Vacuum valve and substrate processing apparatus equipped with this vacuum valve

Abstract

To provide a vacuum valve that can accommodate both vertical and horizontal orientations while improving the durability of the shutter movement guide mechanism, and a substrate processing apparatus equipped with this vacuum valve. [Solution] The vacuum valve 1 includes a shutter 40, a shutter ring 50 that presses the shutter 40 against the inner wall surface 12a to airtightly close the flow path opening 32, a first radial bearing 61 that is rotatable about a first rotation axis 61a substantially parallel to the flow path direction A and rotates along a guide groove 17, a second radial bearing 62 that is rotatable about a second rotation axis 62a substantially perpendicular to the flow path direction A and has its outer peripheral surface 62b closer to the flow path opening 32 than the tip surface 61b of the first rotation axis 61a, and an elastic member 63 that applies an elastic force toward the inner wall surface 12a to the second radial bearing 62 when the second radial bearing 62 receives a load directed toward the inside of the valve housing 10 in the flow path direction A via the inner wall surface 12a near the flow path opening 32.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum valve and a substrate processing apparatus provided with this vacuum valve, and particularly to a vacuum valve provided with a shutter for opening and closing a flow path opening of a valve housing and a shutter ring for pressing the shutter toward the flow path opening, and a substrate processing apparatus provided with this vacuum valve.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, valves in the exhaust system of substrate processing apparatuses such as semiconductor wafers, liquid crystal substrates, and substrates for solar cell panels are provided with shutters that move in a substantially L shape to open and close the flow path openings of the valve housing. This shutter is moved parallel to the flow path opening and is pressed toward the flow path opening by a shutter ring at a position facing the flow path opening to airtightly close the flow path opening. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a substrate processing apparatus including an exhaust pump for exhausting gas in the substrate processing space of a process chamber to the outside, a first flow path portion connected to the process chamber and communicating with the substrate processing space, and a second flow path portion coupled to the exhaust pump, and a valve module disposed between the first flow path portion and the second flow path portion for opening and closing the flow path through which gas flows. In the valve module described in this Patent Document 1, a blade portion (corresponding to the shutter) having both sides connected to a reinforcing frame portion is moved back and forth while being guided by guide rollers provided on the reinforcing frame portion. When the blade portion is pressed toward the flow path opening by a blocking ring portion (corresponding to the shutter ring), the blade portion moves relatively toward the flow path opening with respect to the reinforcing frame, so that the guide rollers provided on the reinforcing frame can hold a predetermined position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] However, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when applied to both vertical orientation (with the X direction as the up and down direction) and horizontal orientation (with the Z direction as the up and down direction) as shown in the figure, the orientation of the rotation axis of the guide roller that guides the opening and closing movement of the shutter changes in two directions, vertical or horizontal. Therefore, the guide roller uses a radial bearing instead of a thrust bearing that only supports one direction. In other words, the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is designed to accommodate both vertical and horizontal orientations. When radial bearings are used as guide rollers, the guide rollers receive an axial load when the blade portion is pressed toward the flow channel opening by the blocking ring portion (corresponding to a shuttering ring). Because radial bearings are weak against axial loads, the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 had a risk of reduced durability of the guide rollers, which in turn could lead to a decrease in the durability of the shutter movement guide mechanism.

[0005] The present invention was developed to solve the problems of the prior art, and its objective is to provide a vacuum valve that can accommodate both vertical and horizontal orientations while improving the durability of the shutter movement guide mechanism, and a substrate processing apparatus equipped with this vacuum valve. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the invention according to claim 1 is a vacuum valve comprising: a shutter provided in a valve housing so as to be movable between a closed position facing the flow channel opening parallel to the flow channel opening formed in the valve housing and an open position that opens the front of the flow channel opening; a shutter ring provided in the valve housing so as to be able to move back and forth along the flow channel direction, and when the shutter is in the closed position, its tip surface presses the shutter against the inner wall surface of the valve housing to airtightly close the flow channel opening; a first radial bearing provided so as to be rotatable about a first rotation axis substantially parallel to the flow channel direction and rotating along a guide groove provided in the valve housing parallel to the flow channel opening; a second radial bearing provided so as to be rotatable about a second rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the flow channel direction, with its outer circumferential surface positioned closer to the flow channel opening than the tip surface of the first rotation axis of the first radial bearing; and an elastic member that applies an elastic force toward the inner wall surface to the second radial bearing when the second radial bearing receives a load directed toward the inside of the valve housing in the flow channel direction via the inner wall surface of the valve housing near the flow channel opening.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 is a vacuum valve having a holder to which a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, and an elastic member are attached, wherein the holder is connected to a shutter via the elastic member so as to be elastically movable back and forth in the flow direction.

[0008] The invention according to claim 3 is a vacuum valve in which elastic members are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the second rotation axis.

[0009] The invention according to claim 4 is a vacuum valve in which the shutter is substantially rectangular in shape, and the holders are provided near the four corners of the shutter.

[0010] The invention according to claim 5 is a vacuum valve in which the valve housing has a first guide groove which is a guide groove that guides a first radial bearing parallel to the flow port and a second guide groove which guides a second radial bearing parallel to the flow port, and the amount of play between the first radial bearing and the second radial bearing is adjusted so that the first radial bearing does not come into contact with the side surface of the first guide groove in the direction of the first rotation axis.

