JP7475661B2 - Vacuum chamber member and vacuum chamber device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum chamber member and a vacuum chamber device equipped with this vacuum chamber member.

Generally, a vacuum chamber apparatus is known as an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices, liquid crystal panels, or organic electroluminescence (OEL) panels by creating a vacuum inside a container and performing a predetermined process on a substrate placed in the container using a process gas or the like introduced into the container. The vacuum chamber components that make up such a vacuum chamber apparatus are made of metals such as aluminum alloys, stainless steel, and steel materials.

As panels get larger with each generation in order to improve productivity, the vacuum processing equipment used to manufacture these panels is also getting larger. If the structural components (chamber components) of the vacuum processing equipment are made of metal, they will be heavy and difficult to transport, so it is possible to consider making them from the material described in Patent Document 1, for example. The material described in Patent Document 1 integrates metal components and fiber-reinforced resin material by bonding them with an adhesive resin layer, thereby increasing strength and reducing weight.

JP 2019-119212 A

However, when a vacuum chamber is evacuated, a load acts from the atmospheric side, and when the vacuum is released, the load is released. This causes the load to act repeatedly in the thickness direction of the plate, which may cause the adhesive of the material described in Patent Document 1 to peel off, reducing the strength.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vacuum chamber component that is lightweight and has sufficient strength, and a vacuum chamber device that uses the same.

In order to achieve this object, the invention described in claim 1 comprises a first plate made of an inorganic material that forms the inner surface of the chamber that is on the vacuum side, a second plate made of a composite material that is provided on the back side of the surface of the first plate that forms the inner surface of the chamber and is thicker than the first plate, and a third plate made of the inorganic material that is thinner than the second plate and that sandwiches the second plate together with the first plate from both sides , wherein the first plate is configured to be joined to the third plate that sandwiches the second plate by a joining means, and the second plate is sandwiched between the first plate and the third plate from both sides to form a sandwich structure, and the joining means has at least one protrusion that protrudes from the back surface of the first plate, and the protrusion penetrates the second plate and is fixed to the third plate by a fastening member .

The invention described in claim 2 includes a first plate made of an inorganic material forming an inner surface of a chamber on the vacuum side, a second plate made of a composite material that is provided on the rear surface of the first plate that forms the inner surface of the chamber and is thicker than the first plate, and a third plate made of the inorganic material that is thinner than the second plate and that sandwiches the second plate together with the first plate from both sides, the first plate being configured to be joined to the third plate that sandwiches the second plate by a joining means, the second plate being sandwiched between the first plate and the third plate from both sides to form a sandwich structure, and the joining means is configured to join the second plate to the third plate by a joining means. The present invention is characterized in that it has a connecting member that penetrates and is sandwiched between the first plate and the third plate, the connecting member being formed so that its area facing the third plate is larger than its area facing the first plate, and a pressing force acts on the contact surface between the connecting member and the second plate in a direction from the third plate to the first plate, and the connecting member and the first plate are fixed by a first fastening member and the connecting member and the third plate are fixed by another fastening member, thereby connecting the first plate and the third plate via the connecting member.

Furthermore, the invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration described in claim 1 or 2 , the joining means is an epoxy-based adhesive, an acrylic resin-based adhesive, a urethane resin-based adhesive, a cyanoacrylate-based adhesive, or a polyurethane resin-based adhesive that adhesively bonds the contact surfaces between the first plate and the second plate and the contact surfaces between the second plate and the third plate.

The invention described in claim 4 comprises a first plate made of an inorganic material that forms the inner surface of the chamber that is on the vacuum side, a second plate made of a composite material that is provided on the back side of the surface of the first plate that forms the inner surface of the chamber and is thicker than the first plate, and a third plate made of an inorganic material that is thinner than the second plate and sandwiches the second plate together with the first plate from both sides, wherein the first plate is configured to be joined to the third plate that sandwiches the second plate by a joining means, the first plate is formed in a tub structure with a side wall portion that protrudes toward the third plate along the peripheral edge of the back surface, the joining means is configured to include the side wall portion, the second plate is stored in a space formed by the recess of the tub structure of the first plate and the third plate so as to be sealed, and the side wall portion and the third plate are fixed by a fastening member.

In addition, the invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration described in any one of claims 1 to 4 , the inorganic material is stainless steel or an aluminum alloy , and the composite material is a composite material containing fibers.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the fifth aspect, the composite material is a fiber reinforced plastic, a carbon fiber reinforced plastic, or a ceramic matrix composite material.

The invention as set forth in claim 7 is characterized in that a vacuum chamber is constituted by the vacuum chamber member as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 6 .

According to the invention described in claims 1 , 2 and 4 , the second plate of the composite material is sandwiched on both sides between the first plate and the third plate of the inorganic material, thereby making the structure lightweight, and since the first plate and the third plate are joined by the joining means, the structure has sufficient strength to be used as a vacuum chamber component.

Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 1 , a sandwich structure is formed in which a second plate of a composite material is sandwiched on both sides between a first plate and a third plate of an inorganic material, and a protrusion provided on the first plate penetrates the second plate and is fixed to the third plate, thereby achieving weight reduction and improved strength.

According to the invention described in claim 2 , a sandwich structure is formed by sandwiching a second plate of a composite material between a first plate and a third plate of an inorganic material from both sides, and a connecting member is provided that penetrates the second plate and is sandwiched between the first plate and the third plate, and a pressing force acts on the contact surface between the connecting member and the second plate in a direction from the third plate to the first plate, and the connecting member and the first plate are fixed by a first fastening member, and the connecting member and the third plate are fixed by another fastening member, so that the first plate and the third plate are connected via the connecting member. Therefore, even with a simple structure in which the first plate and the third plate are connected via the connecting member, sufficient strength as a vacuum chamber member can be obtained. Also, the second plate is pressed against the first plate by the connecting member, and is fixed and stabilized.

According to the invention described in claim 3 , the contact surfaces between the first plate and the second plate and the contact surfaces between the second plate and the third plate are adhesively joined with an epoxy adhesive, an acrylic resin adhesive, a urethane resin adhesive, a cyanoacrylate adhesive, or a polyurethane resin adhesive. The fastening member, the connecting member, and the adhesive can ensure sufficient bonding strength and prevent the adhesive from peeling off. In addition, the vacuum chamber member can be formed with a simple structure and can be made lighter.

According to the invention described in claim 4 , the first plate is formed in a tub structure with a side wall portion provided along the periphery of the back surface of the surface forming the inner surface of the chamber that is the vacuum side, and the second plate is housed in a space formed by the recess of this tub structure and the third plate, and the side wall portion and the third plate are fixed by a fastening member. This tub structure configuration can increase the strength. In addition, since the composite material constituting the second plate is sealed in the space formed by the tub structure of the first plate and the third plate, for example, when carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is used as the second plate, it is possible to prevent carbon fibers and resins contained in the CFRP from entering the vacuum chamber, contaminating the inside of the chamber, and deteriorating the degree of vacuum. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the carbon fibers and resins from being released into a clean room in which equipment for manufacturing semiconductor devices, liquid crystal panels, and organic EL panels is installed, thereby contaminating the clean room.

According to the invention described in claim 5 , the inorganic material constituting the first plate or the third plate is stainless steel or aluminum alloy, so that a large strength can be realized. Furthermore, by performing electrolytic polishing or blasting on the surface of the first plate that forms the chamber inner surface on the vacuum side, the chamber inner surface is flattened, so that the problem of leakage of gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and water vapor caused by surface irregularities can be avoided. According to the invention described in claim 5, the composite material is a composite material containing fibers, so that the strength can be further increased.

