Transport device and wafer container cleaning device

Abstract

To provide a transfer device and a wafer container cleaning device that perform processing efficiently.SOLUTION: A transfer device includes a transfer robot for transferring a main body (201) of a wafer container to a mounting table having a positioning member. The transfer robot has a gripping unit (104) for gripping the main body. The gripping unit has a pair of main body gripping claws (104a1, b1) for gripping a flange (203) of the main body and a support member that contacts a portion of the main body other than the flange. A mounting target surface (201a) of the main body is a surface that intersects with a surface on which the flange is provided. The support member supports the main body such that the flange is gripped with the main body gripping claws, and in a state where the mounting target surface of the main body faces downward, the mounting target surface of the main body before the main body is placed on the mounting surface is in a posture that allows it to be placed on the mounting surface via the positioning member with respect to the mounting surface of the mounting table. The transfer robot transports the main body to the mounting table while the flange is gripped by the main body gripping claws and the main body is supported by the support member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a transport device and a wafer storage container cleaning device.

Background Art

[0002] A wafer storage container such as a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) is used when moving a wafer on which a semiconductor element is formed through various processing steps (for example, resist coating, exposure / development, etching (film formation), resist stripping, cleaning, etc.) between the processing steps. The wafer storage container is transported by a robot while holding the wafer inside the wafer storage container.

[0003] The wafer storage container includes a wafer storage container main body (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "main body") and a door, and the main body is provided with a flange that is gripped by a robot. When the robot hand holds the main body in a direction in which the opening of the main body (the side where the door of the wafer storage container is attached) faces downward via the flange, a part of the flange may bend, causing the main body to hang downward with the vicinity where the main body is held by the robot hand as a fulcrum. In this case, when the robot grips the flange, the lower end portion of the main body is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. When the robot transports the main body to be placed on a substantially horizontal stage or the like in such a state where the main body is inclined, the lower end portion of the main body does not match the positioning pins provided on the stage or the like, and it is difficult to place the main body.

[0004] In the case as described above, the process is interrupted and the wafer storage container is unloaded, resulting in a problem of poor process efficiency.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a transfer device and a wafer storage container cleaning device capable of efficiently performing processing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a transfer device according to an aspect of the present invention is a transfer device including a transfer robot that transfers a main body of a wafer storage container to a mounting table having a positioning member, the transfer robot includes a gripping portion that grips the main body, the gripping portion has a pair of main body gripping claws that grip a flange of the main body and a support member that can contact a location different from the flange on the main body, a mounting target surface of the main body is a surface that intersects a surface on which the flange is provided, the support member is provided so as to support the main body in a posture in which the mounting target surface of the main body before being mounted on the mounting surface of the mounting table can be mounted via the positioning member with the flange of the main body being gripped by the main body gripping claws and the mounting target surface of the main body facing downward, and the transfer robot transfers the main body to the mounting table in a state where the flange is gripped by the main body gripping claws and the main body is supported by the support member.

[0008] Further, in order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a wafer storage container cleaning device according to an aspect of the present invention includes the transfer device according to an aspect of the present invention described above and a cleaning tank having the mounting table and a cleaning nozzle that cleans the main body in a state where the main body is mounted on the mounting surface of the mounting table.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to an aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a transfer device and a wafer storage container cleaning device capable of efficiently performing processing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the transfer device and the wafer storage container cleaning device disclosed in the present application will be described in detail. Note that the transfer device and the wafer storage container cleaning device disclosed in the present application are not limited to the following embodiments. Also, each embodiment and each modification can be appropriately combined within a range where no contradiction occurs.

[0012] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of the schematic configuration of a wafer storage container cleaning device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X of FIG. 1. The wafer storage container cleaning device 100 is provided, for example, in a factory for manufacturing semiconductor wafers, and cleans wafer storage containers. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wafer storage container cleaning device 100 includes a transfer robot 1, a disassembling / connecting stage 2, a cleaning tank 3, a vacuum processing tank 7, a control unit 8, a first loading / unloading port 9a, a second loading / unloading port 9b, a third loading / unloading port 9c, an input interface 10, and a housing 6. In the present embodiment, the device including the transfer robot 1 is referred to as a transfer device.

