JPH10319238A - Flange for vacuum device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive flange for a vacuum device improving detecting performance and being hardly damaged. SOLUTION: This flange is composed of a flange main body 31 of optical fiber on the vacuum side air-tightly mounted in a hole of the wall 1a of a vacuum chamber 1 and a flange main body 32 of optical fiber on the air side integrally connected to the flange main body 31 of optical fiber on the vacuum side by a connecting bolt 50. The flange main body of optical fiber on the vacuum side has plural fiber housing holes 35 for inserting plural optical fibers 7 on the side of the vacuum chamber and arranged with an interval apart to each other, respectively, the flange main body 32 of optical fiber on the air side has plural fiber housing holes 45 for inserting plural optical fibers 10 on the air side and arranged with an interval apart to each other, respectively, and on the surface of the filling main body of flange fiber on the side of the vacuum chamber abutted on the flange main body of optical fiber on the air side, an annular recessed part 34, in which a glass plate 41 is buried through an O ring 40 as a packing member, is provided in a part in which one end of each optical fiber on the side of the vacuum chamber is located.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flange for a vacuum device mounted on, for example, a wall of a vacuum chamber, particularly to an optical fiber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a work detecting apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of a work in a high vacuum environment such as a semiconductor manufacturing facility. The work detector is located inside the vacuum chamber, but a work determination device that receives the detection signal of the work detector and determines whether or not there is a work is usually provided outside, which is on the atmosphere side.
A component for passing such a signal line connecting the workpiece detector in the vacuum chamber and the external workpiece determination device to the wall of the vacuum chamber in an airtight state is a vacuum device flange.
When the work detector is an optical type, an optical fiber is used for the signal line connecting the work detector and the work determination device, and the optical fiber passes through the optical fiber against the vacuum chamber wall in an airtight state. The present invention relates to an improvement in the structure of a flange for a vacuum device for causing the vacuum device to have a structure.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the structure of a conventional flange for a vacuum apparatus. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum chamber in which a workpiece 2 to be detected is stored. This vacuum chamber wall 1a
, Two elongated stainless steel tubes 4 each having a glass rod 3 mounted therein by brazing at intervals are penetrated and attached. A thread groove 4a is formed on the outer periphery of each stainless tube 4, and a nut 5 is fastened to the vacuum chamber side and the atmosphere side of the stainless tube 4 via an O-ring 6, so that the stainless tube 4 is attached to the wall 1a of the vacuum chamber. And is mounted in an airtight state. A cap nut 9 is attached to one end of the vacuum-side optical fiber 7 at the end of the stainless steel tube 4 on the vacuum chamber side.
Is fastened to the thread groove 4a on the outer periphery of the stainless steel tube 4 so that one end of the vacuum side optical fiber 7 is connected to one end of the glass rod 3 in the stainless steel tube 4 and the other end of the vacuum side optical fiber 7 is in the vacuum chamber 1. Of work 2.

[0004] A cap nut 9 is attached to one end of an atmosphere-side optical fiber 10 at the end of the stainless steel tube 4 on the atmosphere side.
The one end of the atmosphere-side optical fiber 10 is connected to the other end of the glass rod 3 in the stainless steel tube 4 by tightening to the thread groove 4a on the outer periphery of the tube, and the other end of the atmosphere-side optical fiber 10 is connected to the light emitting device, the light receiving device, and the amplifier. And the like, and is connected to a work judging device 12 composed of the above. The one stainless steel tube 4, the vacuum side optical fiber 7, and the atmosphere side optical fiber 10 are on the light emitting side, and the other stainless steel tube 4,
The vacuum side optical fiber 7 and the atmosphere side optical fiber 10 are the light receiving side.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of another conventional flange for a vacuum apparatus, which is different in a cut surface. The flange for a vacuum device includes a disk-shaped flange body 21 for a vacuum-side optical fiber and a disk-shaped flange body 22 for an atmosphere-side optical fiber. The bosses 23 and 2 fitted to the holes in the wall 1a of the vacuum chamber 1
Two fiber insertion holes 24 through which the vacuum-side optical fiber 7 is inserted, and two fiber insertion holes 24
A concave portion 26 into which a circular glass plate 25 is fitted;
The boss 23 is provided with two screw holes 23a communicating with the respective fiber insertion holes 24.

