Valve and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of reducing a sliding amount of a seal part while allowing a large flow rate of fluid to flow.SOLUTION: The gate 70 includes a housing 71 having a flow path 70a for fluid therein, and a gate body 76 rotatably provided with respect to the housing and capable of opening and closing the flow path. The housing has a housing sealing surface 742 surrounding the flow path. The valve element has a valve element seal surface 765 opposed to the casing seal surface in a closing position for closing the flow passage, in an outer peripheral part. The valve-body seal surface faces in a closing rotation direction of the valve body for closing the flow path over an entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a valve and a substrate processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a ball valve (fluid control valve) for controlling the flow rate of a fluid. This valve has a primary flow path, a seal assembly, and a ball element (valve body) in a housing. The ball element is rotatably provided within the housing, and as it rotates, it comes into contact with the main seal of the seal assembly, thereby closing the valve.

[0003] This type of valve allows a large flow rate of fluid to pass through the primary flow path because the ball element is significantly retracted from the primary flow path when in the open state. However, when the ball element rotates, the amount of sliding of the ball element against the seal assembly increases, making the valve prone to friction and other problems associated with the sliding. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2005-521006 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can reduce the sliding distance of the valve element while allowing a large flow rate of fluid to flow. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a valve including a housing having a fluid flow path therein, and a valve body rotatably mounted relative to the housing and capable of opening and closing the flow path, wherein the housing has a housing sealing surface surrounding the flow path, the valve body has a valve body sealing surface on its outer periphery that faces the housing sealing surface in a closing position that closes the flow path, and the valve body sealing surface faces in the closing rotation direction of the valve body that closes the flow path around the entire circumference of the outer periphery. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect, it is possible to reduce the sliding distance of the valve element while allowing a large flow rate of fluid to flow. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus to which a valve according to an embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a valve according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the valve taken along the X and Z axes, respectively, and are cross-sectional views of the valve taken along the X and Y axes. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the valve body relative to the sealing pipe body when the valve body is closed. [Figure 5] Fig. 5(A) is a plan view of the valve disc as seen from the positive direction of the Z axis, and Fig. 5(B) is a front view of the valve disc as seen from the negative direction of the X axis. [Figure 6] Fig. 6(A) is a plan cross-sectional view showing the valve in an open state, Fig. 6(B) is a plan cross-sectional view showing the valve when adjusting the opening degree, and Fig. 6(C) is a plan cross-sectional view showing the valve before it becomes closed. [Figure 7] Fig. 7(A) is a plan sectional view showing an enlarged view of the seal on the valve disc seal surface at the rear end in the closing rotation direction, Fig. 7(B) is a plan sectional view showing an enlarged view of the seal on the valve disc seal surface at the front end in the closing rotation direction, and Fig. 7(C) is a plan sectional view showing an enlarged view of the seal on the valve disc seal surface at the front end in the closing rotation direction according to another embodiment. [Figure 8]Figure 8(A) is a diagram schematically showing a valve according to a first modified example, and Figure 8(B) is a diagram schematically showing a valve according to a second modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view that schematically shows a sealing pipe according to a third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0010] To facilitate understanding of the valve according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, first, an example of a substrate processing apparatus to which the valve is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

[0011] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a vertical heat treatment apparatus that holds a plurality of substrates W arranged vertically and forms a desired film on the surface of each substrate W by atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), thermal oxidation, or other methods. The substrate W on which a film is formed is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer or a compound semiconductor wafer, or a glass substrate.

[0012] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing vessel 10 that accommodates each substrate W and performs film formation, a gas supply unit 30 that supplies gas into the processing vessel 10, a gas exhaust unit 40 that exhausts gas from the processing vessel 10, and a temperature-controlled furnace 50 that is disposed around the processing vessel 10. The substrate processing apparatus 1 also includes a control unit 90 that controls each component of the system including the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0013] The processing vessel 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is installed with its axis aligned vertically (up and down). The processing vessel 10 has a double-cylinder structure including an inner cylinder 11 and an outer cylinder 12 that houses the inner cylinder 11. The inner cylinder 11 and the outer cylinder 12 are made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz and are arranged coaxially. The processing vessel 10 is not limited to a double-cylinder structure, and may also have a single-cylinder structure or a multiple-cylinder structure consisting of three or more cylinders.

[0014] The inner cylinder 11 has an open lower end and a ceiling wall at its upper end. The inner cylinder 11 has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of each substrate W. The interior of the inner cylinder 11 forms a processing space S1 in which gas is supplied to each of the accommodated substrates W to form a film. Openings 15 are provided at appropriate circumferential positions of the inner cylinder 11 to allow gas to flow from the processing space S1 to a flow space S2 between the inner cylinder 11 and the outer cylinder 12. The openings 15 may be formed in the ceiling wall of the inner cylinder 11, for example.

[0015] Furthermore, the inner cylinder 11 has a housing portion 13 capable of housing a gas supply nozzle 31 of the gas supply unit 30, at a circumferential position opposite the opening 15. As an example, the housing portion 13 is provided inside a protrusion 14 that protrudes a part of the side wall of the inner cylinder 11 radially outward.

[0016] The outer cylinder 12 has an inner diameter larger than that of the inner cylinder 11 and covers the inner cylinder 11 without contacting it. A flow space S2 formed inside the outer cylinder 12 is continuous with the upper and lateral sides of the inner cylinder 11, and allows the gas that has moved from the opening 15 to flow vertically downward.

