JP6053401B2 - Vacuum gate valve - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement of a vacuum gate valve that is used, for example, in a processing chamber of a semiconductor device to evacuate various processing chambers, and in particular, while maintaining a sealed state by a valve plate, The present invention relates to simple maintenance while suppressing generation of particles due to contact.

  In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a gate is provided between a processing chamber and a suction pump in order to create a vacuum state in various processing chambers for performing thin film processing by CVD (chemical vapor deposition), processing such as PVD, and PVD. A valve is used. As this vacuum gate valve, in recent years, since it is advantageous in terms of space and can be manufactured relatively easily, a laterally swiveled gate valve that swings the valve plate in the casing in the lateral direction has been widely adopted. Yes.

  In this laterally turning vacuum gate valve, a slight gap is set between the valve plate and the casing in order to ensure smooth swinging of the valve plate in the casing. Therefore, after the valve plate is moved to a position that closes the opening, it is necessary to close the valve plate to the casing in order to eliminate the gap and secure a sealed state.

  In this case, in order to prevent displacement and deformation of the valve plate due to the pressure difference, to securely maintain the sealed state and to prevent damage to the valve plate, the inventors have set the valve plate to the fully closed position with respect to the opening. The position adjusting means further includes a position adjusting means for bringing the valve plate into close contact with the casing at a certain time. The position adjusting means is relative to the rotating body by the rotation of the driving source, the rotating body rotated by the driving source, and the rotating body. A vacuum gate valve has been proposed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). The vacuum gate valve is characterized by adjusting the position of the valve plate in contact with the valve plate. This technology does not allow the displacement of the valve plate mechanically without contact with the elastic member when the valve plate is in close contact with the casing, but allows the valve plate to swing except when the valve plate is in close contact with the casing. Thus, it can be opened and closed.

  However, particularly when the valve plate is in close contact with the casing when the valve plate is in the fully closed position with respect to the opening, when the valve plate is pressed against the casing or when the valve plate is moved up and down (rotated). At the time of a slight slide, particles may be generated due to contact (metal contact) between metals which are materials of the valve plate and the casing. If the particles are scattered in the processing chamber, the performance of the manufactured semiconductor device may be affected, or various measuring instruments such as a pressure sensor may be damaged, causing problems.

  In addition to such close contact, the valve plate is installed in a critical condition where the pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure and the vacuum is severe, and a load due to the pressure is applied. At a position immediately before sealing, the valve plate is displaced more rapidly than expected, and the valve plate may collide with the casing at an unexpected speed. In particular, it is necessary to sufficiently cope with these problems since the valve plate is subjected to a pressure load in a large area as the valve plate becomes larger in recent years.

  Furthermore, in recent years, a high-performance motor can be used to open and close the gate valve at high speed. In particular, in recent large-sized and heavy valve plates, the motor is driven to drive the valve. As the plate swings, vibration is generated. If the valve plate that opens and closes at high speed comes into contact with the casing or the like, the valve plate may be damaged.

  In this case, contact between the valve plate and the casing must be reliably avoided, while at the same time, these machine elements are used in very harsh environments, requiring short-term maintenance. Therefore, it is very important to be able to easily perform access and detachment for maintenance.

Japanese Patent No. 4630994 JP 2011-117488 A

  In view of the above-mentioned problems, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to maintain the sealed state by the valve plate and to suppress the generation of particles due to contact between metals, while maintaining easily. An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum gate valve that can be used.

As a first means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a valve plate for a vacuum gate valve comprising a casing having an opening and a valve plate that swings in the casing to open and close the opening. When the valve plate is in the fully closed position with respect to the opening, it is further provided with a position adjusting means for bringing the valve plate into close contact with the casing. While displacement of the plate is not allowed, the valve plate is allowed to swing except when the valve plate is in close contact with the casing. The cushion material is formed at the portion of the valve plate that contacts the peripheral edge of the opening of the casing. The mounting groove formed in the valve plate so as to be detachably attached to the groove has a non-engagement portion formed wide and an engagement portion formed narrow. Provided is a vacuum gate valve characterized in that a locking portion that can be inserted into a mounting groove from a non-engaging portion and can engage with an engaging portion by displacement is formed. is there.

According to the present invention, as a second means for solving the above-described problem, in the first solution means, the mounting groove is formed in an arc shape or an annular shape at a portion that contacts the opening periphery of the casing of the valve plate. there is provided a vacuum gate valve, characterized in that there.

