Wafer container cleaning equipment

Abstract

Thoroughly clean the exterior of the wafer container door. [Solution] In a wafer storage container cleaning device, a cleaning tank (5) for storing and cleaning at least the door of a wafer storage container includes a cleaning tank body with an opening, a lid (52) that can open and close the opening of the cleaning tank body, a door holder (53) attached to the lid that holds the door from the outer periphery and releases the held door, a rotation drive (531) that rotates the door holder in a plane along the outer surface of the door while holding the door, a rotation position detector (533) that detects the rotational position of the rotated door holder, a drive (534) fixed to the lid that moves the door holder toward and away from the door holder to hold and release the door, and a cleaning nozzle that supplies cleaning liquid to the door held by the door holder. A control unit that controls the cleaning tank rotates the door holder based on the detection result of the rotation position detector and stops the door holder in accordance with the position of the drive unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a wafer container cleaning apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods) are used to transport wafers, which undergo various processing steps (e.g., resist coating, exposure and development, etching (film formation), resist stripping, cleaning, etc.) to form semiconductor devices, between processing steps. In other words, when moving wafers between processing steps, they are transported stored inside the FOUP. The FOUP comprises a FOUP body (shell) with an opening, and a door that can open and close the opening of the FOUP body.

[0003] There is also a FOUP cleaning device for cleaning FOUPs. The FOUP cleaning device includes a cleaning tank for cleaning FOUPs. The cleaning tank includes a box-shaped cleaning tank body with an opening and a lid that can open and close the opening of the cleaning tank body. In such a cleaning tank, for example, a holder provided on the inside of the cleaning tank lid holds the outer surface of the FOUP door by suction, and the FOUP door is cleaned. The outer surface of the door refers to the outside surface of the door when the door is attached to the FOUP body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-056450 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Such cleaning tanks do not take into consideration the need to secure space on the exterior side of the door, and are not designed to clean the exterior of the door, resulting in the problem of insufficient cleaning of the exterior of the door. Furthermore, the portion of the exterior of the door that is held by the holder of the cleaning tank lid is not exposed, making it difficult to clean. Meanwhile, to ensure a higher level of cleanliness for FOUPs, it is sometimes necessary to thoroughly clean the exterior of the door. However, the cleaning tanks described above are unable to meet such requirements. The same applies to wafer container cleaning systems that clean wafer containers other than FOUPs (e.g., FOSBs (Front Opening Shipping Boxes)).

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a wafer storage container cleaning device that can thoroughly clean the outer surface of a wafer storage container door. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, one aspect of the present invention provides a wafer container cleaning apparatus that includes a cleaning tank for storing and cleaning at least the door of a wafer container, and a control unit for controlling the cleaning tank. The cleaning tank includes a box-shaped cleaning tank body with an opening, a lid that can open and close the opening of the cleaning tank body, a holder attached to the lid that holds the door from the outer periphery of the door and releases the held door, a rotation drive unit that rotates the holder in a plane along the outer surface of the door while the door is held by the holder, a rotation position detection unit that detects the rotational position of the holder rotated by the rotation drive unit, a drive unit fixed to the lid that moves the holder toward and away from the holder to hold and release the door, and a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid to the door held by the holder. The control unit controls the holder to rotate based on the detection result of the rotation position detection unit and stops the holder in accordance with the position of the drive unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a wafer container cleaning device that can thoroughly clean the outer surface of a wafer container door. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a wafer container cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the cleaning tank showing an example of a state in which the door is held by a door holding portion provided on the lid of the cleaning tank according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the cleaning tank showing an example of a state in which the door is held by a door holding portion provided on the lid of the cleaning tank according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side view of the cleaning tank showing an example of a state in which the door holder is in a released state and does not hold the door according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of the configuration of the chuck body according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a base plate showing an example of the configuration of the base plate of the chuck mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a base plate showing an example of the configuration of the base plate of the chuck mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the door holding portion and the lid according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0011] (Embodiment) 1 is a plan view showing an example of the schematic configuration of a wafer storage container cleaning apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. The wafer storage container cleaning apparatus 1 is installed, for example, in a factory that manufactures semiconductor wafers, and cleans wafer storage containers 20 and dries the cleaned wafer storage containers 20.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 , a wafer storage container 20 to be processed in this embodiment is, for example, a FOUP or FOSB, and includes a container body (shell) 201 and a door 202. The container body 201 has a hexahedral outer shape. The container body 201 has a square opening on one side. The container body 201 also has a storage space for storing semiconductor wafers. The storage space is located inside the opening and communicates with the opening. The door 202 can be connected to and disconnected from the container body 201, and closes the opening when connected to the container body 201. The container body 201 also has a flange 203. The flange 203 is a part that is gripped (held) when the wafer storage container 20 is transported by an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport), a robot 3, or the like, and is formed in a square plate shape.

