JPH07235579A - Reciprocating linear movement equipment and semiconductor manufacturing equipment using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent particles from being discharged from an air cylinder, by moving a piston by selectively applying a negative pressure to one out of two chambers of a cylinder tube. CONSTITUTION:A piston 12 can move in a cylinder tube 11, and a piston rod 13 is fixed to the piston 12. The inside of the cylinder tube 11 is divided by the piston 12, and a chamber 11A and a chamber 11B are defined. A pipe 23 and a pipe 24 are connected with the chamber 11A and the chamber 11B, respectively. An air cylinder 1 is a double-acting type. By applying a negative pressure to the chamber 11A of the cylinder tube 11 by evacuation the piston rod 13 is moved forward. By applying a negative pressure to the chamber 11A by evacuation, the piston rod 13 is moved backward. Hence particles in the cylinder tube 11 are not discharged from a seal ring 15 part and a pipe 26. Thereby dust is not generated from the air cylinder.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reciprocating linear motion device and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus using the same. Air cylinders that use compressed air as an energy source are widely used as actuators for reciprocating linear motion (hereinafter referred to as reciprocating linear motion).
In various semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, air cylinders are often used for the wafer transfer section, chuck drive section, stage lock section, and the like.

[0002] In recent years, as the pattern miniaturization of semiconductor devices has advanced, the influence of the presence of dust in the manufacturing process thereof, particularly in the wafer processing process, on the product yield has become more and more significant. Therefore, it is desired that the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, particularly the processing apparatus and the inspection apparatus used in the wafer processing step, do not generate dust from the apparatus itself.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a reciprocating linear motion device used in a conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional reciprocating linear motion device. In the figure, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. 1 is an air cylinder, 5 is a pipe line, 11 is a cylinder tube, 12 is a piston, 13 is a piston rod, 14 and 15 are seal rings, 21 is an electromagnetic switching valve,
Reference numerals 23, 24 and 31 are pipes, and 30 is a compressed air source.

Air cylinder 1 in this reciprocating linear motion device
Is a double-acting type and is a chamber 11B of the cylinder tube 11.
By introducing pressurized air into the chamber 11, the piston 12 receives pressure from the chamber 11B side and the piston rod 13 moves forward. By introducing pressurized air into the chamber 11A, the piston 12 receives pressure from the chamber 11A side and the piston rod 13 moves backward.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a conventional reciprocating linear motion device. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIGS. 2 is an air cylinder, 6 is a pipeline, 11
C is a vent, 16 is a compression spring, 22 is an electromagnetic switching valve, 32
Is piping.

The air cylinder 2 in this reciprocating linear motion device
Is a single-acting type, and the chamber 11B of the cylinder tube 11 is
When the compressed air is introduced into the chamber 11, the piston 12 receives pressure from the chamber 11B side and the piston rod 13 moves forward. When the compressed air in the chamber 11B is discharged, the force of the compression spring 16 causes the piston rod 1 to move.
3 retreats.

[0008]

However, in such a reciprocating linear motion device, particles generated inside the cylinder tube of the air cylinder or flowing in from the outside cause the electromagnetic switching valve 21 in FIG. 3 and the passage in FIG. Pore 11C
There is a problem in that it is discharged together with the exhaust air discharged from the device and also discharged together with the compressed air leaking from the seal ring 15 in FIGS. There is a problem in that the manufacturing yield of semiconductor devices is reduced by using them. The particles can be prevented from being discharged from the electromagnetic switching valve 21 and the ventilation hole 11C by inserting a filter, but the particles can not be discharged from the seal ring 15.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a reciprocating linear motion device which does not discharge particles from an air cylinder and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus using the same.

[0010]

According to the present invention, the object is to selectively select one of an air cylinder for moving a piston in a cylinder tube and one of two chambers defined by the piston in the cylinder tube. And a pipe line for vacuum evacuation, and the piston is moved by selectively making one of the two chambers of the cylinder tube negative pressure. This is achieved by using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized by using such a reciprocating linear motion device.

