efem

Abstract

To allow a particle in a housing chamber to easily exhaust while allowing the inner housing chamber to be replaced to an inactive gas.SOLUTION: An EFEM includes: a rode port 4; a housing structuring a conveying chamber closed by connecting the rode port 4 to an opening provided in a separation wall in an inner part; a supply pipe for supplying a nitrogen to the conveying chamber; and an exhaust pipe 49 for exhausting a gas in the conveying chamber. The rode port 4 includes: a switch mechanism 54 capable of switching a lid 101 of a FOUP 100 to be mounted; and a hosing chamber 60 communicated with the conveying chamber via a slit 51b and housing one part of the switch mechanism 54. The exhaust pipe 49 is connected to the hosing chamber 60 so as to exhaust the gas in the conveying chamber via the hosing chamber 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) capable of supplying an inert gas to a closed transfer chamber and replacing the atmosphere with an inert gas. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an EFEM that includes a load port on which a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) that contains wafers (semiconductor substrates) is placed, and a housing that is closed when the load port is connected to an opening in the front wall and that forms a transfer chamber in which wafers are transferred, and that transfers wafers between a processing device that performs a predetermined process on the wafer and the FOUP.

[0003] Conventionally, the influence of oxygen, moisture, etc. in the transfer chamber on semiconductor circuits manufactured on a wafer was small, but in recent years, as semiconductor circuits have become further miniaturized, these influences have become apparent. Therefore, the EFEM described in Patent Document 1 is configured so that the inside of the transfer chamber is filled with nitrogen, which is an inert gas. Specifically, the EFEM has a circulation flow path made up of a transfer chamber and a gas return path for circulating nitrogen inside the housing, a gas supply means for supplying nitrogen from the upper part of the gas return path, and a gas exhaust means for exhausting nitrogen from the lower part of the gas return path. Nitrogen is supplied and exhausted as appropriate according to fluctuations in the oxygen concentration, etc. in the circulation flow path. This allows the transfer chamber to be filled with nitrogen, which is an inert gas. It is possible to maintain a nitrogen atmosphere inside the transfer chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-146349 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The load port of the EFEM described in the above Patent Document 1 has an opening / closing mechanism capable of opening and closing the lid of the placed FOUP, and a storage chamber that communicates with the transfer chamber and contains part of the opening / closing mechanism, but the gas exhaust means is connected to the lower part of the gas return path of the circulation flow path. Therefore, even if nitrogen is supplied to the circulation flow path while gas is exhausted from the circulation flow path when the EFEM is started (including after maintenance), the storage chamber that communicates with the transfer chamber is not included in the circulation flow path, so a problem occurs in that it takes time to replace the storage chamber with a nitrogen atmosphere. Furthermore, a problem occurs in that particles in the storage chamber are easily blown up by the operation of the opening / closing mechanism and enter the transfer chamber.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an EFEM that can easily replace the gas in the accommodation chamber with an inert gas while also discharging particles from within the accommodation chamber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The EFEM of the present invention includes a load port, a housing that defines a transfer chamber for transferring a substrate therein and is closed by connecting the load port to an opening provided in a side wall, a substrate transfer device that is arranged in the transfer chamber and transfers the substrate, an inert gas supply means for supplying an inert gas to the transfer chamber, and a gas exhaust means for exhausting gas from within the transfer chamber. The load port has an opening / closing mechanism that can open and close a lid of a FOUP placed thereon, and a housing chamber that communicates with the transfer chamber and accommodates a part of the opening / closing mechanism, and the gas exhaust means is connected to the housing chamber so as to exhaust gas from within the transfer chamber via the housing chamber.