[0017] The lower end of the processing vessel 10 is supported by a cylindrical manifold 17 made of stainless steel. The manifold 17 has a manifold-side flange 17f at its upper end. The manifold-side flange 17f secures and supports an outer cylinder-side flange 12f formed at the lower end of the outer cylinder 12. A seal member 19 is provided between the outer cylinder-side flange 12f and the manifold-side flange 17f to airtightly seal the outer cylinder 12 and the manifold 17. The manifold 17 also has an annular support plate 16 on its upper inner wall. The support plate 16 protrudes radially inward from the inner wall to secure and support the lower end of the inner cylinder 11.

[0018] A lid 21 is disposed at the lower end opening of the manifold 17. The lid 21 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction by an elevator 25, and opens and closes the lower end opening of the manifold 17 (see also FIG. 1). The lower end of the manifold 17 is provided with a seal member 18 that airtightly closes the lower end opening of the manifold 17 when the lid 21 is closed. After the wafer boat 20 is accommodated inside, the processing vessel 10 and the manifold 17 are sealed inside when the lid 21 is closed.

[0019] The wafer boat 20 is a substrate holder that holds multiple substrates W. The longitudinal direction of the wafer boat 20 is aligned vertically, and multiple shelf plates (not shown) hold the outer edges of each substrate W. When held by the wafer boat 20, the substrates W are lined up at regular intervals along the vertical direction and are supported horizontally relative to one another.

[0020] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a rotating unit 23 that rotatably supports the wafer boat 20, and an elevating unit 25 that supports the wafer boat 20 via the rotating unit 23 so that it can move up and down.

[0021] The rotating unit 23 includes a rotation source (not shown), a rotating shaft 24 rotated by the rotation source, and a rotating plate 26 connected to the upper end of the rotating shaft 24. The wafer boat 20 is mounted on the upper surface of the rotating plate 26 via a heat insulating structure 27. The rotating unit 23 rotates the rotating shaft 24 and the rotating plate 26, thereby rotating the heat insulating structure 27 and the wafer boat 20 around a vertical axis.

[0022] The lifting unit 25 has a column 25A extending vertically, an arm 25B that can be raised and lowered relative to the column 25A, and an elevation drive unit (not shown) that raises and lowers the arm 25B. The arm 25B extends horizontally, and its extension end supports the components (wafer boat 20, rotating plate 26, and heat insulating structure 27) above the rotating unit 23. By raising and lowering the arm 25B of the lifting unit 25, the substrate processing apparatus 1 raises and lowers the lid 21, the rotating unit 23, and the components above the rotating shaft 24, thereby inserting and removing the wafer boat 20 into and from the processing vessel 10.

[0023] The gas supply unit 30 includes one or more gas supply nozzles 31 for supplying gas to each substrate W disposed in the processing space S1. Examples of gases supplied by the gas supply unit 30 include a source gas for depositing a precursor on the substrate W, a reaction gas that reacts with the precursor, and a purge gas that purges the processing space S1.

[0024] In the embodiment, the gas supply unit 30 includes two gas supply nozzles 31 (a first gas supply nozzle 31A and a second gas supply nozzle 31B). The first gas supply nozzle 31A supplies a source gas and a purge gas into the processing vessel 10. The second gas supply nozzle 31B supplies a reactive gas into the processing vessel 10. The gas supply unit 30 is not limited to this configuration, and may include a gas supply nozzle 31 for each type of source gas, reactive gas, and purge gas (i.e., three or more). Conversely, the gas supply unit 30 may be configured to supply the source gas, reactive gas, and purge gas through a single gas supply nozzle 31.

[0025] Each gas supply nozzle 31 (first gas supply nozzle 31A, second gas supply nozzle 31B) is a quartz injector tube fixed to the manifold 17. Each gas supply nozzle 31 extends vertically within the inner cylinder 11 and is bent at its lower end into an L-shape, penetrating the inside and outside of the manifold 17. Each gas supply nozzle 31 has a plurality of gas holes 31h arranged at regular intervals in the vertical direction within the inner cylinder 11, and discharges gas horizontally from each gas hole 31h. The intervals between the gas holes 31h are set to be the same as the intervals between the substrates W supported by the wafer boat 20, for example. The vertical positions of each gas hole 31h are set to be midway between the substrates W adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. This allows each gas hole 31h to smoothly supply gas to the gaps between the substrates W.

[0026] The gas supply unit 30 has, outside the processing vessel 10, a plurality of gas supply paths 32 connected to a first gas supply nozzle 31A and a second gas supply nozzle 31B, respectively. The gas supply path 32 connected to the first gas supply nozzle 31A branches off midway and is connected to a source gas source and a purge gas source (not shown). The gas supply path 32 connected to the second gas supply nozzle 31B is connected to a reaction gas source (not shown). Each gas supply path 32 is further equipped with a flow regulator for adjusting the gas flow rate, a valve for opening and closing a flow path within the path, and the like (both not shown) at a midway point leading to the corresponding gas source.

[0027] The gas exhaust unit 40 exhausts gas inside the processing vessel 10 to the outside. The gas supplied by each gas supply nozzle 31 moves from the processing space S1 of the inner cylinder 11 to the flow space S2, and then is exhausted through the gas outlet 41. The gas outlet 41 is formed in the upper sidewall of the manifold 17, above the support plate 16. An exhaust path 42 of the gas exhaust unit 40 is connected to the gas outlet 41.

[0028] The gas exhaust unit 40 includes a valve 70 and a vacuum pump 43, which are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream of the exhaust path 42. The vacuum pump 43 generates suction pressure by driving a suction drive unit (not shown), and sucks the gas out of the processing vessel 10. The valve 70 is an APC (Automatic Pressure Control) valve that can adjust the pressure inside the processing vessel 10 by opening and closing the exhaust path 42 or changing the opening degree. The configuration of the valve 70 will be described in detail later.

