Transport device

Abstract

To provide a transport device capable of contributing a reduction of a device foot print.SOLUTION: A transport device 20 comprises: a load port 101 onto which a container 900 housing a substrate is mounted; a main body part 102 that includes a first open 121 that is provided to a position corresponded to a container in a front wall as a side wall on the load port side, a second open 122 that is provided to a rear wall as a side wall on the processing device 10 side, and a transport robot 110 that transports a substrate between the first open and the second open, and a fun filter that is provided to a housing space S2, and supplies a gas obtained by filtering a particle toward an upper direction to a lower direction of a transport space S1 housing the transport robot; and a lower housing part 190 that is provided to the lower direction of the load port. The transport robot includes a horizontal arm 170 that can transport the substrate in a horizontal direction, and a standby position formed by an upper end position of the horizontal arm is at the lower direction of a lower end position of the first and second opens.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a transport device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) device for transferring a transported object between a processing device and the device using a transport robot provided inside a housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-22095 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure provides a transfer device that transfers substrates and the like into and out of a processing device that processes the substrates, and that can contribute to reducing the footprint of the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a transport device that loads and unloads a substrate to and from a processing device that processes the substrate, the transport device including a load port on which a container for accommodating a substrate is placed, a first opening provided in a front wall that is a side wall on the load port side, at a position corresponding to the container, a second opening provided in a rear wall that is a side wall on the processing device side, a transport robot that transports the substrate between the first opening and the second opening, and a fan filter unit that supplies gas that has been filtered to remove particles from the top to the bottom of a transport space in which the transport robot is accommodated. and a lower accommodation section provided below the load port, wherein the transport robot has a horizontal arm configured to be able to transport the substrate in a horizontal direction, and a waiting position of the transport robot, which is defined by the upper end position of the horizontal arm, is lower than the lower end positions of the first opening and the second opening. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a transport device that transports substrates and the like into and out of a processing device that processes the substrates, and that can contribute to reducing the footprint of the device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a wafer processing system including a transfer device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying device when the door is in a closed state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying device with the door in an open state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of the rear surface of the front wall of the transport device. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the conveying device different from the portions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a load port. [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram for explaining dimensions and height positions of components of the transport device. FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a diagram for explaining dimensions and height positions of components of the transport device. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a top view of the horizontal arm of the transport robot located at the home position. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining the outline of a conveying device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The semiconductor manufacturing equipment is provided with a processing device for processing substrates and a transport device. The transport device includes an EFEM device for transferring transported objects such as substrates and consumable parts (e.g., focus rings) between the processing device and the equipment using a transport robot provided inside the housing, and a load port connected to the EFEM device on which containers for storing substrates and consumable parts are placed. For such transport devices, there are strong demands for reducing the on-site equipment footprint (occupied area).

[0009] In view of this, the technology according to the present disclosure provides a transfer device that transfers substrates and the like into and out of a processing device that processes the substrates, and that can contribute to reducing the footprint (occupied area) of the device.

[0010] Hereinafter, the transfer device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted. In the drawings, the X direction is the device depth direction in which the front wall and the rear wall of the main body 102 of the transfer device 20 described below are aligned, the Y direction is the device width direction in which multiple load ports 101 described below are aligned, and the Z direction is the vertical direction.

[0011] (First embodiment) <Wafer processing system 1> FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a wafer processing system 1 including a transfer device according to a first embodiment.

[0012] 1, the wafer processing system 1 includes a processing device 10 and a transfer device 20. The processing device 10 and the transfer device 20 are provided adjacent to each other.

[0013] The processing apparatus 10 is an apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “wafer”) W as a substrate, and includes a processing module 30 and a vacuum transfer module 40, for example.

[0014] For example, a plurality of processing modules 30 are provided. Each processing module 30 processes the wafer W under a reduced pressure atmosphere, i.e., a vacuum atmosphere. The processing performed by the processing module 30 is, for example, a film formation process, an etching process, an impurity diffusion process, etc. Each processing module 30 has a vacuum processing chamber 31 in which the above-mentioned processing is performed on the wafer W in a chamber under a vacuum atmosphere. Each vacuum processing chamber 31 is connected to a vacuum transfer chamber 41 (to be described later) of the vacuum transfer module 40 via a gate valve G1.

[0015] The vacuum transfer module 40 has a vacuum transfer chamber 41 in which a vacuum atmosphere is maintained. The vacuum transfer chamber 41 is configured to be sealable, and is formed, for example, in a substantially polygonal shape (a square shape in the illustrated example) in a plan view. The vacuum transfer chamber 41 connected to each processing module 30 is also connected to a load lock module 50, which will be described later. Specifically, the vacuum transfer chamber 41 is connected to a load lock chamber 51, which will be described later, of the load lock module 50 via a gate valve (not shown). A transfer mechanism 42 for transferring a wafer W is provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 41. The vacuum transfer module 40 transfers the wafer W to and from the vacuum transfer chamber 41 to and from the vacuum processing chamber 31 and the load lock chamber 51 by the transfer mechanism 42.

[0016] Furthermore, the processing apparatus 10 is provided with a load lock module 50 at the end on the transfer apparatus 20 side. For example, a plurality of load lock modules 50 are provided. Each load lock module 50 is for transferring the wafer W between a vacuum atmosphere space and a non-reduced pressure atmosphere, i.e., a normal pressure atmosphere space. Each load lock module 50 has a load lock chamber 51 configured so that the interior atmosphere can be switched between a normal pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere. The load lock chamber 51 is provided to connect the vacuum transfer module 40 and the transfer device 20.

[0017] The transfer device 20 is a device that transfers the wafer W into and out of the processing device 10. Specifically, the transfer device 20 is a device configured to be able to transfer the wafer W between a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) 900, which is a container that accommodates a plurality of wafers W, and the processing device 10 without exposing the wafer W to the external atmosphere. The transfer device 20 has a load port 101 and a main body 102, which is also referred to as an EFEM device.

[0018] The load port 101 is configured so that a FOUP 900 can be placed thereon, and a plurality of load ports (five in the illustrated example) are provided, for example, lined up along the width direction of the device (the X direction in the drawing).

[0019] The main body 102 is disposed on the rear side of the load port 101 (the positive side in the Y direction in the figure), and more specifically, the main body 102 is disposed on the rear side of the load port 101 so as to be adjacent to the load port 101. The main body 102 is connected to a load lock chamber 51, and more specifically, the load lock chamber 51 is connected to its rear side (the positive side in the Y direction in the figure). The inside of the main body 102 is maintained at normal pressure. A transfer robot 110 that supports and transfers the wafer W is provided inside the main body 102. The transfer robot 110 can transfer the wafer W between, for example, a FOUP 900 placed on the load port 101 and the load lock chamber 51.

[0020] Furthermore, the wafer processing system 1 is provided with a control device C. The control device C is a computer equipped with a processor such as a CPU, a memory, and the like, and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program including instructions for wafer processing by the wafer processing system 1. This program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium M and installed from the storage medium M into the control device. The storage medium M may be a temporary storage medium or a non-temporary storage medium.

[0021] <Wafer processing> Next, a description will be given of wafer processing by the wafer processing system 1 configured as above. The following wafer processing is performed under the control of the control device C.

[0022] First, the wafer W is taken out of the FOUP 900 by the transfer robot 110 and carried into the load lock chamber 51 of the load lock module 50. Then, the load lock chamber 51 is sealed and a vacuum atmosphere is created.

