JPH1074827A - Vacuum vessel for semiconductor manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To substantially lighten a vacuum vessel by using a light-weight honeycomb plate for a wall surface member. SOLUTION: A honeycomb plate 1 is composed of a core part 2 of a plate- shape honeycomb body structure and flat plates 3 and 3, such as rolled plates. The honeycomb plate 1 is produced by fixing the core part 2 and the flat plates 3 with an adhesive agent or brazing in the state of sandwiching the core part 2 between the flat plates 3 and 3. Since working such as cutting or folding is not applicable to the honeycomb plate 1, the vacuum vessel is constituted by bonding the honeycomb plates 1 and 1 to each other or bonding the honeycomb plate 1 with materials such as rolled plates. As bonding, adhering or brazing is used. When the honeycomb plate 1, having honeycomb structure is compared with an ordinary plate member such as a solid rolled plate and the strength is made equal for both, the weight of the honeycomb plate 1 becomes about 1/5 of the weight of the rolled plate, etc., and the vacuum vessel can be made substantially light in weight.

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

【０００１】[0001]

【発明の属する技術分野】本発明は、半導体製造装置に
使用される真空容器に係り、特に、真空容器の軽量化を
図った半導体製造装置の真空容器に関する。BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum vessel used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, to a vacuum vessel of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which the weight of the vacuum vessel is reduced.

【０００２】[0002]

【従来の技術】従来、半導体製造装置内の真空容器を製
作する場合、削り出し、鋳造、鍛造、板材の溶接，ろう
付け等、様々な素材、加工法が用いられている。また、
図８に示すように、真空容器にリブ２１を設けて、容器
本体の肉厚を薄くすることにより軽量化を図ったリブ付
きの真空容器２０も知られている。2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when manufacturing a vacuum vessel in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, various materials and processing methods such as shaving, casting, forging, welding of a plate material, and brazing have been used. Also,
As shown in FIG. 8, there is also known a vacuum vessel 20 with ribs in which ribs 21 are provided in a vacuum vessel and the thickness of the vessel body is reduced to reduce the weight.

【０００３】[0003]

【発明が解決しようとする課題】ところで、最近のウェ
ーハの大口径化に伴い、半導体製造装置（真空容器）自
体も大型化・高重量化してきている。この傾向が更に進
むと、現在の素材・加工法のままでは、大型・高重量の
真空容器の製造・組立が大がかりとなるばかりでなく、
真空容器を設置する場所の床を強化しなければ設置でき
ないほどの単位面積当たりの重量になってしまう。しか
も、真空容器は耐圧性を持たせるために十分な強度を備
えねばならず、大型化していることからも、容器の肉厚
を薄くして軽量化するには限界がある。By the way, with the recent increase in the diameter of the wafer, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (vacuum vessel) itself has also become larger and heavier. If this trend further progresses, the production and assembly of large and heavy vacuum vessels will not only become large-scale under the current materials and processing methods,
The weight per unit area is too large to be installed unless the floor of the place where the vacuum vessel is installed is strengthened. In addition, the vacuum container must have sufficient strength to have pressure resistance, and the size of the vacuum container is limited. Therefore, there is a limit in reducing the thickness of the container and reducing its weight.

【０００４】本発明の目的は、前記従来技術の問題点で
ある、真空容器の大型化に伴う高重量化を解決し、真空
容器を大幅に軽量化することができる半導体製造装置の
真空容器を提供することにある。SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve a problem of the prior art, that is, to increase the weight of the vacuum container due to the increase in the size of the vacuum container and to reduce the weight of the vacuum container. To provide.

【０００５】[0005]

【課題を解決するための手段】上記の目的を達成するた
めに、本発明の半導体製造装置の真空容器は、真空容器
の壁面部材に、平板状のハニカム構造体の両面を平板で
挟んだ構造のハニカム板を用いたものである。In order to achieve the above object, a vacuum container of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention has a structure in which both surfaces of a flat honeycomb structure are sandwiched between flat plates by wall members of the vacuum container. Is used.