[0029] A temperature sensor 80 is provided inside the processing vessel 10 (for example, in the processing space S1 inside the inner cylinder 11) to detect the temperature inside the processing vessel 10. The temperature sensor 80 has multiple (five in this embodiment) temperature measuring elements 81-85 at different positions in the vertical direction. The multiple temperature measuring elements 81-85 may be thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors, etc. The temperature sensor 80 transmits the temperatures detected by each of the multiple temperature measuring elements 81-85 to the control unit 90.

[0030] On the other hand, the temperature-controlled furnace 50 covers the entire processing vessel 10 and heats and cools each substrate W accommodated in the processing vessel 10 from the outside. Specifically, the temperature-controlled furnace 50 includes a cylindrical housing 51 having a ceiling and a heater 52 provided inside the housing 51.

[0031] The housing 51 is attached to the upper surface of a base plate 54 located at the boundary between the processing vessel 10 and the manifold 17, and heats the processing vessel 10 accommodated inside. The housing 51 is installed with a gap between it and the processing vessel 10, and a temperature-controlled space 53 is formed between the processing vessel 10 and the housing 51.

[0032] The housing 51 includes a heat insulating part 51a having a ceiling and covering the entire processing vessel 10, and a reinforcing part 51b that reinforces the heat insulating part 51a on the outer periphery side of the heat insulating part 51a. In order to suppress thermal influence on the outside of the temperature-controlled furnace 50, the outer periphery side of the reinforcing part 51b is covered with a water-cooling jacket (not shown).

[0033] Furthermore, the temperature-controlled furnace 50 includes a cooling unit 60 that circulates a cooling gas such as air through the temperature-controlled space 53 in order to cool the processing vessel 10 during or after film formation. The cooling unit 60 includes an external supply path 61 and a flow rate regulator 62 that are provided outside the temperature-controlled furnace 50, a supply flow path 63 that is provided in the reinforcing portion 51b, and a plurality of supply holes 64 that are provided in the insulating portion 51a.

[0034] The cooling unit 60 also has an exhaust hole 65 in the ceiling of the housing 51 for discharging air supplied into the temperature-controlled space 53. The exhaust hole 65 is connected to an external exhaust path 66 provided outside the housing 51.

[0035] In the above example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has been described as an apparatus that supplies a source gas and a reactive gas as processing gases to form a desired film on the surface of each substrate W. However, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is not limited to being a film forming apparatus. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be an apparatus that etches a film on the surface of each substrate W, or an apparatus that modifies or cleans the surface of each substrate W, as a heat processing apparatus. The heat processing apparatus may also be configured to generate plasma within the processing chamber 10.

[0036] The control unit 90 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be a computer having a processor, memory, an input / output interface, a communication interface, etc. The processor may be one or a combination of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit made up of a plurality of discrete semiconductors, etc. The memory may include a main storage device made up of a semiconductor memory or the like, and an auxiliary storage device made up of a disk, semiconductor memory (flash memory), etc. The memory may be configured by appropriately combining volatile memory and non-volatile memory (for example, a compact disk, a digital versatile disc (DVD), a hard disk, flash memory, etc.).

[0037] The memory stores a program for operating the substrate processing apparatus 1 and recipes, such as heat treatment process conditions. The processor reads and executes the memory program to control each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1. In other words, the control unit 90 of the present disclosure is an electronic circuit having a CPU, GPU, ASIC, FPGA, etc., and performs the various control operations described herein by executing instruction codes stored in the memory or by circuit design for a specific application. The control unit may be configured as a host computer or multiple client computers communicating via a network. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is not limited to a configuration in which the control unit 90 directly controls each device. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be configured such that a dedicated control device is provided for each device (e.g., the substrate processing apparatus 1), and the control unit 90 sends control commands to the control device to control each device.

[0038] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above, when replacing the gas in the processing vessel 10, it is desired to improve the efficiency of processing by purging the gas in the processing vessel 10 at a low pressure and a large flow rate using the gas exhaust unit 40. In particular, the valve 70 that controls the pressure in the gas exhaust unit 40 is the rate-limiting point for the exhaust speed of the processing gas, and by configuring the valve 70 to be capable of exhausting at a large flow rate, the load on the vacuum pump 43 can be reduced.

[0039] Next, the configuration of the valve 70 that realizes a large flow rate of exhaust will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2. For ease of explanation, the position of each component of the valve 70 will be indicated by arrows in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions shown in Fig. 2.

[0040] The valve 70 extends linearly along the X-axis direction and allows a fluid such as gas to flow linearly from one end to the other. Both ends of the valve 70 in the X-axis direction are connected to pipes that form the exhaust path 42 (see FIG. 1). The valve 70 has an internal flow path 70a that communicates with the pipelines of each pipe and allows a fluid to flow through. The valve 70 also has an inlet 70b at one end (the end in the negative X-axis direction) of the flow path 70a and an outlet 70c at the other end (the end in the positive X-axis direction) of the flow path 70a.

[0041] Specifically, the valve 70 includes a housing 71 and a valve element 76 that is provided inside the housing 71 and opens and closes the flow path 70a.

[0042] Housing 71 includes a substantially spherical main body portion 711 located midway in the X-axis direction, an inlet cylindrical portion 712 connected to main body portion 711 in the negative X-axis direction, and an outlet cylindrical portion 713 connected to main body portion 711 in the positive X-axis direction. Housing 71 also includes a sealing pipe 74 fixed to inlet cylindrical portion 712.

[0043] The main body 711 of the housing 71 rotatably supports the valve element 76 and constitutes a part that switches between opening and closing the internal flow path 70a in accordance with the rotation of the valve element 76. When the valve element 76 is in the open state, the main body 711 receives fluid from the inlet tubular portion 712 (sealing tube 74) and causes the fluid to flow out to the outlet tubular portion 713.

