Gate valve, gate valve control mechanism, control method therefor, and semiconductor manufacturing device

Abstract

To provide a technology for quickly opening / closing a gate valve and preventing occurrence of particles.SOLUTION: A gate valve control mechanism (40) moves a valve body (46) in an L-motion with one stroke of an air cylinder (50) to open and close a gate valve (41). A control unit (43) controls a voltage applied to piezoelectric element valves (64 to 67) of a flow rate adjustment unit (42) so that an amount of air in the air cylinder (50) becomes smaller at a terminal part of a valve-closing stroke of the air cylinder (50).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gate valve, a gate valve control mechanism, a control method thereof, and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacture of wafers in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, various processes such as gas processing of the wafers are performed. In such wafer manufacture, the wafer transferred from the transfer unit is accommodated in the processing unit, and the transfer unit and the processing unit are airtightly isolated from each other. A gate valve that uses a combination of an air cylinder and a cam mechanism to seat and separate a valve body from a valve seat with an L motion is known as a technology used for blocking communication between the transfer unit and the processing unit (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-56498 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-71186 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the viewpoint of increasing productivity in semiconductor manufacturing, there is a demand for faster opening and closing of gate valves. On the other hand, if the opening and closing of gate valves is made faster, foreign matter called particles may be mixed into the atmosphere during semiconductor manufacturing when the gate valve is closed, which may reduce the yield of semiconductor products. Thus, the conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of speeding up the opening and closing of gate valves and preventing the generation of particles.

[0005] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique for speeding up the opening and closing of a gate valve and preventing the generation of particles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a gate valve according to one embodiment of the present invention has a fluid cylinder that seats and separates a valve body from a valve seat, and is configured to move the valve body in an L motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder, and the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is controlled so as to decelerate the movement speed of the valve body at least at the end of the L motion.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a gate valve control mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a gate valve having a fluid cylinder that seats and separates a valve body from a valve seat, and is configured to move the valve body in an L motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder, a piezoelectric element valve or a polymer actuator that controls the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder by opening and closing one or both of a fluid supply flow path to the fluid cylinder and a fluid discharge flow path from the fluid cylinder by applying a voltage, and a control unit that controls the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element valve or the polymer actuator so that the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is reduced at least at the end of a valve closing stroke of the fluid cylinder that seats the valve body on the valve seat.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a gate valve control method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for controlling the above-mentioned gate valve control mechanism, which controls a voltage applied to the piezoelectric valve or the polymer actuator so that the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is reduced when the fluid cylinder reaches at least the end of its valve closing stroke.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a transport unit that transports wafers for semiconductor products, a processing unit that processes the wafers transported from the transport unit, a gate valve that connects and disconnects the transport unit and the processing unit, and a processing control unit that controls the operation of the transport unit, the processing unit and the gate valve to process the wafers, wherein the gate valve has a fluid cylinder that seats and separates a valve body from a valve seat, and is configured to move the valve body in an L motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder, and the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is controlled so as to decelerate the moving speed of the valve body at least at the end of the L motion. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for speeding up the opening and closing of a gate valve and preventing the generation of particles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the gate valve control mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention when the valve is open. [Diagram 3] 3 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the gate valve control mechanism shown in FIG. 2 when the gate valve is open. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a flow rate adjusting unit in one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 3 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the gate valve shown in FIG. 2 during a valve closing period. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the gate valve shown in FIG. 5 during a valve closing period. [Figure 7] 3 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the gate valve shown in FIG. 2 when the valve is closed. FIG. [Figure 8] 3 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the gate valve shown in FIG. 2 when the valve is closed. FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow of a gate valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating changes in the moving distance and moving speed of a valve disc during a valve closing stroke of a gate valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating changes in the moving distance and moving speed of a valve disc during a valve opening stroke of a gate valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 11 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the relationship between the moving speed of the valve disc in the L motion when the valve is closed and the amount of particles generated in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [Semiconductor manufacturing equipment] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 has a transfer section 10, a processing section 20, a storage section 30, and a gate valve control mechanism 40. The transfer section 10, the processing section 20, and the storage section 30 are all chambers that can be airtightly sealed via the gate valve control mechanism 40.

[0013] The transport unit 10 transports wafers 100 for semiconductor products from the accommodation unit 30 to the processing units 20 and between the processing units 20. The transport unit 10 has a transport table 11 and rails 12 that guide the transport table 11 to the accommodation unit 30 or the processing units 20. The processing units 20 process the wafers 100 transported from the transport unit. For example, the processing units 20 perform a specific process set for each processing unit 20, such as a surface treatment using a gas, on the wafers 100. The accommodation unit 30 stores unprocessed wafers 100 to be carried out to the processing units 20.

[0014] [Gate valve control mechanism] Fig. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a gate valve control mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention when the valve is open. Fig. 3 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a gate valve in the gate valve control mechanism shown in Fig. 2 when the valve is open. In this embodiment, the axial direction of the opening (slit 441) of the gate valve is the X direction, the width direction of the gate valve (longitudinal direction of slit 441) is the Y direction, and the height direction of the gate valve (transverse direction of slit 441) is the Z direction. As shown in Fig. 2, gate valve control mechanism 40 includes gate valve 41, flow rate adjustment unit 42, and controller 43.

[0015] [Gate valve] The gate valve 41 has an air cylinder that seats and separates the valve body from the valve seat, and is configured to move the valve body in an L-motion with one stroke of the air cylinder. As described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, "L-motion" means a movement in which the valve body approaches and separates from the valve seat in a direction along the axis of the valve seat (for example, along the axial direction or diagonally to the axial direction) near the valve seat, and moves in a direction intersecting the axis in other areas. In other words, "L-motion" includes a type that moves diagonally up and down with respect to the axial direction (moving in the X direction while also moving in the Z direction) and a type that uses a cam mechanism or the like to perform vertical and horizontal movements in one stroke without separating them, and these are often used as valves for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In this embodiment, "L-motion" is a general term for these two types of movements, and means one or both of them.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the gate valve 41 has a drive unit 45 for driving a valve body 46 and a body 44 disposed integrally with the drive unit 45 above the drive unit 45.

