wafer (substrate)
30 frog-leg drive mechanism (support mechanism for transfer mechanism)
31 Follower ring (rotating ring in a vacuum, rotating body)
32 Magnet (magnetic coupling means)
33 Cylindrical side wall (support cylinder)
34 Magnet (magnetic coupling means)
35 Main ring (atmosphere side rotating ring, rotating body)
36 Follower ring (in-vacuum rotating ring, rotating body)
37 Electric motor
40 frog-leg mechanism (transfer mechanism)
41 arms
42 links
43 Wafer blade
50 frog-leg drive mechanism (support mechanism for transfer mechanism)
51 Follower ring (in-vacuum rotating ring, rotating body)
56 Follower ring (vacuum rotating ring, rotating body)
57 Electric motor
60 frog-leg mechanism (transfer mechanism)
61 arm
62 links
63 Wafer blade
120 Upper lid frame (frame on the upper lid of the vacuum chamber)
120a, 120b opening (through opening in the upper lid of the vacuum chamber)
120d Joint (joint between upper lid frame and chamber body)
121 Small lid (small lid on the upper lid of the vacuum chamber)
121a O-ring (sealing member)
121b Window
121c handle
121d outer frame
121e Inner plate
121f Window
122,123 Small lid (small lid on the upper lid of the vacuum chamber)

Claims (4)

In a vacuum chamber in which a transfer mechanism for horizontally transferring a substrate is housed,
Top lid that is removably attached to the vacuum chamber body,
A frame portion in which a plurality of through openings having the same shape are formed in the peripheral portion ;
A vacuum chamber comprising: a plurality of small lids each including a window portion and detachably covering the through opening. The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein the transfer mechanism or a driving mechanism thereof is supported by being divided into central portions of both the vacuum chamber main body and the frame portion. The small lid includes a thick outer frame portion attached to the frame portion, and a thin inner plate portion surrounded by the outer frame portion and curved inward. The vacuum chamber according to 1 or 2.   The vacuum chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the frame portion of the upper lid is fixed to the chamber main body by an attaching / detaching portion.

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