JPH04365867A - Thin film forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of substrate transportation and to provide the inexpensive device. CONSTITUTION:This device has an aperture 5 which is formed between a film forming chamber 1 and chamber 3 for attaching and detaching a substrate 4 which are adjacent to each other, a transporting shaft 14 which runs through this chamber 3 and the front end of which exists in the film forming chamber 1, a 1st valve disk 18 which is fixed to the front end of the transporting shaft 14 and closes the aperture 5 on retreating of the transporting shaft 14, a 2nd valve disk 20 which is fixed to the middle of the transporting shaft 14 and closes the aperture 5 on advancing of the transporting shaft 14, and a substrate holder 22 which is provided at the transporting shaft 14 between these two valve disks 18 and 20.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thin film forming apparatus that efficiently transports a substrate to a film forming chamber.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional thin film forming apparatus has a structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In these figures, 1 is a film forming chamber equipped with an exhaust means, 2 is a substrate holder provided in the film forming chamber 1 so as to be movable up and down, and 3 is a substrate holder provided adjacent to the film forming chamber 1 and equipped with an exhaust means. The attachment/detachment chamber for the substrate 4; 5 is the deposition chamber 1 and the attachment/detachment chamber 3;
6 is a gate valve for opening and closing the opening 5, and 7 is an insertion port formed in the rear wall of the attachment/detachment chamber 3.

8 is a support rod whose one end is fixed to the film forming chamber 1; 9 is a guide shaft provided between the film forming chamber 1 and the other end of the support rod 8; and 10 is a support rod along the guide shaft 9. 11 is a bellows provided between the substrate 10 and the rear wall of the attachment/detachment chamber 3; 12 is an air cylinder provided at the other end of the support rod 8; The tip is the substrate 10
The substrate 10 is moved forward and backward. Reference numeral 14 denotes a conveying shaft whose base is fixed to the substrate 10, which is inserted through the insertion opening 7, and the substrate 4 is placed on the tip thereof.

[0004] Then, with the gate valve 6 closed, the attachment/detachment chamber 3 is opened, the substrate 4 is placed on the transfer shaft 14, the attachment/detachment chamber 3 is closed, the attachment/detachment chamber 3 is roughly pulled out, and the gate valve 6 is opened. The transport shaft 14 is advanced by the air cylinder 12, and the substrate 4 is inserted through the opening 5 into the film forming chamber 1 which is in an evacuated state. At this time,
Both sides of the substrate 4 protrude from the transport shaft 14, and claws 15 on both sides of the substrate holder 2 are located at the bottom of both sides of the substrate 14, and as the substrate holder 2 moves upward, the substrate 4 is moved to the substrate holder 2.
is grasped by. Next, the conveying shaft 14 is moved back by the air cylinder 12, and the gate valve 6 is closed.

After the film formation is completed, the gate valve 6 is opened and the transport shaft 1 is opened.
4, move the substrate holder 2 down, and transfer the substrate 4 to the transport shaft 1.
4, move back the conveying shaft 14, and close the gate valve 6.
, open the attachment/detachment chamber 3, replace the board 4, and repeat the above operations.

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the case of the above-mentioned conventional device, the structure is complicated as it requires a mechanism for transferring the substrate 4 between the transport shaft 14 and the substrate holder 2, and the alignment of the two is extremely difficult. Moreover, as the conveying shaft 14 becomes longer, the conveying shaft 14 bends, making alignment even more problematic. Further, there are problems in that the transport shaft 14 moves forward and then retreats, and film formation cannot be performed until the gate valve 6 is closed, requiring a long time for the transport process, and furthermore, the gate valve 6 is expensive.

[0007] The present invention has been made with the above points in mind, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive thin film forming apparatus that has a simple structure, improves the efficiency of substrate conveyance.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the thin film forming apparatus of the present invention has an opening formed between an adjacent film forming chamber and a substrate attachment/detachment chamber, and an opening that penetrates the attachment/detachment chamber. A conveyance shaft whose tip is located in the film forming chamber, a first valve body fixed to the tip of the conveyance shaft to close the opening when the conveyance shaft retreats, and a first valve body fixed to the middle of the conveyance shaft to close the opening when the conveyance shaft moves forward. It is equipped with a second valve body that closes, and a substrate holder provided on a conveyance shaft between the two valve bodies.

