Gate valve, substrate processing system and method of operating the gate valve

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of accurately controlling a pressing direction and pressing force in sealing.SOLUTION: A gate valve is disposed on a boundary portion of two sections, and blocks communication between two sections. The gate valve includes: a base; a first moving mechanism disposed on the base and moving a first movable body along a first straight track; a second moving mechanism disposed on the first movable body, operated at a timing different from the first moving mechanism, and moving a second movable body along a second straight track orthogonal to the first straight track; and a valve element mounted on the second movable body and kept into contact with a contacted surface for sealing. One of the first straight track and the second straight track is in parallel with a direction orthogonal to the contacted surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing system and a method of operating a gate valve. [Background technology]

[0002] The gate valve is installed at the boundary between a process module that processes a substrate and a transfer module that transfers the substrate, and blocks communication between the process module and the transfer module by sealing. This type of gate valve is required to be sealed with an appropriate pressing direction and pressing force to increase the durability of the sealant that seals the communication point.

[0003] For example, the gate valve disclosed in Patent Document 1 moves the valve body vertically using a first drive device, and then moves the valve body horizontally using a second drive device located separately from the first drive device to perform sealing. Also, the gate valve disclosed in Patent Document 2 seals vertically using a sealant provided on a step on the upper part of the valve body as the valve body moves vertically. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-231461 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-309337 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can precisely control the pressing direction and pressing force during sealing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gate valve is provided at a boundary between two compartments to block communication between the two compartments, the gate valve comprising: a base; a first moving mechanism attached to the base and configured to move a first movable body along a first linear trajectory; a second moving mechanism attached to the first movable body, operating at a different timing from the first moving mechanism and configured to move a second movable body along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory; and a valve element attached to the second movable body and configured to come into contact with a contacted surface to perform a seal, wherein one of the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contacted surface. The first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism are provided at positions adjacent to the outside of the boundary portion, the valve body and the second movable body are connected via a support extending from the outside of the boundary portion to an accommodation space that movably accommodates the valve body of the boundary portion, and a bellows is provided around the support, which extends from a portion that closes the accommodation space into the accommodation space and surrounds the support. , a gate valve is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect, the pressing direction and pressing force during sealing can be controlled with high precision. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the overall configuration of a substrate processing system; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic side view showing a boundary portion where a gate valve is installed, a process module, and a part of a transfer module. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing each component of the gate valve according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is a schematic side view showing each component of the gate valve of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4(b) is a schematic view of the gate valve as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4(a). [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a differential screw mechanism applied to a horizontal actuator. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(a) is a flow chart showing the closing operation of the gate valve, and FIG. 6(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the closing operation of the valve body. [Figure 7] FIG. 7(a) is a flow chart showing the opening operation of the gate valve, and FIG. 7(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the opening operation of the valve body. [Figure 8] 5A to 5C are schematic perspective views showing the components of a gate valve according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of the gate valve of FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment 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 duplicated descriptions may be omitted.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the overall configuration of a substrate processing system 100. As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate processing system 100 is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of a cluster structure (multi-chamber type) including a plurality of process modules 110 for processing wafers W, which are an example of substrates. The plurality of process modules 110 are depressurized to an appropriate vacuum atmosphere, and perform predetermined processes (cleaning process, etching process, film formation process, etc.) on the wafers W.

[0011] In addition to each process module 110, the substrate processing system 100 also includes a transfer module 120, a plurality of load lock units 131 and 132, a load module 140, a load port 150, and a control device 160. In the substrate processing system 100, each process module 110 (first section) and a transfer module 120 (second section) are disposed adjacent to each other. The substrate processing system 100 also includes a gate valve 1 at a boundary 10 between the process module 110 and the transfer module 120 for opening and closing the process module 110.

[0012] The transfer module 120 of the substrate processing system 100 is connected to a plurality of chambers (process module 110, load lock units 131, 132) and is depressurized to a predetermined vacuum atmosphere. The transfer module 120 includes a vacuum transfer device 121 for transferring a wafer W therein. The vacuum transfer device 121 transfers the wafer W between each process module 110 and the transfer module 120 in response to the opening of a gate valve 1 of each process module 110. The vacuum transfer device 121 also transfers the wafer W between each load lock unit 131, 132 and the transfer module 120 in response to the opening of gate valves 131a, 131a of each load lock unit 131, 132.

[0013] Each of the load lock units 131, 132 is provided between the transfer module 120 and the load module 140, and switches the interior between the air atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere. Each of the load lock units 131, 132 includes a stage (not shown) on which a wafer W is placed, gate valves 131a, 132a on the transfer module 120 side, and door valves 131b, 132b on the load module 140 side. Each of the load lock units 131, 132 communicates with the transfer module 120 in a vacuum atmosphere state by opening and closing the gate valves 131a, 132a. Furthermore, each of the load lock units 131, 132 communicates with the load module 140 in an air atmosphere state by opening and closing the door valves 131b, 132b.

[0014] The load module 140 has an atmospheric atmosphere, and for example, a downflow of clean air is formed. The load module 140 also includes an atmospheric transfer device 141 that transfers the wafer W, and an aligner 142 that aligns the wafer W.

[0015] Furthermore, a load port 150 is provided on a wall surface of the load module 140. A carrier C housing a wafer W or an empty carrier C is attached to the load port 150. As the carrier C, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) or the like can be used.

[0016] The atmospheric transfer device 141 loads and unloads the wafer W between each of the load lock units 131, 132 and the load module 140 in response to opening and closing of each of the door valves 131b, 132b. The atmospheric transfer device 141 also loads and unloads the wafer W between the aligner 142 and the load module 140. The atmospheric transfer device 141 also loads and unloads the wafer W between the carrier C attached to the load port 150 and the load module 140.

[0017] The control device 160 is a control computer having one or more processors, a memory, an input / output interface, and electronic circuits (not shown). The control device 160 issues commands to each process module 110 to process the wafer W and controls the transfer of the wafer W by the processor executing a program and recipe stored in the memory, and controls the transfer of the wafer W. Specifically, the control device 160 first controls the atmospheric transfer device 141 and the vacuum transfer device 121 to adjust the position of the wafer W on the carrier C attached to the load port 150 by the aligner 142, and transfers it to the transfer module 120 via the load lock unit 131.

[0018] The controller 160 then controls the vacuum transfer device 121 to transfer the wafer W from the transfer module 120 to and from each process module 110. Furthermore, the controller 160 performs a predetermined process (cleaning process, etching process, film formation process, etc.) on the wafer W transferred to each process module 110. After the wafer W is processed in one or more process modules 110, the controller 160 transfers the wafer W to the load module 140 via the transfer module 120 and the load lock unit 132. The atmospheric transfer device 141 then transfers the processed wafer W into an empty carrier C.