[0017] The body 44 is a substantially rectangular housing and has a slit 441. The slit 441 is an opening having a substantially rectangular opening shape with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction and the Z direction as the short side direction. The body 44 has another slit opposite the slit 441.

[0018] The drive unit 45 has a valve body 46, a stem 47, a spring 48, and a base plate 49. The valve body 46 is a rectangular plate-like member that can abut against the periphery (valve seat) of a slit 441 in the body 44 to close the slit 441. A seal material 461 is provided around the outer edge of the surface of the valve body 46 that faces the slit 441. The stem 47 is a generally rod-like member that supports the valve body 46 at its tip. The stem 47 is arranged so as to be movable in the Z direction, and also so as to be movable in the X direction. One end of the spring 48 is connected to the base end of the stem 47, and the other end is connected to the base plate 49. The base plate 49 supports the stem 47 in the Z direction via the spring 48.

[0019] The drive unit 45 also has an air cylinder 50 for moving the valve body 46. Two air cylinders 50 are arranged to sandwich the stem 47 and the spring 48 from both sides. The air cylinder 50 has a cylinder tube 501 and a piston rod 502 that can slide inside the cylinder tube 501. An air passage from the flow rate adjustment unit 42, which will be described later, is connected to each of one end and the other end of the cylinder tube 501. The piston rod 502 has a piston at its tip, and its base end is connected to the base plate 49.

[0020] Further, the driving unit 45 has a cam follower plate 51, cam rollers 511, 512, cam grooves 471, 472, and a roller block 451. The cam follower plate 51 is a member extending in the Z direction, and its base end is supported by the base plate 49. The cam rollers 511, 512 are substantially cylindrical members protruding from the cam follower plate 51 toward the stem 47. The cam rollers 511, 512 are fixed to two places at the tip of the cam follower plate 51, side by side in the Z direction. The cam grooves 471, 472 are formed in a base material 473 fixed to both sides of the stem 47. The cam grooves 471, 472 are located at positions facing the cam rollers 511, 512, and the cam roller 511 is slidably engaged with the cam groove 471, and the cam roller 512 is slidably engaged with the cam groove 472. Each of the cam grooves 471 and 472 is a groove having a track shape when viewed in a plane. The major axis of the shape of the cam grooves 471 and 472 when viewed in a plane is inclined so as to gradually move away from the slit 441 in the X direction as it approaches the body 44 in the Z direction. The roller block 451 is a member disposed so as to protrude from the driving unit 45. The roller block 451 is disposed at a position where the roller block 451 abuts against the upper end of the base material 473 at a position where the valve body 46 overlaps with the slit 441 in the Z direction.

[0021] Further, the driving unit 45 has nozzles 452 and 453. The nozzle 452 is connected to a pipe that branches into two inside the driving unit 45, and is connected to one end of the two air cylinders 50 via the pipe. Similarly, the nozzle 453 is connected to a pipe that branches into two inside the driving unit 45. The nozzle 453 is connected to the other end of the two air cylinders 50 via the pipe.

[0022] [Flow rate adjustment unit] The flow rate adjustment unit 42 has piezoelectric valves that open and close by application of voltage in each of the air supply flow path and the air discharge flow path of the air cylinder 50, and is configured to control the amount of air in the air cylinder. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the flow rate adjustment unit 42 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the flow rate adjustment unit 42 has a supply chamber 61 and communication chambers 62 and 63.

[0023] The supply chamber 61 has a supply port 611 and communication ports 612 and 613. The supply port 611 is connected to an air supply source. The supply chamber 61 communicates with the communication chamber 62 via the communication port 612, and communicates with the communication chamber 63 via the communication port 613. In the supply chamber 61, a first piezoelectric element valve 64 capable of opening and closing the communication port 612, and a first piezoelectric element valve 65 capable of opening and closing the communication port 613 are arranged.

[0024] The communication chamber 62 has a vent port 621 and an exhaust port 622 in addition to the communication port 612. The vent port 621 communicates with a first chamber 503 on one end side of the cylinder tube 501 of the air cylinder 50 via a pipe. The first chamber 503 is a space on the one end side of the piston in the air cylinder 50. The exhaust port 622 communicates with the outside of the flow rate adjustment unit 42. A second piezoelectric element valve 66 capable of opening and closing the exhaust port 622 is arranged in the communication chamber 62.

[0025] The communication chamber 63 has a vent port 631 and an exhaust port 632 in addition to the communication port 613. The vent port 631 communicates with a second chamber 504 on the other end side of the cylinder tube 501 of the air cylinder 50 via a pipe. The second chamber 504 is a space on the other end side of the piston in the air cylinder 50. The exhaust port 632 communicates with the outside of the flow rate adjustment unit 42. A second piezoelectric element valve 67 capable of opening and closing the exhaust port 632 is arranged in the communication chamber 63.

[0026] In this manner, the flow rate adjusting unit 42 is configured so that the exhaust flow path of air from the air cylinder 50 can be freely opened and closed by the piezoelectric element valve.

[0027] In this embodiment, the piezoelectric valve has a laminated structure of a flexible substrate and a plate-shaped actuator made of piezoelectric ceramic. The piezoelectric valve is fixed at one end and disposed so that the other end closes an opening such as a communication port. The flow rate adjustment unit 42 is configured to be able to apply a voltage to each of the piezoelectric valves independently.