According to the invention described in claim 6 , the composite material constituting the second plate is fiber reinforced plastic, carbon fiber reinforced plastic or a ceramic matrix composite material, thereby achieving weight reduction and achieving even greater strength.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the vacuum chamber is constituted by the vacuum chamber member according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, it is possible to reduce the weight of the entire vacuum chamber.

1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a vacuum chamber apparatus according to the present invention; 1A is a front view showing an integrated wall member in a first embodiment of a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention, FIG. 1B is a right side view of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a left side view of FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of the first embodiment of the vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a wall member is attached to the metal frame of FIG. 3 . FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the vacuum chamber member of FIG. 3 with a part cut away. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of a second embodiment of a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of a third embodiment of a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. 13A and 13B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view taken along line AA showing a sandwich structure of a vacuum chamber member according to a third embodiment. 13A and 13B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view taken along line BB showing the tub structure of a vacuum chamber member according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of a fifth embodiment of a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of a sixth embodiment of a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views showing a sandwich structure of a vacuum chamber member according to a first modified example of the sixth embodiment, taken along line CC, and 13C and 13D are cross-sectional views showing a sandwich structure of a vacuum chamber member according to another first modified example of the sixth embodiment, taken along line D-D. 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views showing a sandwich structure of a vacuum chamber member according to a second modified example of the sixth embodiment, taken along line E-E. 4 is a partial enlarged view showing a corner of the vacuum chamber member of the present invention, which is manufactured by one embodiment of a manufacturing method for a vacuum chamber member of the present invention. FIG. 1A to 1C are process diagrams showing an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings.

[One embodiment of a vacuum chamber device]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a vacuum chamber apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum chamber device 1 has a vacuum chamber 5, which is provided with a wall member 11 as a plate member. The wall member 11 is formed in a substantially cubic shape by four side walls 12, a bottom wall 13, and an upper wall 14. Hereinafter, when the four side walls 12, bottom wall 13, and upper wall 14 are described collectively, they will be described as the wall member 11. The corners where the four side walls 12, bottom wall 13, and upper wall 14 are joined to each other are fixed by corner reinforcing plates 15 with an L-shaped cross section. The vacuum chamber 5 has support legs 16 that contact the installation surface and are fixed to the bottom wall 13.

One end of a duct 31 that communicates with the inside of the vacuum chamber member 5 is connected to the lower part of one of the four side walls 12 of the vacuum chamber 5. A roughing pump 32 is connected to the other end of the duct 31. The roughing pump 32 sucks gas from the vacuum chamber 5 through the duct 31. Specifically, the roughing pump 32 evacuates the vacuum chamber 5 to a vacuum level of about 10 Pa. For example, a rotary pump or a dry pump is used as the roughing pump 32. A valve 33 that opens and closes the flow path in the duct 31 is installed in the middle of the duct 31. The roughing pump 32 is connected to a controller 35 through a signal line 34.

A vacuum sensor 36 that detects the degree of vacuum inside the vacuum chamber 5 is installed on the side wall 12 of the vacuum chamber 5 above the connection position of the duct 31. This vacuum sensor 36 is connected to the controller 35 through a signal line 34. Although only one vacuum sensor 36 is shown in FIG. 1, in reality, various sensors are used according to the degree of vacuum. For example, for low degrees of vacuum up to about 1 Pa, a diaphragm vacuum gauge or a Pirani vacuum gauge is used. For high degrees of vacuum exceeding 1 Pa, a hot cathode ionization vacuum gauge or a cold cathode ionization vacuum gauge is used.

A gate valve 37 is installed on the side wall 12 of the vacuum chamber 5 above the position where the vacuum sensor 36 is installed. This gate valve 37 is provided with a turbo molecular pump 38. This turbo molecular pump 38 is also connected to the controller 35 via a signal line 34.

Next, the operation of drawing a vacuum inside the vacuum chamber 5 in this embodiment will be described.

To evacuate the vacuum chamber 5, first start the roughing pump 32 and suck the gas in the vacuum chamber 5 through the duct 31 to a vacuum level of about 10 Pa. While the gas is being roughed out, the valve 33 is opened, and when a vacuum level of about 10 Pa is reached, the valve 33 is closed. The vacuum level in the vacuum chamber 5 can be monitored by the vacuum sensor 36.

Next, the turbo molecular pump 38 is started to further increase the degree of vacuum within the vacuum chamber 5. When the inside of the turbo molecular pump 38 has been sufficiently evacuated, the gate valve 37 installed between the side wall 12 of the vacuum chamber 5 and the turbo molecular pump 38 is opened, and the degree of vacuum within the vacuum chamber 5 is further increased by the suction force of the turbo molecular pump 38. This degree of vacuum becomes a high degree of vacuum, for example, up to 1×10 ⁻⁴ Pa. To further increase the degree of vacuum, a cryopump or ion pump (not shown) may be added.

The vacuum sensor 36 detects the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 5, and outputs a detection signal to the controller 35. Based on the detection signal, the controller 35 outputs start/stop command signals and power supply control signals to the roughing pump 32 or turbo molecular pump 38.

The control operation of the controller 35 in this embodiment will be described.

For example, the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber 5 is detected at regular intervals using the vacuum sensor 36, and the detection signal is sequentially output to the controller 35. A representative example of a sequence for creating a vacuum in the vacuum chamber 5 will be described. The gate valve 37 installed between the side wall 12 of the vacuum chamber 5 and the turbo molecular pump 38 starts in a closed state. The controller 35 outputs a start command signal to the turbo molecular pump 38 to start the turbo molecular pump 38. The blades of the turbo molecular pump 38 start rotating. When the blades reach a predetermined rotation speed, the turbo molecular pump 38 returns a start completion signal to the controller 35. The controller 35 inputs the detection signal of the vacuum sensor 36, and if the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber 5 is lower than 10 Pa, it outputs a start command signal to the roughing pump 32 to start the roughing pump 32. Then, the valve 33 is opened to exhaust the gas in the vacuum chamber 5. The gas is exhausted until the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber 5 is about 10 Pa. When the vacuum chamber 5 is reduced to about 10 Pa, the valve 33 is closed.

Next, in order to further increase the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 5, the controller 35 opens the gate valve 37 and performs evacuation by the turbo molecular pump 38. Then, when the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 5 reaches a high level of, for example, 1×10 ⁻⁴ Pa, the environment becomes one in which the device equipped with the vacuum chamber can be used in a vacuum state. In order to maintain the vacuum state, the controller 35 continues to monitor the value of the vacuum sensor 36, and the turbo molecular pump 38 operates continuously to maintain the vacuum. Although not shown, a roughing pump is connected to the atmospheric side of the turbo molecular pump 38. This roughing pump is shared with the roughing pump 32, and is used in turn to evacuation of the vacuum chamber 5.

In this manner, in the vacuum chamber apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the degree of vacuum within the vacuum chamber 5 is detected by the vacuum sensor 36, and this detection signal is output to the controller 35, which in turn outputs a start command signal or a stop command signal to the roughing pump 32 or the turbo molecular pump 38, thereby controlling the degree of vacuum within the vacuum chamber 5, making it possible to always maintain the desired degree of vacuum within the vacuum chamber 5.

[First embodiment of vacuum chamber member]
Fig. 2(a) is a front view showing an integrated wall member in a first embodiment of a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention, (b) is a right side view of (a), and (c) is a left side view of (a). Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of the first embodiment of a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the wall member is attached to the metal frame in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the entire structure of the vacuum chamber member in Fig. 3, with a part cut away.