[0019] For example, a predetermined process module 110A among the process modules 110 is configured to perform a film formation process (CVD) in which a raw material gas is chemically reacted to deposit a thin film on the surface of a wafer W. In this case, the process module 110A has a processing container 111 that has a vacuum atmosphere and can be heated to a high temperature.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a schematic side view showing the boundary portion 10 where the gate valve 1 is installed, the process module 110A, and a part of the transfer module 120. As shown in Fig. 2, the processing vessel 111 is made of, for example, aluminum, and includes a side wall 112, a ceiling wall 113, and a bottom wall 114. In addition, the side wall 112 of the processing vessel 111 facing the transfer module 120 is provided with a process side opening 115 that communicates between the processing space 111a of the processing vessel 111 and the boundary portion 10.

[0021] A mounting table 116 for holding a wafer W is provided inside the processing vessel 111. The process module 110A for performing the film formation process includes a plasma generating unit for generating plasma, a gas supplying unit for supplying a plasma excitation gas and a raw material gas, and a gas exhausting unit for exhausting gas (all not shown).

[0022] On the other hand, the transfer module 120 has a housing 122 in which an internal space 122a is formed to accommodate the vacuum transfer device 121. The housing 122 is formed in a box shape including a side wall 123, a ceiling wall 124, and a bottom wall 125. A transfer side opening 126 that communicates with the internal space 122a and the boundary portion 10 is provided in a portion of the side wall 123 of the housing 122 facing each process module 110 (process module 110A). For example, the opening area of ​​the transfer side opening 126 is formed to be larger than the opening area of ​​the process side opening 115.

[0023] Each process side opening 115 and each transfer side opening 126 allows the wafer W to be loaded from the transfer module 120 to each process module 110, and allows the wafer W to be loaded from each process module 110 to the transfer module 120. The gate valve 1 provided at the boundary portion 10 allows the wafer W to be loaded and unloaded by opening the boundary portion 10, and allows processing such as depressurization in the process module 110 by closing the boundary portion 10.

[0024] The boundary section 10 has a heat insulating member 11 provided adjacent to the housing 122 of the transfer module 120, and a block body 12 provided between the heat insulating member 11 and the processing vessel 111 of the process module 110. A communication space 13 connecting the process side opening 115 and the transfer side opening 126 is formed inside the heat insulating member 11 and the block body 12. Note that the boundary section 10 may have an appropriate configuration taking into consideration the temperature during processing of the process module 110, and may not, for example, be provided with the heat insulating member 11.

[0025] The heat insulating member 11 is made of a material with low thermal conductivity (a resin material, a metal material such as stainless steel, etc.) and has a flat tubular (annular) shape. The heat insulating member 11 insulates between the process module 110 and the transfer module 120. A communication hole 11a that constitutes the communication space 13 is provided inside the heat insulating member 11. The communication hole 11a is formed in a cross-sectional shape that is substantially the same as the opening shape of the transfer side opening 126.

[0026] The block body 12 is formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or stainless steel, and has a cylindrical shape that is longer in the vertical direction than the heat insulating member 11. The thickness of the block body 12 along the extension direction of the communication space 13 (the direction in which the process module 110 and the transfer module 120 are aligned) is thicker than the thickness of the heat insulating member 11.

[0027] A transfer-side space 14, an accommodation space 15, and a process-side space 16 that constitute the communication space 13 are provided inside the block body 12. That is, the communication space 13 of the boundary portion 10 includes, in order from the transfer module 120 side toward each process module 110 side, the communication hole 11a, the transfer-side space 14, the accommodation space 15, and the process-side space 16.

[0028] The transfer-side space 14 is formed in a cross-sectional shape that is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the communication hole 11a of the heat insulating member 11 (the opening shape of the transfer-side space 14), and communicates the communication hole 11a with the storage space 15. The process-side space 16 is formed in a cross-sectional shape that is substantially the same as the opening shape of the process-side opening 115, and communicates the process-side opening 115 with the storage space 15.

[0029] The accommodation space 15 provided between the transfer side space 14 and the process side space 16 movably accommodates the valve body 50 of the gate valve 1. The accommodation space 15 extends vertically within the block body 12, and has a volume larger than the transfer side space 14 and the process side space 16. The thickness of the accommodation space 15 (the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) is set to be slightly larger than the thickness of the valve body 50.

[0030] The inner surface of the block body 12 that constitutes the accommodation space 15 and is located on the process module 110 side has a contact surface 17 with which the valve body 50 of the gate valve 1 comes into contact. The contact surface 17 is flush with and continues to the inner surface of the block body 12 that extends parallel to the vertical direction, and surrounds the periphery of the process side space 16. The contact surface 17 refers to, for example, an area from the edge of the process side space 16 to a length shorter than the short side of the process side space 16, although it depends on the size of the valve body 50. The block body 12 also has an opening 15a at the lower end of the accommodation space 15, and this opening 15a is closed by the structure of the gate valve 1. The configuration of the gate valve 1 will be specifically described below with reference to two embodiments.

[0031] [First embodiment] 2, the gate valve 1 has a base 20 and an operating mechanism 25 (first moving mechanism 30, second moving mechanism 40) fixed to the base 20 at a position adjacent to the outside of the boundary portion 10 (see also FIG. 3). The gate valve 1 also includes a valve body 50 disposed in the accommodation space 15 of the boundary portion 10, and a control unit 60 that controls the gate valve 1 outside the boundary portion 10 and the process module.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing each component of the gate valve 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4(a) is a schematic side view showing each component of the gate valve 1 in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4(b) is a schematic view of the gate valve 1 as viewed from the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 4(a). As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b), the base 20 fixes and supports the operation mechanism 25 of the gate valve 1 outside and below the process module 110A. The base 20 has a fixed plate part 21 fixed to the processing vessel 111 of the process module 110A and a guide plate part 22 extending from the fixed plate part 21. The fixed plate part 21 and the guide plate part 22 are connected to each other at right angles and have an L-shape in a side view. The base 20 is not limited to a configuration fixed to the process module 110A, and may be fixed to the transfer module 120.

[0033] The fixed plate 21 is attached to the bottom wall 114 of the processing vessel 111 by an appropriate fixing means (screws, welding, etc.). The guide plate 22 extends long in the vertical direction, and holds the first moving mechanism 30 on its plate surface facing the transfer module 120. The vertical length of the guide plate 22 may be appropriately set according to the vertical movement distance of the valve body 50.

[0034] The first movement mechanism 30 reciprocates the valve body 50 of the gate valve 1 in the vertical direction (first linear trajectory: height direction). The first movement mechanism 30 includes a vertical guide rail 31 installed on the guide plate portion 22, a vertically movable body 32 that moves along the vertical guide rail 31, and a vertical actuator 33 that moves the vertically movable body 32.