【０００６】ハニカム構造を有するハニカム板と、中実
な圧延板等の通常の板材とを比較すると、両者を同一強
度にした場合、ハニカム板の重量は圧延板等の重量の１
／５程度となり、真空容器を大幅に軽量化できる。ハニ
カム構造体と平板とは、ろう付けや接着剤などで固着す
ればよい。ハニカム板の材料には、例えば、アルミニウ
ムやステンレス鋼などが挙げられる。真空容器の形状
は、直方体に限らず、立方体や多角柱体など種々の形状
の真空容器に適用することができる。なお、ハニカム板
が用いられる真空容器の壁面には、ウェーハ等を出し入
れするための扉の壁面も含まれる。A comparison between a honeycomb plate having a honeycomb structure and a normal plate material such as a solid rolled plate shows that when the both have the same strength, the weight of the honeycomb plate is 1% of the weight of the rolled plate or the like.
/ 5, so that the vacuum vessel can be significantly reduced in weight. The honeycomb structure and the flat plate may be fixed by brazing, an adhesive, or the like. Examples of the material of the honeycomb plate include aluminum and stainless steel. The shape of the vacuum container is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, and can be applied to various shapes of vacuum containers such as a cube and a polygonal column. In addition, the wall surface of the vacuum container in which the honeycomb plate is used includes the wall surface of a door for taking in and out a wafer or the like.

【０００７】また、本発明の半導体製造装置の真空容器
は、上記ハニカム板同士、あるいはハニカム板と圧延板
等の材料とを接合して真空容器を構成したものである。Further, the vacuum container of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is one in which the honeycomb plates are joined together or the honeycomb plate and a material such as a rolled plate are joined to form a vacuum container.

【０００８】ハニカム板は、切削、折り曲げ等の加工が
できないので、接合により真空容器を構成するのがよ
い。接合の方法には、接着、ろう付、溶接などが挙げら
れる。また、壁面部材に、ねじ穴やＯリング溝などの加
工が必要な個所（真空容器の開口部など）には、圧延板
等を用い、圧延板等の材料をハニカム板に接合して構成
するのがよい。また、ハニカム板を壁面の全面に用いる
のではなく、部分的に用いるようにしてもよい。Since a honeycomb plate cannot be processed such as cutting and bending, it is preferable to form a vacuum container by joining. Bonding methods include adhesion, brazing, welding, and the like. Further, at a place where the wall member needs to be processed such as a screw hole or an O-ring groove (such as an opening of a vacuum vessel), a rolled plate or the like is used, and a material such as a rolled plate is joined to the honeycomb plate. Is good. Further, the honeycomb plate may be partially used instead of being used over the entire wall surface.

【０００９】[0009]

【発明の実施の形態】以下に、本発明に係る半導体製造
装置の真空容器の実施形態を図面を用いて説明する。DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a vacuum vessel of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

【００１０】図１に、真空容器に用いられるハニカム板
の一実施形態を示す。ハニカム板１は、平板状のハニカ
ム構造体であるコア部２と、圧延板等の平板３、３とか
らなる。コア部２は、図１（ｂ）に示すように、平板
３、３間にサンドイッチされた状態で、接着剤あるいは
ろう付により固着されて、真空容器の壁面部材としての
ハニカム板１が得られる。コア部２と平板３との固着
は、高い強度を求める場合には、ろう付がよい。FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a honeycomb plate used for a vacuum vessel. The honeycomb plate 1 includes a core portion 2 which is a flat honeycomb structure, and flat plates 3 and 3 such as a rolled plate. As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the core portion 2 is fixed by an adhesive or brazing while sandwiched between the flat plates 3 to obtain the honeycomb plate 1 as a wall member of the vacuum vessel. . When a high strength is required, the core portion 2 and the flat plate 3 are preferably fixed by brazing.