[0013] The wafer container cleaning apparatus 1 includes a load port 2, a robot 3, a buffer (disassembly / connection stage) 4, a cleaning tank 5, a drying tank 6, an unload port 7, and a control unit 8.

[0014] The robot 3, buffer 4, cleaning tank 5, drying tank 6, and control unit 8 are provided inside a casing 11 of the wafer container cleaning apparatus 1. On the other hand, the load port 2 and unload port 7 are provided both inside and outside the casing 11 of the wafer container cleaning apparatus 1.

[0015] The load port 2 carries the wafer container 20 to be cleaned and dried, which is placed on the exterior of the casing 11 of the load port 2, into the interior of the casing 11. For example, the wafer container 20 transported by the OHT is placed on the exterior of the casing 11 of the load port 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the wafer container 20 is placed so that the door 202 of the wafer container 20 faces a shutter 21 provided at the opening 12 of the casing 11. When the wafer container 20 is placed on the load port 2 in this manner, the shutter 21 rises. This makes it possible for the wafer container 20 to be carried into the casing 11 through the opening 12. Then, the slide device of the load port 2 slides the wafer container 20 in a direction toward the interior of the casing 11 (indicated by arrow 22). This allows the wafer container 20 to be carried into the casing 11.

[0016] The robot 3 transports the wafer storage container 20 to various parts while gripping the flange 203 of the wafer storage container 20. The robot 3 includes a robot arm 31 and a robot hand 32. The robot 3 transports the wafer storage container 20 to various parts by extending, contracting, and rotating the robot arm 31 while the robot hand 32 grips the flange 203. When transporting the door 202 alone that has been separated (disassembled) from the container body 201, the robot 3 transports the door 202 while gripping both sides of the door 202 (the outer periphery of the door 202).

[0017] The buffer 4 is a mounting table on which the wafer storage container 20 is placed, and disassembles (separates) the wafer storage container 20 into a container body 201 and a door 202, or connects the container body 201 and the door 202 together. A latch key 41 is provided on the buffer 4, and the latch key 41 is inserted into a keyhole formed in the door 202 of the wafer storage container 20 and rotates to disassemble the wafer storage container 20 or connect the container body 201 and the door 202 together. For example, the wafer storage container 20 loaded into the casing 11 is transported to the buffer 4 by the robot 3. In this case, the buffer 4 disassembles the wafer storage container 20 into the container body 201 and the door 202.

[0018] The cleaning tank 5 is a tank for cleaning the wafer storage container 20. For example, the container body 201 and the door 202 are separately transported to the cleaning tank 5 by the robot 3. Then, the cleaning tank 5 performs a cleaning process on the container body 201 and the door 202 while holding them separately. That is, the cleaning tank 5 cleans the container body 201 and the door 202 while they are separated. For example, in the cleaning tank 5, a door holder 53 (see FIG. 2 ) provided on the lid 52 of the cleaning tank 5 holds the door 202, and with the cleaning tank body 51 of the cleaning tank 5 housing the container body 201, the lid 52 is closed over the opening of the cleaning tank body 51. As a result, the container body 201 and the door 202 are housed in the cleaning tank 5. The cleaning tank 5 rotates the container body 201 and the door 202 using the rotation drive unit 531 (see Figure 2), and cleans the container body 201 and the door 202 by supplying (discharging) a cleaning liquid (e.g., pure water) to each of the container body 201 and the door 202 using a cleaning nozzle.

[0019] For example, cleaning tank body 51 is box-shaped and has an opening, and a storage space inside the opening that communicates with the opening. Cleaning tank body 51 cleans container body 201 while container body 201 is stored in the storage space. In cleaning tank 5, the opening of container body 201 is positioned facing downward, taking into account the ease of draining the cleaning liquid.

[0020] After the cleaning of the wafer storage container 20 is completed in the cleaning tank 5, the container body 201 and the door 202 are rotated in the cleaning tank 5, and are dried by spraying clean dry air (CDA) onto them using a drying nozzle (air nozzle) 54 (see FIG. 2). The drying in the cleaning tank 5 here is a process (pre-drying) for removing the cleaning liquid adhering to the wafer storage container 20. After the pre-drying of the wafer storage container 20 in the cleaning tank 5 is completed, the robot 3 separately transports the container body 201 and the door 202 from the cleaning tank 5 to the drying tank 6.

[0021] The drying tank 6 is a device for vacuum drying (main drying) the wafer storage container 20. When the vacuum drying of the wafer storage container 20 is completed in the drying tank 6, the robot 3 separately transports the container body 201 and the door 202 in the drying tank 6 onto the buffer 4. Then, the buffer 4 connects the container body 201 and the door 202 together.

