Slotted valve

Abstract

The invention discloses a seam valve which comprises a valve body fixedly connected to the outer wall of a vacuum cavity. The valve plate is positioned in the vacuum chamber and is connected with a valve plate control part outside the vacuum chamber through a valve plate connecting rod; the first sealing ring is arranged at the joint of the valve body on the periphery of the valve plate connecting rod and the vacuum chamber; the corrugated pipe is arranged on the periphery of the valve plate connecting rod, one end of the corrugated pipe is fixedly connected with the valve plate connecting rod, and the other end of the corrugated pipe makes contact with the first sealing ring. According to the invention, the connection between the flange and the valve body is omitted, and the valve body is directly mounted on the vacuum chamber, so that the size of the vacuum chamber can be reduced, and the size of the whole process equipment is further reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of vacuum equipment, and more specifically, to a slit valve. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor process equipment, the process chamber is often required to maintain a vacuum state. Currently, the commonly used slit valves are Figure 1 As shown, the valve body 200 and the flange 100 are fixedly connected by bolts, and then the slit valve is fixedly connected to the vacuum chamber 700 by passing the bolts through the flange 100. After installation, the valve plate 300 is located in the vacuum chamber, and the valve body and the valve plate control part are located outside the vacuum chamber.

[0003] In order to ensure the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber, each connection part needs to be sealed. Therefore, an O-ring is usually installed between the valve body 200 and the flange 100, and an O-ring is also provided at the connection between the flange 100 and the vacuum chamber, so as to achieve vacuum sealing between the valve body 200 and the flange 100, and between the flange 100 and the vacuum chamber. To achieve the above requirements, the flange 100 needs to be larger than the valve body 200 and the valve plate.

[0004] However, semiconductor equipment has high requirements for vacuum performance and overall floor space. In order to connect with one or more adjacent process chambers, the vacuum chamber may have multiple slit valves. Due to the large size of the flange 100, in order to be used normally in the semiconductor process equipment, different slit valves cannot interfere with each other, and different process chambers do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the size of the vacuum chamber needs to be increased, which increases the difficulty of achieving vacuum indicators and platform chamber design, and increases the overall floor space of the semiconductor process equipment. Therefore, it is very important to reduce the space occupied by the slit valve.

[0005] After the valve is assembled, the valve plate is installed in the vacuum chamber. Since the valve plate is inside the vacuum chamber, if the valve plate is damaged or has a sealing problem, it cannot be found directly and judged immediately. The seam valve needs to be removed as a whole to solve the problem. The structure of semiconductor equipment is relatively compact, and it is time-consuming and laborious to remove the valve as a whole. Therefore, it is very important to see the state of the valve plate inside the chamber and to make it easy to remove and replace the valve plate without affecting the vacuum performance.

[0006] There is currently no corresponding solution to the current situation where the equipment space needs to be increased due to the large flange size of the slit valves commonly used in domestic semiconductor equipment.

[0007] Therefore, it is urgent to study methods that can reduce the installation space of the slit valve and thus reduce the size of semiconductor process equipment. Summary of the invention

[0008]

Technical issues

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a slit valve, which eliminates the flange connection in conventional technology and adopts a method of directly installing the valve body in the vacuum chamber, thereby reducing the space occupied by the equipment and saving materials and installation costs.

[0010]

Technical solution

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a slit valve, comprising:

[0012] A valve body is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber;

[0013] The valve plate is located in the vacuum chamber and is connected to the valve plate control part outside the vacuum chamber through a valve plate connecting rod;

[0014] A first sealing ring is arranged at the junction of the valve body and the vacuum chamber on the outer periphery of the valve plate connecting rod;

[0015] The bellows is arranged on the periphery of the valve plate connecting rod, one end of which is fixedly connected to the valve plate connecting rod, and the other end of which is in contact with the first sealing ring.

[0016] Optionally, the valve body is embedded in a groove on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber.

[0017] Optionally, a first sealing ring installation groove is provided around the valve plate connecting rod at the joint surface between the valve body and the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, and the first sealing ring is installed in the first sealing ring installation groove.

[0018] Optionally, a stepped groove is provided on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, the stepped groove includes a first groove and a second groove, the second groove is located in the first groove, a mounting plate is extended from the periphery of the valve body, and the mounting plate is mounted on the first groove by bolts; a boss is extended from the plate surface of the mounting plate along the axial direction of the valve body, and the boss is embedded in the second groove.

[0019] Optionally, the first sealing ring mounting groove is arranged on the second groove.

