JP2018024068A - Workpiece holding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress reduction of holding force of a workpiece holding device for holding a workpiece by heat breakage of a biasing member during film deposition of the workpiece in a plasma CVD device.SOLUTION: A workpiece holding device for holding a workpiece during film deposition of the workpiece in a plasma CVD device includes: a base part; a fixed member of which an upper end part is fixed to the base part; a movable member which is arranged so as to face to the fixed member, rotates around an upper end part by mounting the upper end part on the base part, and holds the workpiece with the fixed member; a biasing member which biases the movable member to a fixed member side; and a biasing member holder which is fixed to the base part and supports one end of the biasing member. The biasing member holder includes an opening part which protrudes the biasing member to a direction of the fixed member, and a storage part which stores the biasing member so as to cover a periphery of the biasing member except for the opening part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a workpiece gripping device.

  Conventionally, to hold a workpiece to be processed, a fixed member, a movable member provided to face the fixed member, and an urging member that urges the movable member toward the fixed member are provided. A workpiece gripping device that grips a workpiece between a movable member and a movable member is used. In Patent Document 1, as an example of a workpiece gripping device, a fixed-side clamp surface fixedly disposed on a clamp holder, a movable spring plate whose base end is fixed to the clamp holder, and the movable spring plate There is disclosed a clamp device having a movable side clamp surface disposed to face a fixed side clamp surface. A clamp holder having a fixed clamp surface corresponds to a fixed member, and a movable spring plate having a movable clamp surface corresponds to a movable member and a biasing member.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-37929

  For example, a workpiece is gripped while processing is being performed in a processing chamber where the environment in which the processing is being performed is a high-temperature environment such as a processing chamber of a plasma CVD (plasma CVD, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) apparatus. When the workpiece gripping device is in a state of being arranged, there is a problem that the urging member of the workpiece gripping device is damaged by heat and the gripping force of the workpiece gripping device is reduced.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms.

(1) According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a workpiece gripping apparatus that grips the workpiece during the deposition of the workpiece in the plasma CVD apparatus. The workpiece gripping device includes: a base; a fixing member having an upper end fixed to the base; and arranged to face the fixing member, the upper end being attached to the base and centering on the upper end A movable member that rotates and grips the workpiece with the fixed member; a biasing member that biases the movable member toward the fixed member; and an end of the biasing member that is fixed to the base portion. A biasing member holder for supporting. The urging member holder includes an opening for projecting the urging member in the direction of the fixing member, and an accommodating portion for accommodating the urging member so as to cover the periphery of the urging member excluding the opening. have.
According to the workpiece gripping device of this aspect, the housing portion of the biasing portion holder covers the biasing member. Further, by gripping the workpiece with the gripping portion, the movable member can be brought closer to the biasing holder side, and the gap between the biasing member holder and the movable member can be narrowed. Thereby, the degree to which the biasing member is directly exposed to the high-temperature gas in the plasma CVD apparatus can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the heat of the gas in the high temperature state from being directly transmitted to the urging member and causing damage to the urging member due to heat, and to suppress a decrease in the gripping force of the workpiece gripping device. it can.

  In addition, this invention can be implement | achieved not only with the workpiece | work holding device of a plasma CVD apparatus but with various aspects. For example, a workpiece gripping device of various thin film forming devices (film forming devices) other than plasma CVD, a workpiece gripping device of a processing device that performs various processes other than the thin film forming device, a workpiece transfer device equipped with a workpiece gripping device, these It can implement | achieve in the form of a processing apparatus provided with.

It is the 1st schematic diagram showing composition of a plasma CVD device provided with a work grasping device as one embodiment of the present invention. It is the 2nd schematic diagram which shows the structure of the plasma CVD apparatus provided with the workpiece | work holding apparatus as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic side view which shows the structure of the workpiece | work holding | gripping apparatus seen from the + x direction side. It is a schematic front view which shows the structure of a workpiece | work holding | gripping apparatus seen from the -z direction side. It is a schematic side view which shows the state which inserted the stationary side holding part in the groove part of the workpiece | work introduction apparatus. It is a schematic side view which shows the state which hold | gripped the workpiece | work with the holding part of the workpiece holding apparatus.

  FIG.1 and FIG.2 is schematic which shows the structure of the plasma CVD apparatus 10 provided with the workpiece | work holding | gripping apparatus 50 as one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 1 shows the plasma CVD apparatus 10 in a state where the work gripping device 50 is located in the vacuum preliminary chamber 30, and FIG. 2 shows the plasma CVD apparatus 10 in a state where the work gripping device 50 is located in the film forming chamber 20. 1 and 2 show three directions x, y, and z that are orthogonal to each other. The y direction indicates a vertically upward direction, and the x direction and the z direction indicate horizontal directions. The same applies to the directions x, y, and z drawn in the drawings after FIG.

