TWM639986U - Inert gas supply cylinder - Google Patents

Abstract

An inert gas supply cylinder (10) includes a cylinder body (12), a movable nozzle (28) and an inert gas supply shaft (34). The cylinder body includes an operation port (16) communicating with a pressure chamber (38) defined by the cylinder body and the movable nozzle. The inert gas supply shaft is inserted into a gas channel of the movable nozzle.

Description

Inert gas supply cylinder

This invention relates to an inert gas supply cylinder used in the loading port of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

Previously, it was known that semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses had loading terminals equipped with inert gas supply cylinders that supplied inert gases, such as nitrogen, to the interior of wafer storage containers. These inert gas supply cylinders abutted and disengaged from a valve mechanism located at the bottom of the wafer storage container.

For example, Japanese Patent No. 5958446 discloses a gas supply and discharge mechanism used in a loading port device. This gas supply and discharge mechanism includes a housing portion that supports a gas flow nozzle axially, and a pressure chamber divided into two pressure adjustment chambers by the flange of the gas flow nozzle. Furthermore, the gas supply and discharge mechanism has a gas flow chamber configured in relation to the position of the pressure chamber, with one opening of the gas flow nozzle abutting against a valve of the container, and the other opening of the gas flow nozzle located within the gas flow chamber.

In the aforementioned gas supply and discharge mechanism, the gas flow nozzle can be moved by increasing or decreasing the pressure of one of the two pressure adjustment chambers via a pressure adjustment path (pipeline). Furthermore, with the gas flow nozzle in contact with the valve of the container, inert gas is supplied from the gas supply and discharge pipe connected to the gas flow chamber, guiding the inert gas into the interior of the container.

The aforementioned gas supply and discharge mechanism has both the pressure regulating piping and the gas supply and discharge piping fixed to the housing, eliminating the force required to move these piping sections with the movement of the gas flow nozzle. However, because a gas flow chamber is included in addition to the two pressure regulating chambers, there is a concern about the potential for larger device size.

The purpose of this work is to solve the aforementioned problems.

This invention relates to an inert gas supply cylinder, comprising: a cylinder body, a movable nozzle, and an inert gas supply shaft. The movable nozzle has an axially extending gas passage and is axially movably supported by the cylinder body, with one axial end of the movable nozzle protruding from the other axial end of the cylinder body. The cylinder body has an actuation port communicating with a pressure chamber partitioned between the cylinder body and the movable nozzle. The inert gas supply shaft is mounted at the other axial end of the cylinder body and is inserted into the gas passage of the movable nozzle.

According to the aforementioned inert gas supply cylinder, since the inert gas supply shaft is inserted into the gas passage of the movable nozzle, the entire inert gas supply cylinder can be tightly assembled. Furthermore, since the inert gas supply shaft is mounted on the cylinder body, the piping for inert gas supply is maintained in a stable position.

This inert gas supply cylinder features an inert gas supply shaft that is inserted into the gas passage of a movable nozzle, allowing it to be tightly integrated into the overall device. Furthermore, because the inert gas supply shaft is integrally connected to the cylinder body, there is no risk of applying unreasonable forces to the inert gas supply piping.

The objectives, features, and advantages described above should become clearer through the following explanation of appropriate implementation examples, in conjunction with the attached drawings.

10: Inert gas supply cylinder

12: Cylinder Block

144: 1st Dan (Duan)

16: Port

18: Brakes

24: First sealing component (sealing component)

26: Second sealing component (sealing component)

28: Movable nozzle

284: Protruding flange

30: Gas pathway

32: Third sealing component (sealing component)

34: Inert gas supply shaft

38: Pressure Chamber

44: Adapter

[Figure 1] is a cross-sectional view of the inert gas supply cylinder of the embodiment of this invention.

[Figure 2] is a cross-sectional view of the inert gas supply cylinder of Figure 1 when the movable nozzle moves upward.

[Forms of Creative Action]

In the following explanation, the terms "up" and "down" are used for convenience in describing the orientation on the drawing, rather than specifying the actual arrangement of the components.

