Support mechanism and substrate processing apparatus
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsHiroshi Kikuchi, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a support mechanism for supporting a cover that performs sealing of a furnace opening of a heat treatment furnace or release the sealing by being moved up or down by an elevating unit. The support mechanism includes a first elastic body having a first elastic modulus; and a second elastic body having a second elastic modulus larger than the first elastic modulus. A reaction force in relation to the first elastic body is applied to the cover when the cover abuts on the furnace opening by being moved up by the elevating unit, and a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body and the second elastic body is applied to the cover after the cover abuts on the furnace opening by being moved up by the elevating unit.
Claims6
A support mechanism for supporting a cover that performs sealing of a furnace opening of a heat treatment furnace or release the sealing by being moved up or down by an elevating unit, the support mechanism comprising:
- a first elastic body having a first elastic modulus;
- and
- a second elastic body having a second elastic modulus larger than the first elastic modulus,
- wherein, a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body is applied to the cover when the cover abuts on the furnace opening by being moved up by the elevating unit, and a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body and the second elastic body starts to be applied to the cover after the elevating unit has moved a predetermined distance subsequent to the abuttal of the cover on the furnace opening by the elevating unit, wherein the predetermined distance is larger than zero (0).
A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
- a heat treatment furnace;
- a cover configured to perform sealing of a furnace opening of the heat treatment furnace or release the sealing;
- a support mechanism configured to support the cover;
- and
- an elevating unit configured to move up/down the cover through the support mechanism,
- wherein the support mechanism includes:
- a first elastic body having a first elastic modulus;
- and
- a second elastic body having a second elastic modulus larger than the first elastic modulus, and
- a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body is applied to the cover when the cover abuts on the furnace opening by being moved up by the elevating unit, and a reaction force in relation to the first elastic body and the second elastic body starts to be applied to the cover after the elevating unit has moved a predetermined distance subsequent to toe abuttal of the cover on the furnace opening by the elevating unit, wherein the predetermined distance is larger than zero (0).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.