[0011] The invention according to claim 6 is a vacuum valve in which the vacuum valve is a round gate valve.

[0012] The invention according to claim 7 is a substrate processing apparatus in which the vacuum valve described in claim 1 is interposed between the exhaust connection portion of the chamber for processing the substrate and the exhaust passage connected to the vacuum pump. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the invention of claim 1, a first radial bearing rotates along a guide groove provided in the valve housing parallel to the flow channel opening on the downstream side in the flow direction, guiding the shutter so that it can move between a closed position parallel to the flow channel opening and an open position that opens the front of the flow channel opening. A second radial bearing receives the axial load of the first radial bearing as a load directed inward into the valve housing in the flow direction via the inner wall surface of the valve housing near the flow channel opening, and the second radial bearing receives the load of the first radial bearing in the first rotation axis direction in the radial direction (radial direction) using the elastic force of an elastic member. Therefore, by using a radial bearing that can accommodate both vertical and horizontal orientations as the bearing that guides the movement of the shutter, it is possible to prevent the first radial bearing from being damaged by the load in the direction of the first rotation axis, and as a result, the durability of the shutter movement guide mechanism can be improved while making it compatible with both vertical and horizontal orientations.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 2, the device has a holder to which a first radial bearing, a second radial bearing, and an elastic member are attached, and the holder is connected to the shutter via the elastic member so as to be able to move elastically back and forth in the flow direction, so that the first radial bearing moves in the flow direction together with the second radial bearing attached to the holder. Furthermore, the second radial bearing is positioned closer to the flow channel opening than the first radial bearing, and its movement in the flow channel direction is restricted by the elastic force of an elastic member. Therefore, the position of the first radial bearing in the flow direction can be stabilized, contact with the side surface of the guide groove can be suppressed, and durability can be improved. Furthermore, the first radial bearing, the second radial bearing, and the elastic member can be assembled to the shutter in holder units, improving ease of assembly.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 3, since the elastic members are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the second rotation axis, the rotation of the second radial bearing due to the radial load applied to the second radial bearing by the elastic force of the two elastic members is suppressed, and the second radial bearing receives a load in a balanced manner from the inner wall surface of the valve housing, allowing the shutter to operate stably toward the inside of the valve housing.

[0016] According to the invention of claim 4, the shutter is substantially rectangular in shape, and holders are provided near each of the four corners of the shutter. The first radial bearings and second radial bearings, provided at the four corners together with the holders, restrict the shutter from tilting away from the position parallel to the flow channel opening, allowing the shutter to be opened and closed while maintaining a stable position parallel to the flow channel opening.

[0017] According to the invention according to claim 5, the valve housing is formed with a first guide groove which is a guide groove for guiding the first radial bearing parallel to the flow port and a second guide groove for guiding the second radial bearing parallel to the flow port, and the amount of play with respect to the first radial bearing and the second radial bearing is adjusted such that the first radial bearing prevents contact with the side surface of the first guide groove in the direction of the first rotation axis. Thereby, even when the vacuum valve is used in both vertical and horizontal positions, the first radial bearing is prevented from moving in the axial direction and contacting the side surface of the first guide groove, and as a result, the durability of the first radial bearing can be improved.

[0018] According to the invention according to claim 6, since the vacuum valve is a round gate valve, the shutter can be guided by the first radial bearing and the second radial bearing with a compact and simple configuration to open and close the circular flow port.

[0019] According to the invention according to claim 7, by interposing the vacuum valve according to claim 1 between the exhaust connection portion of the chamber for processing the substrate and the exhaust passage connected to the vacuum pump, the same effect as the above-described effect of the vacuum valve is achieved.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view of the vacuum valve according to the embodiment viewed from the upstream side, and (b) is a perspective view of the vacuum valve according to the embodiment viewed from the downstream side. [Figure 3] It is a perspective cross-sectional view near the first radial bearing of the vacuum valve. [Figure 4] It is a view showing a part of the vacuum valve extracted. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view near the air cylinder of the vacuum valve shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6]This diagram shows a portion of a vacuum valve with the shutter closed. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the shutter guide mechanism. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the holder. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the relationship between the guides of the first radial bearing and the second radial bearing. (a) is a perspective view of the first and second guide grooves, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the first and second guide grooves. [Figure 10] This is a diagram illustrating the opening and closing operation of the shutter. [Figure 11] Figures (a) to (d) in Figure 10 show enlarged views of the lower shutter guide mechanism. In the figures, the direction of gas flow in the exhaust system, i.e., the flow path direction, is indicated by arrow A, with "U" for the upstream side and "D" for the downstream side. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vacuum valve and substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 9. This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown below. Furthermore, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional relationships and proportions of each element may differ from reality. Additionally, there may be differences in dimensional relationships and proportions between different drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum valve 1 according to the embodiment from the upstream side (a) and a perspective view of the vacuum valve 1 according to the embodiment from the downstream side (b). Figure 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the vacuum valve 1 near the first radial bearing 61. Figure 4 is a diagram showing a part of the vacuum valve 1. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum valve 1 shown in Figure 4 near the air cylinder 19b. Figure 6 is a diagram showing a part of the vacuum valve 1 with the shutter 40 in the closed state. Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the shutter guide mechanism 60 shown in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the holder 70. Figure 9 is a diagram to explain the relationship between the guides of the first radial bearing 61 and the second radial bearing 62, where (a) is a perspective view of the first guide groove 17 and the second guide groove 18 and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the first guide groove 17 and the second guide groove 18.