[0008] According to this, since the gas exhaust means is connected to the accommodation chamber of the load port in which the opening and closing mechanism is accommodated, the inside of the accommodation chamber can be easily replaced with an inert gas atmosphere. For example, when starting up the EFEM (including after maintenance is performed), the inert gas supply means supplies inert gas and the gas exhaust means exhausts the gas, making it easier to quickly replace the atmosphere in the transfer chamber and accommodation chamber with an inert gas atmosphere, and shortening the time until the start of operations such as substrate transfer. In addition, it is possible to exhaust particles in the accommodation chamber when exhausting gas, so that particles in the accommodation chamber are less likely to fly up when the opening and closing mechanism is operated, and particles are less likely to enter the transfer chamber.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a gas outlet provided in an upper portion of the transfer chamber for delivering an inert gas into the transfer chamber, a gas suction port provided in a lower portion of the transfer chamber for sucking in the inert gas in the transfer chamber, a gas return path for returning the inert gas sucked in from the gas suction port to the gas outlet, and a filter for removing particles contained in the inert gas delivered from the gas outlet. This makes it possible to circulate the inert gas through the gas return path while generating a downward current of inert gas from which particles have been removed in the transfer chamber. This makes it possible to suppress consumption of inert gas and reduce costs.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that a fan for sending an inert gas to the gas exhaust means is provided in the accommodation chamber, which makes it possible to suppress the stirring up of particles more effectively than if the fan were provided in the transfer chamber.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that the storage chamber is disposed below a placement portion on which the FOUP is placed, and the gas exhaust means is connected to a bottom wall constituting the storage chamber, thereby making it possible to effectively exhaust particles.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of the load ports are provided in the housing, and the gas exhaust means is connected to the accommodation chamber of each of the load ports, thereby making it possible to effectively exhaust particles within the accommodation chamber of each load port. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the EFEM of the present invention, the gas exhaust means is connected to the accommodation chamber of the load port in which the opening and closing mechanism is accommodated, so that the inside of the accommodation chamber can be easily replaced with an inert gas atmosphere. For example, when starting up the EFEM (including after maintenance), the inert gas supply means supplies inert gas and the gas exhaust means exhausts the gas, so that the transfer chamber and accommodation chamber can be quickly replaced with an inert gas atmosphere, and the time until the start of operations such as substrate transfer can be shortened. In addition, it is possible to exhaust particles in the accommodation chamber when exhausting gas, so that particles in the accommodation chamber are less likely to fly up when the opening and closing mechanism is operated, and particles are less likely to enter the transfer chamber. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an EFEM and its surroundings according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the electrical configuration of the EFEM shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a front view of the housing shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the front. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the load port showing a state in which the door is closed. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the load port showing a state in which the door is open. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] An EFEM 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 8. For ease of description, the directions shown in Fig. 1 are defined as the front-rear and left-right directions. That is, in this embodiment, the direction in which an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) 1 and a substrate processing apparatus 6 are arranged is defined as the front-rear direction, with the EFEM 1 side being the front and the substrate processing apparatus 6 side being the rear. The direction in which a plurality of load ports 4 are arranged, which is perpendicular to the front-rear direction, is defined as the left-right direction. The direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is defined as the up-down direction.

[0016] (Outline of EFEM and its surroundings) First, the schematic configuration of the EFEM 1 and its periphery will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the EFEM 1 and its periphery according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the electrical configuration of the EFEM 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the EFEM 1 includes a housing 2, a transfer robot 3 (substrate transfer device), three load ports 4, and a control device 5. A substrate processing device 6 that performs a predetermined process on a wafer W (substrate) is disposed behind the EFEM 1. The EFEM 1 transfers the wafer W between a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) 100 placed on the load port 4 and the substrate processing device 6 by the transfer robot 3 disposed in the housing 2. The FOUP 100 is a container that can accommodate multiple wafers W arranged in a vertical direction, and is provided with an openable and closable lid 101 (lid portion) at its rear end (the end on the housing 2 side in the front-rear direction). The FOUP 100 can be, for example, a known OHT (overhead traveling unmanned transporter). The FOUP 100 is delivered between the OHT and the load port 4.

[0017] The housing 2 is for connecting the three load ports 4 and the substrate processing apparatus 6. Inside the housing 2, a transfer chamber 41 is formed, which is substantially sealed from the outside space and transfers the wafer W without exposing it to the outside air. When the EFEM 1 is operating, the transfer chamber 41 is filled with nitrogen. In this embodiment, the transfer chamber 41 is filled with nitrogen, but any inert gas other than nitrogen may be used. The housing 2 is configured so that nitrogen circulates in the internal space including the transfer chamber 41 (details will be described later). In addition, an openable and closable door 2a is provided at the rear end of the housing 2, and the transfer chamber 41 is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 6 through the door 2a.

