TWI802925B - Rotating shaft sealing device and processing apparatus for semiconductor substrate using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a rotating shaft sealing device. The rotating shaft sealing device mounted in a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus that processes a semiconductor substrate while rotating a semiconductor loading unit accommodating the semiconductor substrate, includes: a housing that is hollow and mounted in the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus; a rotating shaft accommodated in the housing and connected to the semiconductor loading unit to transfer a rotational force to the semiconductor loading unit; a bearing rotatably supporting the rotating shaft in the housing; a sealing unit including a plurality of seals arranged in the housing to tightly seal a gap between the housing and the rotating shaft; and a power transfer unit mounted at an end of the rotating shaft to transfer a rotational force to the rotating shaft.

Description

Rotary shaft sealing device and semiconductor substrate processing equipment using the same

field of invention

The present invention relates to a rotary shaft sealing device and semiconductor substrate processing equipment using the same, and more particularly, to a rotary shaft sealing device for preventing fluid leakage between a rotary shaft and a casing and a device using the rotary shaft sealing device Semiconductor substrate processing equipment.

Background of the invention

Semiconductor equipment is used in the mass production of integrated circuits. When depositing a thin film with a certain thickness on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or glass, physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods such as sputtering or chemical vapor deposition (chemical vapor deposition) using chemical reactions are used. , CVD) method, or the like. Examples of CVD include an atmospheric pressure CVD method, a low pressure CVD method, and a plasma enhanced CVD method. Furnace equipment for heat treatment of substrates is used in layer formation processing, oxidation processing, annealing, and impurity diffusion of semiconductor wafers.

In such semiconductor equipment, rotary shaft seals for vacuum pressure equipment are used. A rotary shaft sealing device is provided on an outer circumferential surface of a shaft facing the high-pressure region and the low-pressure region and rotating therebetween so as to seal the high-pressure region and the low-pressure region from each other.

A sealing device for a vacuum pressure apparatus according to the related art includes a housing and a rotating shaft passing through the housing to be coupled to the housing. The axis of rotation faces the high pressure area and the low pressure area, and the housing is located on the interface between the high pressure area and the low pressure area. In addition, a seal for sealing is provided between the housing and the rotary shaft. The seal for sealing is intended to seal the space between the housing and the rotating shaft, and friction also occurs between the rotating shaft and the seal for sealing.

In the sealing device described above, it is necessary to prevent foreign matter from leaking into the semiconductor vacuum pressure device or conversely from the semiconductor vacuum pressure device.

Summary of the invention

One or more embodiments aim to provide a rotary shaft sealing device having a simple and compact structure that does not require supply of additional lubricant, and semiconductor substrate processing equipment using the rotary shaft sealing device.

One or more embodiments aim to provide a rotary shaft sealing device in which vibration of the rotary shaft can be minimized, and foreign matter such as particles can be prevented from flowing into the rotary shaft sealing device from semiconductor substrate processing equipment, and foreign matter can be prevented from flowing from the rotary shaft sealing device. Leakage into semiconductor substrate processing equipment.

Objects to be solved according to the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to one or more embodiments, a rotary shaft sealing device installed in a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus for processing a semiconductor substrate while rotating a semiconductor loading unit accommodating the semiconductor substrate includes: a housing which is hollow and installed in the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus a rotating shaft accommodated in a housing and connected to the semiconductor loading unit to transmit rotational force to the semiconductor loading unit; a bearing rotatably supporting the rotating shaft in the housing; a sealing unit including a a plurality of seals in to tightly seal the gap between the housing and the rotating shaft; and a power transmission unit installed at the end of the rotating shaft to transmit the rotating force to the rotating shaft.

The sealing unit may be disposed above the bearing to approach a flange portion of the housing coupled to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, and the power transmission unit may be disposed below the bearing.

In addition, the sealing unit may include: at least one vacuum seal maintaining a vacuum of the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus; and at least one elastic seal supporting a rotating shaft and reducing vibration, wherein the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal include plastic material, and the at least one elastic sealing element has a higher elasticity than the at least one vacuum sealing element.

In addition, at least one vacuum seal may include a rib seal in which a curved rib is formed on an inner circumference of an annular seal ring, and at least one elastic seal may include an elastic member inserted into a seal body.