[0028] By applying a voltage to the piezoelectric valve, the actuator contracts and the piezoelectric valve warps, opening the opening. When the application of the voltage is stopped, the actuator returns to its original dimensions and the warping of the piezoelectric valve is eliminated. As a result, the piezoelectric valve seats on the opening. In order to improve the sealing performance when the valve is closed, a seal member that surrounds the opening may be provided on the portion of the piezoelectric valve that faces the opening. In addition, in order to improve the sealing performance when the valve is closed, a spring member (such as a leaf spring) that abuts against the other end of the piezoelectric valve from the opposite side to the opening in the thickness direction of the piezoelectric valve and urges the piezoelectric valve toward the opening may be further disposed in the flow rate adjustment unit 42.

[0029] [Control Unit] The control unit 43 controls the energization of the first piezoelectric element valves 64, 65 and the second piezoelectric element valves 66, 67 so that specific voltages are applied independently to the first piezoelectric element valves 64, 65 and the second piezoelectric element valves 66, 67. Here, among the strokes of the air cylinder 50, a stroke for seating the valve body 46 on the valve seat (the outer edge of the slit 441) is defined as a valve closing stroke, and a stroke for moving the valve body 46 away from the valve seat is defined as a valve opening stroke. In this embodiment, a stroke for contracting the air cylinder 50 is a valve closing stroke, and a stroke for extending the air cylinder 50 is a valve opening stroke. The control unit 43 controls the voltages applied to the above-mentioned piezoelectric element valves so that the amount of fluid in the air cylinder 50 becomes smaller at the end of the valve closing stroke. The control unit 43 is, for example, an integrated circuit arranged in the gate valve 41 and capable of executing the above-mentioned control.

[0030] [L motion of gate valve] The L motion of the gate valve 41 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 5 to 8.

[0031] <When the valve is open (FIGS. 2, 3)> When air is supplied to the first chamber 503 of the air cylinder 50 and exhausted from the second chamber 504, the air cylinder 50 extends, and the piston rod 502 pushes down the base plate 49 in the Z direction. Therefore, the spring 48 and the cam follower plate 51 supported by the base plate 49 are also located at the lowest position in the Z direction. Thus, the stem 47 supported by the spring 48 and the valve body 46 supported by the stem 47 are also located at the lowest position in the Z direction and do not overlap with the slit 441 in the Z direction. Therefore, the slit 441 is in an open state (the state where the gate valve 41 is open). In this state, the valve body 46 and the stem 47 supporting it are located at a position separated from the position where they seat on the slit 441 in the X direction by the distance in the X direction at both ends of the major axis of the cam grooves 471 and 472.

[0032] <Movement in the Z direction in the L motion (FIGS. 5, 6)> FIG. 5 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the gate valve 41 during valve closing, and FIG. 6 is a side view thereof. When air is exhausted from the first chamber 503 of the air cylinder 50 and air is supplied to the second chamber 504, the air cylinder 50 contracts, and the base plate 49 rises in the Z direction. As the base plate 49 rises, the cam follower plate 51 and the spring 48 rise, and the stem 47 and the valve body 46 rise in the X direction until the valve body 46 overlaps with the slit 441. At this time, the upper end of the base material 473 that has risen as the stem 47 rises abuts against the roller block 451. In this embodiment, this time (the end stage of the movement in the Z direction in the L motion) is defined as the end of the valve closing stroke of the air cylinder 50.

[0033] <Movement in the X direction in the L motion (FIGS. 7, 8)> Fig. 7 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of gate valve 41 when the valve is closed, and Fig. 8 is a side view thereof. When air cylinder 50 is further contracted with base material 473 in contact with roller block 451 in the Z direction, base plate 49 rises in the Z direction, cam follower plate 51 rises accordingly, and further movement (ascension) of stem 47 in the Z direction is restricted. While further movement (ascension) of stem 47 in the Z direction is restricted, spring 48 contracts in response to the rise of base plate 49.

[0034] As the cam follower plate 51 rises in the Z direction, the cam rollers 511 and 512 move along the major axis of the cam grooves 471 and 472. As described above, the stem 47 is restricted from rising in the Z direction, and is movable in the X direction. Therefore, as the cam rollers 511 and 512 move in the cam grooves 471 and 472, the stem 47 moves toward the slit 441 in the X direction by the inclination of the major axis of the cam grooves 471 and 472. Therefore, the valve body 46 moves in the X direction and seats around the slit 441 (valve seat). In this way, the slit 441 is blocked by the valve body 46, and the gate valve 41 is closed. In this embodiment, this time (the end of the movement in the X direction in the L motion) is set to be the end of the valve closing stroke of the air cylinder 50.

[0035] <Valve closed to valve open> When air is supplied to the first chamber 503 of the air cylinder 50 and air is exhausted from the second chamber 504, the air cylinder 50 extends, and the base plate 49 descends in the Z direction. The stem 47 is urged upward in the Z direction by the contracted spring 48. Therefore, the cam rollers 511 and 512 slide in the cam grooves 471 and 472, and as a result, the valve body 46 moves away from the slit 441 along the X direction. When the base plate 49 further descends in the Z direction with the extension of the air cylinder 50, the base material 473 moves away from the roller block 451 in the Z direction. In this way, the gate valve 41 returns from the state shown in Figures 7 and 8 to the state shown in Figures 5 and 6, and when the air cylinder 50 further extends, it becomes the state shown in Figures 2 and 3. In this way, the gate valve 41 has the air cylinder 50 that seats and separates the valve body 46 from the valve seat, and the valve body 46 moves in a reversible L motion with one stroke of the air cylinder 50. In addition, the stem 47 supports the valve body 46 by the cam follower plate 51, cam rollers 511, 512, roller block 451, and cam grooves 471, 472, and is linked to the stroke of the air cylinder 50 in the order from the Z direction to the X direction when the valve is closed, and in the order from the X direction to the Z direction when the valve is opened.

