Processing device and method of maintaining the device, mechanism and method for assembling processing device part, and lock mechanism and method for locking the lock mechanism

• US 20040108068A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Mitsuhashi, Kouji, Nagayama, Nobuyuki, Sasaki, Toshiki, Senzaki, Shigeru, Aoto, Tadashi
• Granted Patent: US 6,899,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.43
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32458 Vessel

Abstract

A processing device in which maintenance can be easily carried out and a burden on a worker can be reduced, and a method of maintaining the device are provided. An upper electrode unit 106 structuring a ceiling portion of a processing chamber 102 of an etching device 100 is structured from a lower assembly 128 at a processing chamber 102 side including an upper electrode 130, and an upper assembly 128 at a power supply side including an electro-body 144. A lock mechanism 156 is released, and after the upper assembly 126 is independently raised and removed by a lift mechanism 164, maintenance of the upper assembly 126 and/or the lower assembly 128 is carried out. The lock mechanism 156 is locked, and after the upper and lower assemblies 126, 128 are integrally raised and removed by the lift mechanism 164, maintenance of an interior of the processing chamber 102 is carried out.

Claims

1. A processing device having an upper electrode unit structuring a ceiling portion of a processing chamber, and a lift mechanism which can raise and lower the upper electrode unit, wherein

the upper electrode unit is structured from a lower assembly at a processing chamber side and an upper assembly at a power supply side;

the lower assembly and the upper assembly can be separated and united by only a lock mechanism provided at an outer peripheral surface of the upper electrode unit; and

the lower assembly can be airtightly fixed to the ceiling portion of the processing chamber by differential pressure between an interior and an exterior of the processing chamber and weight of the upper electrode unit, without a mechanical mechanism.

2. A processing device according to claim 1, wherein, at a time of maintenance of the interior of the processing chamber, the upper assembly and the lower assembly are integrally raised in a state in which the lock mechanism is locked.

3. A processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the lower assembly includes parts which must be exchanged or cleaned;

and

at a time of maintenance of the parts, only the upper assembly is raised in a state in which the lock mechanism is unlocked.

4. A method of maintaining a processing device having an upper electrode unit structuring a ceiling portion of a processing chamber, and a lift mechanism which can raise and lower the upper electrode unit, and the upper electrode unit is structured from a lower assembly at a processing chamber side and an upper assembly at a power supply side, and the lower assembly and the upper assembly can be separated and united by only a lock mechanism provided at an outer peripheral surface of the upper electrode unit, and the lower assembly can be airtightly fixed to the ceiling portion of the processing chamber by differential pressure between an interior and an exterior of the processing chamber and weight of the upper electrode unit without a mechanical mechanism, said method comprising the step of:

maintaining the interior of the processing chamber after the upper assembly and the lower assembly are integrally raised by the lift mechanism in a state in which the lock mechanism is locked.

5. A method of maintaining a processing device having an upper electrode unit structuring a ceiling portion of a processing chamber, and a lift mechanism which can raise and lower the upper electrode unit, and the upper electrode unit is structured from a lower assembly at a processing chamber side and an upper assembly at a power supply side, and the lower assembly and the upper assembly can be separated and united by only a lock mechanism provided at an outer peripheral surface of the upper electrode unit, and the lower assembly can be airtightly fixed to the ceiling portion of the processing chamber by differential pressure between an interior and an exterior of the processing chamber and weight of the upper electrode unit without a mechanical mechanism, said method comprising the step of:

maintaining the upper assembly and/or the lower assembly after the upper assembly is raised by the lift mechanism in a state in which the lock mechanism is unlocked.

6. A mechanism for assembling processing device parts of a cylindrical electrode assembly and a ring-shaped member which can be fit together with a periphery of the cylindrical electrode assembly, wherein

a plurality of projections are formed at either one of an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical electrode assembly or an inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped member, and a plurality of grooves corresponding to the projections are formed at the other thereof;

the groove is formed from a first groove extending in a fitting-together direction so as to guide the projection in the fitting-together direction in order to fit together the cylindrical electrode assembly and the ring-shaped member, and a second groove extending in a rotating direction so as to guide the projection in order to relatively rotate the cylindrical electrode assembly and the ring-shaped member which have been once fitted together; and

further, the second groove inclines in the fitting-together direction as the second groove goes deeper.

7. A mechanism for assembling processing device parts according to claim 6, wherein, at a time when the projection reaches a deepest portion of the second groove, processing chamber side surfaces of the cylindrical electrode assembly and the ring-shaped member become flush with one another.

8. A mechanism for assembling processing device parts according to claim 7, wherein a step portion into which the ring-shaped member is fit is formed at the cylindrical electrode assembly.

9. A mechanism for assembling processing device parts according to claim 6, wherein the cylindrical electrode assembly is an assembly of an electrode plate and a cooling plate, and the ring-shaped member is a shielding ring, and the projections or the grooves are formed at the cooling plate or the shielding ring.

10. A mechanism for assembling processing device parts according to claim 7, wherein the cylindrical electrode assembly is an assembly of an electrode plate and a cooling plate, and the ring-shaped member is a shielding ring, and the projections or the grooves are formed at the cooling plate or the shielding ring.

