JP5015859B2 - Conveying device and processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport apparatus and a processing apparatus.

Conventionally, a heat treatment path for performing heat treatment is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the heat treatment path of Patent Document 1, the base plate on which the processed product is placed is pushed by the main pusher head at the tip of the main pusher, and the base plate pushed by the main pusher moves on the cam roller and is conveyed to the heating furnace. The configuration is described.
Japanese Patent No. 3536224

In general, in the heat treatment path, the inside of the transfer path becomes high temperature, so it is not preferable to perform the heat treatment with the processed product transfer means in the heat treatment chamber. For this reason, the transfer means is taken in and out from one side of the heat treatment chamber to deliver the processed product. For this reason, it has been difficult to configure an apparatus that performs heat treatment continuously.
In addition, as in the heat treatment path of Patent Document 1, in order to ensure heat resistance, it is common to press the base plate with the main pusher from the outside of the apparatus and mechanically convey the processed product, using a motor or the like. Thus, it is difficult to electrically operate and convey the processed product. However, even when the processed product is mechanically transported, the base plate on which the processed product is placed can be transported only in one direction, so that the entire configuration of the processing apparatus is limited.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a transport mechanism that can improve the degree of freedom of the configuration of the processing apparatus.

The invention described in claim 1 includes a transfer chamber for a processed object connected to a plurality of processing chambers, a transfer unit that is disposed inside the transfer chamber and transfers the processed object to the plurality of processing chambers, the conveying device and a movement mechanism for loading and unloading the conveying means with respect to the processing chamber, comprising a disconnection unit for connecting and dividing the said conveying means and said moving mechanism to each other, the disengaging portion includes the A hook formed on one of the conveying means and the moving mechanism; and an engaging portion formed on the other of the conveying means and the moving mechanism and engaged with the hook. in a state in which parts are connected, the moving mechanism and out the conveying means relative to the processing chamber, in a state in which the disengaging portion is divided, the conveying means the treated to the plurality of processing chambers Configured to carry It is characterized in that.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the conveying means and the moving mechanism are configured to be connectable / disconnectable, the moving mechanism is arranged to face the processing chamber, and the conveying means is arranged to be movable in the conveying chamber. By doing so, it is possible to carry the processing continuously by sequentially transferring the processed objects to the plurality of processing chambers. That is, there is an effect that the degree of freedom of the configuration of the processing apparatus can be improved.
In addition, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the conveying means and the moving mechanism can be connected / disconnected by performing easy processing on the conveying means and the moving mechanism.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the connecting / disconnecting portion, the conveying means and the distal end portion of the moving mechanism are mutually connected and disconnected so that the distal end portion of the moving mechanism can be moved up and down. to is characterized in that is mounted et the fulcrum to the moving mechanism.

The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that the processing apparatus includes the transfer device according to claim 1 or 2.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to sequentially carry out the processing by sequentially transferring the processing objects to the plurality of processing chambers. That is, there is an effect that the degree of freedom of the configuration of the processing apparatus can be improved.

The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that the processing chamber constituting the transfer device is a heat treatment chamber.
According to the invention described in claim 4, there is an effect that heat treatment can be continuously performed.

The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that it comprises a transfer mechanism for transferring the processed material into the processing chamber from the transfer means constituting the conveying device.
According to the invention described in claim 5, by delivering the processed material to the heat treatment chamber, it becomes possible to perform the heat treatment without leaving the transfer means in the heat treatment chamber, thereby improving the reliability of the transfer means. There is an effect that can be done.

  According to the present invention, the transfer means and the moving mechanism are configured to be connectable / disconnectable, the moving mechanism is arranged to face the processing chamber, and the transfer means is arranged to be movable in the transfer chamber. The processing objects can be sequentially conveyed to the processing chambers and processed continuously. That is, there is an effect that the degree of freedom of the configuration of the processing apparatus can be improved.

(Substrate processing equipment)
A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate processing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a preparation chamber 11 that takes a substrate W into the substrate processing apparatus 10, and a first processing chamber that is connected to the preparation chamber 11 and performs a first process on the substrate W. 12, a transfer chamber 13 that is connected to the first processing chamber 12 and includes a fork 51 on which the substrate W can be placed, and a second process that is connected to the transfer chamber 13 and performs the second processing on the substrate W. A chamber 14 and a take-out chamber 15 connected to the second processing chamber 14 and extracting the processed substrate W to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 10. In addition, gate valves 17a to 17f are provided at the boundaries of the chambers. In the present embodiment, processing is appropriately performed in each chamber while moving in the substrate processing apparatus 10 with the substrate W placed in the muffle 40.