[0022] The unload port 7 carries out the cleaned and vacuum-dried wafer container 20 placed by the robot 3 inside the casing 11 of the unload port 7 to the outside of the casing 11 .

[0023] For example, after undergoing vacuum drying, the wafer storage container 20 is transported by the robot 3 and placed inside the casing 11 of the unload port 7. When the wafer storage container 20 is placed on the unload port 7 in this manner, a shutter 71 provided at the opening 13 of the casing 11 rises. Then, the slide device of the unload port 7 (having a mechanism similar to that of the slide device of the load port 2) slides the wafer storage container 20 in the direction of arrow 72, thereby unloading the wafer storage container 20 to the outside of the casing 11. When the wafer storage container 20 has been unloaded to the outside of the casing 11 in this manner, the shutter 71 descends, closing the opening 13 of the casing 11.

[0024] The control unit 8 controls the overall operation of the wafer container cleaning apparatus 1. For example, the control unit 8 controls the load port 2, the robot 3, the buffer 4, the cleaning tank 5, the drying tank 6, and the unload port 7, thereby operating the load port 2, the robot 3, the buffer 4, the cleaning tank 5, the drying tank 6, and the unload port 7 as described above.

[0025] For example, the control unit 8 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a communication interface, which are connected via an internal bus.

[0026] The CPU executes various processes while using the RAM memory area as a temporary storage area for data used in the various processes. The ROM and HDD store programs for executing the various processes described above, as well as various databases and tables used when executing the various processes. The communication interface is an interface for communicating with the above-mentioned components of the wafer container cleaning apparatus 1 and for communicating with external devices connected to the wafer container cleaning apparatus 1 via a network. For example, the communication interface is a network interface card.

[0027] Next, an example of the schematic configuration of the cleaning tank 5 according to this embodiment will be described. FIGS. 2 to 4 are diagrams showing an example of a state (held state) in which the door 202 is held (gripped) by the door holder 53 provided on the lid 52 of the cleaning tank 5. FIG. 2 is a side view of the cleaning tank 5, FIG. 3 is a front view of the cleaning tank 5, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing an example of a state in which the door holder 53 is in an open state and is not holding the door 202. FIG. 5 is a side view of the cleaning tank 5, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 5. FIGS. 2 to 6 show a portion of the cleaning tank 5, rather than the entire cleaning tank 5. Specifically, FIGS. 2 to 6 show cross-sections of a portion of the lid 52 of the cleaning tank 5 and the configuration around the lid 52.

[0028] In this embodiment, the door holding portion 53 holds the door 202 as shown in Figures 2 to 4, and releases the door 202 as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Therefore, the following will describe the configuration of the periphery of the lid 52, focusing on the configuration of the door holding portion 53, with reference to these drawings.

[0029] The cleaning tank 5 includes a cleaning tank body 51 (FIG. 1), a lid 52, a door holder 53, a drying nozzle 54, and a cleaning nozzle (not shown). Note that the drying nozzle 54 mainly dries the center of the outer surface (upper surface) of the door 202 held by the door holder 53. However, the cleaning tank 5 also includes a drying nozzle that dries other parts (such as the outer and inner surfaces of the container body 201 and the inner surface of the door 202).

[0030] As described above, cleaning tank body 51 accommodates and cleans container body 201. Lid 52 is attached to cleaning tank body 51 in a state in which the opening of cleaning tank body 51 can be opened and closed.

[0031] Door holding unit 53 is fixed to the inner surface of lid 52. Here, the inner surface of lid 52 refers to the inner surface of lid 52 when lid 52 is closed over the opening of cleaning tank body 51. Door holding unit 53 performs a holding operation to hold door 202 from the outer periphery of door 202 and a releasing operation to release the held door 202. Door holding unit 53 is, for example, an example of a holding unit. Door holding unit 53 includes a rotation drive unit 531, a chuck mechanism 532, a rotation position detector 533, a drive unit 534, a presser pin 535, and a positioning pin 536.

[0032] The rotation drive unit 531 rotates the door holding unit 53 in a plane along the outer surface of the door 202 while the door 202 is held by the door holding unit 53. The rotation drive unit 531 includes a drive device 5311 and a rotation shaft 5312. The drive device 5311 includes a motor, a reducer, and the like, and rotates the rotation shaft 5312. The rotation shaft 5312 is the output shaft of the reducer of the drive device 5311, and is provided so as to penetrate the lid 52 of the cleaning tank 5. A base plate 5321 is indirectly connected to the rotation shaft 5312, and the rotation shaft 5312 supports the base plate 5321. Therefore, the rotation drive unit 531 rotates the rotation shaft 5312, thereby rotating the base plate 5321 around the rotation shaft 5312. 11, when the lid 52 is closed, the rotation shaft 5312 extends vertically, and the base plate 5321 connected to the rotation shaft 5312 is supported horizontally. In this state, the outer surface of the door 202 held by the door holding portion 53 rotates within a horizontal plane. The following description of the configuration may be based on this state.

