JP4550554B2 - Sample processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sample processing apparatus for processing a sample inside a processing container such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, a sample processing apparatus provided with means for opening and closing the processing container by using a support portion such as a hinge. About.

  A sample processing apparatus such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus generally has a configuration in which at least one processing container is connected to a transfer chamber in which a sample is transferred through a highly vacuumed interior. In such a sample processing apparatus, a sample is transported into a processing chamber disposed in a processing container by a transport robot stored in the transport chamber. When the processing of the sample is completed in the processing chamber, the sample is again taken out from the processing chamber by the transfer robot.

  The processing chamber is evacuated from the processing chamber by an evacuation unit disposed in communication with the processing chamber, and is maintained in a high vacuum state when the inside performs processing. The processing vessel is configured by a vacuum vessel that can withstand an external force due to a pressure difference between the internal pressure of the high vacuum and the external atmospheric pressure. In such a sample processing apparatus, for example, reaction products adhere to internal components as the processing proceeds in the processing chamber in the container. As a result, the attached reaction product was peeled off or dissociated, and it adhered to the surface of the object to be processed as a foreign substance, resulting in a decrease in yield. For this reason, it is necessary to open the inside of the processing chamber in order to periodically replace the internal parts to which the deposits are attached or to perform a cleaning operation called wet cleaning.

As a conventional technique for disclosing such a configuration, a part of the upper wall of the vacuum vessel is configured to be movable upward and downward with a hinge as a center, and the upper wall is used for maintenance inside the processing chamber and replacement of parts. There has been proposed a plasma processing apparatus configured to be openable upward while holding a part of the components of the plasma processing apparatus (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
JP 2000-269183 A JP 2004-200247 A

  In the prior art as described above, since the processing of the sample in the processing chamber to be operated must be stopped during the above operation, the operating efficiency of the sample processing apparatus is lowered.

  Furthermore, in recent years, in order to improve the throughput of the sample processing apparatus, a so-called multi-chamber configuration in which a plurality of processing chambers are attached to a single transfer chamber has been adopted, and the processing chamber has a large size due to an increase in the diameter of the sample. Along with this, the space for maintenance such as maintenance and inspection around the processing vessel is reduced as compared with the conventional technology having one processing chamber, and the efficiency of work between the processing vessels is reduced. There was a problem of doing so.

  Further, when the processing chamber is opened to perform the above-described work, for example, a processing container that has an opening on the upper surface and can be closed by a lid. In this configuration, the space for attaching and closing the container, such as a lifter, can be reduced, reducing the ground contact area of the sample processing device and expanding the maintenance space. However, when the member that opens and closes is a lid that forms the upper part of the vacuum vessel, its weight and diameter increase, and it can be opened and closed using a gas spring, air cylinder, etc. If it is intended to assist the supporting force of the members necessary for the work, there is a problem that the area for maintenance and parts replacement work decreases due to the arrangement space.

  In addition, when performing two maintenance operations, swap part replacement and wet cleaning, the work time required for swap part replacement is shorter than the work time required for wet cleaning. A technique is known in which the time required for work is reduced by reducing the number of parts to be wet-cleaned and configured to be replaceable as much as possible.

  However, in such a sample processing apparatus, the parts that require time for wet cleaning are inevitably parts having a large surface area and size, and the interior of the processing container is maintained by opening the lid of the processing container using a hinge mechanism. In some cases, in order to replace the swap parts, the distance between the processing chambers is increased, which increases the floor area of the apparatus.

  That is, each of a plurality of containers attached adjacent to each other has a lid of a processing container supported by a hinge on the transfer chamber side, and when parts are exchanged and wet cleaning is performed with this lid open, When opening the open / close lid that opens and closes the upper part at the same time, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient distance between the processing containers and a space where an operator can be located between the processing containers so that the lid members do not interfere with each other. Therefore, there has been a problem that the area (installation area) of the floor on which the sample processing apparatus is installed becomes large.

  On the other hand, if the distance between the processing chambers is reduced in order to suppress an increase in the installation area in such a sample processing apparatus, sufficient space for work such as parts replacement and maintenance is not secured, and the work time increases. End up. As described above, in the sample processing apparatus having a configuration including a plurality of processing containers as described above, it is difficult to achieve both reduction in work time for parts replacement and maintenance and reduction in installation area.

