TWI503481B - A vacuum venting device and a vacuum venting method, and a substrate processing device - Google Patents

Description

Vacuum exhaust device and vacuum exhaust method and substrate processing device

The present invention relates to a vacuum exhausting device that evacuates a processing chamber to a vacuum state and a vacuum exhausting method.

Further, the present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus to which a vacuum exhausting device is connected.

In the processing apparatus for performing the film formation process of the wiring metal film, a substrate processing chamber (processing chamber) for performing a specific process is provided. The substrate processing chamber is evacuated by a vacuum pump and a vacuum environment corresponding to the treatment is made. In the film forming process, since a gas having a high reactivity is used, a vacuum vacuum pump is used as a vacuum pump in which no oil is present in the suction chamber and a vacuum is obtained from atmospheric pressure.

With the compositing of the manufacturing process of the semiconductor, the substrate processing apparatus that evacuates all the processing chambers in a state in which the plurality of processing chambers are independent of each other is gradually becoming the mainstream of such equipment. Therefore, it has been used as a vacuum exhausting device in which a plurality of vacuum pumps are connected in parallel. In order to obtain a specific vacuum environment, a plurality of vacuum pumps are operated to obtain a vacuum state of the substrate processing chamber, but, in response to the processing, it will become a rated operation which is useful for obtaining a specific vacuum state and will be obtained. The vacuum state is maintained (standby operation).

The vacuum pump used in the vacuum exhaust system is generally a volume transfer type vacuum pump. During operation, the volume portion of the final stage is repeatedly exposed to the atmosphere during exhaust. In the standby operation, since the gas is not transferred, the operation of the vacuum pump is theoretically 0, but it is necessary to set the volume of the final section to a vacuum state (for decompression). . Therefore, in the prior art, an auxiliary pump for performing the exhaust of the volume portion of the final stage is provided, and the vacuum state of the volume portion of the final stage is maintained by the auxiliary pump, thereby reducing the The workload of the vacuum pump during standby operation is suppressed, and power consumption is suppressed (for example, refer to Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

In recent years, it has been formed into a film for wiring metal for a large-sized glass substrate such as a flat panel display. Therefore, the volume of the processing chamber is gradually increased. Even if the substrate becomes large, if the processing time becomes long, the productivity is still lowered. Therefore, in the vacuum evacuation device provided in the substrate processing apparatus having the processing chamber corresponding to the large substrate, the vacuum is applied. The number of Pu's stations has increased so that even for large processing rooms, vacuum conditions can be obtained in a short period of time. Even in a vacuum exhaust apparatus having a vacuum pump having a plurality of stages, an auxiliary pump can be used to suppress power consumption during standby operation.

However, when the auxiliary pump is separately provided for the vacuum pump of the plurality of stages, the number of auxiliary pumps is increased, and although the power consumption is suppressed, the equipment cost is increased. Therefore, in practice, it is difficult to apply to a vacuum exhaust apparatus having a vacuum pump having a plurality of stages. In addition, when one auxiliary pump is connected to a plurality of vacuum pumps, in addition to the equipment cost of the auxiliary pump itself, there is also a setting such as a vacuum pump for a plurality of vacuum pumps. The equipment cost of piping and the like is greatly increased, and the same is practically difficult to apply to a vacuum exhaust apparatus having a plurality of vacuum pumps.

[Previous Technical Literature]

[Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-155988

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-139054

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vacuum exhausting device and a vacuum exhausting device capable of suppressing power consumption of a plurality of vacuum pumps without using an auxiliary pump. method.

Further, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vacuum exhaust apparatus capable of suppressing power consumption of a plurality of vacuum pumps without using an auxiliary pump. Substrate processing device.

In order to achieve the above object, the vacuum exhausting apparatus of the present invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that: a plurality of vacuum pumps are provided in parallel with respect to the processing chamber, and the processing chamber is made specific. a vacuum state; and an exhaust manifold connected to the exhaust side of the vacuum pump; and an auxiliary pipe connecting at least one of the suction side of the vacuum pump to the exhaust manifold; And the switching means switches the flow path on the intake side of the at least one of the vacuum pumps on the processing chamber side or the auxiliary piping side.

In the present invention described in the first aspect of the invention, when the operation of maintaining the existing vacuum pressure state is performed, the passage and the row on the intake side of the vacuum pump are provided by the switching means. The side of the gas collecting pipe is connected, and at least one vacuum pump is used to exhaust the volume of the final section of the other vacuum pump, so that the other vacuum pumps are caused by the gas transfer. The load is approximately zero. As a result, by the operation of the switching means, it is possible to suppress the power consumption of the vacuum pumps of the plurality of stages without using the auxiliary pump.

