JP4803732B2 - Vacuum gate valve - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum gate valve used in a vacuum apparatus, and more particularly to a partition valve for a high vacuum apparatus such as a vapor deposition apparatus.

  In vacuum devices used for manufacturing semiconductors, thin films, liquid crystals, etc., vacuum gate valves that open and close the vacuum chambers are used.

  The vacuum gate valve is installed in a passage such as a work transfer passage between vacuum chambers, a processing material supply passage, a pressure fluid or gas flow passage.

  In a conventional vacuum gate valve, for example, a sealing member such as an O-ring attached around a movable valve element is pressed against a peripheral portion of the passage to close the passage. The peripheral portion of the passage is, for example, an inner side wall surface of a vacuum gate valve valve box.

  An example of the conventional vacuum gate valve is a pendulum valve. When closing the pendulum valve, the valve body is sealed after being moved to the closed position. At this time, in order to press the valve body against the side wall surface, a link mechanism or a lock mechanism using a roller and a ball is used. The lock mechanism has a complicated structure and a large number of parts. Further, a lubricant such as grease is required for the sliding portion.

  As an improvement of the conventional vacuum gate valve, a vacuum gate valve that does not use the lock mechanism has been developed (for example, see Patent Document 1). An infrastructure seal is used as the sealing member. For example, the infrastructure seal is attached around the valve body. When closing the valve, the valve body is moved to the valve closing position, and then the compressed gas is supplied to the infrastructure seal and inflated to seal the passage. When opening the valve, the infrastructure seal is exhausted and contracted, and then the valve body is moved to the valve open position.

  A vacuum gate valve in which the infrastructure seal is provided around the passage has also been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Since it is difficult to provide a mechanism for supplying the compressed gas to the valve body, which is a movable member, it is provided on the inner side wall surface of the vacuum gate valve valve box for simplification. However, it does not describe the exhaust means of the infrastructure seal.

  Furthermore, in order to prevent the treatment material or the like from adhering to the infrastructure seal, there has been provided a recess for accommodating the infrastructure seal (for example, see Patent Document 3).

  This is used in a vacuum film forming apparatus or the like. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vacuum film forming apparatus provided with the vacuum gate valve. The vacuum film forming apparatus includes a vacuum processing chamber 2 having an EB gun 1 as an evaporation source, and a processing material connected to an upper portion of the vacuum processing chamber 2 via a supply pipe 4 provided with a first vacuum gate valve 3. A substrate transfer unit 7 connected to the upper part of the vacuum processing chamber 2 through a supply tank 5 and a second vacuum gate valve 6 is provided.

  The processing material supply tank 5 stores the processing material 8, and the supply amount of the processing material 8 to the vacuum processing chamber 2 is adjusted by opening and closing the first vacuum gate valve 3. The substrate transport unit 7 is configured to transport a plurality of substrates 9 from the left side to the right side in FIG. The substrate 9 stops above the second vacuum gate valve 6 during the film forming process. The second vacuum gate valve 6 is located above the EB gun 1. Separate vacuum evacuation devices (not shown) are connected to the vacuum processing chamber 2 and the substrate transfer unit 7, respectively, and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber 2 and the substrate transfer unit 7 is evacuated to a predetermined pressure.

  When the film forming process is performed by this vacuum film forming apparatus, the first gate valve 3 is opened and the processing material 8 in the processing material supply tank 5 is evacuated from above the vacuum processing apparatus through the supply pipe 4. The vacuum processing chamber 2 is supplied. The processing material 8 supplied into the vacuum processing chamber 2 is heated and sublimated by the EB gun 1, and the processing material turned into a gas is set above it through the opened second vacuum gate valve 6. The film adheres to the surface of the substrate 9 in the transport unit 7 and is formed.

At this time, the supply amount of the processing material 8 supplied from the processing material supply tank 5 to the vacuum processing chamber 2 is adjusted by opening and closing the first vacuum gate valve 3. The second vacuum gate valve 6 is open during the film forming process described above, but is closed when the film forming process operation is completed or when the EB gun 1 in the vacuum processing apparatus 2 is regularly maintained. It is what you are doing.
However, the exhaust means of the infrastructure seal was evacuated.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-145980 (page 3, FIG. 1) JP 2004-360754 A (page 4, FIG. 1) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-133865 (Page 4, FIG. 1)

  In the conventional vacuum gate valve using the infrastructure seal, when the infrastructure seal itself is used for sealing the valve, the infrastructure seal for releasing the seal of the valve is used. There were two ways to contract the rod. One is a method in which the shrinkage of the infrastructure seal depends on the restoring force of the infrastructure seal itself. On the other hand, it was necessary to evacuate the inside of the infrastructure seal to a vacuum.

