Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Spreading parts apart or separating them from face to face...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-06
2001-03-13
Watson, Robert C. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Spreading parts apart or separating them from face to face...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199255
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention broadly relates to jigs and fixtures for holding parts and assemblies, and deals more particularly with apparatus for aiding in the disassembly of a mechanical assembly, such as an injector head.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Specialized jigs and fixtures have long been used to aid in holding and manipulating parts and assemblies, often for the purpose of maintaining parts in proper alignment during the assembly or disassembly of a machine or part. Because prior art fixtures are normally custom designed for a particular application, few have universal use.
In connection with complex, highly sophisticated processing equipment used to manufacture semiconductor devices, maintenance of the equipment and parts is particularly critical since such processed involve continuous high volume production which results in wear and build up of processing materials and contaminants which adversely can affect the quality and yield of the process.
Processing chambers used to fabricate semiconductors devices, such as IC wafers, employ means for introducing certain gasses into the chamber that are required to carry out a particular process. For example, one process utilizes a TEOS gas, such as a TMB which uses a boron source, or a TMPI gas which uses a phosphor source. Along with the TEOS gas, N
2
or O
3
gasses are also introduced into the chamber where they become mixed with the primary TEOS gas. The introduction of these gasses into the chamber is achieved using a specialized injector head which has an input side coupled with sources of the gasses, a manifold like head in which the gasses are conducted into the head, and exit passages for introducing the gasses into the chamber. Injector heads of the type described above comprise a plurality of stacked plates fastened together and sealed from each other by “O” rings. Each of the plates typically includes a longitudinal groove therein through which a particular gas is transported from the inlet side to exit nozzles. These injector heads require periodic preventive maintenance in order to maintain their operation at peak performance. Such maintenance involves disassembling the entire injector head, including disassembling all the plates, cleaning the plates of material buildup and contaminants, and replacing the O-rings, which deteriorate over time, particularly when subjected to toxic gasses. In the past, disassembly of the heads had been performed simply by placing the head on a workbench and removing the fasteners and fittings that secure the plates together. In some cases, the plates and O-rings tend to stick together, and in order to separate the plates, a repair man has resorted to tapping or pounding on parts of the head with a hammer in order to break the plates free from each other. This rather rough, and imprecise handling sometimes results in damage to the plates in the form of scratches, nicks, or indentations which may adversely affect injector head operation or even ruin the head.
Accordingly, there is a clear need in the art for apparatus aiding in the disassembly of the injector heads which overcomes each of the deficiencies discussed above,
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, apparatus for aiding in the disassembly of an injector head is provided, wherein the injector head includes a plurality of stacked plates secured together by fasteners. The apparatus includes a base, clamping means for releasably clamping the injector head on the base, a pair of spaced apart side walls extending upwardly from the base and between which the plates may be received so as to maintain them in registration, a carriage mounted for vertical sliding movement on the combination of the base and the side walls, and fastening means for releasably securing the plates to the side walls. The side walls included a plurality of through holes to accommodate releasable fastening of the plates to the side walls. The carriage assembly is vertically moveable relative to the base and side walls, and functions to lift one or more plates to facilitate disassembly of the head. The clamping means is preferably secured on the carriage so as to clamp downwardly on the plates against the base, thereby maintaining the plates in proper registration during disassembly thereof.
According to another aspect of the invention, apparatus is provided for aiding in the disassembly of a mechanical assembly of the type including a plurality of stacked plates secured together. The apparatus includes a base upon which the assembly may be placed, a carriage mounted for a vertical sliding movement relative to the base wherein the carriage includes means for releasably securing a portion of the assembly to the carriage for vertical movement with the carriage, and means carried on the base for releasably securing at least certain of the plates against movement with the carriage.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide apparatus for aiding in the disassembly of a mechanical assembly, such as an injector head which includes a plurality of stacked plates secured together.
Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus as described above which maintains the plates in proper registration with each other during disassembly thereof.
A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type mentioned above which permits disassembly of the injector head without the need for tapping or impacting the plates in order to release them from each other, thereby avoiding unwanted damage to the plates.
A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus as aforementioned which reduces the time required for disassembly of the head and assures that the plates are disassembled according to a standardized procedure.
These, and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be made clear or will become apparent during the course of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1942463 (1934-01-01), Williams
patent: 2691212 (1954-10-01), Hildebrand
patent: 3866883 (1975-02-01), Goransson
patent: 4441844 (1984-04-01), Miller
patent: 5848459 (1998-12-01), Minick
Chang Wen-Tsam
Chen Yi-Kun
Lin Chia-Hsin
Wang Wen-Yi
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd
Tung & Associates
Watson Robert C.
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