The vacuum chamber member 10 in Figures 2 to 5 corresponds to the vacuum chamber 5 in Figure 1. In Figures 2 to 5, the parts of the vacuum chamber member 10 that correspond to the wall member 11 of the vacuum chamber 5 shown in Figure 1 are described using the same reference numerals as in Figure 1.

As shown in Figures 2(a) to (c), the wall member 11 of the vacuum chamber member 10 has a composite plate 17 as a second plate and a resin plate 18 as a first plate that is weaker than the composite plate 17, and these are bonded together by adhesive to form an integrated unit.

The material of the composite plate 17 is selected from fiber reinforced plastic, carbon fiber reinforced plastic, or ceramic-based composite material. Of these materials, it is desirable to use carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) as a material that can withstand repeated deformation caused by evacuation and exposure to the atmosphere of the vacuum chamber member 10 and has high mechanical strength. In this case, other carbon fiber reinforced carbon composite materials such as C/C composite (carbon-carbon composite) may also be used.

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics are broadly divided into two types: PAN (Polyacrylonitrile) and Pitch. Although the PAN type is mainstream and low cost, the pitch type has a higher Young's modulus, so the pitch type is preferable for application to the vacuum chamber 5. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics have a light specific gravity and can be made lighter than conventional vacuum chamber components made only of stainless steel. When the vacuum chamber 5 is evacuated, it deforms due to atmospheric pressure. If the thickness of the composite plate 17 is determined so that the amount of deformation is equivalent to that of a conventional vacuum chamber made only of stainless steel, the weight of the vacuum chamber 5 can be reduced by half.

The thickness of the composite plate 17 is made thicker than the thickness of the resin plate 18. The thickness of the composite plate 17 is set to, for example, 10 mm to 100 mm, and is a thickness that can withstand deformation due to atmospheric pressure when the inside of the vacuum chamber member 10 is suctioned to a vacuum. On the other hand, the resin plate 18 is a thin plate, for example, about 1 mm to 5 mm, since it does not need the function to prevent deformation due to a vacuum.

As shown in FIG. 3, the composite plate 17 is placed on the atmosphere side 2, which is the outside of the vacuum chamber member 10, while the resin plate 18 is placed on the vacuum side 3, which is the inside of the vacuum chamber member 10. Note that the composite material of the composite plate 17 and the resin material of the resin plate 18 are permeable to small amounts of gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and water vapor, and are therefore unsuitable as materials for the vacuum chamber member 10, which requires a high degree of vacuum.

In this embodiment, therefore, a metal film 19 is formed by plating or sputtering on the inner surface of the resin plate 18, which is the vacuum side 3, to provide vacuum shielding. When forming the metal film 19 by plating, the metal material is selected from nickel, chromium, zinc, and the like. The thickness of the metal film 19 is preferably 50 μm or more. By making the thickness of the metal film 19 in this manner, a gas-impermeable surface is formed, making it possible to create a vacuum environment. Note that a metal film with excellent corrosion resistance, such as gold (Au), may be sputtered over the surface of the metal film 19, such as nickel.

The resin plate 18 has a surface plated or sputtered with a metal film 19, so there are few restrictions on the material. Specifically, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), nylon 6, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and other resins with gas barrier properties are desirable. However, even with such materials, if used without plating or sputtering, gas will be generated from the resin itself or there will be a small amount of gas permeation, making them unsuitable for the vacuum chamber member 10, which requires a high degree of vacuum. For this reason, in this embodiment, the metal film 19 is formed by plating or sputtering as described above. In addition, the surface roughness of the resin plate 18 is desirably about Ra 0.1 to 1.0 μm in order to maintain adhesion with the plating or sputtering and ensure vacuum sealing properties.

In this embodiment, a method of plating the metal film 19 directly onto the composite plate 17 is also possible, but if the composite plate 17 is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic or the like, the surface will be uneven because it contains carbon fiber as a reinforcing material. Such an uneven surface is unsuitable as a vacuum seal surface, and there is a problem that gas (air, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.) outside the vacuum chamber 5 will pass through the gaps in the unevenness and enter the inside of the vacuum chamber 5, causing leakage. To avoid this problem, in this embodiment, the metal film 19 is formed by plating or the like on a thin resin plate 18 with a flat surface.

In this embodiment, the process for forming the metal film 19 is not limited to the above-mentioned plating, sputtering, etc., but may be performed, for example, by coating the inner surface of the composite plate 17 or the inner surface of the resin plate 18 with a composite coating agent in which an inorganic filler such as alumina is dispersed, to form the metal film 19.

Next, an example of constructing a vacuum chamber member 10 by combining the wall members 11 manufactured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows the state in which two wall members 11 are joined.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wall member 11 has a composite plate 17 and a resin plate 18, which are joined together at their joint surfaces with an adhesive to integrate them. The adhesive may be an epoxy, acrylic resin, urethane resin, cyanoacrylate, or polyurethane resin. A metal film 19 is formed on the surface of the resin plate 18 by plating or sputtering, as described above.

The ends of the two wall members 11 are held by a metal frame 20. The metal frame 20 and the wall members 11 are fixed to each other by bonding them together at their joint surfaces 23a with an adhesive. For example, an epoxy or acrylic adhesive is used as the adhesive for bonding them together. The purpose of bonding the metal frame 20 and the wall members 11 with this adhesive is not only to increase the mechanical strength, but also to provide a vacuum seal function at the ends of the two wall members 11.

If the mechanical strength is insufficient when the adhesive alone is used for joining, the wall member 11 and the metal frame 20 may be fastened and fixed with bolts (not shown). The material of the metal frame 20 is stainless steel (SUS), which is used for vacuum parts. This metal frame 20 is constructed by welding stainless steel. The surface of the metal frame 20 that contacts the vacuum side 3 is subjected to electrolytic polishing or blasting.

The metal frame 20 has two support posts 20a extending perpendicularly from the outside, and fixing holes 20b are formed at the tips of the support posts 20a. A bolt 22 is fastened as a fastening member into the fixing holes 20b of each support post 20a.

The corner reinforcement plate 15 has an L-shaped cross section, and has mounting holes 15a on each of the two corner sides. The corner reinforcement plate 15 is made of the same carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) as the composite plate 17 to reduce weight and increase strength. The material used for the corner reinforcement plate 15 has a Young's modulus equal to or greater than that of the composite plate 17 that constitutes the wall member 11. The ends of the two wall members 11 are firmly attached by fastening the bolts 22 through the washers 21 and the mounting holes 15a of the corner reinforcement plate 15 to the fixing holes 20b of the posts 20a.

The joint surface 23 where the composite plate 17 and the corner reinforcement plate 15 come into contact is fixed with an adhesive to increase adhesion. For example, an epoxy-based, acrylic resin-based, urethane resin-based, cyanoacrylate-based, polyurethane resin-based, or other adhesive is used for this adhesive.

In FIG. 3, only one support post 20a and one bolt 22 are shown for each wall member 11, but this is not a limitation and multiple support posts 20a and bolts 22 may be installed side by side within the plane of the page or perpendicular to the plane of the page.

The case where the vacuum chamber member 10 having the above configuration is applied to the vacuum chamber 5 will be explained using Figures 4 and 5.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the vacuum chamber member 10 comprises a wall member 11, a corner reinforcing plate 15, a metal frame 20, and a support 20a (shown in Figure 3). The wall member 11 comprises a composite plate 17 and a resin plate 18 on which a metal film 19 is formed, as shown in Figure 3. The vacuum chamber member 10 is assembled to the metal frame 20 formed in a cubic lattice shape by fastening the six wall members 11 to the support 20a with bolts 22 through the mounting holes 15a of the corner reinforcing plate 15 and washers 21, as shown in Figure 3. The six wall members 11 have the same structure as described above, and the composite plate 17 is arranged on the outside, which is the atmosphere side 2, while the resin plate 18 on which the metal film 19 is formed is arranged on the vacuum side 3.