[0035] A plurality of (for example, a pair of) vertical guide rails 31 are attached to the guide plate portion 22 and extend parallel to each other along the vertical direction. The number of vertical guide rails 31 is not particularly limited, and there may be only one.

[0036] The vertical movable body 32 has a vertical frame portion 321 extending parallel (vertically) to the guide plate portion 22, and a horizontal base portion 322 extending horizontally and connected perpendicularly to the vertical frame portion 321. The vertical frame portion 321 has a plurality of vertical plate portions 321a provided corresponding to the plurality of vertical guide rails 31, and horizontal plate portions 321b extending laterally so as to bridge the plurality of vertical plate portions 321a.

[0037] The vertical frame portion 321 includes a plurality of guide members 34 (a pair of upper and lower guide members) attached to each of the plurality of vertical guide rails 31. For example, the guide members 34 have a plurality of spheres (not shown) that can roll in guide grooves 31g provided on both sides of the vertical guide rail 31 in the width direction. The guide members 34 move on the vertical guide rail 31 while preventing the vertically movable body 32 from coming off in the horizontal direction by engaging the plurality of spheres with the vertical guide rail 31. In other words, the vertical guide rail 31 and the guide members 34 form a linear motion bearing 35 that linearly moves the vertically movable body 32 along the vertical direction (first linear track).

[0038] On the other hand, the horizontal base 322 is formed in a flat plate shape extending horizontally below the processing vessel 111 of the process module 110A and the block body 12 of the boundary portion 10. The second moving mechanism 40 is fixed to the upper surface of the horizontal base 322. The vertical actuator 33 is connected to the lower surface of the horizontal base 322.

[0039] The vertical actuator 33 may be implemented by a suitable driving mechanism (such as a ball screw driving unit, a fluid pressure cylinder, or a linear slider) that moves the vertically movable body 32 up and down along the vertical direction (first linear trajectory). The vertical actuator 33 according to this embodiment employs a ball screw driving unit.

[0040] The vertical actuator 33 includes a motor 331 fixed to the guide plate portion 22, a speed reducing mechanism 332 provided on the motor 331, a ball screw 333 connected to the speed reducing mechanism 332, and a nut 334 screwed into the ball screw 333 and fixed to the vertical movable body 32. The motor 331 is fixed to the lower end portion and the center portion in the width direction of the guide plate portion 22. The motor 331 is connected to the control unit 60 of the gate valve 1 via a motor driver (not shown), and the rotation is controlled according to a control command from the control unit 60. The speed reducing mechanism 332 reduces the rotation speed of the motor 331 at a predetermined reduction ratio to rotate the ball screw 333.

[0041] The ball screw 333 extends vertically upward from the reduction mechanism 332. The nut 334 converts the rotational motion of the ball screw 333 into linear motion along the vertical direction. As a result, the vertical actuator 33 displaces the nut 334 and the vertically movable body 32 in the vertical direction by the rotation of the ball screw 333 in response to the rotation of the motor 331.

[0042] On the other hand, the second movement mechanism 40 reciprocates the valve body 50 of the gate valve 1 along a contact / separation direction (second linear trajectory) in which the valve body 50 comes into contact with and separates from the contacted surface 17. The second movement mechanism 40 includes a horizontal guide rail 41 installed on the horizontal base portion 322, a horizontally movable body 42 that moves along the horizontal guide rail 41, and a horizontal actuator 43 that moves the horizontally movable body 42.

[0043] A plurality of horizontal guide rails 41 (for example, a pair) are attached to the horizontal base portion 322 and extend parallel to each other along the contact / separation direction. The number of horizontal guide rails 41 is not particularly limited, and may be only one.

[0044] The horizontally movable body 42 has a horizontal frame portion 421 extending parallel to the horizontal stand portion 322, and a support body 422 standing up from the horizontal frame portion 421 and supporting the valve body 50 at its upper end. The horizontal frame portion 421 has side portions 421a provided corresponding to the multiple horizontal guide rails 41, and connecting portions 421b extending in the width direction so as to bridge the multiple side portions 421a. In addition, a horizontal actuator 43 is connected to the horizontal frame portion 421 (connecting portion 421b).

[0045] This horizontal frame portion 421 also includes a plurality of guide members 44 attached to each of the plurality of horizontal guide rails 41. The guide members 34 may have a configuration similar to that of the guide members 34 of the first movement mechanism 30. In other words, the horizontal guide rails 41 and the guide members 44 form a linear motion bearing 45 that linearly moves the horizontally movable body 42 along the horizontal direction (contact / separation direction: second linear track).

[0046] On the other hand, the supports 422 are solid rod-shaped members provided in plurality (for example, a pair) on the horizontal frame portion 421, and extend vertically upward from the horizontal frame portion 421. Each support 422 is inserted into the accommodation space 15 from an outer lower position of the boundary portion 10 (block body 12) through the open portion 15a of the block body 12, and supports the valve body 50 in the width direction within the accommodation space 15. Also, the lower side of each support 422 is formed into a triangular shape expanding along the contact / separation direction in order to increase the rigidity of the support 422 in the vertical direction.

[0047] The gate valve 1 has, at the connection portion with the block body 12, a blocking member 55 that blocks the open portion 15a, and a plurality of bellows 56 that are inserted into the accommodation space 15 from a plurality of support hole portions 55a formed in the blocking member 55 to cover each of the supports 422. The blocking member 55 and each of the bellows 56 block the accommodation space 15 from the outside of the block body 12. Each of the support hole portions 55a is a hole into which the support 422 is inserted, and is formed as an elongated hole that allows the support 422 to move along the contact / separation direction. Each of the bellows 56 is fixed to the periphery of the blocking member 55 that surrounds each of the support hole portions 55a, and is formed in a cylindrical shape having bellows that can expand and contract along the vertical direction. Each of the bellows 56 has flexibility, and allows the support 422 to move along the contact / separation direction while maintaining the covering of the support 422.

[0048] Further, a suitable actuator (such as a ball screw drive unit, a fluid pressure cylinder, or a linear slider) that reciprocates the horizontally movable body 42 along the contact / separation direction (second linear trajectory) can be applied as the horizontal actuator 43. The horizontal actuator 43 according to this embodiment applies a ball screw drive unit including a differential screw mechanism 430.

[0049] The horizontal actuator 43 includes a motor 431 fixed to the horizontal base portion 322, a first screw 432 connected to the motor 431, a second screw 433 screwed into the first screw 432, and a slider 434 screwed into the second screw and fixed to the horizontal movable body 42. The motor 431 is fixed to one end of the horizontal base portion 322 and to the center in the width direction. The motor 431 is connected to the control unit 60 of the gate valve 1 via a motor driver (not shown), and its rotation is controlled by the control unit 60 in response to a control command.