  In particular, in recent years, as the diameter of a semiconductor wafer, which is a sample, has increased, the size of components in the processing vessel has increased, and when replacing components, the processing chamber is larger than when performing wet cleaning. The opening / closing lid has to be opened, and the above-mentioned problems have become more prominent. In addition, in the configuration of the sample processing apparatus in which a plurality of processing chambers are arranged adjacent to each other, the configuration for improving the efficiency and safety of the work has not been sufficiently considered.

  In the above prior art, such a problem has not been considered.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a sample processing apparatus capable of shortening the time for work such as parts replacement and maintenance, or having a small installation area.

In order to achieve the above object, there is provided a sample processing apparatus including a plurality of processing containers attached to each of adjacent sides of a substantially polygonal transfer chamber in which a sample to be processed is transferred. The container has a lid member that is supported by a hinge mechanism arranged on the transfer chamber side on the processing container and rotates around the axis of the hinge mechanism to open and close the upper part of the processing container. The position is fixed at a maximum opening angle position and an intermediate opening angle position between a closed position and a maximum opening angle position, and the adjacent lid members are mutually connected at the maximum opening angle position of the lid member. The sample processing apparatus is configured such that it interferes and is held at a position where the adjacent lid member does not interfere at the intermediate open angle position .

The present invention is a sample processing apparatus, wherein the hinge mechanism is connected to the processing container in the vicinity of the shaft of the hinge mechanism, and is disposed at a plurality of positions on a side surface of the lid member. A plurality of holes arranged; the pin is pressed against the holes by an elastic member; the pin enters the holes at the respective locations as the lid member rotates; and the lid The sample processing apparatus is configured such that the member is fixed at the maximum opening angle position and the intermediate opening angle position .

The present invention is the sample processing apparatus, wherein the holes on the side surfaces of the lid member into which the pins are inserted have different depths connected by steps, and the pins are inserted at the positions of the respective depths. In this state, the sample processing apparatus is configured such that the lid member is fixed and held at the opening angle in a stopped state .

The present invention is a sample processing apparatus, wherein the pin is configured to be movable from a shallow position of the plurality of steps to a deep position .

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a vacuum processing apparatus which is a sample processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In the sample processing apparatus (vacuum processing apparatus) according to the present embodiment, assuming that the upper side in the drawing is the front and the lower side is the rear, the atmosphere-side sample transfer chamber 22 in which the sample storage cassette 20 is arranged on the front side is provided on the front side of the apparatus. Is provided. On the rear side, there are arranged a lock chamber 23 and a lock chamber 24 which are sealed in a state in which the sample is disposed therein and in which the pressure is adjusted from atmospheric pressure to vacuum. These lock chambers 23 and 24 are connected to the vacuum-side sample transfer chamber 8, and a sample is exchanged with the vacuum-side sample transfer chamber 8 under vacuum by a robot arm (not shown) in the vacuum-side sample transfer chamber 8. A plurality of processing units 19-1 to 9-4 are attached to the outer periphery of the vacuum-side sample transfer chamber 8 so as to communicate with the inside of the vacuum-side sample transfer chamber 8.

  Such a sample processing apparatus processes a sample in the processing chamber unit as follows.

  First, the samples stored in the cassette 20 are transported one by one to the lock chamber 23 by a transport robot (not shown) stored in the atmosphere-side sample transport chamber 22. Before and after the lock chamber 23 (atmosphere side sample transfer chamber 22 side and vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8 side), a gate valve for sealing the inside of the lock chamber is provided, and after the sample is stored at atmospheric pressure, the gate The valve is closed and the inside of the lock chamber 23 is depressurized. After the inside of the lock chamber 23 is in a vacuum state, the gate valve on the vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8 side is opened, and the samples are processed by the transfer robots stored in the vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8. 4, the sample is placed on a sample stage disposed in the processing chamber formed in the processing unit 19, the processing chamber is sealed, and a processing gas is supplied into the chamber. The sample is processed by plasma using gas while maintaining the inside at a predetermined pressure. When the processing is completed, the processing chamber is opened, and the sample is transferred again into the lock chamber 24 in the vacuum state by the transfer robot in the vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8. The gate valve on the vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8 side is closed to seal the inside, and after pressurizing to the atmospheric state, the gate valve on the atmosphere side sample transfer chamber 22 side is opened and the sample is transferred to the cassette 28 by the transfer robot. Returned. Since the lock chambers 23 and 24 are configured to be able to change any pressure from atmospheric pressure to vacuum and from vacuum to atmospheric pressure, the sample can be exchanged in any of the lock chambers 23 and 24. It has become.

  In the sample processing apparatus for processing a sample as described above, the configuration in the vicinity of the processing units 19-1 to 19-4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a rear view schematically showing a configuration when two processing containers attached to each of adjacent sides of the sample transfer chamber 8 having a substantially polygonal planar shape are viewed from the rear side of the processing unit 19. is there. In this figure, each of the processing units 19-2 and 19-3 has a structure having an opening in the upper part of the processing container 3, and these opening parts are configured on the upper surface of the processing container 3 in the present embodiment, and the lid 1 It is opened and closed by. Disposed above the open / close lid 1 is a discharge chamber 2 provided outside with a coil for generating a magnetic field necessary for processing a sample in the processing chamber 3 in the processing chamber. When performing operations such as component replacement and maintenance inside the vacuum vessel 3, the discharge chamber 2 and the opening / closing lid 1 provided with coils are moved from the upper surface of the processing vessel 3 and an opening disposed on the vacuum vessel 3 Must be released. For this purpose, the opening / closing lid 1 is moved so as to rotate upward through a hinge mechanism installed on the sample transfer chamber 8 side of the processing container 3.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the opening / closing lid 1 of the processing container 3 is opened upward. FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the open / close lids 1 at the tops of the two processing containers 3 attached to the adjacent sides of the sample transfer chamber 8 are respectively rotated and opened, and FIG. The top view is shown, and FIG. 3B is a rear view.

  In this figure, as the opening / closing lid 1 is opened more widely, the opening of the vacuum vessel 3 is opened more widely, and a space that is located around the processing vessel 3 and that can be used by an operator who performs work in the processing vessel 3 is obtained. Increases workability. When the opening / closing lids 1 of the two processing containers 3 attached to the adjacent sides of the vacuum-side sample transfer chamber 8 are simultaneously opened, the larger the opening angle is, the greater the opening is, in particular, over 90 °. The larger the angle, the greater the distance between the processing chambers in order to allow the opening / closing lids 1 to be opened simultaneously without interfering with each other. Installation space including necessary work space will increase. It is necessary to devise a configuration for efficiently performing work while suppressing an increase in the installation area or installation space.

  In the sample processing apparatus of the present embodiment, when the work in the processing chamber is performed, the lid 1 is rotated and opened from the closed state to fix the position of the opening / closing lid 1 at a predetermined first angle, and the components in the processing chamber are further fixed. In order to perform a specific operation such as replacement, the opening / closing lid 1 is fixed at a second angle. In particular, with respect to the processing container 3 of the processing unit attached to each of the adjacent sides of the vacuum-side sample transfer chamber 8, the respective opening / closing lids 1 can be opened simultaneously up to the first angle, and the first of the processing containers 3 beyond this. When the opening and closing lids of the processing chamber are simultaneously opened at an angle of 2, the two interfere with each other, and only one of the opening and closing lids 1 is opened beyond the first angle and the position can be fixed at the second angle. Yes. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and subsequent figures, an example in which the first angle is 75 ° and the second angle is 90 ° is shown.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the opening / closing lid 1 is fixed at a position of 75 ° which is the first angle. In this state, the opening / closing lid 1 is attached to two struts 6 arranged on the side opposite to the adjacent container among the three struts arranged below the respective containers 3 and supporting the containers 3 from below. It is connected to a rod-shaped gas spring 15.

  As shown in this figure, even if each open / close lid 1 of the processing vessel 3 attached to each of the adjacent sides of the vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8 is opened to 75 ° which is the first angle, the open / close lids 1 are not Since the members do not collide and interfere with each other, predetermined processing such as wet cleaning and replacement of small parts can be simultaneously performed in the processing chambers of the adjacent processing containers 3. Further, the gas spring 15 is not disposed in the space between the processing containers 3, and this space can be used as a space for the operator to perform work. It is configured so that the work can be performed without worrying about the position of the spring 15.

  Further, the gas spring 15 disposed on the side of the processing container 3 is disposed as close as possible to the hinge portion disposed on the vacuum-side sample transfer chamber 8 side of the opening / closing lid 1, as will be described later. The work space for the worker who performs the work on this side is increased, and the work can be performed without worrying about the position of the gas spring 15 during the work.

  In the present embodiment, a vacuum pump 5 for evacuating the processing chamber to be evacuated and a vacuum pump disposed between the vacuum pump 5 and the processing container 3 are disposed below each processing container 3. 5 and a valve 4 for adjusting the exhaust by 5. The valve 4 and the vacuum pump 5 are arranged along an axis in the vertical direction passing through a substantially central portion of the processing chamber in the processing container 3. The support columns 6 and 7 are arranged around these to support the processing vessel 3 from below, but the support columns 6 and 7 are attached and positioned on a lower flat plate-like frame not shown. An operator can work on the upper surface of the gantry in the space.

  The state at each open position of the open / close lid in each processing unit will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration in the vicinity of the processing container at each position of the opening / closing lid. Here, FIG. 4A is a top view of the processing chamber when the open / close lid 1 is closed, and FIG. 4B is a side view thereof. Fig.5 (a) shows the top view of a vacuum processing chamber when the opening-and-closing lid | cover 1 is opened 90 degrees, FIG.5 (b) shows the side view. 6A is a top view of the processing chamber when the open / close lid 1 is opened by 75 °, and FIG. 6B is a side view thereof.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the opening / closing lid 1 on the flat plate is closed, a part of the opening / closing lid 1 is in contact with the upper surface of the processing vessel 3 so as to cover the upper side of the processing chamber in the processing vessel 3. Is arranged so as to constitute a part of the top surface of the processing chamber in the processing container. In this embodiment, a substantially circular opening is formed at the center of the opening / closing lid 1, and a substantially cylindrical discharge chamber 2 forming a part of the vacuum vessel of the processing unit 19 is disposed on the opening. Is done. When the sample is processed, a processing gas is supplied into the discharge chamber 2, and a coil disposed around or above the discharge chamber 2, an electric field or a magnetic field supplied from a radio wave source, and the discharge chamber 2 or its Plasma is formed in the lower processing chamber.

  A hinge 9 is arranged on the vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8 side on the left side of the opening / closing lid 1 in the figure, and when working inside each processing container, the opening / closing lid 1 moves upward and downward around the hinge 9. The upper part of the processing container 3 can be opened and closed.

  In this opening / closing rotation operation, in order to support the opening / closing lid 1 from below, an arm 16 and a rod-shaped gas spring 15 connected to the arm 16 are disposed on the side of the opening / closing lid 1. The arm 16 has a substantially polygonal side surface, and the side of the center of the substantially circular opening or the front end side of the processing container 3 on the right side in the drawing by a predetermined distance (the side opposite to the vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8). Is connected to the lid member 1 and is connected to one end of the gas spring 15 at the end extending to the left side (vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8 side, hinge 9 side) in the figure.

  The rod-shaped gas spring 15 is located below the connecting portion of the arm 16, and the other end is connected to a bracket 18 connected to a beam attached to the two columns 6. The gas spring 15 is connected to the open / close lid 1 and the support column 6 via the arm 16 in a substantially vertical state with the open / close lid 1 closed, and closer to the vacuum side sample transport chamber 8 side than the central portion of the processing chamber in the processing vessel 3. positioned. This position is a position far from the vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8 (on the front end side of the processing container 3), and a space where the operator can easily work by being positioned on the side surface side of the processing container 3 is made larger.

  The gas spring 15 is most compressed when the open / close lid 1 is closed, and the repulsive force is maximized. That is, the opening / closing lid 1 maintains its closed state because the moment due to gravity exceeds the moment of the repulsive force of the gas spring 15, but the repulsive force is maximized, so that the opening / closing lid 1 is opened. Reduces the required operator power.

  In the present embodiment, the repulsive force of the gas spring 15 is configured to decrease as the opening angle increases from the closed state of the opening / closing lid 1. Further, the difference in magnitude between the moment due to the repulsive force and the moment due to the gravity of the opening / closing lid 1 is configured to decrease as the opening angle of the opening / closing lid 1 increases.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the hinges 9 are arranged at two places on both sides at the end of the processing container 3 on the vacuum side sample transport chamber 8 side, and substantially coaxial holes are formed on the respective faces on the opposite side. Yes. The hinge shaft 14 is inserted and supported in these holes, and the opening / closing lid 1 rotates around the hinge shaft 14. The hinge shaft 14 is supported by the bearing of the hinge 9 and the opening / closing lid 1 is supported. . The opening / closing lid 1 includes portions that protrude at both sides at the hinge end, and substantially coaxial through holes are formed in the protruding portions, and the hinge shaft 14 is disposed through the through holes.