In this embodiment, the metal frame 20 is formed in a cubic lattice shape, but is not limited to this shape, and a portion of the metal frame 20 may be formed in an arc or ellipse. When a portion of the metal frame 20 is formed in an arc or ellipse, the wall member 11 attached to the metal frame 20 is also formed in an arc or ellipse to match that shape.

Figure 5 shows six wall members 11 attached to a cubic lattice metal frame 20, one of which is broken away. As shown in Figure 5, the vacuum chamber member 10 has the metal frame 20 arranged at the inner corner (vacuum side 3). A resin plate 18 having a metal film 19 formed thereon is arranged on the inner wall surface of the wall member 11 of the vacuum chamber member 10. A composite plate 17 is arranged on the outer wall surface of the wall member 11. The vacuum chamber member 10 has corner reinforcing plates 15 with an L-shaped cross section attached to each of the outer corners (atmosphere side 2) to reinforce the strength and reduce the weight of the corners.

In the vacuum chamber member 10 shown in FIG. 5, various components such as a turbo molecular pump for evacuating the inside, a vacuum sensor for measuring the degree of vacuum, and a gate valve for sealing the vacuum are not shown. Each of these components is attached to the side wall 12 of the wall member 11 as shown in FIG. 1. If greater mechanical strength and vacuum sealing function are required when attaching each of the above components to the side wall 12 of the wall member 11, the basic configuration shown in FIG. 3 can be applied, and a metal frame 20 can be added and placed as appropriate.

In this embodiment, the wall member 11 is attached to all six faces as shown in FIG. 5, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to a case where the wall member 11 is attached to one to five of the six faces. Furthermore, the present invention also falls within the scope of the application of the wall member 11 to a conventional vacuum chamber door or to a part of a large lid that cannot be held by hand.

In this embodiment, the wall member 11 is fixed to the metal frame 20, and in order to increase the strength of the ends of the wall member 11, the corners of the wall member 11 are reinforced with corner reinforcing plates 15 made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) with a strength equal to or greater than that of the CFRP that constitutes the wall member 11, making it possible to reduce the weight compared to conventional vacuum chamber components that were made entirely of metal.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the resin plate 18 has a metal film 19 coated on the resin surface, and the composite plate 17 and the corner reinforcement plate 15 are made of a composite material made of fibers, which further improves the airtightness and allows for a high degree of vacuum to be achieved while also reducing weight.

In addition, according to this embodiment, fixing holes 20b are formed at the tips of the posts 20a of the metal frame 20, and bolts 22 are fastened into these fixing holes 20b to fix the corner reinforcement plate 15 so as to sandwich the wall member 11, so that the corner reinforcement plate 15 can be easily fixed to the wall member 11.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the two corner sides of the corner reinforcing plate 15 are fastened to the metal frame 20 by the bolts 22 so as to sandwich the wall member 11, which is made of the resin plate 18 and the composite plate 17 joined together, so that the wall member 11 and the corner reinforcing plate 15 are fixed together, and the corners of the vacuum chamber member 10 can be strengthened.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the material of the corner reinforcing plate 15 has a Young's modulus equal to or greater than that of the composite plate 17, making it possible to increase the strength of the corners of the vacuum chamber member 10.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the joint surfaces between the resin plate 18 and the composite plate 17, and the joint surfaces between the composite plate 17 and the corner reinforcement plate 15 are each bonded with an epoxy-based or acrylic-based adhesive, which increases the adhesion of each joint surface and improves the bonding strength.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the composite material is either fiber-reinforced plastic, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, or a ceramic-based composite material, so that the mechanical strength of the composite plate 17 and the corner reinforcement plate 15 is increased and the weight can be reduced.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the vacuum chamber 5 is formed from the vacuum chamber member 10, so it is possible to reduce the weight of the vacuum chamber 5 as a whole.

[Second embodiment of vacuum chamber member]
6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of a second embodiment of the vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. Note that the same reference numerals will be used to denote the same or corresponding members as those of the vacuum chamber member of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, the vacuum chamber member 10A of this embodiment has an inset 24 with a generally square cross section integrally formed on the outside of the corner of the metal frame 20. This inset 24 has the same height (length) as the composite plate 17. The inset 24 is formed to fit into the space formed by the corner between the wall members 11 and the inner surface of the corner reinforcing plate 15 with an L-shaped cross section.

In this embodiment, the height of the fitting portion 24 is set to the same height as the composite plate 17, and the fitting portion 24 and the corner reinforcement plate 15 are fixed to each other by bonding the entire joint surface 23 where the fitting portion 24 and the corner reinforcement plate 15 contact each other with an adhesive. The adhesive used may be an epoxy-based, acrylic resin-based, urethane resin-based, cyanoacrylate-based, or polyurethane resin-based adhesive.

The wall member 11 of the vacuum chamber member 10A is made of a material mainly composed of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) as described above. The inner surface of the vacuum chamber member 10A, which is the vacuum side, has a metal film 19 formed on the surface of a resin plate 18 for vacuum shielding, as in the first embodiment. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanations are omitted.

In this manner, according to this embodiment, the fitting portion 24 is integrally formed on the outside of the corner of the metal frame 20, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the corner of the metal frame 20.

In addition, in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the wall member 11 is fixed to the metal frame 20, and in order to increase the strength of the ends of the wall member 11, the corners of the wall member 11 are reinforced with corner reinforcing plates 15 made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) with a strength equal to or greater than that of the CFRP constituting the wall member 11, thereby making it possible to reduce the weight by half or more compared to conventional vacuum chamber components that were made entirely of metal.

[Third embodiment of vacuum chamber member]
Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of a third embodiment of a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. Fig. 8(a) and (b) are a cross-sectional view and a plan view taken along line A-A showing the sandwich structure of the vacuum chamber member of the third embodiment. Note that the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or corresponding members as those of the vacuum chamber members of the first and second embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the wall member 11 of the vacuum chamber member 10B of this embodiment, the first plate forming the chamber inner surface, which is the vacuum side 3, is the inner surface plate 26, which is constructed by welding plate-shaped inorganic materials such as stainless steel and aluminum alloy. The entire surface of the inner surface plate 26 that contacts the vacuum side 3 is electrolytically polished or blasted. This treatment flattens the inner surface of the chamber, preventing the problem of leakage of gases such as nitrogen and oxygen caused by surface unevenness. If the degree of vacuum to be achieved is low, some or all of the electrolytic polishing or blasting treatment may be omitted.

In the wall member 11 of the vacuum chamber member 10B of this embodiment, instead of the metal frame 20 of the first and second embodiments, an inner surface plate 26 is provided that is integrated to cover the vacuum side 3 of the vacuum chamber member 10B. The inner surface plates 26 of adjacent wall members 11 are joined by welding at the corners that form the inner surface of the chamber.

The composite plate 17 as the second plate constituting the wall member 11 is provided on the atmosphere side 2 facing the inner plate 26, and is formed thicker than the inner plate 26. That is, the composite plate 17 is provided on the back side of the surface of the inner plate 26 that forms the chamber inner surface, which is the vacuum side 3. An outer reinforcing plate 27 as the third plate constituting the wall member 11 and thinner than the composite plate 17 is provided on the atmosphere side 2 of the composite plate 17. The outer reinforcing plate 27 is made of an inorganic material such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy, like the inner plate 26. The vacuum chamber apparatus 1 is used as an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices, liquid crystal panels, and organic EL panels, so it is installed in a clean room and is susceptible to contamination by particles and organic matter. Therefore, it is desirable to electrolytically polish or blast the outer reinforcing plate 27 as well.

