Loading port and carrying system

Abstract

The invention relates to a loading port and a conveying system, which are used for realizing miniaturization of the loading port. The loading port includes: a placement portion where the container is placed; a storage part disposed below the placement part; a port door capable of holding the door portion of the container; the baffle plate is provided with an opening part through which the substrate can be taken out and put in; and a lifting mechanism that lifts the port door relative to the opening portion, the lifting mechanism including: a lifting portion housed in the housing portion; a connecting member that passes through a slit formed in the shutter and connects the lifting unit and the port door; and a drive mechanism that is provided with a drive source housed in the housing part, and that lifts and lowers the lifting and lowering part between a first position and a second position, the lifting and lowering part having a space into which the drive source can enter in the second position, the second position being a position where the lifting and lowering part overlaps the drive source in a side view, and the second position being a position where the lifting and lowering part overlaps the drive source in a side view. In a plan view, the space portion overlaps with the drive source.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to loading ports and handling systems. Background Technology

[0002] Containers such as FOUPs (Front-Open Wafer Transfer Boxes) are known for storing substrates such as semiconductor wafers. These containers are opened and closed at a loading port provided by a substrate handling device to remove and place the substrates inside. Patent Document 1 discloses a loading port having a port door that holds the lid of the container, and the container is opened and closed by raising and lowering the port door.

[0003] [Existing Technical Documents]

[0004] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-184831 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] The dimensions of the containers are standardized; for example, in the case of FOUPs, the dimensions are specified by SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) standards. When opening the container, the opening must be fully extended, and the lifting distance of the lid is influenced by these standard dimensions. The lid lifting mechanism is configured to move the lid up and down within this distance. In the pursuit of miniaturization of the loading port, this lifting distance cannot be shortened, which presents a design constraint.

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to miniaturize the loading port.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] According to the present invention, a loading port is provided, comprising:

[0011] Placement section, a container for holding and storing substrates;

[0012] A storage section is located below the placement section;

[0013] Port gate, capable of retaining the door of the container;

[0014] A baffle (Bolt) is disposed between the placement section and the storage section and the port door, and has an opening that can be opened and closed by the port door and allows for the removal and placement of the substrate; and

[0015] A lifting mechanism that allows the port door to move up or down relative to the opening;

[0016] The lifting mechanism is characterized in that it comprises:

[0017] The lifting mechanism is housed within the storage compartment.

[0018] A connecting component passes through a slit formed in the baffle and connects the lifting part to the port door; and

[0019] The drive mechanism, equipped with a drive source housed in the storage section, causes the lifting section to move up and down between a first position and a second position.

[0020] The lifting unit has a space at the second position into which the drive source can enter.

[0021] The second position is the position where the lifting part overlaps with the drive source when viewed from the side, and the position where the space part overlaps with the drive source when viewed from above.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a handling system is provided, including a substrate handling device and a loading port installed on the substrate handling device.

[0023] The substrate handling device is characterized in that it comprises:

[0024] A substrate handling robot for transporting substrates; and

[0025] The housing for the substrate handling robot.

[0026] The loading port includes:

[0027] Placement section, a container for holding and storing substrates;

[0028] A storage section is located below the placement section;

[0029] Port gate, capable of retaining the door of the container;

[0030] A baffle, disposed between the placement portion and the storage portion and the port door, has an opening that can be opened and closed by the port door and allows for the removal and placement of the substrate; and

[0031] A lifting mechanism allows the port door to move up and down relative to the opening.

[0032] The baffle is installed on the housing.

[0033] The lifting mechanism includes:

[0034] The lifting mechanism is housed within the storage compartment.

[0035] A connecting component passes through a slit formed in the baffle and connects the lifting part to the port door; and

[0036] The drive mechanism, equipped with a drive source housed in the storage section, causes the lifting section to move up and down between a first position and a second position.

[0037] The lifting unit has a space at the second position into which the drive source can enter.

[0038] The second position is the position where the lifting part overlaps with the drive source when viewed from the side, and the position where the space part overlaps with the drive source when viewed from above.

[0039] Invention Effects

[0040] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve miniaturization of the loading port. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is an external view of a transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 It means Figure 1 The diagram shows the loading port of the transport system and the internal mechanism of the substrate transport device.

