Slide valve

Abstract

Slide valve (1) with a through-opening (2) provided in a first partition (3a) to establish a connection to a process chamber, a valve plate (4) which comes into and out of contact with the through-opening (2) to open and close the through-opening (2), an annular valve seat (7, 27) formed around the through-opening (2) in the first partition (3a), wherein the valve plate (4) has a valve plate body (8) with a sealing groove (10, 20) at a position associated with the valve seat (7, 27) and an annular sealing element (9, 29) arranged in the sealing groove (10, 20), wherein the entire sealing element (9, 29) is received in the sealing groove (10, 20), wherein the valve seat (7, 27) projects from the inner surface (3c) of the first partition (3a) towards the valve plate (4), wherein a valve seat surface (7a, 27a) is formed at its distal end with which the sealing element (9, 29) is brought into and out of contact, and wherein the valve seat (7, 27) has a width that is smaller than the opening width (W1, W5) of the sealing groove (10, 20), and wherein, when the valve plate (4) is in a hermetically sealing position of the through-opening (2), the distal end section of the valve seat (7, 27) is inserted into the sealing groove (10, 20) and the valve seat surface (7a, 27a) rests against the sealing element (9, 29) in the sealing groove (10, 20) over the entire circumference of the sealing element (9, 29), characterized by the fact that then, when the valve plate (4) is arranged at the hermetically sealing position of the through-opening (2), a straight line (L1) that is in contact with an opening edge (2a) of the through-opening (2) on the inner surface (3c) of the first partition (3a) and the entire circumferential surface of the valve seat (7, 27) is in contact with the valve plate body (8) or crosses it between these contact points (2a, 7b, 27b).

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a gate valve provided between a process chamber and a transfer chamber in a processing apparatus, such as a semiconductor processing apparatus or a liquid crystal processing apparatus, and used to open and close a through hole (gate hole) connecting the process chamber to the transfer chamber. State of the art

[0002] A gate valve is used, for example, in a processing apparatus that performs processing such as etching using fluorine (F) or oxygen (O) radicals on a workpiece, for example, a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal substrate, in a process chamber that is evacuated and into which a process gas is introduced. The gate valve's function is to open the passage opening when the workpiece is transported into and out of the chamber and to hermetically seal the passage opening during processing in the chamber. Generally, such gate valves are designed such that a sealing element, for example, an O-ring, is mounted in an annular dovetail groove formed in a valve plate. The passage opening is opened and closed by bringing the sealing element into and out of contact with a valve seat provided around the passage opening.

[0003] It is now known that when radicals generated during machining in a hermetically sealed chamber in a gate valve constructed in this way act on the sealing element through a gap between the valve plate and a side wall in which the through-hole is provided, the aging of the sealing element is accelerated and particles are generated. Attempts to prevent aging or damage to the sealing element caused by radicals are described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP 2002-217137 A or Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP 2006-5008 A.

[0004] DE 17 92 267 U, US 4 157 169 A, US 3 558 097 A, JP H05- 30 676 U and US 6 685 163 B2 disclose further examples of slide valves from the prior art.

[0005] In order to achieve a more reliable sealing of the through opening, measures are also desirable to reliably prevent the sealing element from becoming detached from the dovetail groove. Summary of the invention

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to propose a slide valve in which damage or aging of a sealing element by radicals can be avoided and in which the sealing element is prevented from becoming detached from the dovetail groove.

[0007] This object is achieved by the slide valve having the features of claim 1.

