KR101626035B1

KR101626035B1 - Gate valve assembly and water processing system having the same

Info

Publication number: KR101626035B1
Application number: KR1020090018231A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 위순임; 조미라
Original assignee: 위순임
Priority date: 2009-03-03
Filing date: 2009-03-03
Publication date: 2016-06-13
Also published as: WO2010101413A2; WO2010101413A3; KR20100099630A; TW201104108A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gate valve assembly, comprising: a valve chamber disposed between a first chamber and a second chamber, each of which has a substrate inlet / outlet through which a substrate enters and exits; A pair of gate valves provided in the valve chamber for opening and closing the substrate inlet and outlet of the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively; And a gate valve support portion supporting the pair of gate valves so as to move up and down between a closed position in which the pair of gate valves close the substrate inlet and outlet and an open position in which the substrate inlet and outlet are opened . Thus, the substrate entry / exit port of the substrate processing system can be effectively opened and closed.

Substrate processing system, gate valve, gate valve assembly

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a gate valve assembly and a substrate processing system including the gate valve assembly.

The present invention relates to a gate valve assembly, and more particularly to a gate valve assembly of a substrate processing system for processing a substrate.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a liquid crystal display device, a plasma display device, and substrate processing systems for manufacturing semiconductor devices have adopted a cluster system capable of processing a plurality of substrates in one operation. A cluster system refers to a multi-chambered substrate processing system that includes a transfer robot (or handler) and a plurality of substrate processing modules disposed therearound. Generally, the cluster system includes a transfer chamber and a transfer robot provided rotatably in the transfer chamber. Each side of the transfer chamber is equipped with a substrate processing chamber for carrying out the processing process of the substrate. Such a cluster system increases the throughput of a substrate by simultaneously processing a plurality of substrates or allowing various processes to proceed in succession. Another effort to increase substrate throughput is to simultaneously process multiple substrates in a multiple substrate processing chamber to increase substrate throughput per hour.

On the other hand, in the case of a multi-process system for processing a plurality of substrates, when a plurality of process chambers for substrate processing are constructed, independent configurations are used for each configuration.

In the case of the above-described multi-process system, a gate valve is provided at the substrate entry / exit port of each chamber for transferring the substrate from the transfer chamber to each process chamber. When the process is in progress, the chamber is closed to maintain the vacuum state, and when the process is completed, the gate valve is opened to allow the substrate to be introduced and unloaded.

In the case of a cluster type having a plurality of substrate processing chambers for simultaneously processing a plurality of substrates, there is a case where one of the plurality of substrate processing chambers is broken and needs to be repaired. In the case where a single gate valve is provided between the substrate processing chamber and the transfer chamber, if a pressure change occurs for repairing a failed substrate processing chamber, there is a fear that a pressure is applied to a chamber that has not failed, thereby affecting the substrate processing process.

Also, the conventional gate valve is connected to the substrate entrance port at a predetermined angle so as to open and close the substrate entrance port. In this case, when the sealing member provided at the outer periphery of the gate valve comes into contact with the substrate entry / exit port, there is a problem that the specific portion of the sealing member becomes worn out due to the moving speed and the contact angle, thereby failing to serve as a sealing member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a gate valve assembly and a substrate processing system including the same that can minimize the pressure change in a process chamber by providing a gate valve for double opening and closing a substrate entrance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gate valve assembly and a substrate processing system including the gate valve assembly, which can prevent the sealing member from being damaged by opening and closing the gate valve in a linear direction.

Also, a valve capable of controlling the pressure in the process chamber and the transfer chamber can be provided to adjust the pressure according to the use of the process chamber, thereby minimizing the pressure change during the substrate processing process, thereby providing a convenient substrate processing system There is another purpose.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gate valve assembly and a substrate processing system including the gate valve assembly. The gate valve assembly of the present invention includes: a valve chamber disposed between a first chamber and a second chamber each having a substrate inlet / outlet through which a substrate enters and exits; A pair of gate valves provided in the valve chamber for opening and closing the substrate inlet and outlet of the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively; And a gate valve support portion supporting the pair of gate valves so as to move up and down between a closed position in which the pair of gate valves close the substrate inlet and outlet and an open position in which the substrate inlet and outlet are opened .

According to one embodiment, the gate valve support portion includes a pair of valve support link portions, each of which is coupled to the pair of gate valves at both end regions and extend and retracted from the central region of the valve chamber toward the respective substrate entry / Wow; And a hydraulic pressure regulating portion coupled to the pair of valve supporting link portions, the valve supporting link portion transmitting a driving force to move the gate valve between the closed position and the open position.