The atmosphere side optical fiber flange body 22 has a boss 27 and two fiber insertion holes 28 through which the two atmosphere side optical fibers 10 are inserted, and the boss 27 has a screw hole communicating with each fiber insertion hole 28. 27a are provided. Then, the boss 23 is fitted into the hole of the wall 1a of the vacuum chamber 1 and the flange body 21 for vacuum side optical fiber.
The flange body 22 for the atmosphere-side optical fiber is abutted against the wall, and is attached to the wall 1a of the vacuum chamber 1 with screws 29 penetrating the peripheral portions of both flange bodies. A circular glass plate 25 is fitted into the concave portion 26 of the vacuum side optical fiber flange body 21 via an O-ring 30a, and the vacuum side optical fiber 7 inserted into each fiber insertion hole 24 is a boss 2
3 is fixed with a blind screw 23b screwed into the screw hole 23a,
The atmosphere-side optical fiber 10 inserted into each fiber insertion hole 28 of the atmosphere-side optical fiber flange main body 22 is fixed by a blind screw 27 b screwed into a screw hole 27 a of a boss 27. An O-ring 30b is provided at the base end of the boss 23.

[0007]

In the conventional flange for a vacuum apparatus shown in FIG. 4 as described above, a glass rod 3 of the same length is inserted into an elongated stainless steel tube 4 and the glass rod 3 is inserted into the stainless tube 4. Is fixed by brazing, so that the production cost is high.
If something hits or drops before assembling, there is a problem that the glass rod 3 is vulnerable to impact and easily breaks. In the conventional vacuum device flange shown in FIG. 5, the vacuum side optical fiber 7 serving as the light projecting side and the atmosphere side optical fiber 10 face each other via the glass plate 25, and the vacuum side optical fiber 7 serving as the light receiving side is connected to the atmosphere side. Side optical fiber 1
Since 0 also faces through the same one glass plate 25, light on the light projecting side is reflected by the glass plate 25, and the reflected light enters the light receiving side, and sufficient detection performance cannot be obtained. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive flange for a vacuum apparatus which has improved detection performance, is less likely to break, and is inexpensive.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A flange for a vacuum apparatus according to the present invention is integrally formed with a flange body for a vacuum side optical fiber, which is attached to a wall hole of a vacuum chamber in an airtight manner, and a connecting member to the flange body for a vacuum side optical fiber. The atmosphere-side optical fiber flange body is connected, the vacuum-side optical fiber flange body has a plurality of spaced fiber insertion holes through which a plurality of vacuum-side optical fibers are respectively inserted, and the atmosphere-side optical fiber flange body is A plurality of spaced-apart fiber insertion holes for inserting a plurality of atmosphere-side optical fibers are provided, and one end of each vacuum-side optical fiber is an abutting surface of the vacuum-side optical fiber flange body with the atmosphere-side optical fiber flange body. A ring in which a glass plate is buried via a packing member at each position It is constructed by a recess.

[0010] In the present invention, one of the light projecting paths A comprising a fiber insertion hole for accommodating the vacuum side optical fiber of the vacuum side optical fiber flange main body and the fiber insertion through which the atmosphere side optical fiber of the atmosphere side optical fiber flange main body is inserted. One of the light projecting paths A comprising holes is optically connected through a single glass plate disposed in an annular concave portion provided in the vacuum-side optical fiber flange main body, and is connected to the vacuum side of the vacuum-side optical fiber flange main body. The other light receiving path B comprising a fiber insertion hole in which an optical fiber is stored
And the other light receiving path B comprising a fiber insertion hole through which the atmosphere-side optical fiber of the atmosphere-side optical fiber flange body is inserted, and one piece of the glass disposed in an annular recess provided in the vacuum-side optical fiber flange body. Floodlight A that is optically connected via a plate and has these glass plates
And the light receiving path B having the glass plate are provided separately on these flange bodies, so that the light projecting path A and the light receiving path B are optically independent, and the light of the light projecting path A And the light does not enter the light receiving path B, so that sufficient detection performance can be obtained.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a vacuum apparatus flange according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a cut surface is different. FIG. 2 is a view of a vacuum-side optical fiber flange body of the vacuum apparatus flange. FIG. 3 is a side view and FIG. 3 is another side view of the vacuum optical fiber flange main body of the vacuum apparatus flange. In the figure, the vacuum apparatus flange of this embodiment includes a disk-shaped vacuum side optical fiber flange body 31 and a disk-shaped atmosphere side optical fiber flange body 32.