  In the method depending on the restoring force of the infrastructure seal itself, the release speed of the valve is slower than the method of exhausting the inside of the infrastructure seal to a vacuum.

  Further, in the method of exhausting the inside of the infrastructure seal to a vacuum, it is necessary to prepare a separate exhaust facility. For this reason, the number of parts is increased and the reliability is also lowered.

  The problem is that a plate-like valve plate that is movably supported is installed in a gap of a predetermined width formed in the valve body, and the valve plate has a valve body that can seal the valve opening. When the valve is opened, the valve plate is moved so as to be removed from the valve opening formed so as to penetrate both surfaces of the valve body, and when the valve is closed, the valve opening is moved to the valve opening. A vacuum gate valve that moves the valve plate so that the valve body is positioned and seals it at a sealed portion around the valve opening, the surface of the valve facing the valve body; Alternatively, a hollow seal material that can be expanded and contracted by introduction and discharge of a high-pressure fluid is installed in both the valve body or the surface facing the valve body and the valve body, and the hollow The seal material has means for accelerating the discharge, and the valve of the valve The surface opposite to the body, or the valve body, or both the surface facing the valve body and the valve body have means for changing the thickness secondary by expansion and contraction of the hollow seal material. The valve body on the both surfaces of the valve body is a surface of the valve body facing the valve body, or the valve body, or a seal material attached to both surfaces of the valve body and the valve body. This is solved by a vacuum gate valve that seals between the sealed portion around the opening and both surfaces of the valve body.

  That is, when sealing the valve, the compressed gas is supplied to the infrastructure seal, which is the hollow seal material, and inflated. When the valve is unsealed, the restoring force of the spring member is used to accelerate the exhaust of the infrastructure seal.

  The release speed of the valve is faster than the method depending on the restoring force of the infrastructure seal itself. Further, the number of parts is small as compared with the method of exhausting the inside of the infrastructure seal to a vacuum. As a result, the reliability became high.

  Further, it can be applied to a larger valve than the conventional one.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum gate valve according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partially broken perspective view. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a vacuum gate valve (hereinafter referred to as a valve main body) 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a fan-shaped external shape. As shown in FIG. 3, a pendulum type valve plate 13 that is rotatably supported by a rotary shaft 40 is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, the valve body 10 is formed by an upper body 11 and a lower body 12 that are formed to face each other, and the valve 10 is configured so that the upper body 11 and the lower body 12 communicate with each other. Openings 11a and 12a are formed.

  A valve plate 13 is installed in a gap 10 a having a predetermined width formed between the upper body 11 and the lower body 12, and the valve plate 13 is sealed 41, 42 on the upper body 11 and the lower body 12. The rotary shaft 40 is rotatably supported by the rotary shaft 40. A rotary drive device 50 for rotating the valve plate 13 is connected to the rotary shaft 40, and the valve body 13 rotates at a predetermined angle integrally with the rotary shaft 40 by the rotary drive force from the rotary drive device 50. It is supposed to be.

  Further, the rotary shaft 40 is formed with an air supply / exhaust pipe 40a, and gas can be injected and exhausted from a gas supply / exhaust port 43 provided at the lower end of the rotary shaft 40. The air supply / exhaust pipe 40a is connected to the air supply / exhaust pipe 26d of the infrastructure seal 26 of the valve plate 13 through the air supply / exhaust pipe 27b of the support member 27 attached in the middle of the rotary shaft 40.

  The valve body 20 includes a disk-shaped valve body 20 having a diameter slightly larger than the diameters of the valve openings 11a and 12a formed in the upper body 11 and the lower body 12. When the valve is closed, the valve plate 13 is rotated by the rotational driving force from the rotational driving device 50 so that the valve body 20 is positioned in the openings 11a and 12a.

  The valve plate 13 has an infrastructure seal 26 inside. The valve body 20 is inflated by injecting gas into the infrastructure seal 26, and the O-rings 22d and 30d are pressed against the sealed surfaces 11b and 12b of the gap portion 10a of the valve body 10 and sealed. Can do.