The inert gas supply cylinder 10 of this invention is used in the loading port of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to supply inert gases such as nitrogen to a wafer storage container. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inert gas supply cylinder 10 includes: a cylinder body 12, a movable nozzle 28, and an inert gas supply shaft 34.

The cylindrical cylinder block 12 has a cylinder bore 14 extending axially (vertically). The cylinder bore 14 has: a first large diameter portion 141; a second large diameter portion 142 extending from the first large diameter portion 141 through a first segment 144 and connecting upwards; and a small diameter portion 143 extending from the first large diameter portion 141 through a second segment 145 and connecting downwards. The inner diameter of the second large diameter portion 142 is larger than the inner diameter of the first large diameter portion 141, and the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 143 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first large diameter portion 141.

The cylindrical movable nozzle 28 is supported by the cylinder body 12 and is movable in the axial direction (vertical direction). The movable nozzle 28 has a gas passage 30 inside, which serves as a passage for inert gas, and the gas passage 30 extends axially through the movable nozzle 28. The movable nozzle 28 includes: a first large diameter portion 281, a second large diameter portion 282 connected above by a flange portion 284 protruding outward from the first large diameter portion 281, and a small diameter portion 283 connected below by a section portion 285 from the first large diameter portion 281. The outer diameter of the second large diameter portion 282 is larger than the outer diameter of the first large diameter portion 281, and the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 283 is smaller than the outer diameter of the first large diameter portion 281. A portion of the second large diameter section 282 of the movable nozzle 28 protrudes upward from the cylinder block 12.

A first sealing member 24 and a second sealing member 26 are installed in the cylinder block 12. The first sealing member 24 protrudes from the wall of the small-diameter portion 143 of the cylinder bore 14 towards the small-diameter portion 283 of the movable nozzle 28, and abuts against the small-diameter portion 283 of the movable nozzle 28. The second sealing member 26 protrudes from the wall of the first large-diameter portion 141 of the cylinder bore 14 towards the first large-diameter portion 281 of the movable nozzle 28, and abuts against the first large-diameter portion 281 of the movable nozzle 28.

The pressure chamber 38, located between the first sealing member 24 and the second sealing member 26, is defined by the wall of the cylinder bore 14 and the outer peripheral surface of the movable nozzle 28. The cylinder body 12 has an actuation port 16 communicating with the pressure chamber 38. One end of the actuation port 16 opens to the outside of the cylinder body 12, and the other end extends to the small diameter 143 of the cylinder bore 14. The pressure chamber 38 is kept airtight by the first sealing member 24 through the gas passage 30 of the movable nozzle 28, and by the second sealing member 26 from the outside.

A pneumatic supply piping (not shown) is connected to the actuation port 16. Positive pressure pneumatics from a pneumatic supply source (not shown) is supplied to the actuation port 16 through this piping, while negative pressure pneumatics from a negative pressure source (not shown) is supplied to the actuation port 16 through the same piping. When pneumatic pressure is supplied to the actuation port 16, the movable nozzle 28 moves vertically by means of the area difference corresponding to the segment 285 of the movable nozzle 28. Specifically, if positive pressure is supplied to the actuation port 16, the movable nozzle 28 moves upward; if negative pressure is supplied to the actuation port 16, the movable nozzle 28 moves downward.

The second major diameter portion 142 of the cylinder bore 14 is connected to the upper open end of the cylinder bore 14 via the third section 146. The annular brake 18 is installed in the cylinder block 12 by being pushed towards the third section 146 via a first retaining ring 20 such as a C-ring. The inner diameter of the stop member 18 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second major diameter portion 142, and the brake 18 protrudes inward from the cylinder bore 14.