In addition, an annular anti-rotation member may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal, the outer circumferential surface facing the casing, so as to prevent the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal in the casing from Rotate relative to the housing.

In addition, at least one vacuum seal and at least one elastic seal may be arranged continuously and adjacent to each other, wherein the at least one vacuum seal is arranged closer to a flange portion of the housing than the at least one elastic seal, the flange portion being coupled to to semiconductor substrate processing equipment, and the at least one elastomeric seal is configured closer to the bearing than the at least one vacuum seal.

In addition, the sealing unit may further include a pressure seal to prevent foreign matter from flowing from the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus into the rotary shaft seal when an inner portion of the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus is pressurized.

In addition, a labyrinth seal may be provided above the sealing unit to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the housing from the semiconductor substrate processing equipment.

In addition, the case may include a cooling water jacket provided along a circumference of the sealing unit to cool the sealing unit.

In addition, the case may include: a purge gas inflow path provided in the case to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the case from the semiconductor substrate processing equipment; and a purge gas inflow port provided on a side surface of the case to allow The purge gas flows from the outside through the purge gas inflow path.

In addition, a labyrinth seal may be provided above the sealing unit to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the housing from the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus, and the purge gas that has been moved by the purge gas inflow path may be supplied to the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus via the labyrinth seal.

According to one or more embodiments, a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus for processing a semiconductor substrate includes: a process tube accommodating a plurality of semiconductor substrates; a semiconductor loading unit disposed in the process tube to be lifted or lowered; a nozzle unit, It is disposed inside the process tube to inject process gas; a sealing cap is connected to the semiconductor loading unit and tightly seals the lower part of the process tube; and a rotary shaft sealing device is configured to perform sealing while rotating the semiconductor loading unit function, wherein the rotary shaft sealing device includes: a housing, which is hollow and mounted on a seal cap; a rotary shaft, which is accommodated in the housing and connected to a semiconductor loading unit to transmit rotational force to the semiconductor loading unit; bearings, which rotatably supporting the rotating shaft in the housing; a sealing unit including a plurality of seals tightly sealing a gap between the housing and the rotating shaft; and a power transmission unit installed at an end of the rotating shaft to transmit Rotational force to the axis of rotation.

In addition, the sealing unit may be disposed above the bearing to be close to a flange portion of the housing, the flange portion being coupled to the sealing cap, and the power transmission unit may be disposed below the bearing.

In addition, the sealing unit may include: at least one vacuum seal, which maintains the vacuum of the process tube; and at least one elastic seal, which supports the rotating shaft and reduces vibration, wherein the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal include plastic material , and the at least one elastic seal has a higher elasticity than the at least one vacuum seal.

In addition, the at least one vacuum seal may include a rib seal in which a curved rib is formed on an inner circumference of the annular seal ring, and the at least one elastic seal may include an elastic member inserted into the seal body.

In addition, an annular anti-rotation member may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal, the outer circumferential surface facing the casing, so as to prevent the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal in the casing from Rotate relative to the housing.

In addition, at least one vacuum seal and at least one elastic seal may be arranged continuously and adjacent to each other, wherein the at least one vacuum seal is arranged closer to a flange portion of the housing than the at least one elastic seal, the flange portion being coupled to to semiconductor substrate processing equipment, and the at least one elastomeric seal is configured closer to the bearing than the at least one vacuum seal.

In addition, the sealing unit may further include a pressure seal to prevent foreign matter from flowing from the process tube into the rotary shaft sealing device when the inner portion of the process tube is pressurized.

In addition, a labyrinth seal may be provided above the sealing unit to prevent foreign matter generated in the process tube from flowing into the housing.

In addition, the case may include a cooling water jacket provided along a circumference of the sealing unit to cool the sealing unit.

In addition, the case may include: a purge gas inflow path provided in the case to prevent foreign matter generated in the process tube from flowing into the case; and a purge gas inflow port provided on a side surface of the case to prevent The purge gas is allowed to flow from the outside through the purge gas inflow path.

In addition, a labyrinth seal may be provided on the sealing unit to prevent foreign matter generated in the process tube from flowing into the housing, and purge gas moving through the purge gas inflow path may be supplied to the process tube through the labyrinth seal.

According to the rotary shaft sealing device and the semiconductor substrate processing equipment using the same, according to the embodiment, the sealing unit makes line contact with the rotating object to minimize frictional force, thus requiring no supply of additional lubricant and enabling a very compact and simple structure.