According to one embodiment, the pair of valve support link portions includes a height adjustment link portion that is lifted by the hydraulic pressure regulating portion and adjusts the height of the gate valve; And an interval adjusting link portion that ascends by the hydraulic pressure regulating portion and adjusts the interval of the pair of gate valves.

According to one embodiment, the gap adjusting link portion includes a pair of link members that are pivoted when they are lifted by the hydraulic pressure regulating portion and are mutually spaced, and the hydraulic pressure regulating portion includes the gap adjusting link portion, And the gate valve raised to the closed position by the height adjusting link portion is adjusted so as to move linearly toward the substrate entry / exit port side.

According to an embodiment, the hydraulic pressure regulator includes a hydraulic cylinder through which hydraulic oil flows; And a sealing member is provided at a contact area between the hydraulic cylinder and the lifting rod. The lifting rod includes a lifting rod and a lifting rod. The lifting rod is coupled to the gate belt support and the other end is provided in the hydraulic cylinder.

According to an embodiment, an upper sealing member and a lower sealing member are provided on an upper surface and a lower surface of the upper wall of the hydraulic cylinder to prevent leakage of hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder when the lifting rod is lifted and lowered.

According to one embodiment, the gate valve is detachably coupled to the gate valve support.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma display apparatus comprising: a chamber having a substrate inlet and an outlet through which a substrate is input and output; a gate valve provided at one side of the chamber and opening and closing the substrate entrance; And a hydraulic drive part for transferring a driving force to move the gate valve between a closed position for closing the substrate inlet and outlet and an open position for opening the substrate inlet and outlet.

According to one embodiment, the hydraulic drive includes: a lifting rod coupled to the gate valve; A hydraulic cylinder accommodating the lifting rod therein and having hydraulic pressure acting on the lifting rod to move up and down; And a hydraulic control unit controlling the opening and closing of the gate valve by controlling whether the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder operates or not.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma display panel comprising: a first chamber and a second chamber each having a substrate entry port; A valve chamber provided between the first chamber and the second chamber and having a gate valve for opening and closing the substrate entrance; A pressure control valve provided on the wall surfaces of the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively, with the valve chamber interposed therebetween; And a pressure regulating control unit for controlling the opening and closing of the pressure regulating valve to regulate the pressures of the first chamber, the second chamber, and the valve chamber.

The substrate processing system according to the present invention is provided with a pair of left and right gate valve assemblies to simultaneously open and close the process chamber and the substrate entrance of the transfer chamber. Accordingly, even if the pressure of one of the chambers is changed, the influence on the other chamber can be minimized.

Further, since the gate valve is linearly moved to the substrate entry / exit port by the gap adjusting link portion, wear of the sealing member can be reduced.

In addition, since the process chamber and the transfer chamber are provided with a pressure regulating valve, the pressure regulating valve can be used to effectively change either of the chambers when a pressure change is required for repair or other reasons. Accordingly, the maintenance of the substrate processing system can be made more convenient.

In addition, since the gate valve according to the present invention lifts the open position and the closed position by the hydraulic pressure, it is possible to prevent the contamination problem caused by the particles generated when the gate valve is lifted and lowered by a mechanical mechanism. In addition, since the leakage of the hydraulic pressure is prevented by the double sealing structure inside the hydraulic cylinder, the structure of the bellows used for the conventional hydraulic leakage can be omitted, and the whole structure can be simplified.

For a better understanding of the present invention, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention may be modified into various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in detail below. The present embodiments are provided to enable those skilled in the art to more fully understand the present invention. Therefore, the shapes and the like of the elements in the drawings can be exaggeratedly expressed to emphasize a clearer description. It should be noted that in the drawings, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals. Detailed descriptions of well-known functions and constructions which may be unnecessarily obscured by the gist of the present invention are omitted.

1 is a schematic view schematically showing a configuration of a substrate processing system according to the present invention. As shown, the substrate processing system 10 according to the present invention includes first and second process chambers 100a and 100b and a transfer chamber 200 disposed therebetween. The first process chamber 100a and the second process chamber 100b are provided with a first substrate inlet / outlet 120 and a second substrate inlet / outlet 220 through which a substrate is input / output, respectively. The load lock chamber 300 is provided in front of the transfer chamber 200 and an index 310 is provided in which a plurality of carriers are mounted in front of the load lock chamber 300. Index 310 is also referred to as a facility front end module (EFEM) and sometimes a load lock chamber. The substrate processing system may be equipped with a cooling processing chamber for substrate cooling or a preheating processing chamber for substrate preheating if necessary. A gate valve assembly 400 is provided between the first process chamber 100a and the second process chamber 100b to open and close the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220 to / from the substrate.