[0011]

In the reciprocating linear motion device of the present invention, when the air cylinder is a double-acting type (see FIG. 1), the cylinder tube 11
Since there is no positive pressure inside, the cylinder tube 11
Particles inside are seal ring 15 and pipe 26
It is never discharged from. Further, when the air cylinder is a single-acting type (see FIG. 2), the chamber 11A does not become a positive pressure, so that the particles in the cylinder tube 11 are not discharged from the seal ring 15 part, and the chamber 1
1B has a slight positive pressure when the piston 12 moves by the force of the compression spring, but since it is exhausted through the filter 27, particles are not discharged.

Therefore, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus using such a reciprocating linear motion device does not generate dust from the air cylinder.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of a reciprocating linear motion device according to the present invention is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a reciprocating linear motion device of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an air cylinder, 3 is a pipeline, 11 is a cylinder tube, 12 is a piston, 13 is a piston rod, 14 and 15 are seal rings, 21 is an electromagnetic switching valve, 23 to 26 are pipes, 28
Is a filter and 29 is a vacuum source.

The piston 12 can move in the cylinder tube 11, and the piston rod 13 can move in the piston 1.
It is fixed to 2. The interior of the cylinder tube 11 is partitioned by the piston 12 to form a chamber 11A and a chamber 11B. The pipe 23 is in the chamber 11A and the pipe 24 is in the chamber 11B.
It is understood to each. The pipe 25 communicates with a vacuum source,
One end of the pipe 26 is open to the atmosphere. The operation of the electromagnetic switching valve 21 switches the piping connection.

The air cylinder 1 in this reciprocating linear motion device
Is a double-acting type, and the chamber 11A of the cylinder tube 11 is
Of the piston rod 1
3 moves forward, the chamber 11B is evacuated to a negative pressure, and the piston rod 13 moves backward.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the reciprocating linear motion device of the present invention. In the figure, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. 2 is an air cylinder, 4 is a pipeline, 1
6 is a compression spring, 22 is an electromagnetic switching valve, and 27 is a pipe.

The air cylinder 2 in this reciprocating linear motion device
Is a single-acting type, chamber 11A of the cylinder tube 11
Of the piston rod 1
3 moves forward, and when the chamber 11A is returned to the atmospheric pressure, the force of the compression spring 16 causes the piston rod 13 to retract.

The present inventor has modified the pipeline of the reciprocating linear motion device of the wafer transfer part of the existing semiconductor device as described above, changed the power source from compressed air to vacuum, and suppressed dust generation from the air cylinder. The vacuum source is a low vacuum pump installed outside the clean room.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but can be implemented with various modifications.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that does not generate dust from an air cylinder can be provided, which contributes to improvement in yield in semiconductor device manufacturing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a reciprocating linear motion device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the reciprocating linear motion device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional reciprocating linear motion device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a conventional reciprocating linear motion device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2 Air cylinder 3-6 Pipe line 11 Cylinder tube 11A, 11B Chamber 11C Vent hole 12 Piston 13 Piston rod 14, 15 Seal ring 16 Compression spring 21,22 Electromagnetic switching valve 23-27 Piping 28 Filter 29 Vacuum source 30 Compressed air Source 31, 32 Piping

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A piston (12) in a cylinder tube (11).
Air cylinder (1) for moving the
Two chambers (11A, 11A,
11B) and a pipe line (3, 4) for selectively evacuating one of the two chambers (11A, 11B) of the cylinder tube (11) to selectively create a negative pressure. A reciprocating linear motion device characterized by moving the piston (12). 2. The switching valve (21) for the pipe line (3) and the switching valve (21)
A pipe (23) leading from (21) to one chamber (11A) of the cylinder tube (11) and a pipe (24 leading from the switching valve (21) to the other chamber (11B) of the cylinder tube (11). ) And the piston (12) advances by making the one chamber (11A) a negative pressure and moves backward by making the other chamber (11B) a negative pressure. The reciprocating linear motion device according to claim 1. 3. The switching valve (22) is provided in the pipe line (4), and the switching valve (22) is provided.
(22) has a pipe (23) leading to one chamber (11A) of the cylinder tube (11), the piston (12) advances by making the one chamber (11A) a negative pressure, The reciprocating linear motion device according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating linear motion device retreats by returning to atmospheric pressure. 4. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus using the reciprocating linear motion device according to claim 1.