Substrate storage container

Abstract

To provide a substrate storage container having a valve body with improved assembly workability.SOLUTION: A substrate storage container 1 has a valve body 40 for controlling gas distribution to the container body 10, the valve body 40 comprises: an elastic valve body 45 having a valve aperture 454 connecting a first passage 458 leading to the outside and a second passage 459 leading to the inside; a retaining member 41 that holds the elastic valve body 45, and a tightening cap 47 that is inserted into the elastic valve body 45 to fix the elastic valve body 45 to the retaining member 41, and the valve aperture 454 is tightly closed by the elastic force of the elastic valve body 45.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2E

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate storage container provided with a valve body that controls the flow of gas into a container body. [Background technology]

[0002] A substrate storage container for storing substrates includes a container body, a lid for closing an opening of the container body, and a valve for controlling the flow of gas to and from the container body. This valve has a check valve function and includes a valve body and a metallic elastic member for opening and closing the valve body (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] However, in order to store the substrates in an airtight state, gas is supplied to the substrate storage container from a valve body and the gas is discharged via the valve body, but when the stored substrates are processed, residual substances adhering to the substrates may also be discharged together with the supplied gas, which may cause corrosion of the metallic elastic members of the valve body and the like due to the residual substances.

[0004] Therefore, the present inventors proposed a valve body using an elastic valve body that opens and closes a gas passage without using a metal member (see Patent Document 3). This valve body has a valve opening / closing mechanism that closes a valve opening formed in the elastic valve body by its own elastic force and opens it when the pressure of the gas exceeds the elastic force. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-160783 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2004-179449 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2019-021736 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the valve body described in Patent Document 3 is composed of a fixed cylinder, a retaining cylinder, an inner lid cylinder, and a plurality of O-rings, and therefore the number of parts is large, and assembly work takes time.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate storage container equipped with a valve body with improved assembly workability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) One aspect of the present invention is a substrate storage container comprising a container body for storing substrates, a lid body for closing an opening of the container body, and a valve body for controlling the flow of gas into the container body, wherein the valve body has an elastic valve body having a valve opening connecting a first passage communicating with the outside of the container body and a second passage communicating with the inside of the container body, a retaining member for holding the elastic valve body, and a tightening cap for fixing the elastic valve body to the retaining member by being inserted into the elastic valve body, and the valve opening is tightly sealed closed by the elastic force of the elastic valve body. (2) In the above aspect (1), the valve opening may deform when positive pressure is applied to the first passage, forming a gap to allow the gas to flow through the container body, or may deform when positive pressure is applied to the second passage, forming a gap to allow the gas to flow through the container body. (3) In the above aspect (1) or (2), the valve body may have a filter that filters the gas, and the holding member may hold the filter. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate storage container equipped with a valve body with improved assembly workability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is an exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an air supply valve body. [Figure 2B] FIG. 4 is a top view showing an air supply valve body. [Figure 2C] FIG. 4 is a front view showing an air supply valve body. [Figure 2D] FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing an air supply valve body. [Figure 2E] 2C is a cross-sectional view showing the intake valve body taken along line AA in FIG. 2B. [Figure 2F] 2C is a cross-sectional view showing the intake valve body taken along line BB in FIG. 2B. [Figure 3A] FIG. 4 is a top view showing the retaining member of the valve body. [Figure 3B] FIG. 4 is a front view showing a retaining member for the valve body. [Figure 3C] FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the retaining member of the valve body. [Figure 3D] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a retaining member for the valve body. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a handle of the valve body. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the handle of the valve body. [Figure 5A] FIG. 4 is a top view showing the elastic valve body of the valve body. [Figure 5B] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the elastic valve body of the valve body. [Figure 5C] FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the elastic valve body of the valve body. [Figure 5D] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an elastic valve body of a valve body. [Figure 6A] FIG. 4 is a top view showing the valve plug of the valve body. [Figure 6B] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the valve plug of the valve body. [Figure 6C] FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the valve plug of the valve body. [Figure 6D] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the valve plug of the valve body. [Figure 7A] FIG. 4 is a top view showing the cap of the valve body. [Figure 7B] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the cap of the valve body. [Figure 7C] FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the cap of the valve body. [Figure 7D] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cap of the valve body. [Figure 8A] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an exhaust valve body. [Figure 8B] 2B is a cross-sectional view showing an exhaust valve body taken at the same position as in FIG. 2E. [Figure 8C] 2F is a cross-sectional view showing an exhaust valve body taken at the same position as in FIG. 2F. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments of this specification, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The container includes a container body 10 for storing a substrate W, a lid 20 for closing an opening 11 of the container body 10, and an annular gasket 30 provided between the container body 10 and the lid 20.