[0020] Optionally, a first valve plate connecting rod through hole is provided at the center of the valve body, and a second valve plate connecting rod through hole is provided on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. The first valve plate connecting rod through hole is coaxial with the second valve plate connecting rod through hole. One end of the valve plate connecting rod passes through the first valve plate connecting rod through hole and the second valve plate connecting rod through hole into the vacuum chamber and is fixedly connected to the valve plate.

[0021] Optionally, the bellows and the valve plate connecting rod are connected by welding.

[0022] Optionally, an observation hole is opened at the upper end of the vacuum chamber, the observation hole is provided with a cover plate, and a second sealing ring is used to seal between the cover plate and the observation hole.

[0023] Optionally, the first and second sealing rings are O-rings.

[0024] Optionally, the cover plate is made of transparent material.

[0025]

Beneficial Effects

[0026] As described above, the present invention provides a slit valve, which is not only applicable to PVD process equipment, but also applicable to other vacuum chambers of semiconductor equipment, and is not limited to semiconductor equipment. The present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] (1) Since the connection between the flange and the valve body is omitted in the present application, the valve body is directly installed on the vacuum chamber, which can reduce the size of the vacuum chamber and further reduce the size of the entire process equipment.

[0028] (2) The present application installs the valve body directly on the vacuum chamber, which can save the material and installation costs of the flange and the sealing ring between the flange and the valve body.

[0029] (3) The present application embeds the valve body on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, which can further reduce the space occupied by the slit valve and reduce the risk of collision with other mechanisms.

[0030] (4) The present application utilizes the elasticity of the bellows to always maintain an extrusion state with the first sealing ring to ensure the sealing of the slit valve.

[0031] (5) The present application allows the status of the valve plate in the vacuum chamber to be seen through the observation hole, making it easy to determine whether the valve plate is damaged and to facilitate replacement.

[0032] (6) The present application provides a second sealing ring between the cover plate and the observation hole to ensure the sealing of the vacuum chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the installation of the center seam valve in the prior art.

[0034] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the installation of a slit valve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the installation position of the first sealing ring.

[0036] Figure 4 It is a lateral enlarged schematic diagram of the installation position of the first sealing ring.

[0037] Figure 5Schematic diagram of the installation of a cover plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] [Brief Description of Reference Numerals]

[0039] 100: Flange 200: Valve body

[0040] 210: Mounting plate 220: Bolt

[0041] 230: Boss 240: First valve plate connecting rod through hole

[0042] 300: Valve plate 400: Valve plate connecting rod

[0043] 500: bellows 600: first sealing ring

[0044] 700: vacuum chamber 710: first groove

[0045] 711: threaded hole 720: second groove

[0046] 730: Second valve plate connecting rod through hole 740: First sealing ring installation groove

[0047] 800: Cover plate 900: Second sealing ring DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Hereinafter, the slit valve according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, in the process of describing the present invention, in order to make the main idea of ​​the present invention clear, the specific description of the well-known functions or structures will be omitted.

[0049] The slit valve provided in this embodiment is as follows Figure 2 As shown, it includes a valve body 200, which is used to be directly fixedly connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber; a valve plate 300, which is located in the vacuum chamber and is connected to the valve plate control part through a valve plate connecting rod 400; a bellows 500, one end of which is fixedly connected to the valve plate connecting rod 400, and the other end of which is in contact with a first sealing ring 600 arranged on the joint surface of the valve plate and the vacuum chamber to achieve a sealing effect.

[0050] This embodiment eliminates the flange of the conventional slit valve, and instead directly screws the bolts 220 that originally fixedly connected the valve body 200 with the flange onto the outer wall of the vacuum chamber of the slit valve installation port, so that the valve body 200 is directly fixedly connected to the vacuum chamber 700. By directly installing the valve body 200 on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 700, the size of the vacuum chamber can be reduced, and the size of the entire process equipment can be further reduced. Moreover, since the complex structure of connecting the valve body with the flange through bolts and then fixing the valve body 200 in the vacuum chamber through the flange is eliminated, the sealing ring that needs to be set between the valve body and the flange is also eliminated, which can save the material and installation costs of the flange and the sealing ring between the flange and the valve body.

[0051] After the slit valve is installed on the vacuum chamber, the valve body 200 is located outside the vacuum chamber 700. The valve body 200 may protrude from the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 700 or may be embedded in the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. For example, a groove may be provided on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 700, and the valve body 200 may be installed in the groove of the vacuum chamber in an embedded manner, which may further reduce the size of the semiconductor process equipment and prevent other mechanisms from colliding with the valve body when moving.