  A bearing 10 that receives a pin 13 is fixed to the hinge 9, and a pin 13 that has a knob portion 11 and fixes an opening angle of the opening / closing lid 1 is inserted into a through hole of the bearing 10. The pin 13 is biased to the inside of the opening / closing lid by the spring 12. A plate 17 for guiding the pin 13 is fixed to the opening / closing lid 1.

  Further, when the large component 21 is replaced as shown in FIG. 5, the opening / closing lid 1 must be opened up to 90 °. However, since the open / close lids of the processing chambers attached to the adjacent sides of the transfer chamber 8 cannot be simultaneously opened to about 90 °, replacement work is performed sequentially.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the part to be replaced includes a large part 21 such as a cylindrical wall member that forms the inner side wall surface of the processing chamber in the processing container 3. In this embodiment, the upper part of the component 21 is fixed in position by being pressed downward by the pressing force from the opening / closing lid 1 when the opening / closing lid 1 is closed.

  In the present embodiment, the arm 16 extends toward the hinge 9 and also extends toward the lower surface of the opening / closing lid 1, whereby the repulsive force of the gas spring 15 against the opening / closing lid 1 in the state shown in FIG. It will work toward the tip side (the side opposite to the hinge 9) of the lid member 1 from the attachment position of the 16 opening / closing lid 1, and the moment of the repulsive force of the gas spring 15 opens the opening / closing lid 1. Works in the direction of rotation. As a result, even if an external force is applied to the opening / closing lid 1, it is possible to prevent the worker from inadvertently rotating in the closing direction and causing danger to the operator.

  As described above, even when each open / close lid 1 of the processing container 3 attached to each of the adjacent sides of the vacuum side sample transfer chamber 8 is opened to 75 ° which is the first angle, the open / close lids 1 are not separated from each other. Since they do not collide and interfere with each other, predetermined processing such as wet cleaning and replacement of small parts can be simultaneously performed in the processing chambers of the adjacent processing containers 3.

  In the state shown in FIG. 6, an operation that does not require a large space due to a large opening angle of the opening / closing lid 1 can be performed, such as replacement of small components and maintenance. Alternatively, it is possible to perform an operation that requires a relatively long working time, such as wet cleaning, but does not require a large space due to a large opening angle of the opening / closing lid 1. When performing such operations, the opening and closing lids 1 of the processing containers 3 arranged in parallel are simultaneously opened to perform the operations in the processing container 3, thereby shortening the work time and improving the work efficiency. be able to.

  In addition, the intervals between the processing containers 3 can be arranged as close as possible so that the respective opening / closing lids 1 can be opened in parallel and fixed at an opening angle necessary for work. The installation area can be kept small. In addition, a space for the operator to perform work is secured in the space between the processing containers 3 attached to the respective sides of the vacuum-side sample transfer chamber 8 having a substantially polygonal planar shape. An operator can perform work on the processing containers 3 positioned on both sides in parallel, and workability and work efficiency are improved in this respect as well.

  In the present embodiment, at the opening angle of the first angle of the opening / closing lid 1 shown in FIG. 6, the moment due to the gravity of the opening / closing lid 1 and the moment due to the repulsive force of the gas spring 15 are substantially balanced. If no is added, the position is not changed. When the opening / closing lid 1 rotates in the closing direction and its position changes, the repulsive force from the gas spring 15 increases, and a moment of repulsive force acts in the direction to open the opening / closing lid 1. With such a configuration, the fluctuation and increase of the opening angle of the opening / closing lid 1 are suppressed during the work of the operator, and the danger of danger to the operator due to the opening / closing lid 1 gradually rotating in the closing direction is reduced.

