JPS6323653B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a mechanism for opening and closing an opening formed in a chamber using a lid.

(Prior art) When etching the surface of a semiconductor wafer or ashing a resist film formed on the surface using a plasma processing apparatus, the semiconductor wafer is carried into the chamber through an opening formed in the chamber, and then The opening is hermetically closed with a lid, the pressure inside the chamber is reduced, and plasma is generated within the chamber to perform a reaction treatment on the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) In order to close the opening of the chamber with the above-mentioned lid, the lid must be pressed against the opening (opening surface) from a direction perpendicular to the opening, or the lid must be pressed against the opening (opening surface). However, if the opening of the chamber is also used for loading or unloading wafers, the following problems occur.

In other words, when the lid is pressed against the opening from a direction perpendicular to the opening, the opening can be hermetically closed, but since the wafer transport direction and the lid movement direction coincide, it is difficult to close the opening. It is necessary to avoid interference, which makes the mechanism complicated.

On the other hand, when the lid is moved parallel to the opening and rubbed together, the wafer transport direction and the lid movement direction are different, so the wafer loading/unloading and lid opening/closing operations must be done at the right time. However, it is difficult to close the opening airtight.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned problem is not limited to semiconductor wafers, but always occurs when an opening formed in a chamber is opened and closed by a lid.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a stopper on one side near the opening of the chamber, and moves parallel to the opening at a position facing the stopper. A support body was provided, and the lid body was swingably attached to this support body via an arm.

(Function) When the support body moves parallel to the opening and toward the stopper due to the operation of the cylinder unit, etc., and the lid body attached to the support body comes into contact with the stopper, the lid body swings relatively. and moves toward the opening, and the lid is pressed against the opening from the orthogonal direction, sealing the opening.

(Example) Examples of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall view of a plasma processing apparatus to which a lid opening/closing mechanism according to the present invention is applied. The plasma processing apparatus 1 has a control box 3 equipped with various control buttons 2 in the center, This control box 3
In addition to various wiring, a vacuum pump, high frequency power supply, etc. are built in, and long box-shaped cases 4 and 5 are connected to the loader side and unloader side of the control box 3, and doors 6 are provided on the sides of these cases 4 and 5. ......... In addition, openings 7 and 8 are formed in the center of the upper surfaces of the cases 4 and 5 in the longitudinal direction, and an endless belt 11 serving as a conveying member for a cassette 10 containing a plurality of wafers 9 is formed in the openings 7 and 8 in the longitudinal direction. , 12 are coming. The upper surfaces of the endless belts 11 and 12 are approximately flush with the upper surfaces of the cases 4 and 5, and the width thereof is narrower than the width of the openings 7 and 8. Gaps 13, 14 are formed between the openings 7, 8, and the gaps 13, 14 are formed between the openings 7, 8.
A bifurcated arm member 1 with a side angle shape
5 so that the upper part can protrude.

Further, at the front end of the case 4, there is provided a communication section 16 incorporating a lift mechanism etc. for placing the cassette 10 containing the wafers 9 that have been processed in the previous process onto the endless belt 11. A communication section 17 is used to transfer the cassette 10 containing the wafer 9 that has been subjected to plasma processing to the next process.
has been established.

Furthermore, a cover 18 with openings on the front and rear sides is provided above the control box 3, and this cover 18
A plasma generation chamber 19 is disposed inside. This plasma generating chamber 19 is constructed by fixing an electrode plate to the outer periphery of a substantially cylindrical quartz tube and applying high frequency waves to the cassette 1.
The conveyance direction of 0 and the axis of chamber 19 coincide,
Both ends of chamber 19 (only one end is shown in the figure)
The opening 19a is perpendicular to the transport direction of the cassette 10.

Further, the opening 19a is opened and closed by an opening and closing mechanism configured as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In this opening/closing mechanism, a cylinder unit 20 is installed vertically below the front end of the cover 18, that is, at the bottom near the boundary between the control box 3 and the case 4, and the rod 21 of the cylinder unit 20 is attached to the front end of the cover 18. The rod 21 passes through a bracket 22 bent inward from the lower part and can be retracted and retracted in the vertical direction, and a support 23 is fixed to the tip of the rod 21. A lid body 24 is attached to the side surface of this support body 23 via arms 25, 25, and these arms 25, 25 are attached counterclockwise in FIG. 2 by springs provided inside the support body 23. Forced. Therefore, when the rod 21 is in the retracted state, the upper end of the lid 24 protrudes higher than the upper end of the support 23.

On the other hand, the ceiling surface 18a of the cover 18 is
As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the ceiling surface 18a and the support body 23 are arranged to face each other near the opening 19a of the chamber 19, and the support body 23 and the lid When the body 24 moves upward, the ceiling surface 18a functions as a stopper to restrict this upward movement.

The operation of the opening/closing mechanism constructed as above will be explained below.

First, in the state shown in FIG.
The arm member 15 on which the cassette 10 is placed is inserted into the chamber 19 through the opening 19a, and the cassette 10 is carried into the chamber 19. Next, when the rod 21 moves to protrude due to the operation of the cylinder unit 20,
The lid body 24 rises accordingly, and its upper end abuts against the ceiling surface 18a of the cover 18. When the rod 21 further protrudes, only the support body 23 rises, and the arms 25, 25 rotate clockwise accordingly. As a result, the lid 24 moves rightward in the figure, ie, toward the opening 19a of the chamber 19, while its upper end portion slides into contact with the ceiling surface 18a. When the upper end of the support body 23 comes into contact with the ceiling surface 18a, that is, at the upper limit of movement of the rod 21, the seal ring 26 attached to the side surface of the lid body 24 comes into contact with the flange 19b of the opening 19a of the chamber 19. , the opening 19a is hermetically closed as shown in FIG. After the wafer 9 has been subjected to plasma reaction treatment in the chamber 19 which is kept airtight, the cassette 1 is removed from the opening formed at the rear end of the chamber 19 by the reverse operation to the above.
Extract 0.

By repeating this operation, a large number of wafers can be processed continuously.

Although the illustration shows an example in which the lid opening/closing mechanism according to the present invention is applied to a plasma processing apparatus, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to any mechanism for opening/closing the opening of a chamber. applicable.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, by moving the support body parallel to the opening of the chamber, the lid body automatically comes into contact with the opening from the orthogonal direction. etc., and can be carried out efficiently without interfering with the opening/closing operation of the lid, and the opening can be airtightly closed by the lid.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall view of a plasma processing apparatus to which a lid opening/closing mechanism according to the present invention is applied, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views of the lid opening/closing mechanism. In the drawings, 1 is a plasma processing apparatus, 9 is a wafer, 18 is a cover, 18a is a ceiling surface as a stopper, 19 is a chamber, 19a is an opening, and 20
2 is a cylinder unit, 23 is a support, 24 is a lid, and 25 is an arm.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A stopper and a support are arranged facing each other near an opening formed in the chamber, and the support is moved parallel to the opening,
The lid is swingably attached to this support via an arm biased in one direction, and the stopper is arranged so that when the support comes into contact with the lid, the lid closes to the opening. An opening/closing mechanism for a lid body, characterized in that it is arranged at an angle that moves in the direction.