11. A mechanism for assembling processing device parts according to claim 8, wherein the cylindrical electrode assembly is an assembly of an electrode plate and a cooling plate, and the ring-shaped member is a shielding ring, and the projections or the grooves are formed at the cooling plate or the shielding ring.

12. A method for assembling a mechanism for assembling processing device parts having a cylindrical electrode assembly and a ring-shaped member which can be fit together with a periphery of the cylindrical electrode assembly, and a plurality of projections are formed at either one of an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical electrode assembly or an inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped member, and a plurality of grooves corresponding to the projections are formed at the other thereof, and the groove is formed from a first groove extending in a fitting-together direction so as to guide the projection in the fitting-together direction in order to fit together the cylindrical electrode assembly and the ring-shaped member, and a second groove extending in a rotating direction so as to guide the projection in order to relatively rotate the cylindrical electrode assembly and the ring-shaped member which have been once fitted together, and the second groove inclines in the fitting-together direction as the second groove goes deeper, said method comprising the step of:

after the ring-shaped member is fit together with the cylindrical electrode assembly so that the projections are guided along the first grooves, relatively rotating the ring-shaped member and the cylindrical electrode assembly so that the projections are guided along the second grooves.

13. A lock mechanism fixing a fixing pin side member and a corresponding groove side member by operating a fixing pin, which is freely rotatable around a shaft, to withdraw after projecting into a corresponding groove,

wherein the fixing pin side member comprises:

a first member to which the fixing pin is mounted and which allows rotating operation of the fixing pin between a first position, at which the fixing pin projects in a perpendicular direction, and a second position, at which the fixing pin inclines in an oblique direction and withdraws; and

a second member which can move relatively with respect to the first member, and in which a pass-through hole, which can make the fixing pin pass through, is formed; and

a first projection which is a fulcrum at the time when the fixing pin moves from the second position to the first position by relatively moving the first member and the second member in a locking direction, and a second projection which is a fulcrum at the time when the fixing pin moves from the first position to the second position by relatively moving the first member and the second member in an unlocking direction, are formed at the pass-through hole.

14. A lock mechanism according to claim 13, wherein the corresponding groove side member, the first member, and the second member are cylindrical or ring-shaped members disposed on concentric circles, and the direction of relative movement is a rotating direction.

15. A method of locking a lock mechanism fixing a fixing pin side member and a corresponding groove side member by operating a fixing pin, which is freely rotatable around a shaft, to withdraw after projecting into a corresponding groove, and the fixing pin side member comprises a first member to which the fixing pin is mounted and which allows rotating operation of the fixing pin between a first position, at which the fixing pin projects in a perpendicular direction, and a second position, at which the fixing pin inclines in an oblique direction and withdraws, and a second member which can move relatively with respect to the first member and in which a pass-through hole, which can make the fixing pin pass through, is formed, and a first projection which is a fulcrum at the time when the fixing pin moves from the second position to the first position by relatively moving the first member and the second member in a locking direction, and a second projection which is a fulcrum at the time when the fixing pin moves from the first position to the second position by relatively moving the first member and the second member in an unlocking direction, are formed at the pass-through hole, said method comprising the step of:

disposing the fixing pin from the second position to the first position by relatively moving the first member and the second member in the locking direction, and fixing the fixing pin side member and the corresponding groove member.

16. A method of locking a lock mechanism according to claim 15, further comprising the step of disposing the fixing pin from the first position to the second position by relatively moving the first member and the second member in the unlocking direction, and separating the fixing pin side member and the corresponding groove member.

17. A lock mechanism fixing by relatively rotating a first member and a second member set on the first member, the lock mechanism comprising:

a male member which is provided at either one of the first member or the second member and at which a pin member, having a shaft portion and a head portion whose diameter is larger than that of the shaft portion, is provided; and

a female member which is provided at the other of the first member or the second member, and which is formed from an insertion hole having a groove width into which the head portion can be inserted, and a lock groove which communicates with the insertion hole and which has a groove width smaller than the head portion and larger than the shaft portion and which is along a radius of rotation,

wherein the female member is formed so as to be thin at a vicinity of the insertion hole, and is formed so as to become successively thicker as the female member moves away from the insertion hole along the lock groove.

18. A method of locking lock mechanism fixing by relatively rotating a first member and a second member set on the first member, the lock mechanism having:

a male member which is provided at either one of the first member or the second member and at which a pin member, having a shaft portion and a head portion whose diameter is larger than that of the shaft portion, is provided; and

a female member which is provided at the other of the first member or the second member, and which is formed from an insertion hole having a groove width into which the head portion can be inserted, and a lock groove which communicates with the insertion hole and which has a groove width smaller than the head portion and larger than the shaft portion and which is along a radius of rotation;

and the female member is formed so as to be thin at a vicinity of the insertion hole, and is formed so as to become successively thicker as the female member moves away from the insertion hole along the lock groove,

wherein said method comprises the step of inserting a pin member of the male member is inserted into the insertion hole of the female member, and relatively rotating the first member and the second member along the lock groove.