The upward movement of the movable nozzle 28 is restrained by the flange 284 of the movable nozzle 28 abutting against the stopper 18. Similarly, the downward movement of the movable nozzle 28 is restrained by the flange 284 of the movable nozzle 28 abutting against the first section 144 of the cylinder bore 14. When the flange 284 of the movable nozzle 28 abuts against the stopper 18, the upward protrusion of the movable nozzle 28 from the cylinder body 12 is at its maximum (see Figure 2). When the flange 284 of the movable nozzle 28 abuts against the first section 144 of the cylinder bore 14, the upward protrusion of the movable nozzle 28 from the cylinder body 12 is at its minimum (see Figure 1).

An inert gas supply shaft 34 for introducing inert gas into the gas passage 30 of the movable nozzle 28 is installed at the lower end of the cylinder body 12. The inert gas supply shaft 34 has: a flange portion 341 fixed to the cylinder body 12; an insertion portion 342 extending upward from the flange portion 341; and a connecting portion 343 extending downward from the flange portion 341. The insertion portion 342 is inserted into the gas passage 30 of the movable nozzle 28. A connector member 40 is connected to the connecting portion 343. The inert gas supply shaft 34 has: the insertion portion 342, the flange portion 341, and a gas passage 36 that extends vertically through the connecting portion 343.

The small-diameter portion 143 of the cylinder bore 14 is connected to the lower open end of the cylinder bore 14 via a tapered fourth section 147. The flange portion 341 of the inert gas supply shaft 34 is mounted to the cylinder body 12 by being pushed towards the fourth section 147 by a second retaining ring 22 formed by a C-ring, etc. A third sealing member 32 is installed on the outer periphery of the flange portion 341 of the inert gas supply shaft 34. The gas passage 30 of the movable nozzle 28 is kept airtight from the outside by the third sealing member 32.

The connector 40 has an inert gas supply port 42 that intersects at a right angle with the gas passage 36 of the inert gas supply shaft 34. A piping (not shown) for inert gas supply is connected to the connector 40, and inert gases such as nitrogen are supplied to the inert gas supply port 42 of the connector 40 from an inert gas supply source (not shown) via this piping.

An adapter 44, which can abut against a wafer housing container (not shown), is mounted on the upper end (axial end) of a movable nozzle 28 by means of screwing or the like. The adapter 44 has a gas passage 46 inside that communicates with the gas passage 30 of the movable nozzle 28. When the upper part of the adapter 44 abuts against the lower part of the wafer housing container, the inert gas supplied to the inert gas supply port 42 of the connector 40 is supplied to the inside of the wafer housing container via the gas passage 36 of the inert gas supply shaft 34, the gas passage 30 of the movable nozzle 28, and the gas passage 46 of the adapter 44. In this embodiment, although an adapter 44 is installed at the upper end of the movable nozzle 28, the adapter 44 is not a necessary component, and the upper end of the movable nozzle 28 can also abut against the wafer storage container.

The inert gas supply cylinder 10 is used, for example, by fixing the connector 40 to the loading port (not shown). The cylinder body 12, the inert gas supply shaft 34, and the connector 40 are integrally connected to each other. Therefore, when the inert gas supply cylinder is actuated, both the air pressure supply piping and the inert gas supply piping are held in a stable position. Alternatively, the cylinder body 12 or the inert gas supply shaft 34 can be fixed to the loading port instead of fixing the connector 40 to the loading port.

The inert gas supply cylinder 10 of this embodiment is configured as described above, and its function will be explained below. As shown in FIG1, the state in which negative pressure is supplied to the actuation port 16, causing the movable nozzle 28 to move to its lowest position (the length of the movable nozzle 28 protruding upward from the cylinder body 12 is at its minimum) is called the initial state. In this initial state, inert gas is not supplied to the inert gas supply port 42 of the connector member 40.

From the initial state described above, when the air pressure supplied to the actuation port 16 is switched from negative pressure to positive pressure, the movable nozzle 28 is driven upwards (see Figure 2). As the movable nozzle 28 moves upwards in a predetermined manner, the adapter 44 mounted on the movable nozzle 28 comes into contact with the wafer storage container. The gap between the top of the adapter 44 and the bottom of the wafer storage container in the initial state is pre-adjusted so that the adapter 44 and the wafer storage container abut simultaneously with the flange 284 of the movable nozzle 28 abutting the stop 18. Alternatively, the adapter 44 and the wafer storage container can abut before the flange 284 of the movable nozzle 28 abuts the stop 18.