According to the present invention, as a third means for solving the above-described problem, in either the first or second solving means, the cushion material is attached to an end portion or a part of the mounting groove, and the cushion material. The present invention provides a vacuum gate valve characterized in that it has a spring that biases it away from itself (that is, a spring) in the mounting groove.

The present invention provides, as a fourth means for solving the above problems, in the first to third one solution, the cushion material is coated with fluorine resin on the surface of the forming or core material of a fluororesin Thus, a vacuum gate valve is provided.

According to the present invention, as a fifth means for solving the above-described problem, in any one of the first to fourth solving means, the position adjusting means includes a drive source, a rotating body rotated by the drive source, The vacuum gate valve is characterized by comprising a lifting body that moves up and down relative to the rotating body by the rotation of the rotating body, the lifting body being in contact with the valve plate and adjusting the position of the valve plate. Is.

According to the present invention, as a sixth means for solving the above-described problem, in the fifth solution means, when the drive source is at a position where the lift body is in close contact with the casing , the lift body is displaced. The present invention provides a vacuum gate valve characterized by being restrained so as not to occur.

According to the present invention, as a seventh means for solving the above-described problem, in any of the fifth and sixth solving means, the rotating body has an annular rail and a pin protruding from the annular rail, and is The body has a ring-shaped main body that engages with the annular rail of the rotating body and rotates along the annular rail, and a long hole that is formed in the ring-shaped main body and into which the pin of the rotating body is inserted. The lifting / lowering body is lifted / lowered with respect to the rotating body by moving the pin of the rotating body in the inclined long hole of the lifting / lowering body by the rotation of the rotating body. A vacuum gate valve is provided.

According to the present invention, as an eighth means for solving the above-described problems, in any one of the fifth to seventh solving means, the rotating body and the lifting body are disposed on the periphery of the opening and stored in the casing. A vacuum gate valve is provided.

According to the present invention, as a ninth means for solving the above-described problems, in any one of the fifth to eighth solving means, the elevating body has an O-ring embedded in a surface contacting the valve plate. A vacuum gate valve is provided.

  According to the present invention, as described above, the valve plate has the cushioning material that elastically contacts the casing when it is in close contact with the casing. Therefore, even if the valve plate is pressed against the casing or slides for sealing. In addition, it is possible to avoid the direct metal contact with the casing even when swinging or adjusting the pressure, so that there is an actual advantage that the generation of particles and the damage of the valve plate and the casing can be effectively suppressed. .

  According to the present invention, as described above, the cushion material is detachably fitted in the mounting groove formed in an arc shape or an annular shape at the portion of the valve plate that contacts the opening periphery of the casing. There is an advantage that the generation of particles due to the avoidance of metal contact can be prevented over almost the entire circumference of the valve plate pressed against the casing.

  According to the present invention, as described above, the mounting groove formed in the valve plate has a non-engagement portion formed wide and an engagement portion formed narrow, and the cushion material includes: While it can be inserted into the mounting groove from the non-engagement part, a latching part that can be engaged with the engagement part by displacement is formed, so the cushioning material is easy even if pressed firmly against the casing The cushioning material can be easily attached and detached while being securely placed in place even under harsh conditions, and can be easily handled during maintenance. There are real benefits that can be done.

  In this case, according to the present invention, as described above, the cushion material is attached to the end portion or a part of the mounting groove and urges the cushion material so as to be separated from the end portion or the part in the mounting groove. Since it has a spring, the position of the cushion material can be fixed and the engagement state of the engagement portion of the cushion material to the engagement portion of the mounting groove can be reliably maintained, while only removing the spring, There is an advantage that the cushion material can be easily displaced to a removable position, and maintenance such as replacement and cleaning of the cushion material can be easily performed.

  According to the present invention, as described above, the cushion material is formed from a fluororesin having the lowest friction coefficient among the resins, or is formed by covering the surface of the core material with the fluororesin. There is an advantage that the frictional resistance can be reduced and the buffer can be closely contacted at the time of close contact, and the generation of particles due to pressing or sliding can be effectively suppressed.

  According to the present invention, as described above, since the elevating body that contacts the valve plate has the O-ring embedded in the surface that contacts the valve plate, the O plate is placed on the surface opposite to the cushion material of the valve plate itself. There is no need to embed a ring, and the thickness of the valve plate can be adequately secured compared to the case where cushioning materials and O-rings are provided on both sides of the valve plate. There is an advantage that a sealed state on the chamber side can be secured.