For a processing chamber that processes a large glass substrate such as a flat panel display, several or even a dozen vacuum pumps are arranged in parallel, but even in this case, when it is performed, When the vacuum pressure state is maintained, the exhaust of the volume of the final stage of the other vacuum pump is performed by one vacuum pump, and the power consumption of the other vacuum pumps can be greatly improved. inhibition. That is, it is possible to suppress the power consumption similarly to the case where the auxiliary pump is used separately for each vacuum pump.

For example, when the invention of the present invention is applied to a vacuum exhaust device in which 10 vacuum pumps are connected in parallel, it is possible to omit an auxiliary pump that consumes hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment costs. In other words, in the state where the equipment cost of several million yuan is reduced, it is possible to achieve the same degree of power consumption suppression as when the auxiliary pump is used. In other words, when the vacuum pump is used to maintain the existing vacuum pressure state, the vacuum pump is used to reduce the volume of the final section, for example, 7.5 Kw of power consumption is required, but when implemented, In the case of the exhaust of the volume portion of the final stage, the power consumption is, for example, 2.5 Kw. Therefore, when the equipment cost of several million yuan is reduced and the operation of maintaining the existing vacuum pressure state is performed, it is possible to suppress power of, for example, 5 Kw for one vacuum pump system.

The vacuum exhausting apparatus of the present invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the vacuum pump according to claim 1 is characterized in that the at least one of the vacuum pumps is borrowed The intake pipe is connected to the processing chamber, and the switching means includes an exhaust gas regulating valve that opens and closes a flow path of the intake pipe, and flows under the exhaust gas regulating valve. The auxiliary pipe is connected to the intake pipe, and the auxiliary pipe is provided with an auxiliary exhaust valve that closes the flow path of the auxiliary pipe in response to opening and closing of the exhaust gas regulating valve. .

In the invention of the second aspect of the invention, the opening and closing of the exhaust gas regulating valve and the auxiliary exhaust valve are controlled, and the volume of the final stage of the other vacuum pump can be performed by at least one vacuum pump. The exhaust of the department. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the power consumption of the plurality of vacuum pumps by a simple operation.

Further, in the vacuum exhausting apparatus of the invention of claim 3, the vacuum exhausting apparatus of the invention of claim 3, characterized in that the vacuum pump is at least one of the vacuum pumps The exhaust side of the vacuum pump other than the vacuum pump is connected to the exhaust manifold by an exhaust pipe, and the exhaust pipe is provided in conjunction with opening and closing of the auxiliary exhaust valve. Open and close vacuum maintenance valve.

In the invention of claim 3, after the evacuation of the volume portion of the final stage of the other vacuum pump is performed by at least one vacuum pump, the exhaust pipe is closed by the vacuum maintenance valve. By this, the flow path on the exhaust side of the volume portion of the final stage of the other vacuum pump is maintained in a vacuum state, and the load at the time of exhausting the volume portion of the final stage can be minimized.

The vacuum exhausting apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vacuum exhausting apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, characterized in that The decompressing means for decompressing the exhaust side of at least one of the vacuum pumps is used.

In the invention of the fourth aspect of the invention, the exhaust of the volume of the final stage of the vacuum pump can be performed by the decompression means, and the power consumption of the vacuum pump can be made at least one. inhibition.

The vacuum exhausting apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vacuum exhausting apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vacuum exhausting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is characterized in that The pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure state on the processing chamber side, the switching means operates based on the detection information of the pressure detecting means.

In the invention of the fifth aspect of the invention, the switching means can be operated in response to the pressure state on the processing chamber side, and the operation of the vacuum pump can be controlled in accordance with the actual pressure state. The pressure state on the processing chamber side can detect the pressure in the processing chamber, and can also detect the pressure in the collecting tube on the suction side of the plurality of vacuum pumps.

In order to achieve the above object, the vacuum evacuation method of the present invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that, when the processing chamber is set to a specific vacuum state by a plurality of vacuum pumps arranged in parallel, When the operation of the vacuum pump is performed while maintaining the vacuum pressure of the processing chamber, exhaust of the atmospheric open volume portion on the exhaust side of the other vacuum pump is performed by at least one of the vacuum pumps.

In the invention according to the sixth aspect of the invention, in the operation of maintaining the vacuum pressure state, the row of the atmospheric open volume portion on the exhaust side of the other vacuum pump is performed by at least one of the vacuum pumps. It is possible to suppress the power consumption of the vacuum pump of a plurality of stages without using the auxiliary pump.

Further, in the vacuum evacuation method according to the sixth aspect of the invention, the vacuum evacuation method of the invention of claim 7 is characterized in that, in order to maintain the vacuum pressure of the processing chamber, In the operation of the vacuum pump, the other vacuum pumps are operated at a lower number of revolutions than the number of revolutions during the operation in which the processing chamber is in a specific vacuum state.

