Support mechanism and substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803926-B2
Application number	US-201514604866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2015
Priority date	Jan 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a support mechanism for supporting a cover that performs sealing of a furnace opening of a heat treatment furnace or release the sealing by being moved up or down by an elevating unit. The support mechanism includes a first elastic body having a first elastic modulus; and a second elastic body having a second elastic modulus larger than the first elastic modulus. A reaction force in relation to the first elastic body is applied to the cover when the cover abuts on the furnace opening by being moved up by the elevating unit, and a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body and the second elastic body is applied to the cover after the cover abuts on the furnace opening by being moved up by the elevating unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A support mechanism for supporting a cover that performs sealing of a furnace opening of a heat treatment furnace or release the sealing by being moved up or down by an elevating unit, the support mechanism comprising:
a first elastic body having a first elastic modulus; and
a second elastic body having a second elastic modulus larger than the first elastic modulus,
wherein, a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body is applied to the cover when the cover abuts on the furnace opening by being moved up by the elevating unit, and a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body and the second elastic body starts to be applied to the cover after the elevating unit has moved a predetermined distance subsequent to the abuttal of the cover on the furnace opening by the elevating unit, wherein the predetermined distance is larger than zero (0).

2. The support mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first support member provided to be spaced downwardly apart from the cover and configured to be moved up/down when the elevating unit is moved up/down,
wherein the first elastic body is in contact with the cover at one end, and in contact with a first surface of the first support member facing the cover at the other end, and
the second elastic body is in contact with the first surface of the first support member at one end.

3. The support mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second support member provided to be spaced downwardly apart from the cover and configured to be moved up/down when the elevating unit is moved up/down;
a third support member provided to be spaced downwardly apart from the second support member and configured to be moved up/down when the elevating unit is moved up/down; and
a fourth support member including a base portion provided between the second support member and the third support member and a connecting portion connecting the base portion and the cover such that a distance between the base portion and the cover is set to be a predetermined distance,
wherein the first elastic body is in contact with the cover at one end, and in contact with a second surface of the second support member facing the cover at the other end, and
the second elastic body is in contact with a third surface of the third support member facing the base portion at one end.

4. The support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first elastic modulus is in a range of 35 kgf/cm 2 to 400 kgf/cm 2 , and the second elastic modulus is in a range of 100 kgf/cm 2 to 1,500 kgf/cm 2 .

5. The support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the first elastic modulus to the second elastic modulus is in a range of 2 to 20.

6. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a heat treatment furnace;
a cover configured to perform sealing of a furnace opening of the heat treatment furnace or release the sealing;
a support mechanism configured to support the cover; and
an elevating unit configured to move up/down the cover through the support mechanism,
wherein the support mechanism includes:
a first elastic body having a first elastic modulus; and
a second elastic body having a second elastic modulus larger than the first elastic modulus, and
a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body is applied to the cover when the cover abuts on the furnace opening by being moved up by the elevating unit, and a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body and the second elastic body starts to be applied to the cover after the elevating unit has moved a predetermined distance subsequent to toe abuttal of the cover on the furnace opening by the elevating unit, wherein the predetermined distance is larger than zero (0).

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Kikuchi Hiroshi
• Kobayashi Yoshiyuki

Classifications

• F27B17/0025

  specially adapted for treating semiconductor wafers · CPC title

• F27D1/1808 Primary

  Removable covers · CPC title

• H10P72/3218

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title

• H10P72/3206

  the substrate being handled substantially vertically · CPC title

• H10P72/0431 Primary

  Apparatus for thermal treatment · CPC title