[0013] The container body 10 is a box-shaped body with an opening 11 formed on the front. This opening 11 is bent and formed with a step so as to widen outward, and the surface of the step is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the front of the opening 11 as a sealing surface 12 with which the gasket 30 comes into contact. Note that the container body 10 is preferably of a front-open type, since this makes it easy to insert a substrate W with a diameter of 300 mm or 450 mm.

[0014] Support bodies 13 are arranged on both the left and right sides inside the container body 10. The support bodies 13 have the function of placing and positioning the substrate W. The support body 13 has a plurality of grooves formed in the height direction, constituting so-called groove teeth. The substrate W is placed on the two groove teeth on the left and right at the same height. The material of the support body 13 may be the same as that of the container body 10, but a different material may be used to improve cleaning properties and sliding properties.

[0015] A rear retainer (not shown) is disposed at the rear (deep side) inside the container body 10. When the lid 20 is closed, the rear retainer pairs with a front retainer, which will be described later, to hold the substrate W. However, instead of providing a rear retainer as in this embodiment, the support 13 may have, for example, a V-shaped or linear substrate holding portion on the deep side of the groove teeth, so that the front retainer and substrate holding portion hold the substrate W. The support 13 and rear retainer may be provided in the container body 10 by insert molding, fitting, or the like.

[0016] The substrate W is supported by the support 13 and stored in the container body 10. An example of the substrate W is a silicon wafer, but is not particularly limited thereto, and may be, for example, a quartz wafer, a gallium arsenide wafer, or the like.

[0017] A robotic flange 14 is detachably provided at the center of the ceiling of the container body 10. The substrate storage container 1 that airtightly stores the substrates W in a clean state is gripped by the robotic flange 14 by a transport robot in a factory and transported to a processing device for each process that processes the substrates W.

[0018] Further, manual handles 15 to be gripped by an operator are detachably attached to the center of the outer surface of both sides of the container body 10.

[0019] An air supply section 16 and an exhaust section 17 are provided on the bottom surface inside the container body 10, and valve bodies 40, 50, which will be described later, are attached to the bottom surface outside the container body 10. These are configured to supply an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or dry air from the air supply section 16 to the inside of the substrate storage container 1 closed by the lid body 20, and exhaust it from the exhaust section 17 as necessary, thereby replacing the gas inside the substrate storage container 1, maintaining a low-humidity airtight state, and blowing away impurities on the substrates W, thereby maintaining the cleanliness of the inside of the substrate storage container 1. Note that in addition to supplying gas from the air supply section 16, the exhaust section 17 may be connected to a negative pressure (vacuum) generating device to forcibly exhaust the gas from the exhaust section 17.

[0020] Furthermore, by detecting the gas exhausted from the exhaust unit 17, it is possible to confirm whether the inside of the substrate storage container 1 has been replaced with the introduced gas. Note that, although it is preferable that the gas supply unit 16 and the exhaust unit 17 are located at positions that are off the position where the substrate W is projected onto the bottom surface, the number and positions of the gas supply units 16 and the exhaust units 17 are not limited to those shown in the figure, and they may be located at the four corners of the bottom surface of the container body 10. Also, the gas supply units 16 and the exhaust units 17 may be attached to the side of the lid 20.

[0021] On the other hand, the lid body 20 is a generally rectangular body attached to the front of the opening 11 of the container body 10. The lid body 20 has a locking mechanism (not shown) and is locked by fitting a locking piece into a locking hole (not shown) formed in the container body 10.

[0022] In addition, an elastic front retainer (not shown) that holds the front edge of the substrate W horizontally is attached to the center of the lid 20 in a detachable manner by fitting or the like, or is integrally formed by insert molding or the like. This front retainer, like the groove teeth and substrate holding portion of the support 13, is a portion that comes into direct contact with the wafer, and therefore is made of a material that is easy to clean and has good sliding properties.