It is a schematic sectional drawing in the open position of the vacuum gate valve of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view of the vacuum gate valve of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the position adjustment means used for this invention. It is a perspective view when the valve plate of the rotary body used for this invention and a raising / lowering body exists in an open position. It is a perspective view when the valve plate of a rotary body and a raising / lowering body used for this invention exists in a closed position. It is a partial cross section figure at the time of open | release of the valve plate of the rotary body used for this invention, and a raising / lowering body. It is a partial cross section figure at the time of close_contact | adherence to the casing of the valve | bulb plate of the rotary body and raising / lowering body used for this invention. It is a perspective view of the state which attaches the cushion material used for this invention to a valve plate. It is a perspective view of the state where the cushion material used for the present invention was attached to the valve plate. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attaches the spring which urges | biases the cushion material used for this invention to a valve plate. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the spring which urges | biases the cushion material used for this invention to the valve plate.

  An embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a vacuum gate valve 10 of the present invention, which is, for example, a semiconductor device (not shown). It is installed between a processing chamber used in this manufacturing process and a suction pump (not shown) for evacuating the processing chamber, and is used for sealing the inside of the processing chamber and keeping it in a vacuum.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vacuum gate valve 10 of the present invention includes a casing 12 having an opening 12a, a valve plate 14 that swings in the casing 12 to open and close the opening 12a, and the valve. A motor 16 that drives the plate 14 and a position adjusting means 18 that keeps the inside of the processing chamber in a vacuum by bringing the valve plate 14 into close contact with the casing 12 when the valve plate 14 is in the fully closed position with respect to the opening 12a. Yes.

(1. Power transmission means)
In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and 7, the position adjusting means 18 mechanically displaces the valve plate 14 without using an elastic member when the valve plate 14 is in close contact with the casing 12. The structure is not allowed. Therefore, even if the valve plate 14 receives a load due to pressure at the criticality between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, no gap is generated between the valve plate 14 and the casing 12 due to separation from the casing 12 or warpage in one direction. Therefore, the sealed state can be reliably maintained.

  Specifically, the position adjusting means 18 includes a driving source 20, a rotating body 22 rotated by the driving source 20, and a rotating body 22 by the rotation of the rotating body 22 as shown in FIGS. It consists of the raising / lowering body 24 which raises / lowers relatively.

  As shown particularly in FIG. 2, the rotating body 22 and the elevating body 24 are disposed on the periphery of the opening 12 a of the casing 12 and are accommodated in the casing 12. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the sealed state can be maintained while saving space without greatly changing the size and shape of the casing 12 from the conventional design. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the drive source 20 is attached to the casing 12 outside the casing 12, and power is supplied to the rotating body 22 inside the casing 12 by a drive gear 30 and a rotation gear 28 as power transmission means described later. To communicate. Therefore, maintenance and replacement such as repair and inspection of the drive source 20 can be easily performed.

  As shown particularly in FIG. 1, the casing 12 includes a casing main body 12A and a cover 12B that is detachably attached to the casing main body 12A with bolts or the like. Therefore, the casing 12 is formed to be openable and closable by attaching and detaching the cover 12B. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating body 22 and the elevating body 24 are detachably accommodated in the casing 12 by the openable / closable casing 12. For this reason, it is possible to easily perform maintenance such as inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement of the rotating body 22 and the lifting body 24.

(2. Drive source)
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, it is desirable to use a sealing motor 26 as the driving source 20 in addition to the motor 16 installed for swinging the valve plate 14. This is because the position of the valve plate 14 is appropriately adjusted by using a drive source that can directly control whether or not the drive is necessary, instead of a drive source that depends on the use state of a spring or the like.

  In this case, the sealing motor 26 that is the drive source 20 is located at a position where the lifting body 24 is in close contact with the gate valve 12 by the operation of the rotating body 22 and the lifting body 24 described later. The elevating body 24 is restrained from being displaced so as to restrict the elevating body 24 from moving up and down. That is, the elevating body 24 is not displaced unless the sealing motor 26 operates, and the sealed state is reliably maintained without moving from the sealed position to the open position unless the sealing motor 26 rotates reversely. Can do.