[0033] The chuck mechanism 532 is a mechanism for holding the door 202, and includes a base plate 5321, a pair of chuck bodies 5322, a lift plate 5323, a spring 5324 (FIG. 3), and a guide pin 5325.

[0034] The base plate 5321 is a frame with a rectangular outer shape, and is provided with a pair of chuck bodies 5322 on the short sides of the base plate 5321. The base plate 5321 is, for example, an example of a base portion.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of chuck bodies 5322 are provided on a base plate 5321 so as to face each other across a rotation shaft 5312 of a rotation drive unit 531. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a chuck body 5322 according to an embodiment. The left side of FIG. 7 is a side view of the chuck body 5322, the right side of FIG. 7 is a front view of the chuck body 5322, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 7. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the chuck body 5322 includes a chuck base 5381, a shaft support portion 5382, a rotating shaft 5383, a chuck arm 5384, and chuck jaws 5385. That is, the pair of chuck bodies 5322 includes a pair of chuck jaws 5385.

[0036] The shaft support portions 5382 are provided in pairs at both ends of the two short sides of the base plate 5321. The pair of shaft support portions 5382 rotatably support the rotation shaft 5383.

[0037] As described above, the rotating shaft 5383 is rotatably supported by the shaft support portion 5382, and extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft 5312 of the rotation drive portion 531. The portion of the rotating shaft 5383 exposed from the shaft support portion 5382 is formed in a quadrangular prism shape. In addition, both ends of the rotating shaft 5383 supported by the shaft support portion 5382 are formed in a cylindrical shape.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 7 , the chuck base 5381 has its lower end fixed to the central portion (center) of the rotating shaft 5383, i.e., to one surface (top surface) at the center of the rectangular prism-shaped portion of the rotating shaft 5383. The chuck base 5381 extends vertically upward from the rotating shaft 5383 and has an inverted L shape in side view. A free end 5389 at the upper horizontal portion of the chuck base 5381 has a hollowed-out portion on the lower side, and a roller 5391 is provided in this hollowed-out portion. Specifically, the roller 5391 is provided in the hollowed-out portion and supported rotatably around a rotation shaft 5392. A portion of the lower end of the roller 5391 protrudes from below the free end 5389. The roller 5391 also contacts the upper surface of a recess 5326 (described later) of the lifting plate 5323. That is, the free end portion 5389 of the chuck base 5381 abuts against the lift plate 5323 via the roller 5391 .

[0039] The chuck arms 5384 are plate-like members and are attached to both ends of the rectangular prism-shaped portion of the rotating shaft 5383. That is, a pair of chuck arms 5384 are provided with the chuck base 5381 sandwiched between them. For example, one end of the chuck arm 5384 is fixed to a surface of the rectangular prism-shaped portion of the rotating shaft 5383 adjacent to the surface to which the chuck base 5381 is fixed. In the rectangular prism-shaped portion, the surface to which the chuck arm 5384 is fixed is the surface adjacent to the surface to which the chuck base 5381 is fixed, opposite the side on which the free end 5389 of the chuck base 5381 is located. A chuck jaw 5385 is attached to the other end of the chuck arm 5384.

[0040] The pair of chuck claws 5385 support both ends of the inner surface of the door 202. That is, the chuck claws 5385 support the door 202 by abutting against the outer periphery of the inner surface of the door 202. In addition, the chuck claws 5385 have an inclined surface 5393 that is inclined upward, that is, in a direction that approaches the base plate 5321 as it moves away from the rotation shaft 5312 of the rotation drive unit 531, while holding the door 202. As a result, the chuck claws 5385 act to lift the door 202 while supporting (gripping) it.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 , the lifting plate 5323 is a long, rectangular, plate-like member that is disposed parallel to the rotation shaft 5383 and has a recess 5326 in its longitudinal center, into which the free end 5389 of the chuck base 5381 can enter. That is, the lifting plate 5323 is disposed such that the recess 5326 is located below the free end 5389 of the chuck base 5381, and has an abutment portion 5329 on the bottom surface of the recess 5326 that abuts against the free end 5389. The lifting plate 5323 is biased by the spring 5324 in a direction from the base plate 5321 toward the lid 52, i.e., upward. In other words, the direction in which the lifting plate 5323 is biased by the spring 5324 is the direction in which the rotation shaft 5312 of the rotation drive unit 531 extends, that is, the direction from the base plate 5321 toward the lid 52. Here, spring 5324 is erected on base plate 5321 and is inserted into a pair of cylindrical support members (support pins) 5327 provided to penetrate lift plate 5323 near both sides of recess 5326, and is supported in a deformable manner.

