JP6094786B2 - Filament exchanger and filament exchange structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a filament exchanger and a filament exchange structure used when exchanging filaments used in a vacuum chamber such as an ion source or an electron source.

  For example, in the manufacture of a liquid crystal display or a semiconductor device, an ion implanter is used to perform ion implantation on a liquid crystal glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate. The ion implantation apparatus is provided with an ion source for generating plasma and extracting an ion beam.

  The ion source has a plurality of filaments projecting into a plasma generation chamber communicating with a processing chamber maintained in a vacuum where an ion beam is irradiated onto the substrate, and introduced into the plasma generation chamber by emitting thermal electrons from the filament. The generated gas is ionized to generate plasma.

  By the way, the said ion source may deteriorate or break the said filament with accumulation of operation time, and needs to be replaced | exchanged regularly. When the filament is replaced, if the vacuum chamber such as the processing chamber or the plasma generation chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure, the volume of the vacuum chamber is so large that the vacuum degree is restored and the ion implantation apparatus is restored. It takes a long time to operate, and the operating rate of the apparatus decreases.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 9, a small vacuum box 1A fixed adjacent to the plasma generation chamber C is provided so that the filament can be exchanged without opening the plasma generation chamber to the atmosphere. The ion source is configured such that a filament 61A supported by a support arm 62A via a gate valve E communicating with the plasma generation chamber C from the vacuum box 1A is disposed in the plasma generation chamber C. 300A is shown.

  The vacuum box 1A is first evacuated, the filament 61A is moved from the plasma generation chamber C into the vacuum box 1A via the gate valve E, and then the gate valve E is closed and the vacuum box 1A is closed. The filament 61A is removed from the support arm 62A by opening the lid and releasing to the atmosphere. Therefore, since evacuation and release to the atmosphere are performed only in the small vacuum box 1A, the time required for restarting the ion implantation apparatus is shortened compared to the case where the filament 61A is replaced by opening the atmosphere to the plasma generation chamber C. it can.

  However, as shown in FIG. 9, the vacuum box 1A always occupies a space in a state of projecting to the outside of the plasma generation chamber C. For example, in the case of a multifilament type ion source 300A in which a large number of filaments 61A are arranged in a line in the plasma generation chamber C, it is necessary to arrange the vacuum box 1A for each arrangement of the filaments, and further occupy it. As a result, the ion source 300A as a whole becomes very large.

  On the other hand, the vacuum box 1A is not always fixed adjacent to the ion generation chamber C, but is a detachable filament with respect to the outer surface of the ion generation chamber C as shown in FIG. The filament 61A is also replaced using the exchanger 100A.

  The filament exchanger 100A includes an auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having an opening covering the periphery of the externally exposed portion of the flanged current introduction terminal 62A, the inside and outside of the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A passing through the flange, And an operation rod 2A connected to the attached current introduction terminal 62A.

The use method of the filament exchanger 100A will be described in detail. First, the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A is fixed to the fixing structure 5A to which the flanged current introduction terminal 62A is attached so as to surround the flanged current introduction terminal 62A. is, the tip of the operating rod 2A also fixed to the cable terminal 6 2 a with the flange. Then, after the inside of the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A is evacuated, the flanged current introduction terminal 62A and the filament 61A are drawn into the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A by pulling out the operating rod 2A. Then, after closing a vacuum valve (not shown) that partitions the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A and the ion generation chamber C, the vent valve (not shown) is opened to open the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A to the atmosphere. Further, after the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A is removed from the fixing structure 5A, the filament 61A is removed from the flanged current terminal 62A.

  When a new filament 61A is attached to the distal end of the flanged introduction terminal 62A, the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A is again attached to the fixing structure 5A, and the above-described procedure is repeated in the reverse direction. Thereafter, the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A is Removed.

  With such a filament exchanger 100A, it is attached to the ion source 300A only at the time of filament replacement, and therefore does not always occupy space.

  However, as can be seen from the operation at the time of replacement described above, in order to complete replacement of one filament, it is necessary to repeat the attachment and detachment of the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A with respect to the fixed structure 5A twice.

  The auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A is formed of a metal body so as not to be crushed by the atmospheric pressure when the inside is evacuated, and since the weight is large, the operation of attaching and removing the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1A is repeated a plurality of times. If this happens, the burden on the replacement worker will increase.

