Coating processes – Coating by vapor – gas – or smoke – Mixture of vapors or gases utilized
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-04
2001-08-14
Lund, Jeffrie R. (Department: 1763)
Coating processes
Coating by vapor, gas, or smoke
Mixture of vapors or gases utilized
C427S248100, C427S255230, C427S255280, C414S800000, C118S716000, C118S715000, C118S718000, C118S719000, C117S088000, C117S204000, C134S060000, C134S061000, C134S102200, C134S902000, C438S063000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06274196
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for exchanging an atmosphere of spherical object and more particularly to a spherical object conveying apparatus having a function of exchanging a conveying atmosphere when conveying spherical objects of spherical single crystal silicon, etc., through different atmospheres.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, normally, to form semiconductor devices, a method of forming a circuit pattern on a silicon wafer and dicing it as required for forming semiconductor chips has been adopted. In recent years, an art of forming a circuit pattern on a ball semiconductor of spherical single crystal silicon, etc., having a diameter of 1 mm or less and manufacturing semiconductor elements thereon has been developed.
For example, to use spherical single crystal silicon to form discrete devices of solar batteries, optical sensors, etc., or semiconductor integrated circuits, various treatment steps of a mirror surface grinding step of spherical single crystal silicon, a washing step, a thin film formation step, a resist application step, a photolithography step, an etching step, etc., are required. To efficiently manufacture the spherical semiconductor devices, the treatment steps need to be concatenated to form a line.
However, the treatment steps are executed in various atmospheres containing not only gases of active gases, inert gases, etc., but also liquids of water, solutions, etc. To concatenate such treatment steps, the treated substance transport atmosphere must not be brought into the following step from the preceding step. Thus, it is necessary to remove the atmosphere in the preceding step from the treated substance between steps and convert (exchange) into an atmosphere fitted to the following step. Moreover, to do this, high-speed treatment and high reliability are required from the points of productivity and quality.
When the treatment steps are concatenated to form a line, if spherical silicon conveyed from the preceding step is supplied to the following step irregularly, the supplied spherical silicon amount changes in the step. Thus, the treatment conditions must be changed in conformance with the change amount; efficient treatment cannot be executed.
Then, spherical objects of spherical silicon, etc., need to be supplied to the following step in sequence at given regular intervals. A silicon surface is easily oxidized and if a natural oxide film is formed on the surface, the contact property with a metal electrode layer, etc., formed on the surface (oxide film) worsens. It is desirable to convey and treat the spherical objects in a closed space without coming in contact with outer atmosphere.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a spherical object conveying apparatus that can convert an atmosphere while conveying a spherical object at high speed and prevent the atmosphere from leaking between consecutive treatment steps without the need for a complicated mechanism. Particularly, it is an object of the invention to execute semiconductor treatment such as film formation treatment and etching treatment of a spherical semiconductor of spherical single crystal silicon, etc., at high speed and reliably.
Then, the spherical object conveying apparatus of the invention brings a spiral stream into contact with a first atmosphere containing a spherical object at an opening of the spiral stream, selectively sucks the first atmosphere outward so as to engulf in the spiral stream for diffusing the first atmosphere outward from the spherical object, guides the spherical object so that the spherical object passes through the center of the conveying apparatus, supplies a second atmosphere to the spherical object, and sends the spherical object together with the second atmosphere to the following step.
Thus, the conveying apparatus of the invention uses an spiral stream for engulfing the first atmosphere and forming a negative pressure state in a center of the spiral. Namely the conveying apparatus of the invention uses the spiral stream to introduce the first atmosphere gas outward for placing a portion in the proximity of the center in a negative pressure state and supplies the second atmosphere gas to the portion; it can convert the atmosphere in treatment of a spherical object of spherical single crystal silicon, etc., without the need for a complicated mechanism.
A first aspect of the apparatus is an apparatus for exchanging an atmosphere of spherical object of the present invention, which comprises:
spiral stream formation means for allowing a carrier fluid to flow in from a tangent direction of a tubular flow passage and forming an spiral stream of the carrier fluid;
a supply pipe for supplying a spherical object together with a first atmosphere;
a first atmosphere suction and discharge section for bringing the first atmosphere containing the spherical object into contact with the spiral stream in the proximity of an exit of said supply pipe for guiding the spherical object so that the spherical object passes through a center and selectively sucking outward and discharging the first atmosphere together with the spiral stream for removing the first atmosphere; and
a second atmosphere supply section for supplying a second fluid for forming a second atmosphere to the spherical object sent out from said suction and discharge section for sending out the spherical object together with the second fluid.
According to the configuration, an spiral stream is formed, the first atmosphere containing the spherical object is brought into contact with the spiral stream at the spout opening of the spiral stream, the first atmosphere together with the spiral stream is selectively sucked outward and discharged for removing the first atmosphere, the spherical object is guided so that the spherical object passes through the center, thereby well removing the first atmosphere, and when a negative pressure state is entered, the second fluid is supplied, whereby the atmosphere can be replaced efficiently. Since the first atmosphere can be accelerated while it is engulfed by the spiral stream and can be diffused outward, so that more efficient exhaust is enabled.
Since conveying in a small closed space is enabled, replacement is enabled in a small amount of atmosphere. Formation is enabled by an extremely simply apparatus without the need for a complicated mechanism.
A second aspect is an apparatus for exchanging an atmosphere of spherical object according to the first aspect, wherein said first atmosphere suction and discharge section comprises:
an inner pipe being connected to a point in the proximity of the exit of said supply pipe for enabling a fluid to flow in and out and defining a passage of the spherical object in said inner pipe; and
a discharge chamber surrounding said inner pipe.
According to the configuration, the inner pipe enabling a fluid to flow in and out can prevent the spherical object from scattering; the atmosphere can be removed efficiently.
A third aspect is an apparatus for exchanging an atmosphere of spherical object according to the second aspect, wherein said discharge chamber is a cylindrical pipe formed so as to surround said inner pipe for discharging through discharge holes disposed on an outer peripheral surface in the proximity of a downstream end.
According to the configuration, exhaust is executed outward, thus an outward flow can be formed in the discharge chamber and the flow of the spiral stream engulfing the first atmosphere can be efficiently introduced outward.
A fourth aspect is an apparatus for exchanging an atmosphere of spherical object according to the second aspect, wherein the discharge holes comprise a plurality of holes arranged at predetermined intervals on the same circumference along the outer peripheral surface.
According to the configuration, the spiral stream can be furthermore efficiently introduced outward.
A fifth aspect is an apparatus for exchanging an atmosphere of spherical object according to the fou
Amano Katsumi
Arai Tashiro
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Lund Jeffrie R.
Mitsui High-Tec INC
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