JPH05263937A - Closing gear of vacuum vessel opening - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the extent of wear resistance in getting rid of a mechanical impulsive part by forming a seal seat surface of a receiving seat, where a gate is seated, so as to have specified plural sealing surfaces inclusive of a conical sealing surface. CONSTITUTION:A vacuum vessel 60 in a semiconductor manufacturing unit is provided with a receiving seat 16 with a seal seat surface 10 in the inner side of a wall surface 65 with an opening 1, and a gate 40 is seated to this receiving seat 16, thereby closing the opening 1. In suchlike closing gear, the seal seat surface 10 is formed into an almost track form, while an upper peripheral part is made up of a tapered first sealing surface 10A with an angle alphato a plane B inclusive of an opening axis A, two second sealing surfaces 10B, 10B extending as making angle beta with the plane B, from both circular parts R of this sealing surface 10A, and a third sealing surface 10C connecting both these sealing surfaces 10B and 10B. In succession, the gate is formed as corresponding to this sealing surface 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for closing a vacuum container opening in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus or the like, and more particularly to a sealing mechanism therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of closing device, a sealing structure using a sealing surface and a closing member has been proposed as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-218628.

[0003]

In the structure of the conventional example described above, when a pressure difference occurs between the chambers on both sides of the closing member, a large force acts on the closing member in the direction of the opening axis, and the piston rod bends, or There is a problem that the closing member may move in the axial direction and may be damaged due to sliding of the sealing member while being pressed.

It is a frequent situation in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that one of the closing members has an atmospheric pressure and the other has a vacuum atmosphere. This situation occurs repeatedly, and the sealing material wears in a short period of time. Will be done.

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, the apparatus of the present invention has an opening 1 on one wall surface 65 of a vacuum container 60 as shown in FIG. In a device for closing the opening 1 by a receiving seat 16 having a sealing seating surface 10 arranged inside a wall surface 65 and a gate 40 acting in cooperation with the receiving seat 16, the sealing seating surface 10 is substantially a track. The seal seating surface 10 has a taper shape and a mortar shape, the upper peripheral portion of which has an angle α with respect to a plane B including the opening axis A-A and which decreases inward. First sealing surface 10A and second sealing surfaces 10B and 10B extending from both arcuate portions R of the first sealing surface 10A at an angle β with the plane B.
And a third seal surface 10C connecting the two second seal surfaces 10B and 10B, and the seat 16 is
These first to third sealing surfaces 10A, 10B, 10B1
The gate 40 that is provided with the seat opening 20 penetrating in the direction of the opening axis AA surrounded by 0C and that is fitted into the seal seat surface 10 to open and close the seat opening 20 has the first to third parts. First to third sealing members 30 that are in close contact with the sealing surfaces 10A, 10B, 10B, and 10C and are connected to each other.
A sealing material 30 composed of A, 30B, 30B, and 30C is mounted, and the gate 40 is movable in the axial direction orthogonal to the plane B.

[0006]

[Operation] Since the gate 40 having the sealing material 30 attached thereto is attached to the first to third sealing surfaces 10A, 10B, 10B, and 10C, respectively, the first to third sealing materials 30 have the above-described configuration. Seal members 30A, 30B, 30
When B and 30C are moved so as to be in close contact with each other, the first seal member 30A has a taper effect due to the angle α of the first seal surface 10A, and the second seal members 30B and 30B have an angle β of the second seal surfaces 10B and 10B. Due to the taper effect, the third sealing member 30C is pressed against the third sealing surface 10C by the movement of the gate 40 so that the sealing material 30 is crushed to achieve the sealing. Further, when the gate 40 is opened, the seat opening 20 is opened by moving the gate 40 in the opposite direction.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 (A) is a perspective view showing the structure of one embodiment of the device of the present invention separately for the gate side and the seat side, FIG. 1 (B) is the same perspective view for explaining the seat, and FIG. 2 is the present embodiment. It is an explanatory longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of an example. In this embodiment, FIG.
(A), one wall surface 6 of the vacuum container 60 as shown in FIG.
5, an opening 1 is provided, and a wall surface 6 having the opening 1
The seat 16 provided with the seal seating surface 10 inside 5 is hermetically joined to the periphery of the opening 1 by welding or sealing means such as a sealing material as shown in FIG.