[0023] Thereafter, a gate valve (not shown) of the load lock chamber 51 on the vacuum transfer chamber 41 side is opened, and the wafer W is transferred from the load lock chamber 51 to the vacuum transfer chamber 41 by the transfer mechanism .

[0024] Next, after the gate valve is closed, the gate valve G1 for the processing module 30 in which the target processing is performed is opened. Then, the wafer W is loaded into the vacuum processing chamber 31 of the target processing module 30 by the transfer mechanism 42. Thereafter, the gate valve G1 is closed, and the desired processing is performed on the wafer W in the processing module 30.

[0025] After the desired processing is completed, the wafer W is returned from the vacuum processing chamber 31 to the FOUP 900 in the reverse order of the procedure of carrying the wafer W from the FOUP 900 to the vacuum processing chamber 31. This completes a series of wafer processing steps.

[0026] <Conveyor device 20> 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the transfer device 20, with FIG. 2 showing a state when a door described later is in a closed state, and FIG. 3 showing a state when a door described later is in an open state. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the rear surface of the front wall of the transfer device 20. FIG. 5 is a front view of the transfer robot 110. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the transfer device 20 different from the parts shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the load port 101.

[0027] As described above, the transfer device 20 has the load port 101 and the main body portion 102 .

[0028] 2 and 3, the load port 101 is connected to a main body 102, and has a mounting surface 101a on which a FOUP 900 is placed. The load port 101 is connected to the front wall of the main body 102, i.e., the upper side of the side wall on the load port 101 side.

[0029] A first opening 121 is provided in the front wall of the main body 102, i.e., in the side wall on the load port 101 side, at a position corresponding to the load port 101. Specifically, the first opening 121 is provided in the front wall of the main body 102 at a position that can face the FOUP 900 placed on the placement surface 101a.

[0030] Meanwhile, a second opening 122 is provided in the rear wall of the main body 102, i.e., the side wall on the processing apparatus 10 side. Specifically, the second opening 122 is provided at a position on the rear wall of the main body 102 corresponding to the load lock chamber 51. More specifically, the second opening 122 is provided at a portion on the rear wall of the main body 102 at approximately the same vertical position as the transfer position in the load lock chamber 51. The transfer position in the load lock chamber 51 is the vertical position of the wafer W when the wafer W is transferred between the load lock chamber 51 and the transfer robot 110.

[0031] Furthermore, the transport device 20 has a door 130 and a moving mechanism 140 serving as a lifting mechanism.

[0032] Door 130 opens and closes first opening 121. Door 130 is configured to be capable of unlocking lid 901, which is the door of FOUP 900, and to hold lid 901. When door 130 is in a state in which door 130 holds unlocked lid 901, lid 901 is opened. When door 130 is opened or closed, door 130 moves within main body 102 (specifically, within transfer space S1, which will be described later).

[0033] The moving mechanism 140 has a function as an elevator mechanism that opens and closes the door 130 and the lid 901 and raises and lowers them. The moving mechanism 140 has, for example, an actuator 141, an arm 142, and an elevator 143.

[0034] The actuator 141 drives the lifting and lowering of the door 130. Specifically, the actuator 141 drives the lifting and lowering of a lifting body 143 that supports the door 130 via an arm 142. The actuator 141 is provided inside the load port 101 so as to extend in the vertical direction (Z direction in FIGS. 2 and 3). The actuator 141 may be an electric air actuator such as an air cylinder, or an electromechanical actuator.

[0035] The arm 142 supports the door 130 and is driven by an actuator 141. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a pair of the arms 142 are provided along the width direction of the apparatus (X direction in the figure). The upper end of each arm 142 is connected to the door 130 that can be located inside the main body 102 (specifically, inside the transfer space S1 described later), and the lower end of each arm 142 is connected to the actuator 141 located inside the load port 101, i.e., outside the main body 102, via a lifting body 143. In order to enable the arm 142 to be raised and lowered in such a connected state, a slit 123 is provided in the front wall of the main body 102. That is, the front wall of the main body 102 is provided with a slit 123 that is configured so that the arm 142 can be inserted therethrough and through which the arm 142 passes when the arm 142 is raised and lowered. The slit 123 is provided for each arm 142, for example.

[0036] The lifting body 143 moves up and down along the actuator 141, that is, moves in the vertical direction. The lifting body 143 is provided inside the load port 101.

[0037] The movement mechanism 140 is configured to be able to move the door 130 in the device depth direction (Y direction in Figs. 2 and 3). For example, an arm 142 supporting the door 130 is connected to a lifting body 143 so as to be able to move in the front-rear direction.

[0038] The moving mechanism 140 also has an actuator (not shown) that drives the forward and backward movement of the door 130. The moving mechanism 140 is controlled by a control device C, and specifically, the above-mentioned actuators of the moving mechanism 140 and the actuator 141 are controlled by the control device C.

[0039] The transport device 20 also includes a door 150 and a lifting mechanism 160 . The door 150 opens and closes the second opening 122. The lifting mechanism 160 raises and lowers the door 150 to open and close the second opening 122. The door 150 and the lifting mechanism 160 are provided inside the main body 102 (specifically, inside a transfer space S1 described below). The lifting mechanism 160 has an actuator (not shown) that drives the lifting and lowering of the door 150. The lifting mechanism 160 is controlled by the control device C, and more specifically, the actuator of the lifting mechanism 160 is controlled by the control device C.

[0040] As described above, the transfer robot 110 that supports and transfers the wafer W is provided inside the main body 102. Specifically, the internal space of the main body 102 is vertically divided by the partition 124 into a lower transfer space S1 and an upper accommodation space S2, and the transfer robot 110 is accommodated in the transfer space S1.

[0041] Specifically, the transfer robot 110 transfers the wafer W between the first opening 121 and the second opening 122, etc. The transfer robot 110 includes a horizontal arm 170 and a vertical articulated arm 180 as transfer arms, as shown in FIG.

[0042] The horizontal arm 170 is configured to be capable of transporting the wafer W in a horizontal direction. The horizontal arm 170 is, for example, an articulated arm, and has a fork 171, a first arm 172, and a second arm 173.

[0043] The fork 171 supports the wafer W at its tip end. The fork 171 is connected to the tip end of a first arm 172 so as to be rotatable about an axis (hereinafter, “vertical axis”) extending in the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure) at its base end. The first arm 172 is connected to the tip side of the second arm 173 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis on the base end side of the first arm 172. The second arm 173 is connected to the tip of a vertical articulated arm 180 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.

[0044] The vertical multi-joint arm 180 is composed of a multi-joint arm, and is configured to be able to at least raise and lower the horizontal arm 170. In this embodiment, the vertical multi-joint arm 180 is configured to be able to move the horizontal arm in the vertical direction (Z direction in FIG. 5) and the device width direction (X direction in FIG. 5). The vertical multi-joint arm 180 has an arm 181 that is provided so as to be able to rotate in the vertical direction, and a base 183 that is connected to the arm 181 and fixed to the bottom surface of the transfer space S1 (i.e., the bottom wall of the main body part 102).