In addition, vibration of the rotary shaft of the rotary shaft sealing device can be minimized, and foreign matter such as particles can be prevented from flowing into the rotary shaft sealing device from the semiconductor substrate processing equipment.

In addition, since the rotary shaft sealing device includes a cooling water jacket, the sealing unit can be kept at a low temperature, thereby prolonging the life of the sealing unit.

In addition, by arranging the sealing unit on the bearing, foreign matter generated in the bearing can be prevented from flowing into the semiconductor substrate processing equipment.

In addition, by supplying the purge gas over the sealing unit so as to discharge the purge gas to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, foreign matter generated in the semiconductor substrate processing equipment can be prevented from flowing into the sealing unit.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the embodiments of the present invention are shown so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. However, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In addition, in the drawings, in order to clearly describe the embodiments of the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted.

The terms used in this specification are for describing specific embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the present invention. A singular form may include a plural form unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this specification, it should be understood that words such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to indicate the existence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof disclosed in the specification, and are not intended to exclude one or Multiple other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof may be present or the possibility may be added.

In addition, these embodiments are provided so that the present invention will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the shapes and sizes of elements may be exaggerated for clarity.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a rotary shaft sealing device and semiconductor substrate processing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a rotary shaft sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rotary shaft sealing device of Fig. 2 . FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2 .

First, referring to FIG. 1 , a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be, for example, a bell-type furnace apparatus for heat-treating a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate processing equipment 10 includes a process tube 220 , a semiconductor loading unit 250 , a nozzle unit 230 , a sealing cap 224 , and a rotary shaft sealing device 100 .

The process tube 220 has a space for accommodating a plurality of semiconductor substrates W to be heat-treated, and has an open bottom plate, and the bottom plate can be closed or opened using a sealing cap 224 . When using the sealing cap 224 to close the bottom plate of the process tube 220 , an O-ring 226 may be disposed between the flange 222 of the process tube 220 and the sealing cap 224 to be tightly sealed.

The semiconductor loading unit 250 is configured to hold a plurality of semiconductor substrates W, and can be disposed in the process tube 220 to be lifted or lowered. In detail, the semiconductor loading unit 250 may keep the semiconductor substrates W, which are substrates to be processed, at a distance from each other in the vertical direction. The heat preservation equipment 252 and the turntable 254 may be disposed under the semiconductor loading unit 250 . The semiconductor loading unit 250 , the holding device 252 , and the turntable 254 can be raised or lowered with the sealing cap 224 relative to the process tube 220 by using the lifting device 270 . At the position where the semiconductor loading unit 250 is lowered, a plurality of semiconductor substrates W can be disposed in the semiconductor loading unit 250, and at the position where the semiconductor loading unit 250 is lifted, the semiconductor loading unit 250 is accommodated in the process tube 220, and the process The floor portion of the tube 220 may be closed by a sealing cap 224 to be tightly sealed.

In the process tube 220, a nozzle unit 230 for injecting a process gas to process the semiconductor substrate W may be provided, and an exhaust pipe 240 for exhausting the process gas and keeping an inner portion of the process tube 220 in a vacuum may be provided.

In addition, the heater assembly 210 for heating the process tube 220 can be disposed around the process tube 220 . The heater assembly 210a may heat-treat the semiconductor substrate W accommodated in the semiconductor loading unit 250 by using radiant heat.

The rotary shaft sealing device 100 is provided to perform a sealing function while rotating the semiconductor loading unit 250 . A shaft through hole may be formed at a central portion of the seal cap 224, and an end of the rotating shaft 120 of the rotating shaft sealing device 100 may pass through the shaft through hole to protrude. The turntable 254 may be connected to the protruding end of the rotation shaft 120 . Therefore, the turntable 254 is rotated according to the rotation of the rotation shaft 120, and the semiconductor loading unit 250 on the turntable 254 may also be rotated.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4 , the rotary shaft sealing device 100 is provided to rotate the semiconductor loading unit 250 . The rotary shaft sealing device 100 may include a housing 110 , a rotary shaft 120 , a bearing 130 , a sealing unit 150 , and a power transmission unit 140 .

