EFEM device

Abstract

The present invention provides an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) device that can transport materials in a clean state, even when gas is circulated internally. [Solution] An EFEM apparatus 1 for transferring wafers, which are the objects to be transported, between a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) 41 and a processing apparatus using a transport robot 2 inside a housing 3, wherein the housing 3 has a transport space S11 that houses the transport robot 2, a gas processing space (chemical filter 7) that houses a gas processing apparatus, and a gas return space S12 that can return gas from the transport space S11 to the gas processing space. The transport space S11, the gas processing space, and the gas return space S12 are in communication to form a single sealed space CS and constitute a circulation path CL, and a plurality of fans 74, 75, 77 are provided in the circulation path CL to form a circulating flow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport chamber capable of transporting an object to be transported in a clean state without being exposed to the outside air.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the semiconductor field, semiconductor devices have been manufactured by subjecting wafers to various processing steps.

[0003] In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, a wafer transport environment with particle-free and chemical component-free conditions is required. Generally, a transport chamber called an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) is used to transfer wafers between a sealed storage container called a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) and a processing device (see Patent Document 1 below). In the transport chamber, usually, fresh outside air in the cleanroom is sucked in by an FFU (Fan Filter Unit) installed at the upper part, and the inside is made to flow downward and discharged to the outside from the floor surface, so that a certain clean atmosphere can be stably obtained.

[0004] Furthermore, in recent years, as the miniaturization of semiconductor device structures has progressed, the influence received from moisture, oxygen, chemical components, etc. has been regarded as a more serious problem. In response to this, it has been proposed to replace the inside of the transport chamber with N2 (nitrogen) gas, which is an inert gas, and transport the wafers in an N2 atmosphere. In that case, in order to reduce the consumption of N2 gas and suppress the running cost, it is conceivable to circulate the N2 gas while passing it through a filter in order to maintain cleanliness inside while reducing the supply amount of fresh N2 gas.

[0005] Furthermore, it is conceivable to install a chemical filter to efficiently remove chemical components from the circulating N2 gas. Since chemical components may be introduced into the transport chamber by wafers processed by the processing equipment, using a chemical filter to efficiently remove these chemical components will allow for the maintenance of an even cleaner atmosphere. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-49382 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] As mentioned above, when circulating gas inside a transport chamber, it is necessary to maintain a positive pressure inside, which is higher than the outside pressure, to prevent the intrusion of particles from the outside.

[0008] Furthermore, it becomes necessary to reduce N2 gas consumption while maintaining positive pressure inside the system.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a conveying chamber capable of conveying objects in a clean state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve this objective, the present invention employs the following means.

[0011] In other words, the EFEM device of the present invention is for transferring objects to be transported between the processing device and the casing using a transport robot provided inside the casing, and has a circulation path formed inside for circulating the supply gas. The casing forms a transport space for housing the transport robot and a gas processing space for housing the gas processing device, and the transport space and the gas processing space are in communication to form a single sealed space. It is preferable to operate multiple fans by control means to form a circulating flow of clean gas inside along the circulation path.

[0012] Here, the supply gas mentioned above refers to anything other than water vapor.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the enclosure be divided into a transport space where the transport robot operates and a gas return path.

[0014] Furthermore, a blower is provided in the gas return space, and it is preferable that the blower is configured to form an upward airflow in the gas return space.

[0015] The gas treatment device installed in the circulation path is a chemical filter, and it is equipped with a humidifier to humidify the chemical filter. With this configuration, the chemical filter can undergo a proper hydrolysis reaction, removing chemical components and keeping the inside clean. Therefore, it is possible to transport the material being transported while maintaining a clean state. In addition, by providing a humidity detection device that detects the humidity inside the enclosure, humidification can be performed based on the detected humidity value, and the humidity inside can be maintained at an appropriate level.

[0016] Chemical filters utilize hydrolysis reactions to remove chemical components from the supply gas circulating in the circulation path, as they are brought from the processing unit into the transport space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention described above, it becomes possible to circulate clean gas internally along the circulation path.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] A plan view schematically showing the relationship between a transfer chamber and a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A perspective view schematically showing the transfer chamber. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view of the transfer chamber at the A-A position in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view of the transfer chamber at the B-B position in FIG. 3. [[ID=十六]] [[ID=十七]] [Figure 5] A block diagram schematically showing a configuration for controlling the internal atmosphere of the transfer chamber.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the relationship between a transfer chamber 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a processing apparatus 6 connected thereto. As shown in this figure, the transfer chamber 1 is configured as a modular device generally called an EFEM. Specifically, the transfer chamber 1 includes a transfer robot 2 that transfers a wafer W, which is an object to be transferred, between predetermined transfer positions, a box-shaped housing body 3 provided so as to surround the transfer robot 2, and a plurality (three in the figure) of load ports 4 to 4 connected to the outside of the front wall (front wall 31) on the front side of the housing body 3.