[0036] [Gate valve control method] <Example of control when valve is closed> Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing the flow of control of the gate valve according to this embodiment. Fig. 9 shows an example of control when closing the open gate valve 41.

[0037] In step S11, the control unit 43 receives a signal to close the valve 46. The signal is transmitted from another control unit that controls the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, for example.

[0038] In step S12, the control unit 43 determines an applied voltage value E1 to the piezoelectric valve according to a desired speed at which the valve body 46 is moved in the Z direction. For example, the control unit 43 determines a piezoelectric valve that realizes a moving speed of the valve body 46 according to the process speed of semiconductor manufacturing, and an applied voltage value at that time, by referring to a map stored in advance. The piezoelectric valve is, for example, the first piezoelectric valve 65, and the applied voltage value (voltage E1) is a voltage value that fully opens the first piezoelectric valve 65.

[0039] In step S13, the control unit 43 applies a voltage to the piezoelectric element valve at the voltage value E1 determined in step S12. For example, the control unit 43 transmits a signal to a power source (not shown) to apply the voltage E1 to the first piezoelectric element valve 65. This causes the air cylinder 50 to contract, and the cam follower plate 51 approaches the roller block 451 in the Z direction.

[0040] In step S14, the control unit 43 receives a signal that the valve closing stroke of the air cylinder 50 has reached its terminal end. The signal is, for example, a signal from a device (such as a position detection sensor or a contact switch) that detects the contact of the cam follower plate 51 with the roller block 451.

[0041] In step S15, the control unit 43 determines an applied voltage value E2 to the piezoelectric element valve according to a desired speed at which the valve body 46 is moved in the X direction. For example, the control unit 43 refers to a pre-stored map to determine a piezoelectric element valve that realizes a moving speed of the valve body 46 at which the generation of particles due to the valve body 46 sitting on the valve seat is sufficiently suppressed, and an applied voltage value at that time. The piezoelectric element valves are, for example, the first piezoelectric element valve 65 and the second piezoelectric element valve 67, and the applied voltage value (voltage E2) is a voltage value that fully opens the first piezoelectric element valve 65 and a voltage value that opens the second piezoelectric element valve 67 to an opening degree that decelerates it to a desired speed.

[0042] In step S16, the control unit 43 applies a voltage to the piezoelectric element valves at the voltage value E2 determined in step S15. For example, the control unit 43 transmits to a power source (not shown) a signal for applying to the first piezoelectric element valve 65 a voltage E2 (same as the voltage E1 in this case) for fully opening the first piezoelectric element valve 65, and transmits to the power source a signal for applying to the second piezoelectric element valve 67 a voltage E2 for opening the second piezoelectric element valve 67 according to the above-mentioned deceleration.

[0043] By the above-mentioned control, the control unit 43 moves the valve body 46 quickly in the Z direction of the L motion and moves the valve body 46 sufficiently slowly only in the X direction of the L motion. As a result, the generation of particles when the valve body 46 is seated is prevented.

[0044] <Example of control when valve is open> The control of the gate valve 41 when the valve is open can be performed in the same manner as the control when the valve is closed. For example, the control unit 43 receives a signal to open the valve element 46, and determines the piezoelectric element valve that realizes the moving speed of the valve element 46 according to the process speed of semiconductor manufacturing, and the applied voltage value at that time, by referring to a map stored in advance. Then, the control unit 43 transmits a signal to the power source to apply a voltage at the determined voltage value to the determined piezoelectric element valve. By such control, the gate valve 41 can be opened quickly according to the process speed of semiconductor manufacturing.

[0045] Alternatively, the gate valve 41 may be controlled when the valve is open by changing the applied voltage value at the stroke end, similar to the above-mentioned control when the valve is closed.

[0046] For example, the control unit 43 receives a signal that the valve opening stroke of the air cylinder 50 has reached its end. The signal indicates, for example, a position about 10 mm above the lowest point of the base plate 49 in the valve opening stroke as the end of the valve opening stroke, and detects that the base plate 49 has reached that position by a position detection sensor or a proximity switch. Then, the control unit 43 determines the applied voltage value E3 to the piezoelectric element valve according to the desired speed at which the base plate 49 is appropriately decelerated in the Z direction. For example, the control unit 43 determines the first piezoelectric element valve 64 and the second piezoelectric element valve 66 as the piezoelectric element valves, determines, as the applied voltage value E3, a voltage value for fully opening the first piezoelectric element valve 64 and a voltage value for opening the second piezoelectric element valve 66 according to the above deceleration, and transmits the voltage value to the power source.

[0047] By using the above-described control, the control unit 43 moves the valve body 46 quickly in the L motion when the valve is opened, and decelerates the base plate 49 only at the end of the valve opening stroke, thereby making it possible to sufficiently suppress the occurrence of impact at the end point of the base plate 49 when the valve is opened.

[0048] [Transition of valve disc movement] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the movement distance and the movement speed of the valve body in the valve closing stroke of the gate valve according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the movement distance and the movement speed of the valve body in the valve opening stroke of the gate valve according to the present embodiment. In the diagram, the solid line shows an example of the present embodiment, and the dashed line shows an example of a conventional form in which a solenoid valve is used instead of the flow rate adjustment unit in the present embodiment. In addition, in FIG. 10, "1" represents movement in the Z direction in the L motion when the valve is closed, "2" represents movement in the X direction in the L motion when the valve is closed, and "3" represents the end of the L motion when the valve is closed. In addition, in FIG. 11, "4" represents movement in the X direction in the L motion when the valve is opened, "5" represents movement in the Z direction in the L motion when the valve is opened, and "6" represents the end of the L motion when the valve is opened.