[0045] The arm 181 includes, for example, a first arm 181a and a second arm 181b. The first arm 181a has a tip end connected to the horizontal arm 170. The first arm 181a is connected to a tip end of the second arm 181b so as to be rotatable about an axis (hereinafter, "front-rear axis") extending in the device depth direction at its base end. The second arm 181b is connected to the upper end of the base 183 so as to be rotatable about a front-rear axis on the base end side. The base 183 supports the horizontal arm 170 via the first arm 181a etc. The base 183 has, for example, a pair of plate-like members 184 aligned in the device depth direction as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The second arm 181b is pivotally supported between the pair of plate-like members 184.

[0046] Each of the plate-like members 184 extends along a vertical plane in the transfer space S1. Also, each of the plate-like members 184 has a shape, as viewed from the device depth direction, that is a substantially isosceles triangle including a pair of long sides 184a extending along the vertical plane and a short side 184b connecting the pair of long sides 184a.

[0047] Furthermore, the transfer device 20 has a lower accommodation section 190 for accommodating various members below the load port 101 connected to the upper side of the front wall of the main body section 102 as described above. Also, a third opening 125 which is an opening for loading and unloading the wafer W into and from the lower accommodation section 190 is provided in the front wall of the main body section 102.

[0048] The lower accommodating section 190 is configured by stacking a plurality of accommodating sections in the vertical direction, and includes, for example, a first accommodating section 191 on the upper side and a second accommodating section 192 on the lower side. The first accommodation section 191 accommodates a function expansion module including at least one of a measurement module for measuring a film on the wafer W, an inspection module for inspecting defects in the wafer W, and an alignment module for adjusting the orientation position of the substrate. The third opening 125 is provided in the front wall of the main body section 102 at a position corresponding to the first accommodation section 191. Electrical components are accommodated in the second accommodating portion 192. No opening such as the third opening 125 is provided for the second accommodating portion 192. In other words, of the first accommodating portion 191 and the second accommodating portion 192, only the first accommodating portion 191 located at the upper side is provided with an opening serving as a transfer port for the wafer W.

[0049] The measurement module or inspection module accommodated in the first accommodation section 191 includes a module having, for example, a mounting table (not shown) on which the wafer W is mounted and configured to be movable in the horizontal direction, and an imaging section (not shown) that images the wafer W mounted on the mounting table and moving in the horizontal direction. Instead of or in addition to this module, the measurement module or inspection module may include a module configured to image, with an imaging section (not shown), the wafer W supported by the transfer robot 110 inserted inside through the third opening 125 and moved in the horizontal direction.

[0050] 6, the main body 102 of the transfer device 20 has a fan filter unit (FFU) 200 as a blower unit. The FFU 200 supplies purified gas, i.e., gas from which particles have been filtered, from the top to the bottom of the transfer space S1. The FFU 200 is provided in the above-mentioned accommodation space S2 and is supported by, for example, the partition wall 124. An opening 126a is formed in the partition wall 124, and the FFU 200 supplies purified gas to the transfer space S1 through the opening 126a.

[0051] In this embodiment, one end of a supply pipe 210 that supplies an inert gas such as nitrogen gas to the accommodation space S2 is connected to the main body 102. The other end of the supply pipe 210 is connected to a gas supply mechanism 211. The gas supply mechanism 211 includes, for example, an inert gas supply source, a switching valve that switches between on / off of the supply of the inert gas, and a flow rate adjustment valve that adjusts the flow rate of the inert gas.

[0052] Since the supply pipe 210 as described above is provided, in this embodiment, the FFU 200 supplies purified inert gas to the accommodation space S2.

[0053] In this embodiment, the transfer space S1 and the storage space S2 form a circulation path that circulates the inert gas inside the main body 102. The circulation path includes the transfer space S1, the storage space S2, and a return path 127. The purified inert gas is sent downward by the FFU 200 from the storage space S2 to the transfer space S1 through the opening 126a, reaches the lower end of the transfer space S1, and is then returned to the storage space S2 through the return path 127.

[0054] A plurality of return paths 127 may be provided. Each return path 127 is provided to extend in the vertical direction. For example, a plurality of return paths 127 are provided along the rear surface of the front wall of the main body portion 102. Alternatively or in addition to this, the return path 127 may be provided along the front surface of the rear wall of the main body portion 102.

[0055] The inert gas introduced into the return path 127 from the transfer space S1 is returned to the accommodation space S2 through an opening 128 provided at a position corresponding to the return path 127 in the partition wall 124. A fan 129 may be provided at the lower end of the return path 127. The fan 129 sucks the inert gas that has reached the lower end of the transfer space S1 into the return path 127 and sends it upward to return it to the accommodation space S2.

[0056] Furthermore, the main body 102 is provided with an FFU 220 for exhausting gas from the transfer space S1. The FFU 220 filters the gas in the transfer space S1 and then exhausts it to the outside of the main body 102 (specifically, for example, to the inside of a clean room in which the transfer device 20 is installed) through the opening 126b.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 7, the load port 101 includes a stage 300 and a moving mechanism 310 .

[0058] Stage 300 includes a mounting surface 101a for a FOUP 900 that accommodates a wafer W. Specifically, an upper surface of stage 300 serves as mounting surface 101a for the FOUP 900. Stage 300 supports FOUP 900 on mounting surface 101a. A nozzle 301 that supplies gas to the FOUP 900 on stage 300 is provided for stage 300. Specifically, nozzle 301 supplies an inert gas such as nitrogen gas into the FOUP 900 placed on stage 300. This nozzle 301 is movable by advancing / retracting mechanism 310, and specifically, is movable together with stage 300 that is moved by advancing / retracting mechanism 310.

[0059] The advancing / retracting mechanism 310 advances and retreats the stage 300 in the horizontal direction. Specifically, the advancing / retracting mechanism 310 advances and retreats the stage 300 relative to the first opening 121 by moving the stage 300 back and forth. More specifically, the advancing / retracting mechanism 310 moves the stage 300 between a front position and a rear position. The front position is a position where the FOUP 900 is transferred between a transfer device for the FOUP 900 provided outside and the stage 300. The rear position is a position for transferring the wafer W between the FOUP 900 and the inside of the main body 102 via the first opening 121.

[0060] The advance / retract mechanism 310 has, for example, a guide 311 and a support member 312. The guide 311 guides the movement of the stage 300 in the device depth direction. Specifically, the guide 311 guides the movement of the support member 312 supporting the stage 300 in the front-rear direction. The support member 312 has an upper end to which the stage 300 is connected, and a lower end to which the guide 311 extends so as to be movable in the device depth direction.

[0061] The load port 101 also has an isolation cover 320. The isolation cover 320 houses the moving mechanism 140. Specifically, the isolation cover 320 forms an accommodation space S3 that houses the actuator 141 and covers the slit 123. Specifically, the accommodation space S3 is formed by the front wall of the main body 102 and the isolation cover 320, and houses a portion of the moving mechanism 140 located outside the main body 102 (including the actuator 141). Specifically, the isolation cover 320 covers the slit 123 from the front. By providing the isolation cover 320, it is possible to prevent gas in the transfer space S1 of the main body 102 from leaking outside the transfer device 20.

[0062] Furthermore, the load port 101 has a main cover 330 . The main cover 330 covers the advancing / retreating mechanism 310 and the isolating cover 320. In this embodiment, the main cover 330 covers the front wall and top wall of the isolating cover 320, but does not cover the bottom wall. In other words, the bottom wall 321 of the isolating cover 320 forms part of the bottom surface of the load port 101.