[0050] FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a differential screw mechanism 430 applied to the horizontal actuator 43. As shown in FIG. 5, the first screw 432, the second screw 433, and the slider 434 constitute the differential screw mechanism 430 that minutely feeds the slider 434 along the contact / separation direction. The differential screw mechanism 430 rotates the second screw 433 while moving the second screw 433 in the axial direction in accordance with the rotation of the first screw 432. The slider 434 is screwed into the outer circumferential surface of the second screw 433, and slides a moving distance shorter than the axial moving distance of the second screw 433 in accordance with the rotation of the second screw 433. This allows the horizontally movable body 42 to move in a minute range in the contact / separation direction with high precision.

[0051] The valve body 50 of the gate valve 1 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped that is slightly larger than the cross-sectional shape of the transfer-side space 14. In detail, the valve body 50 is formed to be short in the vertical direction and long in the width direction (horizontal direction perpendicular to the contact / separation direction), and has an appropriate thickness along the contact / separation direction. A seal material 51 is provided on the outer periphery of a seal surface 50a of the valve body 50 that faces the process module 110 (process-side space 16).

[0052] The seal material 51 is made of a rubber material or elastomer that is elastically deformable and highly heat resistant, and constitutes an O-ring that goes around the outer periphery of the seal surface 50a. The seal material 51 faces the contact surface 17 of the block body 12 as the first moving mechanism 30 moves it vertically, and is pressed against the contact surface 17 as the second moving mechanism 40 moves it in the contact direction. This allows the gate valve 1 to stably seal the process side space 16 and the processing space 111a of the process module 110.

[0053] Although the gate valve 1 according to this embodiment is configured to move the valve element 50 toward the process module 110 for sealing, it may be configured to move the valve element 50 toward the transfer module 120 for sealing. In addition, the operating mechanism 25 of the gate valve 1 is not limited to being fixed to the process module 110, and may be fixed to the transfer module 120.

[0054] The control unit 60 of the gate valve 1 may be a control board having one or more processors 61, a memory 62, an input / output interface (not shown), and an electronic circuit. The control unit 60 is fixed to, for example, the bottom wall 114 or the base 20 of the processing vessel 111. The processor 61 is one or a combination of a CPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, a circuit made of a plurality of discrete semiconductors, and the like. The memory 62 includes a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory, and stores a program for operating the gate valve 1. The control unit 60 of the gate valve 1 may also be the control device 160 of the substrate processing system 100.

[0055] The gate valve 1 according to the first embodiment is basically formed as described above, and its operation and effects will be described below.

[0056] In the substrate processing system 100, when a wafer W is processed by the process module 110, the gate valve 1 is operated to open and close the boundary 10 between the process module 110 and the transfer module 120. The gate valve 1 closes the processing chamber 111 side of the process module 110 to seal the inside of the processing chamber 111, thereby enabling a vacuum atmosphere and high temperature to be achieved within the processing chamber 111. In addition, the gate valve 1 opens the processing chamber 111 side of the process module 110 to enable the transfer of the wafer W between the process module 110 and the transfer module 120.

[0057] Fig. 6(a) is a flow chart showing the closing operation of the gate valve 1, and Fig. 6(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the closing operation of the valve body 50. As shown in Fig. 6(a), the control unit 60 of the gate valve 1 starts the closing operation based on receiving a closing command for the gate valve 1 from the control device 160 of the substrate processing system 100 (step S11). Before the start of the closing operation, the valve body 50 of the gate valve 1 is waiting at the retracted position DP set below the accommodation space 15 of the boundary part 10. As a result, the process side space 16 is fully opened to the accommodation space 15.

[0058] When the control unit 60 starts the closing operation, it first operates the first moving mechanism 30 to raise the valve element 50 from the retracted position DP to the facing position FP facing the process side space 16 (step S12). At this time, the control unit 60 outputs a command for a preset operating speed and operating time to the motor driver, thereby causing the motor driver to supply appropriate power to the motor 331 of the first moving mechanism 30. In other words, the control unit 60 raises and lowers the valve element 50 by feedforward control. Note that the gate valve 1 may be configured to recognize and control the raised and lowered position of the valve element 50 by feeding back the rotation speed from the motor 331, etc.

[0059] The first movement mechanism 30 guides the displacement of the vertically movable body 32 by the linear motion bearings 35 (the pair of vertical guide rails 31, the guide member 34), thereby linearly raising the vertically movable body 32 upward in the vertical direction (one side of the first linear track). As a result, the valve body 50 supported by the vertically movable body 32 via the horizontally movable body 42 can smoothly move from the retracted position DP to the facing position FP in the accommodation space 15 of the block body 12 without coming into contact with the inner surface of the block body 12.

[0060] When the valve disc 50 reaches the facing position FP, the control unit 60 operates the second movement mechanism 40 to move (advance) the valve disc 50 from the facing position FP to the sealing position SP (step S13). At this time, the control unit 60 outputs a command for a preset operation speed and operation time to the motor driver, thereby causing the motor driver to supply appropriate power to the motor 431 of the second movement mechanism 40. Note that the gate valve 1 may also be configured so that the second movement mechanism 40 recognizes and controls the advanced position of the valve disc 50 by feeding back the rotation speed and the like from the motor 431.

[0061] The second moving mechanism 40 minutely moves the horizontally movable body 42 linearly toward the contact direction of the contacted surface 17 (one side of the second linear track) by operating the differential screw mechanism 430 (the first screw 432, the second screw 433, and the slider 434) in accordance with the rotation of the motor 431. At this time, the second moving mechanism 40 guides the displacement of the horizontally movable body 42 by the linear motion bearing 45 (the pair of horizontal guide rails 41, the guide member 44) to linearly slide the vertically movable body 32 along the contact / separation direction. That is, the second moving mechanism 40 matches the relationship between the displacement of the horizontally movable body 42 from the movable body reference position and time with the relationship between the displacement of the valve body 50 from the valve body reference position and time. The relationship between the displacement of the horizontally movable body 42 from the movable body reference position and time is determined by, for example, the motion direction, motion amount, motion speed, time change in the motion speed, motion force (including motion torque), time change in the motion force (including motion torque), and the like of the horizontal actuator 43. As a result, as shown in Figure 6 (b), the sealing material 51 of the valve body 50 which has moved to the sealing position SP comes into contact with the entire circumference of the contact surface 17 around the process side space 16, thereby uniformly sealing the space between the storage space 15 and the process side space 16.