  In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment has a substantially U-shaped configuration with the transfer chamber 13 as a turning point. The substrate processing apparatus 10 is configured as a continuous heat treatment furnace that processes the substrate W in a high heat environment. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is an apparatus that forms a light absorption layer of a CIS solar cell.

  The charging chamber 11 is configured to receive the muffle 40 from another device. A vacuum pump 18 capable of bringing the chamber into a vacuum state (depressurized state) is connected to the charging chamber 11.

  The take-out chamber 15 has substantially the same structure as the preparation chamber 11 and is configured to receive the muffle 40 that has been processed from the second processing chamber 14. A vacuum pump 98 capable of bringing the chamber into a vacuum state (depressurized state) is connected to the take-out chamber 15. And it is comprised so that the muffle 40 can be taken out to the apparatus which performs the next process.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the first processing chamber 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the first processing chamber 12 includes a gas distribution mechanism 20 that supplies and circulates hydrogen selenide (H ₂ Se) to the muffle 40 (substrate W). The first processing chamber 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having a space portion 21 therein. The outer wall 22 of the first processing chamber 12 has a double wall structure, and the cooling water C is supplied to the gap 23.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer wall 22 of the first processing chamber 12 forms an inner peripheral surface of the first processing chamber 12 with an outer wall 24 constituting the outer peripheral surface of the first processing chamber 12 and a gap 23 interposed therebetween. And an inner wall 25. The outer wall 24 is made of SUS304, for example, and the inner wall 25 is made of SUS316, for example. That is, it is preferable to employ a member having a higher corrosion resistance on the inner wall 25. A support member 26 is appropriately provided between the outer side wall 24 and the inner side wall 25. A heat insulating material 27 is provided on the space 21 side of the inner wall 25. The heat insulating material 27 is supported and fixed to the inner wall 25 by pins 28. Furthermore, a heater 29 is attached to the space 21 side of the heat insulating material 27 along the heat insulating material 27. The heater 29 is composed of, for example, a carbon heater.

  Returning to FIG. 2, pipes 35 and 36 of the gas distribution mechanism 20 are connected to the first processing chamber 12. A circulation fan 37 of the gas distribution mechanism 20 is disposed between the pipe 35 and the pipe 36. The gas distribution mechanism 20 is provided with a heater (not shown) so that it can be maintained at substantially the same temperature as that in the first processing chamber 12. Thereby, coagulation | solidification of the gas in the gas distribution mechanism 20 can be prevented. Two pipes 35 and 36 are connected to the suction side 37 a and the discharge side 37 b of the circulation fan 37, respectively, outside the first processing chamber 12. The two pipes 35 and 36 are arranged in a state where the end portions 35 a and 36 a are exposed in the space portion 21 of the first processing chamber 12. The end portions 35a and 36a are formed so as to be positioned at substantially the same height in the height direction. The end portions 35 a and 36 a are configured to be connectable to the muffle 40. Further, hydrogen selenide is supplied into the muffle 40 by the gas flow mechanism 20.

  Further, a through hole 34 is formed in the lower surface 33 of the first processing chamber 12. A pipe 38 is connected to the through hole 34, and an exhaust pump 39 is provided at the tip of the pipe 38. An exhaust pump 39 can exhaust the space 21 of the first processing chamber 12.

The first processing chamber 12 is provided with a gas supply device (not shown) that can supply, for example, N ₂ gas into the first processing chamber 12. The gas supply device and the exhaust pump 39 constitute an atmosphere control mechanism that controls the pressure in the first processing chamber 12. By doing in this way, it becomes possible to fill the inside of the 1st processing chamber 12 with the gas of predetermined pressure, leakage of hydrogen selenide gas from the muffle 40 into the 1st processing chamber 12, and the 1st processing chamber 12 Of hydrogen selenide gas from the outside to the outside can be prevented.
In addition, a table (not shown) for mounting the muffle 40 is provided in the space 21 of the first processing chamber 12.

  FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the muffle 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the muffle 40 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and a space portion 45 is formed inside the muffle 40. The muffle 40 is formed of a material having relatively high corrosion resistance such as iron containing nickel. The muffle 40 is formed in a size that can be disposed in the space 21 of the first processing chamber 12. In the space 45 of the muffle 40, a plurality of substrates W can be arranged vertically or horizontally. That is, a plurality of substrates W can be processed simultaneously. A plurality of through holes 47 (two in this embodiment) are formed on the upper surface 46 of the muffle 40. The through holes 47 are configured so that the pipes 35 and 36 of the gas flow mechanism 20 can be connected thereto.