Next, the structure of the valve body 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 5 shows a developed view of the valve body 20. FIG. 6 shows a state where the valve body 20 is contracted. FIG. 7 shows an enlarged state of the valve body 20. 8 and 9 are enlarged sectional views of a portion B surrounded by a broken line in FIG. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the valve body 20 is contracted. FIG. 9 shows a state where the valve body 20 is enlarged.

  The disc-shaped valve body 20 includes a cap 21, a disk 22, a cylinder 23, a cylinder 24, an infrastructure seal 26, a stopper 28, a cylinder 29, a disk 30, and a cap 31.

  The outer shape is determined by the disc 22, the cylinder 24, and the disc 30, and after the cylinder 23 and the infrastructure seal 26 are disposed therein, the two discs (22, 30) are attached to the cap 21, cap 31, and cylinder 29. To stop.

  More specifically, the lower surface of the disk 22 and the upper surface of the disk 30 each have two convex portions. The convex portions on the lower surface of the disc 22 and the convex portions on the upper surface of the disc 30 are arranged in the same shape and in an opposing relationship. The description will be made on behalf of the disk 30 shown in FIG.

  On the upper surface of the disc 30, ring-shaped convex portions 30a and 30b are formed. A groove is formed between the ring-shaped convex portions 30a and 30b.

  On the other hand, the cylinder 23 has a small diameter, and the cylinder 24 has a large diameter. The inner diameter of the cylinder 23 is slightly larger than the outer periphery of the convex portion 30 a of the disk 30. The outer diameter of the cylinder 24 is slightly smaller than the inner periphery of the convex portion 30 b of the disk 30. Therefore, the lower ends of the cylinders 23 and 24 are fitted between the two convex portions of the disc 30.

  The same applies to the lower surface of the other disk 22, and the upper ends of the cylinders 23 and 24 are fitted into the grooves between the two convex portions of the disk 22.

  Therefore, a donut-shaped room is formed between the disk 22, the cylinder 23, the cylinder 24, and the disk 30. The infrastructure seal 26 is accommodated here.

The two discs (22, 30) are fastened by the cap 21, the cap 31 and the cylinder 29, but have some play. When gas is sent to the infrastructure seal 26, the gas tends to expand, but because of the cylinders 23 and 24, it does not spread laterally. Therefore, since the infrastructure seal 26 spreads in the vertical direction, the space between the disk 22 and the disk 30 is pushed wide. The disks 22 and 30 are preferably made of an elastic material that can be bent as a spring member.
In this example, duralumin was used. The cylinders 23 and 24 are preferably made of a material having a certain rigidity in order to withstand the gas pressure. In this example, an aluminum material was used.

  FIG. 6 shows the valve body 20 in a contracted state. FIG. 7 shows the valve body 20 in an enlarged state. As shown in FIG. 7, the outer peripheral portion where the infrastructure seal 26 is located is more swollen from the vicinity of the center portion fixed by the cap 21, the cap 31 and the cylinder 29 due to the pressure due to the expansion.

  This is because the vicinity of the center portion, which is fixed by the caps (21, 31) of the disks (22, 30), serves as a fulcrum, and the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion where the infrastructure seal 26 is located serves as a force point. This is because the O-rings (22d, 30d) that are are acting points (see FIG. 4). As a result, compared to the case where the infrastructure seal 26 is directly used for sealing the valve, it can be pressed evenly against the surfaces to be sealed 11b and 12b, so that the valve body 10 is securely sealed. Can do. Therefore, it can be applied to a larger valve than the conventional one.

  Further, a groove formed between the lower surface of the disk 22, the upper surface of the disk 30, and the outer periphery of the cylinder 24 is formed between the disk 22 and the disk 30 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). On the other hand, the pendulum shape formed by combining the support member 25 and the support member 27 has a circular opening at the center and is configured to fit into the groove of the valve body 20 (see FIG. 5). When the valve body 20 and the support members 25 and 27 having such a relationship are assembled, the valve body 13 is obtained. The circular opening formed by the support members 25 and 27 has a slight gap with respect to the convex portion 22 b of the disc 22 and the convex portion 30 b of the disc 30. Thereby, when gas is sent to the infrastructure seal 26, the disc 22 and the disc 30 of the valve body 20 can move in the direction in which the thickness of the valve body 20 increases.