[0062] In the above-mentioned closing operation, the gate valve 1 moves the valve element 50 in the upward direction (one side of the first linear trajectory) and in the contact direction (one side of the second linear trajectory) in two stages in sequence. Therefore, when the contacted surface 17 is sealed by the sealant 51, the sealant 51 is pressed only from the direction perpendicular to the contacted surface 17 (contact direction). This eliminates the inconvenience of the sealant 51 rubbing due to the valve element 50 moving obliquely, and improves the durability of the sealant 51. In addition, the gate valve 1 can move the valve element 50 in a short movement amount by the differential screw mechanism 430, and appropriately adjust the pressing force of the valve element 50 on the contacted surface 17.

[0063] Here, in the gate valve disclosed in Patent Document 1, the first drive unit and the second drive unit are provided at different positions, and the second drive unit has a different pressing direction of the valve body during sealing from the direction in which the rod of the second drive unit moves (advances). This causes the mechanism of the gate valve as a whole to become larger, and there is a possibility that the pressing direction and pressing force of the valve body are not smoothly transmitted to the sealing material. For example, the rod of the second drive unit causes the valve body to be inclined at an angle to seal, making the pressing direction and pressing force unstable. In addition, in the gate valve disclosed in Patent Document 2, a stepped sealing material is attached to the valve body, but in this case, the sealing material on both sides of the width direction of the valve body is inclined with respect to the contact surface, resulting in a decrease in sealing performance.

[0064] In contrast, the gate valve 1 according to the first embodiment includes an operating mechanism 25 below (at an outer adjacent position) the boundary portion 10 and the process module 110, and further includes a second moving mechanism 40 mounted on the first moving mechanism 30. As a result, the gate valve 1 does not include a mechanism related to the movement of the valve body 50 within the boundary portion 10, and the boundary portion 10 can be narrowed, and the gate valve 1 as a whole can be made as small as possible. Furthermore, in the gate valve 1, the second linear trajectory of the second moving mechanism 40 and the sealing direction of the valve body 50 coincide (are parallel), so that the movement vector of the second moving mechanism 40 can be smoothly transmitted to the valve body 50 as the pressing direction and pressing force of the valve body 50. As a result, the sealing performance of the valve body 50 can be further improved.

[0065] Fig. 7(a) is a flow chart showing the opening operation of the gate valve 1, and Fig. 7(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the opening operation of the valve body 50. As shown in Fig. 7(a), the control unit 60 of the gate valve 1 starts the opening operation based on receiving an opening command for the gate valve 1 from the control device 160 before or after processing of the process module 110 (step S21). At the start of the opening operation, the valve body 50 of the gate valve 1 seals the contacted surface 17 at the sealing position SP, and the process side space 16 is in a fully closed state with respect to the accommodation space 15.

[0066] When the control unit 60 starts the opening operation, it first operates the second moving mechanism 40 to move (retract) the valve body 50 from the sealing position SP to the facing position FP (step S22). The second moving mechanism 40 slides the horizontally movable body 42 linearly from the contacted surface 17 toward the separation direction (the other side of the second linear trajectory) as the motor 431 rotates in the reverse direction. This suppresses adhesion between the contacted surface 17 and the sealing material 51, and the valve body 50 easily separates in the direction opposite to the pressing direction.

[0067] When the valve disc 50 reaches the facing position FP, the control unit 60 operates the first moving mechanism 30 to lower the valve disc 50 from the facing position FP to the retracted position DP (step S23). The first moving mechanism 30 linearly displaces the vertically movable body 32 in the downward direction (the other side of the first linear trajectory) in accordance with the rotation of the motor 331. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the valve disc 50 can be smoothly moved to the retracted position DP without contacting the inner surface in the accommodation space 15 of the block body 12.

[0068] That is, even during the opening operation, the gate valve 1 moves the valve body 50 in a two-stage timing, moving it in the separating direction (the other side of the second linear trajectory) and moving it in the downward direction (the other side of the first linear trajectory). Therefore, the gate valve 1 smoothly separates the sealing material 51 from the contact surface 17, eliminating problems such as rubbing of the sealing material 51, and improving the durability of the sealing material 51.

[0069] The gate valve 1 is not limited to the above embodiment and may have various modifications. For example, the gate valve 1 may directly detect the amount of movement or change in pressing force in the contact direction of the valve body 50, predict the state of the sealing material 51 (amount of wear, amount of settling, etc.), and adjust the moving position (pressing force) of the sealing material 51.

[0070] As an example, the gate valve 1 includes a position sensor (not shown) that detects the position of the valve body 50 in the contact / separation direction, or a load sensor (not shown) that detects the load applied to the valve body 50. The control unit 60 acquires position information from the position sensor and load information from the load sensor, and predicts the state of the sealant 51 by referring to map information (not shown) previously stored therein. Furthermore, when the control unit 60 predicts that the amount of wear of the sealant 51 has increased, it corrects the target position of the movement in the contact direction by the second moving mechanism 40 so as to move closer to the contacted surface 17. As a result, even if the sealant 51 wears during operation of the substrate processing system 100, the gate valve 1 can satisfactorily adjust the operation of the valve body 50 to compensate for the sealing performance of the sealant 51.

[0071] Second Embodiment Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing each component of a gate valve 1A according to a second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a schematic side view of the gate valve 1A of Fig. 8. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the gate valve 1A differs from the gate valve 1 according to the first embodiment in that a first moving mechanism 30A moves in the contact / separation direction and a second moving mechanism 40A fixed to the first moving mechanism 30A moves in the vertical direction.

[0072] Specifically, the gate valve 1A has a base 20A for fixing the operating mechanism part 25A of the gate valve 1A, outside and below the process module 110. The base 20A is formed in a plate shape extending in the horizontal direction, and is attached to the bottom wall 114 of the processing vessel 111. The base 20A also extends from the process module 110 to the boundary part 10, and covers the open part 15a of the block body 12, thereby also serving as a blocking member 55 (see FIG. 2) that blocks the accommodation space 15. The gate valve 1A (and the gate valve 1) may be provided with no member that functions as the base 20, 20A, and the first moving mechanism 30A may be directly installed in the process module 110 or the transfer module 120. In this case, the processing vessel 111 of the process module 110 or the housing 122 of the transfer module 120 corresponds to the base 20, 20A of the present disclosure.

[0073] The first movement mechanism 30A includes a horizontal guide rail 36 installed on the base 20A, a horizontally movable body 37 that moves along the horizontal guide rail 36, and a horizontal actuator 38 that moves the horizontally movable body 37. A plurality of horizontal guide rails 36 (a pair) are attached to the base 20A and extend parallel to each other along the contact / separation direction. The horizontally movable body 37 extends parallel to the base 20A and the horizontal guide rails 36, and includes guide members 39 on its upper surface that slidably engage with each horizontal guide rail 36, while the second movement mechanism 40A is installed on its lower surface. That is, the horizontal guide rails 36 and the guide members 39 form a linear motion bearing 39a.