According to the invention of the seventh aspect of the invention, the other vacuum pump that is in the standby state is controlled to have a lower number of rotations than when the processing chamber is in a specific vacuum state. It is possible to suppress the power consumption of the vacuum pump.

Further, in the vacuum evacuation method according to the seventh aspect of the invention, the vacuum evacuation method according to the seventh aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in order to maintain the vacuum pressure of the processing chamber, In the operation of the vacuum pump, the number of rotations of the other vacuum pump is a number of rotations in which the processing chamber can be set to a specific vacuum state within a specific recovery time.

According to the invention of claim 8, the number of rotations in the standby state in which the processing chamber is in a vacuum state can be controlled by the other vacuum pump in the standby state. The vacuum pump is rotated with a minimum number of rotations, and power consumption can be suppressed.

The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention according to the application item 9 of the present invention is characterized in that the substrate processing chamber is provided with a substrate for being carried in and subjected to a specific treatment, and is applied in the application items 1 to 5 The plurality of vacuum pumps of the vacuum exhaust apparatus described in any one of the above are connected in parallel to the substrate processing chamber.

According to the invention of the ninth aspect of the invention, there is provided a substrate processing of a vacuum exhaust apparatus capable of suppressing power consumption of a plurality of vacuum pumps without using an auxiliary pump by the operation of the switching means Device.

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus of the invention of claim 9, the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of the present invention, characterized in that the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is provided with a substrate from the substrate processing apparatus In the second substrate processing chamber that is carried in and subjected to specific processing, the second vacuum pump is connected to the second substrate processing chamber, and one of the vacuum pumps and the suction side of the second vacuum pump are connected In parallel connection, a flow path selecting means is provided at a connection portion between one of the vacuum pumps and the second vacuum pump.

In the invention of claim 10, even when there is a problem in the second vacuum pump in which the second substrate processing chamber is in a vacuum state, the vacuum cleaning can be performed by the flow path selecting means. One of the pumps is connected to the second substrate processing chamber, and one of the vacuum pumps is applied to the vacuum maintenance of the second substrate processing chamber.

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus of the invention of claim 11, the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 10 is characterized in that the exhaust gas collection tube is connected to the first (2) The exhaust side of the vacuum pump discharges the fluid on the exhaust side of the second vacuum pump through the exhaust manifold through at least one of the vacuum pumps.

In the invention according to the eleventh aspect of the invention, when the operation of maintaining the vacuum pressure state is performed during the standby operation of the second vacuum pump or the like, the exhaust side of the second vacuum pump can be performed by the vacuum pump. The exhaust of the volume portion can suppress the power consumption of the exhaust gas for performing the second vacuum pump.

The vacuum exhausting apparatus and the vacuum exhausting method of the present invention can suppress the power consumption of a plurality of vacuum pumps without using an auxiliary pump.

Moreover, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus including a vacuum exhaust apparatus capable of suppressing power consumption of a plurality of vacuum pumps without using an auxiliary pump.

In the embodiment shown below, as a substrate processing apparatus, a processing is applied to a large-sized glass substrate, and processing chambers such as a heating device, a plasma CVD device, a sputtering device, and a dry etching device are arranged in series. An in-line type vertical processing apparatus that carries and transports a substrate from a processing chamber (load lock chamber: substrate processing chamber) at one end of one of the sections will be described as an example. Further, at the load lock chamber, a plurality of vacuum pumps are connected in parallel, and the inside of the processing chamber including the load lock chamber is set to a specific vacuum state by driving of the vacuum pump.

The substrate processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the in-line type vertical processing apparatus shown in the embodiment, and may be applied to a central portion including a substrate transfer common chamber and supplied to the substrate. The periphery of the chamber is provided with a substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of substrate processing chambers, or a batch type substrate processing apparatus which is applied to batch processing by one processing chamber.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 11 .

1 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and is shown in FIG. A schematic system of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6, and a schematic system of a substrate processing apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown. In FIG. 7, A schematic system of a substrate processing apparatus according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 8, and a schematic system of a substrate processing apparatus according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention is shown.

Further, Fig. 9 shows a schematic system of a substrate processing apparatus according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 10 shows power consumption and recovery time for the number of revolutions with respect to the vacuum pump. A graphical representation of the relationship between the two is shown in Figure 11 for a graph representing changes in power consumption.

In the first embodiment to the ninth embodiment, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

A first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 .

The substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in the drawing is a vertical processing apparatus that processes a large glass substrate (substrate: for example, a flat panel display) that is held slightly vertically, and is a load lock chamber 2 and a heating chamber 3 The first processing chamber 4, the second processing chamber 5, the third processing chamber 6, and the fourth processing chamber 7 are sequentially connected to each other. Inside the substrate processing apparatus 1, a forward path and a return path for transporting the substrate are provided from the load lock chamber 2 to the fourth processing chamber 7.