Returning to FIG. 1, the second processing chamber 14 has substantially the same structure as the first processing chamber 12. The second processing chamber 14 includes a gas distribution mechanism 60 that supplies and circulates hydrogen sulfide (H ₂ S) to the muffle 40 (substrate W). The second processing chamber 14 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with a space portion 81 formed therein. The outer wall 82 of the second processing chamber 14 has a double wall structure substantially the same as that of the first processing chamber 12.

  Pipes 85 and 86 of the gas distribution mechanism 60 are connected to the second processing chamber 14. A circulation fan 87 of the gas circulation mechanism 60 is disposed between the pipe 85 and the pipe 86. The gas flow mechanism 60 is provided with a heater (not shown) so that it can be maintained at substantially the same temperature as in the second processing chamber 14. Thereby, coagulation | solidification of the gas in the gas distribution mechanism 60 can be prevented. Further, an exhaust pump 89 is provided in the second processing chamber 14. An exhaust pump 89 can exhaust the space 81 of the second processing chamber 14.

  The transfer chamber 13 is connected to the first processing chamber 12 and the second processing chamber 14. In the transfer chamber 13, a fork 51 for placing the muffle 40 and a first cylinder 65 and a second cylinder 75 for moving the fork 51 are arranged. The fork 51, the first cylinder 65, and the second cylinder 75 constitute a transport device 41. Further, a vacuum pump 49 capable of bringing the chamber into a vacuum state (depressurized state) is connected to the transfer chamber 13.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an arrangement state of the forks 51, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, a first rail 53 directed from the transfer chamber 13 to the first processing chamber 12 (second processing chamber 14) is provided below the fork 51, and is attached to the lower portion of the fork 51. The wheel 52 is placed on the first rail 53. A second rail 55 (see FIG. 1) is provided below the first rail 53 and is directed from the outlet of the first processing chamber 12 to the inlet of the second processing chamber 14. A wheel 54 attached to the lower part of the second wheel 55 is placed on the second rail 55. The second rail 55 is disposed on the floor surface FL of the transfer chamber 13.

A first cylinder 65 is attached to a wall 63 facing the wall 61 connected to the first processing chamber 12 in the transfer chamber 13. The rod 65a of the first cylinder 65 is inserted into a through-hole 64 formed in the wall portion 63, and is hooked to the distal end portion 67 of the rod 65a located in the transfer chamber 13, that is, the distal end portion of the moving mechanism. 68 is formed. A bellows 69 is attached outside the wall 63 of the transfer chamber 13 so as to cover the through hole 64. Thereby, the pressure-reduced state of the transfer chamber 13 can be ensured. Further, a fulcrum 70 is attached to the first cylinder 65, and the tip 67 of the first cylinder 65 , that is, the tip of the moving mechanism can be moved up and down around the fulcrum 70.

On the other hand, the fork 51 is formed with an engaging portion 71 that can engage with the hook 68 of the first cylinder 65. The hook 68 and the engaging portion 71 constitute a connection / disconnection portion 90.
Returning to FIG. 1, a second cylinder 75 is attached to the wall portion 63 of the transfer chamber 13 that faces the wall portion 61 connected to the second processing chamber 14. The rod 75a of the second cylinder 75 is inserted into a through hole 74 formed in the wall 63, and is hooked to the tip 77 of the rod 75a located in the transfer chamber 13, that is, the tip of the moving mechanism. 78 is formed. A bellows 79 is attached outside the wall 63 of the transfer chamber 13 so as to cover the through hole 74. Thereby, the pressure-reduced state of the transfer chamber 13 can be ensured. Further, a fulcrum 80 is attached to the second cylinder 75, and the tip 77 of the second cylinder 75 , that is, the tip of the moving mechanism can be moved up and down around the fulcrum 80.

  The preparation chamber 11 and the take-out chamber 15 are also provided with the same equipment as the first rail 53, the fork 51 and the first cylinder 65 of the transfer chamber 13, and are configured to be able to transfer the muffle 40 (substrate W). ing.

(Function)
Next, the case where the light absorption layer of a CIS type solar cell is formed using the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 12 are explanatory views showing a method for moving the muffle 40 (substrate W) in the transfer chamber 13.