[0018] The transfer robot 3 is disposed in the transfer chamber 41 and transfers the wafer W. The transfer robot 3 has a base unit 90 (see FIG. 3) whose position is fixed, an arm mechanism 70 (see FIG. 3) that is disposed above the base unit 90 and holds and transfers the wafer W, and a robot control unit 11 (see FIG. 2). The transfer robot 3 mainly performs an operation of removing the wafer W from the FOUP 100 and transferring it to the substrate processing apparatus 6, and an operation of receiving the wafer W that has been processed by the substrate processing apparatus 6 and returning it to the FOUP 100.

[0019] The load port 4 is for placing the FOUP 100 thereon (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the load ports 4 are arranged in a line in the left-right direction along the partition wall 33 on the front side of the housing 2. Each load port 4 closes three openings (not shown) formed in the partition wall 33 of the housing 2 with a base 51 (see FIG. 7) at the rear end. These three openings are formed between the four columns 21 to 24 in the left-right direction. As a result, the transfer chamber 41 is configured as a substantially sealed space in the housing 2. The load port 4 is configured to be able to replace the atmosphere in the FOUP 100 with nitrogen. A door 4a, which is a part of the opening / closing mechanism 54 described later, is provided at the rear end of the load port 4. The door 4a is opened and closed by a door drive mechanism 55 (part of the opening / closing mechanism 54). The door 4a is configured to be able to unlock the lid 101 of the FOUP 100 and to be able to hold the lid 101. With the door 4a holding the unlocked lid 101, the door drive mechanism 55 opens the door 4a, thereby opening the lid 101. This allows the wafer W in the FOUP 100 to be removed by the transfer robot 3. In addition, the wafer W can be stored in the FOUP 100 by the transfer robot 3.

[0020] 2, the control device 5 is electrically connected to a robot control unit 11 of the transfer robot 3, a load port control unit 12 of the load port 4, and a control unit (not shown) of the substrate processing apparatus 6, and communicates with these control units. The control device 5 is also electrically connected to an oxygen concentration meter 85, a pressure gauge 86, a hygrometer 87, etc., installed in the housing 2, and receives the measurement results of these measuring instruments to grasp information regarding the atmosphere inside the housing 2. The control device 5 is also electrically connected to a supply valve 112 and an exhaust valve 113 (described later), and adjusts the openings of these valves to appropriately adjust the nitrogen atmosphere inside the housing 2.

[0021] 1, the substrate processing apparatus 6 has, for example, a load lock chamber 6a and a processing chamber 6b. The load lock chamber 6a is connected to the transfer chamber 41 through a door 2a of the housing 2, and is a room for temporarily waiting the wafer W. The processing chamber 6b is connected to the load lock chamber 6a through a door 6c. In the processing chamber 6b, a predetermined process is performed on the wafer W by a processing mechanism (not shown).

[0022] (Housing and its internal structure) Next, the housing 2 and its internal configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a front view of the body 2 as viewed from the front. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI shown in FIG. 3. Note that partition walls are omitted from FIGS. 3 and 6. Also, in FIG. 5, the transport robot 3 and the like are omitted, and the load port 4 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0023] The housing 2 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the housing 2 has pillars 21 to 26, a connecting pipe 27, and partition walls 31 to 36. The partition walls 31 to 36 are attached to the pillars 21 to 26 extending in the vertical direction, and the internal space of the housing 2 is configured to be generally sealed from the external space.

[0024] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the pillars 21 to 24 are arranged in order from left to right at the front end of the housing 2 while being spaced apart from each other. The pillars 21 to 24 are arranged to stand along the vertical direction. The pillars 21 and 24 have approximately the same length in the vertical direction. The pillars 22 and 23 also have approximately the same length in the vertical direction, but are shorter than the pillar 21. On both the left and right sides of the rear end of the housing 2, two pillars 25 and 26 are arranged to stand along the vertical direction. The connecting pipe 27 extends in the horizontal direction and connects the four pillars 21 to 24 to each other. The connecting pipe 27 is connected to the upper ends of the pillars 22 and 23 and to the middle parts of the pillars 21 and 24.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, a partition wall 31 is disposed at the bottom of the housing 2, and a partition wall 32 is disposed at the ceiling. As shown in FIG. 4, a partition wall 33 (side wall) is disposed at the front end, a partition wall 34 at the rear end, a partition wall 35 at the left end, and a partition wall 36 at the right end. The partition wall 33 has three openings (not shown). These three openings are disposed between the four pillars 21 to 24 in the left-right direction, and are closed by the base 51 of the load port 4. A placement portion 83 (see FIG. 3) on which an aligner 84 (described later) is placed is provided at the right end of the housing 2. The aligner 84 and the placement portion 83 are also housed inside the housing 2 (see FIG. 4).

