WO2007001162A1

WO2007001162A1 - Door assembly adapted to the reversed atmospheric pressure

Info

Publication number: WO2007001162A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/002528
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seung-Ho Lee; Jeong-Beom Ryeo; Myong-Ho Kim; Hyuk-Bum Lee; Sun-Ki Kwon; Kyung-Hwan Jang
Original assignee: Innovation For Creative Devices Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2005-06-29
Filing date: 2006-06-28
Publication date: 2007-01-04

Abstract

A vacuum door assembly adopted to the reversed atmospheric pressure includes a gate having a gateway connected to an inside of a vacuum chamber to carry in or out a subject to be processed, and an inclined surface formed along an outer side of the gateway and inclined with respect to a carrying direction in the gateway; a door moved vertically with respect to the gate to selectively open or close the gateway and having a closed surface corresponding to the gateway so as to close the gateway in contact with the inclined surface of the gate; and a lifting means for lifting the door with respect to the gate.

Description

DOOR ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO THE REVERSED ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a vacuum door assembly, and more particularly to a vacuum door assembly in a vacuum chamber such as a plasma processing apparatus adapted to the reversed atmospheric pressure, which may improve airtightness of a closed gate with a simple mechanism for opening or closing a gate through which a subject to be process is introduced or discharged. Background Art

[2] Recently, components of semiconductor elements, LCD, organic EL, PDP (Plasma

Display Panel) and so on have more precise configuration, and a high precision processing control is required for producing such components. Among devices allowing such high precision processing control, a plasma processing device is generally spotlighted.

[3] A conventional plasma processing device uses an inductively coupled plasma source, a microwave plasma source or a capacitively coupled plasma source, and among them, the capacitively coupled flat plate plasma processing device is most widely used.

[4] The capacitively coupled flat plate plasma processing device includes a pair of parallel flat plate electrodes (namely, upper and lower electrodes) arranged in a chamber and connected to a discharge system, and a high frequency power source is connected to the parallel flat plate electrodes. In this device, the degree of a vacuum is increased as high as possible by means of discharging works of the discharge system to eliminate impurities in the chamber, then a processing gas is put into the vacuum chamber to increase a pressure to a suitable level, and then a high frequency voltage is applied to at least one electrode so as to form a high frequency electric field between the electrodes. Then, the high frequency electric field forms plasma with the processing gas, thereby conducting a plasma processing such as coating, etching, ashing, cleaning and so on.

[5] In this plasma processing device, it is essential to remove impurities by increasing the degree of a vacuum in the chamber to the maximum so as to lead the plasma reaction. Thus, in a chamber door for carrying in or out a subject such as a semiconductor element, LCD, organic EL and PDP into/from the process chamber, it is important to minimize noise and vibration, shorten an operation time and also keep air- tightness of the chamber inside. [6] Thus, there are conventionally adopted a door device separately provided with a cylinder for moving a door up and down and a cylinder for moving the door forward and rearward, a device for opening or closing a door by operating an arm provided with a hinge by means of a cylinder, and a device for opening or closing a door by moving a carrier bracket with an elastic member by means of a cylinder.

[7] However, such conventional techniques have at least two driving means or an arm structure, which is so complicated in structure, also take much time to open or close a door, and apply a great load on the door in an opening or closing process, which results in noise and vibration.

[8] Most of all, since the door is pressed by means of a separate elastic member or a driving force of a hydraulic cylinder to close a gate entrance of the chamber, air- tightness of the gate is not ensured if an elastic force of the elastic member is deteriorated or the operation precision of the cylinder is deteriorated. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[9] The present invention is designed in consideration of the above problems, and therefore it is an object of the invention to provide a vacuum door assembly adopted for the reversed atmospheric pressure, which may reduce noise, vibration and opening/ closing time by simplifying an opening/closing process of a gate.