The outer reinforcing plate 27 is illustrated as covering the entire atmosphere side 2, but depending on the environment in which the vacuum chamber device 1 is installed, it may be acceptable for the composite plate 17 to be exposed. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 8, it may be configured so that a portion of it is exposed to the atmosphere side.

The material of the composite plate 17 is a composite material containing fibers, specifically, as in the first embodiment, a fiber-reinforced plastic, a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, or a ceramic-based composite material is selected and used. This allows for weight reduction while ensuring sufficient strength.

The joint surface 23 where the fitting portion 24 and the corner reinforcing plate 15 come into contact, and the joint surface 23 where the outer surface reinforcing plate 27 and the corner reinforcing plate 15 come into contact, are fixed with an adhesive to increase adhesion. For example, an epoxy-based, acrylic resin-based, urethane resin-based, cyanoacrylate-based, polyurethane resin-based adhesive is used for this adhesive.

The wall member 11 of this embodiment has a so-called sandwich structure in which the composite plate 17 is sandwiched between an inner plate 26 and an outer reinforcing plate 27 from both sides as shown in Figs. 8(a) and (b). By adopting such a sandwich structure, the weight of the wall member can be significantly reduced compared to when the entire wall member is made of a metal such as stainless steel. In addition, the joint surface 23a between the inner plate 26 and the composite plate 17, and the joint surface 23a between the composite plate 17 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 are respectively joined with an adhesive such as an epoxy-based, acrylic resin-based, urethane resin-based, cyanoacrylate-based, or polyurethane resin-based adhesive. This ensures sufficient adhesive strength.

A number of support columns 28 made of inorganic material such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy are fixed vertically inside the inner plate 26 by welding. That is, support columns are provided protruding from the rear surface of the inner plate 26, which forms the inner surface of the chamber. These support columns 28 pass through through holes 17a formed in each composite plate 17. The composite plate 17 is fixed by being sandwiched between the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 from both sides by screwing fixing screws 29, which serve as fastening members, into the support columns 28 through holes 27a in the outer reinforcing plate 27. The connecting means is made up of the support columns 28, which are protruding members, and the fixing screws 29, which serve as fastening members.

In the same manner as in the second embodiment, the inner surface plate 26 of this embodiment has an inset 24 with a generally square cross section integrally formed on the outside of the corner. This inset 24 has the same height (length) as the composite plate 17. The inset 24 is formed to fit into the space formed by the corner between the wall members 11 and the inner surface of the corner reinforcing plate 15.

In this embodiment, in order to increase the strength of the end of the wall member 11, as in the first and second embodiments, the corners of the wall member 11 are reinforced with corner reinforcing plates 15 made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) with a strength equal to or greater than that of the CFRP constituting the wall member 11. By configuring it in this way, it is possible to reduce the weight to less than half of conventional vacuum chamber components that are made entirely of metal.

In this embodiment, the washer 21, the L-shaped cross-section corner reinforcement plate 15, and the outer surface reinforcement plate 27 are fastened to the support 28 near the corner of the inner surface plate 26 using bolts 22, so that the L-shaped cross-section corner reinforcement plate 15 is fixed to the outer surface reinforcement plate 27, thereby strengthening the attachment strength of the ends of the two wall members 11.

In this manner, according to this embodiment, by screwing the fixing screw 29 into the support portion 28 through the hole 27a in the outer reinforcing plate 27, the composite plate 17 is sandwiched and fixed on both sides between the inner plate 26 made of inorganic material and the outer reinforcing plate 27, increasing the strength of the wall member 11, and even if the inside of the vacuum chamber member 10B is made into a high vacuum, the wall member 11 will not bend, improving the durability of the vacuum chamber member 10B.

[Fourth embodiment of vacuum chamber member]
9(a) and 9(b) are a cross-sectional view and a plan view taken along line BB, showing the tub structure of the vacuum chamber member of the fourth embodiment. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or corresponding parts as those of the third embodiment, and descriptions that overlap with those of the third embodiment will be omitted.

9(a) and (b), the wall member 11 of the vacuum chamber member 10C of this embodiment is formed in a tub shape with the inner surface plate 26 as the first plate that is the vacuum side 3 opening to the atmosphere side 2. That is, the inner surface plate 26 is provided with a side wall portion 26b as a protruding portion that protrudes toward the external reinforcing plate 27 as the third plate along the periphery of the back surface of the surface that forms the chamber inner surface that is the vacuum side 3, and the bottom surface of the inner surface plate 26 and the side wall portion 26b form a tub structure. The composite plate 17 as the second plate that constitutes the wall member 11 is stored so as to fit into the recess 26a of this tub structure, and the side wall portion 26b of the inner surface plate 26 and the external reinforcing plate 27 as the third plate that constitutes the wall member 11 are fixed by a plurality of fixing screws 29 as fastening members. In this way, the composite plate 17 is sealed in the space formed by the recess 26a of the tub structure of the inner surface plate 26 and the external reinforcing plate 27. The connecting means is made up of the side wall portion 26b, which is the protruding portion, and the fixing screw 29, which is the fastening member.

In this manner, according to this embodiment, the composite plate 17 is stored and sealed so as to fit into the recess 26a of the inner plate 26. When the wall member 11 is assembled to the vacuum chamber 5 as shown in FIG. 4, for example, when carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is used as the composite plate 17, it is possible to prevent the carbon fiber (carbon fiber) and resin contained in the CFRP from entering the vacuum chamber 5 and contaminating the inside of the chamber 5. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the carbon fiber (carbon fiber) and resin contained in the CFRP from being released into the atmosphere side 2 in a clean room in which equipment for manufacturing semiconductor devices, liquid crystal panels, and organic EL panels is installed, thereby reducing the cleanliness of the clean room and contaminating wafers and panels in other equipment in the clean room.

In addition, according to this embodiment, it is no longer necessary to fix the support portion 28 to the inner plate 26 as in the third embodiment, and there is no need to form a through hole 17a in the composite plate 17, simplifying the structure and facilitating assembly.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the inner surface plate 26 is formed into a tub structure, and the side wall portion 26b of this tub structure is fastened to the outer surface reinforcing plate 27 by fixing screws 29, which increases rigidity and improves strength.

In addition, according to this embodiment, it is within the scope of the present invention to further increase rigidity and improve strength by forming ribs on the inside of the inner plate 26 formed in a tub structure to form a multiple tub structure inside, and by connecting side wall portions 26b formed in a tub structure similar to the side wall portions 26b formed in a tub structure to form a multiple tub structure on the outside. Welding is a preferable method for connecting the multiple side wall portions 26b. In this way, the strength is improved by forming a multiple tub structure, and at the same time, in the case of a large chamber exceeding 2m, the composite plate 17 can be divided into composite plates 17 of an easy-to-manufacture size, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the side wall portion 26b of the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 are joined by fixing screws 29, but they may also be joined by welding, adhesives, etc.

[Fifth embodiment of vacuum chamber member]
10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of a fifth embodiment of the vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or corresponding members as those of the vacuum chamber members of the third and fourth embodiments, and descriptions that overlap with those of the third and fourth embodiments will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, the vacuum chamber member 10D of this embodiment has the same configuration as the third embodiment, but also has an outer reinforcing plate 27 as a third plate that extends to a length where it can be joined at the corners. Therefore, the fitting portion 24 is formed to fit into the space formed by each corner of the composite plate 17 and the inner surface of the corner of the outer reinforcing plate 27.