[0026] As shown in FIG. 5, a support plate 37 extending in the horizontal direction is disposed at the rear end side of the connecting pipe 27 in the upper part of the housing 2. This divides the inside of the housing 2 into the above-mentioned transfer chamber 41 formed on the lower side and the FFU installation chamber 42 formed on the upper side. Three FFUs (fan filter units) 44 described later are disposed in the FFU installation chamber 42. Three openings 37a that communicate the transfer chamber 41 and the FFU installation chamber 42 are formed in the center of the support plate 37 in the front-rear direction and at a position facing the FFU 44 in the up-down direction. These three openings 37a are disposed side by side in the left-right direction. Moreover, the three openings 37a are disposed between the four pillars 21 to 24 in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 6. These openings 37a are gas outlets that discharge supplied nitrogen (inert gas). The partitions 33 to 36 of the housing 2 are divided into a lower wall for the transfer chamber 41 and an upper wall for the FFU installation chamber 42 (see, for example, the partitions 33a, 33b at the front end and the partitions 34a, 34b at the rear end in FIG. 5).

[0027] Next, a description will be given of the internal configuration of the housing 2. Specifically, a configuration for circulating nitrogen inside the housing 2 and its peripheral configuration, as well as devices and the like disposed in the transfer chamber 41 will be described.

[0028] The configuration for circulating nitrogen inside the housing 2 and its surrounding configuration will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5. As shown in Fig. 5, a circulation path 40 for circulating nitrogen is formed inside the housing 2. The circulation path 40 is composed of a transfer chamber 41, an FFU installation chamber 42, and a return path 43 (gas return path). In the circulation path 40, clean nitrogen is sent downward from the FFU installation chamber 42 through each opening 37a, and after reaching the lower end of the transfer chamber 41, The air flows upward through a return path 43 and returns to the FFU installation room 42 (see the arrow in FIG. 5). This will be described in detail below.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the FFU installation chamber 42 is provided with three FFUs 44 arranged on the support plate 37 and three chemical filters 45 arranged on the FFUs 44. As shown in FIG. 5, the FFUs 44 have a fan 44a and a filter 44b. The FFUs 44 send nitrogen downward from the FFU installation chamber 42 by the fan 44a, and remove particles (not shown) contained in the nitrogen by the filter 44b. The chemical filter 45 is for removing active gases and the like brought into the circulation path 40 from the substrate processing apparatus 6, for example. The nitrogen purified by the FFUs 44 and the chemical filters 45 is sent from the FFU installation chamber 42 to the transfer chamber 41 through an opening 37a formed in the support plate 37. The nitrogen sent to the transfer chamber 41 forms a laminar flow and flows downward.

[0030] The return path 43 is formed in the pillars 21-24 (pillar 23 in FIG. 5) arranged at the front end of the housing 2, and in the connecting pipe 27. The pillars 21-24 and the connecting pipe 27 are hollow, and spaces 21a-24a, 27a through which nitrogen can flow are formed, respectively (see FIG. 4). The spaces 21a-24a of the pillars 21-24 are formed extending in the vertical direction, and each of them extends from the lower end of the pillars 21-24 to the position of the connecting pipe 27. The space 27a of the connecting pipe 27 extends in the horizontal direction. In addition, communication ports 27b-27e are formed on the lower surface of the connecting pipe 27 to communicate the spaces 21a-24a of the pillars 21-24 with the space 27a, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. Furthermore, three openings 27f-27h that open toward the FFU installation chamber 42 (i.e., upward) are formed on the upper surface of the connecting pipe 27. These three openings 27f-27h are arranged between the four pillars 21-24 in the left-right direction, and have a rectangular planar shape that is elongated in the left-right direction. In this manner, the connecting pipe 27 is configured so that the nitrogen that flows in from the four spaces 21a-24a can be temporarily joined, and then sent out from the three openings 27f-27h to the FFU installation chamber 42. In this manner, the spaces 21a-24a, 27a form the return path 43.