[0008] Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the gate valve comprises a through hole provided in a partition wall for communication with a process chamber, and a valve plate that comes into and out of contact with the through hole to open and close the through hole. A valve seat is formed around the through hole in the partition wall. The valve plate has a valve plate body with a seal groove at a position corresponding to the valve seat and a seal element mounted in the seal groove. The entire seal element is received in the seal groove. The valve seat protrudes from the inner surface of the partition wall in the valve plate direction, and its distal end has a valve seat surface with which the seal element is brought into and out of contact. Its width is smaller than the opening width of the seal groove.When the valve plate is in a position where it hermetically closes the through hole, the distal end portion of the valve seat is inserted into the sealing groove and the valve seat surface is in hermetically sealed contact with the sealing element in the sealing groove.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the spool valve according to the present invention, the sealing groove is formed by a first groove portion opening on a sealing surface of the valve plate body opposite the through-hole and having a groove width that is uniform in the depth direction, and a dovetail-shaped, groove-like second groove portion opening substantially at the center of the bottom wall of the first groove portion and having an opening width smaller than the groove width of the first groove portion. The sealing element has a width greater than the opening width of the second groove portion and a thickness greater than the depth of the second groove portion, and is mounted in the second groove portion such that a part of the sealing element protrudes into the first groove portion.

[0011] Preferably, the surface of the part of the sealing element that protrudes into the first groove section is formed as a convexly curved surface. The valve seat surface is preferably a flat surface.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the groove width of the first groove section can be less than or equal to twice the opening width of the second groove section.

[0013] According to a second embodiment of the gate valve according to the present invention, the sealing groove is formed by a single recessed groove opening on a sealing surface of the valve plate body opposite the through-hole and having a groove width that is uniform in the depth direction. The sealing element is mounted in the recessed groove.

[0014] Preferably, a surface of the sealing element opposite the valve seat is formed as a flat surface, and the valve seat surface is then formed as a convex curved surface.

[0015] In the gate valve according to the present invention, when the valve plate is located at a hermetically sealing position of the through-hole, preferably a straight line in contact with an opening edge of the through-hole on the inner side of the partition wall and the surface of the valve seat is in contact with or intersects the valve plate body between these contact points.

[0016] The gate valve according to the present invention is thus designed such that the entire sealing element is always accommodated in the sealing groove. When the through-hole is hermetically sealed, the valve seat protruding from the inner surface of the partition wall is inserted into the sealing groove and hermetically seals against the sealing element in the sealing groove. Thus, when the through-hole is hermetically sealed, the sealing element is surrounded by the sealing groove and the valve seat, and most of the radicals entering the space between the valve plate and the partition wall from the through-hole side repeatedly collide with the valve plate, the partition wall, or the valve seat and are prevented from reaching the sealing element. This can prevent damage or aging of the sealing element by the radicals. At the same time, the sealing element can also be prevented from detaching from the sealing groove.

[0017] In particular, in the slide valve according to claim 6, the radicals can be prevented from reaching the sealing element directly through the through-hole, so that the damage or aging of the sealing element by the radicals can be prevented even more reliably.

[0018] Further developments, advantages, and possible applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and the drawings. All described and / or illustrated features, individually or in any combination, constitute the subject matter of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their reference back to them. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a state in which, in a spool valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention, a valve plate is disposed at an intermediate position at which the valve plate is vertically spaced from a through hole. Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a state in which, in the gate valve according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the valve plate is at a hermetically closing position at which the valve plate seals the through hole. Fig. Figure 3A is an enlarged view of section A in Fig. 1, and Fig. Figure 3B is an enlarged view of section B in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows enlarged sections of the main part of a gate valve according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. Fig. 4A shows a state in which a valve plate is arranged at an intermediate position at which the valve plate is vertically spaced from a through hole, and Fig. 4B shows a state where a valve plate is at a hermetically closing position where the valve plate seals the through hole. Description of the preferred embodiments

[0019] A first embodiment of a slide valve according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the Fig. 1 to 3. The slide valve 1 comprises a substantially rectangular cuboid hollow valve housing 3 with a through-opening 2 for connecting a process chamber (not shown), a valve plate 4 arranged in the valve housing 3, a valve stem 5, to the distal end of which the valve plate 4 is fixed and the proximal end of which extends outwardly through the valve housing 3, and a valve movement mechanism 60 connected to the proximal end of the valve stem 5 to move the valve plate to open and close the through-opening 2. By moving the valve movement mechanism 60 via a drive section, for example a pneumatic cylinder (not shown), the valve plate 4 can be moved between a fully open position, which is Fig. 1 is indicated by dashed lines, and at which the valve plate 4 completely opens the through hole 2, and a hermetically sealing position, which in Fig. 2 and at which the valve plate 4 hermetically seals the through-hole 2, via an intermediate position shown in Fig. 1 is shown by solid lines and at which the valve plate 4 is separated from the through opening 2 and is opposite it, can be moved back and forth.