[0013] In the present embodiment, the wafer storage container 200 is, for example, a FOUP, a FOSB, etc., and includes a main body (container main body) 201 and a door (lid) 202. The main body 201 has a hexahedral outer shape. And the main body 201 has a rectangular opening on one surface. Also, the main body 201 has a storage space for storing semiconductor wafers. The storage space exists inside the opening and communicates with the opening. The door 202 can be disassembled / connected to the main body 201 and is detachable from the opening of the main body 201. When the door 202 is attached to the opening of the main body 201, the end portion of the main body 201 forming the opening is configured to coincide with the surface of the door 202 attached to the main body 201. Further, a flange 203 is provided on the main body 201. For example, the main body 201 has a flange 203 on another surface orthogonal (intersecting) to the surface having the opening. The flange 203 is a portion that is gripped (held) when the wafer storage container 200 is transported by an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport), a transfer robot 1, or the like, and is formed in a rectangular plate shape.

[0014] The transfer robot 1, the disassembling / connecting stage 2, the cleaning tank 3, the vacuum treatment tank 7, and the control unit 8 are provided inside the housing 6. On the other hand, the first loading / unloading port 9a, the second loading / unloading port 9b, and the third loading / unloading port 9c are provided straddling the inside and outside of the housing 6.

[0015] The first loading / unloading port 9a loads the wafer storage container 200 to be cleaned, which is placed on the external portion of the housing 6 at the first loading / unloading port 9a, into the housing 6.

[0016] For example, at the external portion of the housing 6 at the first loading / unloading port 9a, the wafer storage container 200 conveyed while the flange 203 is gripped by the OHT is placed. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the door 202 of the wafer storage container 200 faces the housing 6, and the wafer storage container 200 is placed on the first loading / unloading port 9a. When the wafer storage container 200 is placed on the first loading / unloading port 9a in this way, the shutter provided at the opening 6a of the housing 6 rises. As a result, the wafer storage container 200 can be loaded into the housing 6 from the opening 6a. Then, the wafer storage container 200 is slid in the inward direction by the slide device of the first loading / unloading port 9a and loaded into the housing 6.

[0017] Also, the first loading / unloading port 9a unloads the wafer storage container 200 that has been cleaned and vacuum-dried and is placed by the transfer robot 1 at the internal portion of the housing 6 at the first loading / unloading port 9a to the outside of the housing 6.

[0018] For example, after vacuum drying, a wafer storage container 200 in which a main body 201 and a door 202 are connected at a disassembly / connection stage 2 is transported and placed by a transfer robot 1 on the inner part of the housing 6 at the first loading / unloading port 9a. When the wafer storage container 200 is placed on the first loading / unloading port 9a in this way, a shutter provided at the opening 6a of the housing 6 rises. As a result, the wafer storage container 200 can be unloaded from the opening 6a to the outside of the housing 6. Then, the wafer storage container 200 is slid in the direction toward the outside by a slide device of the first loading / unloading port 9a and unloaded to the outside of the housing 6.

[0019] Similar to the first loading / unloading port 9a, the second loading / unloading port 9b can load and unload the wafer storage container 200 through the opening 6b of the housing 6. Also, the third loading / unloading port 9c can be configured to load and unload the wafer storage container 200 in the same manner as the first loading / unloading port 9a through the opening 6c of the housing 6.

[0020] The transfer robot 1 is a vertically articulated robot, and transports the wafer storage container 200 to each part while gripping the flange 203 of the wafer storage container 200. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the transfer robot 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transfer robot 1 includes a robot arm 1a, a robot hand 1b, a base portion 1c, a moving device 1d, and a wrist portion 1e. The transfer robot 1 supports the robot arm 1a by the base portion 1c, and transports the wafer storage container 200 to each part by expanding and contracting or rotating the robot arm 1a while the robot hand 1b provided at the tip of the robot arm 1a grips the flange 203. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the illustration of the gripping claws provided on the robot hand 1b is omitted.

[0021] The moving device 1d includes a servo motor (not shown) and a ball screw mechanism, and can move the base portion 1c in the vertical direction in FIG. 1. That is, the moving device 1d moves the robot arm 1a and the robot hand 1b by moving the base portion 1c.

[0022] As shown in the example of FIG. 3, the robot arm 1a of the transfer robot 1 includes a rotation support member 1a1, a first arm 1a2, and a second arm 1a3.