[0042] The guide pins 5325 are members provided on the base plate 5321 so as to extend in a direction parallel to the direction in which the rotation shaft 5312 of the rotation drive unit 531 extends, i.e., in the up-and-down direction. The guide pins 5325 are provided in pairs at positions near both longitudinal ends of the lift plate 5323. The guide pins 5325 are inserted into holes that pass through the lift plate 5323, thereby supporting the lift plate 5323 so that it can slide (move) along the guide pins 5325. In other words, the lift plate 5323 slides and moves along the guide pins 5325.

[0043] The rotational position detector 533 detects the rotational position of the door holding portion 53 rotated by the rotational drive portion 531. For example, the rotational position detector 533 detects the rotational position of the door holding portion 53 by detecting the rotational position of the output shaft of the reducer of the drive device 5311. Every time the rotational position detector 533 detects the rotational position, it outputs a signal indicating the detection result (detected rotational position) to the control portion 8. The rotational position detector 533 is, for example, an example of a rotational position detection portion.

[0044] The driving unit 534 is a cylinder mechanism (air cylinder) and is fixed to the outer surface of the lid 52. Here, the outer surface of the lid 52 is the surface opposite to the inner surface of the lid 52. The driving unit 534 moves toward and away from the chuck base 5381, causing the door holding unit 53 to perform a holding operation for holding the door 202 and a releasing operation for releasing the held door 202.

[0045] For example, when the driving unit 534, which is a cylinder mechanism, causes the door holding unit 53 to perform an opening operation to open the door 202, the driving unit 534 advances the driving rod of the cylinder mechanism and presses down the upper surface of the horizontal portion of the chuck base 5381, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the pair of chuck bases 5381 rotate toward each other, and the pair of chuck arms 5384 rotate away from each other. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the pair of chuck jaws 5385 attached to the pair of chuck arms 5384 move away from each other and stop at a first predetermined distance apart. This state of the pair of chuck jaws 5385 separated by the first predetermined distance is referred to as an open state.

[0046] On the other hand, when the drive unit 534 causes the door holder 53 to perform a holding operation to hold the door 202, it retracts the drive rod of the cylinder mechanism to return the drive rod to its original position, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the lift plate 5323 is pushed up by the spring 5324. As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of chuck bases 5381 rotate in directions away from each other, and the pair of chuck arms 5384 rotate in directions toward each other. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the pair of chuck claws 5385 attached to the pair of chuck arms 5384 move in directions toward each other, acting to support and lift the door 202. At this time, the pair of chuck claws 5385 are spaced apart by a second predetermined distance, which is shorter than the first predetermined distance. This state of the pair of chuck claws 5385 spaced apart by the second predetermined distance is referred to as the closed state. When the pair of chuck jaws 5385 are in the closed state, the cylinder mechanism of the drive unit 534 and the chuck base 5381 are separated from each other, and the door holding unit 53 can be rotated by the rotation drive unit 531 .

[0047] The press pin 535 is provided on the surface of the base plate 5321 opposite the lid 52 so as to extend in the opposite direction from the lid 52 of the base plate 5321. The tip of the press pin 535 is rounded. When the door 202 is supported by the pair of chuck claws 5385, the press pin 535 is provided on the surface of the base plate 5321 facing the door 202. When the door 202 is supported by the pair of chuck claws 5385, the press pin 535 presses the door 202 from above and fixes the door 202 toward the chuck claws 5385. In other words, when the door 202 is supported by the pair of chuck claws 5385, the press pin 535 comes into contact with the outer surface of the door 202 that moves in a direction toward the base plate 5321 due to the action of the inclined surfaces 5393 of the pair of chuck claws 5385, thereby restricting the movement of the door 202.

[0048] The positioning pin 536 is a member for positioning the door 202 relative to the base plate 5321. For example, the positioning pin 536 is provided on the base plate 5321 so as to correspond to the position of a positioning hole 2021 formed on the outer surface of the door 202 supported by the pair of chuck claws 5385. The positioning pin 536 is inserted into the positioning hole 2021 while the door 202 is held by the door holding portion 53, thereby positioning the door 202 relative to the base plate 5321.