The substrate carried into the load lock chamber 2 is held in a vacuum state in the load lock chamber 2, and then heated in the heating chamber 3, and sequentially transported to the first processing chamber 4 to the fourth In the processing chamber 7, the passage path is reversed, and passes through the fourth processing chamber 7 to the first processing chamber 4 and the heating chamber 3, and returns to the load lock chamber 2, and is carried out again.

At the load lock chamber 2, a vacuum exhaust unit 11 is connected, and the inside of the processing chamber including the plurality of load lock chambers 2 is provided in a specific vacuum state by the vacuum exhaust unit 11. Each of the processing chambers is a large-capacity processing chamber corresponding to a large-sized substrate, and in order to maintain the exhaust speed at a specific speed, the vacuum exhausting device 11 is provided in parallel with a plurality of units (in the drawing) In the example, it is a vacuum pump 12 of 10 units.

The vacuum exhaust device 11 will be described.

At the load lock chamber 2, one end of the vacuum pipe 13 is connected, and the other end of the vacuum pipe 13 is connected to the suction manifold 14. At the suction side of the 10 vacuum pumps 12, an intake pipe 15 is connected, and the intake pipe 15 is connected to the suction manifold 14. In other words, the ten vacuum pumps 12 are connected in parallel to the substrate processing apparatus 1 by the respective intake pipes 15, the intake manifold 14 and the vacuum piping 13.

The ten vacuum pumps 12 are, for example, a dry transfer type of a volume transfer type, and an exhaust system 17 having a muffler 16 is connected to a volume portion (volume chamber) of the final stage. By driving 10 vacuum pumps 12 together, at each vacuum pump 12, the flow system from the suction side is sequentially transferred to the volume chamber and transferred to the exhaust side, and then The volume chamber of the final stage is exhausted to the exhaust system 17. Thereby, the desired vacuum state can be obtained.

In the vacuum evacuation device 11 described above, when the operation for maintaining the existing vacuum state is performed (standby operation), one vacuum pump 12a (the fifth from the right in the figure) is used. The exhaust of the volume chamber of the final section of the other vacuum pump 12 is performed, and the vacuum of the final section of the other vacuum pump 12 is maintained. Therefore, in the standby operation, the power of the other vacuum pump 12 is theoretically, since there is no fluid transfer, it is only mechanical loss, and the vacuum can be used without using an auxiliary pump or the like. The power consumption of Pu 12 is greatly reduced.

Further, as the pump for maintaining the vacuum of the final stage of the other vacuum pump 12, the other vacuum pump 12 may be used together with the vacuum pump 12a.

The configuration of the vacuum for maintaining the final stage of the other vacuum pump 12 by one vacuum pump 12a will be described.

At the volume chamber (exhaust side) of the final stage of the vacuum pump 12 (other than the vacuum pump 12a), one end of the exhaust pipe 18 is connected, and the exhaust pipe 18 is provided. The other end is connected to the exhaust manifold 19 . On the other hand, the intake pipe 15 of the vacuum pump 12 (including the vacuum pump 12a) is provided with an opening and closing valve 21, and the opening and closing valve of the vacuum pump 12a is an exhaust gas regulating valve 21a. An auxiliary pipe 22 is provided to cover the vacuum pump 12a side of the exhaust gas regulating valve 21a and the exhaust manifold 19, and an auxiliary exhaust valve 23 (switching means) is provided at the auxiliary pipe 22.

The operation of opening and closing the exhaust gas adjustment valve 21a (opening/closing valve 21) is started, and the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 is opened and closed. That is, when the exhaust gas adjustment valve 21a (opening/closing valve 21) is opened, the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 is closed, and the substrate processing apparatus 1 is set to be specific by the driving of all the vacuum pumps 12. Vacuum state. Further, during the standby operation, the exhaust gas adjustment valve 21a (opening and closing valve 21) is closed, and the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 is opened, and the fluid of the volume chamber of the final stage of the other vacuum pump 12 is discharged. The gas pipe 18, the exhaust manifold 19, and the auxiliary pipe 22 are exhausted by one vacuum pump 12a, and are maintained in a vacuum state.

Further, a pressure detecting means (pressure sensor) 24 is provided at the intake manifold 14, and the opening and closing operation of the exhaust gas adjusting valve 21a (opening and closing valve 21) and the auxiliary row are performed based on the detection information of the pressure detecting means 24. The closing action of the gas valve 23 is controlled. That is, the decompression operation is controlled based on the actual pressure of the intake manifold 14 (degree of vacuum: degree of vacuum of the substrate processing apparatus 1).

Further, a pressure detecting means may be provided in an appropriate place of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and the degree of vacuum on the substrate processing apparatus 1 side may be directly detected, and the operation of the vacuum exhaust apparatus 11 may be controlled.

The operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 including the above-described vacuum evacuation device 11 will be described.