[10] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum door assembly adopted to the reversed atmospheric pressure, which may improve airtightness against an outside environment in case the gate is closed. Technical Solution

[11] In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a vacuum door assembly, which includes a gate having a gateway connected to an inside of a vacuum chamber to carry in or out a subject to be processed, and an inclined surface formed along an outer side of the gateway and inclined with respect to a carrying direction in the gateway; a door moved vertically with respect to the gate to selectively open or close the gateway and having a closed surface corresponding to the gateway so as to close the gateway in contact with the inclined surface of the gate; and a lifting means for lifting the door with respect to the gate.

[12] Preferably, the inclined surface of the gate is inclined at 45° with respect to the carrying direction or a lifting movement direction of the door.

[13] More preferably, the vacuum door assembly according to the present invention further includes a guide means for guiding lifting movement of the door.

[14] In addition, the guide means preferably includes a guide bracket for receiving and guiding the door. [15] Moreover, preferably, a guide protrusion is formed on the door, and an elongated guide hole is formed in the guide bracket so that the guide protrusion is coupled therein and slidably moved therein.

[16] Meanwhile, the lifting means is preferably a cylinder provided with a plunger that is coupled with the door. Brief Description of the Drawings

[17] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be more fully described in the following detailed description, taken accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[18] FIGs. 1 and 2 schematically show a plasma processing apparatus adopting a vacuum door assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[19] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a gate of the vacuum door assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[20] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a door and a lifting means of the vacuum door assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[21] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a guide bracket of the vacuum door assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[22] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present invention on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best explanation. Therefore, the description proposed herein is just a preferable example for the purpose of illustrations only, not intended to limit the scope of the invention, so it should be understood that other equivalents and modifications could be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[23] FIGs. 1 and 2 schematically show a plasma processing apparatus having a vacuum door assembly adopted to the reversed atmospheric pressure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[24] Referring to FIGs. 1 and 2, the door assembly 100 according to this embodiment includes a gate 20 provided to one side of a vacuum chamber 110 to carry in or out a subject to be processed, a door 40 for selectively opening or closing the gate 20 by means of lifting movement, and a lifting means for lifting the door 40.

[25] As shown in FIG. 3, a gateway 22 connected to an inside of the vacuum chamber

110 is formed in the gate 20 so that a subject to be processed may be carried in or out, and an inclined surface 24 is formed on an outer side of the gateway 22 so as to contact with the door 40 that closes the gate 20 as explained later.

[26] According to the present invention, the inclined surface 24 is inclined at a predetermined angle, preferably 45° with respect to a moving direction of the door 40 or a carrying direction in the gateway 22. Thus, if the door 40 comes in contact with the gate 20 by means of lifting movement, the inclined surface 24 is contacted therewith to close the gateway 22.

[27] Referring to FIG. 4, the door 40 has a shape corresponding to the gateway 22 so as to close the gateway 22 of the gate 20. According to the present invention, the door 40 may selectively open or close the gateway 22 with vertically moving with respect to the carrying direction in the gateway 22 of the gate 20.

[28] At this time, a closed surface 42 (see FIG. 2) inclined corresponding to the inclined surface 24 of the gate 20 is formed on the door 40. Thus, if the door 40 is moved up toward the gate 20, the closed surface 42 of the door 40 comes in contact with the inclined surface 24 of the gate 20 to close the gateway 22.

[29] The lifting means vertically moves the door 40 with respect to the gate 20 so that the door 40 may open or close the gate 20.

[30] Preferably, the lifting means is a cylinder 60 provided with a plunger 62 that is coupled with the door 40. The cylinder 60 may be suitably selected by those having ordinary skill in the art, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. Though not illustrated in this description and the drawings, it should be understood that various lifting devices using a motor, a gear or a screw may be adopted as the lifting means.

[31] Preferably, a guide means guides lifting movement of the door 40. As shown in

FIG. 5, the guide means includes a guide bracket 80 that receives the door 40 and guides the door 40 in contact.