  As described above, when working in the processing chamber, first, after opening and closing the lid 1 at a position where the maximum opening angle is 90 ° and exchanging swap parts, the opening and closing lid 1 is opened at an opening angle of 75 °. Wet cleaning can be performed with the position fixed. In the sample processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, a configuration for fixing the position of the opening / closing lid 1 at each opening angle is arranged at the hinge 9 and in the vicinity thereof. A configuration for fixing the open / close lid at an open angle between the closed state and the maximum open angle will be described with reference to FIGS.

  7A and 7B are diagrams showing a configuration in the vicinity of the hinge in a state where the open / close lid 1 is closed, in which FIG. 7A shows a side view and FIG. 7B shows a rear view. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a configuration in the vicinity of the hinge in a state in which the opening / closing lid 1 is fixed at a position at an opening angle of 90 °, FIG. 8A shows a side view, and FIG. 8B shows a rear view. . FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration in the vicinity of the hinge in a state where the opening / closing lid is fixed at a position of an opening angle of 75 °, FIG. 9A shows a side view, and FIG. 9B shows a rear view.

  As shown in these drawings, another bearing 10 for the opening / closing lid fixing pin is disposed above the bearing that receives the hinge shaft 14 disposed on the hinge 9. Pins 13 for fixing the opening / closing lid are penetrated and supported in substantially coaxial through holes provided at both ends of the bearing 10. A spring 12 is disposed on the outer periphery of the portion between the through holes of the pin 13, one end of which is in contact with the wall surface of the bearing 10 and the other end is in contact with a collar portion provided in the middle of the opening / closing lid fixing pin 10. A force is always applied by the biasing force of the spring 12 so as to press the pin 13 against the center of the opening / closing lid 1. A knob portion 11 is disposed at the other end portion of the pin 13 so that an operator can hold and operate the pin 13.

  When the open / close lid 1 is closed as shown in FIG. 7A, the pin 13 is arranged on the upper surface of the end of the open / close lid 1 on the hinge 9 side by the biasing force of the spring 12, and the center portion of the open / close lid 1 of the bearing 10. It is pressed against the side surface of the end portion of the plate 17 which is a member provided at a position facing the side through-hole.

  The side surface of the plate 17 that contacts the pin 13 and the side surface of the hinge 9 side end portion of the opening / closing lid 1 are configured to be substantially the same surface, and the opening / closing lid 1 is centered on the hinge shaft 14 of the hinge 9. As the opening / closing operation is performed by the rotational movement, the contact portion of the pin 13 moves from the side surface of the plate 17 to the side surface of the opening / closing lid 1.

  Further, a hole 25 is provided in the side surface of the hinge 9 side end portion of the opening / closing lid 1, and this hole 25 is opened at a certain angle when the opening / closing lid 1 is rotated and moved from the closed state and opened. Thus, the end of the pin 13 that is pressed against the opening / closing lid 1 side is disposed at the position where the side hole 25 is fitted. That is, when the hole 25 overlaps the position of the tip end portion of the pin 13 supported by the through hole of the bearing 10, the opening angle of the opening / closing lid 1 is fixed by the pin 13 entering the hole 25 on the side surface of the opening / closing lid. The size of the hole 25 is formed so as to be slightly larger than the diameter of the pin 13 so that the position of the pin 13 entering the inside does not greatly deviate.

  The side surface of the opening / closing lid 1 is provided with holes 25 through which the pin 13 penetrates at two or a plurality of positions, and the pin 13 is inserted into each of the holes 25-1, 25-2 or at two positions. The opening angle position of the opening / closing lid 1 is fixed at different opening angles.

  In particular, as shown in FIG. 7, the hole 25 of the present embodiment includes a deep hole 25-1 and a shallow hole 25-2, or two holes of a deep step 25-1 and a shallow step 25-2 in one hole 25. And has a step connecting the two, and the open / close lid 1 is closed and the deep hole 25-1 is positioned above the shallow hole 25-2, and is shallow in the opening direction of the open / close lid 1. They are arranged in the order of holes and deep holes.

  Further, the bottom surfaces of these holes have a step, and the surfaces are continuous at the step surface. The bottom surface of each hole (step) and the tip of the pin 13 are in contact with each other, and the pin 13 is fixed in position between the side surface or step surface of the hole 25 and the bottom surface of each hole (step). The opening / closing lid 1 is fixed at the opening angle of the plurality of opening / closing lids 1 corresponding to the position of the step.