[0023] The lid 20 is formed with an attachment groove 21 for attaching the gasket 30. For example, a convex portion 22 smaller than the step portion of the opening 11 may be formed in an annular shape on the surface of the lid 20 facing the container body 10, thereby forming the attachment groove 21 having a generally U-shaped cross section in an annular shape. This convex portion 22 is adapted to go deeper than the step portion of the opening 11 when the lid 20 is attached to the container body 10.

[0024] Examples of materials for the container body 10 and the lid 20 include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyether ether ketone, and liquid crystal polymer. This thermoplastic resin may be appropriately supplemented with conductive agents such as conductive carbon, conductive fiber, metal fiber, and conductive polymer, various antistatic agents, and ultraviolet absorbing agents.

[0025] Next, the gasket 30 is annular in shape corresponding to the front shape of the lid 20 (and the shape of the opening 11 of the container body 10), and in this embodiment, is rectangular frame-shaped. However, the annular gasket 30 may be annular (ring-shaped) before being attached to the lid 20.

[0026] The gasket 30 is disposed between the sealing surface 12 of the container body 10 and the lid body 20, and when the lid body 20 is attached to the container body 10, it adheres closely to the sealing surface 12 and the lid body 20 to ensure the airtightness of the substrate storage container 1, reducing the intrusion of dust, moisture, etc. from the outside into the substrate storage container 1, and reducing the leakage of gas from the inside to the outside.

[0027] The gasket 30 may be formed using an elastic material such as a thermoplastic elastomer made of a polyester-based elastomer, a polyolefin-based elastomer, a fluorine-based elastomer, a urethane-based elastomer, a fluororubber, an ethylene propylene rubber, a silicone-based rubber, etc. Various additives may be added to these materials to impart other functions.

[0028] Next, the air supply valve body 40 will be described. Fig. 2 shows the valve body 40 for supplying air, with Fig. 2A being an exploded perspective view, Fig. 2B being a top view, Fig. 2C being a front view, Fig. 2D being a bottom view, Fig. 2E being a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2B, and Fig. 2F being a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2B. Figs. 2E and 2F also show the bottom portion of the container body 10.

[0029] The valve body 40 controls the flow of gas to the container body 10, and when attached to the container body 10, communicates with the gas supply section 16 via a gas flow passage (not shown). As shown in Figures 2E and 2F, the valve body 40 has a holding member 41 that is fitted into a through hole 18 formed by a rib on the bottom surface of the container body 10 (or a bottom plate attached to the bottom surface of the container body 10). Note that a plurality of ventilation ribs 19 that ensure the flow of gas to the container body 10 are formed on the base end side of the through hole 18.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a holding member 41 of a valve body 40, with FIG. 3A being a top view, FIG. 3B being a front view, FIG. 3C being a bottom view, and FIG. 3D being a perspective view.

[0031] The holding member 41 is formed of a cylindrical first tube portion 411 and a second tube portion 412 having a central axis eccentric to the central axis of the first tube portion 411 (see FIGS. 3A and 3C).

[0032] The first cylindrical portion 411 has a ring groove 414 formed on its outer circumferential surface. Also, the first cylindrical portion 411 has partition ribs 413 extending radially from an air vent 416 provided on its upper surface on the container body 10 side. The air vent 416 is formed in the first cylindrical portion 411 such that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the second cylindrical portion 412.

[0033] Furthermore, a storage hole 417 communicating with the ventilation hole 416 is also formed in the first cylindrical portion 411 (see FIGS. 3C and 3D). The storage hole 417 has an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the ventilation hole 416.

[0034] On the other hand, a pair of support shafts 415 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second cylindrical portion 412 along a direction substantially perpendicular to the eccentric direction. The lower side of each of the support shafts 415 is chamfered (see FIG. 3B).

[0035] Further, a fitting hole 418 is formed in the center of the second cylindrical portion 412 (see Figs. 3C and 3D). This fitting hole 418 has an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the storage hole 417. This fitting hole 418 has an inner diameter equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of a fitting body portion 451 of the elastic valve body 45 described later.

[0036] The holding member 41 is formed from a thermoplastic resin material such as polycarbonate, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, or liquid crystal polymer.