(3. Rotating body)
As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 7, the rotating body 22 includes an annular rail 22A and a plurality of pins 22B protruding from the annular rail 22A. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, a gear groove 22 a is formed on a side surface of the annular rail 22 of the rotating body 22. The rotating body 22 is rotated by the driving force of the sealing motor 26 being transmitted by the rotating gear 28 that meshes with the gear groove 22a and the drive gear 30 that meshes with the rotating gear 28 and is attached to the rotating shaft of the sealing motor 26. . As shown in FIG. 3, the gear groove 22a only needs to be formed within a range where the rotating body 22 needs to be rotated.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the annular rail 22 </ b> A has an inverted concave cross-sectional shape having a groove inside, and a plurality of pins 22 </ b> B are installed so as to protrude inward from the inner wall surface. ing. Accordingly, the pin 22B rotates integrally with the annular rail 22A. In order to secure the strength, the pin 22 is preferably installed over both wall surfaces of the annular rail 22 having an inverted concave cross section. Even in this case, the annular rail 24A is used for assembling the elevating body 24. It is desirable to attach it detachably.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a screw 32 for holding the rotating body 22 and the lifting body 24 as the position adjusting means 18 in the casing 12 passes through the upper surface of the annular rail 22A. A curved long hole 22 b that allows the rotating body 22 to rotate along the screw 32 is formed. For this reason, the plurality of screws 32 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the contour of the annular rotating body 22.

(4. Lifting body)
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the elevating body 24 engages with the annular rail 22A of the rotating body 22 and rotates along the annular rail 22A, and the ring-shaped main body 24A includes It has a long hole 24a into which the pin 22B of the rotating body 22 is formed. The ring-shaped main body 24 </ b> A has a substantially convex cross section, and a wall portion extending upward is inserted into a groove inside the annular rail 22 </ b> A of the rotating body 22 and mechanically engages with the rotating body 22. The number of the long holes 24a is set according to the number of pins 22B of the rotating body 22.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, at least a part of the long hole 24 a is inclined with respect to the rotating body 22. For this reason, the elevating body 24 moves up and down relatively with respect to the rotating body 22 when the pin 22B of the rotating body 22 moves in the elongated hole 24a inclined by the rotation of the rotating body 22. Can do.

  More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, when opening the valve plate 14 so as not to be in close contact with the casing 12, the pin 22 </ b> B of the rotating body 22 is located at the starting end at the lowest position of the long hole 24 a, The rotating body 22 and the elevating body 24 are in the closest state. In this position, as shown in FIG. 6, the elevating body 24 is separated from the valve plate 14 and can swing the valve plate 14.

  On the other hand, when the rotating body 22 rotates from the open position state shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 in the upward direction of inclination of the long hole 24a (left direction in FIG. 4), the elevating body 24 is moved to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the valve plate is pushed down by the pin 22B moving in the long hole 24a, gradually descends along the inclination of the long hole 24a, and finally reaches the terminal end at the uppermost position of the long hole 24a. 14, the valve plate 14 can be pressed against the casing 12 to be in a sealed state.

  In this case, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the elongated hole 24 a is formed horizontally at its start and end, and can receive the vertical force acting on the elevating body 24. In the fully closed state, even if a load due to a pressure difference is applied to the valve plate 14 to which the elevating body 24 is in close contact, the pin 22B of the rotating body 22 is not displaced in the long hole 24a of the elevating body 24. For this reason, the pin 22B of the rotating body 22 can be reliably held at a predetermined position, and the valve plate 14 is in the sealed state in a sealed state in combination with the stop of the driving of the sealing motor 26 that is the driving source 26. The valve plate 14 can be mechanically held at a predetermined position without interposing the elastic member, and the sealed state can be secured.

  As described above, since the lifting body 24 is engaged with the rotating body 22 and is lifted and lowered by the rotation of the rotating body 22, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, it is possible to move up and down without requiring unnecessary space in the width direction. The valve plate 14 can be brought into close contact with or released from the casing 12 from the direction, and a hermetically sealed state can be maintained while saving space similar to the case where a spring is used.