[0022] The vacuum valve 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, for example, as a valve in the exhaust system of a substrate processing apparatus 100 for semiconductor wafers, liquid crystal substrates, solar cell panel substrates, etc., and in this embodiment a round gate valve is used. This vacuum valve 1 is interposed between the exhaust connection 112 of the chamber 110 (hereinafter referred to as the process chamber), which is a vacuum processing chamber that processes substrates using gas, and the exhaust passage 220 connected to the vacuum pump 210, and the exhaust passage 220 is opened or closed by the shutter 40 opening and closing the flow path opening 32.

[0023] <About the substrate processing device 100> As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a process chamber 110, a gas introduction system (not shown) for introducing gas necessary for processing the substrate into the process chamber 110, an exhaust system 200 for exhausting the gas from the process chamber 110, and a control device 300 for controlling each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100. In this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 100 is shown as having one process chamber 110, but the substrate processing apparatus 100 may have multiple process chambers 110, or other components such as a vacuum pre-chamber may be added.

[0024] <About process chamber 110> The process chamber 110 is configured to allow the internal pressure to be reduced to a predetermined vacuum and to allow gas to be introduced. The process chamber 110 is box-shaped and made of a metal including, for example, Al (aluminum) or Y (yttrium). It includes a chamber body 111 through which substrates are loaded and unloaded, a gas introduction connection (not shown) connected to a gas introduction system, and an exhaust connection 112 connected to an exhaust system 200.

[0025] The exhaust connection portion 112 forms a flange portion that connects to the chamber-side connection flange 20 of the vacuum valve 1.

[0026] <Regarding the exhaust system 200> The exhaust system 200 includes a vacuum pump 210 and a vacuum valve 1 interposed between the exhaust connection part 112 of the process chamber 110 and the exhaust passage 220 connected to the vacuum pump 210.

[0027] <About Vacuum Valve 1> As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, a round gate valve is used for the vacuum valve 1. The vacuum valve 1 comprises a valve housing 10 that houses the various parts of the valve, a chamber-side connecting flange 20 that is connectable to the exhaust connection portion 112 of the process chamber 110, an exhaust-side connecting flange 30 that is connectable to the exhaust passage 220 connected to the vacuum pump 210, a shutter 40 that is movable parallel to the flow path opening 32 within the valve housing 10, a shuttering ring 50 that is movable forward and backward along the flow path direction within the valve housing 10, and a shutter guide mechanism 60 that guides the movement of the shutter 40 within the valve housing 10.

[0028] <Regarding the valve housing 10 of vacuum valve 1> The valve housing 10 is formed in a box shape with multiple surfaces, in which the housing space that accommodates each part of the vacuum valve 1 is formed. Specifically, the valve housing 10 has an upstream wall 11 and a downstream wall 12, which are walls facing each other in the flow direction and have upstream and downstream flow openings 22 and 32 formed thereon, respectively; a pair of side walls 13 and 14 provided on both sides of the upstream wall 11 and the downstream wall 12; and a front wall 15 and a rear wall 16 which are provided facing each other in the direction in which the shutter 40 moves parallel to the flow opening 32. As shown in Figure 6, the valve housing 10 movably houses the drive arm 19 in the space where the shutter 40 is positioned after being retracted from the flow path opening 32, that is, in the space that accommodates the shutter 40 in the open state.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the valve housing 10 has a first guide groove 17 that guides the first radial bearing 61 (described later) parallel to the flow channel opening 32. This first guide groove 17 is formed in a straight line parallel to the flow channel opening 32 on the inner wall surfaces of the pair of side walls 13 and 14. Furthermore, the width of the first guide groove 17 is set to be slightly larger than the axial width of the first radial bearing 61. The first radial bearing 61 is guided parallel to the flow channel opening 32 by the sides 17a, 17a of the first guide grooves 17 which face each other in the axial direction of the first radial bearing 61.

[0030] Furthermore, the valve housing 10 has a second guide groove 18 formed in a straight line parallel to the flow channel 32, which guides the second radial bearing 62 (described later) parallel to the flow channel 32. This second guide groove 18 is formed in a straight line parallel to the flow channel opening 32 on the inner wall surfaces of the pair of side walls 13 and 14. Furthermore, the width of the second guide groove 18 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the second radial bearing 62. The second radial bearing 62 is guided parallel to the flow channel opening 32 by the side surfaces 18a, 18a of the second guide groove 18 which are facing each other in the radial direction of the second radial bearing 62.