[0031] The return path 43 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 5. Although Fig. 5 shows the pillar 23, the same applies to the other pillars 21, 22, and 24. An introduction duct 28 is attached to the lower end of the pillar 23 to facilitate the flow of nitrogen in the transfer chamber 41 into the return path 43 (space 23a). An opening 28a is formed in the introduction duct 28, allowing the nitrogen that has reached the lower end of the transfer chamber 41 to flow into the return path 43. In other words, the opening 28a is a gas suction port that draws the nitrogen in the transfer chamber 41 into the return path 43.

[0032] An enlarged portion 28b is formed at the top of the introduction duct 28, which widens rearward as it goes downward. A fan 46 is disposed in the introduction duct 28 below the enlarged portion 28b. The fan 46 is driven by a motor (not shown) and sucks the nitrogen that has reached the lower end of the transfer chamber 41 into the return path 43 (space 23a in FIG. 5) and sends it upward, returning the nitrogen to the FFU installation chamber 42. The nitrogen returned to the FFU installation chamber 42 is sucked into the FFU 44 side from the upper surface of the chemical filter 45, purified by the FFU 44 and the chemical filter 45, and sent out again to the transfer chamber 41 through the opening 37a. In this manner, nitrogen can circulate in the circulation path 40.

[0033] 3, a supply pipe 47 for supplying nitrogen into the FFU installation chamber 42 (circulation path 40) is disposed at the upper rear end of the FFU installation chamber 42. The supply pipe 47 is connected to an external pipe 48 which is connected to a nitrogen supply source 111. A supply valve 112 capable of changing the amount of nitrogen supplied per unit time is provided midway through the external pipe 48. The supply pipe 47, external pipe 48, supply valve 112 and supply source 111 constitute an inert gas supply means. When an inert gas supply line is installed in a factory or the like, In this case, it is only necessary to connect the supply line to the supply pipe 47. Therefore, the inert gas supply means may be composed of the supply pipe 47 alone.

[0034] 3 and 6, the supply pipe 47 extends in the left-right direction and has three exhaust ports 47a formed therein. The three exhaust ports 47a are arranged apart from one another in the left-right direction and exhaust nitrogen from the supply pipe 47 into the FFU installation chamber 42. These three exhaust ports 47a are configured to be able to exhaust nitrogen downward, as shown in FIG. 5. The three exhaust ports 47a are also arranged in the same positional relationship with the center of the FFC 44 in the left-right direction.

[0035] 5, an exhaust pipe 49 for exhausting gas from within the circulation path 40 is connected to the lower end of the load port 4. Incidentally, in the load port 4, a storage chamber 60 in which a door drive mechanism 55 is housed is connected to the transfer chamber 41 via a slit 51b formed in the base 51 as described below (see FIG. 7). The exhaust pipe 49 is connected to the storage chamber 60. The exhaust pipe 49 is connected to, for example, an exhaust port (not shown), and is provided with an exhaust valve 113 in the middle thereof that can change the amount of gas exhausted per unit time from the circulation path 40. The exhaust pipe 49 and the exhaust valve 113 constitute a gas exhaust means.

[0036] The supply valve 112 and the exhaust valve 113 are electrically connected to the control device 5 (see FIG. 2). This makes it possible to supply and exhaust nitrogen to the circulation path 40 as appropriate. For example, when the EFEM1 is started (including, for example, when the EFME1 is started after maintenance), if the oxygen concentration in the circulation path 40 is increased, the oxygen concentration can be reduced by supplying nitrogen from the supply source 111 to the circulation path 40 via the external piping 48 and the supply pipe 47, and exhausting the gas (including nitrogen and oxygen, etc.) in the circulation path 40 and the storage chamber 60 via the exhaust pipe 49. In other words, the circulation path 40 and the storage chamber 60 can be replaced with a nitrogen atmosphere. Note that, even if the oxygen concentration in the circulation path 40 increases while the EFEM1 is in operation, the oxygen concentration can be reduced by temporarily supplying a large amount of nitrogen to the circulation path 40 and exhausting oxygen together with nitrogen via the exhaust pipe 49. In the EFEM1 of the type that circulates nitrogen, in order to reliably suppress the intrusion of air from the outside into the circulation path 40 while suppressing the leakage of nitrogen from the circulation path 40 to the outside, it is necessary to keep the pressure in the circulation path 40 slightly higher than the outside pressure. Specifically, it is within the range of 1 Pa (G) to 3000 Pa (G), preferably 3 Pa (G) to 500 Pa (G), and more preferably 5 Pa (G) to 100 Pa (G). For this reason, when the pressure in the circulation path 40 falls outside a predetermined range, the control device 5 changes the discharge flow rate of nitrogen by changing the opening degree of the exhaust valve 113, and adjusts the pressure to a predetermined target pressure. In this way, the supply flow rate of nitrogen is adjusted based on the oxygen concentration, and the discharge flow rate of nitrogen is adjusted based on the pressure, thereby controlling the oxygen concentration and pressure. In this embodiment, it is adjusted to a differential pressure of 10 Pa (G).