[32] The guide bracket 80 is installed in front of the gate 20, and an opening 84 opened corresponding to the gateway 22 is formed in the guide bracket 80. Preferably, a through hole 86 for guiding the plunger 62 that lifts the door 40 may be further formed in the guide bracket 80.

[33] More preferably, an elongated guide hole 82a is formed in a sidewall 82 of the guide bracket 80, and guide protrusions 40a slidably inserted into the elongated guide hole 82a are formed on both sides of the door 40.

[34] This guide bracket 80 supports and guides the door 40 to be lifted along a lifting path. In addition, the guide bracket 80 ensures that a vertical stress applied when the door 40 closes the gateway 22 may be appropriately shifted into a horizontal stress toward the gateway 22.

[35] The guide means is not limited to such an embodiment, but it should be understood that various existing guide structures may be used. [36] Now, the operation of the door assembly 100 of the vacuum chamber 110 configured as mentioned above according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[37] As shown in FIG. 2, the door 40 is vertically moved with respect to the gateway 22 to open or close the gateway 22.

[38] First, in case the gateway 22 is to be closed, the plunger 62 of the cylinder 60 is moved up, so the door 40 is also moved up toward the gateway 22. Such lifting movement of the door 40 is guided by the guide bracket 80 mentioned above.

[39] As shown by a dotted line in FIG. 2, if the door 40 comes in contact with the gateway 22, the closed surface 42 of the door 40 and the inclined surface 24 of the gate 20 are contacted and adhered to each other with pushing each other, thereby closing the gateway 22. As mentioned above, the plane where the closed surface 42 of the door 40 and the inclined surface 24 of the gate 20 meet each other is preferably inclined at 45° with respect to a lifting movement direction of the door 40 or a carrying direction in the gateway 22.

[40] At this time, the door 40 is guided and supported by the guide bracket 80 not to deviate outward, so a vertical stress of the door 40 may be easily shifted into a horizontal stress toward the gateway 22.

[41] On the contrary, in case the gateway 22 is to be opened, the door 40 moves down by means of the cylinder 60. As a result, the door 40 may open or close the gateway 22 only using vertical movement of the door 40.

[42] The present invention has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. Industrial Applicability

[43] As described above, the vacuum door assembly according to the present invention simplifies an opening/closing process of a gate. That is to say, the door may open or close a gateway only using its lifting movement, so there is no need for a conventional mechanism that generates vertical movement and a horizontal pressing force together. Thus, the structure of the door assembly may be much more simplified.

[44] Furthermore, the door is moved up and down in a very simple way, thereby ensuring very reliable operation, not generating noise and vibration according to its operation, and reducing an operation response time and a driving time.

[45] Most of all, the door assembly of the present invention closes a gateway by shifting vertical movement of the door into a horizontal pressing force, thereby ensuring excellent airtightness and also preventing deterioration of the airtightness caused by aging.

Claims

[1] A vacuum door assembly, comprising: a gate having a gateway connected to an inside of a vacuum chamber to carry in or out a subject to be processed, and an inclined surface formed along an outer side of the gateway and inclined with respect to a carrying direction in the gateway; a door moved vertically with respect to the gate to selectively open or close the gateway and having a closed surface corresponding to the gateway so as to close the gateway in contact with the inclined surface of the gate; and a lifting means for lifting the door with respect to the gate.

[2] The vacuum door assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface of the gate is inclined at 45° with respect to the carrying direction or a lifting movement direction of the door.

[3] The vacuum door assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a guide means for guiding lifting movement of the door.

[4] The vacuum door assembly according to claim 3, wherein the guide means includes a guide bracket for receiving and guiding the door.

[5] The vacuum door assembly according to claim 4, wherein a guide protrusion is formed on the door, and wherein an elongated guide hole is formed in the guide bracket so that the guide protrusion is coupled therein and slidably moved therein.

[6] The vacuum door assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lifting means is a cylinder provided with a plunger that is coupled with the door.