[0037] Here, an annular seal ring 42 is attached to the ring groove 414 of the holding member 41 (see Figs. 2A, 2E, and 2F). This seal ring 42 ensures airtightness between the holding member 41 and the through hole 18 when the holding member 41 is inserted into the through hole 18 of the container body 10, and also has the function of fixing the holding member 41 by fitting into the through hole 18.

[0038] The seal ring 42 is made of a material such as fluororubber, natural rubber, urethane rubber, or ethylene propylene rubber.

[0039] Also, one or more filters 43 are provided, for example, by adhesion or welding, on the upper end of the first cylindrical portion 411 (partition rib 413) of the holding member 41 (see FIG. 2A). The filters 43 filter the gas being supplied or discharged, and are selected from porous membranes made of tetrafluoroethylene, polyester fiber, fluororesin, etc., molecular filtration filters made of glass fiber, etc., and chemical filters in which a chemical adsorbent is supported on a filter material such as activated carbon fiber, etc.

[0040] When using a plurality of filters 43, the filters may be of the same type, but it is more preferable to combine filters with different properties, since this can prevent organic contamination in addition to particles. For example, when cleaning the container body 10, a hydrophobic or hydrophilic material may be used on one side of the filter 43 to suppress the permeation of liquid, in order to suppress the retention of liquid such as water or cleaning liquid, or to suppress the passage of liquid.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows the handle 44 of the valve body 40, with FIG. 4A being a perspective view and FIG. 4B being a side view.

[0042] Handle 44 is formed in a U-shape and has an arc-shaped main body 441 and bearings 442 provided on both ends of main body 441. Bearing 442 is formed with shaft hole 442a into which shaft 415 of holding member 41 is inserted (see FIG. 2A).

[0043] Furthermore, the bearing 442 has a protruding piece 443 formed on the side opposite to the side connected to the main body 441. This protruding piece 443 is used when mounting the valve body 40 to the container body 10, and by rotating the handle 44 to the stored state as shown in Fig. 2C, the valve body 40 is fitted into the through hole 18 by the principle of a lever with the mounting part of the container body 10 as a fulcrum (see Patent Document 1 for details).

[0044] The handle 44 is molded from a thermoplastic resin material such as polycarbonate, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, or liquid crystal polymer.

[0045] FIG. 5 shows the elastic valve body 45 of the valve body 40, with FIG. 5A being a top view, FIG. 5B being a front view, FIG. 5C being a bottom view, and FIG. 5D being a cross-sectional view.

[0046] The elastic valve body 45 has a cylindrical fitting body 451 and a tubular portion 452 extending from the recessed upper surface of the fitting body 451, which are concentric. The fitting body 451 has an outer diameter equal to or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the fitting hole 418 of the holding member 41, and a flange portion 455 is formed at the lower end. Note that it is preferable that the fitting body 451 is fitted into the fitting hole 418 in a forced fit (tight fit).

[0047] On the other hand, the cylindrical portion 452 includes a valve portion 453 in which a valve opening 454 is formed on the inner circumferential surface (see FIG. 5D). This valve portion 453 is formed in a beak shape with two inclined surfaces extending toward the valve opening 454 at the tip so that the cross section of the valve portion 453 is mountain-shaped toward the container body 10. The ridge of the mountain shape is not limited to a straight line as in the embodiment, and may be an arc.

[0048] The valve portion 453 divides the inner space of the cylindrical portion 452 into a first passage 458 communicating with the outside of the container body 10 and a second passage 459 communicating with the inside of the container body 10, and these first passage 458 and second passage 459 are connected via a valve opening 454.

[0049] The valve opening 454 is formed as an oval or elliptical slit opening. When forming the valve opening 454, it is preferable to form it simultaneously with molding using a metal mold, or to cut it with a cutter after molding. The length of the minor axis of the valve opening 454 may be, for example, about 0.1 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, depending on the thickness of the elastic valve body 45.

[0050] A cylindrical vent opening 456 communicating with the first passage 458 is formed inside the fitting body 451, and a tightening cap 47 described later can be inserted into this vent opening 456. In addition, a positioning protrusion 457 for positioning a valve plug 46 described later is formed on the rear side of the vent opening 456 (the connection portion with the valve portion 453).

[0051] The elastic valve body 45 may be formed using various kinds of rubber, thermoplastic elastomer resin, etc. For example, rubber such as fluororubber or ethylene propylene rubber, or thermoplastic elastomers such as polyester-based elastomers, polyolefin-based elastomers, fluorine-based elastomers, and urethane-based elastomers may be used.