  FIG. 6 is a basic configuration diagram of a CIS solar cell. As shown in FIG. 6, the CIS solar cell 100 is obtained by sequentially laminating a back electrode layer 102, a light absorption layer 103, a buffer layer 104, and a transparent electrode layer 105 on a glass substrate 101. Here, in the stage of carrying in to the substrate processing apparatus 10, it carries in in the state in which the Cu layer and In layer which comprise the back surface electrode layer 102 and the light absorption layer 103 were laminated | stacked on the glass substrate 101. FIG. When carrying in the muffle 40 (substrate W), the gate valve 17a is opened and carried into the preparation chamber 11 (see FIG. 1).

  When the muffle 40 is carried into the preparation chamber 11, the vacuum pump 18 brings the chamber into a vacuum state (depressurized state). After the chamber is in a vacuum state, the gate valve 17 b is opened and the muffle 40 is transferred to the first processing chamber 12. The first processing chamber 12 has already been evacuated by the exhaust pump 39.

In the first processing chamber 12, the muffle 40 is placed on a table (not shown) installed in the room. At this time, the pipes 35 and 36 are connected to the through holes 47 of the muffle 40. For example, the table is raised and the through hole 47 and the pipes 35 and 36 are connected. Then, H ₂ Se gas is supplied into the pipes 35 and 36 from a processing gas supply device (not shown), and the circulation fan 37 is driven to supply the H ₂ Se gas to the space 45 of the muffle 40.

At the same time, for example, N ₂ gas is supplied to the space 21 of the first processing chamber 12 by a gas supply device (not shown). Here, the pressure P1 in the space 45 of the muffle 40 and the pressure P2 in the space 21 of the first processing chamber 12 supply gas while adjusting the pressure. Note that by setting P1 ≦ P2, leakage of H ₂ Se gas from the muffle 40 to the first processing chamber 12 can be prevented. Furthermore, by making P1 and P2 substantially the same (P1≈P2), it becomes possible to prevent the ingress of N ₂ gas from the first processing chamber 12 into the muffle 40, and the H ₂ Se gas in the muffle 40 can be prevented. The concentration can be maintained. Further, it is preferable that these gas pressures are slightly lower than the atmospheric pressure. By doing in this way, it can prevent that gas leaks out of an apparatus.

Further, H ₂ Se gas is supplied to the muffle 40 and the heater 29 is driven to heat the muffle 40 (space portion 45). And if the muffle 40 (space part 45) is heated to desired temperature, it will hold | maintain in that state. During this holding, the light absorption layer 103 is formed. When the light absorption layer 103 is formed, the table is lowered to separate the through hole 47 of the muffle 13 and the pipes 35 and 36.

  Then, the exhaust pump 39 is driven to exhaust gases remaining in the space portion 21 of the first processing chamber 12, the space portion 45 of the muffle 40 and the pipes 35 and 36, and in the first processing chamber 12. Is kept in a vacuum state.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the space 21 of the first processing chamber 12 is held in a reduced pressure state, the gate valve 17 c is opened, and the fork 51 of the transfer chamber 13 is moved to the space 21. The transfer chamber 13 is already kept in a vacuum state by the vacuum pump 49. When the fork 51 receives the muffle 40 (substrate W), the fork 51 is unloaded from the first processing chamber 12 and the muffle 40 is transferred to the transfer chamber 13. Specifically, the hook 68 of the first cylinder 65 is engaged with the engaging portion 71 of the fork 51, and the fork 51 is pushed forward by the first cylinder 65 in this state, and the fork 51 is moved along the first rail 53. The tip of the fork 51 is inserted into a groove formed on the surface of a table (not shown) on which the muffle 40 is placed. Thereafter, when the table on which the muffle 40 is placed descends, the muffle 40 is delivered from the table to the fork 51 (delivery mechanism). When the muffle 40 is placed on the upper surface 51 a of the fork 51, the fork 51 is retracted from the space portion 21 of the first processing chamber 12 by pulling the fork 51 forward by the first cylinder 65.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the fork 51 on which the muffle 40 is placed returns to the inside of the transfer chamber 13, the gate valve 17c is closed.
As shown in FIG. 9, when the first cylinder 65 is pushed down, the tip portion 67 of the first cylinder 65 is pushed up around the fulcrum 70. That is, the hook 68 is separated from the engaging portion 71 of the fork 51, and the engaged state between the fork 51 and the first cylinder 65 is released.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the first rail 53 on which the fork 51 is placed is moved to the second processing chamber 14 side. That is, the fork 51 and the first rail 53 are moved along the second rail 55. Specifically, since the wheel 54 of the first rail 53 is placed on the second rail 55, by applying a force in the direction along the second rail 55 to the first rail 53, the first rail 53 Is moved to the second processing chamber 14 side. As this moving mechanism, a cylinder substantially the same as the above-described configuration may be used, or a chain type or a rack and pinion type may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 11, when the fork 51 on which the muffle 40 is placed has moved to the second processing chamber 14 side in the transfer chamber 13, the second cylinder 75 is pushed up around the fulcrum 80, and the second The hook 78 of the cylinder 75 is engaged with the engaging portion 71 of the fork 51.