The housing 110 is hollow and can accommodate the rotating shaft 120 , the bearing 130 , the sealing unit 150 , and the power transmission unit 140 . A flange portion 112 mounted on semiconductor substrate processing equipment may be provided in an upper portion of the housing 110 . For example, when the semiconductor substrate processing equipment is a furnace equipment as exemplified in FIG. 1 , the rotary shaft sealing device 100 may be installed under the sealing cap 224 . An O-ring 113 may be disposed in the flange portion 112 to tightly seal between the flange portion 112 and the seal cap 224 . In addition, a driving device 200 such as a motor may be provided at one end of the housing 110 .

A bearing 130 may be provided in the housing 110 to rotatably support the rotation shaft 120 in the housing 110 . In this embodiment, the bearing 130 may be disposed on the power transmission unit 140 and generally located at a middle portion of the housing 110 as a whole, thereby reducing vibration of the rotating shaft 120 and stably supporting the rotating shaft 120 . In this embodiment, the bearing 130 may be a thrust bearing, specifically, a double row angular contact bearing. The bearing 130 , which is a double row angular contact bearing, may support a load applied to the rotation shaft 120 to support a load of the semiconductor loading unit 250 accommodating a plurality of semiconductor substrates W . Meanwhile, a spacer 116 may be provided to fill a space between the bearing 130 and the sealing unit 150 .

The sealing unit 150 is provided to tightly seal a gap between the housing 110 and the rotation shaft 120 . The sealing unit 150 provides a tight seal to prevent foreign matter (eg, particles) generated in the rotary shaft sealing device 100 from flowing into semiconductor substrate processing equipment provided above the rotary shaft sealing device 100 in a vacuum, and the semiconductor substrate is processed The interior of the device is kept under vacuum. As the sealing unit 150, a plurality of sealing members may be arranged in combination. The sealing unit 150 will be described in further detail later.

In the present embodiment, the power transmission unit 140 is disposed at the end of the rotation shaft 120 , ie, under the bearing 130 , to transmit the rotation force to the rotation shaft 120 . The rotational force generated in the driving device 200 such as a motor may be transmitted to the rotation shaft 120 through the power transmission unit 140 . In the present embodiment, the power transmission unit 140 may be included using a worm gear to convert the direction of the rotational force generated in the driving device 200 . Therefore, the height of the housing 110 can be reduced, and the compact size of the rotary shaft sealing device 100 can be realized, thereby saving space and allowing easy installation and replacement and maintenance.

In the present embodiment, the sealing unit 150 may be configured closer to the flange portion 112 coupled to the housing 110 of the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus than the bearing 130 , ie, above the bearing 130 . In addition, the power transmission unit 140 may be disposed under the bearing 130 . Accordingly, foreign matter such as particles, which may be generated due to a pressure difference during operation of the bearing 130, may be prevented from flowing into the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus. In addition, since the bearing 130 is disposed between the power transmission unit 140 and the sealing unit 150, the rotation shaft 120 may be stably supported.

Meanwhile, when semiconductor substrate processing equipment is operated in a high-temperature environment, for example, in a furnace facility, the sealing unit 150 is arranged adjacent to the flange portion 112 to be closer to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment than other components, and thus, rotates The temperature of the sealing unit 150 in the components of the shaft sealing device 100 may be relatively high. In this embodiment, a cooling water jacket 182 may be provided in a portion of the housing 110 corresponding to the circumference of the sealing unit 150 to cool the sealing unit 150 . Therefore, by lowering the temperature of the sealing unit 150, the lifetime of the plurality of sealing members 152 and 156 disposed in the sealing unit 150 can be extended.