The flange body 31 for the optical fiber on the vacuum side has a boss 3 fitted at the center of one side surface into a hole in the wall 1a of the vacuum chamber 1.
3 and a pair of annular recesses 34 spaced apart in the center of the side surface, and two fiber storage holes 3 through which two vacuum side optical fibers 7 are inserted in the center of the boss 33.
The mounting holes 36 and the connection holes 37 are provided alternately in the peripheral portion. Each of the fiber storage holes 35 and each of the annular concave portions 34 are communicated with each other by a communication hole 38 for optical transmission. Further, an O-ring housing groove 39 is provided on a peripheral edge of each annular concave portion 34. A glass plate 41 is embedded in each of the annular recesses 34 after the O-ring 40 is housed in the O-ring housing groove 39. Further, the boss 33 is provided with a screw hole 35 a communicating with each fiber storage hole 35.

The atmosphere-side optical fiber flange body 32 has a boss 42 at the center of one side surface, and has two fiber insertion holes 45 at the center thereof for inserting two atmosphere-side optical fibers 10. Mounting holes 46 and connecting holes 47
Are provided alternately. Further, the boss 42 is provided with a screw hole 40 a communicating with each fiber insertion hole 45.

Next, a method of attaching the flange for a vacuum device of this embodiment to a vacuum chamber will be described. First,
Each annular recess 3 of the vacuum side optical fiber flange body 31
The glass plate 41 is buried after the O-ring 40 is housed in the O-ring housing groove 39 in 4. Next, the flange body 32 for the atmosphere-side optical fiber and the flange body 31 for the vacuum-side optical fiber are abutted, and a connection bolt 50 is screwed into each of the connection holes 37 and 47 provided in the peripheral portions of both flange bodies, and tightened. Then, the flange body 31 for the vacuum side optical fiber and the flange body 32 for the atmosphere side optical fiber are integrally assembled.

Further, each of the fiber storage holes 35 of the vacuum side optical fiber flange body 31 is inserted into the wall 1a from the vacuum chamber 1.
The vacuum-side optical fiber 7 pulled out is inserted through the hole of the boss 33, and the vacuum-side optical fiber 7 is screwed into the screw hole 3 of the boss 33.
It is fixed with blind screw 35b screwed into 5a. Next, the boss 33 to which the O-ring 51 of the vacuum-side optical fiber flange body 31 in which the two flange bodies 31 and 32 are integrally attached is fitted into the hole of the wall 1 a of the vacuum chamber 1. Each mounting hole 3 provided in the peripheral part of the main body
The mounting bolts 52 screwed to the vacuum chambers 6 and 46 are attached to the wall 1 of the vacuum chamber 1.
The two flange main bodies 31 and 32 are attached to the vacuum chamber 1 in an airtight state by screwing into a. Finally, the atmosphere-side optical fiber 10 is inserted into each fiber insertion hole 45 of the atmosphere-side optical fiber flange main body 32, and the atmosphere-side optical fiber 10 is fixed with a blind screw 40b screwed into the screw hole 40a of the boss 42.

Next, the operation of the vacuum apparatus flange of this embodiment will be described. For example, when the vacuum side optical fiber is a transmission type, in FIG.
And the atmosphere-side optical fiber 10 as a light-emitting side, and the lower vacuum-side optical fiber 7 and the atmosphere-side optical fiber 10 as a light-receiving side, the light emitted from the work determination device (not shown) is transmitted by the upper atmosphere-side optical fiber 10. And the glass plate 41 above the vacuum side optical fiber flange body 31.
Then, the light enters the upper vacuum-side optical fiber 7 through the communication hole 38 for light transmission, is transmitted by the upper vacuum-side optical fiber 7, and is irradiated on a work (not shown) from the tip. The light irradiated to the work from the tip of the upper vacuum side optical fiber 7 is the lower vacuum side optical fiber 7 if there is no work.
The light is received by the distal end of the optical fiber 7 and transmitted by the lower vacuum-side optical fiber 7, passes through the communication hole 38 for light transmission below the flange body 31 for the vacuum-side optical fiber, passes through the glass plate 41, and enters the lower atmosphere-side optical fiber 10. The work is transmitted by the atmosphere side optical fiber 10 and received by the work determination device. The work determination device determines the presence or absence of the work in the vacuum device 1 based on whether or not the projected light is received.