JP 2008-234895 A Japanese Patent No. 3518320

  The present invention is intended to solve the above-described problems all at once, and does not always occupy a useless space for filament replacement, so that the configuration of an ion source, an electron source, or the like can be achieved. It is an object of the present invention to provide a filament exchanger and a filament exchange structure that can be made compact and can reduce the number of times of attachment / detachment of the auxiliary vacuum vessel at the time of exchange, thereby greatly reducing the burden on the exchange operator.

  That is, the filament exchanger of the present invention is used when taking out and exchanging the filament disposed in the vacuum chamber supported by the filament support structure that is partially exposed to the outside of the vacuum chamber. An auxiliary vacuum vessel formed with an attachment port detachably attached so as to cover the filament support structure outside the vacuum chamber, and a distal end portion of the filament exchanger penetrating through the auxiliary vacuum vessel and having the tip thereof An operation for pulling out the filament support structure and the filament from the vacuum chamber into the auxiliary vacuum container by passing through the attachment port in a state where the auxiliary vacuum container is evacuated in the state of being attached to the filament support structure A rod, and the auxiliary vacuum vessel includes the attachment port and the filler. A container body outlet and is formed for taking out the filaments when replacing the cement, characterized in that a said filaments outlet to be opened and closed lid member.

  If it is such, since the auxiliary vacuum vessel is detachably attached to the outside of the vacuum chamber, it can be removed except when the filament is replaced, and always an extra space for replacing the filament. Will not occupy.

  Further, the auxiliary vacuum container is composed of the container body and the lid body, and the filament outlet can be opened and closed by the lid body, so that the attachment port is attached to the outside of the vacuum chamber. Thus, the filament outlet can be closed with the lid, and the auxiliary vacuum vessel can be sealed and evacuated. Accordingly, since the filament can be pulled out from the vacuum chamber into the auxiliary vacuum vessel while the auxiliary vacuum vessel is evacuated, the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber can be maintained.

  Further, when taking out and exchanging the drawn filament from the auxiliary vacuum chamber to the outside, the vacuum valve for partitioning the vacuum chamber and the auxiliary vacuum vessel is closed, and the vessel body is attached to the outer surface of the vacuum chamber. It is possible to remove the lid from the filament outlet and replace the filament support structure from the old filament to the new filament through the filament outlet.

  Then, the filament outlet is closed with the lid, the auxiliary vacuum vessel is sealed, the inside is evacuated, the vacuum valve is opened, and the inside of the auxiliary vacuum vessel and the vacuum chamber are communicated with each other. By pushing the filament support structure and the filament into the vacuum chamber by the rod, a new filament can be returned to the vacuum chamber without impairing the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber.

  In this way, the old filament and the new filament can be exchanged while the container main body is attached to the outside of the vacuum chamber by opening and closing the lid, so that in the exchange of one filament, the vacuum chamber of the auxiliary vacuum vessel Attachment and removal from the outside need only be performed once, and the burden on the replacement operator can be greatly reduced.

  In order to make it easier to insert a hand or a tool from the filament take-out port when replacing the filament support structure from the old filament to the new filament in the auxiliary vacuum vessel, and to facilitate replacement work, the lid However, what is necessary is just to be attached to the said container main body so that attachment or detachment is possible. With such a structure, the filament outlet can be opened most widely.

  In order to minimize the volume in the auxiliary vacuum vessel and shorten the time taken to evacuate the auxiliary vacuum vessel during filament replacement, the tip of the operating rod and the filament support structure The container body extends along the axial direction of the operating rod, has the mounting opening at the tip end thereof, and has the axial direction on the opposite side of the mounting opening. A convex portion projecting toward the proximal end, and the convex portion accommodates the bracket in a state where the filament is pulled out into the container body, and the convex portion when viewed from the axial direction. And the said bracket should just be formed smaller than the said filament support structure.

In order to prevent the filament from coming into contact with a wall or the like and being damaged by pulling out the filament support structure and the filament from the vacuum chamber by the operation rod, or by rotating the filament when returning to the vacuum chamber, etc. It is only necessary to further include a guide comprising an axially attached rail attached to the inside of the container body and a slider attached to be slidable on the rail, and the slider and the filament support structure may be connected. In such a case, the filament support structure and the filament can always be moved along the rail, and the filament can be exchanged more safely without causing rotation or the like.

  In order to facilitate carrying the filament exchanger to the vacuum chamber at the time of filament replacement, it is sufficient if a carrying handle is provided on the outer surface of the container body.

