Wafer container cleaning device and cleaning method

Abstract

A wafer container cleaning device and method for cleaning and drying positioning holes formed in the door of a wafer container are provided. [Solution] In a wafer storage container cleaning apparatus, a door holding part that holds a door (202) is provided with a positioning pin (536) that is arranged to align with the arrangement of positioning holes (2021) formed in the door when the door is held, and that is inserted into the positioning hole to regulate the position of the door relative to the door holding part. The positioning pin has a plurality of protrusions (5371), and is provided with a regulating part that regulates the position of the door relative to the door holding part by restricting the relative movement between the positioning hole and the positioning pin in a direction along the outer surface of the door, a supply hole (5363) for supplying cleaning liquid and gas into the positioning hole when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole, and a discharge part that discharges the cleaning liquid and gas supplied from the supply hole to the positioning hole out of the positioning hole when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a wafer container cleaning apparatus and method. [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 that cleans FOUPs. The FOUP cleaning device is equipped with a cleaning tank for cleaning FOUPs. For example, the cleaning tank cleans the FOUP door while the door is held by a door holder provided in the cleaning tank. When the door holder holds the door, it positions the door relative to the holder by inserting a positioning pin into a positioning hole formed in the door. [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] However, in the above-mentioned cleaning tank, because the positioning pins are inserted into the positioning holes, it is difficult to clean the inside of the positioning holes. Furthermore, if a cleaning liquid such as water gets into the positioning holes, it is difficult to remove the cleaning liquid from the positioning holes in the cleaning tank. Therefore, there is a need to clean and dry the inside of the positioning holes formed in the door. This need also exists for wafer container cleaning equipment that cleans 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 clean and dry positioning holes formed in the door of a wafer storage container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, one embodiment of the present invention provides a wafer storage container cleaning device that includes a cleaning tank for storing and cleaning at least the door of a wafer storage container, the cleaning tank being provided within the cleaning tank and including a door holding portion for holding the door, the door holding portion being provided with a positioning pin that is arranged to match the arrangement of a positioning hole formed in the door when the door is held by the door holding portion and that is inserted into the positioning hole to regulate the position of the door relative to the door holding portion, the positioning pin being provided with a regulating portion that regulates the position of the door relative to the door holding portion by restricting the relative movement between the positioning hole and the positioning pin in a direction along the outer surface of the door, a supply hole for supplying cleaning liquid and gas into the positioning hole when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole, and a discharge portion that discharges the cleaning liquid and gas supplied from the supply hole to the positioning hole out of the positioning hole when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole.

[0008] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, another aspect of the present invention provides a cleaning method performed by a wafer storage container cleaning device equipped with a cleaning tank that stores and cleans at least the door of a wafer storage container, wherein the cleaning tank is provided within the cleaning tank and has a door holding portion that holds the door, the door holding portion is arranged to match the arrangement of positioning holes formed in the door when the door is held by the door holding portion, and has a positioning pin that is inserted into the positioning hole to regulate the position of the door relative to the door holding portion, the positioning pin has a regulating portion, a supply hole, and a discharge portion, and the regulating portion restricts the relative movement between the positioning hole and the positioning pin in a direction along the outer surface of the door, thereby regulating the position of the door relative to the door holding portion, and when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole, cleaning liquid or gas is supplied into the positioning hole through the supply hole, and when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole, the cleaning liquid or gas supplied from the supply hole to the positioning hole is discharged out of the positioning hole via the discharge portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a wafer container cleaning device that can clean and dry positioning holes formed in the door of a wafer container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [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 illustrating an example of the configuration of a positioning pin according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the positioning pin according to the embodiment is inserted into the positioning hole of the door. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the door holding portion and the lid according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a positioning pin according to a modified example. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a positioning pin according to a modified example. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a positioning pin according to a modified example. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a positioning pin according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of a wafer container cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the wafer container cleaning apparatus and the cleaning method disclosed herein are not limited to the following embodiments.

[0012] (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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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).

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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 (see FIG. 2) of the cleaning tank 5 holds the door 202, and the cleaning tank body 51 (see FIG. 2) of the cleaning tank 5 houses the container body 201, and 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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 .

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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 figures.