The substrate processing system 10 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the transfer chamber 200 is switched between a vacuum and atmospheric pressure state and a substrate transferred from the load lock chamber 300 is transferred to the first process chamber 100a, 2 process chambers 100a and 100b. Thereby, atmospheric pressure and vacuum pressure difference between the process chambers 100a, 100b and the transfer chamber 200 can be generated. The process chamber wall 130 and the transfer chamber wall 230 are provided with a first pressure control valve 140 and a second pressure control valve 240, respectively, as shown in FIG. The first and second pressure regulating valves 140 and 240 are controlled to open and close to control the pressure between the process chambers 100a and 100b and the transfer chamber 200 and the valve chamber 410, A valve control unit 150 is provided.

The pressure regulating valve control unit 150 controls the pressure of the specific process chambers 100a and 100b to be the same as the pressure in the valve chamber 410 and the transfer chamber 100a in the case where any one of the process chambers 100a and 100b fails, The first pressure regulating valve 140 and the second pressure regulating valve 240 are selectively opened and closed so that the pressure is balanced. That is, the pressure regulating valve control unit 150 controls the pressure P1 of the first process chamber 100a, the pressure P2 of the transfer chamber, and the pressure P3 of the valve chamber 410 to be equal to each other (P1 = P2), the pressure P1 of the first process chambers 100a and 100b may be controlled to be greater than the pressure P3 of the valve chamber 410 and the pressure P2 of the transfer chamber 200 P1 > P2 = P3). The valve chamber 410 and the transfer chamber 200 are adjusted to the same pressure by the pressure regulating valve control unit 150 so that even when the atmospheric pressure state is established for maintenance of the first process chambers 100a and 100b, The substrate processing step can proceed and the repairing process can be stably performed.

The gate valve assembly 400 opens and closes the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220 under the control of the gate valve control unit 460. The gate valve assembly 400 is provided between the process chambers 100a and 100b and the transfer chamber 200 as shown in FIG. 2 to open / close the substrate access openings 120 and 220. The gate valve assembly 400 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a valve chamber 410 provided between the process chambers 100a and 100b and the transfer chamber 200, A pair of gate valves 420a and 420b for opening and closing the entrance 120 and the second substrate entrance 220 and a pair of gate valves 420a and 420b for opening and closing the substrate entrance 120 and 220, (Not shown).

The valve chamber 410 is provided between each of the process chambers 100a and 100b and the transfer chamber 200 as shown in FIG. The valve chamber 410 has a pair of gate valves 420a and 420b on both sides thereof to open and close the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220, respectively. The substrate processing system 10 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is described as being provided between the process chambers 100a and 100b and the transfer chamber 200 although the gate valve assembly 400 may be provided between the transfer chamber 200 and the transfer chamber 200, And the load lock chamber 300. In some cases, the transfer chamber 200 may be provided between the transfer chamber 200 and a buffering chamber (not shown).

3 is an enlarged schematic view showing a cross-sectional configuration of gate valves 420a and 420b according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the pair of gate valves 420a and 420b are moved up and down by the gate valve support portion 430 to seal and open the first substrate inlet 120 and the second substrate inlet 220 . When the gate valves 410a and 410b close the substrate outlets 120 and 220, the process chambers 100a and 100b process the substrate in a vacuum state. When the gate valves 410a and 410b open the substrate outlets 120 and 220, the transfer robot 210 of the transfer chamber 200 enters the process chambers 100a and 100b to load / unload the substrate.

The gate valves 420a and 420b are provided with spacers 421 for adjusting the contact intervals when contacting the process chamber walls 130 and 230 as shown in FIG. The spacers 421 are coupled to the gate valves 410a and 410b in a threaded manner and are adjustable in length to be inserted into the gate valves 410a and 410b by a user to adjust the contact distance with the process chamber walls 130 and 230 do. The spacers 421 are interposed between the gate valves 420a and 420b and the process chambers 100a and 100b to prevent direct mutual contact to prevent damage due to contact. The protective layer 423 is coated on the front surfaces of the gate valves 410a and 410b so that the surfaces of the gate valves 420a and 420b are not damaged by the plasma generated in the process chambers 100a and 100b. The protective layer 423 prevents the surfaces of the gate valves 420a and 420b from being etched and damaged by the plasma. The protective layer 423 is provided to be replaceable. The gate valves 420a and 420b are provided with gate valves 420a and 420b and an O-ring 425 for maintaining airtightness inside the process chambers 100a and 100b.