[0044] The main body 711 also has flat portions 714 at both ends in the Z-axis direction. A through-hole 71h is formed in the flat portion 714 to rotatably accommodate the rotation shaft 763 of the valve element 76. The flat portion 714 allows the thickness of the valve 70 in the Z-axis direction to be smaller than the width in the Y-axis direction. For example, a drive mechanism (not shown) that rotates the valve element 76 is attached to this flat portion 714. A seal is provided in the through-hole 71h to rotatably close the gap when the rotation shaft 763 is accommodated therein.

[0045] Furthermore, the housing 71 has a spherical portion 715 at a position adjacent to the flat portion 714 in the circumferential direction in the Y-axis direction. The spherical portion 715 bulges the internal space of the main body portion 711 radially outward, thereby forming a portion where the valve element 76 that opens the flow path 70a is kept waiting.

[0046] The housing 71 according to the embodiment can be separated into two members (a first housing 72 and a second housing 73) in the X-axis direction to improve the workability of the housing 71 and to enable the installation of the valve body 76. In FIG. 2, the first housing 72 is located on the negative side of the X-axis, and the second housing 73 is located on the positive side of the X-axis. The boundary between the first housing 72 and the second housing 73 is inclined in the X-axis and Z-axis directions at the main body 711.

[0047] First housing 72 includes a main body 711 on the negative X-axis side and an inlet tube 712. First housing 72 has a large portion of flat portion 714 on the positive Z-axis side, and has a through-hole 71h on the positive Z-axis side. The end face of first housing 72 on the positive X-axis side, which forms the boundary, is formed into an elliptical shape according to the inclination. Furthermore, first housing 72 has an arc-shaped flange 72f, which forms the boundary, on the outer circumferential surface of main body 711 in the Y-axis direction.

[0048] Second housing 73 includes the X-axis positive side of main body 711 and outflow tube portion 713. Second housing 73 has a large portion of flat portion 714 on the Z-axis negative side, and has through-hole 71h on the Z-axis negative side (see also FIG. 3(A)). The end face on the X-axis negative side of second housing 73, which forms the boundary, is formed into an elliptical shape (the same shape as the end face of first housing 72) due to the inclination. Second housing 73 also has arc-shaped flange 73f, which forms the boundary, on the outer circumferential surface of main body 711 in the Y-axis direction.

[0049] When assembling the valve 70, the valve element 76 is inserted into each through-hole 71h before the first housing 72 (including the sealing tube 74) and the second housing 73 are fixed together. Thereafter, the end face of the boundary portion of the first housing 72 and the opposing face of the flange 72f are overlapped with the end face of the boundary portion of the second housing 73 and the opposing face of the flange 73f, and fixed together by a fixing means such as welding, melting, or screwing. By this procedure, the valve 70 can be easily constructed in a state where the valve element 76 is housed in the housing 71.

[0050] It is preferable that the housing 71 is provided with a sealing member (not shown) such as an O-ring at the boundary between the first housing 72 and the second housing 73. This allows the housing 71 to improve the airtightness of the main body 711. The division of the first housing 72 and the second housing 73 of the housing 71 is not limited to the above, and the housing 71 may be divided in the axial direction along the X-axis direction, for example.

[0051] The sealing pipe 74 is fixed to the inlet cylindrical portion 712, and constitutes an inlet port for the fluid at one end in the negative X-axis direction, and cooperates with the valve element 76 at the other end in the positive X-axis direction to constitute the seal portion S. The sealing pipe 74 has a circular tubular shape that extends a short distance in the X-axis direction.

[0052] 3(A) and 3(B), the sealing pipe 74 has a pipe-side flange 74f that protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface and surrounds it in an annular shape. The pipe-side flange 74f is connected to the end face of the inlet cylindrical portion 712 of the housing 71 by a fixing means such as welding, adhesive bonding, or screwing. Note that the valve 70 preferably includes a seal member (not shown) such as an O-ring at the boundary between the end face of the inlet cylindrical portion 712 and the pipe-side flange 74f of the sealing pipe 74. This enables the valve 70 to improve the airtightness of the connection between the housing 71 and the sealing pipe 74.

[0053] The sealing pipe 74 also includes an inner peripheral wall 741 that protrudes in the positive direction of the X-axis beyond the pipe-side flange 74f and extends within the inlet tubular portion 712, and an outer peripheral wall 743 that protrudes in the negative direction of the X-axis beyond the pipe-side flange 74f and constitutes the inlet 70b. The outer peripheral wall 743 is formed to have approximately the same inner and outer diameters as the outlet tubular portion 713 of the housing 71, and is connected to the piping of the exhaust path 42.

[0054] The inner peripheral wall 741 is formed thicker than the outer peripheral wall 743 in order to form a seal portion S between the inner peripheral wall 741 and the valve disc 76. The end face of the inner peripheral wall 741 in the positive X-axis direction is located in the main body 711 of the housing 71 and serves as a housing seal surface 742 that holds the seal member 75. The housing seal surface 742 is formed in an annular shape that runs around the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral wall 741 and surrounds the flow path 70a. The housing seal surface 742 has a surface orientation that changes along the circumferential direction and is formed in a wavy shape (so as to have projections and depressions) along the X-axis direction, corresponding to a valve disc seal surface 765 of the valve disc 76 described below. The shape of the housing seal surface 742 will be described in detail later.

[0055] The sealing member 75 is an O-ring or the like that is wound annularly around the housing sealing surface 742 of the sealing pipe 74. The sealing member 75 is housed in and fixed to a recessed groove provided in the housing sealing surface 742 so as to protrude slightly from the housing sealing surface 742. Examples of materials for the sealing member 75 include well-known resin materials that can ensure airtightness, such as rubber (elastic material).