[0037] Next, the devices and the like arranged in the transfer chamber 41 will be described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the transfer chamber 41 is provided with the above-mentioned transfer robot 3, a control unit housing box 81, a measuring device housing box 82, and an aligner 84. The control unit housing box 81 is installed, for example, to the left of the base unit 90 (see Fig. 3) of the transfer robot 3, and is arranged so as not to interfere with the arm mechanism 70 (see Fig. 3). The control unit housing box 81 houses the above-mentioned robot control unit 11 and load port control unit 12. The measuring device housing box 82 is installed, for example, to the right of the base unit 90, and is arranged so as not to interfere with the arm mechanism 70. The measuring device housing box 82 can house the above-mentioned measuring devices (see Fig. 2), such as the oxygen concentration meter 85, pressure gauge 86, and hygrometer 87.

[0038] The aligner 84 detects how much the holding position of the wafer W held by the arm mechanism 70 (see FIG. 3) of the transfer robot 3 is deviated from a target holding position. For example, inside the FOUP 100 (see FIG. 1) transported by the above-mentioned OHT (not shown), the wafer W may move slightly. Therefore, the transport robot 3 temporarily places the unprocessed wafer W taken out from the FOUP 100 on the aligner 84. The aligner 84 measures how far the wafer W has been held by the transport robot 3 from the target holding position, and transmits the measurement result to the robot control unit 11. Based on the measurement result, the robot control unit 11 corrects the holding position by the arm mechanism 70, controls the arm mechanism 70 to hold the wafer W at the target holding position, and transports it to the load lock chamber 6a of the substrate processing apparatus 6. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 6 to properly process the wafer W.

[0039] (Load port configuration) Next, the configuration of the load port will be described below with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the load port with the door closed. Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the load port with the door open. Note that Figures 7 and 8 are drawn with the external cover 4b (see Figure 5) located below the mounting table 53 removed.

[0040] 7, the load port 4 has a plate-shaped base 51 standing vertically, and a horizontal base 52 formed to protrude forward from the vertical center of the base 51. A mounting table 53 (mounting section) for mounting the FOUP 100 is provided on the upper part of the horizontal base 52. With the FOUP 100 mounted on the mounting table 53, it is possible for the mounting table 53 to move in the front-rear direction by a mounting table drive section (not shown).

[0041] The base 51 constitutes a part of the partition wall 33 that separates the transfer chamber 41 from the outside space. The base 51 has a generally rectangular planar shape that is elongated in the vertical direction. The base 51 has a window portion 51a at a position that can face the placed FOUP 100 in the front-rear direction. The base 51 also has a slit 51b extending in the vertical direction, through which a support frame 56 (described later) can move, at a position lower than the horizontal base portion 52 in the vertical direction. The slit 51b is formed only in a range in which the support frame 56 can move up and down when it penetrates the base 51, and the opening width in the horizontal direction is small. For this reason, particles in the storage chamber 60 are less likely to enter the transfer chamber 41 through the slit 51b.

[0042] The load port 4 has an opening / closing mechanism 54 capable of opening and closing the lid 101 of the FOUP 100. The opening / closing mechanism 54 has a door 4a capable of closing the window portion 51a, and a door driving mechanism 55 for driving the door 4a. The door 4a is configured to be capable of closing the window portion 51a. The door 4a is also configured to be capable of unlocking the lid 101 of the FOUP 100 and capable of holding the lid 101. The door driving mechanism 55 includes a support frame 56 for supporting the door 4a, a movable block 58 that supports the support frame 56 via a slide support means 57 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and a slide rail 59 that supports the movable block 58 so as to be movable in the up-down direction relative to the base 51.