[0031] As shown in Figure 9(b), in this embodiment, the amount of play of the second radial bearing 62 relative to the second guide groove 18 in the radial direction is set to be smaller than the amount of play of the first radial bearing 61 relative to the first guide groove 17 in the axial direction. The first radial bearing 61 and the second radial bearing 62 are mounted on a holder 70 (described later) and move together with the holder 70. As a result, the axial movement of the first radial bearing 61 is restricted by the second guide groove 18, preventing the first radial bearing 61 from contacting the side surface of the first guide groove 17. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the amount of play of the second radial bearing 62 relative to the second guide groove 18 in the radial direction is set to be smaller than the amount of play of the first radial bearing 61 relative to the first guide groove 17 in the axial direction. The first radial bearing 61 and the second radial bearing 62 are mounted on a holder 70 (described later) and move together with the holder 70. The second radial bearing 62 restricts the axial movement of the first radial bearing 61 by the second guide groove 18, thereby preventing the first radial bearing 61 from contacting the side surface of the first guide groove 17. Furthermore, the amount of play in the radial direction of the first radial bearing 61 relative to the first guide groove 17 is set to be smaller than the amount of play in the axial direction of the second radial bearing 62 relative to the second guide groove 18. The first radial bearing 61 and the second radial bearing 62 are mounted on a holder 70 (described later) and move together with the holder 70. The first radial bearing 61 restricts the axial movement of the second radial bearing 62 by the first guide groove 17, thereby preventing the second radial bearing 62 from contacting the second guide groove 18 in the axial direction.

[0032] In this embodiment, the first guide groove 17 and the second guide groove 18 share one side surface 17a and 18a of each other.

[0033] <Regarding the chamber-side connection flange 20 of vacuum valve 1> As shown in Figure 3, the chamber-side connecting flange 20 is connected to the valve housing 10 by fitting an annular projection 21 into the inner diameter side of the flow channel opening 11b formed in the upstream wall 11. The end face 21a of this annular projection 21 is aligned with the inner wall surface 11a of the upstream wall 11. In other words, in this embodiment, the end face 21a of the chamber-side connecting flange 20 forms a part of the inner wall surface 11a of the upstream wall 11 of the valve housing 10. Furthermore, since the inner circumferential surface 20a of the chamber-side connecting flange 20 forms the inner circumferential surface of the flow channel opening 11b, in this embodiment, the upstream side of the valve housing 10 has a flow channel opening 22 formed by the chamber-side connecting flange 20.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, multiple air cylinders 19b are distributed along the circumferential direction inside the chamber-side connecting flange 20, and these multiple air cylinders 19b are used to push the shuttering 50 downstream while suppressing its tilt. The chamber-side connecting flange 20 has an air supply hole 23 formed to receive air from an air supply source, and is configured to supply drive air to each air cylinder 19b through a flow path 24 formed inside. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5, an annular air chamber 25 is formed inside the chamber-side connecting flange 20, and an air cylinder 19b is arranged along the circumferential direction of an annular member 26 that partitions this air chamber 25. When air is supplied from the air supply source to the air chamber 25 through the flow path 24, the annular member 26 moves downstream, so that together with the annular member 26, the multiple air cylinders 19b push the shuttering 50 downstream. In this embodiment, the chamber-side connecting flange 20 is shown as being composed of a single component, but the chamber-side connecting flange 20 may be composed of multiple components to facilitate assembly.

[0035] <Regarding the exhaust side connection flange 30 of vacuum valve 1> As shown in Figure 3, the exhaust-side connection flange 30 is connected to the valve housing 10 by fitting an annular projection 31 into the inner diameter side of the flow path opening 12b formed in the downstream wall 12. The end face 31a of this annular projection 31 is aligned with the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12. In other words, in this embodiment, the end face 31a of the exhaust-side connecting flange 30 forms a part of the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12 of the valve housing 10. Furthermore, since the inner circumferential surface 30a of the exhaust-side connection flange 30 forms the inner circumferential surface of the flow passage opening 12b, in this embodiment, the flow passage opening 32 is formed by the exhaust-side connection flange 30 on the downstream side of the valve housing 10.

[0036] <Regarding the shutter of vacuum valve 1> As shown in Figure 6, the shutter 40 is a rectangular plate-shaped member that is at least large enough to close the flow channel opening 32, and a drive arm 19 that moves the shutter 40 parallel to the flow channel opening 32 is connected to one end of the shutter 40. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the shutter 40 has a notch 41 that cuts out the portion that overlaps with the holder 70 when viewed from the surface side facing the flow direction A. The holder 70 of the shutter guide mechanism 60 is designed so as not to interfere with the shutter 40 in the flow direction A through the notch 41.

[0037] <Regarding the shuttering 50 of vacuum valve 1> The shuttering ring 50 is installed inside the valve housing 10 so as to be able to move back and forth along the flow direction A. When the shutter 40 is in the open position, its tip surface 52a abuts against the inner wall surface 12a near the flow opening 32 of the valve housing 10, forming an airtight flow path connected to the flow opening 32. When the shutter 40 is in the closed position, the tip surface 52a presses the shutter 40 against the inner wall surface 12a, airtightly closing the flow opening 32. When the shutter 40 is open, the shuttering 50 contacts the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12 of the valve housing 10 with its tip surface 52a, more specifically, the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12 including the end surface 31a of the exhaust-side connection flange 30, thereby airtightly forming a flow path connected to the flow path opening 32. When the shutter 40 is closed, the tip surface 52a presses the shutter 40 against the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12, more specifically, the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12 including the end surface 31a of the exhaust-side connection flange 30, thereby airtightly closing the flow path opening 32. As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the shuttering 50 has a sliding cylindrical portion 51 that is slidably fitted onto the inner circumferential surface 20a of the chamber-side connecting flange 20, and a flange portion 52 provided in a flange shape at the tip of the sliding cylindrical portion 51, with its tip surface 52a contacting the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12 of the valve housing 10, or pressing against the shutter 40.