[0049] In the conventional configuration, the solenoid valve cannot adjust the opening / closing speed during the L motion, and therefore the opening / closing speed is constant. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, when the valve is closed, the valve disc is moved at the highest speed within a range that can suppress the generation of particles when the valve disc sits on the valve seat. Similarly, in the conventional configuration, when the valve is opened, the valve disc is moved at the highest speed within a range that can suppress the impact of the collision between the operating part (e.g., base plate 49) and the drive part 45 at the end point of the extension of the piston rod. In this way, in the conventional configuration, the valve disc moves at a constant speed determined at the end of the L motion.

[0050] In this embodiment, the moving speed of the valve body can be freely set within a range that can be realized by the operation of the air cylinder, regardless of the speed at the end of the L motion (from the start of the L motion to the end). Therefore, in this embodiment, the valve body can be moved at a speed that is sufficiently faster than that of the conventional embodiment from the start of the L motion to the end, and the moving speed of the valve body can be quickly decelerated only from the start of the L motion to the end to a speed that is sufficiently slow to suppress the generation of particles or to suppress impact. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to significantly reduce the time required for the L motion of the valve body in both the closing and opening of the gate valve, compared to the conventional embodiment. In this way, in this embodiment, the speed of the L motion other than the end is increased and the speed is decreased only near the end, thereby achieving both the speed increase of the entire L motion and the prevention of particle generation.

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the L motion of the valve body is movement in the Z direction and the X direction perpendicular thereto (hereinafter also referred to as "complete L motion"). In the present invention, the L motion may be movement in the Z direction and in a direction diagonal to the Z direction and the X direction (hereinafter also referred to as "diagonal ascent and descent"). However, since the L motion in this embodiment is a complete L motion, it is possible to increase the speed of the L motion higher than the speed of the diagonal ascent and descent, and further suppress the generation of particles.

[0052] Figure 12 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the relationship between the speed in L motion and the amount of particles generated when the valve is closed. In the diagram, the vertical axis represents the amount of particles generated. "N" represents the allowable value of the amount of particles generated, and is the amount of particles generated (threshold) that is allowable when applied to, for example, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment described above. The horizontal axis represents the moving speed of the valve disc when it is seated toward the valve seat during the valve closing in L motion.

[0053] The movement speed of the valve disc in the X direction when the valve is closed (the speed of movement approaching the valve seat) can be faster in the "complete L motion" than in the "diagonal up-down." This is because the likelihood of particle generation when the valve disc sits on the valve seat differs between the "complete L motion" and the "diagonal up-down."

[0054] In the complete L-motion, when the valve disc sits on the valve seat, the seal part, such as the O-ring, comes into contact with the seal surface on the body side in a nearly vertical direction. This effectively prevents the seal part from sliding against the seal surface. On the other hand, in the diagonal lift, when the valve disc sits on the seat, the seal part comes into contact with the seal surface at an angle, causing sliding. The impact of this contact when the valve disc sits on the seat and the resistance from the sliding can cause the seal part to be scraped off, and this scraping generates particles. This "sliding" causes two objects to rub against each other while generating friction. Therefore, in the semiconductor manufacturing process, particles have a negative impact on the quality of products such as wafers, and are one of the causes of a decrease in the yield rate of good products (the cause of the generation of foreign matter that is the basis of defective products).

[0055] The magnitude of this impact and sliding is roughly proportional to the speed of the valve just before the end of the valve closing stroke. Therefore, in the oblique lifting and lowering accompanied by sliding, the faster the movement speed in the valve seating direction, the greater both the impact and sliding, and the more likely particles are to be generated. In the complete L motion, in which sliding is substantially suppressed, the faster the movement speed in the valve seating direction, the greater the impact, but sliding does not substantially occur, so particle generation is suppressed compared to the oblique lifting and lowering. Therefore, the speed NA at which the allowable value N is reached in the oblique lifting and lowering and the speed NB at which the allowable value N is reached in the complete L motion are greater than the speed NB. In this way, when compared at the same allowable value for the amount of particle generation, the complete L motion allows the valve disc to move faster than the L motion of the oblique lifting and lowering.

[0056] [Major effects] Generally, the speed control of an air cylinder (pneumatic cylinder) is performed by meter-out control using a speed controller. In this case, it is impossible to perform multi-stage speed control with one stroke of the air cylinder. When driving a gate valve to open and close with an air cylinder, the stem is moved up and down, and the valve body is moved horizontally at the limit of the up and down movement, and the valve body is brought into contact with the body's seal surface via the O-ring to seal. In this case, if the horizontal sealing operation is performed at the same speed as the up and down movement of the stem, the valve body and O-ring will come into contact with the body seal surface with force. Therefore, fine particles called particles may be generated from the body seal surface or the O-ring, and impact or vibration may occur at the time of contact. Furthermore, the forceful contact increases the load on the O-ring, which may accelerate the deterioration of the seal performance or durability of the seal.

[0057] In this embodiment, to realize the L motion of the valve body of the gate valve with one stroke of the air cylinder, air is supplied to the air cylinder via the flow rate adjustment unit, and the control unit controls the piezoelectric element valve of the flow rate adjustment unit so that the valve body decelerates at the end of the L motion when the valve is closed. The piezoelectric element valve can linearly adjust the air flow rate by multi-stage control using an electric signal. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately change the moving speed of the valve body and stem in the vertical and horizontal directions in the L motion of the gate valve. Therefore, defects due to the generation of particles or impacts are prevented. Furthermore, the durability of the seal member is improved. Therefore, the reliability of the gate valve in semiconductor manufacturing equipment is improved.

