IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0447519
(2012-04-16)
|
등록번호 |
US-9496158
(2016-11-15)
|
우선권정보 |
JP-2011-094002 (2011-04-20); JP-2011-257752 (2011-11-25); JP-2012-007237 (2012-01-17) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Nakashima, Mikio
- Inadomi, Hiroaki
- Okamura, Satoshi
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
5 |
초록
▼
Provided is a processing apparatus for performing a processing of a substrate to be processed using a high-pressure fluid to prevent the generation of particles and ensure airtightness in the processing container. A sealing member is installed to surround a carrying port of the processing chamber, t
Provided is a processing apparatus for performing a processing of a substrate to be processed using a high-pressure fluid to prevent the generation of particles and ensure airtightness in the processing container. A sealing member is installed to surround a carrying port of the processing chamber, the carrying port is closed by the cover, and the cover is restricted from retreating by the pressure in the processing chamber by a lock plate, thereby processing the wafer in the processing chamber using the high-pressure fluid. Since the sealing member is pressurized by the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber to be pressed toward the cover during the drying process, a gap between the cover and the processing chamber may be airtightly closed. Since the sealing member does not slide with respect to the processing chamber or the cover, the generation of particles is suppressed.
대표청구항
▼
1. A processing apparatus comprising: a processing container configured to receive a substrate to be processed through a carrying port and process the substrate using a high-pressure fluid;a cover configured to close the carrying port with a first gap formed between the cover and the processing cont
1. A processing apparatus comprising: a processing container configured to receive a substrate to be processed through a carrying port and process the substrate using a high-pressure fluid;a cover configured to close the carrying port with a first gap formed between the cover and the processing container when the high-pressure fluid is not supplied to the processing container, and retreat from the processing container by an internal atmosphere of the processing container when the high-pressure fluid is supplied to the processing container thereby widening the first gap;a sealing member annularly installed to surround the carrying port or fit to an inner circumferential surface of the carrying port when the carrying port is closed by the cover, having an elasticity with a U-shaped longitudinal cross section, and disposed such that an internal space surrounded in the U shape communicates with the internal atmosphere of the processing container;a restriction mechanism configured to restrict the cover from retreating by the pressure beyond a predetermined position in the processing container,wherein the restriction mechanism includes: a lock plate configured to move vertically between a locking position for pressing the cover and an opening location where the lock plate retreats downward from the locking location in order to open the cover and restrict a movement of the cover;an insertion hole where the lock plate is inserted into the insertion hole; andan elevating mechanism configured to move the lock plate, andwherein a second gap is formed between the insertion hole and the lock plate disposed at the locking location by the predetermined position; anda controller configured to control an overall operation of the processing apparatus,wherein the controller is programmed such that, when the high-pressure fluid is not supplied to the processing container, the cover airtightly closes the first gap by squashing the sealing member, andwherein the controller is further programmed such that, when the high-pressure fluid is supplied to the processing container, the sealing member is pressurized by the internal atmosphere of the processing container caused by the high-pressure fluid entering into the internal space surrounded in the U shape through the widened first gap to be pressed to at least one of the cover or the processing container, thereby a state where airtightly closing the first gap widened by the internal atmosphere of the processing container is maintained while the high-pressure fluid is being supplied. 2. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a surface contacting the internal space of the sealing member is made of a resin selected from a resin group consisting of polyimide, polyethylene, polypropylene, para-xylene and polyether ether ketone. 3. A processing apparatus comprising: a processing container configured to receive a substrate to be processed through a carrying port and process the substrate using a high-pressure fluid;a cover configured to close the carrying port with a first gap formed between the cover and the processing container when the high-pressure fluid is not supplied to the processing container, and retreat from the processing container by an internal atmosphere of the processing container when the high-pressure fluid is supplied to the processing container thereby widening the first gap;a sealing member formed of an elastic body annularly installed to surround the carrying port when the carrying port is closed by the cover, having an elasticity with a U-shaped longitudinal cross section, and having both ends of a U-shaped part which are curved outward to form curved end portions, and disposed such that an internal space surrounded in the U shape communicates with the internal atmosphere of the processing container;a cover member configured to cover the sealing member from the outside of the U-shaped part when seen from a longitudinal cross section of the sealing member in order to restrict deformation of the sealing member;a restriction mechanism configured to restrict the cover from retreating by the pressure beyond a predetermined position in the processing container,wherein the restriction mechanism includes: a lock plate configured to move vertically between a locking