[0038] As described above, the sliding cylindrical portion 51 is slidably fitted onto the inner circumferential surface 20a of the chamber-side connecting flange 20 through a flow channel opening 22 formed by the chamber-side connecting flange 20 inside the flow channel opening 11b of the upstream wall 11. In other words, the shuttering 50 is connected to the chamber-side connecting flange 20 so as to be able to move back and forth in the downstream direction.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, an annular sealing member 53 is provided on the tip surface 52a of the flange portion 52 to prevent back pressure. For example, when the downstream side of the closed shutter 40 becomes atmospheric pressure, resulting in a negative pressure on the upstream side of the shutter 40, the shutter 40 is pushed towards the process chamber 110 by the differential pressure and separates from the exhaust side connection flange 30. However, the sealing performance is maintained by contacting the annular sealing member 53 provided on the tip surface 52a of the shutter ring 50.

[0040] <About the shutter guide mechanism 60> As shown in Figure 7, the shutter guide mechanism 60 includes a first radial bearing 61, a second radial bearing 62, a spring member 63 as an elastic member, a holder 70, and a fixing member 80. The first radial bearing 61, the second radial bearing 62, and the spring member 63 are attached to the holder 70 and are provided at the four corners of the shutter 40 via the bridge-shaped fixing member 80.

[0041] <Regarding the First Radial Bearing 61> The first radial bearing 61 uses a known rolling bearing that supports forces in a direction perpendicular to the axis. The first radial bearing 61 is rotatable about a first rotation axis 61a which is substantially parallel to the flow direction A, and rotates along a first guide groove 17 provided in the valve housing 10 parallel to the flow opening 32.

[0042] <Regarding the second radial bearing 62> The second radial bearing 62, like the first radial bearing 61, uses a known rolling bearing that supports forces in a direction perpendicular to the axis. The second radial bearing 62 is rotatably mounted around a second rotation axis 62a that is substantially perpendicular to the flow direction A, and its outer circumferential surface 62b is positioned closer to the flow opening 32 than the tip surface 61b of the first rotation axis 61a of the first radial bearing 61. The second radial bearing 62 rotates along a second guide groove 18 (see Figure 9) provided in the valve housing 10 parallel to the flow channel opening 32.

[0043] <Regarding spring member 63> The spring member 63 acts as an elastic force on the second radial bearing 62 toward the inner wall surface 12a when the second radial bearing 62 receives a load directed toward the inside of the valve housing 10 in the flow direction A via the inner wall surface 12a near the flow opening 32. In this embodiment, a spring member 63 is used as the elastic member, but other elastic members such as leaf springs may be used to apply a similar elastic force.

[0044] <About Holder 70> As shown in Figure 8, the holder 70 is block-shaped and has a first radial bearing 61, a second radial bearing 62, and a spring member 63 attached to it. The holder 70 is provided with a roughly rectangular block-shaped holder body 71, a first rotation shaft mounting portion 71a for attaching the first rotation shaft 61a, a second rotation shaft mounting portion 71b for attaching the second rotation shaft 62a, and two spring holding and housing portions 72 for compressibly housing the spring member 63. More specifically, the holder body 71 is provided with a first rotating shaft mounting portion 71a, a spring holding and housing portion 72, a second rotating shaft mounting portion 71b, and a spring holding and housing portion 72, extending from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction. The first rotating shaft mounting portion 71a and the two spring retaining housing portions 72 are provided on surfaces facing the same direction, while the second rotating shaft mounting portion 71b is provided on a surface facing perpendicular to the surface on which the first rotating shaft mounting portion 71a and the two spring retaining housing portions 72 are formed. Therefore, when the first rotating shaft 61a attached to the first rotating shaft mounting portion 71a is arranged parallel to the flow path direction A, the second rotating shaft 62a attached to the second rotating shaft mounting portion 71b is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow path direction A.

[0045] The first rotating shaft mounting portion 71a has a hole through which the first rotating shaft 61a is inserted, and the first rotating shaft 61a is fixed using a retaining member 71aa such as a snap ring.

[0046] The second rotating shaft mounting portion 71b is a hole for fixing the end of the second rotating shaft 62a in a direction perpendicular to the first rotating shaft 61a.

[0047] The spring holding housing portion 72 has a housing recess 72a that has a circular cross-section corresponding to the outer cross-sectional shape of the spring member 63 and accommodates the spring member 63, and a support connecting shaft portion 72b that extends from the center of the bottom surface of the housing recess 72a through the center of the spring member 63, with its tip passing through the fixing member 80 and connected to the fixing member 80 using a retaining member 72bb such as a snap ring, thereby supporting the spring member 63 so as to be compressible and connected to the fixing member 80. The spring member 63 may also be attached to the support connection shaft portion 72b by providing a cylindrical retaining member (not shown) on the outer circumference of the support connection shaft portion 72b.