[0058] More specifically, in this embodiment, when the air cylinder reaches the end of its valve-closing stroke, the control unit controls the piezoelectric valve of the flow rate adjustment unit so as to apply to the piezoelectric valve a voltage of a value corresponding to the air flow rate (opening degree of the piezoelectric valve) that reduces the movement speed of the valve disc to a desired speed. The control amount of such control is appropriately set according to various conditions such as the type, stroke, operation time, and operation speed of the gate valve, and can be appropriately determined based on a calculated or measured value of the movement speed of the valve disc that does not substantially generate particles, impacts, or vibrations in actual use.

[0059] In this embodiment, the piezoelectric valve of the flow rate regulating unit can open and close the exhaust passage from the air cylinder as desired, which is suitable for quickly achieving deceleration of the L motion.

[0060] In addition, in this embodiment, deceleration at the end of the valve-opening stroke is also possible, similar to deceleration at the end of the valve-closing stroke. In general, in a mechanical element, a shock absorbing structure such as an air damper is provided at the end of the stroke motion. In this embodiment, it is possible to sufficiently reduce the shock at the stroke end by decelerating the end of the stroke of the air cylinder. Therefore, in this embodiment, the shock absorbing structure such as the air damper described above is not required. That is, in this embodiment, the gate valve can be a gate valve that does not have a shock absorbing structure at a position corresponding to the end of the stroke of the air cylinder. Therefore, it is advantageous from the viewpoint of miniaturization of the gate valve and simplification of the structure.

[0061] In this embodiment, the movement of the valve body 46 in the Z direction is converted to the X direction by a two-stage cam structure. Therefore, the valve body 46 is seated on the valve seat without being substantially tilted relative to the valve seat. This suppresses the generation of particles or vibrations caused by uneven load on the seal material 461, and further improves the reliability of the gate valve.

[0062] In this embodiment, an air cylinder is used as the fluid cylinder of the power source of the L-motion, which is advantageous from the viewpoint of fluid procurement and handling.

[0063] In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment, the gate valves are used to connect and disconnect the compartments according to the processing of the semiconductor products, and the gate valves are controlled as described above. In this embodiment, since it is possible to prevent the gate valves from causing shocks or vibrations, a configuration for preventing shocks or vibrations from the gate valves in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is not required. This further simplifies the configuration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[0064] Also, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment usually includes a control unit for appropriately carrying out the manufacturing process. For example, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment may include a processing control unit that controls the operation of the transport unit, the processing unit, and the gate valve to perform wafer processing. The control unit of such a semiconductor manufacturing equipment may be used as a control unit in a gate valve control mechanism, and in this case, the opening and closing speed of the gate valve (the Z-direction speed and the X-direction speed in the L-motion) can be appropriately set according to the semiconductor manufacturing process. In this case, the control unit in the gate valve control mechanism may be omitted. Thus, in the embodiment of the present invention, the gate valve has a fluid cylinder that seats and separates the valve body from the valve seat as described above, and is configured to move the valve body in an L-motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder, and the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder may be controlled so that the moving speed of the valve body can be decelerated at the end of the L-motion. Therefore, by applying the gate valve having the above-mentioned flow rate adjustment unit to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment as described above, the opening and closing of the valve body in the gate valve described in this embodiment can be realized in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[0065] In particular, at the removal port of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the gate valve is opened to remove a semiconductor such as a wafer, and then the gate valve is closed and the gas in the chamber is sucked by vacuuming to keep the interior of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment clean. The gate valve control mechanism of this embodiment can increase the speed of the gate valve opening and closing operation at this time. Therefore, the gate valve control mechanism of this embodiment can speed up the timing from removing a semiconductor such as a wafer to putting a new semiconductor such as a wafer into the chamber, compared to the conventional gate valve control mechanism. Therefore, this embodiment contributes to improving the operating speed of the entire semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Also, in a linked type semiconductor manufacturing equipment as shown in FIG. 1, many semiconductor manufacturing equipment are usually arranged in parallel on the same floor and are also operating. Therefore, applying the gate valve control mechanism of this embodiment to a semiconductor manufacturing equipment contributes to further improving the yield of semiconductor manufacturing.

[0066] In addition, in the gate valve of this embodiment, the increase or decrease in the moving speed of the valve body can be controlled by the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder not only at the end of the L motion but also at other timings in the L motion. Therefore, by appropriately controlling the moving speed at any position in addition to the end of the L motion, it is possible to realize various aspects of wafer processing in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, such as the timing of processing in each processing unit in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment or parallel processing in two or more processing units. In addition, the configuration of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment can have features different from those in the above-mentioned embodiment, such as a configuration for realizing such various processing, for example, a transport unit configured to be able to transport a wafer to two or more processing units, or a processing control unit having a functional configuration for performing various processing such as parallel processing. Therefore, the gate valve of this embodiment is expected to contribute to the realization of a new aspect of semiconductor manufacturing by being applied to a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, or to the improvement of productivity of semiconductor products due to the new aspect.

[0067] [Modifications] In this embodiment, the arrangement of the cam grooves 471, 472 and the cam rollers 511, 512 may be reversed, and the cam rollers may be arranged on the stem 47 side and the cam grooves on the cam follower plate 51 side.

[0068] In this embodiment, the air cylinder 50 may be replaced with a cylinder that uses a fluid other than air, such as a hydraulic cylinder.

[0069] Furthermore, the flow rate adjustment unit 42 in this embodiment may be configured so that only the air supply flow path from the flow rate adjustment unit 42 to the air cylinder 50 can be opened and closed by a piezoelectric element valve, or so that only the air exhaust flow path from the air cylinder 50 to the flow rate adjustment unit 42 can be opened and closed by a piezoelectric element valve. In this way, even if only one of the air supply flow path or the exhaust flow path can be opened and closed by a pressure element valve, it is possible to sufficiently control the moving speed of the valve body 46 in the L motion as described above. The air exhaust flow path in the former case or the air supply flow path in the latter case may be constantly open, or may be opened and closed as appropriate by a valve other than a piezoelectric element valve.

