JPH0256544B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a gate valve, and particularly to a gate valve for ensuring airtightness between a plurality of vacuum processing chambers.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

Figure 5 shows a conventional vacuum processing device.
A plurality of vacuum processing chambers 3, 3, .
A gate valve 4 is interposed between the vacuum processing chambers 3 and a gate valve 5 is interposed between the vacuum processing chambers 3 to partition each chamber.

In such a vacuum processing apparatus, the workpiece is inserted into the inlet-side load lock chamber 1 and evacuated from atmospheric pressure, and then the gate valve 4 is opened to send the workpiece to the vacuum processing chamber 3 one after another. Various vacuum treatments such as sputtering, etching, and heat treatment are performed in the treatment chamber 3.

After the vacuum processing has been completed, the workpiece is sent to the outlet side load lock chamber 2 through the gate valve 4, and the gate valve 4 is closed and the workpiece is sent to the outlet side load lock chamber 2 through the gate valve 4.
is removed after returning it to atmospheric pressure.

FIG. 6 shows a gate valve 4 applied to such a vacuum processing apparatus. Opposite sides of the casing 6 have openings 7, 7 for passing the object to be processed.
Two valve bodies 8, 8 for opening and closing the respective openings 7, 7 are arranged inside the casing 6, and a link mechanism 9 and a spring 10 are interposed between each valve body 8, 8. It is set up. This valve body 8 is connected to an air cylinder 1 provided outside the casing 6.
It is made vertically movable by the shaft 12 of 1, and when the valve body 8 is raised, the valve bodies 8, 8 are separated against the force of a spring 9, and the openings 7, 7 are closed.

Conventionally, such a gate valve 4 has also been used as a gate valve 5, and since the gate valve 4 needs to maintain airtightness between the atmosphere and vacuum, strength or airtightness is important, and the structure has become complicated and large. To put it away,
It has been desired to simplify and downsize the structure of the gate valve that maintains the airtightness between the vacuum chambers.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and
It has a simple structure and can be made smaller.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gate valve that can shut off the flow of gas between adjacent vacuum processing chambers, and can also shut off the flow of gas even if the valve seat or the like is damaged. be.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the gate valve according to the present invention is a gate valve that partitions a plurality of vacuum processing chambers.
A valve seat configured by a partition wall and a part of a straight circular hole formed in the partition wall, and a valve seat built into the valve seat that penetrates in the diametrical direction and whose opening length in the axial direction is A cylindrical valve body is provided with a valve hole that covers almost the entire height of the processing chamber in the vertical direction, and further, the valve body has a cylindrical valve body provided with a valve hole that extends vertically through the center of the valve body and communicates with the outside. The feature is that a communicating hole is provided.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

In this embodiment, a cylindrical valve body 13 is provided between the vacuum processing chambers 3, 3, passing through the vacuum processing chamber 3, and passing through the valve body 13 in the diametrical direction. A rectangular valve hole 14 is provided through which the processed material passes, and the valve hole 14 passes through the center axis of the circle.
Communication ports 15, 15 are provided for communicating between the inside and the outside. A partition wall 16 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the valve body 13 at a position opposite to the valve body 13 in the diametrical direction, and the partition wall 16 includes a valve seat as a part of which rotatably comes into close contact with the valve body 13 .

In the case of this embodiment, when vacuum processing the workpiece inside the vacuum processing chamber 3, the
As shown in the figure, the valve hole 14 of the valve body 13 is connected to the partition wall 1.
6, the valve body 13 is rotated so that it is closed.
At this time, the inside of the valve hole 14 is evacuated from the communication hole 15 by a vacuum evacuation device (not shown). Therefore, inert gas etc. that enter the inside of the valve hole 14 through between the valve body 13 and the partition wall 16 are exhausted from each vacuum processing chamber 3, 3. It is possible to prevent them from going back and forth between the two. Further, even if a gas introduction device (not shown) is introduced from the communication hole 15 into each vacuum processing chamber 3, 3, for example, Ar gas, which has no effect even if it leaks, it is possible to prevent the internal gas from entering. can.

When one vacuum processing process is completed, the valve body 13 is rotated 90 degrees as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, so that the valve hole 14 communicates with each vacuum processing chamber 3, The object to be processed is transported from the valve hole 14 to another vacuum processing chamber by a transport device (not shown).

Such rotational operation of the valve body 13 may be performed via a link by reciprocating the air cylinder, or may be performed by a rotational drive source such as a motor.

Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the size and improve airtightness with a simple structure.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the gate valve according to the present invention includes a cylindrical valve body having a diametrically penetrating valve hole, and a valve seat that rotatably supports the valve body in close contact with the circumferential surface of the valve body. The valve is opened and closed by rotating the valve body, and the valve body is provided with a communication hole, so that airtightness between each vacuum processing chamber can be maintained by evacuation or gas introduction through the communication hole. Even if the sealing part of the gate valve is damaged, gas flow between the vacuum processing chambers can be shut off. In this case, by replacing and pressurizing the valve hole with a gas that does not affect the processing, it is possible to maintain the isolation of each processing chamber without affecting the processing. In addition, since the valve hole of the present invention can be provided with an opening length in the axial direction of the valve body that is approximately the full length in the vertical direction of the pipe line,
It becomes possible to provide a large valve hole without enlarging the gate valve itself, and it is possible to facilitate passage of the object to be processed. In addition, since the structure is simple, the device can be made smaller, and is highly economical.
This has effects such as improved reliability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 each show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 1 and 3 are a plan sectional view and a front sectional view, respectively, showing the valve in a closed state;
Figures 2 and 4 are a plan sectional view and a front sectional view, respectively, showing the open state of the valve, Figure 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional vacuum processing apparatus, and Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section showing a conventional gate valve. It is a diagram. 1, 2... Load lock chamber, 3... Vacuum processing chamber, 4... Gate valve, 5... Gate valve, 6... Casing, 7... Opening, 8, 13... Valve body, 9...
Spring, 10...Link mechanism, 11...Air cylinder, 12...Shaft, 14...Valve hole, 1
5...Communication hole, 16...Partition wall.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A partition wall that partitions two adjacent vacuum processing chambers, a valve seat formed in this partition wall and constituted by a part of a straight circular hole, and a valve seat that is built into this valve seat and penetrates in the diametrical direction, and a cylindrical valve body provided with a valve hole whose opening length in the axial direction extends over the entire vertical height of the vacuum processing chamber; A gate valve characterized by being provided with a communication hole that passes through the top and bottom of the valve and communicates with the outside.