[0021] Here, in the present application, the direction on the side to which the load ports 4 to 4 are connected as viewed from the housing body 3 is defined as the front, the direction on the back wall 32 side facing the front wall 31 is defined as the back, and further, the direction orthogonal to the front-back direction and the vertical direction is defined as the side. That is, the three load ports 4 to 4 are arranged side by side.

[0022] It should be noted that in the above translation, the numbers in the tags - are retained as they are because they are specific tags in the original text and need to be preserved exactly according to the requirements. Also, the line breaks are maintained as in the original text. If there are any further specific requirements or corrections needed, please let me know.Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the transport chamber 1 is adjacent to the outside of the rear wall 32, and a load lock chamber 61, which constitutes part of the processing apparatus 6, can be connected to it. By opening the door 1a provided between the transport chamber 1 and the load lock chamber 61, it is possible to create a communication between the inside of the transport chamber 1 and the load lock chamber 61. Various types of processing apparatus 6 can be used, but generally, a relay chamber 62 is provided adjacent to the load lock chamber 61, and further adjacent to the relay chamber 62 are multiple (three in the figure) processing units 63-63 that process the wafer W. Doors 62a and 63a-63a are provided between the relay chamber 62 and the load lock chamber 61 and processing units 63-63, respectively. By opening these, communication between them can be created, and it is possible to move the wafer W between the load lock chamber 61 and processing units 63-63 using a transport robot 64 provided inside the relay chamber 62.

[0023] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the transport chamber 1 as seen from the load port 4 side, and Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the transport chamber 1 at position AA in Figure 1.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 3 that constitutes the transport chamber 1 is composed of a main box 3A, a chemical filter box 3B, and a control box 3C. The main box 3A, together with the internal transport robot 2 (see Figure 1) and the load ports 4-4 provided on the front wall 31, constitutes the transport chamber body 1A. Furthermore, the main box 3A, the chemical filter box 3B, and the control box 3C are separable from each other.

[0025] The front wall 31, rear wall 32, left side wall 33, and right side wall 34 of the enclosure 3 are composed of the front walls 31A, 31B, 31C, rear walls 32A, 32B, 32C, left side walls 33A, 33B, 33C, and right side walls 34A, 34B, 34C of the main box 3A, chemical filter box 3B, and control box 3C, respectively. The top wall 35 of the enclosure 3 is composed of the top wall 35C of the control box 3C, and the bottom wall 36 of the enclosure 3 is composed of the bottom wall 36A of the main box 3A. Furthermore, the bottom wall 36B of the chemical filter box 3B abuts against the top wall 35A of the main box 3A, and the bottom wall 36C of the control box 3C abuts against the top wall 35B of the chemical filter box 3B, and these are fixed together.

[0026] A load port 4 is connected to an opening 31a in the front wall 31A of the main box 3A, and a rectangular opening 32a (see Figure 1) in the rear wall 32A is closed by a door 1a, commonly referred to as a gate valve. Furthermore, two openings 35A1 and 35A2 are provided in the top wall 35A of the main box 3A, and correspondingly, openings 36B1 and 36B2 are provided in the bottom wall 36B of the chemical filter box 3B. As a result, the space S1 inside the main box 3A and the space S2 inside the chemical filter box 3B are connected, forming a single, nearly sealed space CS.

[0027] The transport robot 2, located in the space S1 within the main box 3A, consists of an arm section 2a equipped with a pick for placing and transporting wafers W, and a base section 2b that supports the arm section 2a from below and has a drive mechanism and a lifting mechanism for operating the arm section 2a. The base section 2b is supported by the front wall 31A of the main box 3A via a support section 21 and a guide rail 22. The transport robot 2 is capable of moving along the guide rail 22 which extends in the width direction within the main box 3A. The control means 5, described later, controls the operation of the transport robot 2, enabling the transport of wafers W housed in FOUPs 41 placed in each load port 4 to 4 to the load lock chamber 61, and the transport of processed wafers W back into the FOUPs 41 after processing in each processing unit 63 to 63.