[0020] The valve housing 3 has front and rear first and second partition walls 3a and 3b that oppose each other. The first partition wall 3a has the through-hole 2 with a horizontally elongated, substantially rectangular shape, and the second partition wall 3b has a rear opening 6 that similarly has a substantially rectangular shape and is located at a position opposite the through-hole 2. An annular valve seat 7 is formed on the inner surface 3c of the first partition wall 3a and surrounds the through-hole 2.

[0021] On the other hand, the valve plate 4 comprises a valve plate body 8 having a substantially rectangular plate-like shape, whose vertical and horizontal dimensions are larger than the through-hole 2, and which has a substantially flat sealing surface 8a on its front side opposite the through-hole 2. An annular sealing element 9 is attached to the sealing surface 8a of the valve plate body 8 and, upon movement of the valve plate 4, comes into and out of contact with a valve seat surface 7a of the valve seat 7, thereby opening and closing the through-hole 2.

[0022] Here, the valve plate body 8 has, at a position of its sealing surface 8a, which is assigned to the valve seat 7, an annular sealing groove 10 for inserting and attaching the sealing element 9 and is connected to the valve stem 5 at its rear side, which is opposite the sealing surface 8a, via a suitable fastening element (not shown).

[0023] The sealing element 9 is formed integrally or in one piece from an elastic body (elastomer), for example, rubber, and has a uniform cross-section over its entire circumference. Similarly, the sealing groove 10 for inserting and securing the sealing element 9 also has a uniform cross-section over its entire circumference.

[0024] The valve movement mechanism 60 includes a block-like lever member 61 fixed to the proximal end of the valve stem 5 outside the valve housing 3, a pair of left and right first and second cam rollers 62a and 62b fixed to the left and right side surfaces of the lever member 61 and along the axis of the valve stem 5, a pair of left and right first and second guide rollers 63a and 63b arranged along the axis of the valve stem 5 and fixed relative to the valve housing 3, and a cam frame 66 formed by connecting the ends of a pair of left and right cam plates 64 respectively opposite the left and right side surfaces of the lever member via a connecting plate 65.

[0025] The cam plates 64 have first and second cam grooves 67a and 67b for slidably receiving the first and second cam rollers 62a and 62b, respectively, and a guide groove 68 for slidably receiving the first and second guide rollers 63a and 63b.

[0026] Here, the first and second cam grooves 67a and 67b are inclined toward the through-hole 2 side as they extend from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the valve stem 5. On the other hand, the guide groove 68 is linear along the axis of the valve stem 5 and is formed by a wide first guide groove portion 68a located at its distal end side and a narrow second guide groove portion 68b located adjacent thereto at its proximal end side. The first guide roller 63a is slidably fitted into the first guide groove portion 68a, while the second guide roller 63b is slidably fitted into the second guide groove portion 68b. Therefore, the first guide roller 63a has a larger diameter than the second guide roller 63b.

[0027] The connecting plate 65 of the cam frame 66 and the lever element 61 are connected by an elastic connecting element 69, such as a coil spring, so that they are movable relative to each other in the axial direction of the valve stem 5 (the vertical direction in the drawing) and a direction perpendicular thereto (the horizontal direction in the drawing). The connecting plate 65 of the cam frame 66 is connected to the drive section (not shown) so that the cam frame 66 can be moved back and forth in the axial direction of the valve stem 5.

[0028] Next, the operation of the slide valve is described with reference to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 described.

