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US 12,431,384 B2Granted
Substrate processing apparatus
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorKoichi Shimada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A substrate processing apparatus includes: a first boat configured to hold substrates in a shelf shape; a second boat provided coaxially with the first boat and configured to hold substrates in a shelf shape; and a drive configured to rotate the first boat and the second boat in a synchronized manner and configured to raise and lower the second boat relative to the first boat.
Claims12
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a first boat configured to hold substrates in a shelf shape;
- a second boat provided coaxially with the first boat and configured to hold substrates in a shelf shape;
- and
- a drive configured to rotate the first boat and the second boat in a synchronized manner and configured to raise and lower the second boat relative to the first boat,
- wherein the drive includes:
- a substantially cylindrical fixed sleeve;
- a substantially cylindrical rotary shaft inserted into the fixed sleeve with a gap left therebetween and configured to rotate relative to the fixed sleeve;
- a substantially cylindrical outer support configured to support the first boat;
- and
- an outer connector configured to connect the rotary shaft and the outer support,
- wherein the rotary shaft and the outer support are made of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients, and
- wherein the outer connector includes a hub made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient between the thermal expansion coefficient of the material constituting the rotary shaft and the thermal expansion coefficient of the material constituting the outer support.
9 more elements
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a first boat configured to hold substrates in a shelf shape;
- a second boat provided coaxially with the first boat and configured to hold substrates in a shelf shape;
- and
- a drive configured to rotate the first boat and the second boat in a synchronized manner and configured to raise and lower the second boat relative to the first boat,
- wherein the drive includes:
- a substantially cylindrical fixed sleeve;
- a substantially cylindrical rotary shaft inserted into the fixed sleeve with a gap left therebetween and configured to rotate relative to the fixed sleeve;
- a linear motion shaft inserted into the rotary shaft with a gap left therebetween and configured to move up and down relative to the rotary shaft;
- a substantially columnar inner support inserted into the outer support with a gap left therebetween and configured to support the second boat;
- and
- an inner connector configured to connect the linear motion shaft and the inner support, and
- wherein the linear motion shaft and the inner support are made of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients, and wherein the inner connector includes a hub made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient between the thermal expansion coefficient of the material constituting the linear motion shaft and the thermal expansion coefficient of the material constituting the inner support.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.