  Further, since the ring-shaped main body 24A of the elevating body 24 is annular, the valve plate 14 is in contact with the valve plate 14 over the entire circumference of the valve plate 14 along the outline of the disc-shaped valve plate 14 and the casing 12 Even when a load due to a pressure difference is applied, the valve plate 14 is warped only in one direction, such as the tip direction, so that no gap is generated between the valve plate 14 and the casing 12. In addition, the sealed state can be reliably maintained.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the elongated hole 24a formed in the elevating body 24 is formed such that a portion that is continuously formed at the horizontal start and end is inclined more gently than the other portions. It is desirable to do. Thereby, even when the valve plate 14 is subjected to a load due to pressure, it is possible to prevent the valve plate 14 from being suddenly displaced by regulating the speed of the initial movement and the final movement. Can be avoided, and damage to the valve plate 14 and the casing 12 can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, the sealing motor 26 which is the drive source 20 can also control the position of the pin 22B of the rotating body 22 at a position excluding the start and end ends formed horizontally. Specifically, the sealing motor 26 as the drive source 20 can be controlled by stopping the pin 22B of the rotating body 22 at a predetermined position in the inclined long hole 24a of the elevating body 24. Thus, the gap between the valve plate 14 and the casing 12 can be adjusted, and the pressure in the processing chamber communicating with the opening 12a can be controlled. As a result, the valve plate 14 can not only serve as a gate valve for simple opening and closing, but can also function as a pressure regulating valve at the same time.

  In addition, although the raising / lowering distance of this raising / lowering body 24 is determined by the altitude difference of the highest position of the long hole 24a, generally, if the difference is set to about 2.5 mm, valve plate 14 can be securely adhered to the casing 12.

  In the illustrated embodiment, eight pins 22B of the rotating body 22 and eight long holes 24a of the elevating body 24 are formed. However, the number of the installed holes is not particularly limited. However, in order to ensure smooth and even rotation and elevation, it is desirable to set a plurality of sets of at least two sets in opposite directions.

(5. Valve plate)
As shown in FIG. 6, the valve plate 14 is set so that a gap is formed between the valve plate 14 and the casing 12 when the valve plate 14 is released from the close contact state with the casing 12 by the position adjusting means 18. Specifically, a gap of about 1 mm is set between a cushion material 34 (described later) and the casing 12. As a result, the valve plate 14 can be prevented from coming into contact with the casing 12 or the like at the time of swinging, and as a result, damage or the like can be prevented, thereby ensuring smooth swinging. In other words, the position adjusting means 18 makes the valve plate 14 adhere to the casing 12 against the position setting of the valve plate 14 in the free state.

  In the present invention, the valve plate 14 has a cushion material 34 that elastically contacts the casing 12 when closely attached to the casing 12, as shown in FIGS. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7B, the cushion material 34 is disposed between the casing 12 and the casing 12 when the valve plate 14 is pressed against the casing 12 by the elevating body 24 to be in a sealed state. The gap is set to be about 0.2 mm.

  For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, the valve plate 14 comes into contact with the casing 12 at the cushion material 34 portion when closely contacting the casing 12. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7 in particular, even when the valve plate 14 is pressed against the casing 12 or slid for sealing, direct metal contact can be avoided, so that the generation of particles during contact is effective. Can be suppressed. Even when the valve plate 14 swings or functions as the pressure regulating valve described above, even if it collides with the casing 12 due to an unexpected error, the generation of particles, the valve plate 14 and the casing 12 are not affected. Can be effectively suppressed.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cushion member 34 has an arc shape along the periphery of the opening 12 a of the casing 12, and opens toward the swing shaft 14 a for swinging the valve plate 14. It arrange | positions so that it may attach to the valve plate 14. Therefore, the cushion material 34 can prevent generation of particles due to avoidance of metal contact between the valve plate 14 and the casing 12 over substantially the entire circumference of the substantially disc-shaped valve plate 14 pressed against the casing 12 when sealed.

  Further, the cushion material 34 is formed of a material that can further reduce the frictional resistance as compared with the frictional resistance when the valve plate 14 and the casing 12 are in direct contact. Specifically, the cushion material 34 is desirably formed of a frictional resistance reducing material, that is, a fluororesin having the lowest friction coefficient among resins such as Teflon (registered trademark).

  As a result, when the valve plate 14 is in close contact with the casing 12, the frictional resistance can be reduced and the buffer plate can be in close contact, and the generation of particles can be effectively suppressed, and the opening 12 a of the casing 12 can be opened. When the valve plate 14 swings for the transition from the closed state to the closed state, even if the cushion material 34 comes into contact with the casing 12, it can be smoothly accommodated in the periphery of the opening 12a of the casing 12 by the sliding effect, and at the same time Occurrence and damage of each part can be prevented.