  In order to be able to safely place the filament exchanger so that it does not fall down during preparations that allow the filament support structure to be removed from the vacuum chamber at the time of filament replacement, the filament support structure is moved together with the handle when placed. What is necessary is just to provide two leg parts which make point support on the outer surface of the said container main body.

  It is not necessary to attach a vacuum exhaust pipe or the like to the filament exchanger, and in order to make it easy to work so that the pipe does not get in the way when attaching the filament exchanger to the outside of the vacuum chamber, etc. A filament exchange structure comprising a filament exchanger and a fixed structure to which the filament support structure provided outside the vacuum chamber is fixed, the fixed structure for evacuating the inside of the filament exchanger A filament exchange structure comprising: a vacuum exhaust valve; and an exhaust passage communicating with the vacuum exhaust valve and the auxiliary vacuum vessel when the filament exchanger is attached so as to surround the filament support structure If it is.

  Thus, according to the filament exchanger and the filament exchange structure of the present invention, since the filament exchanger is detachable from the outside of the vacuum chamber, the space for the auxiliary vacuum chamber that is used only when the filament is replaced. Is not always required. Therefore, it does not occupy a large space around the vacuum chamber. In addition, since the lid is provided, the filament can be exchanged by opening the filament outlet while the container body is attached to the outside of the vacuum chamber. Therefore, the filament exchanger needs to be attached to and removed from the outside of the vacuum chamber only once in the replacement of the filament, and the burden on the replacement operator can be reduced.

The schematic diagram which shows the usage example of the filament exchanger which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The typical perspective view which shows the filament exchanger in the embodiment. The typical perspective view which shows the isolation | separation state of the filament exchanger and fixed structure in the same embodiment. The typical perspective view which shows the state which attached the filament exchanger in the same embodiment to the fixed structure. The schematic diagram which shows the state which attached the filament exchanger in the same embodiment to the current introduction terminal with a flange. The typical perspective view which shows the movement aspect of the electric current introduction terminal with a flange in the same embodiment, and a filament. The typical sectional view showing the state of the filament exchanger when the filament in the embodiment is pulled out from the vacuum chamber. The typical perspective view showing the state where the filament was removed from the inside of the filament exchanger in the embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the conventional filament exchange mechanism. The schematic diagram which shows another conventional filament exchanger.

  A filament exchanger 100 and a filament exchange structure 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The filament exchanger 100 according to the present embodiment is used to replace the filament 61 of the ion source 300 that generates an ion beam for performing ion implantation on a liquid crystal glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate, for example, in the manufacture of a liquid crystal display or a semiconductor device. It is. It can also be used to replace the filament 61 of the electron source that generates the electron beam. Hereinafter, the exchange of the filament 61 disposed in the plasma generation chamber which is the vacuum chamber C of the ion source 300 will be described as an example.

  For example, the ion source 300 includes a multifilament type in which a plurality of filaments 61 are arranged in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. More specifically, a flanged current introduction terminal 62 that is a filament support structure for supporting the filament 61 in the vacuum chamber C is exposed outside the vacuum chamber C of the ion source 300; A plurality are arranged in two rows in the vertical direction. In addition, each flanged current introduction terminal 62 is fixed to each fixing structure 5 provided in the ion source 300. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5 (b) and the like, the fixing structure 5 includes a vacuum valve 54 capable of taking a closed state that partitions the inside and outside of the vacuum chamber C and an open state that allows the inside and the outside to communicate with each other. An exchanger mounting hole 52 for mounting the filament exchanger 100, a vacuum exhaust valve 51 used for evacuating the inside of the filament exchanger 100, the vacuum exhaust valve 51 and the filament exchanger 100 Is provided with an exhaust passage 53 communicating with each other. The evacuation valves 51 are connected to each other by an exhaust pipe so that the inside of the filament exchanger 100 attached from any one of the evacuation valves 51 can be evacuated by switching between opening and closing of the valves. It is configured.

  As shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 1, the filament exchanger 100 is not attached to the externally exposed side of each flanged current introduction terminal 62 during normal use, and the filament 61 that needs to be replaced is fixed. As shown by the solid line only in the structure 5, the filament exchanger 100 is attached, and the filament 61 is exchanged. Then, after the new filament 61 is returned into the vacuum chamber C and the exchange is completed, the filament exchanger 100 is removed from the fixing structure 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the filament exchanger 100 has a hollow, substantially elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a flanged current introduction terminal exposed at the center of the fixed structure 5 through the opening of the front end surface. 62 heads can be covered. Then, the mounting screws S1 provided at the four locations around the tip end surface are attached to the exchanger mounting holes 52 at the four locations around the flanged current introduction terminal 62. That is, the filament exchanger 100 can be attached to and detached from the fixing structure 5 and the filament exchanger 100 is separated from the vacuum chamber C outside the flanged current introduction terminal 62 as shown in FIG. It is possible to form a sealed space.