[0056] As described above, the valve element 76 is rotatably housed within the main body 711 of the housing 71. The valve element 76 has a main shutoff section 761, a pair of support walls 762 that support both ends of the main shutoff section 761 in the Z-axis direction, and a pair of rotation shafts 763 that protrude outward from each of the pair of support walls 762.

[0057] The main shutoff portion 761 is formed in a generally hemispherical shape (arc-shaped in cross section) with a smaller radius than the main body portion 711, and is disposed in a position facing the center of the flow path 70a when the valve body 76 is in the closed state. When the valve body 76 is in the closed state, the main shutoff portion 761 has a convex (bowl-shaped) shape with the center protruding toward the inlet 70b relative to the outer periphery. The shape of the main shutoff portion 761 is not particularly limited, and may be formed flat, for example.

[0058] The pair of support walls 762 protrude in the opposite direction (the positive direction of the X-axis when the valve element 76 is in the closed state) to the convex shape of the main shutoff section 761. The pair of support walls 762 are formed in a flat plate shape, and extend parallel to the flat section 714 of the housing 71 with the rotating shaft 763 journaled to the housing 71. Each support wall 762 narrows in a stepped manner toward the positive direction of the X-axis in a plan view, and supports the rotating shaft 763 at its end in the positive direction of the X-axis.

[0059] The pair of rotating shafts 763 are formed in a cylindrical shape and protrude outward (in the positive and negative Z-axis directions) from the outer surfaces of the respective support walls 762. One of the rotating shafts 763 is inserted into a through-hole 71h of the housing 71 facing the positive Z-axis. The other of the rotating shafts 763 is inserted into a through-hole 71h of the housing 71 facing the negative Z-axis. This allows the valve element 76 to be rotatably supported around the Z-axis relative to the housing 71. The main shutoff unit 761, supported by each rotating shaft 763 via each support wall 762, moves between a fully closed position where it closes the flow path 70a at a position facing the sealing pipe body 74, and a fully open position (see also FIG. 6A) where it opens the flow path 70a at a position rotated approximately 90° from the fully closed position. In the fully open position, the main shutoff unit 761 is positioned inside the spherical portion 715 of the housing 71, thereby widening the linear flow path 70a of the valve 70.

[0060] One or both of the pair of rotary shafts 763 are connected to a drive mechanism that rotates the valve element 76 at the outside protruding from the through-hole 71h of the housing 71. The valve 70 can adjust the opening and closing of the flow path 70a and the opening degree of the valve element 76 relative to the flow path 70a by controlling the rotational position of the valve element 76 based on the operation of this drive mechanism.

[0061] The valve element 76 according to the embodiment has an annular outer periphery 764 that is continuous with the outer edge of the hemispherical main shutoff portion 761, and a valve element seal surface 765 that can come into contact with the seal member 75 of the sealing pipe 74 is formed on this outer periphery 764. When the valve element 76 is closed, the valve element seal surface 765 comes into contact with the housing seal surface 742 in a manner that crushes the seal member 75, thereby airtightly closing the flow path 70a.

[0062] Furthermore, the valve element 76 according to the embodiment has a shape that can reduce as much as possible the amount of sliding of the valve element seal surface 765 against the housing seal surface 742 (in other words, the seal member 75) when the valve element 76 is opened or closed as the valve element 76 rotates. The seal portion S formed by the valve element seal surface 765 of the valve element 76 and the housing seal surface 742 of the sealing tube 74 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0063] The valve element seal surface 765 of the valve element 76 according to this embodiment faces the rotation direction (closing rotation direction) of the valve element 76 that closes the flow path 70a around the entire outer periphery 764. The closing rotation direction of the valve element 76 that closes the flow path 70a is clockwise when viewed from the positive Z-axis direction as shown in FIG. 3(B). Therefore, the valve element seal surface 765 faces the clockwise direction at a position spaced a predetermined radius from the rotation axis 763, which is the center of rotation. The closing rotation direction may be set depending on the installation position of the valve element 76. For example, if the fully open position is on the positive Y-axis side, it may be counterclockwise.

[0064] To achieve this shape, the valve disc seal surface 765 has a shape that is gradually twisted 180° in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential portion 764, as shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B). In other words, the valve disc seal surface 765 forms a Möbius strip. This shape will be explained below using the upper part of the valve disc seal surface 765 (upper side in the Z-axis direction) as an example.

[0065] On the disc seal surface 765, the position of the tip of the valve disc 76 in the closing rotation direction is designated P1, the position 60° circumferentially of the valve disc seal surface 765 from position P1 is designated P2, and the position 30° circumferentially of the valve disc seal surface 765 from position P2 is designated P3. Furthermore, on the disc seal surface 765, the position 30° circumferentially of the valve disc seal surface 765 from position P3 is designated P4, and the position 60° circumferentially of the valve disc seal surface 765 from position P4 is designated P5. In this case, position P5 is located at the rear end of the valve disc 76 in the closing rotation direction. Position P3 overlaps with the rotation axis 763 of the valve disc 76 and is located midway between the tip position P1 and the rear end position P5 in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential portion 764.

[0066] The valve disc seal surface 765 at position P1 is inclined radially outward and toward the rotational axis 763. The valve disc seal surface 765 at position P2 is located closer to the rotational axis 763 than position P1 and is inclined radially outward and toward the rotational axis 763 at a gentler angle than position P1. The valve disc seal surface 765 is formed so as to gradually twist relative to position P1 around position P2 (a range of about 20° in the circumferential direction). Around position P2, it is twisted by approximately 90°. The valve disc seal surface 765 at position P3 is located farther from the rotational axis 763 than position P2, faces in the negative X-axis direction, and is inclined relative to the Y-axis direction.