[0049] A cleaning nozzle (not shown) cleans the container body 201 and the door 202 by supplying (discharging) a cleaning liquid (e.g., pure water) to each of the container body 201 housed in the cleaning tank body 51 and the door 202 held by the door holder 53. For example, the cleaning nozzle for cleaning the door 202 is provided at least on the inner surface of the lid 52. The cleaning nozzle is, for example, an example of a cleaning liquid supply unit. Note that instead of the cleaning nozzle, the container body 201 and the door 202 may be cleaned using a container filled with cleaning liquid. For example, the container body 201 and the door 202 may be cleaned by immersing them in the cleaning liquid in the container.

[0050] The drying nozzle 54 dries the door 202 held by the door holding part 53 by spraying CDA onto the door 202. The drying nozzle 54 is provided near the side of the rotation drive part 531 of the lid 52, penetrating the lid 52 from top to bottom. In a front view, the drying nozzle 54 is provided at a position overlapping with the center of the rotation shaft 5312 of the rotation drive part 531. The tip of the drying nozzle 54 (CDA outlet) is provided so as to face the center of the door 202 held by the door holding part 53. This allows the CDA sprayed from the drying nozzle 54 to remove cleaning liquid accumulated in the center part of the outer surface (top surface) of the door 202. The CDA sprayed from the drying nozzle 54 is supplied to the drying nozzle 54 from, for example, a CDA supply source 541 via a valve 542.

[0051] Next, the configuration of the base plate 5321 of the chuck mechanism 532 will be described. Figures 9 and 10 are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the base plate 5321 of the chuck mechanism 532 according to an embodiment. In Figure 10, the outline of the door 202 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Figure 9 is a plan view of the base plate 5321, and Figure 10 is a bottom view of the base plate 5321.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the base plate 5321 has a rectangular outer shape when viewed from the direction along the rotation shaft 5312 of the rotation drive unit 531. Furthermore, an opening 5316 is formed in at least a portion of the base plate 5321 facing the door 202 held by the chuck body 5322, penetrating the base plate 5321 in the direction along the rotation shaft 5312 of the rotation drive unit 531, i.e., in the vertical direction. While the example shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 shows four openings 5316, the number of openings 5316 is not limited thereto. For example, the number of openings 5316 may be one or a number other than four. Such openings 5316 are provided to prevent the base plate 5321 from blocking the supply of cleaning liquid or CDA to the outer surface of the door 202. Therefore, it is preferable to ensure that the overall opening area of ​​the openings 5316 is as large as possible. In this embodiment, the base plate 5321 is configured so that the area of ​​the opening 5316 is within a range of 35% to 65% of the area of ​​the portion of the base plate 5321 facing the door 202 held by the chuck body 5322. This range is preferable for the base plate 5321 of this embodiment. That is, if the opening ratio of the base plate 5321 is less than 35%, the cleaning liquid and CDA can be supplied to the outer surface of the door 202, but the supply amount may not be sufficient. Furthermore, if the opening ratio exceeds 65%, the strength of the base plate 5321 may not be sufficient.

[0053] The opening 5316 allows the cleaning liquid from the cleaning nozzle and the CDA from the drying nozzle 54 to be easily supplied to the outer surface of the door 202 held by the chuck mechanism 532. As a result, it becomes possible to further clean and temporarily dry the outer surface of the door 202.

[0054] 2, in this embodiment, a circular plate 5318, which is disposed coaxially with the rotating shaft 5312 at the lower end of the rotating shaft 5312, and a base plate 5321 are connected by eight cylindrical support posts 5315 disposed at equal intervals along the outer periphery of the circular plate 5318 as shown in FIG. 9. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, a circular hole 5319 is formed in the center of the base plate 5321, which is surrounded by the multiple support posts 5315. With this configuration, the cleaning liquid and CDA that pass through between the support posts 5315 are more easily supplied to the central portion of the outer surface of the door 202. As a result, it is possible to more effectively clean and temporarily dry the outer surface of the door 202.

[0055] 9 and 10, the positioning pins 536 are provided at two positions diagonally opposite each other. As shown in Fig. 10, two presser pins 535 are provided for each positioning pin 536 so as to sandwich the positioning pin 536. For example, the presser pins 535 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the base plate 5321.

[0056] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the door holder 53 and the lid 52 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 11, the left side of the lid 52 is described as opening and closing with the right end side as a fulcrum. In this case, when the robot 3 loads the container body 201 into the cleaning tank body 51 or loads the container body 201 out of the cleaning tank body 51, a space is required on the left side of the cleaning tank body 51 for the robot 3 to work (enter). For this reason, in the example of FIG. 11, the door holder 53 is provided to the right of the center of the lid 52.

[0057] Next, a description will be given of the flow of the cleaning and pre-drying process performed by the cleaning tank 5. Here, a description will be given of a case where the cleaning tank 5 cleans and pre-dries only the door 202 out of the container body 201 and door 202 of the wafer storage container 20. When the robot 3 transports the door 202 to the cleaning tank 5, the lid 52 of the cleaning tank 5 is open, and the pair of chuck jaws 5385 of the chuck mechanism 532 is set to the open state by the drive unit 534, as shown in FIGS.