[0063] The cover 330 forms an accommodation space S4 for accommodating the advancing and retracting mechanism 310 between the front wall of the main body 102 and the isolation cover 320. The nozzle 301 described above protrudes from the lower surface of the stage 300, with its lower portion protruding into the accommodation space S4.

[0064] <Vertical positions and dimensions of components of the conveying device 20> Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining the vertical positions and dimensions of the components of the transfer device 20. In Figures 8 and 9, the transfer robot 110 is located at its home position. Figure 10 is a top view of the horizontal arm 170 of the transfer robot 110 located at its home position. The home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 is a standby position and is located at the upper end position of the horizontal arm 170.

[0065] 8, the home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 is lower than the lower end positions of the first opening 121 and the second opening 122. Specifically, the home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 is lower than the lower end positions of the first opening 121 and the second opening 122, and is higher than the lower end position of the load port 101.

[0066] Furthermore, the transfer robot 110 has a predetermined required operation range MR in the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure). The required operation range MR is a range through which the horizontal arm 170 can pass while the transfer robot 110 is transferring the wafer W, and more specifically, a range through which the upper end position of the horizontal arm 170 can pass during the transfer. The lower limit position of the operation required range MR of the transport robot 110 is determined by the uppermost accommodation section among the multiple accommodation sections of the transport device 20. The lower limit position of the operation required range MR is specifically determined by the first accommodation section 191, and more specifically, is determined by the third opening 125 corresponding to the first accommodation section 191. The upper limit position of the required operation range MR is determined by the first opening 121, specifically, by the upper end position of the first opening 121.

[0067] Furthermore, the upper end position of the base 183 of the vertical articulated arm 180 of the transfer robot 110 is higher than the upper end position of the lower accommodation section 190. Specifically, the upper end position of the base 183 is higher than the upper end position of the first accommodation section 191.

[0068] As described above, the load port 101 is connected to the upper side of the front wall of the main body 102. In addition, as shown in Fig. 8, the height width L1, which is the vertical dimension of the load port 101, is determined by the actuator 141 of the movement mechanism 140 of the door 130. In other words, the load port 101 is connected within a predetermined range on the upper side of the front wall of the main body 102.

[0069] Specifically, the height L1 of the load port 101 is 20 to 30% of the height L2 of the transfer space S1, and the bottom end position of the load port 101 is higher than a position P1 that is 40% of the length L2 from the bottom end of the transfer space S1. In other words, below the load port 101, a space equivalent to 40% of the height width L2 of the transfer space S1 is secured for the accommodation section 192.

[0070] The height L3 of the accommodation section 192 (specifically, the distance from the upper end position of the first accommodation section 191 to the lower end position of the second accommodation section 192) is 40% to 50% of the height L2 of the transfer space S1. Moreover, the height L4 of the first opening 121 is 10% to 20% of the height L2 of the transfer space S1. The height L5 of a base 183 of the vertical articulated arm 180 of the transfer robot 110 shown in FIG. 9 is 50% or more of the height L2 of the transfer space S1.

[0071] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7 above, in the load port 101, the upper part of the actuator 141 of the movement mechanism 140 is disposed so as to overlap with the advancing and retreating mechanism 310 in the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure). Further, the advancing / retreating mechanism 310 and the isolating cover 320 partially overlap each other in the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure). Specifically, the lower parts of the guide 311 and the support member 312 of the advancing / retreating mechanism 310 and the upper part of the isolating cover 320 are at substantially the same position in the vertical direction, and the top surface of the isolating cover 320 is located higher than the bottom surface of the guide 311. The isolation cover 320 has a recess 322 recessed toward the rear side (the positive side in the Y direction in the figure) at an upper portion that overlaps with the advancing / retreating mechanism 310 in the vertical direction.

[0072] The slit 123 side of the top wall of isolation cover 320 is located above the upper end position of slit 123 , and the slit 123 side of the bottom wall of isolation cover 320 is located below the lower end position of slit 123 . The isolating cover 320 is provided so that a gap G is formed between the top wall of the isolating cover 320 and the nozzle 301. Specifically, the isolating cover 320 is provided so that a predetermined gap G in the vertical direction is formed between the top surface of the isolating cover 320 and the nozzle 301. This is to prevent interference with the isolating cover 320 when the nozzle 301 moves in the forward and backward directions together with the stage 300. The gap G is, for example, 10 mm to 20 mm. The gap between the bottom wall of the isolation cover 320 and the lower end of the actuator 141 is substantially zero. Furthermore, the lower end surface of the lift body 143 that has been lowered to the lowest position and the lower end surface of the actuator 141 are substantially flush with each other.

[0073] When the lifting body 143 has reached the lowest position, i.e., when the door 130 has reached the lowest position and is in an open state, the upper end of the door 130 is positioned slightly below the placement surface 101a. This is to prevent interference between the door 130 and the horizontal arm 170 that is inserted into the FOUP 900 through the first opening 121 in which the door 130 is provided, while minimizing the length of the actuator 141.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 8, the aspect ratio (specifically, L2 / D1) of the transfer space S1 of the main body 102, which is determined by the height L2 and the depth D1, which is the dimension in the device depth direction, is 3-5.

[0075] Further, the depth D2 of the base 183 of the vertical articulated arm 180 of the transfer robot 110 is 50% or more and 80% or less of the depth D1 of the transfer space S1.

[0076] As described above, since the load port 101 is connected to the upper side of the front wall of the main body 102, the first opening 121 is located on the upper side of the main body 102. In other words, the first opening 121 is offset upward. Specifically, for example, as shown in Fig. 9, the lower end position of the first opening 121 is located above the midpoint P2 in the vertical direction of the transfer space S1.

[0077] The vertical position of the second opening 122 is between the upper end position and the lower end position of the first opening 121. That is, the transfer device 20 is provided with a horizontal transfer zone Z in which the wafer W can be delivered between the FOUP 900 and the load lock chamber 51 only by transfer in a substantially horizontal direction. The horizontal transfer zone in this embodiment is a range through which the upper end position of the horizontal arm 170 of the transfer robot 110 can pass when directly transferring the wafer W between the first opening 121 and the second opening 122. The vertical position of the horizontal transfer zone Z is determined by the first opening 121, and more specifically, the upper end position of the horizontal transfer zone Z is determined by the upper end position of the first opening 121, and the lower end position of the horizontal transfer zone Z is determined by the lower end position of the first opening 121.

[0078] The vertical positional relationship between the first opening 121 and the second opening 122 may be such that the vertical center position of the first opening 121 and the vertical center position of the second opening 122 approximately coincide with each other. Specifically, the vertical position of the 13th wafer W in the FOUP 900 placed on the placement surface 101a may coincide with the vertical position of the wafer support surface in the load lock chamber 51 when the wafer is transferred. This makes it possible to optimize the transfer throughput of the wafer W by the transfer robot 110 between the first opening 121 and the second opening 122.

[0079] 8, the height L6 of the upper space, which is the portion above the upper end position of the first opening 121 in the transport space S1, is 20% or more of the height L2 of the transport space S1. This is because if the height L6 is less than 20% of the height L2, the vertical position of the first opening 121 cannot be substantially the same as that of the second opening 122, making it impossible to form the horizontal transport zone Z, or the main body 102 becomes larger in the vertical direction.

[0080] The home position of the transfer robot 110 will be further described. As shown in FIG. 9, a home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 is higher than a midpoint P3 of the load port 101 in the vertical direction. The home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 may be lower than the vertical position of the placement surface 101a.