[0067] The valve disc seal surface 765 at position P4 is located farther from the rotation axis 763 than position P3 and is inclined radially outward at a gentle angle away from the rotation axis 763. From position P4 to position P5, the valve disc 76 has a return portion 764a that protrudes the outer circumferential portion 764 in the negative X-axis direction relative to the outer circumferential portion 764 at position P1, etc. The valve disc seal surface 765 is formed inside this return portion 764a. The valve disc seal surface 765 is formed so as to gradually twist relative to position P3 around position P4 (a range of about 20° in the circumferential direction). Around position P4, it is twisted by approximately 90°. The valve disc seal surface 765 at position P5 is located closer to the rotation axis 763 than position P4 and is inclined radially inward at a gentle angle away from the rotation axis 763. In other words, the valve body seal surface 765 has irregularities in the X-axis direction (the front-rear direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential portion 764) from position P1 to position P5.

[0068] The above-described valve disc seal surface 765 has a twisted portion where the inclination changes gradually around positions P2 and P4, and thus has a shape that is continuous along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential portion 764 and faces the closing rotation direction of the valve disc 76 at all positions, including positions P1 to P5. The housing seal surface 742 is also formed to have a similar twisted portion corresponding to the valve disc seal surface 765 having the twisted portion (see also FIG. 4). As a result, as the valve disc 76 rotates in the closing rotation direction, the housing seal surface 742 and the valve disc seal surface 765 come face to face with each other, allowing the valve disc seal surface 765 to smoothly contact the seal member 75 of the housing seal surface 742.

[0069] In particular, the orientation of the valve disc seal surface 765 according to this embodiment is adjusted so that the contact angle between the valve disc seal surface 765 and the housing seal surface 742 of the sealing pipe 74 is 30° or more over the entire circumference of the outer circumferential portion 764. The contact angle refers to the angle at which the rotating valve disc seal surface 765 contacts the seal member 75, assuming that the tangent in the closing rotation direction is 0° and the normal in the closing rotation direction is 90°. When the contact angle is 0°, the amount of sliding (rubbing) of the valve disc seal surface 765 against the seal member 75 is maximized. Therefore, it is preferable that the contact angle be an angle greater than 0°, for example, 1° or greater. More preferably, if this contact angle is 30° or greater, the amount of sliding (rubbing) of the valve disc seal surface 765 against the seal member 75 held by the housing seal surface 742 can be significantly reduced.

[0070] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A, the valve disc seal surface 765 has irregularities in the X-axis direction from position P1 to position P5, which allows the contact angle at each position to be 30° or more. For example, at position P1, the inclined valve disc seal surface 765 contacts the housing seal surface 742 at a contact angle of 30° or more. At position P2, the valve disc seal surface 765 is recessed toward the rotation axis 763 more than at position P1, and therefore contacts the housing seal surface 742 at a contact angle closer to 90° than at position P1. At position P3, the valve disc seal surface 765 protrudes away from the rotation axis 763 from position P2, and therefore contacts the housing seal surface 742 at a contact angle closer to 90° than at position P2. At position P4, the valve disc seal surface 765 protrudes away from the rotation axis 763 from position P3, and therefore contacts the housing seal surface 742 at a contact angle similar to that at position P2. Position P5 is recessed from position P4 toward the rotation axis 763, but because it is formed in the return portion 764a, the contact angle at the return portion 764a is adjusted to a value (a contact angle close to 90°) that allows it to face the housing sealing surface 742.

[0071] Therefore, the housing seal surface 742 and the valve disc seal surface 765 face each other while reducing the amount of sliding in the circumferential direction during rotation in the closing rotation direction. In other words, the valve 70 can increase the durability of the seal member 75 by eliminating friction of the seal member 75 when the valve disc seal surface 765 is closed.

[0072] The valve 70 according to the embodiment and the substrate processing apparatus 1 having the valve 70 are basically configured as described above, and their operation will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C).

[0073] When the flow path 70a is fully opened, the valve 70 causes the valve element 76 to wait in the fully open position as shown in Fig. 6(A) based on the drive of the drive mechanism. The main shutoff section 761 of the valve element 76 is disposed on the spherical section 715 of the housing 71, thereby allowing the flow path 70a to be widely opened. This reduces pressure loss of the fluid flowing through the flow path 70a due to contact with the valve element 76, allowing the fluid to flow at a large flow rate within the housing 71.

[0074] 6(B), the valve element 76 is rotated by an appropriate angle from the fully open position to reduce the opening of the flow path 70a. The valve 70 can appropriately limit the flow rate of the fluid by closing a portion of the flow path 70a while opening another portion of the flow path 70a.

[0075] When the valve 70 fully closes the flow path 70a, the valve 70 rotates the valve element 76 in the closing rotation direction to move it to the fully closed position, as shown in FIG. 6(C), based on the drive mechanism. Note that FIG. 6(C) is a plan cross-sectional view showing the state before the valve element 76 is fully closed, and the state in which the valve element 76 has fully closed is shown in FIG. 3(B). As described above, as the valve element 76 rotates in the closing rotation direction, the valve element seal surface 765 approaches the housing seal surface 742. At the position close to the housing seal surface 742, the valve element seal surface 765 has a contact angle of 30° or more, which significantly reduces the amount of sliding of the valve element seal surface 765 against the housing seal surface 742.

[0076] 7(A), when the valve disc 76 has moved to the fully closed position, position P5 of the valve disc seal surface 765 formed on the return portion 764a faces the inclined housing seal surface 742 on the outside of the sealing pipe 74. In detail, the valve disc seal surface 765 moves so that the contact angle with the valve disc seal surface 765 is approximately 90° as the valve disc 76 rotates in the closing rotation direction CR, thereby contacting the housing seal surface 742 while suppressing sliding against the seal member 75. This allows the valve disc seal surface 765 to press the seal member 75 with an appropriate force.