Next, the infrastructure seal 26 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 8 and 9 are enlarged sectional views of a portion indicated by a broken line B in the longitudinal sectional view of the valve body 10 of FIG. FIG. 8 shows a case where the infrastructure seal 26 is contracted. FIG. 9 shows the case where the infrastructure seal 26 is swollen. The infrastructure seal 26 has a square cross section so that a greater pressure can be applied to the valve body 20.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the infrastructure seal 26 has leaf springs 34 and 35 attached to a tube 26a made of rubber. The leaf springs 34 and 35 are used to quickly exhaust the exhaust gas by its restoring force during exhaust. Further, even when the infrastructure seal 26 is contracted, a clearance is secured in the hollow portion 26e so that the infrastructure seal 26 is easily expanded. Here, R processing 34a, 34b, 35a, 35b is applied to the inner and outer peripheral portions of the leaf springs 34, 35 so that a gap can be secured in the hollow portion 26e.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the infrastructure seal 26 swells, the valve body 20 expands, and the seal material attached to the convex portions 22c and 30c provided outside the outer edges of the disks 22 and 30 is used. The O-rings 22d and 30d are pressed against the sealed surfaces 11b and 12b around the openings 11a and 12a of the valve body 10 so that the valve body 10 is sealed.

  When the infrastructure seal 26 swells, the disks 22 and 30 are bent and deformed. When the infrastructure seal 26 is exhausted from this deformed state, the disks 22 and 30 try to return to a linear cross section as shown in FIG. 8 by the restoring force. As a result, the exhaust of the hollow portion 26e is accelerated. In the present embodiment, elastic metal materials having a thickness of 1 mm were used for the disks 22 and 30. Of course, an elastic alloy may be used.

  When the seal is not shown in FIG. 8, the infrastructure seal 26 is isolated from the gap 10 a of the valve body 10 by the support member 25, the convex portions 22 b and 30 b, and the cylinder 24. 9 is also isolated from the gap 10a of the valve body 10 by the support member 25, the convex portions 22b and 30b, and the cylinder 24. In the seal shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the valve body 10 is used as the first vacuum gate valve 3 for supplying the processing material 8 of the vacuum film forming apparatus of FIG. 1, the infrastructure seal 26 is exposed to the processing material 8. Without protection.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Of course, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.

  For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the infrastructure seal 26 is provided on the valve body 20, but the infrastructure seal is provided on the surfaces 11 b and 12 b (see FIG. 4) of the valve body 10 facing the valve body 20. 26 may be provided. In addition, the infrastructure seals 26 may be provided on both the surfaces 11b and 12b of the valve body 20 and the valve body 10 facing the valve body 20. The present invention is applicable if a structure with varying thickness is provided, the infrastructure seal 26 is accommodated therein, and the air supply / exhaust means can be installed.

  Moreover, although the openings 11a and 12a were circular, they may be rectangular or polygonal. The components of the valve may be square or polygon accordingly. The present invention is applicable as long as the infrastructure seal 26 can be accommodated and a structure capable of limiting the expansion direction can be secured.

  Moreover, although duralumin is used as the spring member of the disks 22 and 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention, stainless steel or titanium alloy may be used. Various metals or alloys can be used. When performing baking (heat treatment) to reduce the released gas in vacuum, a heat-resistant metal or alloy is used. More preferably, nickel-based spring materials such as Inconel, Hastelloy, and Invar, and cobalt-based spring materials such as stellite may be used.

  Various materials can be used as long as they have elasticity. Various synthetic resin materials and composite materials can be used. For example, it may be a synthetic resin material or a composite material obtained by coating an FRP in which glass fiber, carbon fiber, or aramid fiber is woven and coating a metal film as a countermeasure for the released gas.

  In addition, in order to secure a gap for supplying air in the hollow portion 26e (see FIG. 8), the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion of the leaf springs 34, 35 are subjected to R processing 34a, 34b, 35a, 35b. A very thin member may be sandwiched between the leaf springs 34 and 35. If the member is provided with an emboss, a groove and an opening, a gap for supplying air can be secured. In addition, it is included in providing an opening to make the said member into a sponge-like porous board | plate material.

  Further, when the infrastructure seal 26 is inflated, the leaf springs 34 and 35 may be deformed into an arc shape in cross section (see FIG. 10). When the infrastructure seal 26 is exhausted from this deformed state, the leaf springs 34 and 35 try to return to a linear cross section by the restoring force. As a result, the exhaust of the hollow portion 26e is accelerated. The material of the leaf springs 34 and 35 can be appropriately selected and used.

  Further, nitrogen or a rare gas (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon) can be used as the gas injected into and exhausted from the infrastructure seal 26.