In the flange for a vacuum device of this embodiment, one of the light projecting paths A comprising a fiber housing hole 35 in which the vacuum side optical fiber 7 of the flange body 31 for a vacuum side optical fiber is housed and a communication hole 38 for light transmission, Atmosphere side optical fiber 1 of atmosphere side optical fiber flange body 32
One glass plate 4 disposed in an annular concave portion 34 provided in the vacuum side optical fiber flange main body 31 and one light projecting path A composed of a fiber insertion hole 45 into which a zero is inserted.
The other light receiving path B, which is optically connected to the optical fiber 1 through the fiber housing hole 35 and the light transmission communication hole 38 in which the vacuum-side optical fiber 7 of the vacuum-side optical fiber flange body 31 is housed, and the air-side optical fiber Flange body 3
The other light receiving path B including the fiber insertion hole 45 into which the second air-side optical fiber 10 is inserted is interposed via one glass plate 41 disposed in the annular concave portion 34 provided in the vacuum-side optical fiber flange main body 31. Since the light-projecting path A and the light-receiving path B are separately provided on the flange main body, the light-projecting path A and the light-receiving path B are optically independent from each other. Is reflected by the glass plate as in the prior art, and the reflected light does not enter the light receiving path B, so that sufficient detection performance can be obtained. In the present embodiment, a case has been described in which the number of the light projecting paths and the number of the light receiving paths are one or more, for example, two, respectively. Good.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, one of the light projecting paths A comprising the fiber insertion holes for accommodating the vacuum side optical fibers of the vacuum side optical fiber flange body and the atmosphere side of the atmosphere side optical fiber flange body. One light emitting path A including a fiber insertion hole through which an optical fiber is inserted
Are optically connected through a single glass plate disposed in an annular recess provided in the vacuum-side optical fiber flange body, and a fiber insertion hole in which the vacuum-side optical fiber of the vacuum-side optical fiber flange body is stored. And the other light receiving path B formed of a fiber insertion hole through which the air side optical fiber of the air side optical fiber flange body is inserted is disposed in the annular concave portion provided in the vacuum side optical fiber flange body. Are optically connected via the single glass plate, and the light-projecting path A having these glass plates and the light-receiving path B having the glass plate are separately provided in these flange main bodies. It becomes optically independent of the light receiving path B, and the light of the light projecting path A is reflected by the glass plate as in the related art, and the reflected light is reflected by the light receiving path B.
And there is an effect that sufficient detection performance can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a vacuum apparatus flange according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which cross sections are different.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a vacuum-side optical fiber flange main body of the vacuum device flange.

FIG. 3 is another side view of the vacuum side optical fiber flange main body of the vacuum apparatus flange.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a conventional flange for a vacuum device.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of another conventional flange for a vacuum apparatus, in which a cut surface is different.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum chamber 1a Wall 7 Vacuum side optical fiber 10 Atmospheric side optical fiber 31 Vacuum side optical fiber flange main body 32 Atmospheric side optical fiber flange main body 33 Boss 34 Annular concave part 35 Fiber storage hole 38 Optical transmission communication hole 40 O-ring 41 Glass plate 42 Boss 45 Fiber insertion hole

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vacuum-side optical fiber flange body which is air-tightly mounted in a wall hole of a vacuum chamber, and an atmosphere-side optical fiber flange body integrally connected to the vacuum-side optical fiber flange body by a connecting member. The flange body for the side optical fiber has a plurality of spaced fiber insertion holes through which a plurality of vacuum side optical fibers are respectively inserted, and the flange body for the atmosphere side optical fiber is spaced apart from each other to allow a plurality of atmosphere side optical fibers to be respectively inserted. With multiple fiber insertion holes,
An annular concave portion in which a glass plate is embedded via a packing member is provided at a portion where one end of each vacuum-side optical fiber is located at a contact surface of the flange body for the vacuum-side optical fiber with the flange body for the atmospheric-side optical fiber. Characteristic flange for vacuum equipment.