The gate 40 fitted with the sealing material 30 extends through an opening 55 provided in another wall surface 66 and is connected to a stem shaft 50 connected to a drive source 80 which is also fixed to the other wall surface 66. It is movable in a plane substantially orthogonal to the opening axis A-A. The opening 55 is sealed by means such as a sealing material or a bellows, and linear motion can be transmitted to the gate 40 without breaking the airtightness of the vacuum container 60.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the seat 16 is provided with a substantially track-shaped seal seat surface 10. The seal seating surface 10 has a taper-shaped and mortar-shaped first sealing surface 10A whose upper peripheral portion has an angle α with respect to a horizontal plane B including the opening axis AA and which becomes smaller toward the inner side.
From the arcuate portions R of the first seal surface 10A to the horizontal plane B
And second sealing surfaces 10B, 10 extending at an angle β
B and a third seal surface 10C connecting the two second seal surfaces 10B and 10B.

An opening axis A- surrounded by the first to third sealing surfaces 10A, 10B, 10B and 10C on the receiving seat 16.
A seat opening 20 that penetrates in the direction of A is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat 16 is attached to the opening 1 of the vacuum container 60 such that the opening 1 and the seat opening 20 are aligned with the opening axis AA. The gate 40 is fitted into the seal seat surface 10 of the seat 16 to open and close the seat opening 20.

At the gate 40, as shown in FIG.
A sealing material 30 including first to third sealing material portions 30A, 30B, 30B, and 30C connected to each other is attached so as to be in close contact with the first to third sealing surfaces 10A, 10B, 10B, and 10C, respectively. .. The gate 40 is movably mounted in an axial direction orthogonal to the horizontal plane B.

The sealing material 30 includes the first to third sealing surfaces 10 respectively.
A, 10B, 10B and 10C and all the longitudinal portions are dimensioned so as to be in close contact with each other. 30AB is a T-shaped intersection of the first sealing material portion 30A and the second sealing material portions 30B and 30B. The stem shaft 50 is connected to the center of the upper surface of the gate 40, and the stem shaft 50 is connected to another wall surface 6 as shown in FIG.
6 through the opening 55 and is connected to a drive source 80 such as an air cylinder. The connecting portion has a linear motion introducing type sealing structure using an expandable bellows (not shown) or the like. The drive source 80 moves the gate 40 via the stem shaft 50 to open and close the seat opening 20.

Since this embodiment is constructed as described above, when the gate 40 is closed, the gate 40 is moved downward in the axial direction orthogonal to the horizontal plane B in FIGS. Sealing surfaces 10A, 1 of the seat 16
Press on 0B, 10B, 10C to close the seat opening 20 and achieve a seal.

At the time of opening, the gate 40 is moved upward in FIGS. 1 and 2 to open the seat opening 20.
As a result, the opening 1 of the vacuum container 60 is closed and opened.

Further, the angles α and β formed by the first seal surface 10A and the second seal surfaces 10B and 10B and the horizontal plane B do not necessarily have to be the same. If they are not the same, the connecting portions of the sealing surfaces 10A, 10B, 10B have a smooth curve, and if they are the same, the sealing surface can be easily processed.

The angles α and β are appropriately about 60 degrees depending on the amount of slip between the seal surface and the seal material and the crushing force of the seal material due to the taper, but the first seal surface 10A of the seat 16 and the gate are appropriate. Since the twisting of the sealing material 30 is likely to occur in the portion of the pressing member 40 that is pressed against the first sealing material portion 30A, the life of the sealing material becomes longer when the angle α is smaller than the angle β. In any case, it is clear that there is no difference in the sealing mechanism at other angles.

Further, both arcuate portions R of the first sealing surface 10A and the corresponding first sealing material portion 30A are shown in FIG. 3 (A).
As shown in Fig. 3, its cross-sectional shape is semicircular or Fig. 3 (B).
As shown in FIG. 3, it may partially include the straight line portion L, or may have a similar shape.