[0030] The cleaning tank 5 includes a cleaning tank body 51 (FIG. 1), a lid 52, a door holder 53, a drying nozzle 54, a supply pipe 55, a supply pipe drive unit 56, 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 (the outer and inner surfaces of the container body 201, the inner surface of the door 202, etc.).

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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 and a releasing operation to release the held door 202. 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.

[0033] 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. Here, the outer surface of the lid 52 is the surface opposite to the inner surface of the lid 52. The rotation drive unit 531 includes a drive unit 5311 and a rotation shaft 5312. The drive unit 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 unit 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. 13, 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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 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.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 7 , the lower end of the chuck base 5381 is fixed to the central portion (center) of the rotation shaft 5383, i.e., to one surface (top surface) at the center of the rectangular prism-shaped portion. The chuck base 5381 extends vertically upward from the rotation 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 .

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] The driving unit 534 is a cylinder mechanism (air cylinder) and is fixed to the outer surface of the lid 52. By moving toward and away from the chuck base 5381, the driving unit 534 causes 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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 .

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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 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 when the door 202 is held by the door holding portion 53, thereby positioning the door 202 relative to the base plate 5321. That is, the positioning pin 536 is provided in accordance with the arrangement of the positioning hole 2021 formed in the door 202 when the door 202 is held by the door holding portion 53. The positioning pin 536 is inserted into the positioning hole 2021 to regulate the position of the door 202 relative to the door holding portion 53. In this embodiment, the positioning pin 536 extends above the base plate 5321 to near the lid 52. In this embodiment, the positioning pin 536 is configured so that the inside of the positioning hole 2021 of the door 202 can be cleaned while the door 202 is being washed. Furthermore, the positioning pin 536 is configured so that the inside of the positioning hole 2021 of the door 202 can be dried while the door 202 is being dried. Details of the positioning pin 536 according to this embodiment will be described later.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] The supply pipe 55 is used to supply a cleaning liquid or CDA to the positioning pin 536. The supply pipe 55 is airtightly inserted into a through-hole formed in the lid 52 and is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the lid 52). In FIGS. 2 and 5, the state in which the supply pipe 55 has moved downward is indicated by a two-dot chain line. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the supply pipe 55 is formed with a diameter approximately one size larger than the upper end of the positioning pin 536. One end (lower end) of the supply pipe 55 is a connection portion with the upper end of the positioning pin 536. A recess is provided at the lower end of the supply pipe 55 so that the upper end of the positioning pin 536 fits in it. The other end of the supply pipe 55 branches into two, and a supply source 571 of a cleaning liquid (e.g., pure water) is connected to one of the two branches of the supply pipe 55 via a valve 572. The other supply pipe 55 is connected to a CDA supply source 573 via a valve 574. In other words, the supply pipe 55 and the valves 572 and 574 function as a switching unit for selectively supplying the cleaning liquid and CDA to the positioning pin 536 (the supply hole 5363 described below).

[0053] A supply pipe drive unit 56 is provided next to the supply pipe 55 on the outer surface of the lid 52. The supply pipe drive unit 56 includes an air cylinder 561 with an actuating rod 562, and a plate-shaped connecting plate 563. The air cylinder 561 is provided on the outer surface of the lid 52 with the actuating rod 562 facing upward. The actuating rod 562 and the supply pipe 55 are connected via the connecting plate 563. Therefore, as the actuating rod 562 of the air cylinder 561 moves up and down, the supply pipe 55 also moves up and down in conjunction with it. Therefore, the control unit 8 can control the up and down movement of the supply pipe 55 by controlling the air cylinder 561.

[0054] When connecting supply pipe 55 and positioning pin 536, control unit 8 controls rotation drive unit 531 to position the upper end of positioning pin 536 at a position facing the recessed portion at the lower end of supply pipe 55. In other words, control unit 8 controls rotation drive unit 531 to position the upper end of positioning pin 536 at a position (connectable position) where it can be connected to the recessed portion at the lower end of supply pipe 55. Note that a sealing member such as an O-ring may be provided in the recessed portion at the lower end of supply pipe 55 to maintain an airtight seal between supply pipe 55 and positioning pin 536. Furthermore, the above-described structure for connecting supply pipe 55 and positioning pin 536 is one example, and any structure may be used as long as it is possible to connect supply pipe 55 and positioning pin 536.