The substrate, which is carried into the flat panel display or the like in the load lock chamber 2, is held in a vacuum state in the load lock chamber 2, and then heated in the heating chamber 3, and sequentially transported to the first process. In the chamber 4 and the fourth processing chamber 7, the passage path is reversed, and the fourth processing chamber 7 to the first processing chamber 4 and the heating chamber 3 are returned to the load lock chamber 2 and then carried out. During this period, necessary treatment is applied to the vacuum processing chamber.

In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the vacuum chamber 11 is used to set the processing chamber to a specific vacuum state. When the operation for obtaining the vacuum state required in the process is performed, the exhaust gas adjusting valve 21a (opening and closing valve 21) is opened, and the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 is closed, with 10 vacuum pumps. In the driving of the pump 12, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is set to a specific vacuum state (a vacuum state corresponding to the processing).

When the operation of maintaining the existing vacuum state (standby operation) is performed in the conveyance path of the substrate or the like, the exhaust gas adjustment valve 21a (opening and closing valve 21) is closed, and the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 is opened. The fluid in the volume chamber of the final stage of the vacuum pump 12 other than the vacuum pump 12a is made by the vacuum pump 12a via the exhaust pipe 18, the exhaust manifold 19, and the auxiliary pipe 22. Exhaust and maintain a vacuum.

Therefore, during the standby operation, the processing chambers of the other sections of the other vacuum pumps 12 are not opened to the atmosphere, and the other vacuum pumps 12 are not required to be used for the final stage treatment. The power required to depressurize the chamber from the atmosphere to a vacuum. Therefore, the power of the vacuum pump 12 is theoretically, since there is no fluid transfer, it is only a mechanical loss, and the power consumption of the vacuum pump 12 can be greatly reduced without using an auxiliary pump or the like. reduce.

In the substrate processing apparatus 1 for processing a large-sized glass substrate such as a flat panel display, for example, 10 vacuum pumps 12 are arranged in parallel, but even in this case, during standby operation. By exhausting the volume of the final stage of the other vacuum pump 12 by one vacuum pump 12a, the power consumption of the other vacuum pump 12 can be greatly suppressed.

In other words, it is possible to suppress the power consumption similarly to the case where the auxiliary pump is used separately for each vacuum pump 12. Further, it is possible to suppress the power consumption of the plurality of vacuum pumps 12 by simply controlling the opening and closing of the exhaust gas regulating valve 21a and the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 as a general simple operation.

A second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 .

The vacuum exhaust unit 31 of the second embodiment is configured to include a vacuum maintenance valve 27 at the exhaust pipe 18 of the vacuum exhaust unit 11 shown in Fig. 1 . The vacuum maintenance valve 27 is opened and closed in conjunction with the auxiliary exhaust valve 23.

That is, when the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 is opened, the vacuum maintenance valve 27 is opened, and the exhaust system of the final chamber of the other vacuum pump 12 is performed by one vacuum pump 12a. When the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 is closed, the vacuum maintenance valve 27 is closed, and during the operation by all the vacuum pumps 12, the vacuum state of the final chamber is maintained.

Therefore, after the evacuation of the volume portion of the final stage of the other vacuum pump 12 is performed by at least one vacuum pump 12a, the evacuation tube 18 is closed by the vacuum maintenance valve 27, by In this case, the flow path including the auxiliary pipe 22 from the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 to the vacuum maintenance valve 27 is maintained in a vacuum state, and the load at the time of exhausting the volume of the final stage can be performed next. The suppression is minimized, and the exhaust operation of the volume chamber is performed with good responsiveness.

A third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3 .

The vacuum exhaust unit 32 of the third embodiment is configured to include a decompression means 29 at the exhaust side of the vacuum exhaust unit 12a of one of the vacuum exhaust units 11 shown in FIG. That is, the volume chamber of the final stage of one vacuum pump 12a is decompressed by the decompression means 29, and the vacuum chamber 12a is used to decompress the final stage processing chamber from the atmosphere. The power required to reach the vacuum is not required.

Therefore, the power of the vacuum pump 12a is theoretically such that there is no mechanical transfer, so that only the mechanical loss is obtained, and the power consumption of all the vacuum pumps 12 can be greatly suppressed.

A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 .

The vacuum exhaust unit 33 of the fourth embodiment is configured to include the vacuum maintenance valve 27 shown in Fig. 2 and the pressure reducing means 29 shown in Fig. 3. Therefore, the vacuum state at the start of the exhaust operation of the volume chamber of the final stage obtained by the one vacuum pump 12a is maintained, and the power consumption of all the vacuum pumps 12 can be greatly increased. Make a cut.

A fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 .