[0052] For example, a stepped groove may be provided on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 700. Specifically, the stepped groove may be designed according to the shape of the valve body 200 of the slit valve. Figure 2 In the embodiment, the valve body 200 includes a first groove 710 and a second groove 720, wherein the second groove 720 is located in the first groove and is a deeper groove on the basis of the first groove 710. The first groove 710 and the second groove 720 form a stepped groove that deepens step by step. Corresponding to the first groove 710, the valve body 200 includes a mounting plate 210, and the mounting plate 210 can be a plate body extending from the outer periphery of the valve body 200. For example, if the valve body 200 is square, a square plate body is extended from the square outer periphery of the valve body 200 as the mounting plate 210. If the valve body 200 is circular, a circular plate body is extended from the circular outer periphery of the valve body 200 as the mounting plate 210. By setting a threaded hole 711 on the groove bottom plate of the first groove 710, a corresponding mounting hole is machined on the mounting plate of the valve body 200, and a bolt 220 is passed through the mounting hole and screwed on the threaded hole 711, so that the valve body 200 can be installed on the first groove 710. The bolts 220 may be evenly distributed along the outer circumference of the mounting plate 210 , so that the valve body 200 can be reliably mounted on the vacuum chamber.

[0053] Correspondingly, the valve body 200 may also be provided with a boss 230 on the basis of the mounting plate 210, and the boss 230 extends from the plate surface of the mounting plate 210 along the axial direction of the valve body 200. When the mounting plate 210 is mounted on the first groove 710 by means of the bolt 220, the boss 230 is just embedded in the second groove 720. Moreover, the boss 230 may contact and seal with the groove bottom surface of the second groove 720, and the side wall of the boss 230 may contact and seal with the groove side surface of the second groove 720. In addition, this embodiment does not exclude that more than two levels of stepped grooves may be provided.

[0054] After the slit valve is installed on the vacuum chamber, the valve plate 300 is located in the vacuum chamber and connected to the valve plate control unit through the valve plate connecting rod 400. The valve plate 300 is driven to move by the action of the valve plate control unit, thereby realizing the opening of the slit valve. The valve plate control unit can adopt various conventional driving mechanisms, and the specific valve plate control unit is not within the scope of discussion of this application.

[0055] A first valve plate connecting rod through hole 240 is provided at the center position of the valve body 200, and a second valve plate connecting rod through hole 730 is provided on the wall surface of the vacuum chamber. The first valve plate connecting rod through hole 240 is coaxial with the second valve plate connecting rod through hole 730. One end of the valve plate connecting rod 400 passes through the first valve plate connecting rod through hole 240 and the second valve plate connecting rod through hole 730 in sequence and enters the vacuum chamber, and is fixedly connected to the valve plate 300 in the vacuum chamber, for example, it can be connected by fasteners such as bolts.

[0056] A sealing ring is installed on the joint surface between the valve body 200 and the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. A first sealing ring installation groove may be provided on the joint surface between the valve body 200 and the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, and a first sealing ring 600 is installed in the first sealing ring installation groove. Figure 2 A vacuum chamber with a first groove and a second groove is provided, and a first sealing ring installation groove 740 coaxially arranged with the second valve plate connecting rod through hole 730 is provided on the second groove 720 where the vacuum chamber contacts the boss 230. The valve plate connecting rod 400 passes through the first valve plate connecting rod through hole, the first sealing ring installation groove 740 and the second valve plate connecting rod through hole 730 and is fixedly connected to the valve plate 300.

[0057] In the first sealing ring installation groove 740, a first sealing ring 600 is arranged on the outer periphery of the valve plate connecting rod 400, and the first sealing ring 600 can be, for example, an O-ring. The bellows 500 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the valve plate connecting rod 400, and one end of the bellows 500 is fixedly connected to the outer periphery of the valve plate connecting rod 400, and the other end is in contact with the first sealing ring. The connection between the bellows and the valve plate connecting rod 400 can be welded, or connected by fasteners. Due to the elastic effect of the bellows, during the operation of the switch valve, although the valve plate connecting rod may have axial movement, the bellows can squeeze the first sealing ring, ensuring that the vacuum chamber 700 is only connected to the inside of the bellows 500, and is not ventilated to the inside of the valve body 200. At the same time, the first sealing ring can also ensure that the vacuum chamber 700 will not leak through the joint surface between the valve body and the vacuum chamber.