[0074] The horizontal actuator 38 reciprocates the horizontally movable body 37 along the contact / separation direction (first linear trajectory). This horizontal actuator 38 also uses a ball screw drive unit including a differential screw mechanism 380. The horizontal actuator 38 includes a motor 381 fixed to the base 20A, a first screw 382 connected to the motor 381, a second screw 383 screwed into the first screw 382, ​​and a slider 384 screwed into the second screw 383 and fixed to the horizontally movable body 42.

[0075] On the other hand, the second movement mechanism 40A has a cylindrical guide portion 46 and a vertical actuator 47 fixed to the horizontally movable body 37, and a vertically movable body 48 fixed to the vertical actuator 47. The vertically movable body 48 is provided with a plurality of (for example, a pair of) supports 482 that support the valve body 50.

[0076] The cylindrical guide portion 46 and the support 482 are provided on both sides in the width direction of the horizontally movable body 37. The cylindrical guide portion 46 protrudes vertically downward from the horizontally movable body 37, and the support 482 is inserted into a guide hole 46a provided at the axis of the cylindrical guide portion 46, thereby guiding the vertical ascent and descent of the support 482. In other words, the cylindrical guide portion 46 and the support 482 constitute a vertical linear motion bearing 49. Note that various bearing structures such as a ball bearing, a spline bearing, or other sliding bearings may be applied to the guide hole 46a and the support 482.

[0077] For example, an air cylinder (fluid pressure cylinder) can be applied as the vertical actuator 47. In this case, the vertical actuator 47 has a cylinder portion 471, an air mechanism (not shown) that causes air to flow in and out of the cylinder portion 471, and a rod 472 that is disposed at the axis of the cylinder portion 471 and moves back and forth by air pressure. In this embodiment, the rod 472 extends downward in the vertical direction, and the vertical movable body 48 is fixed at its extending end (lower end).

[0078] The vertically movable body 48 has a drive transmission member 481 formed in a plate shape extending in the width direction below the horizontally movable body 37, and a support 482 connected to the drive transmission member 481. The drive transmission member 481 has a rod 472 fixed to its widthwise center, and supports 482 fixed to both sides in the width direction.

[0079] The gate valve 1A configured as described above linearly raises and lowers the valve element 50 along the vertical direction (second linear trajectory) between the retracted position DP and the facing position FP by the second moving mechanism 40A based on the control of the control unit 60. That is, the vertical actuator 47 lowers the valve element 50 via the vertically movable body 48 and the support body 422 by advancing the rod 472 downward, and raises the valve element 50 via the vertically movable body 48 and the support body 482 by retracting the rod 472 upward.

[0080] Then, after the valve body 50 is raised and placed at the facing position FP, the gate valve 1A moves the valve body 50 from the facing position FP to the contact position by the first moving mechanism 30A, and presses the seal material 51 of the valve body 50 against the contacted surface 17. The first moving mechanism 30A minutely feeds the valve body 50 by the differential screw mechanism 380. At this time, the first moving mechanism 30A guides the displacement of the horizontal movable body 37 by the linear motion bearing 39a, thereby sliding the horizontal movable body 37 linearly along the contact / separation direction. That is, the first moving mechanism 30A makes the relationship between the displacement of the horizontal movable body 37 from the movable body reference position and time coincide with the relationship between the displacement of the valve body 50 from the valve body reference position and time. The relationship between the displacement of the horizontal movable body 37 from the movable body reference position and time is determined by, for example, the motion direction, motion amount, motion speed, time change in the motion speed, motion force (including motion torque), time change in the motion force (including motion torque), and the like of the horizontal actuator 38. This allows the first moving mechanism 30A to press the seal material 51 of the valve body 50 against the contacted surface 17 in an appropriate pressing direction and with an appropriate pressing force.

[0081] In this way, in the gate valve 1A of the second embodiment, the pressing direction and pressing force of the valve body 50 can be precisely controlled by the first moving mechanism 30A and the second moving mechanism 40A, thereby making it possible to increase the durability of the sealing material 51.

[0082] The technical ideas and effects of the present disclosure explained in the above embodiments will be described below.

[0083] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a gate valve 1, 1A provided at a boundary 10 between two compartments to block communication between the two compartments, comprising a base 20, 20A, a first moving mechanism 30, 30A attached to the base 20, 20A and moving a first movable body (vertical movable body 32, horizontal movable body 37) along a first linear trajectory, a second moving mechanism 40, 40A attached to the first movable body and operating at a different timing from the first moving mechanism 30, 30A and moving a second movable body (horizontal movable body 42, vertical movable body 48) along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory, and a valve body 50 attached to the second movable body and contacting a contacted surface 17 to perform a seal, wherein one of the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contacted surface 17.

[0084] The gate valves 1 and 1A described above can precisely control the pressing direction and pressing force during sealing by linearly moving the valve body 50 in two directions by the first moving mechanism 30 and the second moving mechanism 40. That is, the gate valves 1 and 1A can stably (with high reproducibility) press the seal material 51 against the contact surface 17 by moving the valve body 50 parallel to the direction (contact direction) perpendicular to the contact surface 17. As a result, the gate valves 1 and 1A can suppress rubbing and adhesion of the seal material 51 of the valve body 50 and increase the durability of the seal material 51 compared to a conventional sealing operation using a link mechanism or the like.

[0085] Moreover, the first moving mechanisms 30, 30A and the second moving mechanisms 40, 40A are provided at positions adjacent to the outside of the boundary portion 10. This allows the gate valves 1, 1A to make the thickness of the boundary portion 10 as small as possible, which makes it possible to facilitate miniaturization of the system in which the gate valves 1, 1A are provided.

[0086] One of the two compartments is a processing space 111a of a processing vessel 111 for processing a substrate, and at least the first moving mechanism 30 is provided below the processing vessel 111. In the gate valves 1 and 1A, a part of the operating mechanism 25 and 25A that moves the valve body 50 is located below the processing vessel 111, so that the boundary portion 10 can be made even smaller.

[0087] The boundary portion 10 has an accommodation space 15 that accommodates the valve body 50 in a movable manner, and the valve body 50 and the second movable body (the horizontally movable body 42 and the vertically movable body 48) are connected to each other via supports 422 and 482 that extend from the outside of the boundary portion 10 to the accommodation space 15. The supports 422 and 482 are surrounded by bellows 56 that extends from a portion that blocks the accommodation space 15 to the accommodation space 15 and surrounds the supports 422 and 482. This allows the gate valves 1 and 1A to install the first movement mechanisms 30 and 30A and the second movement mechanisms 40 and 40A that are connected to the inside of the bellows 56 on the atmospheric side, and allows the first movement mechanisms 30 and 30A and the second movement mechanisms 40 and 40A to operate stably. In particular, when the valve body 50 is arranged in a space that is supplied with a vacuum atmosphere or gas, the gate valves 1 and 1A can suppress changes in the state of the space.