  As shown in FIG. 12, after opening the gate valve 17d, the second cylinder 75 is pushed forward, the fork 51 is moved along the first rail 53, and the fork 51 on which the muffle 40 is placed is moved. It is located in the space part of the second processing chamber 14. Thereafter, a table (not shown) in the second processing chamber 14 is raised, and the muffle 40 is transferred from the fork 51 to the table. When the muffle 40 is transferred from the fork 51 to the table, the fork 51 is retracted from the space of the second processing chamber 14 by pulling the fork 51 forward by the second cylinder 75. Then, the gate valve 17d is closed. Further, pipes 85 and 86 are connected to the through holes 47 of the muffle 40.

In the second processing chamber 14, in a state where the muffle 40 is disposed, H ₂ S gas is supplied into the pipes 85 and 86 from a processing gas supply device (not shown), and the circulation fan 87 is driven to muffle the H ₂ S gas. 40 space parts 45 are supplied.

At the same time, for example, N ₂ gas is supplied to the space of the second processing chamber 14 by a gas supply device (not shown). Further, the heater is driven to heat the space portion before or substantially simultaneously with the supply of the H ₂ S gas to the space portion of the second processing chamber 14. This prevents the H ₂ S gas from solidifying. And if a space part is heated to desired temperature, it will hold | maintain in that state. Se ²⁻ used in the first processing chamber 12 can be stabilized by annealing at a high temperature in the S atmosphere during the holding time.

  Then, after the processing is completed, the exhaust pump 89 is driven to exhaust gases remaining in the space portion of the second processing chamber 14, the space portion 45 of the muffle 40, and the pipes 85 and 86, and the second processing. The inside of the chamber 14 is kept in a vacuum state.

  Next, the muffle 40 is moved from the second processing chamber 14 to the extraction chamber 15. The extraction chamber 15 is kept in a vacuum state (depressurized state) by a vacuum pump 98. After the chamber is in a vacuum state, the gate valve 17 e is opened, and the muffle 40 is transferred from the second processing chamber 14 to the extraction chamber 15. When the muffle 40 is placed in the take-out chamber 15, the gate valve 17e is closed. Then, the gate valve 17f is opened, the muffle 40 is delivered to the robot arm or the like, and the process proceeds to the subsequent steps. And the CIS type solar cell 100 shown in FIG. 6 is manufactured by forming the buffer layer 104 and the transparent electrode layer 105 in the subsequent process.

According to the present embodiment, the transfer chamber 13 of the muffle 40 (substrate W) connected to the plurality of processing chambers 12 and 14 and the muffle 40 (substrate W) are disposed inside the transfer chamber 13. In a transport device including a fork 51 transported to 12, 14 and cylinders 65, 75 for moving the fork 51 into and out of the processing chambers 12, 14, the fork 51 and the cylinders 65, 75 are connected and disconnected from each other. In the state in which the connecting / disconnecting portion 90 is connected, the cylinders 65, 75 withdraw / insert the fork 51 into / from the processing chambers 12, 14 with the connecting / disconnecting portion 90 connected thereto, 51 is configured to transfer the muffle 40 (substrate W) to the plurality of processing chambers 12 and 14.
Accordingly, the fork 51 and the cylinders 65 and 75 are configured to be connectable / disconnectable, the cylinders 65 and 75 are disposed to face the processing chambers 12 and 14, and the fork 51 is disposed to be movable in the transfer chamber 13. By doing so, the muffle 40 (the substrate W) can be sequentially transferred to the plurality of processing chambers 12 and 14, and processing can be performed continuously. That is, the degree of freedom of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 10 can be improved.

  In addition, since the connecting / disconnecting portion 90 includes the hook 68 formed on the cylinders 65 and 75 and the engaging portion 71 formed on the fork 51 and engaged with the hook 68, the fork 51 and the cylinders 65 and 75 are connected to each other. By applying easy processing, the fork 51 and the cylinders 65 and 75 can be connected / disconnected.