[0052] FIG. 6 shows the valve plug 46 of the valve body 40, with FIG. 6A being a top view, FIG. 6B being a front view, FIG. 6C being a bottom view, and FIG. 6D being a side view.

[0053] The valve plug 46 has a ring-shaped base 461, two legs 462 standing on the base 461, and a seal plate 463 bridging the two legs 462. The upper surface of the base 461, on which the legs 462 stand, is chamfered at two points to form chamfered portions 465, which are adapted to engage with positioning protrusions 457 of the elastic valve body 45 (see FIG. 2E).

[0054] The sealing plate 463 has a cross-sectional shape that is the same as or similar to the shape of the valve opening 454. In other words, the major axis of the sealing plate 463 has a length equal to or longer than the major axis of the oval or elliptical shape of the valve opening 454 by a length within a range of 1 mm or less. In other words, the sealing plate 463 has a circumferential length equal to or slightly longer than the circumferential length of the valve opening 454.

[0055] The circular opening on the inside of the base 461 and the space between the two legs 462 form an opening 464 through which gas can pass.

[0056] The valve plug 46 is made of a material that does not easily stick to the material that forms the elastic valve body 45, such as cycloolefin polymer, polyether ether ketone, polyolefin methacrylate, polypropylene, polybutylene terephthalate, or polycarbonate.

[0057] FIG. 7 shows the fastening cap 47 of the valve body 40, with FIG. 7A being a top view, FIG. 7B being a front view, FIG. 7C being a bottom view, and FIG. 7D being a perspective view.

[0058] A fastening cap 47 is inserted into the ventilation opening 456 of the elastic valve body 45 (see Figs. 2A, 2E and 2F). This fastening cap 47 has a circular ring portion 471 and a plurality of (for example, four) legs 473 extending in an L-shape from one side of the circular ring portion 471 toward the center. The four legs 473 are connected to each other to form a cross shape.

[0059] The annular portion 471 has a plurality of (for example, four) reinforcing ribs 474 formed on its inner circumferential surface, and has four locking claws 472 formed on its outer circumferential surface. The annular portion 471 has an outer diameter that is equal to or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the ventilation opening 456 of the elastic valve body 45.

[0060] The locking claw 472 is locked in the ventilation opening 456 of the elastic valve body 45, and by pushing and spreading the fitting body 451 outside the ventilation opening 456, the elastic valve body 45 can be tightly fitted into the fitting hole 418 of the holding member 41, thereby having a slip-out prevention function (see Figures 2E and 2F). 。

[0061] The fastening cap 47 is molded from a thermoplastic resin material such as polycarbonate, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, or liquid crystal polymer.

[0062] Next, the exhaust valve body 50 will be described. Since the exhaust valve body 50 is composed of the same parts as the intake valve body 40 except for the elastic valve body 45, the description of each part will be omitted as appropriate. 8 shows an exhaust valve body 50, where FIG. 8A is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken at the same position as FIG. 2E, and FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional view taken at the same position as FIG. 2F.

[0063] The valve body 50 controls the flow of gas to the container body 10, and when attached to the container body 10, communicates with the exhaust section 17 via a gas flow passage (not shown). Contrary to the valve body 40, the valve body 50 allows the exhaust of gas from the container body 10 to the outside, but does not allow the supply of gas to the inside of the container body 10, and is used for the exhaust section 17.

[0064] In this valve body 50 , the valve portion 553 of the elastic valve body 55 is formed in a valley shape toward the container body 10 side, and the valve plug 46 is held between the holding member 41 and the elastic valve body 55 .

[0065] Finally, the manner in which the valve body 40 controls the flow of gas will be described. When no positive pressure is applied to the first passage 458 and the second passage 459 of the elastic valve body 45, the valve opening 454 of the valve body 40 comes into close contact with the valve plug 46, blocking the flow of gas to either side. When positive pressure is applied to the second passage 459, the two inclined surfaces of the valve portion 453 are pressed against the valve plug 46, but even if different pressures are applied to the inclined surfaces, the valve plug 46 is sandwiched in the center, so the valve opening 454 does not distort, blocking the flow of gas to either side.