4 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the gate valve assembly 400. As shown in FIG. 6 is a state in which the gate valves 420a and 420b are lifted from the open state and Fig. 7 is a state in which the gate valves 420a and 420b are in the open state, Is closed and the substrate outlets 120 and 220 are closed.

The gate valve support unit 430 supports the gate valves 410a and 410b to open and close the substrate access openings 120 and 220 under the control of the gate valve control unit 460. The gate valve support part 430 according to the present invention supports the pair of gate valves 410a and 410b in the valve chamber 410 so that the vertical lift and the left and right spacing are adjusted. The gate valve support portion 430 includes a valve support link portion 440 for supporting the rear surfaces of the pair of gate valves 410a and 410b and adjusting the gap therebetween, And an adjustment unit 450.

The valve support link portion 440 is provided between the hydraulic pressure regulator 450 and the gate valves 410a and 410b to transmit the lift of the hydraulic pressure regulator 450 to the gate valves 410a and 410b, (410a, 410b). A plurality of valve supporting link portions 440 may be provided in the gate valves 410a and 410b. The valve supporting link portions 440 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention are provided on the left and right sides of the gate valves 410a and 410b, respectively. The valve supporting link portion 440 includes a height adjusting link portion 441 for adjusting the height of the gate valves 410a and 410b by the hydraulic pressure adjusting portion 450 and a height adjusting link portion 441 provided at one side of the height adjusting link portion 441 And an interval adjusting link portion 443 for adjusting the distance between the pair of gate valves 410a and 410b so that the gate valves 410a and 410b close each of the substrate outlets 120 and 220. [

5 to 7, the height adjusting link portion 441 is coupled to an end portion of the height adjusting and raising rod 455 of the hydraulic pressure adjusting portion 450 to elevate and lower the height adjusting and raising rod 455 To the gate valves 420a and 420b. That is, when the height-adjusting lifting rod 455 ascends and descends inside the height-adjusting hydraulic cylinder 453, the gate valves 420a and 420b also move up and down together. Thereby, the gate valves 420a and 420b are raised and lowered between the open state (FIG. 5) and the closed state (FIG. 6). The height adjusting link portion 441 includes a link body 441a coupled with the height-adjusting lift rod 455 and a movable link 441b that is extendably coupled to both ends of the link body 441a. One end of the movable link 441b is coupled to the gate valves 410a and 410b and the other end is movably coupled to the link body 441a. The movable link 441b may be provided in the form of a bellows or a cylinder. When the distance between the pair of gate valves 410a and 410b is adjusted by the interval adjusting link portion 443 to be described later, the moving link 441b is inserted into the link body 441a as in the initial state shown in FIG. 5, 7, a certain portion is released from the link body 441a to change the length of the entire height adjusting link portion 441. [

The gap adjusting link portion 443 closes the substrate entrance 120 and 220 by adjusting the gap between the height adjusting rod 455 and the height adjusting link portion 441 to adjust the distance between the gate valves 410a and 410b . The gap adjusting link portion 443 includes left and right links 443a and 443b rotatably coupled to the gap adjusting hoisting rod 457 and a pair of left and right links 443a and 443b rotatably coupled to the gap adjusting hoisting rod 457 And includes a pivot shaft 443c. The left and right links 443a and 443b are pivoted about the pivot shaft 443c when the height of the gap adjusting lift rod 457 is variable.

The intervals of the gate valves 410a and 410b coupled to the other ends of the left and right links 443a and 443b are varied by the turning radius of the left and right links 443a and 443b. 5, when the gap adjusting rod 457 is at the initial height, the left and right links 443a and 443b are gathered toward the central region, so that the gate valves 410a and 410b are spaced apart from each other . On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, when the gap adjusting rod 457 rises from the initial height, the pivot shaft 443c rises and the left and right links 443a and 443b are opened to both sides. Accordingly, the gate valves 410a and 410b provided at both ends of the left and right links 443a and 443b are spaced apart from each other and moved to a position where the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220 are closed.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the hydraulic pressure regulator 450, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrams showing the operation of the hydraulic pressure regulator 450. Referring to FIG.