  The plasma CVD apparatus 10 is a thin film forming apparatus (film forming apparatus) that forms a carbon thin film on the surface of a substrate (hereinafter referred to as “work”) WP to be processed by so-called plasma CVD. An example of the work WP is an expanded metal that is a gas diffusion layer member used in a fuel cell. In addition, as a structure of the carbon thin film formed into a film, it may be an amorphous structure or a graphite structure, and may be another kind of structure. Note that the plasma CVD apparatus 10 is not limited to the one that forms a carbon thin film on the workpiece WP, and other types of thin films other than the carbon thin film may be formed on the outer surface of the workpiece WP. For example, the plasma CVD apparatus 10 may form a thin film of a metal element such as gold, platinum, or tantalum. Further, the workpiece WP is not limited to the expanded metal used in the fuel cell, but may be a separator plate used in the fuel cell or various substrates used in other applications.

  The plasma CVD apparatus 10 includes a film forming chamber (processing chamber) 20, a vacuum preliminary chamber 30, and a transfer device 40. The vacuum preliminary chamber 30 is disposed above the film forming chamber 20 in the vertical direction (y direction), and the transfer device 40 is disposed above the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 in the vertical direction. However, the workpiece gripping device 50 that actually conveys the workpiece WP between the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 and the film forming chamber 20 in the transfer device 40 is disposed inside the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 or the film forming chamber 20, and When the gripping device 50 is disposed inside the film forming chamber 20, the valve body 42 that seals the communication hole 21 that connects the film forming chamber 20 and the vacuum preparatory chamber 30 at the upper part of the work gripping device 50 is used as a vacuum preparatory material. Arranged in the chamber 30.

  In the plasma CVD apparatus 10, generally, a film forming process is performed on the workpiece WP as described below. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the introduction lid 31 of the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 is opened, and the workpiece WP adsorbed by the workpiece introduction device 60 such as a robot hand is introduced into the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 by the workpiece introduction device 60. The After the workpiece WP is held by a workpiece gripping device 50 described later and the workpiece introduction device 60 is withdrawn from the vacuum preliminary chamber 30, the introduction lid 31 is closed, and the inside of the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 is evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown). It becomes. On the other hand, the film forming chamber 20 is maintained in a vacuum state by another vacuum pump. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the gate valve 22 for sealing the communication hole 21 communicating the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 and the film forming chamber 20 on the film forming chamber 20 side is opened, and the film forming chamber 20 in the vacuum state is opened. When the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 communicates, the work WP is carried into the film forming chamber 20 by the transfer device 40 and the communication hole 21 is sealed by the valve body 42 on the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 side. The film forming chamber 20 includes devices (not shown) for film formation, such as a vacuum pump, a plasma generator, a source gas supply device, an exhaust gas treatment device, and the like. In the film forming chamber 20, a film forming process is performed on the work WP that has been carried in. Then, the workpiece WP after the film forming process is carried out from the film forming chamber 20 to the vacuum preparatory chamber 30 by the transfer device 40, and after the gate valve 22 is closed and the film forming chamber 20 is sealed, the vacuum in the vacuum preparatory chamber 30 is obtained. The state is released, the introduction lid 31 is opened, and the work is introduced from the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 by the work introduction device. As described above, in the plasma CVD apparatus 10, the film forming process is performed on the workpiece WP.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the workpiece gripping device 50 as viewed from the + x direction side, and FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the workpiece gripping device 50 as viewed from the −z direction side. . The workpiece gripping device 50 is supported by a cylinder 410 of the transport device 40, and the gripped workpiece WP is transported between the vacuum preliminary chamber 30 and the film forming chamber 20 as the cylinder expands and contracts in the y direction.

  The workpiece gripping device 50 includes a base 510 fixed to the cylinder 410, a fixed plate 520 as a fixed member, a movable plate 530 as a movable member disposed to face the fixed plate 520, and the movable plate 530 as a fixed plate. A coil spring 550 as an urging member that urges toward the 520 side and a spring holder 540 as an urging member holder that supports the coil spring 550 are provided.