[0066] Then, for example, when a positive pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied to the first passage 458, the elastic valve body 45 deforms so as to push and widen the valve opening 454 in accordance with the magnitude of the positive pressure, forming a gap between the valve plug 46. Then, gas supplied from outside the container body 10 passes through this gap, flows into the second passage 459, and is supplied to the inside of the container body 10.

[0067] On the other hand, when a negative pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the second passage 459, it is relatively the same as when a positive pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the first passage 458, and therefore the valve body 40 performs a similar valve opening operation.

[0068] Conversely, when a positive pressure is applied to the second passage 459, the valve portion 453 of the elastic valve body 45, which has a tapered shape toward the apex (vertex line), bends downward in the opposite direction and deforms to close the valve opening 454, and comes into close contact with the valve plug 46. Then, when the valve opening 454 and the valve plug 46 come into close contact with each other, the flow of gas from the second passage 459 side is blocked and it is no longer possible for gas to flow to the first passage 458 side.

[0069] In addition, when a negative pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the first passage 458, the situation is relatively similar to when a positive pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the second passage 459, and therefore the valve body 40 performs a similar operation.

[0070] The specified pressure value at which gas can flow can be adjusted by changing the material, hardness, shape, dimensions, and thickness of the elastic valve body 45, and the width or length of the valve opening 454 and the valve plug 46 (sealing plate portion 463).

[0071] The manner in which the valve body 50 controls the flow of gas is basically opposite to that of the valve body 40, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0072] As described above, the substrate storage container 1 of an embodiment of the present invention is a substrate storage container 1 comprising a container body 10 for storing a substrate W, a lid body 20 for closing an opening 11 of the container body 10, and a valve body 40, 50 for controlling the flow of gas to the container body 10, and the valve body 40, 50 has an elastic valve body 45, 55 having a valve opening 454 that connects a first passage 458 communicating with the outside of the container body 10 and a second passage 459 communicating with the inside of the container body 10, a holding member 41 for holding the elastic valve body 45, 55, and a tightening cap 47 that is inserted into the elastic valve body 45, 55 to fix the elastic valve body 45, 55 to the holding member 41, and the valve opening 454 is tightly sealed closed by the elastic force of the elastic valve body 45, 55.

[0073] As a result, by attaching the fastening cap 47 to the elastic valve bodies 45, 55, the elastic valve bodies 45, 55 can be fixed to the holding member 41, and the number of parts can be reduced compared to conventional products. Also, since the fitting force between the holding member 41 and the elastic valve body 45 can be increased, gas leakage from the gap between them can be prevented.

[0074] Furthermore, since the substrate storage container 1 is equipped with valve bodies 40, 50 that do not use metallic components, even if there are residual substances corrosive to metals on the stored substrates W, problems with metal corrosion do not occur, and the valve bodies 40, 50 are unlikely to fail to operate.

[0075] Furthermore, by simply replacing the elastic valve bodies 45, 55 and changing the position of the valve plug 46, gas can be circulated in the supply or exhaust direction, and the system can be adapted to any gas supply and exhaust route regardless of the position or number of the supply section 16 and exhaust section 17.

[0076] The valve plug 46 of the embodiment is sandwiched between the elastic valve body 55 and the retaining member 41. As a result, by inserting the tightening cap 47 into the elastic valve body 55 and attaching it to the retaining member 41, the valve plug 46 and the elastic valve body 55 can be fixed.

[0077] The valve plug 46 of the embodiment is sandwiched between the elastic valve body 45 and the tightening cap 47. As a result, by attaching the tightening cap 47 to the elastic valve body 45, the valve plug 46 and the elastic valve body 45 can be fixed.

[0078] In addition, the opening 464 of the valve plug 46 and the ventilation opening 475 of the tightening cap 47 also correspond to the "first passage" described in the claims in that they are connected to the first passage 458, and the ventilation hole 416 also corresponds to the "second passage" described in the claims in that they are connected to the second passage 459.

[0079] The valve opening 454 in the embodiment is configured to deform when a positive pressure is applied to the first passage 458, forming a gap to allow gas to pass through the container body 10, or to deform when a positive pressure is applied to the second passage 459, forming a gap to allow gas to pass through the container body 10. As a result, for example, when gas is introduced from one side of the valve body 40, 50 and the pressure becomes positive, and when the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure value, the valve opening 454 of the elastic valve body 45, 55 expands, and the introduced gas is supplied to the other side of the valve body 40, 50.