[0081] The home position HP2 of the vertical articulated arm 180 of the transport robot 110 is a standby position and is the upper end position of the vertical articulated arm 180. The home position HP2 of the vertical articulated arm 180 does not substantially overlap in the vertical direction with the moving mechanism 140 that opens and closes the door 130. Specifically, the home position HP2 of the vertical articulated arm 180 of the transport robot 110 does not substantially overlap in the vertical direction with a portion of the moving mechanism 140 located in the transport space S1. More specifically, when the door 130 is in a closed state, the home position HP2 of the vertical articulated arm 180 does not overlap at all in the vertical direction with a portion of the moving mechanism 140 located in the transport space S1. However, when the door 130 is in an open state, the home position HP2 of the vertical articulated arm 180 vertically overlaps with the lower end of the portion of the moving mechanism 140 located in the transport space S1.

[0082] 10, in the horizontal arm 170 of the transport robot 110 located at the home position, the first arm 172 and the second arm 173 are oriented in the same direction, specifically, they extend along the device depth direction (Y direction in the figure). However, in the horizontal arm 170 of the transport robot 110 located at the home position, the fork 171 is oriented in a different direction from the first arm 172 and the second arm 173, specifically, they do not extend along the front-rear direction. This makes it possible to minimize the dimension of the horizontal arm in the device depth direction at the home position.

[0083] <Main Effects of This Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, since the conveying device 20 includes the lower accommodation section 190 as described above, the accommodation capacity of the components is improved. In other words, it is possible to increase the component accommodation space outside the conveying space S1 without expanding the accommodation section above the conveying device 20. When considering further reduction in the footprint of the conveying device, the component accommodation capacity in the conveying space S1 decreases, so it is necessary to improve the component accommodation capacity outside the conveying space S1. In that case, if the component accommodation section above the conveying device 20 is expanded, the installation limit height condition in the manufacturing line cannot be satisfied, and the footprint cannot be substantially reduced. However, according to the conveying device 20 according to this embodiment, the number of components that need to be arranged in the conveying space S1 can be reduced without inviting expansion of the accommodation section above the conveying device 20, which contributes to reducing the footprint of the conveying device 20. Furthermore, since the transfer device 20 according to this embodiment includes the lower accommodation section 190 below the load port 101, the position of the load port 101 can be offset upward. As a result, the first opening 121 provided corresponding to the load port 101 and the horizontal transfer zone Z defined by the first opening 121 can be disposed in a position closer to the FFU 200. As a result, the controllability of the airflow in the horizontal transfer zone Z by the FFU 200 is improved. In general, the cleanliness of the transfer space S1 is controlled by downflow air (downward air current) formed by the FFU 200. In order to prevent particles from adhering to the transported object (wafer) that would cause a significant decrease in productivity (to satisfy a desired cleanliness), it is necessary to form a desired air current in the space in the transfer space S1 where the wafer is transported between the FOUP 900 and the load lock chamber 51. Therefore, if the lower accommodation unit 190 is not provided, the footprint of the transport device 20 is not substantially reduced, and the position of the load port 101 in the vertical direction is not offset upward. In such a case, it is required that the FFU 200 form a desired air current up to a lower spatial region in the transfer space, which is a space with a larger volume. As a result, the higher the required cleanliness, the higher the air current controllability required of the FFU 200, and therefore the fan to be mounted in the FFU becomes larger. In contrast, according to the transfer device 20 of the present embodiment, since the lower accommodation section 190 is provided below the load port 101, the position of the load port 101 can be offset upward in a transfer device that can practically reduce the footprint. This allows the horizontal transfer zone Z defined by the first opening 121 and the first opening 121 to be disposed at a position closer to the FFU 200, and the spatial area in which airflow control by the FFU 200 is required can be made smaller and closer to the FFU 200. As a result, the controllability of the airflow in the horizontal transfer zone Z in the FFU 200 is improved, and a decrease in productivity due to particles can be effectively prevented, while the fan mounted on the FFU 200 can be made smaller, and as a result, the transfer device 20 can be further made smaller. Furthermore, in the transfer device 20, the home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 is lower than the lower end positions of the first opening 121 and the second opening 122, so the transfer robot 110, which is a particle generation source, is not always present in the horizontal transfer zone Z where the controllability of the airflow is improved. Therefore, in the horizontal transfer zone Z where the controllability of the airflow is improved, the required accuracy of the clean level can be suppressed, so that the air flow rate required to satisfy a predetermined clean level can be optimized. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to contribute to further miniaturization of the FFU 200, and ultimately to miniaturization of the transfer device 20.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the lower accommodation section 190 is provided to offset the position of the load port 101 upward, so that the first opening 121 provided corresponding to the load port 101 and the horizontal transfer zone Z defined by the first opening 121 can be disposed in a position closer to the FFU 200. However, as a result, the upper limit position of the required operation range MR in the vertical direction of the transfer robot 110 becomes higher, and there is a risk of a decrease in the throughput of the transfer robot 110. In contrast, in this embodiment, the accommodation sections constituting the lower accommodation section 190 are stacked in the vertical direction, and the lower limit position of the required operation range MR is defined by the uppermost accommodation section. This allows the required operation range MR to be optimized, which can contribute to a reduction in throughput. That is, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a conveying device that can contribute not only to reducing the footprint of the conveying device 20 but also to reducing the throughput.

[0085] In the transport device 20 provided with the lower storage section 190, the required transport range may expand in the vertical direction. In this case, if the vertical position of the horizontal arm of the transport robot is controlled by a cylinder mechanism, the transport robot may become larger due to the larger cylinder mechanism. In contrast, in this embodiment, the transport robot 110 includes a vertical articulated arm 180 configured to be able to raise and lower the horizontal arm 170, so that the transport robot 110 can accommodate the expanded required transport range in the vertical direction without increasing the size of the transport robot 110.

[0086] In this embodiment, the vertical articulated arm 180 has an arm 181 that is provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and a base 183 that is connected to the arm 181 and fixed to the bottom surface of the transfer space S1. The upper end position of the base 183 is higher than the upper end position of the lower accommodation section 190. Therefore, the arm 181 can be made sufficiently long, so that even if the horizontal transfer zone Z is disposed above, it is possible to ensure the vertical movable range of the transfer robot 110 while suppressing an increase in the number of links of the arm 181 (i.e., while suppressing an increase in the size of the transfer robot 110 in the device depth direction due to an increase in the number of links).

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the height L5 of the base 183 is 50% or more of the height L2 of the transfer space S1. This maximizes the length of the first arm 181a and the like constituting the arm 181 connectable to the base 183, and reduces the number of links of the arm 181, thereby minimizing the dimension of the transfer robot 110 in the device depth direction. This can contribute to further reducing the footprint of the transfer device 20.

[0088] In this embodiment, the depth D2 of the base 183 is 50% or more and 80% or less of the depth D1 of the transfer space S1. This makes it possible to minimize the dimension of the transfer robot 110 in the device depth direction. This can contribute to further reducing the footprint of the transfer device 20.

[0089] In this embodiment, as described above, the plate-like member 184 constituting the base 183 has a substantially isosceles triangular shape having a pair of long sides. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the effect on the airflow caused by the downflow from the FFU 200 due to the shape of the transfer robot 110, and stabilize the airflow in the transfer space S1. This can contribute to reducing the rate of defective products caused by particles, that is, to improving productivity.