  In addition, since the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes the transfer device described above, the muffle 40 (substrate W) can be transferred in order to the plurality of processing chambers 12 and 14 and processed continuously. That is, the degree of freedom of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 10 can be improved.

  Furthermore, since the processing chambers 12 and 14 are heat treatment chambers, heat treatment can be performed continuously.

  Since the fork 51 is provided with a delivery mechanism for delivering the muffle 40 (substrate W) from the forks 51 to the processing chambers 12 and 14, it becomes possible to perform heat treatment without leaving the cylinders 65 and 75 in the processing chambers 12 and 14, The reliability of the fork 51 can be improved.

It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes those in which various modifications are made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. That is, the specific shapes, configurations, and the like given in the embodiment are merely examples, and can be changed as appropriate.
For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the substrate processing apparatus may be configured such that the preparation chamber, the first processing chamber, the second processing chamber, and the extraction chamber are all connected to the transfer chamber. In this case, a cylinder may be provided corresponding to each chamber. By doing in this way, a plurality of substrates can be batch-processed by performing hydrogen selenide processing and hydrogen sulfide processing continuously in each processing chamber.
In the present embodiment, the heat treatment is employed. However, the present invention may be applied to an apparatus that performs a treatment other than the heat treatment.
Further, in the present embodiment, a case has been described in which each processing is performed while the muffle is being transported in a state where the substrate is accommodated in the muffle, but the inside of the apparatus may be transported while the substrate is exposed.
Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the hook is formed on the cylinder and the engaging portion is formed on the fork has been described. However, the hook may be formed on the fork and the engaging portion may be formed on the cylinder. Moreover, the connection / disconnection part 90 is not restricted to a hook and an engaging part, It is good also as another structure which can be connected / disconnected.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case where the substrate is delivered by raising and lowering the table in the processing chamber when delivering the substrate between the processing chamber and the transfer chamber has been described. However, the table is fixed and the fork is raised and lowered. In this way, the substrate may be delivered.

It is a schematic block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing of the 1st process chamber in embodiment of this invention. It is the A section enlarged view of FIG. It is side surface sectional drawing of the muffle in embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which follows the BB line of FIG. It is a basic lineblock diagram of a CIS type solar cell. It is explanatory drawing (1) which shows the flow of the process in the conveyance chamber in embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing (2) which shows the flow of the process in the conveyance chamber in embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing (3) which shows the flow of the process in the conveyance chamber in embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing (4) which shows the flow of a process in the conveyance chamber in embodiment of this invention (whole structure figure). It is explanatory drawing (5) which shows the flow of the process in the conveyance chamber in embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing (6) which shows the flow of the process in the conveyance chamber in embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows another aspect of a substrate processing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Substrate processing apparatus (processing apparatus) 12 ... First processing chamber (processing chamber) 13 ... Transfer chamber 14 ... Second processing chamber (processing chamber) 41 ... Transfer apparatus 51 ... Fork (transfer means) 65 ... First cylinder ( 68, 78 ... hook 71 ... engaging portion 75 ... second cylinder (moving mechanism) 90 ... connecting / disconnecting portion W ... substrate (processed)

Claims (5)

A processing chamber for processing objects connected to a plurality of processing chambers;
A transfer means disposed inside the transfer chamber for transferring the processing object to the plurality of processing chambers;
A transfer mechanism including a transfer mechanism for moving the transfer means in and out of the processing chamber;
A connecting / disconnecting portion that connects and disconnects the conveying means and the moving mechanism;
The connecting / disconnecting portion includes a hook formed on one of the conveying means and the moving mechanism, an engaging portion formed on either one of the conveying means and the moving mechanism, and engaging with the hook; Composed of
In a state in which the cross contact portion is connected, the moving mechanism and out the conveying means relative to the processing chamber, in a state in which the disengaging portion is divided, the conveying means the process was of the plurality A transfer apparatus configured to transfer to a processing chamber. The connecting / disconnecting portion is formed by connecting and disconnecting the transport means and the distal end portion of the moving mechanism,
Conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein such vertical movement of the distal end portion of the moving mechanism is possible, characterized in that the fulcrum on said moving mechanism is installed.   A processing apparatus comprising the transfer apparatus according to claim 1. The processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processing chamber constituting the transfer device is a heat treatment chamber. Processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a transfer mechanism for transferring the processed material from the conveying means to the processing chamber constituting the conveying device.

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