[0028] Inside the chemical filter box 3B is a chemical filter unit 7, which is a chemical filter in general terms. The chemical filter unit 7 consists of an organic matter removal filter 71 for removing organic components from the chemical components contained in the gas passing through it, an acid removal filter 72 for removing acid components, and an alkali removal filter 73 for removing alkaline components. Each of the filters 71 to 73 can be replaced independently.

[0029] Inside the control box 3C is a control unit 5 for controlling the entire transport chamber body 1A. The control unit 5 consists of a standard microprocessor equipped with a CPU, memory, and interface. The memory stores the programs necessary for processing in advance, and the CPU retrieves and executes the necessary programs sequentially, working in cooperation with peripheral hardware resources to achieve the desired functions. As will be described later, the control unit 5 controls the operation of the transport robot 2 and load port 4 inside the main box 3A, the opening and closing of each door 1a, 4a, and the supply of gas to the main box 3A and chemical filter box 3B.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the space S1 inside the main box 3A is divided into a transport space S11, where the transport robot 2 operates, and a gas return space S12, by an internal wall 37A that extends from the bottom wall 36A to the top wall 35A. An opening 37A1 is provided at the bottom of the internal wall 37A, and the transport space S11 and the gas return space S12 are in communication at the bottom through this opening 37A1. Furthermore, a fan 77 is provided at the bottom of the gas return space S12, continuous with the opening 37A1, and by driving this fan 77, gas from the transport space S11 can be drawn into the gas return space S12, creating an upward airflow within the gas return space S12.

[0031] Here, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view at position BB in Figure 3. As can be seen from this figure, a wall portion 38A is formed in the central part of the gas return space S12, surrounding the door 1a between it and the load lock chamber 61 (see Figure 1), and the space around the door 1a is continuous with the transport space S11 (see Figure 3). Therefore, the gas return space S12 is configured to split into two branches from below, avoiding the door 1a, and then rejoin at the top.

[0032] Returning to Figure 3, the transport space S11 and the gas return space S12 are in communication with the space S2 inside the chemical filter box 3B via the openings 35A1 and 35A2 in the upper wall 35A described above. Therefore, the transport space S11 and the gas return space S12 are also in communication with the space S2 inside the chemical filter box 3B from above.

[0033] An FFU 76 is provided in the upper part of the transport space S11, specifically at a position slightly below the upper wall 35A. The gas taken in from space S2 in the chemical filter box 3B is sent downward by the FFU 76, creating a downflow within the transport space S11. Furthermore, the FFU 76 incorporates high-performance filters such as a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter and an ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air) filter, making it possible to capture minute particles contained within the gas passing through it.

[0034] On the other hand, the chemical filter box 3B is provided with a discharge fan 75 between the opening 36B1 of the bottom wall 36B and the chemical filter unit 7, and a suction fan 76 is provided above the opening 36B2. The opening 36B2 and the adjacent opening 35A2 function as gas inlets that allow gas to flow into the chemical filter unit 7, and the suction fan 76 allows gas to flow into the chemical filter box 3B from the gas return space S12 through these openings 36B2 and 35A2. The opening 36B1 and the adjacent opening 35A1 function as gas outlets that discharge gas from the chemical filter unit 7, and the discharge fan 75 can send the gas that has passed through the chemical filter unit 7 to the transport space S11 through these openings 35B1 and 35A1. Thus, the two fans 75 and 76 can compensate for the pressure loss by the chemical filter unit 7 and create a gas flow.

[0035] As described above, in the substantially sealed space CS formed within the main box 3A and the chemical filter box 3B, the gas constituting the internal atmosphere circulates along the following circulation path CL. That is, the circulation path CL proceeds downward from the FFU 76 provided at the top of the transport space S11, then proceeds upward through the gas return space S12 via the opening 37A1 and fan 77 provided at the bottom of the internal wall 37A, passes through the openings 35A2 and 36B2, enters the space S2 inside the chemical filter box 3B via the suction fan 74, passes through the chemical filter unit 7, and returns to the transport space S11 via the discharge fan 75 and the openings 36B1 and 35A1. Therefore, it can be said that the chemical filter unit 7 is provided in the middle of the circulation path CL.

[0036] In order to supply N2 gas to the nearly sealed space CS where the circulation path CL is formed and purge it, a gas supply port 91 is provided on the rear wall 32B of the chemical filter box 3B, and a gas outlet 92 is provided on the rear wall 32A of the main box 3A.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, a gas supply line GS and a gas discharge line GE are connected to the gas supply port 91 and gas discharge port 92, respectively.