[0048] Such spring holding housings 72 are provided in two locations for one holder 70, such that the spring members 63 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the second rotation axis 62a. In this way, by providing the spring members 63 at two symmetrical locations on the second rotation axis 62a, the distance between the two spring members 63 and the second radial bearing 62 can be made equal. Therefore, even if the second radial bearing 62 is far from the axis of load, the radial load applied to the second radial bearing 62 by the elastic force of the two spring members 63 prevents the second radial bearing 62 from rotating, and the second radial bearing 62 receives the load in a balanced manner from the inner wall surface 12a of the valve housing 10, allowing the shutter 40 to operate toward the inside of the valve housing 10. Furthermore, the effect can be enhanced by arranging the second radial bearing 62 and the spring member 63 as close together as possible.

[0049] <About the control device 300> The control device 300 includes, for example, a controller (not shown) implemented by a microcomputer and equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., to control various parts of the substrate processing device 100; a user interface (not shown) implemented by a display or the like; and a storage unit (not shown) in which various programs such as control programs are stored. The control device 300 controls the vacuum valve 1 and other components based on a control program stored in the memory unit. As shown in Figure 1, the control device 300 is connected to the various drive systems of the process chamber 110 and controls the drive motor 19a that drives the drive arm 19 of the shutter 40 of the vacuum valve 1, the air compressor 19c that supplies drive air to the multiple air cylinders 19b that move the shuttering ring 50, and the motor 210a of the vacuum pump 210 by connecting to them via a driver.

[0050] <Regarding the operation of vacuum valve 1 in substrate processing> Next, the operation of the vacuum valve 1 in substrate processing will be explained using Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the opening and closing operation of the shutter 40. Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the lower shutter guide mechanism 60 shown in (a) to (d) of Figure 10. Here, before the substrate processing begins, the vacuum valve 1 has the shutter 40 and shutter ring 50 open, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 11(a). In this state, the shutter 40 is positioned in an open position that does not interfere with the flow path opening of the downstream wall 12, more specifically, with the flow path opening 32 formed by the exhaust-side connection flange 30. Furthermore, the shuttering 50 is positioned away from the flow channel opening 32 so as not to interfere with the shuttering 40 when the shuttering 40 moves parallel to the flow channel opening 32 from the open position to a position facing the flow channel opening 32.

[0051] In the state shown in Figure 10(a), the process chamber 110 is evacuated using the vacuum pump 210.

[0052] Once the process chamber 110 is vacuumed, the vacuum valve 1 moves the shutter 40 to the closed position facing the flow channel opening 32, as shown in Figures 10(b) and 11(b). First, the shutter 40 moves parallel to the flow channel 32 from the open position to a position facing the flow channel 32 by the drive arm 19 described above. As the shutter 40 moves from an open position parallel to the flow channel opening 32 to a position facing the flow channel opening 32, the first radial bearing 61 of the shutter guide mechanism 60 is guided by the first guide groove 17, and the second radial bearing 62 is guided by the second guide groove 18, thereby causing the shutter 40 to move parallel to the flow channel opening 32. In this case, the axial movement of the first radial bearing 61 is restricted by the second radial bearing 62, so that it does not come into contact with the side surfaces 17a, 17a of the first guide groove 17, whether the vacuum valve 1 is mounted vertically or horizontally.

[0053] Then, as shown in Figure 10(b), when the shutter 40 moves to a position facing the flow path opening 32, the shuttering ring 50 presses the shutter 40 toward the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12, more specifically, toward the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12 including the end face 31a of the exhaust side connection flange 30 (see Figure 11(b)). When the shuttering 50 presses the shutter 40 toward the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12, the second radial bearing 62, whose outer circumferential surface 62b is positioned closer to the flow channel opening 32 than the tip surface 61b of the first rotation axis 61a of the first radial bearing 61, has its outer circumferential surface 62b pressed against the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12.

[0054] As a result, the second radial bearing 62 receives a load directed inward towards the valve housing 10 in the flow direction A, and moves inward towards the valve housing 10. As the second radial bearing 62 moves inward into the valve housing 10, the holder 70 to which the second radial bearing 62 is mounted also moves inward into the valve housing 10.

[0055] As the holder 70 moves inward into the valve housing 10, as shown in Figure 11(b), the support connecting shaft portion 72b of the holder 70 is pushed inward into the valve housing 10 relative to the fixing member 80, and the two spring members 63 housed within the holder 70 are compressed, thereby acting an elastic force on the second radial bearing 62 that pushes it back toward the flow port 32. Therefore, when the shuttering 50 presses the shutter 40 against the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12, the second radial bearing 62 receives the axial load on the first radial bearing 61 in the radial direction of the second radial bearing 62, utilizing the elastic force of the spring member 63.

[0056] When the shutter 40, which is pressed against the shuttering 50, moves to a position where it contacts the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12, as shown in Figure 10(b), the flow channel opening 32 is airtightly closed by the shutter 40.