The vacuum exhaust device 34 of the fifth embodiment is connected to the intake pipe 15 of the vacuum pump 12b adjacent to the vacuum pump 12a of the vacuum exhaust device 11 shown in Fig. 1, and is connected to the auxiliary pipe. The branch pipe 22b of 22 is provided with an opening and closing valve 28 at the exhaust pipe 18b. That is, as a vacuum pump 12a, the adjacent vacuum pump 12b is configured as a pump for exhausting the volume chamber of the final stage of the other vacuum pump 12. .

When a problem occurs in the vacuum pump 12a, the auxiliary exhaust valve 23 is closed, and the auxiliary exhaust valve 23b of the branch pipe 22b is opened, and the opening and closing valve 28 is closed by the adjacent The vacuum pump 12b is connected to exhaust the volume chamber of the final section of the other vacuum pump 12. Therefore, even if a problem occurs in the vacuum pump 12a, the power consumption of the vacuum pump 12 can be surely suppressed.

A sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6 .

The vacuum exhaust unit 35 of the sixth embodiment is a combination of the vacuum maintenance valve 27 shown in Fig. 2 and the adjacent vacuum pump 12b as a backup shown in Fig. 5. Composition.

Therefore, it is possible to minimize the load when the exhaust of the volume portion of the final stage is performed next, and to perform the exhaust operation of the volume chamber with good responsiveness, and at the same time, even at the vacuum pump 12a. If there is a problem, it is possible to surely suppress the power consumption of the vacuum pump 12.

A seventh embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7 .

The vacuum exhaust unit 36 of the seventh embodiment is combined with the decompression means 29 shown in Fig. 3 and the adjacent vacuum pump 12b as a backup as shown in Fig. 5. Further, the configuration further includes a configuration of the auxiliary decompression means 30 for exhausting the volume chamber of the final stage of the adjacent vacuum pump 12b.

Therefore, even if there is a problem in the vacuum pump 12a, the power consumption of the vacuum pump 12 can be surely suppressed, and the vacuum including the vacuum pump 12a and the vacuum pump 12b can be performed. The suppression of power consumption of the pump 12.

An eighth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8 .

In the vacuum exhausting device 37 of the eighth embodiment, the vacuum maintenance valve 27 shown in Fig. 2 and the decompression means 29 shown in Fig. 7 are used as backups, and adjacent vacuum pumps 12b are used. The combination and the auxiliary decompression means 30 are combined.

Therefore, it is possible to minimize the load when the exhaust of the volume portion of the final stage is performed next, and to perform the exhaust operation of the volume chamber with good responsiveness, and even at the vacuum pump 12a. When there is a problem, the power consumption of the vacuum pump 12 can be reliably suppressed, and further, the power consumption of the vacuum pump 12 including the vacuum pump 12a and the vacuum pump 12b can be suppressed.

The ninth embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 11 .

The vacuum exhaust unit 38 of the ninth embodiment is configured such that the auxiliary pressure reducing means 30 of the vacuum exhaust unit 37 shown in Fig. 8 is omitted. In the heating chamber 3, the first processing chamber 4, the second processing chamber 5, the third processing chamber 6, and the fourth processing chamber 7 as the second substrate processing chamber, one is connected via the vacuum piping 40. The second vacuum pump 41.

In the vacuum piping 40 on the intake side of the second vacuum pump 41, the opening and closing valve 42 is provided, and the first vacuum pump 41 is driven by the opening and closing valve 42 to drive the heating chamber 3 and the first processing. The interiors of the chamber 4, the second processing chamber 5, the third processing chamber 6, and the fourth processing chamber 7 are in a vacuum state, and are set to a vacuum atmosphere required for engineering processing.

The vacuum piping 40 at the upstream side of the opening and closing valve 42 is connected to the suction collecting pipe 14 (one of the vacuum pumps 12) that maintains the load lock chamber 2 in a specific vacuum state at the joint portion. The flow path selecting means 43 for switching the flow path is provided. Further, it is connected to an intake pipe of one of the vacuum pumps 12 (vacuum pump 12s), and a flow path selecting means 43 is provided at the connection portion. The volume chamber (exhaust side) of the final stage of the second vacuum pump 41 is connected to the exhaust manifold 19 through the evacuation pipe 18 through the vacuum maintenance valve 27.

When a problem occurs in the second vacuum pump 41, the flow path is switched to the vacuum pump 12s side by the flow path selecting means 43, and the heating chamber 3 can be replaced by the vacuum pump 12s. The inside of the first processing chamber 4, the second processing chamber 5, the third processing chamber 6, and the fourth processing chamber 7 is in a vacuum state. Therefore, even in the event of a problem, the vacuum atmosphere required for the engineering process can be maintained, and the heating chamber 3, the first processing chamber 4, and the second processing chamber 5 can be continued. Processing in the third processing chamber 6 and the fourth processing chamber 7.