[0029] If starting from a state in which the valve plate 4 is at the position shown in Fig. 1 by solid lines, the cam frame 66 is moved in the direction of the proximal end of the valve stem 5 (downward in the drawing), the cam frame 66 also initially moves in the same direction, being guided by the guide rollers 63a and 63b and the guide groove 68. At this time, the lever element 61 connected to the cam frame 66 and fixed to the valve stem 5 also moves integrally with the cam frame 66 in the same direction. Therefore, the positions of the cam rollers 62a and 62b in the cam grooves 67a and 67b do not change. As a result, the valve plate 4 is displaced from the intermediate position along the axis of the valve stem 5 and in the same direction as the lever element 61 and moves to the fully open position shown in Fig. 1 is indicated by dashed lines.

[0030] On the other hand, starting from a state where the valve plate 4 is at the position shown in Fig. 1 by solid lines, the cam frame is moved in the direction of the distal end of the valve stem 5 (upward in the drawing), in this intermediate position the lever element 61 is prevented from moving in the direction of the distal end of the valve stem 5 by a stopper mechanism (not shown). Therefore, as shown in Fig. 2, only the cam frame 66 is displaced toward the distal end of the valve stem 5, compressing the elastic connecting member 69 disposed between it and the lever member 61. At this time, the lever member 61, together with the cam rollers 62a and 62b, is displaced toward the through-hole 2, guided by the cam grooves 67a and 67b, and tilts the elastic connecting member 69. As a result, the valve plate 4 is displaced perpendicular to the axis of the valve stem 5 to the side of the through-hole 2, and the sealing member 9 is pressed against the valve seat 7. The through-hole 2 is thereby hermetically sealed.

[0031] As in Fig. 3, in the slide valve 1 according to the first embodiment, the sealing groove 10 in the valve plate body 8 is formed by a first groove portion 11 opening at the sealing surface 8a of the valve plate body 8 and a second groove portion 12 opening at the bottom wall 11a of the first groove portion 11.

[0032] The first groove section 11 has a rectangular cross-section, a depth H1 from its opening to the bottom wall 11a, and a uniform groove width W1 over its entire depth.

[0033] In the context of this application, the term "rectangle" within the general technical understanding also includes designs in which curved or beveled surfaces are formed at the corners of the rectangle. Therefore, the groove width W1 in the transition sections to the sealing surface 8a and the bottom wall 11a does not necessarily have to be absolutely uniform.

[0034] On the other hand, the second groove portion 12 is provided substantially at the center in the width direction of the bottom wall 11a of the first groove portion 11 and has an opening width W21 smaller than the groove width W1. Furthermore, it has a dovetail shape that is symmetrical in the width direction. Thus, the second groove portion 12 is shaped such that its groove width increases toward the depth direction and reaches the maximum width W22 substantially at the center of the depth direction. Here, the depth H2 of the second groove portion 12 is greater than the depth H1 of the first groove portion 11, and the maximum width W22 of the second groove portion 12 is smaller than the groove width W1 of the first groove portion 11. The groove width W1 of the first groove portion 11 is preferably less than twice the opening width W21 of the second groove portion 12.

[0035] The sealing element 9 is an O-ring with a circular cross-section and is mounted in such a state that it is completely accommodated in the sealing groove. Specifically, the sealing element 9 is mounted in the second groove portion 12 in such a state that its outer peripheral surface abuts the bottom wall 12b of the second groove portion 12 and engages the opposite opening edges 12a of the second groove portion 12. A part of the sealing element 9 protrudes into the first groove portion 11. Thus, in such a mounted state, the surface of the part of the sealing element 9 that protrudes into the first groove portion 11 is shaped as a convex curved surface, and the thickness H3 of the sealing element 9 is equal to the sum of the depths H1 and H2 of the first and second groove portions 11 and 12 (the depth of the sealing groove), as shown in Fig. 3, or smaller than the sum and greater than the depth H2 of the second groove section 12. The width W3 of the sealing element is smaller than the maximum width W22 of the second groove section 12 and greater than its opening width W21.