[0023] The rotation support member 1a1 is rotatable around an axis (vertical axis) 11 extending in the vertical direction, and the lower end portion of the rotation support member 1a1 is supported by the upper portion of the base portion 1c. Further, the first arm 1a2 is rotatable around an axis (horizontal axis) 12 extending in the horizontal direction, and one end side portion of the first arm 1a2 is connected to the upper end side portion of the rotation support member 1a1. Further, the second arm 1a3 is rotatable around the horizontal axis 13, and one end side portion of the second arm 1a3 is connected to the other end side portion of the first arm 1a2. Further, the wrist portion 1e is rotatable around the horizontal axis 15 and is connected to the other end side portion of the second arm 1a3. Further, a robot hand 1b is connected to the tip end portion of the wrist portion 1e so as to be rotatable around an axis 14 orthogonal to the horizontal axis 15. With the configuration as described above, the transfer robot 1 can move the robot hand 1b to various positions.

[0024] In the disassembling / connecting stage 2, a disassembling process of disassembling the wafer storage container 200 into the main body 201 and the door 202, and a connecting process of connecting the main body 201 and the door 202 are performed. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the disassembling / connecting stage 2 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Y-Y (side cross-sectional view) in FIG. 4. Note that FIG. 5 shows a state in which the door 202 is placed on the placement surface 2a1 on which the wafer storage container 200 of the disassembling / connecting stage 2 is placed, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the door 202 is not placed on the placement surface 2a1 of the disassembling / connecting stage 2.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the disassembling / connecting stage 2 includes a substantially square mounting table 2a, a plurality (four) of positioning members 2b, and a plurality (two) of pins 2c. The four positioning members 2b are provided at the four corners of the substantially square mounting surface 2a1 of the mounting table 2a. The door 202 (more specifically, the lower surface of the door 202) is placed on the mounting surface 2a1. The positioning member 2b is provided with a step so that the corners of the door 202 coincide when the door 202 is placed on the mounting surface 2a1. Therefore, the positioning member 2b can position the door 202 placed on the mounting surface 2a1.

[0026] Two hole portions 2a2 are formed in the center of the mounting table 2a. The latch key 2d provided on the mounting table 2a is inserted into the hole portion 2a2 and rotated while being inserted into the key hole 202a formed in the door 202, thereby executing the disassembling process and the connecting process of the wafer storage container 200. That is, when the latch key 2d is rotated while being inserted into the key hole 202a, the door 202 and the main body 201 are locked / unlocked. In this way, the latch key 2d is a key for attaching the door 202 to the main body 201 and removing the door 202 from the main body 201. The size of the door 202 and the position of the latch key 2d are defined by the SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International standards) specifications. Therefore, the positions where the positioning member 2b and the hole portion 2a2 are provided are determined according to the size of the door 202 and the position of the latch key 2d. Note that the latch key 2d is provided so as to protrude upward from the mounting surface 2a1 of the mounting table 2a, and the illustration of the latch key 2d is omitted in FIG.

[0027] The pins 2c are provided on the mounting surface 2a1 so as to coincide with the recesses 202b provided in the door 202. Since the positions of the recesses 202b are defined by the SEMI standard, the pins 2c are provided at positions corresponding to the positions of the recesses 202b.

[0028] In the disassembling / connecting stage 2, the wafer storage container 200 carried into the interior of the housing 6 is conveyed by the transfer robot 1, and a disassembling process is executed in the disassembling / connecting stage 2. After the disassembling process is executed in the disassembling / connecting stage 2, the transfer robot 1 individually conveys the main body 201 and the door 202 to the cleaning tank 3. Further, when the preliminary drying (a process of blowing off the cleaning liquid to generally dry) of the wafer storage container 200 is completed in the cleaning tank 3, the transfer robot 1 individually unloads the main body 201 and the door 202 from the cleaning tank 3, and individually conveys the main body 201 and the door 202 to the vacuum processing tank 7. Further, the transfer robot 1 conveys the main body 201 and the door 202 that have been vacuum dried to the disassembling / connecting stage 2, and in the disassembling / connecting stage 2, a connecting process is executed.