The volume chamber (exhaust side) of the final stage of the second vacuum pump 41 is connected to the vacuum pump 12a by the exhaust manifold 19 and the auxiliary piping 22, so that it can be vacuumed. The pump 12a performs the exhaust of the volume chamber of the final stage of the second vacuum pump 41. As a result, the power of the second vacuum pump 41 during the standby operation is theoretically such that there is no transfer of the fluid, so that only mechanical loss is obtained, and the power consumption can be greatly reduced.

The rotation control of the vacuum pump 12 will be described with reference to FIG.

When the engineering processing is performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1, the load lock chamber 2, the heating chamber 3, the first processing chamber 4, and the second processing chamber 5 are driven by the driving of the second vacuum pump 41. The third processing chamber 6 and the fourth processing chamber 7 are in a specific vacuum state.

When the operation of maintaining the existing vacuum state (standby operation) is performed, the vacuum chamber 12a of one vacuum pump 12 is used to exhaust the volume chamber of the final stage of the other vacuum pump 12, and the other is maintained. Vacuum of the final section of the vacuum pump 12. In this case, the rotation of the other vacuum pump 12 is controlled to be lower than the number of rotations when the load lock chamber 2 is operated in a specific vacuum state. That is, the number of rotations during the operation of the vacuum pump 12 for maintaining the vacuum pressure of the load lock chamber 2 is set so that the load lock chamber 2 can be set to a specific vacuum within a specific recovery time. The minimum number of rotations of the state.

As shown in Fig. 10, in general, when the number of rotations of the vacuum pump 12 is high, the recovery time required for maintaining the vacuum of the load lock chamber 2 is 0 seconds. Further, when the number of rotations of the vacuum pump 12 falls within a specific range (between T1 rpm and T3 rpm in the figure), the recovery time to the state in which the vacuum of the load lock chamber 2 is maintained is maintained. There have been big changes. On the other hand, when the number of rotations of the vacuum pump 12 is low, the recovery time to return to the state in which the vacuum of the load lock chamber 2 is maintained is longer (exceeding the dotted line in the drawing).

The recovery time required to return to the state in which the vacuum of the load lock chamber 2 is maintained is preferably as fast as possible. However, since a large number of machines are operated in the substrate processing apparatus 1, It is not necessary to make the recovery time 0 seconds, as long as it is within a specific recovery time, it will not affect the substrate processing. Therefore, in the number of rotations (between T1 rpm and T3 rpm in the figure) where the recovery time is not substantially changed, the number of rotations of the vacuum pump 12 at the shortest recovery time (near the T2 rpm in the figure) Set the number of rotations of the vacuum pump 12 and operate it.

Therefore, when the standby operation is performed, the vacuum pump 12 can be rotated with a minimum number of rotations, and power consumption can be suppressed.

According to Fig. 11, a description will be given of a state of power consumption in the case where the rotation of the vacuum pump 12 is controlled with a specific recovery time.

As shown by the solid line in the figure, if the standby operation is performed at time t1, the number of revolutions of the vacuum pump 12 is always reduced to the number of revolutions at the shortest recovery time, and the power consumption is always reduced to P1. Further, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, when the number of rotations of the vacuum pump 12 is controlled to be the number of rotations during the operation in which the load lock chamber 2 is in a specific vacuum state, the power consumption system is controlled. It will only be lowered to P2 which is higher than P1.

In addition, when the vacuum pump 12 is returned from the standby operation to the number of rotations during the operation in a specific vacuum state, since the recovery is performed from the low rotation number, there is no rotation. When the number becomes too high, as shown by the dotted line at the time t2 in the figure, it is possible to suppress the power consumption temporarily becoming higher.

Therefore, the power consumption in the standby period (the period until the recovery) from the time t1 to the time t2 can be greatly reduced, and it is possible to contribute to the effective consumption of energy.

In addition, although the control of the number of rotations of the above-described vacuum pump 12 is described in the vacuum evacuation device 38 of the ninth embodiment, the first embodiment can be applied. In the control of the number of revolutions of the vacuum pump 12 at the vacuum exhaust device of the eighth embodiment.

The vacuum evacuation device described above can suppress the power consumption of the plurality of vacuum pumps 12 without using the auxiliary pump.

Moreover, the substrate processing apparatus described above is a substrate processing apparatus including a vacuum exhaust apparatus capable of suppressing power consumption of the plurality of vacuum pumps 12 without using an auxiliary pump.

[Industry use possibility]

The present invention can be utilized in the industrial field of a vacuum exhausting device and a vacuum exhausting method in which a processing chamber is evacuated to a vacuum state.

Moreover, the present invention can be utilized in the industrial field of a substrate processing apparatus to which a vacuum exhaust apparatus is connected.