[0088] In addition, the first moving mechanism 30, 30A and the second moving mechanism 40, 40A have linear motion bearings 35, 39a, 45, 49. This enables the gate valves 1, 1A to smoothly move the valve body 50 along the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory.

[0089] Furthermore, the first moving mechanism 30, 30A and the second moving mechanism 40, 40A that moves the valve body 50 toward the contacted surface 17 includes a differential screw mechanism 380, 430 that can minutely feed the valve body 50. This enables the gate valve 1, 1A to move the valve body 50 with greater precision when bringing the valve body 50 into contact with the contacted surface 17, and allows the pressing force during sealing to be appropriately controlled.

[0090] Furthermore, the first moving mechanism 30 raises and lowers the first movable body (vertical movable body 32) in the vertical direction as a first linear trajectory, and the second moving mechanism 40 moves the second movable body (horizontal movable body 42) as a second linear trajectory in parallel to the direction in which the valve body 50 is perpendicular to the contacted surface 17. As a result, the gate valve 1 can smoothly seal by raising the valve body 50 with the first moving mechanism 30 and then moving the valve body 50 toward the contacted surface 17 with the second moving mechanism 40.

[0091] The base 20 extends in the vertical direction, the first moving mechanism 30 has a vertical guide rail 31 provided on the base 20 and a vertical actuator 33 that moves the first movable body (vertical movable body 32) along the vertical guide rail 31, the first movable body has a vertical extension part (vertical frame part 321) that extends in the vertical direction and a horizontal extension part (horizontal platform part 322) that is connected to the vertical extension part and extends in the horizontal direction, and the second moving mechanism 40 has a horizontal guide rail 41 provided on the horizontal extension part and a horizontal actuator 43 that moves the second movable body (horizontal movable body 42) along the horizontal guide rail 41. This allows the gate valve 1 to move the valve body 50 along the two tracks more smoothly.

[0092] Furthermore, the second moving mechanism 40 matches the relationship between time and the displacement of the second movable body (horizontally movable body 42) from the movable body reference position with the relationship between time and the displacement of the valve body 50 from the valve body reference position. This allows the gate valve 1 to smoothly transmit the operation of the second moving mechanism 40 as the operation of the valve body 50. As a result, the valve body 50 can be operated more stably than in a configuration that applies a mechanism (e.g., a link mechanism) in which the operations of multiple mechanical elements do not match.

[0093] Furthermore, the first moving mechanism 30A moves the first movable body (horizontal movable body 37) in parallel to the direction in which the valve body 50 is perpendicular to the contacted surface 17 as a first linear trajectory, and the second moving mechanism 40A raises and lowers the second movable body (vertical movable body 48) in the vertical direction as a second linear trajectory. As a result, the gate valve 1A can smoothly seal by raising the valve body 50 using the second moving mechanism 40A and then moving the valve body 50 toward the contacted surface 17 using the first moving mechanism 30A.

[0094] Moreover, the base 20A extends along the horizontal direction, the first movement mechanism 30A has a horizontal guide rail 36 provided on the base 20 and a horizontal actuator 38 that moves a first movable body (horizontal movable body 37) along the horizontal guide rail 36, and the second movement mechanism 40A has a vertical guide member (cylindrical guide portion) provided on the first movable body and a vertical actuator 47 that moves a second movable body (vertical movable body 48) along the vertical guide member. Even in this case, the gate valve 1A can more smoothly move the valve body 50 along the two tracks.

[0095] Furthermore, the first moving mechanism 30A matches the relationship between time and the displacement of the first movable body (horizontally movable body 37) from the movable body reference position with the relationship between time and the displacement of the valve body 50 from the valve body reference position. This allows the gate valve 1A to smoothly transmit the operation of the first moving mechanism 30A as the operation of the valve body 50.

[0096] Furthermore, the gate valves 1 and 1A are provided in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This allows the gate valves 1 and 1A to precisely control the opening and closing of a space in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment where semiconductors are manufactured, and increases the durability of the valve body 50. Therefore, the gate valves 1 and 1A can extend the maintenance cycle of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[0097] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing system 100 including a process module 110 for processing a substrate, a transfer module 120 for transferring a substrate (wafer W) to the process module 110, and gate valves 1, 1A provided at a boundary 10 between the process module 110 and the transfer module 120, in which the gate valves 1, 1A are attached to bases 20, 20A and first movable bodies (vertical movable body 32, horizontal movable body 33) that move along a first linear trajectory. The valve body includes a first moving mechanism 30, 30A that reciprocates a first movable body (horizontal movable body 42, vertical movable body 48) along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory, a second moving mechanism 40, 40A that is attached to the first movable body and operates at a different timing from the first moving mechanism 30, 30A and reciprocates a second movable body (horizontal movable body 42, vertical movable body 48) along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory, and a valve body 50 that is attached to the second movable body and contacts the contacted surface 17 to provide a seal, wherein one of the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contacted surface 17.

[0098] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a method for operating a gate valve 1, 1A that is provided at a boundary 10 between two compartments and blocks communication between the two compartments, the gate valve 1, 1A comprising a base 20, 20A, a first moving mechanism 30, 30A attached to the base 20, 20A and moving a first movable body (vertical movable body 32, horizontal movable body 37) along a first linear trajectory, and a second moving mechanism 40, 41 that is attached to the first movable body, operates at a different timing from the first moving mechanism 30, 30A, and moves a second movable body (horizontal movable body 42, vertical movable body 48) along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory. 0A, and a valve body 50 attached to the second movable body and contacting the contacted surface 17 to perform sealing, one of the first straight line trajectory and the second straight line trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contacted surface 17, and the operating method includes a first step in which one of the first moving mechanisms 30, 30A and the second moving mechanisms 40, 40A is operated first to move the valve body 50 from the retracted position DP to the opposing position FP, and a second step in which the other of the first moving mechanisms 30, 30A and the second moving mechanisms 40, 40A is operated after the first step to move the valve body 50 from the opposing position FP to the sealing position SP where it contacts the contacted surface 17.

[0099] In the second and third aspects described above, the pressing direction and pressing force during sealing can also be controlled with high precision.