[0029] In the wafer storage container cleaning device 100 according to the present embodiment, the disassembling / connecting stage 2 is provided on a plate-shaped support member disposed at a position higher than the installation surfaces such as the cleaning tank 3 and the vacuum processing tank 7 in the housing 6.

[0030] The cleaning tank 3 is a tank for cleaning the wafer storage container 200. For example, the main body 201 and the door 202 of the cleaning tank 3 are separately transported by the transfer robot 1. Then, the cleaning tank 3 performs a cleaning process on the wafer storage container 200 while separately holding the main body 201 and the door 202. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning tank 3 includes a cleaning tank main body 3a having an opening on the upper surface, an upper lid 3b capable of opening and closing the opening of the cleaning tank main body 3a, and an upper lid opening and closing drive mechanism 3c for opening and closing the upper lid 3b. In the cleaning tank 3, the upper lid 3b holds the door 202, and the main body 201 is placed on a rotary table 3a1 (see FIG. 6) provided in the cleaning tank main body 3a. Then, in the cleaning tank 3, while rotating the main body 201 and the door 202 by a rotation mechanism (not shown), the cleaning tank 3 discharges a cleaning liquid (for example, pure water) from a cleaning nozzle provided in the cleaning tank 3 to each of the main body 201 and the door 202, thereby cleaning the wafer storage container 200. That is, the cleaning tank 3 has a rotary table 3a1 which is a mounting table, and has a cleaning nozzle for cleaning the wafer storage container 200 in a state where the wafer storage container 200 is placed on the mounting surface of the rotary table 3a1. Inside the cleaning tank 3, for example, the opening of the main body 201 is arranged downward in consideration of the dischargeability of the cleaning liquid.

[0031] When the cleaning of the wafer storage container 200 is completed in the cleaning tank 3, subsequently, the cleaning tank 3 rotates the main body 201 and the door 202 in the cleaning tank 3, and blows dry air onto the main body 201 and the door 202 to perform drying. The drying in the cleaning tank 3 here is a process (preliminary drying) for generally drying the cleaning liquid attached to the wafer storage container 200. When the preliminary drying of the wafer storage container 200 is completed in the cleaning tank 3, the transfer robot 1 separately transports the main body 201 and the door 202 in the cleaning tank 3 to the vacuum processing tank 7.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the wafer storage container cleaning apparatus 100 has four cleaning tanks 3.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of the rotary table (mounting table) 3a1 provided in the cleaning tank 3 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a view showing a part of the side surface of the rotary table 3a1 according to the first embodiment. Note that FIG. 6 shows a state in which the main body 201 (the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201) of the rotary table 3a1 is not mounted on the mounting surface 3a21, and FIG. 7 shows a state in which the main body 201 is mounted on the mounting surface 3a21 of the rotary table 3a1.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rotary table 3a1 includes a substantially square table 3a2 and a plurality (eight) of positioning members (positioning pins) 3a3. Two positioning members 3a3 are provided at each of the four corners of the substantially square mounting surface 3a21 of the table 3a2. Specifically, a convex-shaped frame 3a22 is provided on the mounting surface 3a21, and the positioning members 3a3 are provided so as to match the convex shape of the frame 3a22. The positioning member 3a3 is a so-called positioning pin having a pin shape. The edge portion of the main body 201 is placed on the horizontally extending plate-like portion 3a31 of the positioning member 3a3. In this way, the positioning member 3a3 can position the main body 201 placed on the mounting surface 3a21. As described above, the main body 201 is placed on the mounting surface 3a21 of the rotary table 3a1 of the cleaning tank 3 so that the opening of the main body 201 faces downward.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 1, the vacuum processing tank 7 is a tank for vacuum-drying (main drying) the wafer storage container 200. For example, the vacuum processing tank 7 includes a vacuum tank main body, an opening / closing lid, a heater, and a decompression device (including an exhaust port, an exhaust pump, etc.) capable of evacuating the inside of the vacuum processing tank 7. In the vacuum processing tank 7, the main body 201 and the door 202 are carried into the inside of the vacuum tank main body by the transfer robot 1, and while being evacuated by the decompression device with the opening of the vacuum tank main body closed by the opening / closing lid, the main body 201 and the door 202 are vacuum-dried by heating with the heater.

[0036] The control unit 8 controls the operation of the entire wafer storage container cleaning apparatus 100. For example, the control unit 8 controls the transfer robot 1, the disassembly / connection stage 2, the cleaning tank 3, the vacuum processing tank 7, the first loading / unloading port 9a, the second loading / unloading port 9b, and the third loading / unloading port 9c, so as to operate the transfer robot 1, the disassembly / connection stage 2, the cleaning tank 3, the vacuum processing tank 7, the first loading / unloading port 9a, the second loading / unloading port 9b, and the third loading / unloading port 9c as described above.

[0037] For example, the control unit 8 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a communication interface. These are connected via an internal bus.

[0038] The CPU executes various processes while using the storage area of the RAM as a temporary storage area for data used in various processes. The ROM and the HDD store programs for executing various processes, various databases used when executing various processes, various tables, and the like.

[0039] The communication interface is an interface for communicating with the above-described respective parts of the wafer storage container cleaning apparatus 100 and for communicating with an external apparatus connected to the wafer storage container cleaning apparatus 100 via a network. For example, the communication interface is a network interface card.

[0040] The input interface 10 receives input operations of various instructions and various information from an operator. Specifically, the input interface 10 is connected to the control unit 8 and transmits the input operations received from the operator to the control unit 8. For example, the input interface 10 is a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, or the like.

[0041] The robot hand 1b according to this embodiment includes a container body gripping portion 104 having a pair of gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1 for gripping the flange 203 of the main body 201, and a door gripping portion 105 having a pair of gripping claws for gripping the door 202 (see FIG. 8). The opening and closing directions of the gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1 of the container body gripping portion 104 are provided so as to be orthogonal to the opening and closing directions of the pair of gripping claws for gripping the door 202, and these opening and closing operations are performed by a drive unit (not shown). The container body gripping portion 104, the door gripping portion 105, and the drive unit that performs these opening and closing operations are provided on a common base portion 90. The robot hand 1b is an example of a gripping portion. Further, the gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1 are examples of main body gripping claws, and the door gripping portion 105 that grips the door 202 with a pair of gripping claws is an example of a door gripping claw.

[0042] Here, the sagging of the main body 201 (the deflection of the flange 203) described above will be described more specifically. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the robot hand 1b according to the first embodiment grips the flange 203 and lifts the main body 201 when the support member 106 described later is not provided. In the example of FIG. 8, a case is shown in which a pair of gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1 grip the flange 203 by sandwiching the flange 203 in the vertical direction (the vertical direction).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 8, when the robot hand 1b grips the flange 203 and lifts or moves the main body 201, a part of the flange 203 of the main body 201 may bend. In this case, the portion at the lower end of the main body 201 (the lower surface of the main body 201 where the mounting target surface 201a is formed and the opening of the main body 201 is formed) is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. Originally, it is preferable that the flange 203 does not bend. As shown in FIG. 9, when the robot hand 1b grips the flange 203 and does not lift the main body 201, and the weight of the entire main body 201 is not applied to the flange 203, the wafer storage container 200 is configured such that the surface along which the flange 203 extends and the mounting target surface 201a are perpendicular to each other. Therefore, in a state where the flange 203 gripped by the robot hand 1b is not bent, the surface along which the flange 203 extends and is gripped by the gripping claw 104a1 and the gripping claw 104b1 and the mounting target surface 201a intersect perpendicularly.

[0044] Here, the adverse effects that occur when the transfer robot 1 transfers the main body 201 to the rotating table 3a1 (see FIG. 6) of the cleaning tank 3 in a state where the mounting target surface 201a is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane will be described. The transfer robot 1 will place the main body 201 on the placement surface 3a21 of the rotating table 3a1 in a state where the mounting target surface 201a is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The placement surface 3a21 is designed to be a surface parallel to the horizontal plane, and the positioning member 3a3 is designed on the premise that the main body 201 is placed on the placement surface 3a21 in a state where the mounting target surface 201a is parallel to the horizontal plane. For this reason, when the main body 201 is carried into the cleaning tank 3 in a state where the mounting target surface 201a is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the main body 201 may ride on the positioning member 3a3, or the edge portion of the main body 201 may be disposed outside the positioning member 3a3, so that the main body 201 may not match the positioning member 3a3. In a state where the main body 201 does not match the positioning member 3a3, the main body 201 may not be placed at an accurate position while being inclined with respect to the placement surface 3a21, or the main body 201 may come into contact with the wall surface of the cleaning tank 3 during the transfer into the cleaning tank 3, making it impossible to transfer the main body 201 into the cleaning tank 3. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures such as interrupting the process and unloading the wafer storage container 200, resulting in poor processing efficiency.