【００１１】ハニカム板１は、切削、折り曲げ等の加工
ができないので、図２に示すように、ハニカム板１、１
相互間を接合して直方体などの真空容器を組み立てる。
接合としては、接着、ろう付ともに可能であるが、リー
ク，放出ガスなどを考慮すると、ろう付が好ましい。ハ
ニカム板１のコア部２の表面は、リブ状の突出部を有す
るが、真空容器の内・外壁面となるコア部２の両面側が
平板３で覆われているため、パーティクルの滞留によ
る、他の箇所への汚染等の心配がない。Since the honeycomb plate 1 cannot be machined such as cutting, bending, etc., as shown in FIG.
A vacuum container such as a rectangular parallelepiped is assembled by joining them together.
For joining, both bonding and brazing are possible, but brazing is preferable in consideration of leakage, released gas, and the like. Although the surface of the core portion 2 of the honeycomb plate 1 has a rib-shaped projection, both surfaces of the core portion 2 serving as the inner and outer wall surfaces of the vacuum vessel are covered with the flat plate 3. There is no need to worry about contamination of the location.

【００１２】真空容器のドア等を取り付ける開口部部分
は、ねじ穴やＯリング等の加工が必要になるので、図３
に示すように、真空容器４の開口部分のハニカム板１に
フランジ状の圧延板５を接合する。この接合も、接着で
もろう付でもよいが、繰り返し荷重がかかる部分である
ので、ろう付の方がよい。また、図４に示すように、ハ
ニカム板１に厚板（圧延板）６を接着・ろう付等で貼り
付けた部材を用いれば、厚板６側の面に自由に切削等の
加工ができる。The opening of the vacuum vessel where the door and the like are attached needs to be machined with screw holes and O-rings.
As shown in (1), a flange-shaped rolled plate 5 is joined to the honeycomb plate 1 at the opening of the vacuum vessel 4. This bonding may be performed by bonding or brazing, but brazing is preferable because it is a portion where a repeated load is applied. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, if a member in which a thick plate (rolled plate) 6 is attached to the honeycomb plate 1 by bonding or brazing is used, the surface on the side of the thick plate 6 can be freely cut or the like. .

【００１３】図２では、全ての壁面にハニカム板１を用
いたが、部分的にハニカム板１を用いるようにしてもよ
い。図５は、ハニカム板１の壁面と圧延板５の壁面とを
組み合わせて構成した例であり、図６は、圧延板５の真
空容器４のドア部分及び壁面の一部にハニカム板１を用
いた例である。ハニカム板１は、圧延材よりも高価なた
め、真空容器の重量が設定した重量限度値に収まるよう
に、図５、図６に示すように部分的にハニカム板１を用
いるのが、製造コストの面から有効である。In FIG. 2, the honeycomb plate 1 is used for all the wall surfaces, but the honeycomb plate 1 may be partially used. FIG. 5 shows an example in which the wall surface of the honeycomb plate 1 and the wall surface of the rolling plate 5 are combined, and FIG. 6 shows the use of the honeycomb plate 1 for the door portion and a part of the wall surface of the vacuum vessel 4 of the rolling plate 5. This is an example. Since the honeycomb plate 1 is more expensive than the rolled material, it is necessary to partially use the honeycomb plate 1 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 so that the weight of the vacuum container falls within the set weight limit. It is effective from the aspect of.

【００１４】図７は、ドアに用いられるハニカム板１の
Ｏリング８が当たる部分（押圧に適した領域）７に対し
て、厚板６を設けて補強した例である。これは、厚板等
がない通常のハニカム板１の部分にＯリングのような集
中荷重をかけるのは望ましくないからである。FIG. 7 shows an example in which a thick plate 6 is provided for a portion (area suitable for pressing) 7 of the honeycomb plate 1 used for the door to be contacted by the O-ring 8 and reinforced. This is because it is not desirable to apply a concentrated load such as an O-ring to the portion of the ordinary honeycomb plate 1 having no thick plate or the like.

【００１５】[0015]