[0043] Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure surrounding the lifting unit.

[0044] Figure 4 It is a 3D view of the structure surrounding the lifting unit.

[0045] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the operation of the loading port.

[0046] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the operation of the loading port.

[0047] Figure 7 Yes Figure 5 A partial sectional view of the periphery of P1 section from the side.

[0048] Figure 8 Yes Figure 6 A partial sectional view of the periphery of P2 section from the side.

[0049] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing other configuration examples of the motor. Detailed Implementation

[0050] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments described below do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features from the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Additionally, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar structures, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0051] <First Implementation>

[0052] <Summary of the Device>

[0053] Figure 1 This is an external view of a transport system A according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transport system A includes a loading port 1 and a substrate transport device 100. Figure 2 This diagram shows the internal mechanism of the loading port 1 and the substrate handling device 100, and is a cross-sectional view when the container 200 is placed in the loading port 1. In each diagram, arrows X and Y represent mutually orthogonal horizontal directions, and arrow Z represents the vertical direction.

[0054] Loading port 1 is a device for opening and closing containers 200 such as FOUPs. Container 200 has a box-shaped container body 201 and a door 202 for storing substrates W. The container body 201 has an opening 201a on its side for removing and placing substrates W such as semiconductor wafers. The door 202 is detachably mounted to the opening 201a for closing the opening 201a. Additionally, Figure 2 This indicates that the door 202 has been removed from the container body 201 through loading port 1, and the door 202 is in the process of descending.

[0055] Loading port 1 is mounted on a substrate handling device 100, which internally includes a substrate handling robot 110 for handling substrates W. The substrate handling device 100 has a housing 102 for housing the substrate handling robot 110. Loading port 1 is mounted on the front wall 102a of the housing 102. Figure 1 In this example, two loading ports 1 are installed on the front wall 102a. The substrate handling robot 110 moves substrates W into and out of containers 200 placed on the loading ports 1.

[0056] The substrate handling robot 110 includes: an end effector 111 for holding the substrate W; a multi-joint arm 112 for at least flexibly holding the end effector 111; and a drive unit 113 for rotating and lifting the multi-joint arm 112. The substrate handling robot 110 also includes a walking unit 114 for reciprocating motion of the substrate handling robot 110 in the Y direction. Figure 2As shown by the dashed line, the substrate W is moved out and moved in by the end effector 111 of the substrate handling robot 110 entering the interior of the container body 201, which has an opening 201a on the side of the substrate handling device 100.

[0057] The loading port 1 includes a placement section 2 for placing the container 200, a baffle 3, a port door 4, and a storage section 5 disposed below the placement section 2. The baffle 3 is a plate-shaped wall extending in the Z direction, including a front side 3a on the side of the placement section 2 and a back side 3b on the side of the substrate transport device 100. The baffle 3 closes the opening formed in the front wall section 102a, and together with the front wall section 102a, separates the external space on the side of the placement section 2 from the transport space 101 of the substrate W within the substrate transport device 100. From the perspective of the partition wall, the baffle 3 can also be considered a component constituting part of the front wall section 102a. The baffle 3 includes an opening 30 through which the removed door section 202 or end effector 111 can pass in the X direction. In addition, the baffle 3 is provided with a mounting section 3c at a predetermined position on the front side 3a, which is used to mount the drive mechanism 9, which will be described later.

[0058] The port door 4 includes a retaining part 40 for retaining the door portion 202 and a supporting part 41 for supporting the retaining part 40. The retaining part 40 is equipped with, for example, a suction mechanism, so as to be able to hold the door portion 202. In addition, the retaining part 40 is provided with an operating mechanism (latch key), which is used to operate the opening and closing of the locking mechanism provided with the door portion 202, thereby enabling the disassembly and assembly of the container body 201 and the door portion 202.

[0059] The placement section 2 includes a docking plate 20 for placing the container 200 and a housing 23 that houses the actuation mechanism. The actuation mechanism includes a displacement mechanism 21 for moving the docking plate 20 in the X direction, a positioning sensor for detecting the positioning of the container 200, and a locking mechanism for locking the container 200 placed on the docking plate 20. The docking plate 20 has multiple kinematic pins for positioning and supporting the container 200. The housing 23 is a hollow, rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0060] exist Figure 1 Based on reference Figure 7 . Figure 7 This indicates that what will be described later... Figure 5 A partial sectional view of the periphery of part P1. The housing 23 is equipped with a base plate 23a. The displacement mechanism 21 is mounted on the base plate 23a.