[0045] Next, the disadvantages that occur when the transfer robot 1 transfers the wafer storage container 200 to the mounting table 2a (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the disassembly / connection stage 2 with the lower surface of the door 202 of the wafer storage container 200 inclined with respect to the horizontal plane will be described. The transfer robot 1 will place the wafer storage container 200 on the mounting surface 2a1 of the mounting table 2a with the lower surface of the door 202 inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The mounting surface 2a1 is designed to be a plane parallel to the horizontal plane, and the positioning member 2b and the pin 2c are designed on the premise that the wafer storage container 200 is placed on the mounting surface 2a1 with the lower surface of the door 202 parallel to the horizontal plane. For this reason, when the mounting target surface 201a is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and transferred to the disassembly / connection stage 2, the door 202 may ride on the positioning member 2b, and the door 202 may not match the positioning member 2b and the pin 2c. In such a case, it may not be possible to place the wafer storage container 200 on the mounting surface 2a1, and the process may be interrupted and the wafer storage container 200 may be unloaded, resulting in poor processing efficiency.

[0046] Therefore, as will be described below, in the transfer device and the wafer storage container cleaning device 100 according to the present embodiment, the flange 203 is gripped by the robot hand 1b, and the main body 201 is supported by the support member 106 (see FIG. 10) so that the mounting target surface 201a is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the main body 201 is transferred to the cleaning tank 3 by the transfer robot 1. Further, as will be described below, in the transfer device and the wafer storage container cleaning device 100 according to the present embodiment, the flange 203 is gripped by the robot hand 1b, and the main body 201 with the door 202 attached is supported by the support member 106 (see FIG. 10) so that the lower surface of the door 202 is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the main body 201 with the door attached is transferred to the disassembly / connection stage 2 by the transfer robot 1.

[0047] Next, with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, an example of the configuration of the support member 106 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a side view of an example of the support member 106 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the contact portion between the support member 106 and the main body 201 according to the first embodiment.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 10, the support member 106 is provided on the robot hand 1b and includes a mounting plate 106a and a support member main body 106b. The mounting plate 106a is attached to the base 90 of the robot hand 1b, and the support member main body 106b is provided on the base 90 via the mounting plate 106a. The mounting plate 106a is a flat plate-like member having conductivity. The mounting plate 106a is preferably made of a material harder than the main body 201. For example, while the main body 201 is formed of polycarbonate, the mounting plate 106a is formed of a conductive PEEK material. One end of the mounting plate 106a is attached to the robot hand 1b so that the mounting plate 106a extends along the direction along the surface where the flange 203 extends when the flange 203 is gripped by the pair of gripping claws 1,104b1.

[0049] At the other end of the mounting plate 106a, when the flange 203 is gripped by the pair of gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1, a support member body 106b having a substantially rod-like shape and conductivity is attached so as to extend along a direction orthogonal to the plane in which the flange 203 extends. That is, the support member body 106b is provided so as to extend from the robot hand 1b toward the main body 201 side gripped by the gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1. The support member body 106b is preferably made of a material harder than the main body 201. For example, the support member body 106b is formed of a conductive PEEK material. The length of the support member body 106b is fixed, and the support member body 106b does not have a structure in which it slides and its length changes. The length from the upper surface of the flange 203 (the surface on the upper side when held by the OHT) to the upper end of the opening of the main body 201 is a length defined by the SEMI standard. The support member 106 (support member body 106b) is provided at a position where it does not interfere (contact) with the door 202 when the door 202 is gripped by the pair of gripping claws of the door gripping portion 105. Further, in order to ensure contact between the support member body 106b and the main body 201, it is desirable to provide the support member 106 such that the lower end of the support member body 106b is lower than the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201. That is, the support member body 106b is preferably provided such that the lower end of the support member body 106b is positioned below the lower end of the main body 201 in a state where the flange 203 (main body 201) is gripped by the pair of gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1. Note that the shape of the portion of the support member body 106b that contacts the main body 201 is, for example, circular as shown in FIG. 11.