It is the schematic which shows the vacuum film-forming apparatus provided with the vacuum gate valve | bulb. This is an example in which two vacuum gate valves are used. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum gate valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fan-shaped valve body 10 includes an upper body 11 and a lower body 12. The valve plate 13 is in the valve closed position. It is a perspective view of the partially broken state which shows the vacuum gate valve of embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway view of the valve body 10 of FIG. 2. The valve plate 13 is attached to the rotating shaft 40. Below the rotary shaft drive device 50 is located. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the AA line of FIG. The cross section of the structure of the valve body 10 and the valve body 13 is shown. It is an expanded view of the valve body of the vacuum gate valve of embodiment of this invention. Parts constituting the valve body 13 are shown. It is a perspective view of the valve body of the vacuum gate valve of embodiment of this invention. The valve body 20 is in a contracted state (when not sealed). It is a perspective view of the valve body of the vacuum gate valve of embodiment of this invention. The valve body 20 is in an expanded state (when sealed). It is a partial expanded sectional view of the vacuum gate valve of embodiment of this invention. The valve body 20 is in a contracted state (when not sealed). It is a partial expanded sectional view of the vacuum gate valve of embodiment of this invention. The valve body 20 is in an expanded state (when sealed). It is a modification of the vacuum gate valve of embodiment of this invention. When the valve body 20 is expanded (when sealed), the leaf spring in the infrastructure seal is also deformed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... EB gun, 2 ... Vacuum processing chamber, 3 ... 1st vacuum gate valve, 4 ... Supply pipe, 5 ... Process material supply tank, 6 ... 2nd vacuum gate -Valve, 7 ... substrate transfer unit, 8 ... processing material, 9 ... substrate,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vacuum gate valve (valve main body), 10a ... Clearance part, 11 ... Upper side main body, 11a ... Opening part, 11b ... Sealed surface, 12 ... Lower side Main body, 12a ... opening, 12b ... sealed surface, 13 ... valve plate,
20 ... Valve body, 21 ... Cap, 21a ... Projection, 22 ... Disc, 22a ... Projection, 22b ... Projection, 22c ... Projection, 22d ..O-ring, 23 ... Cylinder, 24 ... Cylinder, 25 ... Support member, 26 ... Infrastructure seal, 26a ... Tube, 26d ... Supply / exhaust pipe, 26e ... hollow portion, 27 ... support member, 27a ... recess, 28 ... stop, 28a ... recess, 29 ... cylinder,
30 ... disc, 30a ... convex, 30b ... convex, 30c ... convex, 30d ... O-ring, 31 ... cap, 31a ... convex, 34 ..Plate spring, 34a ... R machining, 34b ... R machining, 35 ... Plate spring, 35a ... R machining, 35b ... R machining,
40 ... Rotating shaft 50 ... Rotary drive device

Claims (5)

A valve body;
A valve body that is arranged inside the valve body and opens and closes a valve opening formed to penetrate both surfaces of the valve body;
A drive unit that is attached to the valve body and moves the valve body between a first position that closes the valve opening and a second position that opens the valve opening;
The valve body is disposed between a pair of elastically deformable discs each having an annular first seal member facing the periphery of the opening, each having a central portion fixed to each other, and the pair of discs. A hollow annular second seal member that can be expanded and contracted by supplying and discharging fluid, and the second seal member disposed inside the second seal member in a direction in which the second seal member contracts. And a leaf spring for biasing
In the first position, the second seal member expands by elastically deforming the pair of discs and the leaf springs by supplying the fluid, thereby causing the first seal member to be in the opening. While closely contacting the peripheral edge, the fluid is discharged to contract using the restoring force of the pair of discs and the leaf spring, thereby releasing the close contact between the first seal member and the peripheral edge of the opening. Vacuum gate valve. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 1,
The said valve body is a vacuum gate valve which has a structure which restrict | limits the expansion direction and shrinkage | contraction direction of a said 2nd sealing member to the thickness direction of the said valve body. A vacuum gate valve according to claim 2,
The structure is a vacuum gate valve including a pair of cylinders respectively disposed on an outer peripheral portion and an inner peripheral portion of the second seal member. A vacuum gate valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The pair of disks are vacuum gate valves made of metal or alloy. A vacuum gate valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A vacuum gate valve in which R processing is applied to an inner peripheral portion and an outer peripheral portion of the leaf spring.

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