[0061] The storage section 5 is a hollow, rectangular parallelepiped shape. Within the storage section 5, a lifting mechanism 6 is provided to raise and lower the port door 4 relative to the opening 30. The lifting mechanism 6 includes: a lifting part 7 housed within the storage section 5, a pair of connecting members 60 connecting the lifting part 7 and the port door 4, and a drive mechanism 9. Figure 2 Based on and refer to Figure 3 . Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure surrounding the lifting unit 7.

[0062] In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 9 is a ball screw mechanism; however, other drive mechanisms may also be used. The drive mechanism 9 includes a ball screw shaft 90, a slider 92, a guide member 93, a motor 94 as a drive source, and a belt drive mechanism 95. The guide member 93 is a guide rail member that guides the slider 92 in the vertical direction and is fixed to the front surface 3a of the baffle 3. The guide member 93 extends in the Z direction and is mounted on the mounting portion 3c of the baffle 3 with its lower end located below the receiving portion 5 and its upper end located below the placement portion 2. The slider 92 has an engaging portion that meshes with the guide member 93 and can reciprocate in the Z direction under the guidance of the guide member 93. A ball nut 91 is provided in the slider 92, which meshes with the ball screw shaft 90 via balls. The slider 92 moves along the ball screw shaft 90 and the guide member 93.

[0063] The ball screw shaft 90 extends in the Z direction, with its lower end rotatably supported by a shaft support member 90a located at the lower part of the storage section 5, and its upper end rotatably supported by a shaft support member 90b located below the placement section 2. The shaft support member 90b is mounted on a mounting section 3c provided on the baffle 3. Additionally, a mounting member 90c is mounted on the shaft support member 90a. The shaft support member 90a and the mounting member 90c are mounted on the mounting section 3c provided on the baffle 3. The shaft support member 90a and the mounting member 90c are located at the lower ends of the ball screw shaft 90 and the guide member 93. The ball screw shaft 90 is connected to a belt drive mechanism 95 at its lower end. The mounting member 90c is a plate-shaped member fixed to the shaft support member 90a and extending in the X direction; a motor 94 is mounted on its upper surface, and the belt drive mechanism 95 is supported on its lower surface.

[0064] The belt drive mechanism 95 includes: a driven pulley 951 connected to the ball screw shaft 90, a drive pulley 952 connected to the output shaft of the motor 94, and an annular belt 953 wound around these pulleys. The motor 94 includes an output shaft 941 and a drive unit 942 that drives the output shaft 941 to rotate. The motor 94 is positioned in the storage section 5 at the lower end of the guide member 93 with the output shaft 941 facing downwards. The rotational force of the motor 94 is transmitted to the ball screw shaft 90 via the belt drive mechanism 95, causing the ball screw shaft 90 to rotate. The rotation of the ball screw shaft 90 causes the slider 92, which is equipped with a ball nut 91, to rise and fall.

[0065] A pair of connecting members 60 are plate-shaped components that extend in the X direction through a pair of slits 31 formed in the baffle 3. One end of each connecting member 60 is located in the receiving part 5, and the other end is located in the transport space 101. Each slit 31 extends in the Z direction and is an opening through the baffle 3, and the pair of slits 31 are spaced apart in the Y direction. At the X-direction end of the pair of connecting members 60, a support part 41 for the port door 4 is fixed.

[0066] The lifting unit 7 includes a support member 70 and a forward / reverse mechanism 8. The support member 70 is a frame member, including: a pair of side plates 71 spaced apart in the Y direction, an end plate 72 connected to one side of the baffle 3 between the pair of side plates 71, a bottom plate 73 connected between the pair of side plates 71, and an end plate 74 connected to the pair of side plates 71 on the opposite side to the baffle 3. The end plate 72 is fixed to the slider 92, and the lifting unit 7 moves up and down by the movement of the slider 92. The support member 70 forms a space 76, which will be described later. The space 76 is a space enclosed by the plates constituting the support member 70.