[0090] In this embodiment, the lower accommodating section 190 includes an upper first accommodating section 191 and a lower second accommodating section 192, and a third opening 125 is provided in the front wall of the main body 102 at a position corresponding to the first accommodating section 191. Therefore, a function extension module that performs an operation on the wafer W, which was accommodated in the transfer space or in a portion protruding from the transfer space in the device width direction in a conventional transfer device, can be accommodated in the first accommodating section 191 that overlaps with the load port 101 in a plan view. Therefore, according to this embodiment, there is no need to accommodate the function expansion module within the transport space or in a part protruding from the transport space in the device width direction, which contributes to reducing the footprint of the transport device 20 while ensuring functional expandability.

[0091] In the conventional conveying device, when the footprint is reduced, it is difficult to achieve both on-site installation and functional expandability. In contrast, in this embodiment, the load port 101 is connected to the upper side of the front wall of the main body 102, and further, the height width L1 of the load port 101 is determined by the actuator 141 of the moving mechanism 140 of the door 130. Therefore, a lower accommodation section 190 can be provided below the load port 101. Since the lower accommodation section 190 can accommodate members (e.g., electrical components) that were accommodated above the part corresponding to the main body 102 in the conventional conveying device, according to this embodiment, the height width of the conveying device 20 can be reduced. Therefore, since it is not necessary to divide the conveying device 20 in the vertical direction for transportation or the like, and since it is not necessary to assemble the divided parts, it is possible to suppress the lengthening of the construction period and the increase in cost when starting up the device. In addition, since the lower accommodation section 190 can accommodate a function expansion module, according to this embodiment, it is possible to ensure the function expandability of the conveying device 20. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the footprint from becoming large in order to accommodate a function expansion module or the like. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a transport device 20 that can ensure on-site installability and functional expandability even when the footprint is reduced.

[0092] In addition, in this embodiment, a vertical articulated arm 180 is used as a module for moving the horizontal arm 170 of the transport robot 110 in the vertical direction and the device width direction. Therefore, the width of the main body 102 in the device depth direction can be made shorter than when a module for moving the horizontal arm in the vertical direction and the device width direction by a lifting body configured to be movable along a rail extending in the device width direction is used instead of the vertical articulated arm 180. In other words, according to this embodiment, since the vertical articulated arm 180 is used, the footprint in the front-rear direction of the transport device 20 can be made smaller.

[0093] Furthermore, in the load port 101 according to this embodiment, as described above, the upper part of the actuator 141 of the movement mechanism 140 overlaps with the advance / retract mechanism 310 in the vertical direction. Therefore, it is possible to provide a load port with a small height L1. In other words, the height L1 of the load port 101 can be reduced. Therefore, the spatial height for installing the lower accommodation section 190 can be maximized, and as a result, the accommodation space provided by the lower accommodation section 190 can be further enlarged.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, in the load port 101, the advancing / retreating mechanism 310 and the isolating cover 320 partially overlap each other in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to reduce the height L1 of the load port 101. This makes it possible to maximize the spatial height for installing the lower accommodating section 190, and as a result, the accommodating space provided by the lower accommodating section 190 can be further enlarged. In this embodiment, as described above, the upper portion of the isolating cover 320 that overlaps with the advancing / retreating mechanism 310 in the vertical direction has a recess recessed toward the rear side (the positive side in the Y direction in the figure). Therefore, the depth width of the load port 101 can be reduced.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the main cover 330 covers the front wall and the top wall of the isolation cover 320, but does not cover the bottom wall. Therefore, the height width L1 of the load port 101 can be reduced compared to when the main cover 330 also covers the bottom wall. Furthermore, the bottom wall 321 of the isolating cover 320 constitutes a part of the bottom surface of the load port 101. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the height L1 of the load port 101 can be reduced compared to a case in which the bottom surface of the isolating cover 320 is covered by the main cover 330 and the bottom surface of the main cover 330 constitutes the bottom surface of the load port 101. Therefore, the height L1 of the lower accommodating section 190 can be maximized, and the accommodation space provided by the lower accommodating section 190 can be further increased.

[0096] In this embodiment, the vertical position of the second opening 122 relative to the load lock chamber 51 is between the upper end position and the lower end position of the first opening 121 relative to the FOUP 900, and the above-mentioned horizontal transfer zone Z is provided. Therefore, it is possible to improve the throughput, which contributes to improving productivity. Furthermore, since the first opening 121 is located on the upper side of the main body 102, the horizontal transfer zone Z is provided in the vicinity of the FFU 200 where the airflow speed is high and stable (i.e., the in-plane uniformity of the airflow is good), i.e., in the vicinity of the FFU. In addition to this, the home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 is lower than the lower end position of the first opening 121. Therefore, the horizontal arm 170 does not enter during operations other than the transfer of the wafer W to the FOUP 900 or the load lock chamber 51 (for example, during the transfer of the wafer W to the above-mentioned function extension module, etc.), and therefore the stability of the airflow in the space between the FOUP 900 and the load lock chamber 51 can be improved. A stable air flow prevents particles from being stirred up, and thus can prevent particles from adhering to the wafer W. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the risk of particles contaminating the wafer W in the FOUP 900, which can contribute to reducing the rate of defective products, i.e., improving productivity. If the horizontal transfer zone Z is provided in the vicinity of the FFU where the airflow speed is high and stable, the airflow stability will be significantly impaired if the home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110, which has a complex shape, overlaps with the horizontal transfer zone Z, because the airflow speed in that area is high. This is a new issue that was discovered when using the upper area of ​​the transfer space S1 as the horizontal transfer zone Z.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the horizontal transfer zone Z is provided, which can reduce the time that the wafer W passes through the area of ​​the door 150 that is lower than the lifting mechanism 160, which is a source of particle generation, and can contribute to improving productivity.

[0098] In addition, in this embodiment, the moving mechanism 140 of the door 130, which is the main cause of hoisting in the transport device 20, and the home position HP2 of the vertical articulated arm 180 of the transport robot 110 do not substantially overlap in the vertical direction. Therefore, the generation of hoisting air currents can be suppressed as much as possible. Therefore, the causes of the risk of particle generation in the transport space S1 can be dispersed, which contributes to improving productivity.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the lower limit position of the necessary operation range MR of the transport robot 110 is determined by the third opening 125, which is an entrance / exit for the first accommodation part 191 that accommodates the function expansion module and is located above the second accommodation part 192. That is, while supporting the function expansion such as measurement and inspection of the wafer W, the access of the horizontal arm 170 of the transport robot 110 to the bottom part of the main body part 102 where particles may accumulate and cause contamination due to being lifted up is restricted. Therefore, the particle generation rate can be suppressed, which contributes to improving productivity. Furthermore, the accuracy of transport may be more stable when transporting from the bottom upward than when transporting to the bottom of the main body 102. By storing the function extension module in the upper first storage section 191, the accuracy of transport for the module can be more stable than when the module is stored in the lower second storage section 192. That is, it is preferable from the viewpoint of operability of the transport robot 110 to define the lower limit position of the operation necessary range MR of the transport robot 110 by the third opening 125 which is the loading / unloading opening for the first storage section 191.

[0100] <Modification of the first embodiment> In the above example, the inert gas is circulated inside the main body 102, but instead of this, dry air may be circulated. In this case, for example, dry air is supplied from the gas supply mechanism 211 through the supply pipe 210 into the accommodation space S2.