[0036] The valve seat 7 protrudes vertically toward the valve plate 4 from a position on the inner surface 3c of the first partition wall 3a at a distance C from the opening edge 2a of the through-hole 2. The cross-section of the valve seat 7 has a rectangular shape with a width W4 and a height H4. Thus, the valve seat 7 has a width W4 that is uniform in the height direction and a height H4 that is uniform in the width direction. The valve seat surface 7a, with which the sealing element 5 comes into and out of contact, is formed as a flat surface parallel to the sealing surface 8a.

[0037] Here, the center of the valve seat 7 is assigned to the center of the sealing groove 10, and the width W4 of the valve seat 7 is smaller than the width W1 of the first groove section of the sealing groove 10.

[0038] When the valve movement mechanism 60 is driven to move the valve plate 4 from the Fig. 3A shown intermediate position to that shown in Fig. 3B, the valve seat 7 brings its valve seat surface 7a into close contact with the sealing element 9 and is inserted into the first groove portion 11 of the sealing groove 10, pressing and elastically deforming the sealing element 9 into the second groove portion 12. In this hermetically sealed state, a gap D is formed between the sealing surface 8a of the valve plate body 8 and the inner surface 3c of the first partition wall 3a. The distal end portion of the valve seat 7 is inserted into the first groove portion 11, and the valve seat surface 7a hermetically seals against the sealing element 9 in the first groove portion 11.

[0039] At this time, when a straight line L1 through the opening edge 2a of the through hole 2 and the surface of the valve seat 7 crosses the valve plate body 8 between the contact points 2a and 7b, as shown by the dashed line (one long line and two short lines) in Fig. 3B, or touches the surface of the valve plate body 8, radicals R entering the space between the sealing surface 8a of the valve plate body 8 and the inner surface 3c of the first partition wall 3a through the through hole 2 can be prevented from directly reaching the sealing element 9.

[0040] In this embodiment, the height H4 of the valve seat 7 only needs to be selected such that it is greater than the gap D plus the difference between the height H1 + H2 of the sealing groove 10 and the height H3 of the sealing element, i.e., D + {(H1 + H2) - H3}. The opening width W1 of the sealing groove 10 is preferably less than or equal to twice the width W4 of the valve seat 7 (W1 ≤ 2 × W4).

[0041] In such a hermetically sealed state of the through-hole 2, the sealing element 9 is surrounded by the sealing groove 10 and the valve seat 7. When radicals R enter through the through-hole 2 into the space between the sealing surface 8a and the inner surface 3c of the first partition wall 3a, as shown in Fig. 3B is indicated by dashed lines, most of the radicals R collide with the sealing surface 8a of the valve plate body 8, the inner surface 3c of the partition wall 3a, or the side surface of the valve seat 7 and are prevented from reaching the sealing element 9. This can prevent damage or aging of the sealing element 9 by the radicals R.

[0042] At the same time, the entire sealing element 9 is always accommodated in the sealing groove 10. When the through-hole 2 is hermetically sealed, the valve seat 7 brings its valve seat surface 7a into close contact with the sealing element 9 and is inserted into the first groove portion of the sealing groove 10, pressing the sealing element 9 into the second groove portion 12. This can prevent the sealing element 9 from becoming detached from the sealing groove 10.

[0043] Next, with reference to Fig. 4, a second embodiment of a slide valve according to the present invention is described. The only difference between the slide valve 1 according to the first embodiment and the slide valve 1 according to the second embodiment lies in their Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. The basic structure and operation of the second embodiment are the same as in the first embodiment according to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. In this respect, the description is omitted and reference is made to the above explanations. The same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as in the sealing section of the first embodiment according to Fig. 3. Here, too, a more detailed description is omitted.