  However, the cushion material 34 can exhibit a buffering effect if it can exert the above-mentioned frictional resistance action in the portion that contacts the casing 12, and is limited to the case where the entire cushion material 34 is formed of a fluororesin. In addition, for example, the surface of the core material can be formed by coating a fluororesin.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 11, the cushion material 34 is detachably fitted in a mounting groove 36 formed in an arc shape at a portion of the valve plate 14 that contacts the peripheral edge of the opening 12 a of the casing 12. , Attached to the valve plate 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the mounting groove 36 formed in the valve plate 14 has a non-engagement portion 36 </ b> A that is formed wide and alternately narrow so as to be adjacent to the non-engagement portion 36 </ b> A. And an engaging portion 36B formed on the surface. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the cushion material 34 is formed with a locking portion 34 </ b> A formed so as to protrude from both side surfaces of the cushion material 34.

  The locking portion 34A formed on the cushion material 34 has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape that engages with the non-engaging portion 36A of the valve plate 14, and as shown in FIG. While being able to be inserted into the mounting groove 36 from 36A, as shown in FIG. 9, it is engaged with the engaging portion 36B by being slid and displaced toward the engaging portion 36B in the mounting groove 36. Can do. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the mounting groove 36 in the engaging portion 36B has a substantially trapezoidal shape in which the opening above the bottom surface is narrower, and the locking portion 34A of the cushion material 34 is provided. Has a similar longitudinal section. For this reason, in a state where the locking portion 34A is engaged with the engaging portion 36B, the cushion material 34 does not come off from the mounting groove 36 as shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, the cushion material 34 is moved from the state shown in FIG. 9 in which the engaging portion 34A is engaged with the engaging portion 36B to the direction opposite to that when the cushion material 34 is attached (to the non-engaging portion 36A side). ) It can be easily removed from the valve plate 14 simply by sliding and engaging the engaging portion 34A of the cushion material 34 with the non-engaging portion 36A of the mounting groove 36.

  For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, even when pressed against the casing 12, the cushion material 34 is not easily detached, and the generation of particles can be reliably suppressed, while the cushion material 34 is easily removed. It is possible to reliably arrange at a predetermined position even under harsh conditions and suppress the generation of particles while easily handling during maintenance.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the cushion material 34 includes a spring 38 that is attached to the end portion 36 a of the attachment groove 36 and biases the cushion material 34 in the attachment groove 36. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the spring 38 is wound around a wound ring-shaped portion 38a, two extending portions 38b extending from the ring-shaped portion 38a, and further, at the tip of one extending portion 38b. And a receiving portion 38c provided by turning.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the spring 38 is configured such that a part of the receiving portion 38 c and the extending portion 38 b engage with the engaging portion 36 </ b> B of the attaching groove 36, so that the attaching groove 36 extends from the end portion 36 a of the attaching groove 36. The ring-shaped portion 38a is inserted into the end portion 36a of the mounting groove 36, while the receiving portion 38c is in contact with the end portion 34a of the cushion material 34, The cushion material 14 is urged so as to be separated from the spring 38 itself (and thus from the end 36a of the mounting groove 36) by being mounted in the gap between the end 36a of the mounting groove 36.

  That is, the spring 38 has a gap formed between the end portion 36a of the mounting groove 36 of the end portion 34a of the cushion material 34 when the cushion material 34 is mounted in the mounting groove 36 in a free state (FIG. 9). The cushion material 34 is biased so as to be separated from the end portion 36a of the mounting groove 36 by extension, instead of being closer to each other by contraction.

  Thereby, the cushion material 14 can be fixed at an appropriate position, and the engagement state of the engaging portion 34A of the cushion material 34 with the engagement portion 36B of the attachment groove 36 can be reliably maintained. On the other hand, the spring 38 can be removed from the mounting groove 36 by pulling the ring-shaped portion 38a upward, whereby the cushion member 14 can be easily displaced to a removable position simply by removing the spring 38. Thus, maintenance such as replacement and cleaning of the cushion material 14 can be easily performed.

  As described above, the mounting groove 36 is formed in the valve plate 14, and the thickness of the portion is reduced. For this reason, in order to ensure the airtightness at the time of sealing while preventing the strength of the valve plate 14 from being lowered, as shown in FIGS. An O-ring 40 is embedded in the surface in contact with 14.

