JPS5917893Y2 - cassette device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cassette device used to hermetically house silicon wafers or other substrates and guide them into a vacuum processing chamber in preparation for vacuum deposition or the like.

Conventionally, this type of device has a cassette case in which a substrate holder having a silicon wafer or other substrate on the top surface is removably housed in the bottom of the cassette case, and a lid member is removably attached to the top surface of the cassette case to make the inside airtight. A type that closes has been proposed, but in this case, the case and the lid member are opened to expose the substrate in the vacuum processing chamber, and the opening operation allows the substrate to be exposed. The interior of the case generally opens to the outside with a relatively large gap around the entire circumference.In such cases, the air inside is rapidly released through the gap, so This has the disadvantage that dust existing on the outer periphery is easily scattered.

To explain this further, the case and the lid member are first prepared in a dust-free so-called clean room with a substrate housed therein together with a substrate holder, and then introduced into a vacuum processing chamber. When the chamber is in a predetermined vacuum state, they are opened and the contents are taken out, but this opening action creates a relatively large gap around the outer periphery and tends to be rapidly released to the outer periphery through the internal air. and
According to this, foreign matter such as dust existing on the outer periphery is scattered thereby, and this is accompanied by the disadvantage that it tends to fall onto the substrate and adhere thereto.

In other words, even if the substrate is purified in advance and directly introduced from the clean room into the processing chamber, there is a problem in that dust will adhere to the substrate and the product will be defective.

The purpose of the present invention is to obtain a device free of such inconveniences, and a substrate holder 3 having a silicon wafer or other substrate 2 on the top surface is accommodated in the bottom of a cassette case 1, and the , in which a lid member 4 is attached and detached from the upper surface of the cassette case to airtightly close the inside thereof, the cassette case 1 is formed into a cylindrical shape, and a relatively narrow width is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the opening edge of the cassette case 1. A plurality of guide grooves 8 are provided extending in the vertical direction, and the lid member 4 is shaped like a leg that is inserted into the opening edge beyond the guide groove 8, and an O-ring is attached to the outer periphery of the intermediate portion. 7.

To explain in detail what is shown in the drawings, the cassette case 1 as a whole has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, and the body 6 of the lid member 4 is substantially inscribed therein and has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. A blow groove 7a is provided on the outer periphery of the part.
The ring 7 is held, and the substrate 2 is
and the substrate holder 3 made of, for example, a molybutton plate on the lower surface thereof, each forming a rectangular shape.

Further, the bottom of the case 1 is provided with a central protrusion 9 and arcuate side plates 10, 10 on the outside of the central protrusion 9, and the substrate holder 3 is fitted between the side plates 10, 10 to form the protrusion 9. The lid member 4 is further provided with an annular protrusion 11 on the lower surface of its body 6, and in the intended insertion position of the member 4, the protrusion 11 engages each of the substrate holders 3. The lid member 4 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the corner portion and acts as a holding member therefor, and a screw 12 is removably provided on the upper surface of the lid member 4 as necessary to stabilize the lid member 4 in its working position. In this way, it was made ready for transportation, etc.

Furthermore, the case 1 and the lid member 4 are to be opened and closed mutually within the processing chamber, and in order to do this, the bottom of the case 1 is provided with a screw hole 13 to be engaged with an operator, and the lid member 4 is provided with a dovetail-shaped engagement groove 14 to be engaged with the operator.

A conical tapered surface 15 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the open end of the case 1 in order to facilitate insertion of the lid member 4, and a guide groove extending downward from the middle part of the tapered surface 15 is formed. 8 are placed at three locations on the circumference.

To explain its operation, the cassette case 1 and the lid member 4 are placed in a clean room, the substrate 2 is housed therein together with the substrate holder 3, and then the cassette case 1 and the lid member 4 are placed in a closed state. They are introduced into a vacuum processing chamber and then opened to each other after a predetermined evacuation of the chamber,
This point is not particularly different from the conventional one, but considering the opening operation, for example, when the cassette case 1 is moved down relative to the lid member 4, each guide groove 8 is formed as shown by the solid line in FIG. From this position, it moves beyond the O-ring 7 to the position shown by the chain line in the figure below, and thus the inside of the case 1 communicates with the outside only through this.

That is, the inside of the case 1 first opens to the outside through the relatively narrow guide groove 8, and the air inside is thus discharged to the outside relatively slowly through this. The above-mentioned disadvantages of the type that opens over the entire length do not occur.

In other words, the internal air is released to the outside relatively slowly, and there is no scattering of dust on the outer periphery of the air, thus preventing dust from adhering to the substrate 2. is completely removed and exposed inside the processing chamber, ready for vacuum deposition or other processing.

In this way, when the present invention is used, when opening the lid member 4,
Inside the cassette case 1, only a relatively narrow guide groove 8 on the inner periphery of the opening edge communicates with the outside, and compared to a type that opens all around the cassette case 1, this allows the outflow of internal air to be reduced more slowly. This has the effect of eliminating the above-mentioned disadvantages caused by the rapid outflow of air.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cutaway side view of an example of the present device, FIG. 2 is a top view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a top view of a portion thereof.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A substrate holder 3 having a silicon wafer or other substrate 2 on the top surface is housed in the bottom of the cassette case 1 in a manner that allows it to be moved in and out.A lid member 4 is removably attached to the top surface of the holder 3 to make the inside airtight. In the case of the cassette case 1 which can be closed in a cylindrical shape, a plurality of comparatively narrow guide grooves 8 extending in the vertical direction are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the opening edge of the cassette case 1. A cassette device characterized in that the lid member 4 is formed into a leg shape that is inserted into the opening edge beyond the guide groove 8, and an O-ring 7 is provided on the outer periphery of the intermediate portion.