  In this embodiment, when the opening / closing lid 1 is opened by 75 ° which is the first angle, the hole 25-1 into which the pin 13 is inserted and the pin 13 when the opening / closing lid 1 is opened by 90 ° which is the second angle. The hole 25-2 is inserted into the hole 25-2 so that the pin 13 can move. As shown in FIG. 9 (a), the hole (step) 25-1 into which the pin 13 is inserted when the opening / closing lid 1 is opened by 75 ° is deep, and as shown in FIG. The hole 25-2 into which the pin 13 is inserted when opened 90 ° is shallow, and has a step at the boundary between these two holes.

  When the opening / closing lid 1 is closed as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the pin 13 is above the opening / closing lid 1 and is in contact with the side surface of the plate 17. When the opening / closing lid 1 is opened, when the position of the deep hole 25-1 provided on the side surface of the opening / closing lid overlaps the position of the pin 13, as shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b), the opening / closing lid 1 is opened. The angle is about 75 °, and the pin 13 is inserted into the deep hole (step) 25-1 of the hole 25 on the side surface of the opening / closing lid 1 by the biasing force of the spring 12, and the opening angle of the opening / closing lid 1 is fixed. At this time, even if a moment of force for closing the lid 1 due to its own weight or a moment of force for pushing the lid 1 open by the reaction force of the gas spring is applied to the lid 1, the pin 13 opens and closes. Since the position is fixed by being inserted into the deep hole on the side surface of the lid 1, the rotational movement of the opening and closing is suppressed.

  Next, in order to open the opening / closing lid 1 to the maximum opening angle of 90 °, the knob 11 is moved forward while the opening / closing lid 1 is fixed at the first opening angle of 75 °. After pulling the pin 13 out of the deep hole (step) 25-1 on the side of the opening / closing lid 1, the opening / closing lid 1 is pushed up to increase the opening angle. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, when the opening angle of the opening / closing lid 1 is approximately 90 °, the pin 13 is inserted into a shallow hole (step) 25-2 opened on the side surface of the opening / closing lid 1. While being in contact with the bottom surface, it is in contact with the side surface of the hole 25 and its position fluctuation is suppressed, and the opening / closing movement of the opening / closing lid 1 is suppressed.

  At this time, the magnitude of the rotational moment due to the dead weight of the opening / closing lid 1 is very small, and the magnitude of the rotational moment due to the reaction force of the gas spring 15 is surely increased. However, as described above, the pin 13 hits the side surface of the shallow hole on the side surface of the opening / closing lid and does not allow opening of 90 ° or more, so the opening / closing lid is fixed at a position with an opening angle of 90 °.

  Here, even if the reaction force is lost due to a failure of the gas spring or the like and the opening / closing lid 1 begins to close unexpectedly, or an external force due to contact with the operator acts on the closed rotation, The pin 13 is movable between the 25 deep holes 25-1 and the shallow holes 25-2, and the pin 13 is biased by the spring 12 in the direction of the bottom surface of each step. The pin 13 is automatically inserted into a deep hole (step) opened on the side surface of the opening / closing lid 1 by the force of the spring 12 at a position where the angle is approximately 75 °, and the opening / closing lid 1 is further rotated in the closing direction. It is configured to suppress.

  In the above embodiment, the hole 25 provided on the side surface of the opening / closing lid 1 is configured to be inserted into the deep hole 25-1 at an open angle of 75 ° and into the shallow hole 25-2 at an open angle of 90 °. The relationship may be reversed, that is, it may be configured to be inserted into a shallow hole with an open angle of 75 ° and into a deep hole with an open angle of 90 °. After opening and fixing, it can be fixed at an opening angle of 90 ° by increasing the opening angle as it is. Furthermore, the hole 25-1 and the hole 25-2 can be configured as separate holes.

  As described above, the open / close lids of a plurality of processing chambers can be simultaneously opened at a plurality of open angles suitable for performing a plurality of types of predetermined operations such as wet cleaning and replacement of parts. In addition, when working with a longer working time, such as wet cleaning, where the opening angle of the opening / closing lid is not required to replace a large part, the opening / closing lids of adjacent containers are opened simultaneously. The position is fixed at an appropriate opening angle. For this reason, it becomes possible for an operator to work continuously or in parallel on the inside of a plurality of adjacent processing containers, and the working efficiency is improved while keeping the working time small.