  An upper end portion of the fixed plate 520 is fixed to the base portion 510, and a fixed-side grip portion 522 protruding to the movable plate 530 side is formed at the lower end portion. The upper end of the movable plate 530 is attached to the base 510 via a rotation shaft 532 so as to rotate about the upper end. A surface 534 of the movable plate 530 on the fixed side grip portion 522 side corresponds to a movable side grip surface facing the fixed side grip portion 522, and the fixed side grip portion 522 and the movable side grip surface 534 grip a workpiece. Part CP is configured. The spring holder 540 is disposed on the surface 536 side of the movable plate 530 opposite to the movable gripping surface 534 so as to face the movable plate 530, and its upper end is fixed to the base 510, and its lower end Is provided with an accommodating portion 542 that has an opening 543 on the movable plate 530 side and accommodates the coil spring 550. The coil spring 550 is fixed so that one end portion 554 contacts with the bottom surface 544 of the housing portion 542 in a dot shape, and the other end portion 552 contacts with the surface 536 on the spring holder 540 side of the movable plate 530 in a dot shape. So that it is fixed. The coil spring 550 is provided with an urging force such that the movable side holding surface 534 of the movable plate 530 is always pressed against the fixed side holding portion 522 of the fixed plate 520 in a state where the workpiece is not held by the holding portion CP. A coil spring (compression coil spring) of the type given to 530 is used. The cylinder 410, the base 510, the fixed plate 520, the movable plate 530, and the spring holder 540 are various metal materials having sufficient heat resistance against the temperature inside the film formation chamber 20 during the film formation process, for example, Stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc. are used. As the coil spring 550, a member having a heat resistance as high as possible, for example, a heat-resistant coil spring using Inconel is used.

  In the workpiece gripping device 50, the workpiece WP is gripped as described below. As shown in FIG. 3, the workpiece WP attracted to the suction surface 62 of the workpiece introduction device 60 is moved to a position near the grip portion CP by the workpiece introduction device 60. Then, the work WP is pressed against the movable gripping surface 534 to increase the distance between the fixed gripping portion 522 and the movable gripping surface 534, and is provided at the center position of the suction surface 62 and the upper surface 64 of the workpiece introduction device 60. The fixed side grip 522 is inserted into the groove 66 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

  FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the fixed side grip 522 is inserted into the groove 66 of the workpiece introduction device 60. In this state, the suction of the workpiece WP by the workpiece introduction device 60 is released, and the workpiece introduction device 60 is moved backward so that the workpiece WP is held by the holding portion CP constituted by the fixed side holding portion 522 and the movable side holding surface 534. It can be gripped.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a state where the workpiece WP is gripped by the gripping portion CP of the workpiece gripping device 50. As described above, by extending and contracting the cylinder 410 and transporting the workpiece gripping apparatus 50 in the state of gripping the workpiece WP to the deposition chamber 20 (FIG. 2), the deposition process is performed on the workpiece WP in the deposition chamber 20. Can be done.

  Here, as can be seen from a comparison with the state in which the workpiece WP in FIG. 3 is not gripped, in the state in which the workpiece WP is gripped, the portion of the coil spring 550 positioned outside the opening 543 is reduced and accommodated. The portion of the coil spring 550 whose periphery is covered with the portion 542 increases. Further, the distance Dc between the movable plate 530 and the opening 543 of the spring holder 540 in the state in which the work WP is not gripped (FIG. 3) is narrower than that in the state in which the work WP is gripped. The space between the movable plate 530 is also narrowed. Thereby, when the film-forming process is performed inside the film-forming chamber 20 (FIG. 2), the degree to which the coil spring 550 is directly exposed to the plasma state gas can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the heat of the gas in the high temperature state from being directly transmitted to the coil spring 550 and causing the coil spring 550 to be damaged by heat, and to suppress the decrease in the gripping force of the workpiece gripping device 50. . For this reason, for example, even when the heat resistance temperature of the coil spring 550 is about 500 ° C. to 600 ° C. and the temperature inside the film forming chamber 20 is in a high temperature state of 600 ° C. to 1000 ° C., the heat resistance temperature of the coil spring 550 is. It is possible to prevent the above heat from being directly transmitted to the coil spring 550 and causing damage.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the accommodating part 542 of the spring holder 540 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape structure having a square cross section so that the outer periphery of the coil spring 550 contacts the wall surface of the accommodating part 542 in a dotted manner. According to this, when the film forming process is being performed, the coil spring 550 is as much as possible from the wall surface of the accommodating portion 542 that is exposed to a high-temperature gas inside the film-forming chamber 20 and is in a high-temperature state. You can avoid receiving heat. Further, the coil spring 550 may have a size such that the outer periphery of the coil spring 550 does not contact the housing portion 542. According to this, the coil spring 550 can be prevented from receiving heat directly from the wall surface of the housing portion 542.