[0100] The gate valves 1 and 1A according to the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The matters described in the above embodiments can be configured in other ways without any contradiction, and can be combined without any contradiction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1. 1A Gate Valve 10 Boundary 17 Contacted surface 20, 20A base 30, 30A 1st movement mechanism 32, 48 Vertically movable body 37, 42 Horizontal movable body 40, 40A 2nd movement mechanism 50 Valve body

Claims

1. A gate valve provided at a boundary between two compartments to block communication between the two compartments, With the base, a first moving mechanism attached to the base and configured to move a first movable body along a first linear path; a second moving mechanism attached to the first movable body, which operates at a timing different from that of the first moving mechanism and moves the second movable body along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory; a valve body attached to the second movable body and contacting a contacted surface to perform sealing, one of the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism are provided at positions adjacent to an outer side of the boundary portion, The valve body and the second movable body are connected to each other via a support extending from the outside of the boundary portion to an accommodation space that movably accommodates the valve body of the boundary portion, A bellows is provided around the support, the bellows extending from a portion closing the storage space into the storage space and surrounding the support. Gate valve.

2. A gate valve provided at a boundary between two compartments to block communication between the two compartments, With the base, a first moving mechanism attached to the base and configured to move a first movable body along a first linear path; a second moving mechanism attached to the first movable body, which operates at a timing different from that of the first moving mechanism and moves the second movable body along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory; a valve body attached to the second movable body and contacting a contacted surface to perform sealing, one of the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, The first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism that moves the valve body toward the contact surface includes a differential screw mechanism that can micro-feed the valve body. Gate valve.

3. The first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism are provided at adjacent positions outside the boundary portion.

3. The gate valve according to claim 2.

4. one of the two compartments is a processing space of a processing vessel for processing a substrate; At least the first moving mechanism is provided below the processing vessel.

4. The gate valve according to claim 1 or 3.

5. the first movement mechanism and the second movement mechanism have linear motion bearings; The gate valve according to claim 1 .

6. The first moving mechanism raises and lowers the first movable body in a vertical direction as the first linear track, The second moving mechanism moves the second movable body in the second linear trajectory parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contact surface of the valve body. The gate valve according to claim 1 .

7. The base extends along the vertical direction, the first moving mechanism includes a vertical guide rail provided on the base and a vertical actuator configured to move the first movable body along the vertical guide rail; The first movable body has a vertical extension portion extending in the vertical direction and a horizontal extension portion connected to the vertical extension portion and extending in a horizontal direction, The second moving mechanism includes a horizontal guide rail provided on the laterally extending portion, and a horizontal actuator that moves the second movable body along the horizontal guide rail. The gate valve according to claim 6.

8. the second moving mechanism causes a relationship between a displacement of the second movable body from a movable body reference position and time to coincide with a relationship between a displacement of the valve body from a valve body reference position and time.

8. The gate valve according to claim 6 or 7.

9. the first moving mechanism moves the first movable body along the first linear trajectory, the first movable body being parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contact surface; The second moving mechanism raises and lowers the second movable body in a vertical direction as the second linear track. The gate valve according to claim 1 .

10. The base extends along a horizontal direction, the first moving mechanism includes a horizontal guide rail provided on the base and a horizontal actuator that moves the first movable body along the horizontal guide rail; The second moving mechanism includes a vertical guide member provided on the first movable body, and a vertical actuator that moves the second movable body along the vertical guide member.

10. The gate valve according to claim 9.

11. the first moving mechanism causes a relationship between a displacement of the first movable body from a movable body reference position and time to coincide with a relationship between a displacement of the valve body from a valve body reference position and time; 11. The gate valve according to claim 9 or 10.

12. The gate valve is provided in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

12. The gate valve according to claim 1.

13. 1. A substrate processing system comprising: a process module for processing a substrate; a transfer module for transferring the substrate to the process module; and a gate valve provided at a boundary between the process module and the transfer module, The gate valve is With the base, a first moving mechanism attached to the base and configured to move a first movable body along a first linear path; a second moving mechanism attached to the first movable body, which operates at a timing different from that of the first moving mechanism and moves the second movable body along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory; a valve body attached to the second movable body and contacting a contacted surface to perform sealing, one of the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism are provided at positions adjacent to an outer side of the boundary portion, The valve body and the second movable body are connected to each other via a support extending from the outside of the boundary portion to an accommodation space that movably accommodates the valve body of the boundary portion, A bellows is provided around the support, the bellows extending from a portion closing the storage space into the storage space and surrounding the support. Substrate processing system.

14. A substrate processing system comprising: a process module for processing a substrate; a transfer module for transferring the substrate to the process module; and a gate valve provided at a boundary between the process module and the transfer module, The gate valve is With the base, a first moving mechanism attached to the base and configured to move a first movable body along a first linear path; a second moving mechanism attached to the first movable body, which operates at a timing different from that of the first moving mechanism and moves the second movable body along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory; a valve body attached to the second movable body and contacting a contacted surface to perform sealing, one of the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, The first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism that moves the valve body toward the contact surface includes a differential screw mechanism that can micro-feed the valve body. Substrate processing system.

15. A method for operating a gate valve that is provided at a boundary between two compartments and blocks communication between the two compartments, comprising the steps of: Gate valves are With the base, a first moving mechanism attached to the base and configured to move a first movable body along a first linear path; a second moving mechanism attached to the first movable body, which operates at a timing different from that of the first moving mechanism and moves the second movable body along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory; a valve body attached to the second movable body and contacting a contacted surface to perform sealing, one of the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism are provided at positions adjacent to an outer side of the boundary portion, The valve body and the second movable body are connected to each other via a support extending from the outside of the boundary portion to an accommodation space that movably accommodates the valve body of the boundary portion, A bellows is provided around the support, extending from a portion closing the accommodation space into the accommodation space and surrounding the support, The operating method includes a first step of first operating one of the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism to move the valve body from a retracted position to an opposing position; a second step of operating the other of the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism to move the valve body from the opposed position to a sealing position in which the valve body contacts the contacted surface, after the first step; How a gate valve works.

16. A method for operating a gate valve provided at a boundary between two compartments to block communication between the two compartments, comprising the steps of: Gate valves are With the base, a first moving mechanism attached to the base and configured to move a first movable body along a first linear path; a second moving mechanism attached to the first movable body, which operates at a timing different from that of the first moving mechanism and moves the second movable body along a second linear trajectory perpendicular to the first linear trajectory; a valve body attached to the second movable body and contacting a contacted surface to perform sealing, one of the first linear trajectory and the second linear trajectory is parallel to a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, one of the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism that moves the valve body toward the contact surface includes a differential screw mechanism that is capable of micro-feeding the valve body, The operating method includes a first step of first operating one of the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism to move the valve body from a retracted position to an opposing position; a second step of operating the other of the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism to move the valve body from the opposed position to a sealing position in which the valve body contacts the contacted surface, after the first step; How a gate valve works.

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