position for pressing the cover and an opening location where the lock plate retreats downward from the locking location in order to open the cover and restrict a movement of the cover;an insertion hole where the lock plate is inserted into the insertion hole; andan elevating mechanism configured to move the lock plate, andwherein a second gap is formed between the insertion hole and the lock plate disposed at the locking location by the predetermined position; anda controller configured to control an overall operation of the processing apparatus,wherein the controller is programmed such that, when the high-pressure fluid is not supplied to the processing container, the curved end portions are brought in contact with the processing container allowing the cover to airtightly close the first gap, and as the pressure in the processing container is increased to widen the first gap by supplying the high-pressure fluid to the processing container, the sealing member is pressed and deformed in the cover member by the internal atmosphere of the processing container caused by the high-pressure fluid entering into the internal space surrounded in the U shape through the widened first gap allowing the curved end portions to be widened outward to maintain the first gap widened by the internal atmosphere of the processing container in an airtightly closed state while the high-pressure fluid is being supplied. 4. The processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sealing member is made of a resin selected from a resin group consisting of polyimide, polyethylene, polypropylene, para-xylene and polyether ether ketone. 5. A processing apparatus comprising: a processing container configured to receive a substrate to be processed through a carrying port and process the substrate using a high-pressure fluid;a groove portion annularly formed to surround the carrying port;a sealing member installed in the groove portion along the groove portion;a cover configured to close the carrying port with a first gap formed between the cover and the processing container and having a circumferential edge which faces and contacts the sealing member thereby airtightly closing the first gap, and retreat from the processing container by an internal atmosphere of the processing container when the high-pressure fluid is supplied to the processing container thereby widening the first gap;a communicating path configured to allow the internal atmosphere of the groove portion and the processing container to communicate with each other;a restriction mechanism configured to restrict the cover from retreating by the pressure beyond a predetermined position in the processing container,wherein the restriction mechanism includes: a lock plate configured to move vertically between a locking position for pressing the cover and an opening location where the lock plate retreats downward from the locking location in order to open the cover and restrict a movement of the cover;an insertion hole where the lock plate is inserted into the insertion hole; andan elevating mechanism configured to move the lock plate, andwherein a second gap is formed between the insertion hole and the lock plate disposed at the locking location by the predetermined position; anda controller configured to control an overall operation of the processing apparatus,wherein the controller is programmed, when the high-pressure fluid is supplied to the processing container, the sealing member is pressurized by the internal atmosphere of the processing container caused by the high-pressure fluid through the communicating path to be pressed to the cover in order to maintain a state where the cover airtightly closes the first gap widened by the internal atmosphere of the processing container while the high-pressure fluid is being supplied. 6. The processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cover is configured such that a part of the cover enters into the groove portion along the groove portion with the carrying port closed. 7. The processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the groove portion is configured in a tapered shape such that a space in the groove portion is gradually widened in a carrying-in direction of the substrate to be processed from the cover side. 8. The processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein a concave portion is provided in the processing container, and an opening for carrying the substrate to be processed in and out of the processing container is formed on the bottom of the concave portion, and the processing apparatus includes an annular carrying port forming member which is disposed in the concave portion, forms the carrying port continuous with the opening, and has the groove portion formed between an outer circumferential surface thereof and an inner circumferential surface of the concave portion. 9. The processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein an annular carrying port forming member is provided to be movable in a carrying-in direction of the substrate to be processed with respect to the concave portion. 10. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elasticity of the sealing member with a U-shaped longitudinal cross section is set such that a state of airtightly closing the first gap formed between the cover and the processing container is maintained against a pressure difference of about 4 MPa to about 10 MPa. 11. The processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the elasticity of the sealing member with a U-shaped longitudinal cross section is set such that a state of airtightly closing the first gap formed between the cover and the processing container is maintained against a pressure difference of about 4 MPa to about 10 MPa. 12. The processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the elasticity of the sealing member with a U-shaped longitudinal cross section is set such that a state of airtightly closing the first gap formed between the cover and the processing container is maintained against a pressure difference of about 4 MPa to about 10 MPa.
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