【発明の効果】以上要するに、本発明によれば、真空容
器の壁面部材に軽量なハニカム板を用いたため、通常の
圧延板等を用いた真空容器に比べて、真空容器を大幅に
軽量にすることができ、ウェーハの大口径化に伴う真空
容器の大型化・高重量化の傾向にある現在、極めて有用
である。即ち、軽量なハニカム板を用いているため、大
型の真空容器でも容易に組立ができる。更に、真空容器
が使用される半導体製造装置の単位面積当たりの重量を
低減できるので、装置が大型化しても、床面設備を強化
したり、それに伴ってフットスペースを広げたりしなく
ても済むなど経済性に優れている。In summary, according to the present invention, since a lightweight honeycomb plate is used for the wall member of the vacuum vessel, the vacuum vessel is made much lighter than a vacuum vessel using a normal rolled plate or the like. This is extremely useful at present, as the vacuum vessel tends to be larger and heavier due to the larger diameter of the wafer. That is, since a lightweight honeycomb plate is used, even a large vacuum vessel can be easily assembled. Furthermore, since the weight per unit area of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which a vacuum vessel is used can be reduced, even if the apparatus becomes large, it is not necessary to reinforce the floor equipment or expand the foot space accordingly. It is excellent in economy.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief description of the drawings]

【図１】本発明に係る真空容器に用いられるハニカム板
の実施形態を示すもので、図１（ａ）は分解側面図、図
１（ｂ）は側面図である。FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a honeycomb plate used for a vacuum vessel according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is an exploded side view, and FIG. 1 (b) is a side view.

【図２】ハニカム板を接合して真空容器を構成する実施
形態を示すもので、図２（ａ）は斜視図、図２（ｂ）は
側面図である。FIGS. 2A and 2B show an embodiment in which a vacuum vessel is formed by joining honeycomb plates, wherein FIG. 2A is a perspective view and FIG. 2B is a side view.

【図３】ハニカム板を用いた真空容器の開口部部分にフ
ランジ状の圧延板を接合した実施形態を示すもので、図
３（ａ）は側面図、図３（ｂ）は斜視図である。3A and 3B show an embodiment in which a flange-shaped rolled plate is joined to an opening portion of a vacuum vessel using a honeycomb plate, FIG. 3A is a side view, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view. .

【図４】ハニカム板に厚板を貼り付ける実施形態を示す
斜視図である。FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which a thick plate is attached to a honeycomb plate.

【図５】ハニカム板を真空容器に部分的に用いた実施形
態を示す斜視図である。FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which a honeycomb plate is partially used in a vacuum container.

【図６】ハニカム板を真空容器に部分的に用いた実施形
態を示す斜視図である。FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which a honeycomb plate is partially used in a vacuum container.

【図７】ハニカム板を厚板で補強した実施形態を示すも
ので、図７（ａ）は分解側断面図、図７（ｂ）は側断面
図である。7 shows an embodiment in which a honeycomb plate is reinforced with a thick plate. FIG. 7 (a) is an exploded side sectional view, and FIG. 7 (b) is a side sectional view.

【図８】従来の半導体製造装置の真空容器を示す側面図
である。FIG. 8 is a side view showing a vacuum vessel of a conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

【符号の説明】[Explanation of symbols]

１ ハニカム板 ２ コア部（ハニカム構造体） ３ 平板 ４ 真空容器 ５ 圧延板 ６ 厚板 ８ Ｏリング DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Honeycomb board 2 Core part (honeycomb structure) 3 Flat plate 4 Vacuum container 5 Rolled plate 6 Thick plate 8 O-ring

───────────────────────────────────────────────────── フロントページの続き (72)発明者 綿引 真一郎 東京都中野区東中野三丁目14番20号 国際 電気株式会社内 (72)発明者 油谷 幸則 東京都中野区東中野三丁目14番20号 国際 電気株式会社内 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Shinichiro Watahiki 3--14-20 Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo Kokusai Electric Co., Ltd. Inside the corporation

Claims (2)

【特許請求の範囲】[Claims] 【請求項１】半導体製造装置の真空容器の壁面部材に、
平板状のハニカム構造体の両面を平板で挟んだ構造のハ
ニカム板を用いたことを特徴とする半導体製造装置の真
空容器。1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
A vacuum vessel for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, wherein a honeycomb plate having a structure in which both surfaces of a flat honeycomb structure are sandwiched between flat plates is used. 【請求項２】前記ハニカム板同士、あるいはハニカム板
と圧延板等の材料とを接合して真空容器を構成したこと
を特徴とする請求項１記載の半導体製造装置の真空容
器。2. A vacuum container according to claim 1, wherein said honeycomb plates are joined together or a honeycomb plate and a material such as a rolled plate are joined to form a vacuum container.