[0038] The gas supply line GS is equipped with a gas supply means NS which consists of a regulator 93, a valve 94, an MFC (gas flow controller) 95, and another valve 94 installed in sequence in a pipe leading from an N2 gas supply source.

[0039] In the gas discharge line GE, flow control valves 98 and 94 are installed in succession on the piping connected to the gas outlet 92A, and the gas discharge destination is connected to the end of these valves.

[0040] Therefore, by discharging gas from the gas outlet 92 while supplying N2 gas from the gas supply port 91, it is possible to remove the air from the nearly sealed space CS and fill it with N2 gas.

[0041] Then, when the N2 gas concentration rises above a certain level, the amount of N2 gas supplied from the gas supply port 91 is reduced, and the amount discharged from the gas outlet 92A is kept to a minimum to maintain positive pressure inside. In this state, the gas inside is circulated according to the circulation path CL, and particles and chemical components contained in the gas are removed by the FFU 76 and the chemical filter unit 7, making it possible to keep the inside clean. In addition, since N2 gas is a dry gas that contains almost no moisture, it is also possible to reduce the moisture inside and prevent corrosion of the wafer surface W.

[0042] However, as mentioned above, continuously supplying N2 gas, which is used to replace the internal atmosphere, can lead to excessive moisture levels inside, potentially reducing the chemical component removal performance of the chemical filter unit 7.

[0043] As shown in Figure 3, among the organic matter removal filter 71, acid removal filter 72, and alkali removal filter 73 that make up the chemical filter unit 7, the organic matter removal filter 71 removes organic components by adsorption, while the acid removal filter 72 and alkali removal filter 73 remove acid and alkali components by hydrolysis. Therefore, a certain amount of moisture is necessary to remove acid and alkali components, and if the humidity in the gas becomes too low, the removal performance will decrease significantly.

[0044] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to maintain a constant internal humidity, the following moisture supply means HS is provided so that moisture can be added to the N2 gas supplied from the gas supply means NS.

[0045] The water supply means HS consists of a valve 94 connected to a pipe connected to a water supply source, an LFC (liquid flow controller) 99 as a flow control unit, a valve 94, a sprayer 96 commonly referred to as an injection unit, a vaporizer 97, and a heater controller 97b that operates a heater 97a included in the vaporizer 97.

[0046] Specifically, a valve 94, an LFC 99, and another valve 94 are connected in sequence to a pipe connected to a water supply source, and are further connected to a sprayer 96 located in the middle of the gas supply line GS. Therefore, the amount of water supplied can be determined by adjusting the water flow rate with the LFC 99, and the water can be atomized into a fine mist and incorporated into the N2 gas by the sprayer 96. Downstream of the sprayer 96, a vaporizer 97 is provided, consisting of a coiled pipe and a heater 97a for heating this pipe. The heater 97a is powered by a heater controller 97b, which heats the gas flowing through the pipe and vaporizes the water particles contained within. Furthermore, the pipe constituting the gas supply line GS from the sprayer 96 through the vaporizer 97 to the gas supply port 91 is equipped with a heat insulation means HI consisting of pipe insulation material and a heat insulation heater, to prevent vaporized water from condensing into water droplets and flowing into the chemical filter box 3B.

[0047] Furthermore, the gas supply means NS and the moisture supply means HS work together to constitute a gas / moisture supply means NHS for supplying moisture-containing N2 gas into a substantially sealed space CS.

[0048] To control the gas and moisture supply means NHS, humidity detectors HG1 and HG2 are provided in the space S1 inside the main box 3A and the space S2 inside the chemical filter box 3B, respectively, as humidity detection means for detecting humidity. Furthermore, a pressure detector PG is provided as a pressure detection means for detecting the pressure difference between the space S1 inside the main box 3A and the outside.

[0049] Furthermore, in order to control the gas supply means NS based on the detected values ​​from these, the control means 5 described above has the following configuration.

[0050] The control means 5 includes a gas (N2) flow rate determination unit 51, a water (H2O) flow rate determination unit 52, a heater operation command unit 53, a pressure acquisition unit 54, a humidity acquisition unit 55, and a storage unit 56.

[0051] The memory unit 56 stores predetermined values, namely the pressure target value and the humidity target value. The pressure acquisition unit 54 acquires the output from the pressure detector PG and can output it as the pressure detection value. The humidity acquisition unit 55 acquires the output from the humidity detectors HG1 and HG2 and can output them as the humidity detection values, respectively.

