PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20100164315A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Koizumi, Kenjiro, Nomura, Masamichi, Kasai, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 8,299,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/90.500
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/505 for rotation of the substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32761 Continuous moving
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68792 characterised by the construction of the shaft

Abstract

A rotary floater (30) for supporting an object to be processed (W) is floated by the magnetic attraction of a floating electromagnet assembly (F), and the rotary floater (30) is rotated by the magnetic attraction of a rotary electromagnet assembly (R) while its horizontal position being controlled by the magnetic attraction of a positioning electromagnet assembly (H). The floating electromagnet assembly (F) causes the magnetic attraction to act vertically upwardly, so that the rotary floater (30) is floated and suspended without contact with the inner wall of a processing container (2).

Claims

1. A processing apparatus comprising:

a processing container made of a non-ferromagnetic material, for accommodating an object to be processed;

a rotary floater disposed in the processing container, for supporting the object to be processed;

at least one floating electromagnet assembly provided outside the processing container, for floating the rotary floater without contact with an inner wall of the processing container by causing magnetic attraction to the rotary floater vertically upwardly;

at least one positioning electromagnet assembly provided outside the processing container, for controlling a horizontal direction position of the floated rotary floater by applying magnetic attraction thereto;

at least one rotary electromagnet assembly disposed outside the processing container for rotating the floated rotary floater by applying magnetic attraction thereto; and

a processing mechanism for performing a predetermined processing on the object to be processed supported by the rotary floater.

2. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary floater has a floater side floating ferromagnetic member having a predetermined width extending in a diametrical direction.

3. The processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the floater side floating ferromagnetic member is formed in a flat ring shape.

4. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the floating electromagnet assembly includes:

a pair of electromagnets provided outside the processing container and connected at rear portions thereof by a yoke; and

a pair of electromagnet side floating ferromagnetic members disposed below front sides of the pair of electromagnets in the processing container so as to face the floater side floating ferromagnetic member via a predetermined gap therebetween, for applying magnetic attraction to the floater side floating ferromagnetic member,

wherein the pair of electromagnets, the yoke, the pair of electromagnet side floating ferromagnetic members and the floater side floating ferromagnetic members form a closed magnetic circuit.

5. The processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the floater side floating ferromagnetic member is formed in a flat ring shape, and wherein the electromagnet side floating ferromagnetic members extend in a circumferential direction along the floater side floating ferromagnetic member.

6. The processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing container has grooves which open upward in an outer wall thereof, the electromagnets being fitted in the grooves from an outer upper side of the processing container, and wherein the electromagnet side floating ferromagnetic members face the electromagnets disposed outside the processing container via thin bottom walls of the grooves.

7. The processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing container has openings penetrating an outer wall thereof vertically, and the electromagnets are fitted thereinto from an outer upper side of the processing container;

sealing members are provided between the holes and the electromagnets; and

the electromagnet side floating ferromagnetic members are installed at the electromagnets provided outside the processing container.

8. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least three floating electromagnet assemblies are disposed along an outer circumference of the rotary floater.

9. The processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising vertical position sensors for detecting position information of the rotary floater in a vertical direction.

10. The processing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a control unit for supplying control current to the electromagnets of the floating electromagnet assembly by calculating a vertical position, an inclination, a displacement velocity and an acceleration at that moment, based on the vertical position information of the rotary floater which is detected by the vertical position sensors, and calculating optimal values thereof.

11. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary floater has a floater side controlling ferromagnetic member having a predetermined with extending in a vertical direction.

12. The processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member is formed in a cylindrical shape.

13. The processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the positioning electromagnet assembly includes:

a pair of electromagnets provided outside the processing container and connected at rear portions thereof by a yoke; and

a pair of electromagnet side positioning ferromagnetic members disposed at lateral portions of front sides of the pair of electromagnets in the processing container to face the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member via a predetermined gap therebetween, for applying magnetic attraction to the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member,

wherein the pair of electromagnets, the yoke, the pair of electromagnet side positioning ferromagnetic members and the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member form a closed magnetic circuit.

14. The processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member is formed in a cylindrical shape, and wherein the electromagnet side positioning ferromagnetic members extend in a circumferential direction along the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member.

15. The processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing container has grooves which open in an outer wall thereof horizontally, the electromagnets being fitted in the grooves from an outer lateral side of the processing container, and wherein the electromagnet side positioning ferromagnetic members are provided to face the electromagnets disposed outside the processing container via thin bottom walls of the grooves.

16. The processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing container has opening penetrating on outer wall thereof horizontally, and the electromagnets are fitted thereinto from an outer lateral side of the processing container;

sealing members are provided between the holes and the electromagnets; and

the electromagnet side positioning ferromagnetic members are installed at the electromagnets provided outside the processing container.

17. The processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least three positioning electromagnet assemblies are disposed along the outer circumference of the rotary floater.

18. The processing apparatus of claim 11, further comprising horizontal position sensors for detecting position information of the rotary floater in the horizontal direction.

19. The processing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a control unit for supplying control current to the electromagnets of the positioning electromagnet assembly by calculating a horizontal position, a velocity and an acceleration at that moment, based on horizontal position information of the rotary floater which is detected by the horizontal position sensors, and calculating optimal values thereof.

20. The processing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a control unit for supplying control current to the electromagnets of the rotary electromagnet assembly by calculating a rotation speed and an acceleration at that moment, based on horizontal position information of the rotary floater which is detected by the horizontal position sensors, and calculating optimal values thereof.

21. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning electromagnet assembly and the rotary electromagnet assembly are positioned in substantially the same horizontal locations.

22. The processing apparatus of claim 21, wherein the rotary electromagnet assembly includes:

a pair of electromagnets provided outside the processing container and connected at rear portions thereof by a yoke; and

a pair of electromagnet side rotary ferromagnetic members disposed at lateral portions of front sides of the pair of electromagnets in the processing container to face the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member via a predetermined gap therebetween, for applying magnetic attraction to the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member,

wherein the pair of electromagnets, the yoke, the pair of electromagnet side rotary ferromagnetic members and the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member form a closed magnetic circuit.

23. The processing apparatus of claim 22, wherein uneven tooth profiles are formed on surfaces of the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member and the electromagnet side rotary ferromagnetic members facing each other.

24. The processing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member is formed in a cylindrical shape, and wherein the electromagnet side rotary ferromagnetic members extend in a circumferential direction along the floater side controlling ferromagnetic member.

25. The processing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processing container has grooves which open on in outer wall thereof horizontally, the electromagnets being fitted from an outer lateral side of the processing container, and wherein the electromagnet side rotary ferromagnetic members are provided to face the electromagnets disposed outside the processing container via thin bottom walls of the grooves.

26. The processing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processing container has openings penetrating an outer wall thereof horizontally, and the electromagnets are fitted thereinto from an outer lateral side of the processing container;

sealing members are provided between the holes and the electromagnets; and

the electromagnet side rotary ferromagnetic members are installed at the electromagnets provided outside the processing container.

27. The processing apparatus of claim 21, wherein two rotary electromagnet assemblies form a pair, and the rotary electromagnet assemblies in each pair are provided opposite to each other in a diametrical direction, and at least two pairs of the rotary electromagnet assemblies are arranged along an outer circumference of the rotary floater.

28. The processing apparatus of claim 27, wherein the positioning electromagnet assembly and the rotary electromagnet assembly are arranged alternately in a circumferential direction.