  In addition, the end portion 552 fixed to the movable plate 530 of the coil spring 550 and the end portion 554 fixed to the bottom surface 544 of the housing portion 542 have a terminal structure in which a contact portion becomes small, or a structure that contacts ideally in a dot shape. It is preferable that For example, a coil spring that is not subjected to end face processing by grinding or taper processing to improve the sitting of the coil spring may be applied. The structure of the accommodating portion 542 and the terminal structure of the coil spring 550 are not essential and can be omitted.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, examples, and modifications, and can be realized with various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments, examples, and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each embodiment described in the summary section of the invention are to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or In order to achieve part or all of the above-described effects, replacement or combination can be performed as appropriate. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

(1) In the workpiece gripping device 50 of the above embodiment, the fixed plate 520 and the movable plate 530 are used as the fixed member and the movable plate, but these members have shapes such as a square bar shape and a prism shape. Also good. In addition, although the surface 534 on the fixed plate 520 side of the movable plate 530 is used as a movable-side gripping surface, a moving-side gripping portion may be separately provided on the surface 534 of the movable plate 530. That is, a fixing member whose upper end is fixed to the base and the fixing member are arranged so as to face the fixing member, and the upper end is attached to the base and rotates around the upper end. There is no particular limitation on the shape of the workpiece as long as the workpiece can be gripped by the movable member that grips the workpiece.

(2) In the workpiece gripping device 50 of the above-described embodiment, the case where the coil spring 550 is used as the biasing member that biases the movable plate 530 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Another elastic member may be used as the biasing member. Even in this case, the biasing member holder that supports one end of the biasing member is biased so as to cover the opening around which the biasing member protrudes in the direction of the fixing member and the biasing member excluding the opening. What is necessary is just to have the accommodating part which accommodates a member. If it does in this way, it can control that the heat of the gas of a high temperature state is directly transmitted to an energizing member, and damage to an energizing member by heat occurs, and a fall of the grasping force of a work grasping device is controlled. can do.

(3) The plasma CVD apparatus 10 of the above embodiment has been described by taking as an example a configuration in which the film forming chamber 20, the vacuum preliminary chamber 30, and the transfer device 40 are sequentially arranged from the bottom to the top in the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a film forming apparatus having a configuration in which a vacuum preparatory chamber and a film forming chamber are arranged in the horizontal direction, and a transport device having a workpiece gripping device is provided above them. Alternatively, it may be a film forming apparatus that is not divided into a film forming chamber and a vacuum preliminary chamber. That is, the workpiece gripping device of the present invention can be applied as a workpiece gripping device of various film forming apparatuses (thin film forming apparatuses). Further, the present invention is not limited to the film forming apparatus, and can be applied to a drying apparatus or the like. That is, the present invention can also be applied to various processing apparatuses in which the environment in which the workpiece gripping device 50 is disposed is equal to or higher than the heat resistance temperature of the biasing member.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Plasma CVD apparatus 20 ... Film-forming chamber 21 ... Communication hole 22 ... Gate valve 30 ... Preliminary vacuum chamber 31 ... Introduction lid 40 ... Conveyance device 42 ... Valve body 50 ... Work gripping device 60 ... Work introduction device 62 ... Suction surface 64 ... Top surface 66 ... Groove portion 410 ... Cylinder 510 ... Base portion 520 ... Fixed plate 522 ... Fixed side grip portion 530 ... Movable plate 532 ... Rotating shaft 534 ... Plane (movable side grip surface)
536 ... surface 540 ... spring holder 542 ... housing part 543 ... opening 544 ... bottom face 550 ... coil spring 552 ... end part 554 ... end part CP ... gripping part Dc ... interval Dn ... interval WP ... work x, y, z ... direction

Claims (1)

A workpiece gripping device for gripping the workpiece during film formation of the workpiece in a plasma CVD apparatus,
The base,
A fixing member having an upper end fixed to the base,
A movable member that is disposed so as to face the fixed member, has an upper end attached to the base, rotates around the upper end, and grips the workpiece with the fixed member;
A biasing member that biases the movable member toward the fixed member;
A biasing member holder fixed to the base and supporting one end of the biasing member;
With
The urging member holder includes an opening for projecting the urging member in the direction of the fixing member, and an accommodating portion for accommodating the urging member so as to cover the periphery of the urging member excluding the opening. A workpiece gripping device.

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