[0055] When supply pipe 55 supplies cleaning liquid to positioning pin 536, control unit 8 opens valve 572 with valve 574 closed while supply pipe 55 and positioning pin 536 are connected, thereby supplying cleaning liquid from supply source 571 to positioning pin 536 via supply pipe 55. When supply pipe 55 supplies CDA to positioning pin 536, control unit 8 opens valve 574 with valve 572 closed while supply pipe 55 and positioning pin 536 are connected, thereby supplying CDA from supply source 573 to positioning pin 536 via supply pipe 55. When cleaning liquid or CDA is not being supplied to positioning pin 536, the two valves 572 and 574 are closed.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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 or CDA that passes through between the support posts 5315 is easily supplied to the central portion of the outer surface of the door 202.

[0060] 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.

[0061] Next, details of the positioning pin 536 will be described. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the positioning pin 536 according to the embodiment, and Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the positioning pin 536 according to the embodiment is inserted into the positioning hole 2021 of the door 202. The upper diagram in Fig. 11 is a side view of the positioning pin 536, and the lower diagram is a bottom view of the positioning pin 536.

[0062] 11 and 12, the positioning pin 536 includes a piping portion 5361, a supply hole 5363, a restriction portion 5364, and a discharge portion 5365. The positioning pin 536 is a generally tubular member having a flow path 5362 formed therein.

[0063] Piping portion 5361 is provided on base plate 5321 in a state where it is inserted into a through hole formed in base plate 5321 so as to extend in a direction along rotation shaft 5312. The upper end of restricting portion 5364 is inserted into the lower end of the through hole. That is, in this embodiment, positioning pin 536 is configured as two separate members, piping portion 5361 and restricting portion 5364, which are integrated by the through hole of base plate 5321. That is, positioning pin 536 includes the through hole of base plate 5321 as part of its configuration.

[0064] The restricting portion 5364 is configured with a plurality of (four in the example of FIGS. 11 and 12 ) ridges 5371. For example, the four ridges 5371 are formed to extend radially at 90-degree intervals from the center of the positioning hole 2021. Each of the four ridges 5371 has an inclined surface at the tip (lower end) of the restricting portion 5364 that approaches the center of the restricting portion 5364 as it approaches the tip. The tip surface of each of the four ridges 5371 abuts against the inner surface of the positioning hole 2021, thereby restricting the relative movement between the positioning hole 2021 and the positioning pin 536. This allows the wobble of the positioning pin 536 relative to the positioning hole 2021 to be within an allowable range. Such ridges 5371 are formed, for example, by cutting away at 90-degree intervals the side surface of a cylinder having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the positioning hole 2021. In this way, the restricting portion 5364 restricts the relative movement between the positioning hole 2021 and the positioning pin 536 in the direction along the outer surface of the door 202 , thereby restricting the position of the door 202 with respect to the door holding portion 53 .

[0065] A flow path 5362 is formed at the center of the piping portion 5361 and the center of the restriction portion 5364. As the cleaning liquid and CDA flow through the flow path 5362, the cleaning liquid and CDA are discharged from a supply hole 5363 of the positioning pin 536. That is, the upper end portion of the flow path 5362 serves as a supply port for the cleaning liquid and CDA supplied from the supply pipe 55. Moreover, the lower end portion of the flow path 5362 serves as a supply hole 5363 for supplying the cleaning liquid and CDA.

[0066] The discharge portion 5365 is configured to have valley portions 5372 between the ridges 5371. In the example of FIG. 11 , the discharge portion 5365 is configured to have four valley portions 5372. The cleaning liquid and CDA supplied to the positioning hole 2021 by the supply hole 5363 are discharged to the outside of the positioning hole 2021 via the valley portions 5372. That is, with the positioning pin 536 inserted in the positioning hole 2021, the discharge portion 5365 discharges the cleaning liquid and CDA supplied to the positioning hole 2021 from the supply hole 5363 to the outside of the positioning hole 2021.

[0067] Fig. 13 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. 13, 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. 13, the door holder 53 is provided to the right of the center of the lid 52.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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 (first set time).