After the adapter 44 and the wafer housing container come into contact, inert gas is supplied from an inert gas supply source to the inert gas supply port 42 of the connector 40. This inert gas is supplied to the interior of the wafer housing container via the gas passage 36 of the inert gas supply shaft 34, the gas passage 30 of the movable nozzle 28, and the gas passage 46 of the adapter 44. Furthermore, a valve mechanism (not shown) installed at the bottom of the wafer housing container is opened by the pressure of the inert gas.

Once the inert gas filling within the wafer housing is complete, the inert gas supply to the inert gas supply port 42 of the connector component 40 is stopped. Then, the gas pressure supplied to the actuation port 16 is switched from positive pressure to negative pressure. This drives the movable nozzle 28 downwards, returning it to its initial state.

According to this embodiment of the inert gas supply cylinder 10, since the inert gas supply shaft 34 is inserted into the gas passage 30 of the movable nozzle 28, the inert gas supply cylinder 10 can be tightly assembled as a whole. Furthermore, since the inert gas supply shaft 34 is mounted on the cylinder body 12, the piping for inert gas supply is held in a stable position.

This work is not limited to the above-described embodiments; various structures may be employed without departing from the essence of this work.

10: Inert gas supply cylinder

12: Cylinder Block

14: Cylinder bore

16: Port

18: Brakes

20: First shift ring

22: Second lap

24: First sealing component (sealing component)

26: Second sealing component (sealing component)

28: Movable nozzle

30: Gas pathway

32: Third sealing component (sealing component)

34: Inert gas supply shaft

36: Gas pathway

38: Pressure Chamber

40: Joint components

42: Inert gas supply port

44: Adapter

46: Gas Pathway

141: First Major Path

142: Second Major Path

143: Minor Path Section

144: 1st Dan (Duan)

145:Part 2

146:Part 3

147: Section 4

281: First Major Path

282: Second Major Path

283: Minor Path Section

284: Protruding flange

285: Section

341: Protruding flange

342: Insertion Section

343: Connecting Part

Claims (6)

An inert gas supply cylinder (10) comprises a cylinder body (12), a movable nozzle (28), and an inert gas supply shaft (34), characterized in that: the movable nozzle has an axially penetrating gas passage (30) and is axially movable and supported by the cylinder body; one axial end of the movable nozzle protrudes from one axial end of the cylinder body; the cylinder body has an actuation port (16) communicating with a pressure chamber (38) partitioned between the cylinder body and the movable nozzle; the inert gas supply shaft is mounted at the other axial end of the cylinder body and inserted into the gas passage of the movable nozzle. For example, in the inert gas supply cylinder of claim 1, wherein the aforementioned actuation port is selectively supplied with gas pressure as positive pressure and gas pressure as negative pressure. As in the inert gas supply cylinder of claim 1, a sealing component (24) is installed inside the cylinder body to airtightly maintain the pressure chamber through the gas passage of the movable nozzle, and a sealing component (26) to airtightly maintain the pressure chamber from the outside. As in the inert gas supply cylinder of claim 1, a sealing component (32) for airtightly maintaining the gas passage of the aforementioned movable nozzle from the outside is installed on the aforementioned inert gas supply shaft. As in the inert gas supply cylinder of claim 1, the axial movement of the aforementioned movable nozzle to one side is restrained by the flange portion (284) of the aforementioned movable nozzle abutting against the brake (18) mounted on the aforementioned cylinder body, and the axial movement of the aforementioned movable nozzle to the other side is restrained by the bottom of the aforementioned flange portion of the aforementioned movable nozzle contacting the section (144) of the aforementioned cylinder body. As in the inert gas supply cylinder of claim 1, the adapter (44) of the wafer storage container abutting the loading port is mounted on one axial end of the aforementioned movable nozzle.