Lifting device, substrate processing apparatus having lifting device, and unit transferring method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9666469-B2
Application number	US-201414494038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2013
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A lifting device 630 b includes a lifting mechanism 640 and an adjustment member 660 . The lifting mechanism 640 is provided between at least one of a plurality of units of a substrate processing apparatus and an installation surface of the unit, and adjusts height of the at least one unit with respect to the installation surface. The adjustment member 660 is provided with an extended section 664 extended from the lifting mechanism 640 , and is capable of operating the lifting mechanism 640 through the extended section 664.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lifting device comprising:
a lifting mechanism that is provided between at least one of a plurality of units of a substrate processing apparatus and an installation surface of the unit, and that adjusts height of the at least one unit with respect to the installation surface;
an adjustment member that is provided with an extended section extended from the lifting mechanism, and that is capable of operating the lifting mechanism through the extended section; and
a level adjuster connected to the lifting mechanism, capable of adjusting height of the at least one unit with respect to the installation surface by driving the lifting mechanism, wherein the adjustment member includes a level adjustment member having a connection section connected to the level adjuster, the extended section extended from the connection section, and an operation section provided in the extended section, the level adjustment member being capable of driving the lifting mechanism through the level adjuster by operating the operation section, and
wherein the lifting mechanism includes: a first member and a second member that are stacked between the installation surface and the at least one unit, and each of which has a surface facing to each other so as not to be horizontal; and a third member provided between the first member and the second member so as to be wedge-shaped, and the level adjuster is capable of adjusting a distance between the first member and the second member by driving the third member to be slid.

2. The lifting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide member, the guide member comprising:
a first guide member including:
a first contact section that is brought into contact with a surface of the first member, facing to the installation surface; first extended sections that extends along respective side surfaces of the first member, opposite to each other, from the first contact section; and projected first locking sections formed in the respective first extended sections;
a second guide member including:
a second contact section that is brought into contact with surface of the second member, facing to the unit; second extended sections that extends along respective side surfaces of the second member, opposite to each other, from the second contact section; and projected second locking sections formed in the respective second extended sections to be engaged with the respective first locking sections,
wherein the guide member regulates movement of the first and second members in a direction in which the first and second members are separated from each other by engaging the respective first locking sections and the respective second locking sections.

3. The lifting device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of units includes a unit body that applies processing to the substrate, and a base member on which the unit body is loaded, and the lifting device is provided between the base member and the installation surface.

4. A lifting device comprising:
a lifting mechanism that is provided between at least one of a plurality of units of a substrate processing apparatus and a floor surface on which the substrate processing apparatus is installed, and that adjusts height of the at least one unit with respect to the floor surface;
an adjustment member that is provided with an extended section extended from the lifting mechanism, and that is capable of operating the lifting mechanism through the extended section; and
a plate for supporting a lower surface of the at least one unit, wherein the lifting mechanism is provided between the floor surface and the plate so as to be able to adjust height of the at least one unit with respect to the floor surface, and the adjustment member includes the extended section extended from the lifting mechanism along the plate to be able to operate the lifting mechanism through the extended section,
wherein the lifting mechanism includes: first and second members that are stacked between the floor surface and the plate, and each of which has a surface facing to each other so as not to be horizontal; and a third member provided between the first and second members so as to be wedge-shaped, and the height adjuster is capable of adjusting a distance between the first and second members by driving the third member to be slid.

5. The lifting device according to claim 4 , further comprising a height adjuster provided in the lifting mechanism, wherein the adjustment member includes: a connection section to which the height adjuster is connected; the extended section that extends from the connection section along the plate; and an operation section provided in the extended section, so that the lifting mechanism can be operated through the height adjuster by operating the operation section.

6. The lifting device according to claim 4 , wherein the lifting mechanism is provided on the floor surface side in one end of the plate,
the lifting device further comprising a height adjuster capable of adjusting height of the at least one unit with respect to the floor surface, the height adjuster being provided on the floor surface side in the other end of the plate, wherein the extended section extends from the connection section in a direction of the height adjuster.

7. The lifting device according to claim 4 , wherein the lifting device is a fixture that lifts the at least one unit when the at least one unit is conveyed by using a dolly.

8. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
the lifting device according to claim 1 ; and
a unit provided on the lifting device, whose height with respect to an installation surface is adjusted by the lifting device.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of assembled units, and a plurality of the lifting devices is provided for each of the plurality of units.

10. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
the lifting device according to claim 4 ; and
a unit provided on the lifting device, whose height with respect to a floor surface is adjusted by the lifting device.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of assembled units, and a plurality of the lifting devices is provided for each of the plurality of units.

12. A method of conveying a unit, comprising the steps of:
lifting at least one unit of a substrate processing apparatus formed by assembling a plurality of units by using the lifting device according to claim 1 ;
inserting a dolly into a bottom space of the at least one unit after the step of lifting;
lowering the at least one unit until the at least one unit is loaded on the dolly by using the lifting device of claim 1 after the step of inserting; and
extracting and conveying the at least one unit loaded on the dolly by using the dolly.

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Shinozaki Hiroyuki
• Shinkai Kenji
• Sone Tadakazu
• Aizawa Hideo
• Aono Hiroshi
• Yokoyama Toshio

Classifications

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/7612 Primary

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• Y10T29/49998

  Work holding · CPC title

• H01L21/6719

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L21/68742 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic