JPH11168070A - Treatment equipment provided with treatment vessel having direct-acting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a treatment equipment provided with a treatment vessel capable of restraining contamination due to microscopic dust in the treatment vessel. SOLUTION: Vacuum bellowses 7 whose support shafts for drive are movable in the shaft direction and which isolate the inside of a treatment vessel from the outside, so as to maintain airtightness of the inside of the treatment vessel are arranged at parts where the support shafts 2A, 2B for driving penetrate the walls of both sides of the treatment vessel 1. Linear guide mechanisms 4 which so retain the support shafts for driving that the support shafts for driving are made to be movable in the shaft direction, and a linear motor 6 for moving the support shafts for driving in the shaft direction are installed. A holding table 10 for holding a substrate is fixed to the support shafts for driving and arranged. Spaces in the vacuum bellowses 7 on both sides of the treatment vessel can be interconnected through communicating tubes 8 which are arranged at positions near the walls of both sides of the treatment vessel.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing apparatus provided with a processing container having a linear motion mechanism for moving a holding means for holding an object to be processed in the processing container. This type of processing apparatus is particularly suitable for an apparatus such as a laser annealing apparatus that performs processing on a processing target such as glass by a laser beam in a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere in a processing container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A laser annealing apparatus will be described as an example of this type of processing apparatus. When performing laser annealing by a laser annealing apparatus, an object to be processed is held in a holding table and placed in a vacuum vessel, and the surface of the object to be processed is irradiated with laser light through a quartz window. By moving the holding table in the vacuum vessel, a large area on the surface of the processing object can be sequentially irradiated with laser light.

A drive shaft extending to the outside of the vacuum vessel is attached to the holding table, and can be moved by a linear guide mechanism arranged in the vacuum vessel. The holding table can be moved by reciprocating the drive shaft in the axial direction. In addition, a bellows is attached as a hermetic mechanism between the drive shaft outside the vacuum vessel and the wall of the vacuum vessel to maintain airtightness.

[0004]

In the conventional apparatus,
Since the sliding portion of the linear guide mechanism is arranged in the vacuum container, minute dust is generated from the sliding portion due to friction, and the inside of the vacuum container is contaminated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing apparatus provided with a processing container capable of suppressing generation of minute dust in the processing container.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a processing container to be hermetically sealed and disposed in the processing container, both ends of which are led to the outside through both side walls of the processing container. A driving support shaft, and at each location where the driving support shaft penetrates the walls on both sides of the processing container, the driving support shaft is movable in the axial direction thereof, and airtightness in the processing container. A bellows mechanism for isolating the inside and the outside of the processing container from each other, and attached to one end of the driving support shaft so that the driving support shaft is disposed in an axial direction with respect to the processing container. A linear guide mechanism for supporting a driving support shaft so as to be movable to the other end of the driving support shaft; and a drive for moving the driving support shaft in the axial direction with respect to the processing container. A mechanism and the driving support shaft in the processing container. And a holding means for holding an object to be processed, and a space in the bellows mechanism on both sides of the processing container can be communicated by a communication pipe provided at a position close to a wall on both sides of the processing container. There is provided a processing apparatus provided with a processing container characterized by the above-mentioned.

It is preferable that two drive shafts are provided and two communication pipes are also provided.

The holding means may have a heating means for heating the object to be processed.

[0009]

By driving the driving mechanism, the driving support shaft can be moved in the axial direction, and the holding means fixed to the driving support shaft also moves. Since there is no sliding portion in the processing container, contamination in the processing container caused by the sliding portion can be prevented. In addition, since the bellows mechanisms on both sides of the processing vessel are connected to each other by the communication pipe, when the bellows mechanism is reduced, minute debris in the bellows mechanism passes through the gap between the processing vessel wall and the drive shaft, and the inside of the processing vessel is reduced. Can be prevented from invading.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan sectional view of a processing container according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along dashed line AA in FIG. Note that FIG. 1 corresponds to a cross section taken along dashed line BB in FIG.