Meanwhile, due to the end of the semiconductor substrate processing process or cleaning in the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, the pressure in the semiconductor substrate processing equipment may be changed to atmospheric pressure or higher instead of vacuum. In this case, the internal pressure of the semiconductor substrate processing equipment may be higher than the pressure within the rotary shaft sealing device 100 . Therefore, foreign substances such as particles remaining in the semiconductor substrate processing equipment may flow back into the rotary shaft sealing device 100 . According to the present embodiment, a labyrinth seal 114 may be provided in the flange portion 112 of the housing 110 to prevent this.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, in order to prevent foreign matter such as particles remaining in the semiconductor substrate processing equipment from flowing into the rotary shaft sealing device 100 , a purge gas inflow path 172 may be provided in the wall of the housing 110 . In addition, a purge gas inflow port 170 may be provided on a side surface of the housing 110 to allow purge gas to flow from the outside through the purge gas inflow path 172 . The purge gas inflow path 172 may extend upward toward the flange portion 112 in the wall of the housing 110 and may communicate with the labyrinth seal 114 provided in the flange portion 112 . Accordingly, the purge gas flowing through the purge gas inflow path 172 may pass through the labyrinth seal 114 to be supplied to semiconductor substrate processing equipment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a rotary shaft sealing device 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , a rotary shaft sealing device 100 according to other embodiments of the present invention is the same as the rotary shaft sealing device 100 illustrated in FIG. When the purge gas inflow path 172 communicates with the buffer space 150a in the sealing unit 150 by using the branch portion 172a, also when foreign substances such as particles are left between the seals of the sealing unit 150, it can be purged with the purge gas . In this embodiment, the buffer space 150a may be between the elastic seals 156 .

Meanwhile, a vacuum pump (not shown) may be connected to the purge gas inflow path 172 . Therefore, the buffer space 150a communicating with the branch portion 172a may be kept in vacuum. Therefore, even when some of the vacuum seals 152 are damaged, a vacuum may be maintained in the region A due to the buffer space 150a formed with vacuum.

Hereinafter, the structure of the sealing unit used for the above-mentioned rotary shaft sealing device will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , a sealing unit 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of vacuum seals 152 and a plurality of elastic seals 156 . A vacuum seal 152 is provided to maintain the vacuum of the semiconductor substrate processing equipment disposed above the rotary shaft sealing device 100, and an elastic seal 156 is provided to support the rotary shaft 120 and reduce vibration. Both the vacuum seal 152 and the elastic seal 156 can be formed of plastic materials. In addition, the elastic seal 156 may have a higher elasticity than the vacuum seal 152 , for example, twice the elasticity of the vacuum seal 152 .

The vacuum seal 152 may be a plastic rib seal in which curved ribs are formed on the inner circumference of the annular seal ring, and may have a shape curved in a direction opposite to the area A to maintain the vacuum of the area A where the vacuum is formed.

The elastic seal 156 supports the rotary shaft 120 together with the bearing 130 to keep the axis 122 from changing due to, for example, vibration caused by the rotation of the rotary shaft 120 . Meanwhile, when the axis 122 changes, the space between the rotating shaft 120 and the vacuum seal 152 may widen, and foreign matter may flow through the space therebetween. In this embodiment, even when the axis 122 is changed, foreign matter that has flowed between the rotating shaft 120 and the vacuum seal 152 can be prevented from entering the region B due to the provision of the elastic seal 156 . The elastic seal 156 may include a seal body 156a formed of plastic material with a groove formed in one direction, and an elastic member 156b accommodated in the seal body 156a to press the seal body 156a toward the rotation shaft 120 . The elastic member 156b can be, for example, an O-ring, a square ring, or a metal spring, but is not limited thereto.

The vacuum seal 152 and the elastic seal 156 may be arranged continuously and adjacent to each other in the direction of the axis 122, and as illustrated in FIG. Flange portion 112 , and elastomeric seal 156 may be disposed closer to bearing 130 than vacuum seal 152 . In addition, the vacuum seal 152 and the elastic seal 156 can be provided in multiple numbers, and therefore, when any one of the vacuum seal 152 or any one of the elastic seal 156 is damaged, its function can also be maintained. .

In addition, in order to prevent the relative rotation of the vacuum seal 152 and the elastic seal 156 in the housing 110 relative to the housing 110, an annular ring can be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the vacuum seal 152 and the elastic seal 156 facing the housing 110. The anti-rotation member 159. The anti-rotation member 159 further presses the vacuum seal 152 and the elastic seal 156 towards the rotating shaft 120 . In addition, compared with when the anti-rotation member 159 is not included, that is, when the vacuum seal 152 and the elastic seal 156 directly contact the inner peripheral surface of the housing 110, the anti-rotation member 159 and the vacuum seal 152 and the elastic seal 156 The friction between them is greater. Therefore, the relative rotation of the vacuum seal 152 and the elastic seal 156 in the housing 110 relative to the housing 110 can be prevented.