The corners to which the outer reinforcing plate 27 is joined are fixed by fixing screws 29a, and then, in order to increase the strength of the end of the wall member 11 as in the third embodiment, the corner reinforcing plate 15 is fastened to the wall member 11 by bolts 22 to reinforce the corners of the wall member 11.

The joint surface 23 where the fitting portion 24 and the corner reinforcement plate 15 come into contact, and the joint surface 23a where the composite plate 17 comes into contact with the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcement plate 27 are fixed with an adhesive to increase the degree of adhesion. For example, an epoxy-based, acrylic resin-based, urethane resin-based, cyanoacrylate-based, or polyurethane resin-based adhesive is used for this adhesive.

In this manner, according to this embodiment, the composite plate 17 is sandwiched and fixed on both sides between the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 made of inorganic material, and the corners where the outer reinforcing plate 27 is joined are fixed by the bolts 22, the fixing screws 29, and the fixing screws 29a, respectively, so that the strength of the wall member 11 is further increased, and durability can be improved compared to the vacuum chamber member 10B of the third embodiment.

[Sixth embodiment of vacuum chamber member]
11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a corner of a sixth embodiment of the vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or corresponding members as those of the vacuum chamber member of the third embodiment, and descriptions that overlap with those of the third embodiment will be omitted.

11, the vacuum chamber member 10E of this embodiment has a connecting member 30 made of an inorganic material that penetrates the composite plate 17 and is sandwiched between the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 instead of the support portion 28 of the third embodiment, which forms a sandwich structure in which the composite plate 17 as the second plate is sandwiched between the inner plate 26 as the first plate and the outer reinforcing plate 27 as the third plate. The connecting member 30 is formed in a wedge shape and is adapted to fit into the composite plate 17, which is also formed in a wedge shape. The area of the surface 303 of the connecting member 30 facing the outer reinforcing plate 27 is larger than the area of the surface 301 facing the inner plate 26. For this reason, the contact surface 25 between the connecting member 30 and the composite plate 17 expands toward the outer reinforcing plate 27, and a force is applied to the contact surface 25 from the connecting member 30 in the direction of the composite plate 17. The force pressing from the connecting member 30 toward the composite plate 17 becomes a component of a force in a direction toward the inner plate 26, and the composite plate 17 is pressed against the inner plate 26 and fixed. A screw-grooved fixing hole is provided on a surface 301 of the connecting member 30 facing the inner plate 26 and a surface 303 facing the outer reinforcing plate 27. A fixing screw 29 as a first fastening member is inserted into the inner plate 26 and fastened to the fixing hole of the connecting member 30, thereby fixing the connecting member 30 and the inner plate 26. A fixing screw 29 as another fastening member is inserted into the outer reinforcing plate 27 and fastened to the fixing hole of the connecting member 30, thereby fixing the connecting member 30 and the outer reinforcing plate 27. As a result, the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 are connected and fixed via the connecting member 30. The connecting member 30 and the respective fixing screws 29 that fix the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 to the connecting member 30 constitute a connecting means. Stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc. are used as inorganic materials that make up the connecting member 30.

In the sixth embodiment, the connecting member 30 and the inner plate 26 are fixed together by fastening them with the fixing screws 29, but the connecting member 30 and the inner plate 26 may be joined together by adhesive instead of the fixing screws 29.

Alternatively, a through hole may be provided in the connecting member 30, a rivet may be passed through, and the inner surface plate 26 and the outer surface reinforcing plate 27 may be riveted together by crimping them from both sides.

According to this embodiment, the connecting member 30 and the inner plate 26 are fixed with the fixing screw 29, and similarly, the connecting member 30 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 are fixed with the fixing screw 29, thereby joining the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27. Despite being joined in this simple configuration, the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 are firmly fixed together, ensuring sufficient strength as a vacuum chamber component.

[First Modification of the Sixth Embodiment of the Vacuum Chamber Member]
12(a) and 12(b) are cross-sectional views showing the sandwich structure of the vacuum chamber member of the first modified example of the sixth embodiment, taken along line CC. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts that are the same as or correspond to those of the third or sixth embodiment, and descriptions that overlap with those of the third or sixth embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 12(a) and (b), in the vacuum chamber member 10E of the first modified example of the sixth embodiment, instead of the wedge-shaped connecting member 30 of the sixth embodiment, a generally L-shaped connecting member 30a is inserted through the composite plate 17 and sandwiched between the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27. A recess is formed in the composite plate 17 into which the connecting member 30a fits, and the generally L-shaped connecting member 30a is fitted into this recess. The connecting member 30a is nested in the recess of the composite plate 17.

The area of the surface 303a of the connecting member 30a facing the outer reinforcing plate 27 is larger than the area of the surface 301a facing the inner plate 26. Therefore, at the contact surface 25a between the connecting member 30a and the composite plate 17, a force acts from the connecting member 30a in the direction of the composite plate 17, and the composite plate 17 is pressed and fixed against the inner plate 26. The surface 301a of the connecting member 30a facing the inner plate 26 and the surface 303a facing the outer reinforcing plate 27 each have a fixing hole, and a fixing screw 29 as a first fastening member is inserted through the inner plate 26 and fastened to the fixing hole of the connecting member 30a, and a fixing screw 29 as another fastening member is inserted through the outer reinforcing plate 27 and fastened to the fixing hole of the connecting member 30a. The generally L-shaped connecting member 30a is positioned so that the dimension in the direction in which it contacts the outer reinforcing plate 27 is longer, and this connecting member 30a and the outer reinforcing plate 27 are fixed with two fixing screws 29. In this way, the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 are fixed via the connecting member 30a. The connecting member 30a and the respective fixing screws 29 that fix the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 form a connecting means.

Figures 12(c) and (d) are cross-sectional views showing the sandwich structure of the vacuum chamber member of another first modified example of the sixth embodiment, taken along line D-D. Note that parts that are the same as or correspond to those in the third or sixth embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions that overlap with those in the third or sixth embodiment are omitted.

As shown in Figures 12(c) and (d), in another first modified vacuum chamber member 10E of the sixth embodiment, instead of the substantially L-shaped connecting member 30a of the first modified sixth embodiment, a substantially U-shaped connecting member 30b penetrates the composite plate 17 and is sandwiched between the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27. A recess that fits with the connecting member 30b is formed in the composite plate 17, and the substantially U-shaped connecting member 30b is fitted into this recess. The connecting member 30b is nested in the recess of the composite plate 17.

As in the first modified example of the sixth embodiment, the surface area of the surface 303b of the connecting member 30b facing the outer reinforcing plate 27 is larger than the surface area of the surface 301b facing the inner plate 26, and a force pressing from the connecting member 30b toward the composite plate 17 acts on the contact surface 25b between the connecting member 30b and the composite plate 17. The fixing screw 29 as the first fastening member is inserted into the inner plate 26 to fasten it to the connecting member 30b, and the fixing screw 29 as the other fastening member is inserted into the outer reinforcing plate 27 to fasten it to the connecting member 30b, so that the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 are fixed via the connecting member 30b. In this way, the connecting member 30b and the fixing screws 29 that fix the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 constitute a coupling means.

[Second Modification of the Sixth Embodiment of the Vacuum Chamber Member]
13(a) and 13(b) are cross-sectional views showing the sandwich structure of the vacuum chamber member of the second modified example of the sixth embodiment of the present invention, taken along line E-E. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or corresponding members as those of the vacuum chamber member of the third embodiment, and descriptions that overlap with those of the third embodiment will be omitted.