  As a result, it is not necessary to embed an O-ring on the surface of the valve plate 14 opposite to the cushion material 34, and the valve plate 14 has a valve plate 14 and the O-ring provided on both surfaces of the valve plate 14. The thickness can be appropriately ensured, and the O-ring 40 can ensure a sealed state on the processing chamber side while ensuring sufficient strength. Since the O-ring 40 can secure the sealed state on the processing chamber side as described above, the cushion material 34 is a complete ring (annular) as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. ), The sealing function of the valve plate 14 is not affected at all even if it has an arcuate shape that opens toward the swing shaft 14a for swinging the valve plate 14.

  However, in the illustrated embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 11, the cushion material 34 and the mounting groove 36 are formed in an arc shape excluding the swing shaft 14a side, but the mounting groove 36 is formed in an annular shape. In addition, the cushion material 14 may be formed in an arc shape excluding only the spring 38 portion, the spring 38 may be attached to a part of the attachment groove 36, and the cushion material 34 may be fixedly attached to the attachment groove 36.

  In particular, the present invention can be widely applied to an etching apparatus in a semiconductor device, thin film processing by CVD, PVD, and a processing chamber used for manufacturing a flat panel display.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vacuum gate valve 12 Casing 12A Casing main body 12B Cover 12a Opening 14 Valve plate 14a Oscillation shaft 16 Motor 18 Position adjustment means 20 Drive source 22 Rotating body 22A Annular rail 22B Pin 22a Gear groove 22b Curved long hole 24 Lifting body 24A Ring Main body 24a Long hole 26 Sealing motor 28 Rotating gear 30 Drive gear 32 Screw 34 Cushion material 34a Cushion material end 34A Locking part 36 Attaching groove 36A Non-engaging part 36B Engaging part 36a Attaching groove end 38 Spring 38a Ring-shaped part 38b Extension part 38c Receiving part 40 O-ring

Claims (9)

In a vacuum gate valve comprising a casing having an opening and a valve plate that swings in the casing to open and close the opening, the valve plate is moved when the valve plate is in a fully closed position with respect to the opening. Position adjustment means for closely contacting the casing is further provided, and the position adjustment means mechanically does not allow displacement of the valve plate without using an elastic member when the valve plate is in close contact with the casing. except for during adhesion to the casing of the plate to permit the swinging of the valve plate, the valve plate, have a cushion member for elastically contacting the casing during adhesion to the casing, the cushion In the portion of the valve plate that contacts the peripheral edge of the opening of the casing The mounting groove formed in the valve plate is detachably fitted in the formed mounting groove, and has a non-engagement portion formed wide and an engagement portion formed narrow. The cushioning material can be inserted into the mounting groove from the non-engagement portion, and has a locking portion that can be engaged with the engagement portion by displacement . Gate valve. 2. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 1, wherein the mounting groove is formed in an arc shape or an annular shape at a portion of the valve plate that contacts the peripheral edge of the opening of the casing . Gate valve. A vacuum gate valve as claimed in any one of claims 1 or claim 2, wherein the cushion material, the own end portion of the mounting groove or mounted to a portion the cushion member in the mounting groove A vacuum gate valve comprising a spring that urges away from the vacuum valve. The vacuum gate valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the cushion material is formed of a fluororesin or is formed by covering the surface of a core material with a fluororesin. A vacuum gate valve. 5. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 1 , wherein the position adjusting means includes a driving source, a rotating body that is rotated by the driving source, and the rotation by the rotation of the rotating body. A vacuum gate valve comprising: a lifting body that moves up and down relative to a body, wherein the lifting body is in contact with the valve plate and adjusts a position of the valve plate. 6. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 5 , wherein the driving source is configured to restrain the lifting body from being displaced when the lifting body is in a position to bring the valve plate into close contact with the casing. A gate valve for vacuum characterized by 7. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 5 , wherein the rotating body has an annular rail and a pin protruding from the annular rail, and the lifting body is formed of the rotating body. A ring-shaped main body that engages with the annular rail and rotates along the annular rail, and a long hole that is formed in the ring-shaped main body and into which the pin of the rotating body is inserted. The elevating body is inclined with respect to the rotating body, and the elevating body is moved up and down with respect to the rotating body by moving the pin of the rotating body in the inclined long hole of the elevating body by the rotation of the rotating body. This is a vacuum gate valve. The vacuum gate valve according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , wherein the rotating body and the elevating body are disposed on the periphery of the opening and housed in the casing. A vacuum gate valve. 9. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 5 , wherein the elevating body has an O-ring embedded in a surface in contact with the valve plate. valve.

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