The hydraulic pressure regulator 450 adjusts the height and spacing of the gate valves 410a and 410b by moving the height adjusting link portion 441 and the gap adjusting link portion 443 up and down. The hydraulic pressure regulator 450 includes a working fluid supply portion 451 for storing the working fluid therein and supplying the working fluid to the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454, a height regulating hydraulic cylinder 453 for generating the working fluid and generating pressure, A plurality of working fluid supply valves 452 that are provided between the working fluid supply unit 451 and the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 to control whether or not the working fluid is supplied to the hydraulic cylinders 454 and 452, A height adjustment rod 455 coupled to the height adjustment link 441 and the gap adjustment link 443 and a gap control rod 457.

The working fluid supply portion 451 stores a working fluid for generating the hydraulic pressure. The working fluid may be any fluid capable of generating hydraulic pressure, such as gas or liquid. The working fluid supply part 451 may include a pump for supplying the storage tank and the working fluid. The working fluid supply valve 452 is opened and closed by the gate valve control portion 460 and allows the working fluid to be supplied from the working fluid supply portion 451 into the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454. The working fluid supply valve 452 includes a supply valve for supplying the working fluid from the working fluid supply portion 451 into the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 and a discharge valve for returning the working fluid in the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 to the working fluid supply portion 451 do. The supply valve and the discharge valve are provided on the upper and lower sides, respectively. Thereby raising and lowering the lifting rods 455 and 457.

The height adjusting hydraulic cylinder 453 and the gap adjusting hydraulic cylinder 454 allow the working fluid to flow in and out, generate the hydraulic pressure, and cause the lifting rods 455 and 457 accommodated therein to ascend and descend. An upper working fluid inlet 452a and a lower working fluid inlet 452b are provided at upper and lower portions of the height adjusting hydraulic cylinder 453 and the gap adjusting hydraulic cylinder 454, respectively. The lower working fluid inlet 452b is formed with a flow path so that the introduced working fluid can press the lower end surfaces of the lifting rods 455 and 457. The upper working fluid inlet 452a is formed so as to press the upper surface of the lower rib 455b of the lifting rods 455 and 457 in a state where the introduced working fluid is in an elevated state. When the lifting rods 455 and 457 are to be lifted up, the working fluid Fl flows in from the lower working fluid inlet 452b as shown in FIG. 9 to press the lower end surfaces of the lifting rods 455 and 457. On the other hand, when the raised lifting rods 455 and 457 are to be lowered, the working fluid F2 is introduced from the upper working fluid inlet 452a and the introduced working fluid F2 is supplied to the lifting rods 455 and 457, The lower surface of the lower rib 455b.

An outlet sealing member 453b is provided in the area where the height adjusting hydraulic cylinder 453 and the gap adjusting hydraulic cylinder 454 are engaged with the lifting rods 455 and 457. The outlet sealing member 453b prevents the pressure in each of the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 from leaking to the outside when the lifting rods 455 and 457 rise and fall. The outlet sealing member 453b may be made of a sealing material such as rubber and may be replaced if the wear is severe.

An upper sealing member 453c for preventing secondary pressure leakage is provided in a region where the height adjusting hydraulic cylinder 453 and the gap adjusting hydraulic cylinder 454 are in contact with the lower ribs 455b of the lift rods 455 and 457, And a lower sealing member 453d. The upper sealing member 453c is in contact with the upper rib 455a while the lifting rods 455 and 457 are housed in the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 as shown in Figure 9 and prevents the leakage of the pressure together with the outlet sealing member 453b do. That is, the upper sealing member 453c doubly prevents the pressure leaked through the outlet sealing member 453b. The lower sealing member 453d contacts the lower rib 455b in a state where the lifting rods 455 and 457 are lifted as shown in FIG. The sealing members 453b, 453c, and 453c may be made of a material such as rubber, silicone, polyacrylate, or the like that has been used as a conventional sealing material.

The height-adjustable lifting rod 455 and the gap-adjusting lifting rod 457 lift up and adjust the height and spacing of the gate valves 410a and 410b in the height-adjusting hydraulic cylinder 453 and the gap-adjusting hydraulic cylinder 454 . The height regulating and lifting rod 455 and the gap regulating and lifting rod 457 are provided to have a predetermined length and an upper rib 455a and a lower rib 455b are provided in the upper region and the lower region, Respectively. The upper ribs 455a and the lower ribs 455b are formed so as to have an area corresponding to the cross-sectional area of the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454. The upper ribs 455a and the lower ribs 455b are provided so as to be able to contact the wall surfaces of the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 and the lift rods 455 and 457 are caused to ascend and descend by hydraulic pressure.