[0044] In the gate valve according to the second embodiment, a sealing groove 20 is formed as a single recessed groove opening at a sealing surface 8a of a valve plate body 8 opposite a through hole 2. The sealing groove 20 has a rectangular cross section, a depth H5 from its opening to the bottom wall 20a, and a uniform groove width W5 over its entire depth.

[0045] A sealing element 29 with a similarly rectangular cross-section is mounted in the sealing groove 20, with its entire side surfaces and bottom surface in close contact with the inner walls of the sealing groove 20. Its upper surface is formed as a flat surface parallel to the sealing surface 8a and arranged in the sealing groove 20. Thus, the sealing element 29, when mounted, has the same width as the groove width W5 of the sealing groove. Here, the thickness H6 from the upper surface to the bottom surface of the sealing element 29 is smaller than the depth H5 of the sealing groove 20, so that the entire sealing element 29 is accommodated in the sealing groove 20. The sealing element 29 is preferably slightly wider than the width of the sealing groove 20 to improve close contact with the inner surface of the sealing groove 20.

[0046] On the other hand, a valve seat 27 protrudes perpendicularly to the valve plate 4 from a position similar to that in the first embodiment. The cross section of the valve seat 27 has a width W7 and a height H7, and a valve seat surface 27a located at its distal end and facing the upper surface of the seal member 29 has a convex curved shape. Specifically, the valve seat 27 is formed by a contact point 27b having a width W7 uniform in the height direction and a rectangular cross section, and a distal end portion 27c formed as a convex curved surface that is highest at the center in the width direction.

[0047] The center of the valve seat 27 is aligned with the center of the seal groove 20, and the width W7 of the valve seat 27 is smaller than the width W5 of the seal groove 20. The height H7a of the contact point 27b of the valve seat 27 is preferably larger than a gap D in a hermetically sealed state, which will be described in detail later.

[0048] When the valve movement mechanism 60 is actuated to move the valve plate 4 from the Fig. 4A shown intermediate position to a Fig. 4B, the valve seat 27 is inserted into the seal groove 20, brings its valve seat surface 27a into close contact with the upper surface of the seal member 29, and presses the seal member 29 against the bottom wall 20a of the seal groove 20 and elastically deforms it. As in the first embodiment, in this hermetically sealed state, a gap D is formed between the seal surface 8a of the valve plate body 8 and the inner surface 3c of the first partition wall 3a. At least the distal end portion 27c of the valve seat 7 is inserted into the seal groove 20, and the valve seat surface 27a hermetically seals against the seal member 29 in the seal groove 20.

[0049] Here, as in the first embodiment, when a straight line L2 in contact with the opening edge 2a of the through hole 2 and the surface of the valve seat 27 crosses the valve plate body 8 between these contact points 2a and 27b, as shown in Fig. 4B, or in contact with the surface of the valve plate body 8, radicals R entering the space between the sealing surface 8a of the valve plate body 8 and the inner surface 3c of the first partition wall 3a through the through-hole 2 can be prevented from directly contacting the sealing element 9. Instead of passing through the contact point 27b with the valve seat 27, the straight line L2 may preferably pass through the transition region between the contact point 27b and the distal end portion 27c of the valve seat 27.

[0050] In this embodiment, the height H7 of the valve seat 27 only needs to be selected to be larger than the gap D plus the difference between the height H5 of the sealing groove 20 and the height H6 of the sealing element, i.e., D + (H5 - H6). The opening width W5 of the sealing groove 20 is preferably less than or equal to twice the width W7 of the valve seat 27.

[0051] Even in such a hermetically sealed state of the through hole 2, as in the first embodiment, when radicals R enter the space between the sealing surface 8a and the inner surface 3c of the first partition wall 3a through the through hole 2 (as shown by the dashed line in Fig.4B), most of the radicals R repeatedly interact with the sealing surface 8a of the valve plate body 8, the inner surface 3c of the partition wall 3a, or the side surface of the valve seat 27 and are prevented from reaching the sealing element 29. This can prevent damage or aging of the sealing element 29 by the radicals R.