In addition, when the rotary shaft sealing device 100 is disassembled due to damage or inspection, or the like, even when the surface roughness of the housing 110 is relatively low, since the anti-rotation member 159 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the housing 110 during the disassembly process, Friction occurs, and the sealing unit 150 may minimize damage due to the low surface roughness of the case 110 . In addition, even when the anti-rotation member 159 is damaged to a certain extent, the anti-rotation member 159 can be reused, thereby making the rotary shaft sealing device 100 easy to disassemble and assemble.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a sealing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7 , a sealing unit according to other embodiments of the present invention is the same as that of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 except that a pressure seal 158 is further included. A pressure seal 158 is included to prevent foreign matter from flowing out of the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus when the interior portion of the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus is pressurized, eg, by cleaning. In the present embodiment, the pressure seal 158 is arranged in front of the vacuum seal 152 , that is, closer to the labyrinth seal 114 than the vacuum seal 152 . Like the vacuum seal 152, the pressure seal 158 may be a plastic ribbed seal in which curved ribs are formed on the inner circumference of the annular seal ring. When the area A is pressurized as illustrated in FIG. 7 , in order to prevent foreign matter from flowing out of the area A, the pressure seal 158 may be bent toward the area A. Referring to FIG.

According to the rotary shaft sealing device and the semiconductor substrate processing equipment using the same, according to the above-mentioned embodiments, the vacuum seal, the pressure seal, and the elastic seal come into line contact with the rotating object to minimize frictional force, so that there is no need to supply additional lubricant and enables a very compact and simple structure.

In addition, vibration of the rotary shaft of the rotary shaft sealing device can be minimized, and foreign matter such as particles can be prevented from flowing into the rotary shaft sealing device from the semiconductor substrate processing equipment.

In addition, since the rotary shaft sealing device includes a cooling water jacket, the sealing unit can be kept at a low temperature, thereby prolonging the life of the sealing unit.

In addition, by arranging the sealing unit above the bearing, foreign matter generated in the bearing can be prevented from flowing into the semiconductor substrate processing equipment.

In addition, by supplying the purge gas over the sealing unit so as to discharge the purge gas to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, foreign matter generated in the semiconductor substrate processing equipment can be prevented from flowing into the sealing unit.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to particular matters such as particular components and exemplary embodiments thereof and the drawings, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the accompanying drawings. The spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the patent scope of the application. The exemplary embodiments should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined not by the detailed description of the above embodiments but by the scope of appended claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

10: Semiconductor substrate processing equipment 100: Rotary shaft sealing device 110: shell 112: Flange part 113,226: O-ring 114: labyrinth seal 116: spacer 120: axis of rotation 122: axis 130: Bearing 140: Power transmission unit 150: sealed unit 150a: buffer space 152: vacuum seal 156: Elastic seal 156a: Seal body 156b: Elastic member 158: Pressure seal 159: anti-rotation member 170: Purge gas inflow port 172: Cleaning gas inflow path 172a: branch part 182: cooling water jacket 200: drive equipment 210: heater assembly 220: process tube 222: Flange 224: sealing cap 230: nozzle unit 240: exhaust pipe 250: semiconductor loading unit 252: Thermal insulation equipment 254: turntable 270: Lifting equipment A,B: area IV-IV: line W: Semiconductor substrate

1 is a diagram illustrating a rotary shaft sealing device and semiconductor substrate processing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a perspective view illustrating a rotary shaft sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rotary shaft sealing device of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 2; 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a rotary shaft sealing device according to another embodiment of the present invention; 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a sealing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a sealing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

10: Semiconductor substrate processing equipment 100: Rotary shaft sealing device 120: axis of rotation 210: heater assembly 220: process tube 222: Flange 224: sealing cap 226: O-ring 230: nozzle unit 240: exhaust pipe 250: semiconductor loading unit 252: Thermal insulation equipment 254: turntable 270: Lifting equipment W: Semiconductor substrate

Claims (10)