[0067] The lifting unit 7 has an internal space enclosed by a pair of side plates 71, an end plate 72, and an end plate 74. The internal space includes a mechanism configuration section 78 on which the advance / retreat mechanism 8 is disposed, and a space section 76 serving as a gap. The space section 76 is positioned closer to the baffle 3 than the mechanism configuration section 78.

[0068] An opening 77 is formed between the end 73a of the base plate 73 and the end plate 72. The space above the opening 77 is formed as a space portion 76 surrounded by a pair of side plates 71 and the end plate 72. The space portion 76 is located at a position that overlaps with the motor 94 in the Z direction, that is, the overlapping position when viewed from above, which is, as will be described later, a space in which at least a portion of the motor 94 can enter when the lifting part 7 is lowered. In this embodiment, the structure is configured such that a portion of the side of the motor 94 opposite to the output shaft can enter the space portion 76.

[0069] Each side plate 71 supports a connecting member 60 that slides freely in the X direction. A guide rail member 61 is fixed to the connecting member 60, and multiple sliders 75 are fixed to the side plate 71. The multiple sliders 75 engage with the guide rail member 61, which extends in the X direction, and they constitute a linear guide. Guided by the sliders 75, the guide rail member 61 reciprocates freely in the X direction. The connecting member 60 is arranged on the side of the side plate 71 such that it overlaps with the side plate 71 when viewed from the side in the Y direction.

[0070] The retraction mechanism 8 is a mechanism that moves the port gate 4 relative to the opening 30 in the retraction direction (X direction in this embodiment), and is supported by the support member 70. In this embodiment, the retraction mechanism 8 is mounted on the base plate 73 and is a cam mechanism that moves a pair of connecting members 60 in the X direction. The retraction mechanism 8 and the space portion 76 are arranged side-by-side in the horizontal direction (X direction), with the space portion 76 located between the retraction mechanism 8, the end plate 72, and the slider 92. This allows for a compact layout while preventing interference from the descent of the lifting part 7 on the motor 94 housed in the space portion 76 and the retraction mechanism 8.

[0071] The forward / backward mechanism 8 includes a transmission unit 81, a cam component 82, a motor 84 as a drive source, a rotating shaft 85, an arm component 86, and a roller 87. The rotating shaft 85 is a shaft component extending in the Z-direction. Driving force is transmitted from the output shaft of the motor 84 to the rotating shaft 85 via the transmission unit 81, causing the rotating shaft 85 to rotate about the Z-axis. The transmission unit 81 is, for example, a unit equipped with an internal belt drive mechanism. The arm component 86 is fixed to the rotating shaft 85 at one end, and rotates about the rotating shaft 85 as its center of rotation by rotating the rotating shaft 85. At the other end of the arm component 86, a roller 87 that can rotate freely about the Z-axis is supported. In this embodiment, when viewed in the Z-axis direction, the rotation range of the arm component 86 is within the range of the base plate 73.

[0072] The cam component 82 is an L-shaped component, one end of which is fixed to one of a pair of connecting components 60, and the other end has a cam hole 89. The cam hole 89 is an elongated oval opening. A roller 87 is inserted into the cam hole 89, and the circumferential surface of the roller 87 contacts the inner surface of the cam hole 89. When the motor 84 rotates the arm component 86, the roller 87 moves in a circular motion around the rotation axis 85. By the contact between the roller 87 and the inner surface of the cam hole 89, the relative position of the roller 87 and the cam hole 89 changes in the Y direction, and the connecting component 60 moves in the X direction. As a result, the port gate 4 moves forward and backward in the X direction.

[0073] Reference Figure 2A control unit 10 is provided at loading port 1. The control unit 10 is an electronic circuit that controls loading port 1. The control unit 10 includes, for example, a processing unit such as a CPU, a storage unit such as RAM and ROM, an input / output interface between external devices and the processing unit, and a communication interface for communicating with a computer such as a host computer and peripheral devices (such as the substrate handling robot 110) via a communication line. The control unit 10 acquires detection results from various sensors and controls various drive sources. Various sensors include, for example, the positioning sensor of the docking plate 20, the sensor provided on the drive mechanism 9, and the sensor provided on the forward / backward mechanism 8. Various drive sources include motors 94 and 84, the drive source of the drive mechanism 21, and the drive source of the holding unit 40.