Driving support shafts 2A and 2B are arranged parallel to each other in a processing container 1 in which the inside can be evacuated.
Both ends of the driving support shafts 2 </ b> A and 2 </ b> B extend to the outside through the side wall of the processing container 1. Drive shaft 2
One ends of A and 2B are connected to each other by a connecting member 3. The coupling member 3 is supported by a linear guide mechanism 4 so as to be movable in the axial direction of the driving support shafts 2A and 2B.

The other ends of the driving support shafts 2A and 2B are
They are mutually connected by a connecting member 5. Coupling member 5
Is driven by the linear motor 6 in the axial direction of the driving support shafts 2A and 2B. By driving the linear motor 6, the driving support shafts 2A and 2B can be translated in the axial direction.

The portions of the driving support shafts 2A and 2B extending to both outsides of the processing vessel 1 are covered with vacuum bellows 7. One end of the vacuum bellows 7 is connected to a flange 8 attached to the side wall of the processing container 1, and the other end is connected to the coupling member 3.
Or attached to 5. The vacuum tightness 7 keeps the processing container 1 airtight. Holes 8-1 are provided in the flanges 8 on both sides of the processing container 1.
By connecting the communication pipes 9 to each other, the spaces in the vacuum bellows 7 on both sides of the processing container 1 can be communicated with each other by the communication pipes 9.

A holding table 10 is arranged in the processing container 1. The holding table 10 is fixed to the driving support shafts 2A and 2B. A plurality of pins 12 protrude from the upper surface of the holding base 10, and a substrate 13 such as glass to be annealed is placed on the pins 12. A heater 11 is embedded in the inside of the holding table 10 so that the holding table 10 can be heated. The substrate 13 is heated by heat radiation from the holder 10 or the like. A quartz window 14 is provided on the upper surface of the processing chamber 1, and laser light is introduced into the processing chamber 1 through the quartz window 14.

The linear motor 6 is driven to drive the drive shaft 2A.
And 2B in the axial direction, the substrate 13 on the holding table 10 can be translated in the processing container 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the entire laser annealing apparatus provided with the processing container shown in FIGS. The laser annealing apparatus includes a processing container 1, a transfer chamber 52,
Loading chamber 53, loading chamber 54, homogenizer 4
2. It includes a CCD camera 58 and a video monitor 59. 1, the processing vessel 1 is provided with a vacuum bellows 7, coupling members 3, 5, a linear guide mechanism 4, and a linear motor 6.

The processing chamber 1 and the transfer chamber 52 are connected via a gate valve 55, and the transfer chamber 52 and the transfer chamber 53, and the transfer chamber 52 and the transfer chamber 54.
Are connected via gate valves 56 and 57, respectively. Vacuum pumps 61, 62 and 63 are provided in the processing vessel 1, the loading chamber 53 and the unloading chamber 54, respectively.
Is attached, and the inside of each chamber can be evacuated.

A transfer robot 64 is housed in the transfer chamber 52. The transfer robot 64 transfers the processing substrate between the processing container 1, the loading chamber 53, and the unloading chamber 54.

A quartz window 14 for transmitting laser light is provided on the upper surface of the processing container 1. The laser beam output from the excimer laser device 41 having pulsed oscillation enters the homogenizer 42 through the attenuator 46. The homogenizer 42 makes the cross section of the laser beam into an elongated shape. The laser beam that has passed through the homogenizer 42 passes through the elongated quartz window 14 corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the laser light, and irradiates the substrate in the processing chamber 1. The relative position between the homogenizer 42 and the substrate is adjusted so that the surface of the substrate coincides with the homogenized surface.

The substrate is moved in a direction orthogonal to the long axis direction of the quartz window 14 by the linear motion mechanism described with reference to FIG. By moving the substrate at such a speed that part of the irradiation area for one shot overlaps part of the irradiation area in the previous shot, a large area on the substrate surface can be irradiated. The substrate surface is photographed by the CCD camera 58, and the substrate surface being processed can be observed on the video monitor 59.

Excimer laser device 41, homogenizer 4
2. The operations of the transfer robot 64, the gate valves 55 to 57, and the linear motor 6 are controlled by the control device 65.

