Vacuum processing apparatus
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a vacuum processing apparatus that includes gas supply means having a hard interlock of a pair of gas valves. The present invention provides a vacuum processing apparatus including: a gas supply unit that supplies gas, for performing vacuum processing using normally closed type air-driven valves, to a processing chamber where the vacuum processing is performed, the gas supply unit having an interlock function in which, when a first valve of a pair of the air-driven valves is opened, a second valve of the pair is closed, the gas supply unit including an air circuit that controls air for driving the air-driven valves, the air circuit being configured using an electromagnetic valve having a solenoid coil corresponding to each of the pair of the air-driven valves.
1. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:
a plurality of pairs of normally closed air-driven valves; and
a gas supply unit that supplies gas, for performing vacuum processing using the plurality of normally closed type air-driven valves, to a processing chamber where the vacuum processing is performed,
the gas supply unit comprising
an air circuit that controls air to drive the plurality of air-driven valves, the air circuit comprising
a plurality of three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valves each having a solenoid coil and each coupled to one of a corresponding pair of the plurality of air-driven valves, each said three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valve being configured to generate air to drive open one of said plurality of air-driven valves,
wherein said plurality of pairs of normally closed air-driven valves comprises a first pair of normally closed air-driven valves consisting of a last stage valve and a disposable gas valve, and at least a second and third pair of normally closed air-driven valves, each of said second and third pairs of normally closed air-driven valves comprising a respective supply valve and a respective purge valve,
wherein the air circuit is configured such that when a first air-driven valve of said first pair of the plurality of pairs of normally-closed air-driven valves is opened, a second air-driven valve of said first pair of normally-closed air-driven valves is maintained closed, and
wherein the air circuit is further configured to prevent any air-driven valve of said second and third pairs of normally closed air-driven valves from opening unless one of said last stage valve and said disposable gas valve of said first pair of normally closed air-driven valves opens.
2. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supply valve of the second pair of the plurality of air-driven valves is coupled to a flammable gas of said gas supply unit to control a supply of said flammable gas and the supply valve of the third pair of the plurality of air-driven valves is coupled to an oxidation gas of said gas supply unit to control a supply of said oxidation gas.
3. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the gas supply unit further comprises an interlock function implemented by an electric circuit.
4. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein said gas supply unit is configured such that when a first air-driven valve of any of the first, second, or third pairs of the plurality of air-driven valves is opened, the second air-driven valve of the same pair is closed so as to prevent both the first and second air-driven valves of each of the first, second, and third pairs of valves from being open at the same time.
5. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air circuit further comprises a plurality of a second type of electromagnetic valve which is a two-position spring return type electromagnetic valve.
6. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:
a plurality of normally closed type air-driven valves; and
a gas supply unit that supplies gas, using the plurality of normally closed type air-driven valves, to a vacuum processing chamber,
wherein the gas supply unit comprises
an air circuit that controls air which drives the plurality of normally closed type air-driven valves such that when a first air-driven valve of a pair of the normally closed type air-driven valves is opened, a second air-driven valve of the same pair is maintained closed, the air circuit comprising
a three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valve having two solenoid coils,
wherein each of two solenoid coils corresponds to each of the pair of the normally closed type air-driven valves, and
wherein the three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valve is configured to generate said air which opens one of the pair of the normally closed type air-driven valves corresponding to the excited solenoid coil.
7. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the air circuit further comprises a plurality of a second type of electromagnetic valve which is a two-position spring return type electromagnetic valve, and a pilot valve, and
wherein each of the second type of electromagnetic valves supplies air, via the pilot valve, to each of the normally closed type air-driven valves corresponding to each of the second type of electromagnetic valves.
8. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valve comprises a plurality of the three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valves, and
wherein one of the plurality of the three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valves generates air which drives the pilot valve.