The main components of the filament exchanger 100 will be described. The filament exchanger 100 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 that forms a sealed space when attached around the flanged current introduction terminal 62. The pulling mechanism 2 for pulling out the filament 61 in the vacuum chamber C into the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 and the pressure adjusting mechanism 3 for adjusting the pressure in the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 are provided. .

  Each part will be described.

  The auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 2 and opens and closes the opening on the side surface of the container body 11 and a container body 11 which is a metal box having openings on the front end surface and the side surface. And a lid 12 made of transparent resin.

  The container body 11 includes a mounting opening 11a attached to the front end surface of the flanged current introduction terminal 62 so as to be in contact with the fixing structure 5 and a filament larger than the mounting opening 11a formed on a side surface. A take-out port 11b is formed, and a convex portion 11c is formed on the base end face side.

  The attachment port 11a is opened to substantially the same size as the flanged current introduction terminal 62 when viewed from the longitudinal direction.

  The filament outlet 11b is formed in a substantially rectangular opening, has a short side that is large enough for a human hand, and has a sealing structure SL for sealing so as to surround the periphery of the opening. An O-ring is provided. Handles 41 for carrying the filament exchanger 100 are provided on the upper and lower side surfaces adjacent to the side surface on which the filament outlet 11b is formed. In addition, when the upper and lower side surfaces are placed, two legs 42 are respectively provided so that the handle 41 and the three points are supported and stabilized. Furthermore, attachment brackets 43 for closing the filament outlet 11b while crushing the O-ring with the lid 12 are provided at four locations on the upper and lower side surfaces, respectively.

  The lid body 12 is a substantially rectangular flat plate, and four attachment portions for engaging with the attachment metal fitting 43 are provided on the side surface, and a removal handle 12a is provided at the center portion. As is apparent from FIG. 2 and the like, the lid 12 can be completely separated from the container body 11, and when the filament 61 is exchanged, when the exchange operator puts his / her hand through the filament outlet 11b. You can get in the way.

  The drawing mechanism 2 includes an operation rod 21 that extends through the convex portion 11c and extends in the longitudinal direction in the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1, a tip portion of the operation rod 21, and a head portion of the flanged current introduction terminal 62. A bracket 23 to be connected and a guide 22 for guiding the bracket 23 so as to move only in the axial direction of the operation rod 21 are configured.

  The operating rod 21 is outside the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1, and includes a T-shaped gripping portion 21 b that is gripped by an exchange operator to advance and retract the operating rod 21, and the gripping portion 21 b and the bracket 23. It is comprised from the rod 21a part which connects between. A seal structure is also formed in the sliding portion between the rod 21a and the convex portion 11c so as to prevent air inside and outside the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 from entering and exiting through the sliding portion. is there.

  The guide 22 includes a rail 22a that extends in the axial direction of the operation rod 21 on the inner surface of the container body 11, and a slider 22b that is slidably mounted on the rail 22a. The slider 22b is connected to the side surface of the bracket 23, and the bracket 23 and the flanged current introduction terminal 62 are moved only by linear motion without causing rotation. Therefore, even if the volume of the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 is adjusted to the size of the flanged current introduction terminal 62, the filament 61 can be moved safely without contacting the wall surface during the movement. .

  The bracket 23 is configured to be accommodated in the convex portion 11c when the operating rod 21 is pulled out to the maximum. In other words, the convex portion 11c accommodates the bracket 23 in a state where the filament 61 is pulled out into the container main body 11, and the convex portion 11c and the bracket 23 are It is formed smaller than the current introduction terminal 62 with the flange.

  In the pressure adjusting mechanism 3, the constituent members are disposed on the base end surface of the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 where the convex portions 11 c are not formed and are flat. That is, a pressure gauge 32 for checking the pressure in the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 and a vent valve 31 for releasing the inside of the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 from the evacuated state to the atmospheric pressure are provided on the base end surface. is there.