[0070] The flow rate regulating unit may be configured to be able to more precisely control the amount of air supplied to the air cylinder by further utilizing a piezoelectric element valve that opens and closes the exhaust flow path to control the opening of the exhaust flow path when air is supplied to the air cylinder.Similarly, when air is exhausted from the air cylinder, the piezoelectric element valve that opens and closes the supply flow path may be further utilized to control the opening of the supply flow path when exhausting air, thereby more precisely controlling the amount of air exhausted from the air cylinder.

[0071] The gate valve in this embodiment also includes a slit valve and a door valve. The shape of the valve body 46 and the opening (slit 441) in the gate valve when viewed from above does not have to be square or round, and is not limited to a specific shape.

[0072] In this embodiment, two air cylinders are arranged on both sides of the stem, but the number of air cylinders is not limited. For example, there may be only one air cylinder.

[0073] The sealing member in this embodiment may be, for example, an O-ring, but may be other sealing material than an O-ring, such as a resin packing.

[0074] The flow rate control unit may be a two-port valve or a three-port valve. In this embodiment, the polymer actuator described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-526327 filed by the present applicant may be used instead of the piezoelectric valve described above.

[0075] [Software implementation example] The functions of the control unit 43 can be realized by a program for making a computer function as the control unit 43 and for making a computer function as each control block in the control unit 43. In this case, the control unit 43 includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the above program. The control device and storage device execute the above program to realize the functions described in each of the above embodiments.

[0076] The above program may be recorded non-transiently in one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the control unit 43. In the latter case, the above program may be supplied to the control unit 43 via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0077] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the control unit 43. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0078] 〔summary〕 A first aspect of the present invention is a gate valve having a fluid cylinder that seats and separates a valve disc from a valve seat, and configured to move the valve disc in an L motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder, and the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is controlled so that the moving speed of the valve disc can be decelerated at the end of the L motion. According to the first aspect, it is possible to speed up the opening and closing of the gate valve and prevent the generation of particles.

[0079] A second aspect of the present invention is a gate valve control mechanism (40) including a gate valve (41) having a fluid cylinder (air cylinder 50) that seats and separates a valve body (46) from a valve seat and is configured to move the valve body in an L motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder, a piezoelectric element valve (64-67) or a polymer actuator that controls the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder by opening and closing one or both of a fluid supply flow path to the fluid cylinder and a fluid discharge flow path from the fluid cylinder by applying a voltage, and a control unit (43) that controls the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element valve or the polymer actuator so that the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder becomes smaller at least at the end of the valve closing stroke of the fluid cylinder that seats the valve body on the valve seat. According to the second aspect, it is possible to open and close the gate valve quickly and prevent the generation of particles.

[0080] In a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the control unit controls the voltage applied to the piezoelectric valve or the polymer actuator so that the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is reduced even at the end of the valve-opening stroke of the fluid cylinder that separates the valve body from the valve seat. The third aspect is even more effective from the viewpoint of reducing vibration or impact of the gate valve when the valve is open, and from the viewpoint of miniaturization and simplification of the configuration of the gate valve.

[0081] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a gate valve according to the second or third aspect, which has a stem (47) that supports a valve body and is movable in the stroke direction and in a direction approaching and moving away from a valve seat in conjunction with the stroke of a fluid cylinder, an interlocking part that interlocks the stem with the stroke of the fluid cylinder, a cam roller (511, 512) supported by one of the stem and the interlocking part and engaging with the other, and a cam groove (471, 472) formed on the other of the stem and the interlocking part with which the cam roller engages and which is slidable. The cam roller and the cam groove are both disposed at two locations in the stroke of the fluid cylinder, one of the cam roller and the cam groove is disposed obliquely so as to move away from the valve seat toward the end of the valve-closing stroke, and the interlocking part interlocks the movement of the stem in the valve-closing stroke direction of the fluid cylinder from the start to the end of the valve-closing stroke, and interlocks the movement of the stem in a direction intersecting the valve-closing stroke of the fluid cylinder from the end to the end of the valve-closing stroke. The fourth aspect is even more effective in preventing problems with the gate valve caused by contact between the valve disc and the valve seat and in improving the reliability of the gate valve.

[0082] A fifth aspect of the present invention is any one of the second to fourth aspects, in which the fluid cylinder is an air cylinder and the fluid is air. The fifth aspect is even more effective from the viewpoint of easily procuring the fluid in the fluid cylinder and facilitating handling of the fluid.

[0083] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling the gate valve control mechanism of any one of the second to fifth aspects, which controls a voltage applied to a piezoelectric valve or a polymer actuator so that the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is reduced when the fluid cylinder reaches at least the end of its valve-closing stroke. According to the sixth aspect, as in the second aspect, it is possible to speed up the opening and closing of the gate valve and prevent the generation of particles.

[0084] A seventh aspect of the present invention is the sixth aspect, in which when the fluid cylinder reaches the end of its valve-closing stroke, a voltage corresponding to the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is applied to the piezoelectric valve or polymer actuator, which voltage reduces the movement speed of the valve body due to the valve-closing stroke of the fluid cylinder to a set speed. The seventh aspect is even more effective in terms of achieving the above-mentioned effects according to the conditions of actual use of the gate valve.

[0085] The eighth aspect of the present invention is the sixth or seventh aspect, in which when the fluid cylinder reaches the end of its valve-opening stroke, a voltage corresponding to the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is applied to the piezoelectric valve or polymer actuator to reduce the movement speed of the valve body due to the valve-opening stroke of the fluid cylinder to a set speed. The eighth aspect is even more effective from the viewpoint of reducing vibration or impact of the gate valve when the valve is open, and from the viewpoint of miniaturization and simplification of the configuration of the gate valve.