[0050] The support member body 106b can contact a location different from the flange 203 on the main body 201. As shown in FIG. 10, when the robot hand 1b grips the flange 203 and lifts the main body 201 with the opening having the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201 facing downward, the support member body 106b supports the main body 201 by abutting against the edge of the opening of the main body 201. That is, the support member body 106b supports the main body 201 such that the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201 is horizontal.

[0051] In addition, when the robot hand 1b grips the flange 203 of the main body 201 and lifts the main body 201 with the door 202 attached to the main body, the support member main body 106b supports the main body 201 so that the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201 is horizontal. Therefore, the lower surface of the door 202 attached to the main body 201 is also horizontal. Thus, the support member main body 106b supports the main body 201 so that the lower surface of the door 202 attached to the main body 201 is horizontal.

[0052] Note that the mounting plate 106a and the support member main body 106b may be an integrally formed single member.

[0053] Also, the support member 106 is formed of a PEEK material having conductivity as described above. Thereby, the charging of the main body 201 can be prevented. As a result, the adhesion of dust to the main body 201 can be suppressed.

[0054] Next, the function of the support member 106 will be described. Here, the function of the support member 106 will be described separately for the case where the transfer robot 1 transfers the wafer storage container 200 from the loading / unloading ports (the first loading / unloading port 9a, the second loading / unloading port 9b, the third loading / unloading port 9c) to the disassembling / connecting stage 2 and the case where the transfer robot 1 transfers the main body 201 from the disassembling / connecting stage 2 to the cleaning tank 3.

[0055] (When transferring the main body from the disassembling / connecting stage to the cleaning tank) First, the case where the transfer robot 1 transfers the main body 201 from the disassembling / connecting stage 2 to the cleaning tank 3 will be described. In this case, the support member 106 supports the main body 201 such that the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201 is parallel to the mounting surface 3a21 of the rotary table 3a1 in a state where the main body 201 is gripped by the robot hand 1b (a state where the flange 203 is gripped by the gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1). Then, the transfer robot 1 transfers the main body 201 to the rotary table 3a1 in a state where the flange 203 is gripped by the gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1 and the main body 201 is supported by the support member 106 as described above.

[0056] Therefore, when the transfer robot 1 places the main body 201 on the mounting surface 3a21 of the table 3a2, the main body 201 aligns with the positioning member 3a3. Thus, the support member 106 is provided to support the main body 201 such that, in a state where the flange 203 is gripped by the gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1 and the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201 is directed downward, the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201 before being placed on the mounting surface 3a21 can be in a posture where it can be placed via the positioning member 3a3 with respect to the mounting surface 3a21 of the rotary table 3a1. From the above, the transfer device and the wafer storage container cleaning device 100 can continue the process without interrupting the process. Therefore, the transfer device and the wafer storage container cleaning device 100 according to the first embodiment can perform the process efficiently.

[0057] (When transferring the wafer storage container from the loading / unloading port to the disassembling / connecting stage) Next, a case where the transfer robot 1 transfers the main body 201 with the door 202 attached from the loading / unloading port to the disassembling / connecting stage 2 will be described. In this case, the support member 106 supports the main body 201 with the door 202 attached such that the lower surface of the door 202 is parallel to the mounting surface 2a1 of the mounting table 2a, with the flange 203 of the main body 201 with the door 202 attached being gripped by the gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1 of the robot hand 1b. Here, the lower surface of the door 202 is the mounting target surface that is mounted on the mounting surface 2a1 of the mounting table 2a.

[0058] Therefore, when the transfer robot 1 places the wafer storage container 200 on the mounting surface 2a1 of the mounting table 2a, the door 202 aligns with the positioning member 2b and the pin 2c. In this way, the support member 106 is provided to support the main body 201 such that, with the flange 203 being gripped by the gripping claws 104a1 and 104b1 and the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201 facing downward, the door 202 attached to the main body 201 is in a posture where it can be mounted on the mounting surface 2a1 of the mounting table 2a via the positioning member 2b and the pin 2c, with the lower surface of the door 202 before being mounted on the mounting surface 2a1 being parallel to the mounting surface 2a1. From the above, the transfer device and the wafer storage container cleaning device 100 can continue the process without interrupting the process. Therefore, the transfer device and the wafer storage container cleaning device 100 according to the first embodiment can perform the process efficiently.