  The process at the time of the replacement | exchange operation | work of the filament 61 using the filament exchanger 100 comprised in this way is demonstrated.

  First, the replacement operator removes the screw of the flanged current introduction terminal 62 attached to the fixed structure 5 in advance. At this time, since the pressure in the vacuum chamber C is much lower than the atmospheric pressure, the flanged current introduction terminal 62 is pressed toward the inside of the vacuum chamber C by the atmospheric pressure, so that it does not come off arbitrarily.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the filament exchanger 100 is attached to the fixing structure 5 of the ion source 300 so that the head of the flanged current introduction terminal 62 is surrounded by the attachment port 11a. .

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the lid body 12 is removed from the container body 11, the bracket 23 and the head of the flanged current introduction terminal 62 are screwed and fixed, and then again. The lid 12 is attached to the container body 11 to seal the auxiliary vacuum container 1 inside. And after making the said vent valve 31 provided in the convex part 11c side into the closed state, as shown in FIG.5 (b), the said evacuation valve 51 which the said fixing structure 5 comprises has said fixed structure. 5 is evacuated in the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 through an exhaust passage 53. This evacuation is continued until the pressure gauge 32 provided on the convex portion 11c side indicates a predetermined degree of vacuum.

  When the inside of the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 is depressurized to substantially the same degree of vacuum as the inside of the vacuum chamber C, the replacement operator pulls out the operation rod 21 toward the convex portion 11c as shown in FIG. The flanged current introduction terminal 62 and the filament 61 are moved into the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 through the attachment port 11a. At this time, since the bracket 23 is connected to the slider 22b of the guide 22, only the linear movement occurs, and the flanged current introducing terminal 62 and the filament 61 are only translated as shown in FIG. While moving, the inside of the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 is moved from the distal end side to the proximal end side. Since the lid body 12 is made of a transparent resin, the replacement operator can always check the movement state of the flanged current introduction terminal 62 and the filament 61 through the filament outlet 11b. It is possible to prevent a situation in which the filament 61 comes into contact with the wall and breaks.

  6B and FIG. 7, when the movement is completed until the bracket 23 is accommodated in the convex portion 11c, the entire filament 61 is accommodated in the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1. It will be in the state. As shown in FIG. 7, the convex portion 11c, which is a region through which the flanged current introduction terminal 62 does not pass, has a necessary and sufficient volume to accommodate only the bracket 23. The volume can be reduced, and the time required for evacuation can be shortened.

  Thereafter, the vacuum valve 54 provided in the fixed structure 5 is closed to completely partition the vacuum chamber C from the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1. Then, after opening the vent valve 31 and setting the pressure in the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 to atmospheric pressure, the lid 12 is removed from the vessel body 11 as shown in FIG. Open. As apparent from FIG. 8, the lid 12 is removed from the container body 11 with the attachment port 11 a attached to the fixing structure 5. Then, the replacement operator puts his hand into the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 from the filament outlet 11b, removes the filament 61 attached to the tip of the flanged current introduction terminal 62, and removes the filament 61 from the filament outlet 11b. Remove from the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1. Thereafter, the replacement operator puts a new filament 61 into the auxiliary vacuum vessel 1 through the filament outlet 11b and attaches it to the tip of the flanged current introduction terminal 62. In this way, the filament 61 can be easily replaced by removing the lid 12 while attaching most of the constituent members of the filament exchanger 100 to the fixing structure 5.

  Thereafter, the above-described work process for removing the filament 61 is performed in the reverse direction, whereby a new filament 61 is disposed in the vacuum chamber C and finally the filament exchanger 100 is removed from the fixing structure 5. Can be removed.

  As described above, according to the filament exchanger 100 and the filament exchange structure 200 of the present invention, since there is the lid 12 for opening and closing the filament take-out port 11b, the filament exchanger 100 can be replaced when one filament 61 is replaced. The attachment and removal of each need only be performed once.

  Therefore, in the past, the attachment / detachment of the filament exchanger 100 to / from the fixed structure 5 for exchanging one filament 61 is much more difficult than the attachment / detachment work. Time and effort can be reduced. In other words, the number of times that the filament exchange operator lifts or lowers the filament exchanger 100, which is a heavy object, can be reduced as compared with the conventional case, and the burden on the exchange operator can be reduced.