A rotary shaft sealing device installed in a semiconductor substrate processing equipment that processes a semiconductor substrate while rotating a semiconductor loading unit accommodating a semiconductor substrate, the rotary shaft sealing device comprising: A housing which is hollow and mounted in the semiconductor substrate processing equipment; a rotating shaft accommodated in the housing and connected to the semiconductor loading unit to transmit a rotational force to the semiconductor loading unit; a bearing , which rotatably supports the rotating shaft in the housing; a sealing unit including a plurality of seals arranged in the housing to tightly seal a gap between the housing and the rotating shaft; and a power transmission unit installed at one end of the rotating shaft to transmit a rotating force to the rotating shaft; wherein the sealing unit includes: at least one vacuum seal maintaining a vacuum of the semiconductor substrate processing equipment; and at least one elastic seal, which supports the rotating shaft and reduces vibration, wherein the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal comprise a plastic material, and the at least one elastic seal has a A higher elasticity; wherein the at least one vacuum seal comprises a rib seal, in which a curved rib is formed on an inner circumference of an annular seal ring, and the at least one elastic seal comprises an insert a resilient member in a seal body; and wherein the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one resilient seal are disposed continuously and adjacent to each other, the at least one vacuum seal disposed closer than the at least one resilient seal a flange portion of the housing, the flange portion being coupled to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, and The at least one elastomeric seal is configured closer to the bearing than the at least one vacuum seal. The rotary shaft sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing unit is disposed above the bearing to approach a flange portion of the housing, the flange portion is coupled to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, and the power transmission The unit is arranged below this bearing. The rotary shaft sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an annular anti-rotation member is provided on several outer peripheral surfaces of the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal, and the outer peripheral surfaces face the casing , to prevent relative rotation of the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal in the housing relative to the housing. The rotary shaft sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing unit further includes a pressure seal for preventing foreign objects from coming out of the semiconductor substrate processing equipment when an internal portion of the semiconductor substrate processing equipment is pressurized into the rotary shaft seal. The rotary shaft sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a labyrinth seal is arranged above the sealing unit to prevent foreign objects from flowing into the casing from the semiconductor substrate processing equipment. The rotary shaft sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing includes a cooling water jacket disposed along a circumference of the sealing unit to cool the sealing unit. The rotary shaft sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes: a purge gas inflow path provided in the housing to prevent foreign objects from flowing into the housing from the semiconductor substrate processing equipment; and A purge gas inflow port is provided on one side surface of the casing to allow a purge gas to flow through the purge gas inflow path from the outside. The rotary shaft sealing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a labyrinth seal is arranged above the sealing unit to prevent foreign objects from flowing into the housing from the semiconductor substrate processing equipment, and The purge gas that has moved through the purge gas inflow path is supplied to the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus via the labyrinth seal. A semiconductor substrate processing equipment for processing a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate processing equipment includes: a process tube, which can accommodate a plurality of semiconductor substrates therein; a semiconductor loading unit, which is arranged in the process tube, to be lifted or lower; a nozzle unit, which is arranged inside the process tube to inject a process gas; a sealing cap, which is connected to the semiconductor loading unit and tightly seals the lower part of the process tube; and a rotating shaft A sealing device configured to perform a sealing function while rotating the semiconductor loading unit, wherein the rotating shaft sealing device includes: a housing that is hollow and mounted on the sealing cap; a rotating shaft that accommodated in the housing and connected to the semiconductor loading unit to transmit a rotational force to the semiconductor loading unit; a bearing rotatably supporting the rotating shaft in the housing; a sealing unit comprising tightly a plurality of seals sealing a gap between the housing and the rotating shaft; and a power transmission unit installed at an end of the rotating shaft to transmit a rotating force to the rotating shaft; wherein the sealing unit comprising: at least one vacuum seal maintaining a vacuum of the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus; and at least one elastic seal supporting the rotating shaft and reducing vibration, wherein the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal comprise a plastic material, and The at least one elastic seal has a higher elasticity than the at least one vacuum seal; wherein the at least one vacuum seal comprises a rib seal, in the rib seal, on an inner circumference of an annular seal ring A curved rib is formed, and the at least one elastic seal includes an elastic member inserted into a seal body; and wherein the at least one vacuum seal and the at least one elastic seal are arranged continuously and adjacent to each other, the at least one The vacuum seal is configured closer to a flange portion of the housing coupled to the semiconductor substrate processing equipment than the at least one elastic seal is configured to be closer than the at least one vacuum seal. The seal is closer to the bearing. The semiconductor substrate processing equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sealing unit is disposed above the bearing to approach a flange portion of the housing, the flange portion is coupled to the sealing cap, and the power transmission unit Arranged below the bearing.

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