[0043] The support frame 56 supports the rear lower part of the door 4a, and is a generally crank-shaped plate-like member that extends downward and then passes through a slit 51b provided in the base 51 and protrudes toward the front of the base 51. A slide support means 57, a movable block 58, and a slide rail 59 for supporting the support frame 56 are provided in front of the base 51. That is, a drive point for moving the door 4a is outside the housing 2 and is accommodated in a storage chamber 60 provided below the horizontal base 52. The storage chamber 60 is surrounded by the horizontal base 52, a generally box-shaped cover 61 extending downward from the horizontal base 52, and the base 51, and is in a generally sealed state.

[0044] The above-mentioned discharge pipe 49 is connected to the bottom wall 61a of the cover 61. That is, the accommodation chamber 60 and the discharge pipe 49 are connected. In this embodiment, one of the three load ports 4 In either case, the accommodation chamber 60 and the exhaust pipe 49 are connected. This allows the gas in the circulation path 40 to be exhausted from the exhaust pipe 49 via the accommodation chamber 60 of each load port 4. Therefore, when the gas is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 49, the particles present in each accommodation chamber 60 can also be exhausted together with the gas. In addition, a fan 62 facing the exhaust pipe 49 is provided in the accommodation chamber 60 on the bottom wall 61a. By providing the fan 62 in the accommodation chamber 60 in this manner, it becomes easier to exhaust the gas from the accommodation chamber 60 to the exhaust pipe 49 while suppressing the particles from being stirred up. If a fan is provided to send the gas in the transfer chamber 41 toward the accommodation chamber 60, the airflow in the transfer chamber 41 is likely to be disturbed, and the particles in the transfer chamber 41 are likely to be stirred up. However, in this embodiment, the fan 62 is provided in the accommodation chamber 60, so it is possible to suppress the particles in the transfer chamber 41 from being stirred up. In addition, in this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the connection point (location where fan 62 is installed) of the gas exhaust means (exhaust pipe 49) is provided on bottom wall 61a of the wall surfaces constituting the storage chamber 60 so as to be distanced from the communication point via slit 51b.

[0045] Next, the opening and closing operation of the lid 101 and door 4a of the FOUP 100 will be described below. First, as shown in Fig. 7, the FOUP 100 placed on the placement table 53 while separated from the base 51 is moved rearwardly so that the lid 101 and the door 4a come into contact with each other. At this time, the door 4a of the opening and closing mechanism 54 unlocks the lid 101 of the FOUP 100 and holds the lid 101.

[0046] 8, the support frame 56 is moved backward. This causes the door 4a and the lid 101 to move backward. As a result, the lid 101 of the FOUP 100 opens and the door 4a opens, connecting the transfer chamber 41 of the housing 2 and the FOUP 100.

[0047] Next, as shown in Fig. 8, the support frame 56 is moved downward. This causes the door 4a and the lid 101 to move downward. In this way, the FOUP 100 is opened widely as a loading / unloading entrance, and the wafer W can be moved between the FOUP 100 and the EFEM 1. To close the lid 101 and the door 4a, the above-mentioned operations can be reversed. A series of operations of the load port 4 is controlled by the load port control unit 12.

[0048] As described above, according to the EFEM1 of this embodiment, the exhaust pipe 49 constituting the gas exhaust means is connected to the accommodation chamber 60 of the load port 4 in which a part of the opening and closing mechanism 54 is accommodated. This makes it easier to quickly replace the interior of the accommodation chamber 60 with a nitrogen atmosphere when replacing the circulation path 40 with a nitrogen atmosphere. For example, when the EFEM1 is started (including after maintenance is performed), nitrogen is supplied from the supply pipe 47 (inert gas supply means) and gas (gas) is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 49 (gas exhaust means), making it easier to quickly replace the interior of the transfer chamber 41 and the accommodation chamber 60 with a nitrogen atmosphere. This makes it possible to shorten the time until the start of operations such as the transfer of the wafer W (substrate). In addition, it is possible to exhaust particles in the accommodation chamber 60 when exhausting gas, so that particles in the accommodation chamber 60 are less likely to fly up when the opening and closing mechanism 54 is operated, and particles are less likely to invade the transfer chamber 41.