[0080] The valve body 40, 50 of the embodiment has a filter 43 that filters gas, and the holding member 41 holds the filter 43. This makes it possible to filter gas passing through the valve body 40, 50. In addition, by sandwiching the filter 43 between the holding member 41 (the partition rib 413) and the container body 10 (the ventilation rib 19), it is possible to prevent the filter 43 from falling off.

[0081] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0082] (Modification) In the above embodiment, the first cylindrical portion 411 and the second cylindrical portion 412 of the holding member 41 are eccentric so as to conform to the positioning relationship between the existing substrate storage container 1 and a load port equipped with an air supply / exhaust nozzle, but they may be concentric as in the conventional valve body described in the above Patent Document 3. Also, in the structure of this conventional valve body, the valve plug 46 of the embodiment may be configured to be inserted into the slit in the elastic body (corresponding to the valve opening 454 of the elastic valve body 45).

[0083] In the above embodiment, the valve portion 453 of the elastic valve body 45 may be in a cross shape with two valve openings 454 intersecting at right angles. In this case, it is preferable that the seal plate portion 463 of the valve plug 46 is also formed so that its cross section is in a cross shape.

[0084] Alternatively, in the above embodiment, the valve body 40, 50 may not have the valve plug 46. In this case, the valve opening 454 of the elastic valve body 45, 55 is formed so as to be normally closed by its own elastic force, and when a positive pressure is applied to the first passage 458 and exceeds the elastic force of the valve opening 454, the valve opening 454 deforms to form a gap, thereby allowing the gas to pass through the container body 10, or when a positive pressure is applied to the second passage 459, the valve opening 454 deforms to form a gap, thereby allowing the gas to pass through the container body 10.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the filter 43 may be disposed in the gas flow path from the gas supply source to the gas release port inside the container body 10, separately from the valve bodies 40, 50.

[0086] In the above embodiments, the valve bodies 40, 50 are configured to be attached to through holes 18 formed in at least one of the container body 10 and the lid body 20, but as with the valve body described in Patent Document 3 above, they may be configured to be attached midway through a gas flow path (piping) provided in the container body 10, for example, a gas flow path communicating with at least one of the air supply section 16 or the exhaust section 17. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1. Substrate storage container 10 container body, 11 opening, 12 sealing surface, 13 support, 14 robotic flange, 15 manual handle, 16 air supply section, 17 exhaust section, 18 through hole, 19 ventilation rib 20 cover, 21 mounting groove, 22 protrusion 30 Gasket 40,50 Valve body 41 holding member, 411 first cylindrical portion, 412 second cylindrical portion, 413 partition rib, 414 ring groove, 415 support shaft, 416 ventilation hole, 417 storage hole, 418 fitting hole 42 Seal ring 43 Filters 44 handle, 441 body, 442 bearing, 442a shaft hole, 443 protruding piece 45, 55 elastic valve body, 451 fitting body portion, 452 cylindrical portion, 453, 553 valve portion, 454 valve opening, 455 flange portion, 456 ventilation opening, 457 positioning protrusion, 458 first passage, 459 second passage 46 valve plug, 461 base, 462 leg, 463 seal plate, 464 opening, 465 chamfer 47 Fastening cap, 471 Circular ring portion, 472 Locking claw, 473 Leg portion, 474 Reinforcing rib, 475 Ventilation opening W substrate

Claims

1. A container body for storing the substrate; A lid that closes the opening of the container body; a valve body that controls the flow of gas to the container body, The valve body is an elastic valve body having a valve opening that connects a first passage communicating with the outside of the container body and a second passage communicating with the inside of the container body; A holding member for holding the elastic valve body; a fastening cap that is inserted into the elastic valve body to fix the elastic valve body to the holding member; A filter for filtering the gas, The valve opening is tightly closed by the elastic force of the elastic valve body, The filter is sandwiched between the container body and the holding member. A substrate storage container comprising:

2. The valve opening is When a positive pressure is applied to the first passage, the first passage deforms to form a gap, thereby allowing the gas to pass through the container body, or When a positive pressure is applied to the second passage, the second passage is deformed to form a gap, thereby allowing the gas to pass through the container body. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 .

3. The elastic valve body includes a beak-shaped valve portion having the valve opening on its inner circumference, 3. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2.

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