1. . . Substrate processing device

2. . . Load lock chamber

3. . . Heating chamber

4. . . First processing room

5. . . Second processing room

6. . . Third processing room

7. . . Fourth processing room

11, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38. . . Vacuum exhaust

12, 12a, 12b. . . Vacuum pump

13, 40. . . Vacuum piping

14. . . Suction manifold

15. . . Suction pipe

16. . . silencer

17. . . Exhaust system

18, 18b. . . exhaust pipe

19. . . Exhaust manifold

twenty one. . . Open and close valve

21a. . . Exhaust adjustment valve

twenty two. . . Auxiliary piping

twenty three. . . Auxiliary exhaust valve

twenty four. . . Pressure detection means

27. . . Vacuum maintenance valve

28, 42. . . Open and close valve

29. . . Decompression

30. . . Auxiliary decompression

41. . . Second vacuum pump

Fig. 1 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a schematic system diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 10] A graph of the state of the number of revolutions of the pump.

[Fig. 11] A graph of power consumption.

1. . . Substrate processing device

2. . . Load lock chamber

3. . . Heating chamber

4. . . First processing room

5. . . Second processing room

6. . . Third processing room

7. . . Fourth processing room

11. . . Vacuum exhaust

12, 12a. . . Vacuum pump

13. . . Vacuum piping

14. . . Suction manifold

15. . . Suction pipe

16. . . silencer

17. . . Exhaust system

18. . . exhaust pipe

19. . . Exhaust manifold

twenty one. . . Open and close valve

21a. . . Exhaust adjustment valve

twenty two. . . Auxiliary piping

twenty three. . . Auxiliary exhaust valve

twenty four. . . Pressure detection means

Claims (11)

A vacuum exhausting device characterized by comprising: a plurality of vacuum pumps connected in parallel with respect to a processing chamber, and the processing chamber is set to a specific vacuum state; and an exhaust manifold Connected to the exhaust side of the vacuum pump; and an auxiliary pipe connecting at least one of the suction side of the vacuum pump to the exhaust manifold; and switching means on the side of the processing chamber or It is the side of the auxiliary pipe, and the flow path of the suction side of the at least one of the aforementioned vacuum pumps is switched. The vacuum evacuation device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one vacuum pump is connected to the processing chamber by an intake pipe, and the switching means is suctioned. The air pipe is provided with an exhaust gas regulating valve that opens and closes the flow path of the intake pipe, and the auxiliary pipe is connected to the intake pipe on the flow side of the exhaust gas regulating valve, and the auxiliary pipe is connected to the auxiliary pipe. The auxiliary exhaust valve that closes the flow path of the auxiliary pipe in response to opening and closing of the exhaust gas regulating valve is provided. The vacuum exhaust apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the vacuum pump of the vacuum pump other than the vacuum pump is exhausted The side is connected to the exhaust manifold by an exhaust pipe, and the exhaust pipe is provided with a vacuum maintenance valve that opens and closes in conjunction with opening and closing of the auxiliary exhaust valve. The vacuum exhausting apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the vacuum exhausting means for decompressing the exhaust side of the at least one vacuum pump is provided. The vacuum exhausting apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure state on the processing chamber side is provided, and the switching means is based on the pressure detecting means. Detecting information and acting. A vacuum evacuation method characterized in that, in order to maintain the vacuum pressure of the processing chamber, when the processing chamber is set to a specific vacuum state by a plurality of vacuum pumps arranged in parallel In the operation of the vacuum pump, the evacuation of the atmospheric open volume portion on the exhaust side of the other vacuum pump is performed by at least one of the vacuum pumps. The vacuum evacuation method according to claim 6, wherein the vacuum chamber is operated to maintain the vacuum pressure of the processing chamber, and the processing chamber is set to a specific vacuum. In the state of operation, the number of rotations and the number of rotations are lower, so that the other vacuum pumps are operated. The vacuum evacuation method according to claim 7, wherein the number of rotations of the other vacuum pump is capable of operating the vacuum pump in order to maintain the vacuum pressure of the processing chamber The number of revolutions of the aforementioned processing chamber is set to a specific vacuum state within a specific recovery time. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate processing chamber in which a substrate is carried in and subjected to a specific processing, and vacuum evacuation as described in any one of claims 1 to 5. The aforementioned plurality of vacuum pumps of the apparatus are connected in parallel to the substrate processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to the ninth aspect of the invention, further comprising: a second substrate processing chamber for carrying in a specific processing from the substrate processing apparatus, and processing the second substrate a second vacuum pump is connected to the chamber, and one of the vacuum pumps is connected in parallel with the suction side of the second vacuum pump, and one of the vacuum pumps and the second vacuum pump are The connection portion is provided with a flow path selection means. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the exhaust manifold of the second vacuum pump is connected to the exhaust manifold. The fluid on the exhaust side of the second vacuum pump is discharged through the exhaust manifold by at least one of the vacuum pumps.