[0009]

[Operation] In the thin film forming apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, a first valve body is fixed to the tip of the transport shaft to close the opening between the film forming chamber and the attachment/detachment chamber when the transport shaft is retreated. , a second valve body that closes the opening when the conveyance shaft advances is fixed in the middle of the conveyance shaft, and a substrate holder is provided on the conveyance shaft between both valve bodies, so that the opening is closed when the conveyance shaft retreats. After replacing the substrate in the loading/unloading chamber, the opening is closed by moving the transport shaft forward, and film formation can be performed in this state, eliminating the need for a conventional substrate transfer mechanism, positioning, and expensive gate valve. do not.

0010

Embodiment One embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In those figures, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3 indicate the same or equivalent parts. 16 is a guide shaft provided at the upper part of the film forming chamber 1; 17 is a guide body movably provided on the guide shaft 16; 18 is a first valve body fixed to the tip of the transport shaft 14; 17, and when the conveyance shaft 14 retreats, it comes into contact with the O-ring 19 on the periphery of the opening 5, and the opening 5
occlude. 20 is a second
It is a valve body that comes into contact with the O-ring 21 at the periphery of the opening 5 when the conveyance shaft 14 moves forward, thereby closing the opening 5. 22 is both valve body 1
This is a substrate holder fixed to a transport shaft 14 approximately in the middle of the substrates 8 and 20.

In the state shown in FIG. 1, that is, in a state in which the conveyance shaft 14 is retracted and the first valve body 18 closes the opening 5, the substrate 4 is attached to the substrate holder 22 of the attachment/detachment chamber 3, and the attachment/detachment chamber 3 is closed and roughened. The transport shaft 14 is advanced through the substrate 10 by the air cylinder 12, and as shown in FIG. The substrate 4 is placed in the film formation chamber 1, and film formation is performed.

After the film formation is completed, the transport shaft 14 is moved back by the air cylinder 12, the first valve body 18 closes the opening 5 as shown in FIG. 1, the substrate 4 is replaced, and the above operation is repeated.

Note that the bellows 11 is not required if the insertion opening 7 in the rear wall of the attachment/detachment chamber 3 is narrowed and the conveyance shaft 14 is inserted through an airtight mechanism such as an O-ring.

[0014]

[Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it produces the effects described below. Conveyance shaft 14
A first valve body 18 that closes the opening 5 between the film forming chamber 1 and the attachment/detachment chamber 3 when the transport shaft 14 retreats is fixed to the tip of the transport shaft 14 , and a first valve body 18 that closes the opening 5 between the film forming chamber 1 and the attachment/detachment chamber 3 when the transport shaft 14 moves back is fixed to the middle of the transport shaft 14 . Since the second valve body 20 that closes the valve 5 is fixed, and the substrate holder 22 is provided on the conveying shaft 14 between the two valve bodies 18 and 20, when the conveying shaft 14 is retreated, the opening is closed by the first valve body 18. After exchanging the substrate 4 in the loading/unloading chamber 3, when the transport shaft 14 moves forward, the opening 5 can be closed by the second valve body 20, and film formation can be performed in this state, which eliminates the complicated process of conventional methods. There is no need for a transfer mechanism for the substrate 4, no positioning, no expensive gate valves, the structure is simple and inexpensive, and the number of transport steps can be halved to improve transport efficiency.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cutaway front view of one embodiment of the thin film forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another state of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cutaway front view of a conventional example.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a portion of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Film forming chamber 3. Detachable room 4 Board 5 Opening 14 Conveyance axis 18 First valve body 20 Second valve body 22　Substrate holder

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An opening formed between an adjacent film forming chamber and a substrate attachment/detachment chamber, a transport shaft that passes through the attachment/detachment chamber and whose tip is located in the film formation chamber, and an opening formed at the tip of the transport shaft. a first valve body that is fixed and closes the opening when the conveyance shaft moves backward; a second valve body that is fixed to the middle of the conveyance shaft and closes the opening when the conveyance shaft advances; and an intermediate between the two valve bodies. A thin film forming apparatus, comprising: a substrate holder provided on the transport shaft.