[0086] A ninth aspect of the present invention is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a transport unit (10) for transporting wafers for semiconductor products, a processing unit (20) for processing the wafers transported from the transport unit, a gate valve for connecting and disconnecting the transport unit and the processing unit, and a processing control unit for controlling the operation of the transport unit, the processing unit and the gate valve to process the wafers, the gate valve having a fluid cylinder for seating and separating a valve body from a valve seat, configured to move the valve body in an L motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder, and the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is controlled so that the moving speed of the valve body can be decelerated at the end of the L motion. According to the ninth aspect, it is possible to speed up the opening and closing of the gate valve in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and prevent the generation of particles, and it is possible to further improve the reliability of the manufacturing apparatus in semiconductor manufacturing and the yield of semiconductor products.

[0087] A tenth aspect of the present invention is the second to fifth aspects, in which a piezoelectric valve or a polymer actuator opens and closes a discharge flow path by applying a voltage. The tenth aspect is even more effective in terms of quickly realizing deceleration of the valve body at the end of the stroke.

[0088] According to this embodiment, it is expected that the gate valve in semiconductor manufacturing can be simplified and its reliability can be improved. This embodiment, which has such an effect, is expected to contribute to the achievement of Goal 9 "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and promote innovation" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations.

[0089] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment 10. Conveyor 11 Transport table 12 Rail 20 Processing section 30 Storage unit 40 Gate valve control mechanism 41 Gate valve 42 Flow Control Unit 43 Control Unit 44 Body 45 Drive unit 46 Valve body 47 Stem 48 Spring 49 Base Plate 50 Air Cylinder 51 Cam follower plate 61 Supply room 62, 63 Communication room 64, 65 First piezoelectric valve 66, 67 Second piezoelectric valve 100 wafers 441 Slit 451 Roller Block 452, 453 nozzles 461 Seal part 471, 472 Cam groove 473 Base material 501 Cylinder tube 502 Piston rod 503 Room 1 504 Second room 511, 512 Cam Roller 611 Air supply port 612, 613 Connection port 621, 631 Ventilation hole 622, 632 Exhaust port

Claims

1. A gate valve having a fluid cylinder that seats and separates a valve body from a valve seat, and configured to move the valve body in an L motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder, A gate valve in which the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is controlled so as to decelerate the moving speed of the valve body at least at the end of the L motion.

2. a gate valve having a fluid cylinder that seats and separates a valve body from a valve seat, and configured to move the valve body in an L motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder; a piezoelectric valve or a polymer actuator that controls the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder by opening and closing one or both of a fluid supply flow path to the fluid cylinder and a fluid discharge flow path from the fluid cylinder by applying a voltage, and a control unit that controls the voltage applied to the piezoelectric valve or the polymer actuator so that the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder becomes smaller at least at a terminal portion of a valve closing stroke of the fluid cylinder where the valve body is seated on the valve seat; a gate valve control mechanism.

3. 3. The gate valve control mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls a voltage applied to the piezoelectric valve or the polymer actuator so that the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is reduced even at the end of a valve opening stroke of the fluid cylinder that separates the valve body from the valve seat.

4. The gate valve is a stem that supports the valve body and is movable in a stroke direction and in a direction approaching and moving away from the valve seat in conjunction with the stroke of the fluid cylinder; a linking portion that links the stem to a stroke of the fluid cylinder; a cam roller supported by one of the stem and the interlocking portion and engaged with the other; a cam groove formed in the other of the stem and the interlocking portion, the cam roller being engaged with and slidable therein; having the cam roller and the cam groove are both disposed at two positions in the stroke of the fluid cylinder, one of the cam roller and the cam groove is disposed obliquely so as to move away from the valve seat toward the end of the valve closing stroke; 3. The gate valve control mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the interlocking portion interlocks the movement of the stem in the valve-closing stroke direction of the fluid cylinder from the start to the end of the valve-closing stroke, and interlocks the movement of the stem in a direction intersecting the valve-closing stroke of the fluid cylinder from the end to the end of the valve-closing stroke.

5. 3. The gate valve control mechanism of claim 2, wherein the fluid cylinder is an air cylinder and the fluid is air.

6. A method for controlling the gate valve control mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 5, comprising the steps of: controlling a voltage applied to the piezoelectric valve or the polymer actuator so that the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is less when the fluid cylinder reaches at least the end of its valve closing stroke; A method for controlling a gate valve control mechanism.

7. 7. A control method for a gate valve control mechanism as described in claim 6, wherein when the fluid cylinder reaches the end of its valve closing stroke, a voltage of a value corresponding to the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is applied to the piezoelectric valve or the polymer actuator to reduce the movement speed of the valve body due to the valve closing stroke of the fluid cylinder to a set speed.

8. 7. A control method for a gate valve control mechanism as described in claim 6, wherein when the fluid cylinder reaches the end of its valve opening stroke, a voltage of a value corresponding to the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is applied to the piezoelectric valve or the polymer actuator to reduce the movement speed of the valve body due to the valve opening stroke of the fluid cylinder to a set speed.

9. a transport unit for transporting wafers for semiconductor products, a processing unit for processing the wafers transported from the transport unit, a gate valve for connecting and disconnecting the transport unit and the processing unit, and a processing control unit for controlling the operation of the transport unit, the processing unit, and the gate valve to process the wafers, The gate valve has a fluid cylinder that seats and separates the valve body from the valve seat, and is configured to move the valve body in an L motion with one stroke of the fluid cylinder, and the amount of fluid in the fluid cylinder is controlled so that the moving speed of the valve body can be decelerated at least at the end of the L motion. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

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