  In addition, when exchanging large parts, it is possible to perform operations by sequentially fixing the opening / closing lid of the processing container at a larger opening angle. At this time, since the time required for replacement of the swap parts during the maintenance is shorter than the time required for wet cleaning, the replacement of the parts in the adjacent processing chambers can be maintained and inspected even if the work is performed sequentially. The influence on the work time can be kept small, the work efficiency is improved together with the shortening of the work time, and the operation efficiency and throughput of the sample processing apparatus are improved.

  Furthermore, the distance between processing containers can be kept small, and the installation area of the apparatus can be kept small. Further, a sufficient work space for the worker can be secured, and the work efficiency is improved. Thus, the work efficiency is improved and the installation area of the apparatus can be kept small.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the throughput by shortening the time required for maintenance of the sample processing apparatus. Further, it is possible to provide a sample processing apparatus that can reduce the installation floor area and secure a wide maintenance space.

The top view which shows the whole structure of the sample processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. The rear view which shows the outline of a structure when the processing container attached to each of the adjacent edge | side of a vacuum side sample conveyance chamber is seen from the back side. The figure which shows the state which each rotated and opened the opening-and-closing lid | cover of the upper part of the two processing containers shown in FIG. The figure which shows the outline of a structure of the processing container vicinity in the closed state of the opening-and-closing lid of the processing container shown in FIG. The figure which shows the outline of a structure of the processing container vicinity in the state when the opening-and-closing lid of the processing container shown in FIG. 2 is opened to 90 degrees. The figure which shows the outline of a structure of the processing container vicinity in the state when the opening-and-closing lid of the processing container shown in FIG. 2 is opened to 75 degrees. The figure which shows the structure of the hinge vicinity when the opening-and-closing lid of the opening-and-closing lid of the processing container shown in FIG. 4 is closed. The figure which shows the structure of hinge vicinity when the opening-and-closing lid of the opening-and-closing lid of the processing container shown in FIG. 4 is opened to 90 degrees of open angles. The figure which shows the structure of hinge vicinity when the opening-and-closing lid of the opening-and-closing lid of the processing container shown in FIG. 4 is opened to the open angle of 75 degrees.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Open / close lid, 2 ... Discharge chamber, 3 ... Processing container, 4 ... Valve, 5 ... Vacuum pump, 6 ... Post, 7 ... Post, 8 ... Vacuum side sample conveyance chamber, 9 ... Hinge, 10 ... Bearing, 11 ... Knob part, 12 ... Spring, 13 ... Opening / closing lid fixing pin, 14 ... Hinge shaft, 15 ... Gas spring, 16 ... Arm, 17 ... Plate, 18 ... Bracket, 19 ... Processing unit, 20 ... Cassette, 21 ... Parts , 22 ... Air side sample transfer chamber, 23 ... Lock chamber, 24 ... Lock chamber, 25 ... Hole

Claims (4)

A sample processing apparatus comprising a plurality of treatment vessel which is mounted in each of the sides adjacent transfer chamber substantially polygonal shape inside the sample to be processed is conveyed, each of the processing vessel, the processing on the container A lid member that is supported by a hinge mechanism disposed on the transfer chamber side and rotates around the axis of the hinge mechanism to open and close the upper portion of the processing container , and the lid member has a maximum opening angle position, and The position is fixed at an intermediate opening angle position between a closed position and a maximum opening angle position, and adjacent lid members interfere with each other at the maximum opening angle position of the lid member, and the intermediate opening angle A sample processing apparatus held at a position where the adjacent lid members do not interfere with each other at a position . 2. The sample processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hinge mechanism is connected to the processing container in the vicinity of the shaft of the hinge mechanism and is held by a bearing, and is provided on a side surface of the lid member . A plurality of holes are provided at a plurality of locations, and the pins are pressed by the elastic members toward these holes, and the pins enter the holes at the respective locations as the lid member rotates. A sample processing apparatus in which the lid member is fixed at the maximum opening angle position and the intermediate opening angle position . 3. The sample processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holes on the side surfaces of the lid member into which the pins are inserted have different depths connected by steps and have different depths. in a state in which the pin is stopped being inserted at the location, the sample processing apparatus which is held the lid member is fixed by the opening angle. A sample processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the sample processing device in which the pin is configured to be movable in a deeper position from the shallow position of the plurality of steps.

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