[0059] In the above embodiment, it has been exemplified that the mounting surfaces (mounting surface 2a1 and rotating table 3a1) are provided horizontally, and the support member 106 supports the main body 201 such that the mounting target surface 201a and the lower surface of the door 202 are held parallel and transferred with respect to this horizontal plane. However, it is not limited to this. The mounting surface is not limited to being provided parallel to the horizontal plane, and it may be inclined. And the support member 106 may support the main body 201 such that the mounting target surface 201a and the lower surface of the door 202 are held parallel and transferred with respect to the mounting surface according to the inclination angle of the mounting surface with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, it was exemplified that the support member main body 106b does not include a length adjustment mechanism, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a length adjustment mechanism may be provided so that the length can be changed according to the type of the wafer storage container.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, it was exemplified that the length of the support member main body 106b is such that the mounting target surface 201a of the main body 201 is parallel to a mounting table whose mounting surface is designed to be horizontal. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The mounting surface of the mounting table is not limited to being horizontal, and it is sufficient that the main body 201 can be mounted on the mounting surface. The length of the support member main body 106b may be such that when the main body 201 is gripped by the robot hand 1b via the flange 203 and lifted, the posture thereof can be corrected so that the mounting target surface 201a can be mounted on the mounting surface. Alternatively, the length may be such that when the main body 201 is gripped by the robot hand 1b via the flange 203 and lifted, a change in the posture of the main body 201 caused by deformation of the main body 201 in the vicinity of the flange 203 can be prevented. Further, it is preferable that the length of the mounting plate 106a is set such that it does not contact the main body 201 when the main body 201 is in a posture where it can be mounted on the mounting surface when the main body 201 is gripped by the robot hand 1b via the flange 203. Furthermore, the length of the mounting plate 106a may be adjustable. By adjusting the length of the mounting plate 106a, the height position (vertical direction in FIG. 10) of the support member main body 106b can be changed.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0062] 1 Transfer robot 1b Robot hand 2 Disassembly / connection stage 3 Cleaning tank 100 Wafer storage container cleaning device 104a1, 104b1 Gripping claws 106 Support member

Claims

1. A transfer device comprising a transfer robot that transfers the main body of a wafer storage container to a mounting table having a positioning member, wherein the transfer robot, comprises a gripping part for gripping the main body, the gripping part has a pair of main body gripping claws for gripping the flange of the main body and a support member capable of contacting a portion of the main body different from the flange, the mounting target surface of the main body is a surface that intersects the surface where the flange is provided, the support member is provided to support the main body such that, in a state where the flange is gripped by the main body gripping claws and the mounting target surface of the main body is directed downward, the mounting target surface of the main body before being mounted on the mounting surface of the mounting table can be mounted via the positioning member in a posture that can be mounted on the mounting surface, the transfer robot transfers the main body to the mounting table in a state where the flange is gripped by the main body gripping claws and the main body is supported by the support member, transfer device.

2. the gripping part further has door gripping claws for gripping the door of the wafer storage container with a pair of gripping claws, the support member is provided on the gripping part so as not to contact the door in a state where the door is gripped by the door gripping claws and to contact and support the main body in a state where the flange of the main body is gripped by the main body gripping claws, The transfer device according to claim 1.

3. The support member supports the main body by abutting against an edge of an opening having the mounting target surface of the main body, The transfer device according to claim 1.

4. The support member is provided such that the lower end of the support member is positioned below the lower end of the main body in a state where the main body is gripped by the main body gripping claws, The transfer device according to claim 1.

5. The support member includes a mounting plate and a support member main body that is attached to the gripping part via the mounting plate and extends from the gripping part toward the main body side that is gripped by the main body gripping claws, The length of the support member main body is such that it does not contact the main body when the mounting target surface is in a posture that can be mounted on the mounting table when the main body is gripped and lifted by the main body gripping claws. The transfer device according to claim 3.

6. The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and A cleaning tank having the placement table and a cleaning nozzle for cleaning the main body in a state where the main body is placed on the placement surface of the placement table; A wafer storage container cleaning device comprising the same.

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