[0074] <Control Example>

[0075] The following will describe an example of how the control unit 10 controls the loading port 1. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Examples of actions performed on the loading port 1 under the control of the control unit 10 are shown, particularly the opening action of the container 200.

[0076] The following reference Figure 5 State ST1 indicates the stage before container 200 is placed in placement section 2. The docking plate 20 is in the position separated from baffle 3. Port door 4 is in the loading / unloading position Pu and the forward position Pf. Loading / unloading position Pu corresponds to the upper limit of the lifting range of lifting section 7. Opening section 30 is closed by holding section 40.

[0077] Figure 7 It means Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of the periphery of part P1. The slider 92, which moves along the ball screw shaft 90 and the guide member 93, is located near the bottom plate 23a of the housing 23 that constitutes the placement part 2.

[0078] return Figure 5 State ST2 indicates that the container 200 has been placed on the docking plate 20 of the placement section 2. The position of the port door 4 is the same as in state ST1. State ST3 indicates that the docking plate 20 has moved forward relative to the baffle 3, and the door 202 of the container 200 has been connected to the holding part 40 of the port door 4. The position of the port door 4 is the same as in state ST1. The door 202 is held from the transport space 101 side by the holding part 40, and the locking of the door 202 relative to the container 200 is released.

[0079] The following reference Figure 6 State ST4 indicates the stage where door 202 separates from container body 201 of container 200, and container 200 is opened. Port door 4 is moved backward from forward position Pf to backward position Pb by advance / reverse mechanism 8.

[0080] State ST5 indicates the stage where the port door 4 is lowered to the standby position Pd using the drive mechanism 9. The standby position Pd is the lower limit position of the port door 4 during the opening operation. The standby position Pd corresponds to the lower limit position of the lifting range of the lifting unit 7. When the port door 4 is in the standby position Pd, the entire opening 30 is exposed in the transport space 101.

[0081] The following reference Figure 8 In the standby position Pd, the lifting section 7 overlaps with the motor 94 when viewed from the side. In this embodiment, the lifting section 7 overlaps with the motor 94 both when viewed in the X direction and the Y direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the standby position Pd, the drive section 942 of the motor 94 enters the space 76 of the lifting section 7. In this embodiment, while avoiding interference between the lifting section 7 and the motor 94, the lifting section 7 can descend to a position where it overlaps with the motor 94 when viewed from the side. With this structure, miniaturization of the loading port 1 in the Z direction can be achieved, and the required lifting distance for the port door 4 can be ensured. In particular, the overall length of the storage section 5 in the Z direction can be shortened, enabling miniaturization of the loading port 1 in the Z direction.

[0082] Figure 8 The diagram also shows a substrate 97 associated with the motor 94. The substrate 97 is supported by a retainer 96. The retainer 96 is supported on the upper surface of the mounting member 90c. The substrate 97 includes, for example, drive circuitry for the motor 94 and sensor circuitry for a position sensor. Figure 8 In this example, not only the motor 94, but also a portion of the retainer 96 and the substrate 97 are housed in the space 76. This increases the flexibility in the arrangement of the retainer 96 and the substrate 97.

[0083] The opening of container 200 is completed through the above methods. Afterwards, the substrate W is removed using the substrate handling robot 110, processed by a processing device (not shown), and then stored in the container body 201. Then, the container 200 is closed. The closing action is synchronized with... Figure 5 and Figure 6 The process is performed in the reverse order shown, with the door 202 being assembled onto the container body 201.

[0084] <Second Implementation>

[0085] In the first embodiment, the motor 94 is disposed at the lower part of the storage part 5; however, it may also be disposed at the upper part. Figure 9This is one example. In the illustrated example, the ball screw shaft 90 and the guide member 93 extend from the upper end to the lower end of the housing 5. The motor 94 and the belt drive mechanism 95 are disposed in the upper part of the housing 5. The motor 94 is disposed in the housing 3 at the height of the upper end of the guide member 93 with its output shaft facing upward. Compared with the configuration of the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, the motor 94 and the belt drive mechanism 95 are arranged upside down.