[0058] It should be noted that the stepped groove formed by the first groove and the second groove is not necessary, and there may be only the first groove 710, and the valve body 200 is installed in the first groove 710. The first groove 710 is provided on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. The valve body 200 includes a mounting plate 210, and the mounting plate 210 may be a plate extending from the periphery of the valve body 200. By providing a threaded hole 711 on the groove bottom plate of the first groove 710, a corresponding mounting hole is machined on the mounting plate of the valve body 200, and a bolt 220 is passed through the mounting hole and screwed on the threaded hole 711, so that the valve body 200 can be installed on the first groove 710.

[0059] A sealing ring is installed on the joint surface between the valve body 200 and the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. A first sealing ring installation groove may be provided on the joint surface between the valve body 200 and the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, and a first sealing ring 600 is installed in the first sealing ring installation groove. For example, in a vacuum chamber having a first groove 710, a first sealing ring installation groove 740 coaxially arranged with the second valve plate connecting rod through hole 730 is provided on the first groove 710 where the vacuum chamber contacts the mounting plate 210, and a first sealing ring 600 is installed therein. The installation form of the bellows is the same as the above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0060] In some embodiments, an observation hole is provided at the upper end of the vacuum chamber, and the observation hole may be square or circular, etc., and there is no limitation on the shape of the observation hole. The observation hole is covered by a cover plate 800, and the cover plate 800 may be fixedly mounted on the observation hole by fasteners such as bolts, so as to close the observation hole.

[0061] In addition, at least one second sealing ring installation groove may be provided around the observation hole, and a second sealing ring 900 may be installed in the second sealing ring installation groove. The sealing ring between the original valve body and the flange may be used and installed in the second sealing ring installation groove. After the cover plate 800 is installed on the observation hole by bolts, the second sealing ring 900 is squeezed between the cover plate and the upper end surface of the vacuum chamber, so that the observation hole can be better sealed.

[0062] In addition, the observation hole can also be used as a through hole for installing the slit valve. When installing the slit valve, the valve plate connecting rod 400, the valve body 200, and the first sealing ring are installed on the vacuum chamber 700 from one side. On the other side, the cover plate 800 is opened, and the valve plate 300 is installed from the upper side and connected to the valve plate connecting rod 400 by bolts. By removing the cover plate 800, it can be judged whether the valve plate 300 has an angle, wear, poor sealing, etc., which facilitates the removal and replacement of the valve plate.

[0063] In addition, the cover plate can also be made of transparent material to monitor the status of the valve plate in real time.

[0064] As described above, although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to, a person skilled in the art should understand that various modifications and variations may be made to the combination of components according to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the technical concept and scope of the present invention as described in the claims.

Claims

1. A slit valve, characterized in that: include: A valve body is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber; The valve plate is located in the vacuum chamber and is connected to the valve plate control part outside the vacuum chamber through a valve plate connecting rod; A first sealing ring is arranged at the junction of the valve body and the vacuum chamber on the outer periphery of the valve plate connecting rod; The bellows is arranged on the periphery of the valve plate connecting rod, one end of which is fixedly connected to the valve plate connecting rod, and the other end of which is in contact with the first sealing ring.

2. The slit valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body is embedded in a groove on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber.

3. The slit valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first sealing ring installation groove is arranged around the valve plate connecting rod at the joint surface between the valve body and the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, and the first sealing ring is installed in the first sealing ring installation groove.

4. The slit valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: A stepped groove is provided on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, and the stepped groove includes a first groove and a second groove, wherein the second groove is located inside the first groove, and a mounting plate is extended from the outer periphery of the valve body, and the mounting plate is mounted on the first groove by bolts; a boss is extended from the plate surface of the mounting plate along the axial direction of the valve body, and the boss is embedded in the second groove.

5. The slit valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first sealing ring installation groove is arranged on the second groove.

6. The slit valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first valve plate connecting rod through hole is arranged at the center of the valve body, and a second valve plate connecting rod through hole is arranged on the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. The first valve plate connecting rod through hole is coaxial with the second valve plate connecting rod through hole. One end of the valve plate connecting rod passes through the first valve plate connecting rod through hole and the second valve plate connecting rod through hole into the vacuum chamber and is fixedly connected to the valve plate.

7. The slit valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bellows and the valve plate connecting rod are connected by welding.

8. The slit valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: An observation hole is opened at the upper end of the vacuum chamber, the observation hole is provided with a cover plate, and a second sealing ring is used to seal between the cover plate and the observation hole.

9. The slit valve according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first and second sealing rings are O-rings.

10. The slit valve according to claim 9, characterized in that: The cover plate is made of transparent material.

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