[0058] First, the control unit 8 controls the robot 3 to transport the door 202 to the cleaning tank 5. Then, the control unit 8 controls the door holding unit 53 to hold the door 202 transported by the robot 3. Then, after the control unit 8 has caused the door holding unit 53 to hold the door 202, the control unit 8 controls the robot 3 to release the door 202 from its hold and move it away.

[0059] Then, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning tank 5 to close the lid 52. Then, the control unit 8 controls the rotation drive unit 531 to rotate the door holding unit 53 that holds the door 202. Simultaneously with the rotation of the door holding unit 53, or after the rotation has stabilized, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning nozzle to supply cleaning liquid to the door 202 to clean the door 202. The supply of cleaning liquid continues for a preset time (set time).

[0060] When the set time has elapsed, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning nozzle to stop supplying the cleaning liquid. Then, the control unit 8 controls the rotation drive unit 531 to rotate the door holder 53 at a rotation speed faster than that during cleaning. Shortly before this rotation begins, simultaneously with the rotation, or after the rotation has stabilized, the control unit 8 controls the drying nozzle 54 to supply CDA toward the center of the upper surface of the door 202. This rotation and supply of CDA continue for a preset time (predetermined drying time). The control unit 8 also controls the drying nozzles other than the drying nozzle 54 to supply CDA toward the outer surface of the door 202 other than the center and toward the inner surface of the door 202. Then, when the predetermined drying time has elapsed, the control unit 8 controls the drying nozzle 54 and other drying nozzles to stop supplying CDA.

[0061] Based on a signal (a signal indicating the detection result) output from the rotational position detector 533, the control unit 8 rotates the door holding unit 53 (more specifically, the horizontal portion of the chuck base 5381) to a position where the drive unit 534 can press down the upper surface of the horizontal portion of the chuck base 5381, and stops the door holding unit 53 at that position. Such a position is, for example, a position where the drive unit 534 faces the horizontal portion of the chuck base 5381. In this way, based on the detection result by the rotational position detector 533, the control unit 8 controls the rotation drive unit 531 (drive device 5311) to rotate the door holding unit 53, and stops the door holding unit 53 in accordance with the position of the drive unit 534.

[0062] Then, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning tank 5 to open the lid 52. Then, the control unit 8 controls the robot 3 to grip the door 202 and carry the gripped door 202 out of the cleaning tank 5. When causing the robot 3 to grip the door 202, the control unit 8 controls the drive unit 534 to push down the upper surface of the horizontal part of the chuck base 5381 to release the door 202, as described above. That is, the drive unit 534 causes the door holding unit 53 to perform a release operation to release the door 202, with the position of the door holding unit 53 stopped by the control unit 8 in accordance with the position of the drive unit 534.

[0063] If there is a door 202 to be cleaned next, the control unit 8 waits with the lid 52 open.

[0064] The wafer storage container cleaning apparatus 1 according to the embodiment has been described above. According to the wafer storage container cleaning apparatus 1, the drive unit 534 fixed to the lid 52 moves toward and away from the door holder 53, causing the door holder 53 to perform a holding operation for holding the door 202 from its outer periphery (the outer periphery of the door 202) and a releasing operation for releasing the door 202, thereby making it possible to reduce the contact area between the door holder 53 and the door 202. As a result, it is possible to thoroughly clean the outer surface of the door 202 of the wafer storage container 20.

[0065] More specifically, for example, a pair of chuck claws 5385 supports both ends of the inner surface of the door 202, and the press pins 535 press the outer surface of the door 202 downward at multiple points, thereby reducing the contact area with the door 202, and holding the door 202 with a simple configuration without interfering with the exposure of the outer surface of the door 202. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the outer surface of the door 202 of the wafer storage container 20 can be sufficiently cleaned.

[0066] Furthermore, since the drive unit 534 is provided on the side of the lid 52 opposite the door holding unit 53, space can be secured on the outer surface side of the door 202, and further, the outer surface of the door 202 can be thoroughly cleaned.