  Furthermore, since the filament exchanger 100 can be attached to and detached from the fixed structure 5, the filament exchanger 100 can be detached from the ion source 300 during normal use, and a space around the ion source 300 is usually removed. Can be wider when in use. Such an effect is particularly remarkable in the multifilament type ion source 300 as shown in FIG. In addition, since the fixed structure 5 is not always provided with a small vacuum chamber C for replacing the filament 61, there is nothing protruding from the other fixed structure 5 during filament replacement work, and a wide space can be used. Easy to replace.

  Further, the filament exchanger 100 itself is not connected to a pipe for evacuating the inside, but uses an evacuation structure including the evacuation valve 51 and the exhaust passage 53 of the fixed structure 5 to provide an internal structure. The filament structure 200 is configured so that it can be evacuated. Accordingly, it is not necessary to directly connect a vacuum exhaust pipe to the filament exchanger 100 itself, and such a pipe does not become an obstacle when the filament exchanger 100 is attached or detached. The burden can be reduced.

  Other embodiments will be described.

  In the above embodiment, the replacement of the filament disposed in the vacuum chamber of the ion source has been described as an example. For example, the filament of the present invention can be used to replace the filament disposed in the vacuum chamber of the electron source for generating an electron beam. An exchanger may be used.

  The filament exchanger is provided with a guide for restricting the movement of the flanged current introduction terminal and the filament in the auxiliary vacuum vessel. In some cases, the guide is not provided, and the filament exchanger is configured to be pulled out only by the operation rod. It doesn't matter.

  In the above embodiment, the vacuum exhaust valve provided in the fixed structure is used for the vacuum exhaust in the auxiliary vacuum vessel. However, the exhaust valve may be directly connected to the filament exchanger itself. .

  The lid was configured to be completely removed from the container body so that the filament outlet can be fully opened. For example, the lid is connected to the container body by a hinge or the like, May not be removable.

  In addition, various modifications and combinations of embodiments may be performed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1: Auxiliary vacuum vessel 11: Container body 11a: Mounting port 11b: Filament take-out port 11c: Convex portion 12: Lid 21: Operation rod 22: Guide 23: Bracket 42: Leg 51: Vacuum exhaust valve 53: Exhaust flow Path 61: Filament 62: Current introduction terminal with flange (filament support structure)
100: Filament exchanger 200: Filament exchange structure C: Vacuum chamber

Claims (7)

The filament is supported by a filament support structure that is partially exposed to the outside of the vacuum chamber and is attached to the vacuum chamber when the filament disposed in the vacuum chamber is taken out of the vacuum chamber and replaced. A filament exchanger to be removed from the vacuum chamber after completion of the exchange,
An auxiliary vacuum vessel formed with an attachment port detachably attached so as to cover the filament support structure outside the vacuum chamber;
The tip of the auxiliary vacuum vessel passes through the auxiliary vacuum vessel and is attached to the filament support structure in the auxiliary vacuum vessel. In the state where the auxiliary vacuum vessel is evacuated, the auxiliary opening is passed through the auxiliary chamber from the vacuum chamber. An operation rod for pulling out the filament support structure and the filament into the vacuum vessel;
The auxiliary vacuum vessel is
A container body in which the attachment port and a take-out port for taking out the filament when the filament is replaced;
A filament exchanger comprising a lid capable of opening and closing the take-out port.   The filament exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the lid is detachably attached to the container body. A bracket for connecting the tip of the operating rod and the filament support structure;
The container main body extends along the axial direction of the operation rod, has the attachment port at the distal end side thereof, and a convex portion protruding toward the proximal end side in the axial direction on the side opposite to the attachment port. Have
The convex portion accommodates the bracket in a state where the filament is pulled out into the container body, and the convex portion and the bracket are formed smaller than the filament support structure when viewed from the axial direction. The filament exchanger according to claim 1 or 2. A guide comprising a rail extending in the axial direction of the operation rod attached to the inside of the container body and a slider attached to be slidable on the rail;
The filament exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the slider and the filament support structure are connected.   The filament exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a handle for carrying is provided on an outer surface of the container body.   6. The filament exchanger according to claim 5, wherein two legs that support the three points together with the handle are provided on the outer surface of the container body when placed. A filament exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
A filament exchange structure comprising: a fixed structure to which the filament support structure provided outside the vacuum chamber is fixed;
The fixing structure includes a vacuum exhaust valve for exhausting the inside of the filament exchanger, and the vacuum exhaust valve and the auxiliary vacuum container when the filament exchanger is attached so as to surround the filament support structure. A filament exchange structure comprising an exhaust passage communicating with the inside.