Here, the gap adjusting and raising rod 457 is longer than the height adjusting rod 455 by a predetermined length (L1 <L2). This is because the gap adjusting and raising rod 457 and the height adjusting rod 455 are raised together by the hydraulic pressure adjusting unit 450 and then the height adjusting rod 455 is stopped. And the interval adjusting link portion 443 widens the gap between the gate valves 410a and 410b. The left and right links 443a and 443b of the gap adjusting link portion 443 are rotated by the difference in length between the gap adjusting rod 457 and the height adjusting rod 455 to enlarge the gap between the gate valves 410a and 410b.

The gate valve control unit 460 controls the hydraulic pressure regulating unit 450 and the working fluid supply valve 452 so that the valve chamber 410 is opened and closed according to the process progress of the substrate processing system 10. [ The gate valve control unit 460 opens the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220 when the substrate is to be transferred, and controls the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220 to be closed when the substrate processing process is to proceed. The lifting and lowering rods 455 and 457 move up and down within the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 under the control of the gate valve control unit 460 and the gap adjusting link unit 443 adjusts the spacing so that the gate valves 410a and 410b are moved to the substrate outlets 120 and 220, Can be opened and closed.

The process of opening and closing the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220 of the substrate processing system 10 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. The gate valve assembly 400 of the present invention is described as being provided between the transfer chamber 200 and each of the process chambers 100a and 100b but also includes the load lock chamber 300 and the transfer chamber 200, And can be operated in the same process.

First, when the transfer robot 210 is loaded on the susceptor 110 of the process chambers 100a and 100b to process substrates in the process chambers 100a and 100b, the gate valve control unit 460 controls the gate valves 410a, and 410b close the substrate outlets 120 and 220 to allow the substrate processing process to proceed. The gate valve control section 460 opens the working fluid supply valve 452 so that the working fluid of the working fluid supply section 451 is supplied to the height adjusting hydraulic cylinder 453 and the gap adjusting hydraulic cylinder 454. [ The working fluid F1 supplied to the height regulating hydraulic cylinder 453 and the gap regulating hydraulic cylinder 454 through the lower working fluid inlet 452b presses the lower end surfaces of the lower ribs 455b of the lift rods 455, So that the lifting rods 455 and 457 are lifted up in the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 as shown in Fig. The height adjusting link portion 441 and the gap adjusting link portion 443 are raised together from the initial height h1 to the rising height h2 as the lifting rods 455 and 457 rise.

Here, as shown in FIG. 10, when the height-adjustable lifting rod 455 contacts the upper wall of the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 and the lifting movement stops, the gate valves 410a and 410b are moved to the closed position (H2). Here, it is possible to prevent the internal hydraulic pressure from being doubly sealed by the outlet sealing member 453b and the lower sealing member 453d of the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 to be leaked to the outside.

At this time, the gap adjusting rod 457 is further raised by a height difference from the height adjusting rod 455 by a difference in length between the height adjusting rod 455 and the height adjusting rod 455, The left link 443a and the right link 443b coupled to the link 455 are pivoted about the pivot shaft 443c and spaced apart (w1 <w2). A pair of gate valves 410a and 410b coupled to the left link 443a and the right link 443b are also spaced apart to close the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220, respectively. When the gap between the left link 443a and the right link 443b is increased, the movable link 441b of the height adjustment link portion 441 is also detached from the link main body 441a and the interval is widened. The height of the gate valves 410a and 410b may be varied when the distance between the gate valves 410a and 410b is adjusted by the left link 443a and the right link 443b. For this purpose, the height-adjustable lifting rod 455 can ascend and descend at a constant height to balance the height.

When the gate valves 410a and 410b close the substrate outlets 120 and 220, the spacing from the wall of the process chambers 100a and 100b is adjusted by the spacer 421 and the contact pressure can be adjusted.