[0057] After the flow channel opening 32 is airtightly closed by the shutter 40 in this manner, the substrate is transported into the process chamber 110.

[0058] After the substrate is transported into the process chamber 110, the shutter 40 moves to the open position and the shuttering ring 50 moves to the closed position, as shown in Figures 10(c) and 11(c), thereby forming an airtight channel connected to the channel opening 32. More specifically, the shutter 40 is positioned in an open position that does not interfere with the flow channel opening 32, and the shutter ring 50 is pushed downstream by a plurality of air cylinders 19b provided on the chamber-side connecting flange 20. Then, the shuttering 50, which is pushed downstream, has its tip surface 52a in contact with the inner wall surface of the valve housing 10, more specifically, with the inner wall surface 12a of the valve housing 10 including the end surface 31a of the exhaust side connection flange 30, thereby forming an airtight flow path connected to the flow path opening 32. In other words, the downstream flow path opening 32 formed by the exhaust-side connection flange 30 and the upstream flow path opening 22 formed by the chamber-side connection flange 20 are connected by an airtight flow path isolated from other areas within the valve housing 10 by the shuttering 50.

[0059] Furthermore, when the shutter 40 moves to the open position, the shutter 40 is released from the pressing force applied by the shuttering ring 50 toward the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12, and the spring member 63 is elastically restored from its compressed state, causing the shutter 40 to move to a position separated from the inner wall surface 12a.

[0060] After the shuttering 50 connects the upstream and downstream flow channels 31 and 22 of the valve housing 10 with an airtight flow channel, the processing of a substrate (not shown) is started in the process chamber 110 using the gas introduced from the gas introduction system.

[0061] Once the processing of the substrate in the process chamber 110 is complete, the shuttering 50 is moved to the open position, and then the shutter 40 is moved to the closed position, as shown in Figures 10(d) and 11(d). Subsequently, as shown in Figure 10(b), the shuttering 50 presses the shutter 40 toward the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12, more specifically, toward the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12 including the end face 30a of the exhaust side connection flange 30, thereby airtightly closing the flow path opening 32. Then, the substrate is removed from the process chamber 110 to complete the substrate processing.

[0062] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, according to the vacuum valve 1 of the embodiment, the shutter 40 is guided so that it can move between a closed position parallel to the flow channel opening 32 and facing the flow channel opening 32 and an open position that opens the front of the flow channel opening 32 by a first radial bearing 61 which rotates along a first guide groove 17 provided in the valve housing 10 parallel to the flow channel opening 32 formed in the valve housing 10. The second radial bearing 62 receives the axial load of the first radial bearing 61 as a load directed inward into the valve housing 10 in the flow channel direction A via the inner wall surface 12a of the valve housing 10 near the flow channel opening 32, and the second radial bearing 62 receives the load of the first radial bearing 61 in the direction of the first rotation axis 61a by utilizing the elastic force of the spring member 63 in the radial direction. Therefore, by applying radial bearings 61 and 62, which can be used in both vertical and horizontal orientations, as bearings to guide the movement of the shutter 40, it is possible to prevent the first radial bearing 61 from being damaged by the load in the direction of the first rotation axis 61a, and as a result, the durability of the shutter 40's movement guide mechanism can be improved while making it compatible with both vertical and horizontal orientations.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the vacuum valve 1 of this embodiment, it has a holder 70 to which a first radial bearing 61, a second radial bearing 62, and a spring member 63 are attached. The holder 70 is connected to the shutter 40 via the spring member 63 so as to be elastically able to move back and forth in the flow direction A, so that the first radial bearing 61 moves in the flow direction A together with the second radial bearing 62 attached to the holder 70. Furthermore, the second radial bearing 62 is positioned closer to the flow channel opening 32 than the first radial bearing 61, and the amount of movement in the flow channel direction A is restricted by the elastic force of the spring member 63. Therefore, the position of the first radial bearing 61 in the flow path direction A can be stabilized, preventing contact with the side surface of the first guide groove 17 and improving durability. Furthermore, the first radial bearing 61, the second radial bearing 62, and the spring member 63 can be assembled to the shutter 40 in units of holder 70, thereby improving ease of assembly.

[0064] Furthermore, according to the vacuum valve 1 of this embodiment, the spring members 63 are provided at positions symmetrical to the second rotation axis 62a, thereby suppressing the rotation of the second radial bearing 62 due to the radial load applied to the second radial bearing 62 by the elastic force of the two spring members 63. This allows the second radial bearing 62 to receive a balanced load from the inner wall surface 12a of the valve housing 10, enabling the shutter 40 to operate stably toward the inside of the valve housing 10.

[0065] Furthermore, according to the vacuum valve 1 of this embodiment, the shutter 40 is substantially rectangular in shape, and the holders 70 are provided near each of the four corners of the shutter 40. The first radial bearings 61 and second radial bearings 62, which are provided at the four corners together with the holders 70, restrict the shutter 40 from tilting away from the position parallel to the flow channel opening 32, allowing the shutter 40 to be opened and closed while maintaining a stable position parallel to the flow channel opening 32.