[0101] Second embodiment <Transportation device 20A> FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining an outline of a conveying device according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, in the transfer device 20A according to this embodiment, a main body 102A has a particle collecting mechanism 400 extending in the vertical direction below a first opening 121 on the transfer space S1 side of the front wall of the main body 102A. The particle collecting mechanism 400 collects particles generated around the first opening 121, and for example, collects particles generated from the door 130 and the moving mechanism 140 when the door 130 moves up and down. The particle collecting mechanism 400 includes a rear cover 410 and an exhaust fan 420.

[0102] The rear cover 410 is provided below the first opening 121 in the transfer space S1 of the main body 102A. The rear cover 410 is a bottomed member that covers the slit 123 from the rear side (the positive side in the Y direction in the figure). The rear cover 410 is configured to be able to accommodate the lowered door 130, the lid 901, and the arm 142 of the moving mechanism 140. Specifically, the rear cover 410 is configured to be able to accommodate the lowered door 130, the lid 901, and the arm 142 between the rear cover 410 and the front wall of the main body 102. By providing such a rear cover 410, even if particles are generated from the door 130, the lid 901, or the moving mechanism 140 when the door 130 is raised or lowered, the particles can be prevented from adhering to the wafer W. Furthermore, by providing the rear cover 410, the particles that have fallen from the FOUP 900 can be prevented from reaching further below. Therefore, it is possible to prevent particles that have fallen from the FOUP 900 from being blown up from the bottom of the main body 102A to the wafer W transfer area.

[0103] The upper end position of rear cover 410 coincides with the upper end position of door 130 that has been lowered to the lowest part, for example. This makes it possible to prevent the stable airflow in the area near the FFU from being affected by rear cover 410 provided for first opening 121, even if first opening 121 is offset upward and positioned in the area near the FFU.

[0104] The lower end portion in the vertical direction of the rear cover 410, i.e., the bottom wall, has an exhaust port 411 for exhausting gas from the space S5 covered by the rear cover 410, and an exhaust fan 420 is provided in the exhaust port 411. One end of an exhaust duct 430 is connected to the exhaust port 411. The other end of the exhaust duct opens in the vicinity of the FFU 220 (see FIG. 6) that exhausts gas in the transfer space S1 to the outside of the main body 102A.

[0105] The exhaust air from the exhaust fan 420 is discharged to the outside of the transfer device 20 via the exhaust duct 430 and the FFU 220 without passing through the transfer space S1. By providing such an exhaust fan 420, an airflow is created that flows into the space S5 from an opening between the upper end of the rear cover 410 and the front wall of the main body 102 and is discharged from the exhaust port 411. Therefore, particles that have been present near the opening can be more reliably collected. In addition, it is possible to prevent particles in the space S5 from reaching the transfer region of the wafer W through the opening.

[0106] In this embodiment as well, the home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 is lower than the lower end positions of the first opening 121 and the second opening 122, and the transfer robot 110, which is a particle generation source, is not always present within the horizontal transfer zone Z. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 overlaps with the particle collection mechanism 400 in the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure). Specifically, the home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 is located below the upper end position of the rear cover 410 and above the lower end position of the rear cover 410.

[0107] Incidentally, when the door 130 is opened or closed, that is, when it is raised or lowered, particles that may be supplied from within the FOUP 900 may be scattered upward within the transfer space S1 if they are not collected by the particle collection mechanism 400. In contrast, as described above, in this embodiment, the transfer robot 110, which is a particle generation source, is not always present within the horizontal transfer zone Z, and the home position HP1 of the transfer robot 110 overlaps with the particle collection mechanism 400 in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the downflow from the FFU 200, the transfer robot 110 acts as a flow resistance, and the airflow toward the particle collection mechanism 400 can be strengthened. This can contribute to reducing the rate of defective products caused by particles, that is, improving the yield. Although not shown in the drawings, in this embodiment as well, the transport device 20A includes a lower housing portion 190. This can contribute to reducing the footprint of the transport device 20A. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to contribute to a reduction in the footprint and also to an improvement in the yield.

[0108] When the atmosphere in the clean room in which the transfer device 20A is installed is taken into the accommodation space S2 and the atmosphere is supplied to the transfer space S1 via the FFU 200, a corrosive gas may be generated from the wafer W. As a result, for example, the residual gas on the wafer W processed by the processing device 10 may react with moisture in the atmosphere to generate a corrosive gas.

[0109] By providing the rear cover 410 with the exhaust fan 420, it is possible to prevent the corrosive gas from leaking into the load port 101 through the slits 123. Furthermore, by providing the isolation cover 320, it is possible to reduce the number of components of the load port 101 that are exposed to the corrosive gas, and it is possible to increase the efficiency with which the exhaust fan 420 exhausts the corrosive gas in the space S5. Furthermore, by providing the rear cover 410 with the exhaust fan 420 together with the isolation cover 320, it is possible to prevent the corrosive gas from accumulating in the storage space S3 formed by the isolation cover 320.

[0110] The load port 101 may have an air supply port 440 that supplies an inert gas to the storage space S3 covered by the isolation cover 320. This allows the storage space S3 to be at a positive pressure relative to the space S5 covered by the rear cover 410, thereby preventing corrosive gas from entering the storage space S3. This prevents the components in the storage space S3 from being corroded.

[0111] There may be a plurality of air supply ports 440. In this case, the air supply ports 440 may be arranged in the vertical direction, and in addition to that, or instead of that, the air supply ports 440 may be arranged in the width direction of the device. From each of the air supply ports 440, the inert gas is discharged, for example, rearward and horizontally.

[0112] If the number of parts exposed to corrosive gas can be reduced, the number of parts that need to be treated for corrosion resistance can be reduced, leading to cost reduction.

[0113] <Other Modifications> Even when an inert gas or dry air is circulated as in the first embodiment and its modified examples, the transport device may be provided with a rear cover 410 as in the second embodiment. Furthermore, in the above example, no members are accommodated in the space above the accommodation space S2 of the FFU 200, but they may be accommodated therein as long as this does not impair on-site installation.

[0114] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the components of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. From such an arbitrary combination, the actions and effects of each of the components in the combination can be obtained as a matter of course, and other actions and effects that are obvious to a person skilled in the art from the description of this specification can be obtained.

[0115] In addition, the effects described in this specification are merely explanatory or exemplary and are not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure may achieve other effects that are apparent to a person skilled in the art from the description of this specification in addition to or in place of the above effects.