[0049] In addition, the transfer chamber 41 has an opening 37a (gas outlet) for sending out nitrogen, an opening 28a (gas suction port) for sucking in nitrogen, and a return path 43 (gas return path) for returning the nitrogen from the opening 28a to the opening 37a, and a filter 44b is provided between the fan 44a and the opening 37a (gas outlet), so that it is possible to circulate the nitrogen through the return path 43 while generating a downward current of nitrogen from which particles have been removed in the transfer chamber 41. This makes it possible to suppress the consumption of nitrogen and reduce costs.

[0050] In addition, the exhaust pipe 49 is connected to the bottom wall 61a. This makes it possible to effectively discharge particles that have accumulated below.

[0051] In addition, since the discharge pipe 49 is connected to the load port 4 disposed in front of the housing 2, the degree of freedom in the piping layout of the discharge pipe 49 is improved. For example, if the discharge pipe is connected to the rear end of the housing 2, there is a risk of interference with the substrate processing apparatus 6, and if it is connected to the left or right end of the housing 2, the installation area in the left-right direction of the EFEM 1 itself becomes large, and so restrictions on the piping layout are likely to occur.

[0052] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above embodiment, the fan 62 is provided, but the fan 62 may not be provided and the suction means (e.g., a vacuum in a factory) may be connected to the exhaust pipe 49. Also, the exhaust pipe 49 may be connected to a portion other than the bottom wall 61a as long as it is connected to the storage chamber 60.

[0053] In addition, in this embodiment, the amount of gas discharged from the storage chamber 60 is adjusted by controlling the opening of the exhaust valve 113 while keeping the rotation speed of the fan 62 constant, but the amount of gas discharged from the storage chamber 60 may also be adjusted by controlling the rotation speed of the fan 62.

[0054] Furthermore, the return path 43 does not have to be provided inside the housing 2. In other words, nitrogen (inert gas) does not have to be circulated. Furthermore, the spaces 21a-24a, 27a formed inside the columns 21-24 and the connecting pipe 27 are considered to be the return path 43, but this is not limiting. In other words, the return path 43 may be formed by other members.

[0055] Further, a gas exhaust means may be provided in the return path in addition to the above-mentioned gas exhaust means.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, the transported object is a semiconductor substrate, and an inert gas is supplied to the EFEM 1 provided with the load port 4 having the accommodation chamber 60, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the transported object may be a medicine, a specimen, or a cell, and the gas supplied may be a decontamination gas (e.g., H2O2 gas) for sterilization (decontamination) or a gas with a controlled carbon dioxide concentration.

[0057] The transport system may include a container opening and closing device having an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the lid of a container in which an object to be transported is stored, a housing arranged adjacent to the container opening and closing device and defining a transport chamber therein for transporting the object to be transported, a gas supply means for supplying a predetermined gas into the transport chamber, and a gas exhaust means for exhausting gas from within the transport chamber, wherein the container opening and closing device may include a storage chamber that accommodates a part of the opening and closing mechanism and is connected to the storage chamber so as to exhaust gas from within the transport chamber via the storage chamber. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 EFEM 2. Chassis 3. Transfer robot (substrate transfer device) 4. Loading port 28a Opening (gas suction port) 33 Bulkhead (side wall) 37a Opening (gas outlet) 41 Transport Room 43 Return path (gas return path) 44b Filter 47 Supply pipe (inert gas supply means) 49 Exhaust pipe (gas exhaust means) 53 Placement table (placement part) 54 Opening and closing mechanism 60 Containment Room 61a Bottom wall 62 Fans 100 FOUP 101 Lid (lid part) W Wafer (substrate)

Claims

[Claim 1] Loading port, a housing that defines a transfer chamber therein for transferring substrates, the transfer chamber being closed by connecting the load port to an opening provided in a side wall of the housing; a substrate transfer device disposed in the transfer chamber and configured to transfer the substrate; an inert gas supplying means for supplying an inert gas to the transfer chamber; a gas exhaust means for exhausting gas from within the transfer chamber, the load port includes an opening / closing mechanism capable of opening and closing a lid of a FOUP placed thereon, and an accommodation chamber communicating with the transfer chamber and accommodating a part of the opening / closing mechanism, The EFEM is characterized in that the gas exhaust means is connected to the accommodation chamber so as to exhaust gas from within the transfer chamber via the accommodation chamber.

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