The third seal surface 10C does not necessarily have to be linear, and may be a part of a circular arc, for example.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the seat 16
The seal seat surface 10 formed on the above is used as a substantially track-shaped seal seat surface, and the upper peripheral portion of the seal seat surface 10 has an opening axis A.
A first seal surface 10A having a taper shape and a mortar shape that has an angle α with respect to a plane B including -A, and becomes smaller toward the inner side, and a plane from both arcuate portions R of the first seal surface 10A. B and the second sealing surfaces 10B and 10B which are respectively extended at an angle β, and the two second sealing surfaces 10
B and 10B are connected to the third seal surface 10C, and the seat 16 is provided with the first to third seal surfaces 10C.
A gate opening 40 is provided which penetrates in the direction of the opening axis AA surrounded by A, 10B, 10B, and 10C, and is fitted into the seal seat surface 10 to open and close the seat opening 20. The first to third sealing surfaces 10A, 10B, 1
0B and 10C are closely attached to each other and connected to each other.
-Since the sealing material 30 including the third sealing material portions 30A, 30B, 30B, and 30C is mounted and the gate is movable in the axial direction orthogonal to the plane B, the seal and the seal releasing operation are performed on the gate 40, Since it can be carried out only by pressing against the seal seat surface 10 of the seat 16 and driving it away, there is no mechanical sliding part, dust can be prevented, and the first seal material portion of the gate 40 at the first seal surface 10A portion when closed. Since both sides of 30A are supported by the seats 16 by closely contacting the sealing material 30, there is no trouble such as movement of the gate 40 due to the pressure difference between both sides of the gate 40, and the sealing material 30 is not damaged or worn. Since this can be prevented, a long-life and reliable seal can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the structure of one embodiment of the device of the present invention separately for a gate side and a seat side. FIG. 3B is a perspective view for explaining the seat as well.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory vertical sectional view showing the overall configuration of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3A is an explanatory view showing a first example of a plane shape of a plane including an opening axis of a seat in the present invention. (B) is an explanatory view showing a second example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A-A Opening axis B (Water) plane 1 Opening 10 Sealing surface α of a track shape α Angle 10A Tapered and mortar-shaped first sealing surface β Angle 10B Second sealing surface 10C Third sealing surface 16 Seat 20 seat opening 30 sealing material 30A first sealing material portion 30B second sealing material portion 30C third sealing material portion 30AB T-shaped crossing portion 40 gate R arcuate portion L straight portion 50 stem shaft 55 opening 60 vacuum vessel 65 wall surface 66 wall surface 80 drive source

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A wall surface (65) of a vacuum vessel (60)
A seat (16) having a seal seat surface (10) disposed inside a wall surface (65) having the opening (1) and the seat (16); In a device for closing this opening (1) by means of a cooperating gate (40), the seal seating surface (10) is a substantially track-shaped seal seating surface, which seals the upper peripheral edge thereof. An angle (α) with respect to a plane (B) whose portion includes the opening axis (A-A)
Has a taper shape that decreases as it goes inward,
And a mortar-shaped first seal surface (10A) and a second seal extending from both arc-shaped portions (R) of the first seal surface (10A) at an angle (β) with the plane (B). Face (10
B, 10B) and the two second sealing surfaces (10B, 1B).
0B) and a third sealing surface (10C) for connecting the opening shaft (A) surrounded by the first to third sealing surfaces (10A, 10B, 10B, 10C) in the seat (16). The gate (40) which is provided with a seat opening (20) penetrating in the direction of (-A) and which is fitted into the seal seat surface (10) to open and close the seat opening (20) includes the first to second parts. The sealing material (30) including the first to third sealing material portions (30A, 30B, 30B, 30C) closely attached to the third sealing surfaces (10A, 10B, 10B, 10C) and connected to each other is mounted. A device for closing the opening of a vacuum container, which is configured to move the gate (40) in an axial direction orthogonal to the plane (B). 2. Closure device for a vacuum vessel opening according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle (α) is equal to the angle (β). 3. The apparatus for closing the opening of a vacuum container according to claim 2, wherein the angle (α) and the angle (β) are about 60 degrees. 4. The closure device for the opening of a vacuum container according to claim 1, wherein the angle (α) is smaller than the angle (β).