When the processing of the substrate is completed in the process chambers 100a and 100b, the transfer robot 210 enters the process chambers 100a and 100b to unload the substrates in the process chambers 100a and 100b do. To this end, the gate valve control unit 460 causes the gate valves 410a and 410b to open the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220 to allow the transfer robot 210 to enter. The gate valve control unit 460 opens the working fluid supply valve 452 so that the working fluid of the working fluid supply unit 451 is supplied to the height adjusting hydraulic cylinder 453 and the gap adjusting hydraulic cylinder 454. [ The working fluid F2 supplied to the height adjusting hydraulic cylinder 453 and the gap adjusting hydraulic cylinder 454 through the upper working fluid inlet 452a is raised to the upper portion of the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 as shown in Fig. Pressure is applied to the upper surface of the lower ribs 455b of the lifting rods 455 and 457 of the lifting rods 455 and 457 so that the lifting rods 455 and 457 descend in the hydraulic cylinders 453 and 454 as shown in FIG. As the lifting rods 455 and 457 descend, the height adjusting link portion 441 and the gap adjusting link portion 443 are lowered together. The left link 443a and the right link 443b are rotated in accordance with the descent of the gap adjusting link portion 443, and the gap between the left link 443a and the right link 443b is narrowed. Accordingly, the pair of gate valves 410a and 410b are separated from the substrate entry / exit ports 120 and 220 and descend to the open position.

As described above, the substrate processing system according to the present invention is provided with a pair of left and right gate valve assemblies to simultaneously open and close the process chambers and the substrate entry / exit ports of the transfer chamber 200. Accordingly, even if the pressure of one of the chambers is changed, the influence on the other chamber can be minimized.

11 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a gate valve assembly 500 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the gate valve assembly 400 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gate valves 410a and 410b are integrally coupled to the gate valve support portion 430. [ In contrast, in the gate valve assembly 500 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the gate valves 520a and 520b are detachably provided on the gate valve support portion 530. The gate valve support portion 530 is provided with a gate valve accommodating portion 531 to which the gate valves 520a and 520b are coupled and the gate valves 520a and 520b are provided with the gate valve engagement portion 531, (Not shown). The gate valve accommodating portion 531 and the gate valve engaging portion 527 may be detachably coupled by a known engaging structure.

12 is a side view showing a configuration of a gate valve assembly 600 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The gate valve assembly 400 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention has opened and closed a pair of gate valves 420a and 420b while the gate valve assembly 600 according to the third embodiment has one gate valve 610 ). The gate valve assembly 600 includes a gate valve 610 and a gate valve support portion 620 for supporting the gate valve 610 in a vertically movable manner. The gate valve support unit 620 includes an elevating rod 623 that elevates and descends by the hydraulic pressure regulating unit 630 and adjusts the height of the gate valve 610 and a gate valve 610 that supports the gate valve 610 with respect to the hydraulic pressure regulating unit 630 And a moving link 627 which rotates with respect to the support shaft 621 in accordance with the lifting and lowering of the lifting rod 623 and linearly moves the gate valve 610 toward the substrate entrance 120. The movable link 627 rotates about the pivot shaft 625 and linearly moves the gate valve 610. The hydraulic pressure regulating portion 630 raises the elevating rod 623 and the supporting shaft 621 moves up and down together with the elevating rod 623.

The gate valve assembly according to the third embodiment of the present invention can elevate and linearly move one gate valve by the hydraulic pressure.

In the embodiments of the present invention described above, the gate valve support portion moves the gate valve up and down to move the gate valve to the open position and the closed position. However, as shown in FIG. 13, 120 at a predetermined angle to open and close the substrate entrance 120. Also in this case, the gate valve 710 can lift / lower the substrate inlet / outlet 120 by lifting / lowering the lift rod 720 by the hydraulic pressure regulator 740.

The embodiments of the gate valve assembly and the substrate processing system including the gate valve assembly of the present invention described above are merely illustrative and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent implementations You can see that examples are possible. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims. It is also to be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

1 is a schematic view schematically showing a configuration of a substrate processing system of the present invention,

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a gate valve assembly of the substrate processing system of the present invention,

3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the gate valve structure of the gate valve assembly of the present invention,

4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a gate valve assembly according to the present invention,

5 is a state diagram showing the configuration of the gate valve assembly of the present invention in an open state;

6 is a state diagram showing a configuration in which the gate valve assembly of the present invention is in an elevated state;

7 is a state diagram showing a configuration in which the gate valve assembly of the present invention is in a closed state;

8 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a hydraulic pressure regulator of a gate valve assembly according to the present invention.