[0052] The gas flow rate determination unit 51 is configured to determine the flow rate of N2 gas supplied from the gas supply line GS based on the pressure detection value obtained by the pressure acquisition unit 54, and to output a corresponding gas flow rate command value to the MFC 95. More specifically, if the pressure detection value is within a predetermined range centered on the pressure target value, the gas flow rate command value is maintained as is; if the pressure detection value is smaller than the predetermined range, the amount of N2 gas supplied is increased; and if the pressure detection value is larger than the predetermined range, the amount of N2 gas supplied is decreased, thereby changing the gas flow rate command value.

[0053] The water flow rate determination unit 52 is configured to determine the flow rate of water supplied from the water supply means HS based on the humidity detection value obtained by the humidity detector HG2 via the humidity acquisition unit 55, and to output a corresponding water flow rate command value to the LFC 99. More specifically, if the humidity detection value is within a predetermined range centered on the humidity target value, the water flow rate command value is maintained as is; if the humidity detection value is smaller than the predetermined range, the water supply amount is increased; and if the humidity detection value is larger than the predetermined range, the water supply amount is decreased. If the humidity detection value is larger than the humidity target value, the water supply amount may be set to zero and only N2 gas may be supplied. It is also preferable to use PID control to suppress overshoot and hunting in this humidity control. When performing the above control, the humidity detection value from the humidity detector HG1 is used for monitoring, but it is also possible to use the humidity detection value from the humidity detector HG2 for monitoring and the humidity detection value from the humidity detector HG1 for control.

[0054] The heater operation command unit 53 is configured to issue commands to the heater controller 97b in order to operate the heater 97a in accordance with the water flow rate command value determined by the water flow rate determination unit 52.

[0055] With the transport chamber 1 configured as described above, it can be operated as follows.

[0056] First, to start the operation of the transport chamber 1, as shown in Figure 5, N2 gas is supplied to the nearly sealed space CS inside from the gas supply port 91 via the gas supply line GS, while air is removed from the gas exhaust port 92 via the gas discharge line GE, thereby purging with N2 gas. At this time, the pressure acquisition unit 54 acquires a pressure detection value from the output obtained from the pressure detector PG, and the gas flow rate determination unit 51 determines a gas flow rate command value based on this pressure detection value and outputs it to the MFC 95. Then, the MFC 95 adjusts the gas flow rate according to the gas flow rate command value, thereby changing the flow rate of N2 gas supplied to the nearly sealed space CS. In this way, the inside of the nearly sealed space CS is kept at a positive pressure, which is higher than the outside pressure, and the intrusion of particles from the outside can be prevented.

[0057] Furthermore, the control means 5 controls the operation of the FFU 76 and fans 74, 75, and 77, allowing the gas to circulate internally along the circulation path CL. The chemical filter unit 7 and FFU 76 then remove particles and chemical components contained in the gas, resulting in a clean state.

[0058] Furthermore, the humidity acquisition unit 55, which constitutes the control means 5, acquires a humidity detection value from the output obtained from the humidity detector HG2, and the water flow rate determination unit 52 determines a water flow rate command value based on this humidity detection value and outputs it to the LFC 99. The LFC 99 adjusts the water flow rate according to the water flow rate command value, thereby adjusting the amount of moisture contained in the N2 gas supplied to the substantially sealed space CS. In addition, moisture is supplied as fine particles by the sprayer 96, and then vaporized using the downstream vaporizer 97 and supplied to the chemical filter box 3B. In this way, a slight humidity level can be maintained in the substantially sealed space CS that does not impair the hydrolysis reaction by the chemical filter unit 7, effectively removing chemical components and preventing corrosion of the wafer W due to excessive humidity.

[0059] As described above, by purifying the internal atmosphere, the system transitions to a normal state where the supply of N2 gas is reduced while maintaining positive pressure in the nearly sealed space CS, thereby reducing N2 gas consumption. Then, the control means 5 operates the transport robot 2, the load ports 4-4 and doors 1a, 4a-4a shown in Figure 1, allowing the wafers W to be transported while maintaining a clean state.

[0060] Furthermore, even during normal operation, by continuously controlling humidity based on the humidity detected by the humidity detector HG2, the removal performance of the chemical filter unit 7 can be maintained. Even if chemical components flow in from the processing device 6 along with the wafer W, these can be properly removed, keeping the interior clean.