Returning to FIG. 1, the substrate 13 is moved while irradiating a laser beam having a long sectional shape in a direction orthogonal to the direction of movement of the substrate 13 so that the substrate 13 is moved.
Can be annealed over a wide area of the surface. Substrate 1
By heating 3, the effect of laser annealing can be stabilized.

In the linear motion mechanism according to the present embodiment, there is no sliding portion in the processing container 1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inside of the processing container 1 from being contaminated by minute dust caused by friction in the sliding portion. Further, even if the holding table 10 is heated and thermal distortion occurs, the linear guide 4 and the linear motor 6 are not affected by the thermal distortion. Therefore, the holding table 10 can be stably translated even in a heated state.

Further, since the driving support shafts 2A and 2B are supported at both ends, the substrate 13 can be held more stably as compared with the case of the cantilever state, and the positioning accuracy of the substrate 13 can be improved. Can be improved. Further, a long stroke can be easily realized.

Further, when the vacuum bellows 7 is reduced, minute debris staying in the vacuum bellows 7 enters the processing vessel 1 through a gap between the hole in the side wall of the processing vessel 1 and the driving support shafts 2A, 2B. there's a possibility that. However, in this embodiment, the flange 8 is provided at a position near the hole in the side wall of the processing container 1, and the corresponding flanges 8 on both sides are connected to each other by the communication pipe 9, so that the minute staying in the vacuum bellows 7 is small. Nagomi flows into the communication pipe 9. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent minute dust staying in the vacuum bellows 7 from entering the processing container 1. In order to improve such an effect, holes in the side wall of the processing container 1 and the driving support shaft 2 are required.
It is desirable that the gap between A and 2B is as small as possible. In FIG. 3, the communication pipe 8 is not shown,
It is necessary that the communication tube 8 does not hinder the irradiation of the laser beam through the quartz window 14, and the communication tube 8 is provided so as not to cover the quartz window 14.

In the above embodiment, a linear motor is used as the drive source, but another linear drive source may be used. For example, a combination of a rotary motor and a ball screw may be used. Although a laser annealing apparatus has been described as an example, the processing container of the present invention can be applied to other processing apparatuses. For example, it is also effective when a linear motion mechanism is required in an environment that needs to be isolated from the outside, such as when a special chemical is used.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, improvements, combinations, and the like can be made.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since there is no sliding portion in the processing container and it is possible to prevent minute dust from entering the processing container from outside the processing container, contamination in the processing container can be suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan sectional view of a processing container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a laser annealing apparatus using the processing container shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Processing container 2A, 2B Driving support shaft 3, 5 Coupling member 4 Linear guide mechanism 6 Linear motor 7 Vacuum bellows 8 Flange 9 Communication tube 10 Holder 11 Heater 12 Pin 13 Substrate 14 Quartz window 41 Excimer laser device 42 Homogenizer 46 Attenuator 52 transfer chamber 53, 54 carry-in / out chamber 55-57 gate valve 58 CCD camera 59 video monitor 61, 62, 63 vacuum pump

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A processing container to be hermetically sealed, a driving support shaft disposed in the processing container, both ends of which are led out to the outside through both side walls of the processing container, and the driving support. At each point where the shaft penetrates the walls on both sides of the processing container, the processing is performed so that the driving support shaft can move in the axial direction and airtightness in the processing container is maintained. A bellows mechanism for isolating the inside and the outside of the container, and a driving shaft attached to one end of the driving shaft so that the driving shaft can move in the axial direction with respect to the processing container. And a drive mechanism attached to the other end of the driving support shaft for moving the driving support shaft in the axial direction with respect to the processing container. Attached to the drive spindle to hold the workpiece And a processing vessel, wherein the space in the bellows mechanism on both sides of the processing container can be communicated with a communication pipe provided at a position close to a wall on both sides of the processing container. Processing equipment. 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two drive shafts are provided, and two communication pipes are also provided. 3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit has a heating unit for heating the object to be processed.