[0077] 7(B), the position P1 of the valve disc seal surface 765 faces the inclined housing seal surface 742 inside the sealing pipe 74. In detail, the valve disc seal surface 765 moves with the rotation of the valve disc 76 in the closing rotation direction CR so that the contact angle with the valve disc seal surface 765 becomes 30° or more. As a result, the valve disc seal surface 765 comes into contact with the housing seal surface 742 with reduced sliding even at position P1, and can press the seal member 75 with an appropriate force.

[0078] Alternatively, as in another embodiment shown in FIG. 7(C), the orientations (contact angles) of the valve disc seal surface 765 and the housing seal surface 742 may be adjusted so that they extend along a direction substantially perpendicular to the closing rotation direction CR at position P1. For example, the valve disc seal surface 765 is formed as an inclined surface that substantially coincides with the normal direction of the closing rotation direction CR. The housing seal surface 742 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inner circumferential wall 741 of the sealing pipe 74 so as to be parallel to the valve disc seal surface 765, and holds the seal member 75. In this way, by having the valve disc seal surface 765 and the housing seal surface 742 extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the closing rotation direction CR, the sliding amount of the valve disc seal surface 765 can be further reduced.

[0079] The valve 70 and the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present disclosure are not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, the fluid flowing through the valve 70 is not limited to gas, and may be liquid or the like.

[0080] Furthermore, for example, although the valve 70 according to the embodiment is configured to hold the sealing member 75 at the housing sealing surface 742, the sealing member 75 may be held at the valve disc sealing surface 765. Furthermore, the housing 71 may not be provided with the sealing tube 74, and the housing sealing surface 742 that is sealed to the valve disc sealing surface 765 of the valve disc 76 may be formed directly on the inner surface of the main body 711 or the like.

[0081] A valve 70A according to a first modification shown in FIG. 8A differs from the valve 70 according to the embodiment in that the inlet 70b and the outlet 70c are arranged perpendicular to each other. That is, the flow path 70a of the valve 70A is bent perpendicularly from the main body 711. Even in this case, the valve element 76 can provide a seal with reduced sliding between the housing seal surface 742 and the seal member 75 and the valve element seal surface 765, thereby stably blocking the flow of fluid. Furthermore, by moving the valve element 76 to the fully open position in the direction away from the outlet 70c, the valve 70A can cause the fluid to flow so as to bend perpendicularly.

[0082] 8(B) shows a second modified valve 70B, which differs from the valves 70 and 70A in that the outlet 70c is positioned at an angle relative to the inlet 70b. In other words, the valves 70, 70A, and 70B are not particularly limited in the direction of fluid flow, and can allow the fluid to flow smoothly in a direction determined by their shape.

[0083] 9 differs from the valves 70, 70A, and 70B in that a sealing pipe 74A according to a third modification is configured to discharge a purge gas through an inner peripheral wall 741 onto a housing sealing surface 742. Specifically, the inner peripheral wall 741 includes a purge gas discharge flow path 744 therein, which bypasses the periphery of the sealing member 75 and communicates with an opening in the housing sealing surface 742. A base end of the discharge flow path 744 is connected to a purge gas supply unit (not shown). The discharge flow path 744 discharges the purge gas from the opening in the housing sealing surface 742 to the periphery of the sealing member 75. This allows the sealing pipe 74 to suppress deterioration of the sealing member 75 due to exposure of the sealing member 75 to the gas in the processing vessel 10.

[0084] The technical ideas and effects of the present disclosure explained in the above embodiments will be described below.

[0085] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a valve 70, 70A, 70B including a housing 71 having a fluid flow path 70a therein, and a valve body 76 that is rotatably mounted relative to the housing 71 and can open and close the flow path 70a, wherein the housing 71 has a housing sealing surface 742 that surrounds the flow path 70a, the valve body 76 has a valve body sealing surface 765 on its outer periphery 764 that faces the housing sealing surface 742 in a closing position that closes the flow path 70a, and the valve body sealing surface 765 faces in the closing rotation direction of the valve body 76 that closes the flow path 70a around the entire circumference of the outer periphery 764.

[0086] As described above, the valves 70, 70A, and 70B can widen the flow path 70a by keeping the valve element 76, which is rotatably mounted within the housing 71, in a fully open position. This allows the valves 70, 70A, and 70B to pass a large amount of fluid. Furthermore, the valves 70, 70A, and 70B have a valve element seal surface 765 that faces the closing rotation direction, thereby increasing the contact angle of the valve element seal surface 765 with respect to the housing seal surface 742 during rotation in the closing rotation direction, thereby reducing the amount of sliding of the seal portion S. This allows the valves 70, 70A, and 70B to suppress damage to the seal portion S and increase its durability.

[0087] Furthermore, the valve disc seal surface 765 is continuous as it is twisted in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential portion 764. This allows the valves 70, 70A, 70B to more reliably seal by the continuous valve disc seal surface 765.

[0088] The valve disc seal surface 765 includes a leading end position P1 in the closing rotation direction, a trailing end position P5 in the closing rotation direction, and a position P3 that overlaps with the rotation axis 763 of the valve disc 76 and is intermediate between the leading end position P1 and the trailing end position P2, and has twisted portions between the leading end position P1 and the intermediate position P3 and between the intermediate position P3 and the trailing end position P5. This allows the valves 70, 70A, and 70B to favorably face the valve disc seal surface 765 and the housing seal surface 742 even at the twisted portions. The valve disc seal surface 765 can also favorably face the direction toward the closing rotation direction at positions P1, P3, and P5.

[0089] Furthermore, the valve body seal surface 765 has projections and recesses in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential portion 764. This allows the valve body seal surface 765 to be favorably formed into a shape in which the contact angle between the valve body seal surface 765 and the housing seal surface 742 is 30° or more.