[0052] At the same time, the entire sealing element 29 is always accommodated in the sealing groove 20. When the through-hole 2 is hermetically sealed, the valve seat 27 is inserted into the sealing groove 20 with its distal end first, brings its valve seat surface 27a into close contact with the sealing element 29, and presses the sealing element 29 against the bottom wall 20a of the sealing groove 20. This can also prevent the sealing element 29 from detaching from the sealing groove 20. List of reference symbols 1 slide valve 2 passage opening 2a Opening edge (contact point) 3 valve housings 3a first partition wall 3b second partition wall 3c inner surface 4 valve plate 5 Valve stem 7, 27 valve seat 7a, 27a valve seat surface 7b, 27b contact point 8 valve plate body 8a Sealing surface 9, 29 Sealing element 10, 20 sealing groove 20a floor wall 11 first groove section 11a Floor wall 12 second groove section

Claims

[1] A slide valve (1) having a through-opening (2) provided in a first partition wall (3a) for establishing communication with a process chamber, a valve plate (4) which comes into and out of contact with the through-opening (2) to open and close the through-opening (2), an annular valve seat (7, 27) formed around the through-opening (2) in the first partition wall (3a), the valve plate (4) comprising a valve plate body (8) having a sealing groove (10, 20) at a position associated with the valve seat (7, 27), and an annular sealing element (9, 29) arranged in the sealing groove (10, 20), wherein the entire sealing element (9, 29) is received in the sealing groove (10, 20), wherein the valve seat (7, 27) protrudes from the inner surface (3c) of the first partition wall (3a) in the direction of the valve plate (4), wherein a valve seat surface (7a, 27a) is formed at its distal end, with which the sealing element (9, 29) is brought into and out of contact, and wherein the valve seat (7, 27) has a width which is smaller than the opening width (W1, W5) of the sealing groove (10, 20), and wherein, when the valve plate (4) is in a hermetically sealing position of the through-opening (2), the distal end portion of the valve seat (7, 27) is inserted into the sealing groove (10, 20) and the valve seat surface (7a, 27a) bears against the sealing element (9, 29) in the sealing groove (10, 20) over the entire circumference of the sealing element (9, 29), characterized by , that when the valve plate (4) is arranged at the hermetically sealing position of the through-hole (2), a straight line (L1) which is in contact with an opening edge (2a) of the through-hole (2) on the inner surface (3c) of the first partition wall (3a) and the entire circumferential surface of the valve seat (7, 27) is in contact with the valve plate body (8) or crosses it between these contact points (2a, 7b, 27b). [2] Slide valve (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the sealing groove (10, 20) has a first groove portion (11) which opens on a sealing surface (8a) of the valve plate body (8) opposite the through-hole (2) and has a groove width (W1) which is uniform in the depth direction, and a dovetail-shaped second groove portion (12) which opens in the center of the bottom wall (11a) of the first groove portion (11) and which has an opening width (W21) which is smaller than the groove width (W1) of the first groove portion (11), and that the sealing element (9) has a width (W3) which is greater than the opening width (W21) of the second groove portion (21) and a thickness (H3) which is greater than the depth (H2) of the second groove portion (12), and is mounted in the second groove portion (12) in a state in which a part of the sealing element (9) is in the first Groove section (11) protrudes. [3] Slide valve (1) according to claim 2, characterized bythat the surface of the part of the sealing element (9) which projects into the first groove section (11) is convexly curved and that the valve seat surface (7a) is formed as a flat surface. [4] Slide valve (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the sealing groove (20) is designed as a single recessed groove which opens on a sealing surface (8a) of the valve plate body (8) opposite the through opening (2) and which has a groove width (W5) which is uniform in the depth direction, and that the sealing element (29) is mounted in the sealing groove (20). [5] Slide valve (1) according to claim 4, characterized by that a surface of the sealing element (29) opposite the valve seat surface (27a) is designed as a flat surface and that the valve seat surface is convexly curved.

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