13(a) and (b), in the vacuum chamber member 10F of this embodiment, instead of the support portion 28 of the third embodiment, which forms a sandwich structure in which the composite plate 17 as the second plate is sandwiched between the inner plate 26 as the first plate and the outer reinforcing plate 27 as the third plate, a support portion 28a shorter than the support portion 28 is formed on the inner plate 26, and a support portion 28b protruding from the back surface of the outer reinforcing plate 27, which is the atmospheric side 2, is formed. The support portion 28a and the support portion 28b are configured to sandwich the composite plate 17. The support portion 28a is joined to the inner plate 26 by welding or adhesive, and similarly, the support portion 28b is joined to the outer reinforcing plate 27 by welding or adhesive. The support portion 28b has a through hole through which the fixing screw 29 passes, and the support portion 28a has a fixing hole with a threaded groove. The composite plate 17 is fixed by being sandwiched between the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 on both sides by screwing a fixing screw 29, which acts as a fastening member, into a fixing hole in the support portion 28a through the through holes of the outer reinforcing plate 27 and the support portion 28b. The support portion 28a and the fixing screw 29 form the connecting means.

As a vacuum chamber member of the sixth embodiment and its modified example according to the present invention, a sandwich structure is formed in which the composite plate 17 as the second plate is sandwiched between the inner plate 26 as the first plate and the outer reinforcing plate 27 as the third plate, and the contact surface between the inner plate 26 and the composite plate 17 and the contact surface between the composite plate 17 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 may be adhesively bonded with an epoxy adhesive, an acrylic resin adhesive, a urethane resin adhesive, a cyanoacrylate adhesive, or a polyurethane resin adhesive. By doing so, in addition to the bonding by the fastening member, the bonding by the adhesive also acts, so that the bonding strength between the inner plate 26 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 is further increased. In addition, even if the number of fastening members is reduced, sufficient bonding strength can be ensured, so weight reduction can also be achieved. In this embodiment, the adhesive that adhesively bonds the contact surface between the inner plate 26 and the composite plate 17 and the contact surface between the composite plate 17 and the outer reinforcing plate 27 also serves as a bonding means. By using an epoxy-based adhesive, an acrylic resin-based adhesive, a urethane resin-based adhesive, a cyanoacrylate-based adhesive, or a polyurethane resin-based adhesive, the adhesive will not peel off even when used as a vacuum chamber component, and sufficient strength can be achieved.

[One embodiment of a method for manufacturing a vacuum chamber member]
Fig. 15 is a process diagram showing one embodiment of a method for manufacturing a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention. Fig. 14 is a partially enlarged view showing a corner of the vacuum chamber member of the present invention manufactured by one embodiment of the method for manufacturing a vacuum chamber member according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 14, the vacuum chamber member 10A manufactured by the manufacturing method of this embodiment is composed of a resin plate 18 on which a metal film 19 is formed as a first plate on the inner surface of the vacuum chamber member 10A, which is the vacuum side 3, and a composite plate 17 is formed as a second plate on the atmosphere side 2 opposite the resin plate 18.

The vacuum chamber member 10A manufactured by the manufacturing method of this embodiment is basically the same as the vacuum chamber member 10A of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6. Therefore, in the description of this manufacturing method, parts that are the same as or correspond to the vacuum chamber member 10A of the second embodiment are described with the same reference numerals.

The vacuum chamber member 10A shown in FIG. 14 is a partially modified version of the vacuum chamber member 10A shown in FIG. 6, and the configuration of the metal frame 20 is slightly different from that of the vacuum chamber 10A shown in FIG. 6.

Specifically, the metal frame 20 of the vacuum chamber 10A shown in FIG. 14 is provided in a planar shape (similar to the inner plate 26 of the vacuum chamber member 10B shown in FIG. 7) on the inner side of one of the six wall members 11 (one of the four side walls 12 shown in FIG. 1), and a flange portion 41 is formed at an opening formed in the center of this planar portion, protruding toward the outer side of the wall member 11. A vacuum seal surface 42 is formed on the end of the atmosphere side 2 of this flange portion 41, on which a seal member for maintaining airtightness is arranged, and a gate valve 37 is attached to this vacuum seal surface 42. The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the vacuum chamber 10A shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 15, the manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a first process P10 in which a vacuum chamber member 10A structure is fabricated using a metal frame 20, the surface of the structure is finished and cleaned, and a resin plate 18 and a composite plate 17 are formed into a predetermined shape and assembled to the metal frame 20, and a second process P20 in which the vacuum seal surface 42 that comes into contact with parts such as a door, lid, and gate valve is finished.

First, we will explain the first step, P10.

The first process P10 includes an inorganic material shape manufacturing process P11, a first cleaning process P12, and a composite material shape manufacturing process P13. The second process P20 includes an inorganic material shape precision finishing process P21, and a second cleaning process P22.

In the inorganic material shape production process P11, metal plates such as stainless steel are machined and metals are welded together to form the metal frame 20 into the specified shape that constitutes the structure of the vacuum chamber member 10A.

In the first cleaning process P12, the surface of the metal frame 20, which is a structure made of a metal plate such as stainless steel formed in the inorganic material shape production process P11, that contacts the vacuum side 3 is blasted or electrolytically polished, and then wet cleaned and dried.

In the composite material shape manufacturing process P13, a metal film 19 is formed on a resin plate 18, and the resin plate 18 with the metal film 19 formed thereon and the composite plate 17 are fixed together with adhesive or bolts to form the wall member 11. As shown in FIG. 14, the wall member 11 is fixed to the outer surface of the metal frame 20 made of the metal plate formed in the inorganic material shape manufacturing process P11 with adhesive or bolts. For example, an epoxy-based, acrylic resin-based, urethane resin-based, cyanoacrylate-based, or polyurethane resin-based adhesive is used for this adhesive. Furthermore, at the corners where the metal frame 20 and the wall member 11 are fixed together, corner reinforcing plates 15 are arranged from the outside, and are fixed together with bolts 22 and glued together to provide reinforcement.

Next, the second step P20 will be explained.

In the inorganic material shape precision finishing process P21 of the second process P20 shown in FIG. 15, the vacuum seal surface 42 of the flange portion 41, which serves as the interface between the metal frame 20 and the external and internal components, is finished as shown in FIG. 14.

In the second cleaning process P22 shown in FIG. 15, in addition to cleaning the finished vacuum seal surface 42, dry cleaning is performed on the metal film 19 and the inner surface of the metal frame 20.

The wet cleaning performed in the first cleaning process P12 corresponds, for example, to high-pressure cleaning or ultrasonic cleaning. The dry cleaning performed in the second cleaning process P22 corresponds, for example, to a process in which the inner surfaces of the vacuum chamber member 10 and the vacuum chamber member 10A are placed in a vacuum environment, and then a high voltage is applied while supplying oxygen to clean them by generating a discharge.

By using dry cleaning in the second cleaning process P22, it is possible to remove organic matter remaining on the inner surface of the vacuum chamber member 10A and clean it without damaging the bonded composite plate 17 or the adhesive. In addition, when performing conventional wet cleaning, there was a problem that the cleaning liquid would get into small gaps in the adhesive and could not be removed even after rinsing, but this can also be solved.

In this way, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the inner surface of the vacuum chamber member 10A, which is the vacuum side 3, is made of an inorganic metal frame 20 and a metal film 19, and the atmosphere side 2 that faces this metal frame 20 and metal film 19 is made of a composite material plate 17, making it possible to reliably manufacture a lightweight vacuum chamber member 10A in a simple process.