[0086] In this embodiment, at the loading / unloading position Pu, the lifting unit 7 overlaps with the motor 94, and a portion of the motor 94 is housed in the space 76 of the lifting unit 7. Even with such a structure, it is possible to ensure the required lifting distance of the port door 4 while miniaturizing the loading port 1 in the Z direction.

[0087] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications and alterations can be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

[0088] [Explanation of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0089] 1 Loading port, 2 Placement section, 3 Baffle, 4 Port door, 5 Storage section, 6 Lifting mechanism, 7 Lifting section, 9 Drive mechanism, 60 Connecting components.

Claims

1. A loading port, comprising: Placement section, a container for holding and storing substrates; The storage section is located below the placement section; Port gate, capable of holding the door of the container; A baffle is disposed between the placement part and the storage part and the port door, and has an opening that can be opened and closed by the port door and allows the substrate to be taken out and put in. as well as A lifting mechanism allows the port door to move up and down relative to the opening. The lifting mechanism is characterized in that it comprises: The lifting mechanism is housed within the storage compartment. A connecting component passes through a slit formed in the baffle and connects the lifting part to the port door; and The drive mechanism, equipped with a drive source housed in the storage section, causes the lifting section to move up and down between a first position and a second position. The lifting unit has a space at the second position into which the drive source can enter. The second position is the position where the lifting part overlaps with the drive source when viewed from the side, and the position where the space part overlaps with the drive source when viewed from above.

2. The loading port as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting unit includes: The retraction mechanism allows the connecting member to move forward and backward between a holding position where the port door holds the door portion and a retracted position separating from the holding position; and A support member supports the advancing and retracting mechanism and forms the space portion.

3. The loading port as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The supporting component is a frame component, including: a first side plate and a second side plate, a first end plate connected between the first side plate and the second side plate, and a second end plate separated from the first end plate and connected between the first side plate and the second side plate. The space is part of the space enclosed by the frame components.

4. The loading port as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The supporting component includes a base plate connected between the first side plate and the second side plate. The advancing and retreating mechanism is supported on the base plate.

5. The loading port as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The advancing / retreating mechanism and the spatial section are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. The space portion is located closer to the baffle than the advancing / retracting mechanism.

6. The loading port as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting component is slidably supported on the supporting component.

7. The loading port as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The connecting component includes: A first connecting member is slidably supported on the first side plate of the supporting member, and overlaps with the first side plate when viewed from the side; and The second connecting component is slidably supported on the second side plate of the supporting component and overlaps with the second side plate when viewed from the side.

8. The loading port as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes: a ball screw shaft extending in the vertical direction; and a ball nut meshing with the ball screw shaft. The driving source is an electric motor. Driven by the motor, the ball screw shaft rotates. The motor is arranged inside the storage section with its output shaft facing downwards.

9. The loading port as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting part is equipped with a support member, which supports the connecting member and forms the space.

10. The loading port as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The first position is the loading / unloading position corresponding to the upper limit of the lifting range of the lifting unit. The second position is the standby position corresponding to the lower limit of the lifting range of the lifting unit.

11. The loading port as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, When the lifting unit is in the standby position, the port door exposes the entire opening.

12. A handling system, comprising a substrate handling device and a loading port mounted on the substrate handling device. Its features are, The substrate handling device includes: A substrate handling robot for transporting substrates; and The housing for the substrate handling robot. The loading port includes: Placement section, a container for holding and storing substrates; The storage section is located below the placement section; Port gate, capable of holding the door of the container; A baffle, disposed between the placement portion and the storage portion and the port door, has an opening that can be opened and closed by the port door and allows for the removal and placement of the substrate; and A lifting mechanism allows the port door to move up and down relative to the opening. The baffle is installed on the housing. The lifting mechanism includes: The lifting mechanism is housed within the storage compartment. A connecting component passes through a slit formed in the baffle and connects the lifting part to the port door; and The drive mechanism, equipped with a drive source housed in the storage section, causes the lifting section to move up and down between a first position and a second position. The lifting unit has a space at the second position into which the drive source can enter. The second position is the position where the lifting part overlaps with the drive source when viewed from the side, and the position where the space part overlaps with the drive source when viewed from above.

Images