[0071] When the first set time has elapsed, control unit 8 closes valve 572 to stop the supply of cleaning liquid, and controls rotation drive unit 531 to stop the rotation of door holder 53. At this time, control unit 8 stops door holder 53 so that the upper end of positioning pin 536 is positioned at the above-mentioned connectable position, based on a signal (a signal indicating the detection result) output from rotation position detector 533. In this way, control unit 8 controls door holder 53 to rotate based on the detection result from rotation position detector 533, and stops door holder 53 to match the position of supply pipe 55. Then, control unit 8 lowers supply pipe 55 so that the recessed portion at the lower end of supply pipe 55 covers the upper end of positioning pin 536, and connects supply pipe 55 to positioning pin 536.

[0072] Then, control unit 8 controls valve 572 to open so that cleaning liquid is supplied from supply source 571 to positioning pin 536 via supply pipe 55. Positioning pin 536 cleans the inside of positioning hole 2021 by supplying cleaning liquid into positioning hole 2021. The supply of cleaning liquid to positioning hole 2021 continues for a preset time (second set time).

[0073] When the second set time has elapsed, the control unit 8 controls to close the valve 572 to stop the supply of the cleaning liquid. Then, the control unit 8 controls to open the valve 574 to supply CDA from the supply source 573 to the positioning pin 536 via the supply pipe 55. The positioning pin 536 supplies CDA into the positioning hole 2021, thereby drying the inside of the positioning hole 2021. The supply of CDA into the positioning hole 2021 continues for a preset time (a third set time). The CDA supplied from the positioning pin 536 into the positioning hole 2021 causes the cleaning liquid in the positioning hole 2021 to be discharged from the inside of the positioning hole 2021 through the discharge portion 5365 of the positioning pin 536.

[0074] After the third set time has elapsed, the control unit 8 closes the valve 574 and controls the rotation drive unit 531 to rotate the door holder 53 at a faster rotation speed than 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 predetermined time (a fourth set 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, after the fourth set time has elapsed, the control unit 8 controls the drying nozzle 54 and the drying nozzles other than the drying nozzle 54 to stop supplying CDA.

[0075] 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 rotates the door holding unit 53 and controls the rotation drive unit 531 (drive device 5311) to stop the door holding unit 53 in accordance with the position of the drive unit 534.

[0076] Then, the control unit 8 controls the cleaning tank 5 to open the lid 52. The control unit 8 then controls the robot 3 to grip the door 202 held by the door holding unit 53 and remove the gripped door 202 from the cleaning tank 5. When causing the robot 3 to grip the door 202, the control unit 8 controls the drive unit 534 to press 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.

[0077] If there is a door 202 to be cleaned next, the control unit 8 waits with the lid 52 open.

[0078] The flow of cleaning and pre-drying processes performed by the cleaning tank 5 according to this embodiment has been described. In this embodiment, the positioning pin 536 supplies the cleaning liquid and CDA to the positioning hole 2021, thereby cleaning and drying the inside of the positioning hole 2021. Furthermore, the supply hole 5363 is formed at the tip of the positioning pin 536 and faces the bottom of the positioning hole 2021, so that the cleaning liquid and CDA are supplied toward the bottom of the positioning hole 2021. This allows the inside of the positioning hole 2021 to be cleaned and dried evenly. Although the case where the cleaning liquid and CDA are supplied to the positioning hole 2021 using a common hole (supply hole 5363) has been described, a hole for supplying the cleaning liquid to the positioning hole 2021 and a hole for supplying the CDA to the positioning hole 2021 may be provided separately. Furthermore, the supply hole 5363 does not have to face the bottom of the positioning hole 2021 as long as the inside of the positioning hole 2021 can be cleaned and dried. Furthermore, in consideration of the possibility that cleaning liquid may remain in the positioning holes 2021, the supply of CDA to the positioning holes 2021 by the positioning pins 536 may be repeated multiple times.

[0079] The above has described the wafer container cleaning apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. According to the wafer container cleaning apparatus 1, the positioning pins 536 supply the cleaning liquid and CDA to the positioning holes 2021, so that the insides of the positioning holes 2021 can be cleaned and dried.

[0080] (Variation) In the above-described embodiment, the positioning pin 536 has a restricting portion 5364 including four ridges 5371, and the supply hole 5363 is provided at the center of the restricting portion 5364. However, the configuration of the restricting portion and the supply hole of the positioning pin is not limited to this. Various modified examples of the positioning pin will be described below. FIGS. 14 to 17 are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a positioning pin according to the modified example. For example, the cleaning tank 5 of the wafer container cleaning apparatus 1 may include any one of the four positioning pins 700 to 703 shown in FIGS. 14 to 17 instead of the positioning pin 536. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for components similar to those in the above-described embodiment, and their description may be omitted. Note that FIGS. 14 to 17 show only the restricting portion 5364 of the positioning pin 536, and the other components are omitted.