In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, by using a first process P10 for creating the shape of the inorganic material, which is an object having a structure containing inorganic material and composite material, and a second process P20 for finishing the shape of the inorganic material by performing a predetermined finishing process on the inorganic material that has undergone the first process P10, a vacuum chamber member can be reliably constructed in a simple process, in which the inner surface of the chamber that is on the vacuum side is constructed as a first plate of inorganic material, and the surface of the first plate facing the vacuum side constitutes a composite material plate 17 as a second plate made of composite material. This makes it possible to reliably construct a vacuum chamber member in a simple process that prevents organic contamination and is lightweight, while maintaining the airtightness of the inner surface that is on the vacuum side.

In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, by using the inorganic material shape manufacturing process P11, the first cleaning process P12, the composite material shape manufacturing process P13, and the inorganic material shape precision finishing process P21 and the second cleaning process P22, it is possible to more reliably construct a vacuum chamber member 10A that prevents organic contamination and reduces weight while maintaining the airtightness of the inner surface that is on the vacuum side, in a simple and specific process.

In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, a first cleaning process P12 is used in the first process P10, and a second cleaning process P22 is used in the second process, making it possible to more reliably construct a vacuum chamber member 10A that is lightweight and prevents organic contamination, using simple and specific steps.

In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the composite plate 17 is an object made of at least one of the following materials: fiber-reinforced plastic, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, and ceramic-based composite material. This increases the mechanical strength of the composite plate 17 and reduces the weight of the vacuum chamber member 10A.

In the above explanation, an example was described in which the manufacturing method of this embodiment is applied to the manufacturing method of the vacuum chamber member 10A according to the second embodiment, but the manufacturing method of this embodiment can also be applied to the manufacturing method of the vacuum chamber member 10 according to the first embodiment, the manufacturing method of the vacuum chamber member 10B according to the third embodiment, the manufacturing method of the vacuum chamber member 10C according to the fourth embodiment, the manufacturing method of the vacuum chamber member 10D according to the fifth embodiment, the manufacturing method of the vacuum chamber member 10E according to the sixth embodiment and its first modified example, and the manufacturing method of the vacuum chamber member 10F according to the second modified example of the sixth embodiment. In addition, the manufacturing method of this embodiment can be applied to the manufacturing method of any vacuum chamber member (not shown) other than the first embodiment, the second embodiment, the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment, the fifth embodiment, the sixth embodiment, and their modified examples.

For example, when the manufacturing method of this embodiment is applied to the manufacture of the vacuum chamber member 10B (see FIG. 7) of the third embodiment, an inner plate 26 as a first plate made of inorganic material is provided on the inner surface of the vacuum chamber member 10B, which is the vacuum side 3, in the inorganic material shape manufacturing process P11, and a composite material plate 17 as a second plate is provided on the atmosphere side 2 opposite the inner plate 26 in the composite material shape manufacturing process P13. In this case, the vacuum chamber member 10B is configured such that a flange portion 41 is provided on the inner plate 26, and a vacuum seal surface 42 is provided on this flange portion 41.

[Other embodiments]
Although each embodiment of the present invention has been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and gist of the invention.

For example, in the vacuum chamber member 10 of the first embodiment described above, two support pillars 20a are formed on the outside of the metal frame 20 so as to extend in a perpendicular direction, but this number is not limited, and it is sufficient to form at least one.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, examples have been described in which bolts 22 and fixing screws 29 are used as fastening members to join the various components, but this is not limiting and other fastening members such as rivets may also be used to join the various components.

1 Vacuum chamber apparatus 2 Atmospheric side 3 Vacuum side 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F Vacuum chamber member 11 Wall member (plate member)
12 Side wall 13 Bottom wall 14 Upper wall 15 Corner reinforcement plate 15a Mounting hole 16 Support leg 17 Composite plate (second plate)
17a through hole 18 resin plate (first plate)
19 Metal film 20 Metal frame (frame)
20a: Support 20b: Fixing hole 21: Washer 22: Bolt (fastening member)
23 Joining surface 23a Joining surface 24 Fitting portion 25, 25a, 25b Contact surface between connecting member and composite plate 26 Inner plate (first plate, structure)
26a: Recess 26b: Side wall (protrusion, coupling means)
27 Outer reinforcement plate (third plate)
27a: Hole 28, 28a, 28b: Support portion (protrusion, connecting means)
29 Fixing screw (fastening member, connecting means)
30, 30a, 30b Connecting member (connecting means)
301, 301a, 301b: Surfaces facing the inner plate of the connecting member 303, 303a, 303b: Surface facing the outer reinforcing plate of the connecting member 31: Duct 32: Roughing pump 33: Valve 34: Signal line 35: Controller 36: Vacuum sensor 37: Gate valve 38: Turbo molecular pump

Claims (7)

a first plate made of an inorganic material that forms an inner surface of the chamber that is on the vacuum side;
a second plate made of a composite material and thicker than the first plate, the second plate being disposed on the rear side of the first plate that forms the chamber inner surface;
a third plate made of the inorganic material and thinner than the second plate, the third plate sandwiching the second plate together with the first plate from both sides;
The first plate is configured to be connected to the third plate sandwiching the second plate by a connecting means ,
The second plate is sandwiched between the first plate and the third plate to form a sandwich structure;
the coupling means has at least one protrusion protruding from the rear surface of the first plate,
The protrusion passes through the second plate and is fixed to the third plate by a fastening member . a first plate made of an inorganic material that forms an inner surface of the chamber that is on the vacuum side;
a second plate made of a composite material and thicker than the first plate, the second plate being disposed on the rear side of the first plate that forms the chamber inner surface;
a third plate made of the inorganic material and thinner than the second plate, the third plate sandwiching the second plate together with the first plate from both sides;
The first plate is configured to be connected to the third plate sandwiching the second plate by a connecting means ,
The second plate is sandwiched between the first plate and the third plate to form a sandwich structure;
the coupling means has a connecting member that penetrates the second plate and is sandwiched between the first plate and the third plate,
the connecting member is formed so that an area facing the third plate is larger than an area facing the first plate, and a pressing force acts on a contact surface between the connecting member and the second plate in a direction from the third plate to the first plate,
A vacuum chamber component characterized in that the connecting member and the first plate are fixed by a first fastening member and the connecting member and the third plate are fixed by another fastening member, thereby connecting the first plate and the third plate via the connecting member. 3. The vacuum chamber member according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the joining means is an epoxy-based adhesive, an acrylic resin-based adhesive, a urethane resin-based adhesive, a cyanoacrylate-based adhesive, or a polyurethane resin-based adhesive that adhesively bonds the contact surfaces between the first plate and the second plate and the contact surfaces between the second plate and the third plate . a first plate made of an inorganic material that forms an inner surface of the chamber that is on the vacuum side;
a second plate made of a composite material and thicker than the first plate, the second plate being disposed on the rear side of the first plate that forms the chamber inner surface;
a third plate made of the inorganic material and thinner than the second plate, the third plate sandwiching the second plate together with the first plate from both sides;
The first plate is configured to be connected to the third plate sandwiching the second plate by a connecting means ,
The first plate is formed in a tub structure having a side wall portion protruding toward the third plate along the periphery of the back surface,
The connecting means is configured to include the side wall portion, the second plate is stored so as to be sealed in the space formed by the barrel-structured recess of the first plate and the third plate, and the side wall portion and the third plate are fixed together by a fastening member . the inorganic material is stainless steel or an aluminum alloy ;
5. The vacuum chamber member according to claim 1, wherein the composite material is a composite material containing fibers. 6. The vacuum chamber member according to claim 5 , wherein the composite material is a fiber reinforced plastic, a carbon fiber reinforced plastic, or a ceramic matrix composite material. 7. A vacuum chamber apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber constituted by the vacuum chamber member according to claim 1 .

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