[0066] Furthermore, according to the vacuum valve 1 of the embodiment, the valve housing 10 has a first guide groove 17 that guides the first radial bearing 61 parallel to the flow channel opening 32 and a second guide groove 18 that guides the second radial bearing 62 parallel to the flow channel opening 32, and the amount of play between the first radial bearing 61 and the second radial bearing 62 is adjusted so as to prevent the first radial bearing 61 from contacting the side surface of the first guide groove 17 in the direction of the first rotation axis 61a. This prevents the first radial bearing 61 from moving axially and contacting the side surface 17a of the first guide groove 17, even when the vacuum valve 1 is used in both vertical and horizontal orientations, thereby improving the durability of the first radial bearing 17.

[0067] Furthermore, according to the vacuum valve 1 of this embodiment, since the vacuum valve 1 is a round gate valve, it is possible to open and close the circular flow channel opening 32 by guiding the shutter 40 with the first radial bearing 61 and the second radial bearing 62 in a compact and simple configuration.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the embodiment, by interposing a vacuum valve 1 between the exhaust connection portion 112 of the process chamber 110 for processing the substrate and the exhaust passage 220 connected to the vacuum pump 210, the same effects as those described above by the vacuum valve 1 are achieved.

[0069] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit.

[0070] In this embodiment, the exhaust-side connection flange 30 and the valve housing 10 are provided separately, and the shutter 40 or shuttering ring 50 abuts against the inner wall surface 12a of the downstream wall 12, which includes the end face 31a of the exhaust-side connection flange 30. However, the exhaust-side connection flange 30 and the valve housing 10 may be provided integrally, and the shutter 40 or shuttering ring 50 may abut against the inner wall surface of the valve housing 10, which is integrated with the exhaust-side connection flange 30. Alternatively, the upstream surface of the exhaust-side connection flange 30 may not be exposed to the inner wall surface of the valve housing 10, so that only the inner wall surface of the valve housing 10 abuts against the shutter 40 or shuttering ring 50.

[0071] Furthermore, although this embodiment illustrates a system in which the shuttering 50 is driven by an air cylinder 19b, the shuttering 50 may be operated using other actuators. For example, an electric cylinder may be used to move the shuttering forward and backward.

[0072] Furthermore, although this embodiment illustrates a vacuum valve 1 as a round gate valve, the vacuum valve may be any other type of valve as long as it includes a shutter 40 provided inside the valve housing 10 so as to be movable parallel to the flow path opening 32 formed in the valve housing 10, and a shuttering ring 50 that, when the shutter 40 is closed, presses the shutter 40 against the inner wall surface 12a of the valve housing 10 with its tip surface to airtightly close the flow path opening 32, and the shutter 40 moves in an L-shape to open and close the flow path opening.

[0073] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The embodiments described above may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1. Vacuum valve 10 Valve Housing 11b Channel mouth 12a Inner wall surface 12b Channel mouth 17 First guide groove 18 Second guide groove 32 Channel mouth 40 shutters 50 Shuttering 52a Tip surface 61 First radial bearing 61a First rotation axis 61b Tip surface 62 Second radial bearing 62a Second rotation axis 62b Outer surface 63. Spring component (elastic component) 70 Holder 100 Substrate Processing Equipment 112 Exhaust connection 210 Vacuum pump A Flow direction

Claims

1. A vacuum valve having: a shutter provided within the valve housing so as to be movable between a closed position facing the flow channel opening and an open position that opens the front of the flow channel opening, parallel to the flow channel opening formed in the valve housing; and a shuttering ring provided within the valve housing so as to be movable along the flow channel direction, which, when the shutter is in the closed position, presses the shutter against the inner wall surface of the valve housing with its tip surface to airtightly close the flow channel opening, A first radial bearing is provided that is rotatable about a first rotation axis substantially parallel to the flow path direction and rotates along a guide groove provided in the valve housing parallel to the flow path opening, A second radial bearing is provided that is rotatable about a second rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the flow path direction, and whose outer circumferential surface is positioned closer to the flow path opening than the tip surface of the first rotation axis of the first radial bearing, When the second radial bearing receives a load directed inward from the valve housing in the flow direction via the inner wall surface of the valve housing near the flow opening, an elastic member is provided to apply a resilient force to the second radial bearing toward the inner wall surface, A vacuum valve characterized by having the following features.

2. The holder has the first radial bearing, the second radial bearing, and the elastic member attached to it. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the holder is connected to the shutter via the elastic member so as to be elastically movable in the flow direction.

3. The vacuum valve according to claim 2, wherein the elastic members are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the second rotation axis.

4. The shutter is substantially rectangular in shape. The holder is a vacuum valve according to claim 2, provided near each of the four corners of the shutter.

5. The valve housing is formed with a first guide groove which guides the first radial bearing parallel to the flow port and a second guide groove which guides the second radial bearing parallel to the flow port. The vacuum valve according to claim 2, wherein the amount of play between the first radial bearing and the second radial bearing is adjusted such that the first radial bearing does not come into contact with the side surface of the first guide groove in the direction of the first rotation axis.

6. The vacuum valve is a round gate valve as described in claim 1.

7. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a vacuum valve according to claim 1 interposed between the exhaust connection portion of a chamber for processing substrates and an exhaust passage connected to a vacuum pump.

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