[0081] 14 differs from positioning pin 536 according to the above-described embodiment in that supply holes 5363 are formed on the inclined surfaces of four ridges 5371. In positioning pin 700, flow path 5362 is divided into four at the tip of positioning pin 700, and the lower end of each of the four divided flow paths 5362 serves as supply hole 5363.

[0082] 15 differs from the positioning pin 536 according to the above-described embodiment in that the restriction portion 5364 is composed of three ridges 5371. For example, the three ridges 5371 are formed to extend radially at intervals of 120 degrees from the center of the positioning hole 2021. The number of ridges 5371 constituting the restriction portion 5364 may be one or more, other than three or four.

[0083] 16 differs from the positioning pin 536 according to the above-described embodiment in that the restricting portion 5364 of the positioning pin 702 is formed by a spiral ridge 5366. With this configuration, the discharge portion 5365 of the positioning pin 702 is formed by a valley portion 5367 of the spiral ridge 5366.

[0084] 17 differs from the positioning pin 536 according to the above-described embodiment in that each of the four ridges 5371 has a plurality of protrusions 5368. The plurality of protrusions 5368 are provided at intervals from one another in the direction in which the positioning pin 703 extends.

[0085] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the positioning pins 536, 700, 701, 702, and 703 are configured as two separate members, the piping portion 5361 and the restricting portion 5364, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the piping portion 5361 and the restricting portion 5364 may be configured as a single unit, which may penetrate the base plate 5321 and be attached to the base plate 5321.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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]

[0089] 1. Wafer container cleaning equipment 5 Cleaning tank 536,700,701,702,703 Locating pins

Claims

1. A wafer container cleaning device including a cleaning tank for storing and cleaning at least the door of a wafer container, The cleaning tank comprises: a door holder provided in the cleaning tank for holding the door; The door holding portion is a positioning pin that is provided in accordance with the arrangement of a positioning hole formed in the door when the door is held by the door holding portion, and that is inserted into the positioning hole to regulate the position of the door with respect to the door holding portion; The positioning pin is a restricting portion that restricts relative movement between the positioning hole and the positioning pin in a direction along an outer surface of the door, thereby restricting the position of the door with respect to the door holding portion; a supply hole for supplying a cleaning liquid and a gas into the positioning hole in a state in which the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole; a discharge portion that discharges the cleaning liquid and the gas supplied from the supply hole to the positioning hole to the outside of the positioning hole while the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole; A wafer container cleaning apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switching unit that selectively supplies the cleaning liquid from a first supply source that supplies the cleaning liquid and the gas from a second supply source that supplies the gas to the supply holes.

3. a first supply source for supplying the cleaning liquid to the positioning pin; a second supply source that supplies the gas to the positioning pin; Further provided with the first supply source and the second supply source are connected to the supply hole; 2. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The restricting portion includes a plurality of ridges, 2. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge portion is formed by a valley portion between the ridges.

5. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of ridges comprises a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from one another.

6. The restricting portion includes a spiral ridge, 2. The wafer container cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge portion is formed by a valley portion of the spiral ridge.

7. A cleaning method performed by a wafer container cleaning apparatus having a cleaning tank for storing and cleaning at least a door of a wafer container, comprising: The cleaning tank comprises: a door holder provided in the cleaning tank for holding the door; The door holding portion is a positioning pin that is provided in accordance with the arrangement of a positioning hole formed in the door when the door is held by the door holding portion, and that is inserted into the positioning hole to regulate the position of the door with respect to the door holding portion; The positioning pin includes a restricting portion, a supply hole, and a discharge portion, The restricting portion restricts relative movement between the positioning hole and the positioning pin in a direction along the outer surface of the door, thereby restricting the position of the door with respect to the door holding portion; supplying a cleaning liquid or a gas into the positioning hole through the supply hole while the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole; With the positioning pin inserted into the positioning hole, the cleaning liquid or the gas supplied from the supply hole to the positioning hole is discharged to the outside of the positioning hole via the discharge portion. Cleaning method.

Images