[0090] Furthermore, the outer circumferential portion 764 has a return portion 764a that directs the valve disc seal surface 765 in the closing rotation direction at position P5, the rear end in the closing rotation direction of the valve disc seal surface 765. By having this return portion 764a, the valves 70, 70A, and 70B can easily be formed into a shape that directs the valve disc seal surface 765 in the closing rotation direction.

[0091] Furthermore, housing seal surface 742 holds seal member 75 that rotates in the circumferential direction. Thus, by having seal member 75 on housing seal surface 742 on the non-rotating side, valves 70, 70A, and 70B can avoid the influence that occurs to seal member 75 when valve element 76 rotates.

[0092] Furthermore, the housing 71 includes a sealing tube 74 having a flow path 70a therein, and the sealing tube 74 has a housing seal surface 742 on the end surface thereof. As a result, even when a complex housing seal surface 742 is machined to match the valve disc seal surface 765, the housing seal surface 742 can be easily formed by machining the sealing tube 74.

[0093] Furthermore, housing 71 has flat portion 714 around the portion that pivotally supports valve element 76. This allows housing 71 for valves 70, 70A, and 70B to be made smaller, and valves 70, 70A, and 70B can be easily installed in substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0094] Furthermore, valve element 76 has a hemispherical main shutoff portion 761 inside outer circumferential portion 764, and housing 71 has a spherical portion 715, adjacent to flat portion 714 in the circumferential direction, where main shutoff portion 761 of valve element 76 that opens flow path 70a is kept waiting. This allows valves 70, 70A, and 70B to further increase the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​flow path 70a when valve element 76 is open.

[0095] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing apparatus 1 including a processing vessel 10 that accommodates and processes a substrate W, an exhaust path 42 connected to the processing vessel 10 and that exhausts gas from the processing vessel 10, and a valve 70 that is provided in the exhaust path 42 and controls the flow of gas through the exhaust path 42, wherein the valve 70 includes a housing 71 that has a fluid flow path 70a therein and a valve element 76 that is rotatable relative to the housing 71 and can open and close the flow path 70a, the housing 71 has a housing seal surface 742 that surrounds the flow path 70a, the valve element 76 has a valve element seal surface 765 on an outer periphery 764 that faces the housing seal surface 742 when in a closed position that closes the flow path 70a, and the valve element seal surface 765 faces the closing rotation direction of the valve element 76 that closes the flow path 70a over the entire circumference of the outer periphery 764. Even in this case, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can reduce the sliding amount of the seal portion S while allowing a large flow rate of fluid to flow.

[0096] The valves 70, 70A, 70B, and substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the presently disclosed embodiments are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The embodiments may be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The features described in the above embodiments may be configured differently and may be combined within the scope of the appended claims.

[0097] The substrate processing apparatus 1 to which the valve 70 of the present disclosure is applied is not limited to a vertical heat treatment apparatus, but may be any other batch type apparatus that performs substrate processing on multiple substrates W, or a single wafer type apparatus that performs substrate processing on a single substrate W. The substrate processing apparatus 1 may also be any type of apparatus, such as an atomic layer deposition (ALD) apparatus, a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), a radial line slot antenna (RLSA), an electron cyclotron resonance plasma (ECR), or a helicon wave plasma (HWP). [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1. Substrate processing equipment 70, 70A, 70B valves 70a flow path 71 Case 742 Housing sealing surface 76 Valve body 764 Outer periphery 765 Valve body sealing surface

Claims

1. a housing having a fluid flow path therein; a valve body rotatably provided with respect to the housing and capable of opening and closing the flow path, the housing has a housing sealing surface surrounding the flow path; the valve body has a valve body seal surface on an outer periphery thereof that faces the housing seal surface when the valve body is in a closed position at which the flow path is closed; the valve body sealing surface faces the closing rotation direction of the valve body that closes the flow path over the entire circumference of the outer periphery; valve.

2. The valve body seal surface is twisted in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential portion, thereby being continuous. The valve of claim 1.

3. the valve body seal surface includes a leading end position in the closing rotation direction, a trailing end position in the closing rotation direction, and a position that overlaps with the rotation axis of the valve body and is intermediate between the leading end position and the trailing end position, a twisted portion between the tip position and the intermediate position, and between the intermediate position and the rear position; 3. The valve of claim 2.

4. The valve body sealing surface has irregularities in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential portion. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the outer circumferential portion has a return portion at a rear end position of the valve body seal surface in the closing rotation direction, the return portion directing the valve body seal surface in the closing rotation direction. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The housing seal surface holds a seal member that rotates around the housing in a circumferential direction. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The housing includes a sealing pipe having the flow path therein, and the housing seal surface is provided on an end surface of the sealing pipe. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The housing has a flat portion around a portion that pivotally supports the valve body. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. The valve body includes a hemispherical main shutoff portion inside the outer periphery, the housing has a spherical portion, at a position adjacent to the flat portion in a circumferential direction, where the main shutoff portion of the valve body that opens the flow path is kept waiting.

9. The valve of claim 8.

10. a processing vessel for accommodating and processing a substrate; an exhaust path connected to the processing vessel and configured to exhaust gas from the processing vessel; a valve provided in the exhaust path to control gas flow through the exhaust path, The valve is a housing having a fluid flow path therein; a valve body rotatably provided with respect to the housing and capable of opening and closing the flow path, the housing has a housing sealing surface surrounding the flow path; the valve body has a valve body seal surface on an outer periphery thereof that faces the housing seal surface when the valve body is in a closed position at which the flow path is closed; the valve body sealing surface faces the closing rotation direction of the valve body that closes the flow path over the entire circumference of the outer periphery; Substrate processing equipment.

Images