9 is a schematic view showing a configuration in an open state of a gate valve assembly of the present invention,

10 is a schematic view showing a configuration in a closed state of the gate valve assembly of the present invention,

11 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a gate valve assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention,

12 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a gate valve assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention,

13 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a gate valve assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the Related Art [0002]

10: substrate processing system 100a, 100b: process chamber

110: susceptor 120: first substrate entrance

130: process chamber wall 140: first pressure regulating valve

150: Pressure regulating valve control unit 200: Transfer chamber

210: transfer robot 220: second substrate doorway

230: Transfer chamber wall 240: Second pressure regulating valve

300: load lock chamber 310: index

320: substrate transport robot 400: gate valve assembly

410: valve chamber 420a, 420b: gate valve

421: spacer 423: protective layer

425: O-ring 430: gate valve support

440: valve supporting link portion 441: height adjusting link portion

441a: Link body 441b: Moving link

443: an interval adjusting link portion 443a: a left link

443b: right link 443c:

450: Hydraulic regulator 451: Working fluid supply part

452: Working fluid supply valve 452a: Upper working fluid inlet

452b: Lower working fluid inlet 453: Height-regulating hydraulic cylinder

453a: outlet 453b: outlet sealing member

453c: upper sealing member 453d: lower sealing member

454: Spacing hydraulic cylinder 455: Height-controlled lift rod

455a: upper rib 455b: lower rib

457: spacing control lift rod 460: gate valve control part

Claims

A valve chamber disposed between a first chamber and a second chamber, each of which has a substrate inlet / outlet through which a substrate enters and exits;

A pair of gate valves provided in the valve chamber for opening and closing the substrate inlet and outlet of the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively;

A spacer coupled to the gate valve and adapted to adjust a contact distance with at least one of the first chamber wall and the second chamber wall;

And a gate valve support portion for supporting the pair of gate valves so as to move up and down between a closed position where the pair of gate valves closes the substrate inlet and outlet and an open position where the substrate inlet and outlet is opened A gate valve assembly in a substrate processing system.

The method according to claim 1,

The gate valve support portion

A pair of valve supporting link portions coupled to the pair of gate valves at both end regions and extendable from the central region of the valve chamber toward the respective substrate inlet and outlet;

And a hydraulic pressure regulating portion coupled to the pair of valve supporting link portions, the valve supporting link portion transmitting a driving force to move the gate valve between the closed position and the open position. Valve assembly.

3. The method of claim 2,

Wherein the pair of valve supporting link portions

A height regulating link portion that is elevated by the hydraulic regulating portion and regulates a height of the gate valve;

And an interval adjusting link portion that is elevated by the hydraulic pressure regulating portion and adjusts the interval of the pair of gate valves.

The method of claim 3,

Wherein the gap adjusting link portion includes a pair of link members which are pivoted when lifted by the hydraulic pressure regulating portion and whose intervals are variable,

Wherein the hydraulic pressure regulator raises the gap adjusting link portion to a height higher than the height adjusting link portion and adjusts the gate valve lifted to the closed position by the height adjusting link portion to linearly move to the substrate inlet / outlet side. Valve assembly.

5. The method of claim 4,

The hydraulic pressure regulator includes:

A hydraulic cylinder through which hydraulic oil flows;

And a lifting rod that is coupled to the gate valve support portion at one end and is provided in the hydraulic cylinder to move up and down within the hydraulic cylinder, and a sealing member is provided at a contact area between the hydraulic cylinder and the lifting rod. The gate valve assembly comprising:

6. The method of claim 5,

Wherein an upper sealing member and a lower sealing member are provided on an upper surface and a lower surface of the upper wall of the hydraulic cylinder to prevent leakage of hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder when the lifting rod is lifted and lowered. .

The method according to claim 1,

Wherein the gate valve is detachably coupled to the gate valve support.

A chamber in which a substrate input / output port is formed;

A gate valve provided at one side of the chamber and opening / closing the substrate inlet / outlet;

A spacer coupled to the gate valve and adapted to adjust the contact distance with the chamber wall;

And a hydraulic drive portion for transmitting a driving force to move the gate valve between a closed position for closing the substrate inlet and outlet and an open position for opening the substrate inlet and outlet.

9. The method of claim 8,

The hydraulic drive unit includes:

A lifting rod coupled to the gate valve;

A hydraulic cylinder accommodating the lifting rod therein and having hydraulic pressure acting on the lifting rod to move up and down;

And a hydraulic control unit controlling the opening and closing of the gate valve by controlling whether hydraulic pressure acts on the hydraulic cylinder.

A first chamber and a second chamber each having a substrate entry port;

A valve chamber provided between the first chamber and the second chamber and having a gate valve for opening and closing the substrate entrance;

A pressure control valve provided on the wall surfaces of the first chamber and the second chamber with the valve chamber therebetween;

And a pressure regulating control unit for controlling the opening and closing of the pressure regulating valve to regulate the pressures of the first chamber, the second chamber, and the valve chamber.