[0116] Note that the following configuration examples also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (1) A transport device that transports a substrate into and out of a processing device for processing the substrate, a load port on which a container for accommodating a substrate is placed; a main body having a first opening provided in a front wall which is a side wall on the load port side, at a position corresponding to the container, a second opening provided in a rear wall which is a side wall on the processing apparatus side, a transfer robot which transfers the substrate between the first opening and the second opening, and a fan filter unit which supplies gas which has been filtered to remove particles from above and below a transfer space in which the transfer robot is housed; a lower accommodation section provided below the load port, the transport robot has a horizontal arm configured to be able to transport the substrate in a horizontal direction, A transfer device, wherein a standby position of the transfer robot, which is defined by an upper end position of the horizontal arm, is lower than lower end positions of the first opening and the second opening. (2) A transport device that transports a substrate into and out of a processing device for processing the substrate, a load port on which a container for accommodating a substrate is placed; a main body having a first opening provided in a front wall which is a side wall on the load port side, at a position corresponding to the container, a second opening provided in a rear wall which is a side wall on the processing apparatus side, a transfer robot which transfers the substrate between the first opening and the second opening, and a fan filter unit which supplies gas which has been filtered to remove particles from above and below a transfer space in which the transfer robot is housed; a lower accommodation section provided below the load port, the main body portion has a particle collection mechanism extending in a vertical direction below the first opening on the transfer space side of the front wall, the transport robot has a horizontal arm configured to be able to transport the substrate in a horizontal direction, a standby position of the transport robot, which is an upper end position of the horizontal arm, is provided so as to overlap with the particle collection mechanism in the vertical direction. (3) A transport device that transports a substrate into and out of a processing device for processing the substrate, a load port on which a container for accommodating a substrate is placed; a main body having a first opening provided in a front wall which is a side wall on the load port side, at a position corresponding to the container, a second opening provided in a rear wall which is a side wall on the processing apparatus side, a transfer robot which transfers the substrate between the first opening and the second opening, and a fan filter unit which supplies gas which has been filtered to remove particles from above and below a transfer space in which the transfer robot is housed; a lower accommodation section in which a plurality of accommodation sections are stacked in a vertical direction below the load port, the transport robot has a predetermined required range of motion in a vertical direction, A conveying device, wherein the lower limit position of the required operating range is defined by the uppermost storage section among the plurality of storage sections. (4) The transport device according to (1) or (2), wherein the transport robot includes a vertical articulated arm configured to be able to raise and lower the horizontal arm. (5) The vertical articulated arm includes an arm that is provided so as to be rotatable in a vertical direction, and a base that is connected to the arm and fixed to a bottom surface of the transfer space, The conveying device according to (4), wherein an upper end position of the base is higher than an upper end position of the lower storage portion. (6) The conveying device according to (5), wherein the vertical dimension of the base is 50% or more of the vertical dimension of the conveying space. (7) A conveying device as described in (5) or (6), wherein the dimension of the base in the device depth direction, which is the direction from the front wall to the rear wall, is 50% or more and 80% or less of the dimension of the conveying space in the device depth direction. (8) The base includes a pair of plate-like members extending along a vertical plane in the transport space, The conveying device according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein the plate-like member has a substantially isosceles triangular shape including a pair of long sides extending along a vertical plane and a short side connecting the pair of long sides. (9) The conveying device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the lower storage section includes a first storage section on an upper side and a second storage section on a lower side. (10) The conveying device according to (1), wherein a third opening is provided in the front wall at a position corresponding to the first storage portion. (11) The first housing section houses a function expansion module including at least one of a measurement module for measuring a film on a substrate, an inspection module for inspecting defects in the substrate, and an alignment module for adjusting an orientation position of the substrate; The transfer device according to (10), wherein the transfer robot transfers the substrate to the function expansion module through the third opening. (12) The conveying device according to any one of (1) to (11), wherein the aspect ratio of the conveying space of the main body, which is the vertical dimension and the dimension in the device depth direction, which is the direction from the front wall to the rear wall, is 3 to 5. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 10 Processing equipment 20, 20A Conveyor 101 Loading Port 101a Placement surface 102, 102A Main body 110 Transport Robot 170 Horizontal Arm 121 First Opening 122 Second Opening 190 Lower storage section 200 FFU 400 Particle collection mechanism 900 FOUP W wafer

Claims

1. A transport device that transports a substrate into and out of a processing device for processing the substrate, a load port on which a container for accommodating a substrate is placed; a main body having a first opening provided in a front wall which is a side wall on the load port side, at a position corresponding to the container, a second opening provided in a rear wall which is a side wall on the processing apparatus side, a transfer robot which transfers the substrate between the first opening and the second opening, and a fan filter unit which supplies gas which has been filtered to remove particles from above and below a transfer space in which the transfer robot is accommodated; a lower accommodation section provided below the load port, the transport robot has a horizontal arm configured to be able to transport the substrate in a horizontal direction, A transport device, wherein a standby position of the transport robot, which is the upper end position of the horizontal arm, is lower than the lower end positions of the first opening and the second opening.

2. A transport device that transports a substrate into and out of a processing device for processing the substrate, a load port on which a container for accommodating a substrate is placed; a main body having a first opening provided in a front wall which is a side wall on the load port side, at a position corresponding to the container, a second opening provided in a rear wall which is a side wall on the processing apparatus side, a transfer robot which transfers the substrate between the first opening and the second opening, and a fan filter unit which supplies gas which has been filtered to remove particles from above and below a transfer space in which the transfer robot is accommodated; a lower accommodation section provided below the load port, the main body portion has a particle collecting mechanism extending in a vertical direction below the first opening of the front wall on the transfer space side, the transport robot has a horizontal arm configured to be able to transport the substrate in a horizontal direction, a standby position of the transport robot, which is an upper end position of the horizontal arm, is provided so as to overlap with the particle collection mechanism in the vertical direction.

3. A transport device that transports a substrate into and out of a processing device for processing the substrate, a load port on which a container for accommodating a substrate is placed; a main body having a first opening provided in a front wall which is a side wall on the load port side, at a position corresponding to the container, a second opening provided in a rear wall which is a side wall on the processing apparatus side, a transfer robot which transfers the substrate between the first opening and the second opening, and a fan filter unit which supplies gas which has been filtered to remove particles from above and below a transfer space in which the transfer robot is accommodated; a lower accommodation section in which a plurality of accommodation sections are stacked in a vertical direction below the load port, the transport robot has a predetermined required range of motion in a vertical direction, A conveying device, wherein the lower limit position of the required operating range is defined by the uppermost storage section among the plurality of storage sections.

4. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the transport robot includes a vertical articulated arm configured to be able to raise and lower the horizontal arm.

5. the vertical articulated arm includes an arm that is provided so as to be rotatable in a vertical direction, and a base that is connected to the arm and fixed to a bottom surface of the transfer space, The conveying device according to claim 4 , wherein an upper end position of the base is higher than an upper end position of the lower accommodation portion.

6. The transport device according to claim 5 , wherein the vertical dimension of the base is 50% or more of the vertical dimension of the transport space.

7. The transport device according to claim 5 , wherein a dimension of the base in a device depth direction, which is a direction from the front wall to the rear wall, is 50% or more and 80% or less of a dimension of the transport space in the device depth direction.

8. the base includes a pair of plate-like members extending along a vertical plane within the transport space, The conveying device according to claim 5 , wherein the plate-like member is substantially in the shape of an isosceles triangle including a pair of long sides extending along a vertical plane and a short side connecting the pair of long sides.

9. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower storage section includes an upper first storage section and a lower second storage section.

10. The transport device according to claim 9 , wherein a third opening is provided in the front wall at a position corresponding to the first storage portion.

11. The first housing section houses a function expansion module including at least one of a measurement module for performing measurements related to a film on a substrate, an inspection module for inspecting defects in the substrate, and an alignment module for adjusting an orientation position of the substrate; The transfer device according to claim 10 , wherein the transfer robot transfers the substrate to the function expansion module through the third opening.

12. A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the aspect ratio of the conveying space of the main body, consisting of the vertical dimension and the dimension in the device depth direction, which is the direction from the front wall to the rear wall, is 3 to 5.

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