[0061] As described above, the transport chamber 1 in this embodiment is for transferring wafers W as objects to be transported to and from the processing apparatus 6 using a transport robot 2 provided inside, and includes a circulation path CL formed inside for circulating gas, a chemical filter unit 7 as a chemical filter provided in the middle of the circulation path CL, a humidity detector HG2 as a humidity detection means for detecting the humidity inside, a gas supply means NS for supplying gas inside, and a moisture supply means HS for supplying moisture inside, and is configured to operate the moisture supply means HS based on the humidity detection value from the humidity detection means.

[0062] When gas is circulated within the transport chamber, it becomes almost impossible to discharge chemical components introduced from the processing device to the outside, making it necessary to remove them more efficiently using a chemical filter. Since the chemical filter uses a hydrolysis reaction to remove acidic and alkaline components, removing acidic and alkaline components becomes difficult if the humidity is too low. The N2 gas supplied to the transport chamber usually contains almost no moisture, so there is a risk that the transport chamber will become low in humidity and the chemical components will not be sufficiently removed. However, in the above embodiment, the internal humidity can be maintained appropriately by operating the moisture supply means HS based on the humidity detected by the humidity detector HG2, allowing the chemical filter unit 7 to perform the hydrolysis reaction appropriately, remove chemical components and keep the inside clean. As a result, it is possible to transport wafers W while maintaining a clean state, and the yield of semiconductor devices manufactured using wafers W can be improved.

[0063] Furthermore, since the moisture supply means HS is configured to add moisture to the gas in the middle of the gas supply line GS from the gas supply means NS, it is possible to supply moisture more stably.

[0064] Furthermore, since the water supply means HS is composed of an LFC99 which acts as a flow control unit connected to a water supply source, a sprayer 96 which sprays water supplied from the LFC99 into the gas, and a vaporizer 97 which vaporizes the water sprayed into the gas, it is possible to easily and appropriately control the amount of water supplied.

[0065] Furthermore, since the gas supply line GS downstream of the water supply by the water supply means HS is configured to have a heat-insulating means HI for keeping the piping warm, it is possible to prevent condensation from occurring when the gas temperature drops below the dew point after the water supply by the water supply means HS. This makes it possible to maintain an appropriate humidity level inside while suppressing the intrusion of excess moisture.

[0066] Furthermore, the specific configuration of each part is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0067] For example, in the above embodiment, N2 gas was used as the gas filling the interior, but Ar (argon) gas, which is also an inert gas, can also be suitably used. Furthermore, any gas other than water vapor can be used, and this can be appropriately changed depending on the processing content for the wafer W being transported.

[0068] Furthermore, this transport chamber 1 can also be used to transport objects other than wafers W.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the moisture supply means HS was configured to supply moisture to the N2 gas supplied to the substantially sealed space CS. However, it is also possible to configure it to supply moisture directly into the substantially sealed space CS, and in that case as well, effects similar to those described above can be obtained.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the moisture supply means HS was operated based on the value detected by the humidity detector HG2 to maintain the desired humidity inside the substantially sealed space CS. However, the system may also be configured to supply a predetermined amount of moisture from the moisture supply means HS at predetermined time intervals without using the value detected by the humidity detector HG2. This also makes it possible to maintain the desired humidity inside the substantially sealed space CS and obtain effects similar to those described above, and further reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for the humidity detector HG2.

[0071] Other configurations can also be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1…Transportation Room 2… Transport robots 5…Control means 6… Processing Unit 7…Chemical filter unit (chemical filter) 96…Sprayer 97... Vaporizer 99...LFC (Flow Control Unit) CL…Circulation path GE... Gas emission line GS... Gas supply line HS…Moisture supply means HG1, HG2… Humidity detector (humidity detection means) HI…Heat insulation means NS... means of gas supply W...wafer (object being transported)

Claims

[Claim 1] The front wall to which the load port is connected, A rear wall having an opening to which a load lock chamber, which constitutes part of the processing apparatus, is connected, A first fan that forms a downward airflow in the transport space, A gas return space is provided on the rear wall side and on both sides of the opening, which circulates the airflow in the transport space toward the first fan, A second fan is provided in the aforementioned gas return space, A substrate transport method using a transport chamber having a transport robot for transporting substrates, provided in the transport space, The steps include: transporting the substrate from the container containing the substrate, which is placed on the load port, to the load lock chamber via the transport space; A substrate transport method comprising the step of transporting a substrate from the load lock chamber to the container via the transport space.

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