[0067] Although the case where the cleaning tank 5 simultaneously cleans and temporarily dries the container body 201 and the door 202 has been described, the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the robot 3 may transport the container body 201 to the cleaning tank 5, and after the cleaning tank 5 has cleaned and temporarily dried the container body 201, the robot 3 may remove the container body 201 from the cleaning tank 5 and transport it to the drying tank 6. Thereafter, the robot 3 may transport the door 202 to the cleaning tank 5, and after the cleaning tank 5 has cleaned and temporarily dried the door 202, the robot 3 may remove the door 202 from the cleaning tank 5 and transport it to the drying tank 6. Conversely, the robot 3 may transport the door 202 to the cleaning tank 5, and after the cleaning tank 5 has cleaned and temporarily dried the door 202, the robot 3 may remove the door 202 from the cleaning tank 5 and transport it to the drying tank 6. Thereafter, the robot 3 may transport the container body 201 to the cleaning tank 5, and after the cleaning tank 5 has cleaned and temporarily dried the container body 201, the robot 3 may remove the container body 201 from the cleaning tank 5 and transport it to the drying tank 6. In this embodiment, the cleaning tank 5 is only required to be capable of cleaning and temporarily drying at least the door 202 out of the container body 201 and the door 202 of the wafer container 20.

[0068] Furthermore, the cleaning tank 5 does not need to be configured to be able to clean the container body 201 and the door 202 together or individually. That is, a cleaning tank for cleaning and drying the container body 201 and a cleaning tank for cleaning and drying the door 202 may be provided separately.

[0069] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1. Wafer container cleaning equipment 5 Cleaning tank 8 Control Unit 51 Cleaning tank body 52 Lid 53 Door retainer 531 Rotation drive unit 533 Rotational Position Detector 534 Drive Unit

Claims

1. A wafer container cleaning device comprising: a cleaning tank for storing and cleaning at least a door of a wafer container; and a control unit for controlling the cleaning tank, The cleaning tank comprises: a box-shaped cleaning tank body having an opening; a lid that can open and close the opening of the cleaning tank body; a holding portion provided on the lid, the holding portion performing a holding operation to hold the door from the outer periphery side of the door and a releasing operation to release the held door; a rotation drive unit that rotates the holding unit within a plane along an outer surface of the door while the door is held by the holding unit; a rotational position detection unit that detects a rotational position of the holding unit that is rotated by the rotation drive unit; a drive unit fixed to the lid and configured to move toward and away from the holding unit to cause the holding unit to perform the holding operation and the releasing operation; a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid to the door held by the holding unit; Equipped with the control unit controls the holding unit to rotate based on the detection result by the rotation position detection unit, and stops the holding unit in accordance with the position of the drive unit. Wafer container cleaning equipment.

2. The holding portion is a base portion connected to a rotation shaft of the rotation drive portion; a pair of chuck bodies provided on the base portion so as to face each other across the rotation shaft of the rotation drive unit, the pair of chuck bodies including a pair of chuck jaws supporting the door; Equipped with The drive unit operates the pair of chuck jaws in directions toward and away from each other.

2. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 1.

3. the base portion has a rectangular outer shape when viewed from a direction along the rotation axis of the rotation drive unit, an opening penetrating in a direction along the rotation axis is formed in at least a part of the base portion facing the door held by the chuck body; 3. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The base portion is configured such that the area of ​​the opening is within a range of 35% to 65% of the area of ​​the portion of the base portion facing the door held by the chuck body.

4. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The chuck body further includes: a rotation shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft of the rotation drive unit and rotatably supported on the base unit; a chuck arm having one end fixed to the rotary shaft and the chuck jaws attached to the other end; a chuck base that is fixed to the rotation shaft so as to extend in a direction opposite to the chuck arm, and that is actuated so that the chuck arm rotates around the rotation shaft when moved toward or away from the rotation shaft by the drive unit; The wafer container cleaning apparatus of claim 2 , comprising:

6. the chuck base is fixed to a central portion of the rotation shaft in a direction in which the rotation shaft extends, The chuck arms are provided as a pair with the chuck base sandwiched between them.

6. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The holding portion further includes: a guide pin provided on the base portion and extending in a direction parallel to a direction in which the rotation shaft of the rotation drive portion extends; a lifting plate having an abutment portion that abuts against a free end portion of the chuck base, the free end portion being an end portion opposite to the rotation shaft, and that moves along the guide pin; a biasing portion that biases the lift plate in a direction away from the base portion; The wafer container cleaning apparatus of claim 5 , comprising:

8. the pair of chuck jaws support the door by contacting with an outer peripheral edge of the door, and have inclined surfaces that are inclined in a direction approaching the base portion as they move away from the rotation shaft of the rotation drive unit when the pair of chuck jaws support the door, Further, a press pin is provided on a surface of the base portion facing the door, so as to restrict movement of the door by contacting the outer surface of the door that moves in a direction approaching the base portion due to the action of the inclined surfaces of the pair of chuck jaws when the door is supported by the pair of chuck jaws.

8. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 7.

9. The door may be secured to the base portion by a pair of chuck jaws. The chuck jaws ...

3. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 2.

10. The drive unit is provided on a surface of the lid opposite to the holding unit.

2. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 1.

Images