Load port, abnormality determination method, and storage medium

Abstract

To provide a load port and an abnormality determination method that can more accurately determine whether a lid is attached abnormally with a simple configuration. [Solution] A load port (1) according to the present disclosure includes a mounting section (20) on which a container (10) containing a substrate (W) is mounted, a plate (30) having an opening (31) through which the substrate is loaded and unloaded, a port door (40) that opens and closes the opening (31) and has an engaging section (411) that engages with an engaged section of a lid (13) of the container (10), a drive mechanism (50) that moves the port door (40), a detection section (60), and a control section (70) that controls the operation of each section. The control section (70) moves the port door (40) from a mounting position (A) close to the plate (30) to a detection position (B) between a retracted position (C) away from the plate (30), and with the port door (40) stopped at the detection position (B), the detection section (60) detects whether the port door (40) is holding the lid (13), and determines whether there is an abnormality in the mounting state of the lid (13) based on the detection result of the detection section (60).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a load port, an abnormality determination method, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Substrates such as semiconductor wafers to be processed in semiconductor manufacturing equipment are housed in multiple containers called FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods) and transported between semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Substrates are placed on slots in the FOUP and are loaded and unloaded by a transport arm inside the semiconductor manufacturing equipment through an opening in the FOUP. The FOUP is placed on a platform in the load port of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and an opening / closing mechanism on the load port opens and closes the opening by attaching and detaching the FOUP lid. After the lid closes the opening of the FOUP, it is locked by a latch mechanism.

[0003] If the lid is not properly attached or locked, there is a risk that the lid may fall off the FOUP and cause the substrates to fly out when the FOUP is transported between semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which, to confirm whether a lid has been properly attached to a FOUP, a lid holding sensor unit is provided that has a close sensor that detects the presence or absence of a lid attachment / detachment mechanism in the attachment position and an abnormality detection sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object; the lid attachment / detachment mechanism is moved to an attachment position where it comes into contact with the lid placed at the opening position, and a retracted position where it does not come into contact with the lid placed at the opening position; and the lid holding sensor unit is used to determine whether or not there is an abnormality regarding the attachment or detachment of the lid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6816249 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the attachment and detachment of the lid based on the time difference between the timing at which the close sensor no longer detects the lid attachment and detachment mechanism as the lid attachment and detachment mechanism moves from the attached position to the retracted position, and the timing at which the abnormality detection sensor no longer detects an object as the lid attachment and detachment mechanism moves from the attached position to the retracted position.

[0007] With the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to determine that a state in which the lid is not locked properly and the lid attachment / detachment mechanism is holding the lid at a distance is abnormal. The reason for this is that when the lid attachment / detachment mechanism is holding the lid at a distance, the timing at which the abnormality detection sensor stops detecting an object is the same as when the lid is held normally, which could lead to a determination that the state is normal.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a load port and an abnormality determination method that can more accurately determine whether a lid is mounted abnormally with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is a load port comprising: a mounting section on which a container for accommodating substrates is placed; a plate having an opening adjacent to the container and through which the substrate is loaded and unloaded; a port door that opens and closes the opening and has an engaging section that engages with an engaged section of a lid of the container, contacting a first surface of the lid and holding the lid; a drive mechanism that moves the port door to an attachment position close to the plate, a retracted position away from the plate, and a detection position between the attachment position and the retracted position; a detection section that detects at least the lid; and a control section that controls the operation of each section, wherein the control section moves the port door from the attachment position to the detection position and, with the port door stopped at the detection position, determines whether the attachment state of the lid is normal or abnormal based on the detection result of the detection section.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is a load port of the first aspect, wherein the engagement portion protrudes from the holding surface of the port door, the amount of protrusion of the engagement portion is smaller than the thickness dimension of the lid it holds, the lid has a second surface opposite the first surface, and the detection position is a position when the detection area of ​​the detection portion overlaps the area between the tip of the engagement portion and the second surface of the lid when the first surface of the lid is in contact with the holding surface of the port door.

[0011] A third aspect of the present invention is a load port of the second aspect, wherein the detection unit is provided on the plate, and the control unit sets the position of the port door when the area overlaps the detection area as the detection position, moves the port door, and determines the attachment state of the lid attached to the container.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a load port according to the first or second aspect, wherein the control unit moves the port door from the mounting position to the detection position based on a command value input to the input unit, and stops the port door when it reaches the detection position, and the command value is either or a combination of a movement distance and a movement time from the mounting position to the detection position.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a load port according to the first or second aspect, wherein the detection unit is composed of an optical sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, and the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are arranged above and below the opening in the horizontal center of the plate.

[0014] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a load port according to the first or second aspect, wherein the control unit moves the port door to the attachment position when it determines that the attachment of the lid is normal, and when it determines that there is an abnormality, it brings the port door to an emergency stop at the detection position, sounds an alarm, or makes an emergency stop and sounds an alarm.

[0015] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a load port of the first or second aspect described above, wherein the detection unit further detects the substrate protruding from the container, and the control unit determines the protruding state of the substrate from the container when the port door holding the lid is positioned at the retracted position.

[0016] An eighth aspect of the present invention is a load port according to the second aspect, wherein the normal state is a state in which the detection unit detects that no object is present in the detection area when the port door is positioned at the detection position, and the abnormal state is a state in which the detection unit detects that an object is present in the detection area when the port door is positioned at the detection position.

[0017] A ninth aspect of the present invention is an abnormality determination method for a load port comprising: a mounting section on which a container for accommodating substrates is placed; a plate having an opening adjacent to the container and through which the substrates are inserted and removed; a port door that opens and closes the opening and has an engaging section that engages with an engaged section of a lid of the container and contacts a first surface of the lid; a drive mechanism that moves the port door to an attachment position close to the plate, a retracted position away from the plate, and a detection position between the attachment position and the retracted position; a detection section that detects at least the lid; and a control section that controls the operation of each section, the method comprising: a detection step of moving the port door from the attachment position to the detection position and, while the port door is stopped at the detection position, detecting the state of the lid attached to the container by the detection section; and a determination step of determining whether the attachment state of the lid is normal or abnormal based on the detection result of the detection section.

[0018] A tenth aspect of the present invention is an abnormality determination method according to the ninth aspect, wherein the engagement portion protrudes from the holding surface of the port door, the amount of protrusion of the engagement portion is smaller than the thickness dimension of the lid it holds, and the lid has a second surface opposite the first surface, and the detection process includes a moving process of moving the drive mechanism to a position where the detection area of ​​the detection portion overlaps with the area between the tip of the engagement portion and the second surface of the lid while the first surface of the lid is in contact with the holding surface of the port door.

[0019] An eleventh aspect of the present invention is an abnormality determination method according to the ninth or tenth aspect, wherein if the determination process determines that the installation state of the lid is normal, the port door is moved to the installation position.

[0020] A twelfth aspect of the present invention is a storage medium storing a program for causing the control unit to execute the abnormality determination method according to the ninth or tenth aspect. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a load port and an abnormality determination method that can more accurately determine whether a lid is mounted abnormally with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a load port according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of a plate portion of the load port in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is an explanatory diagram of a port door in the load port of FIG. 1 that holds a container lid and is positioned at a detection position. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the movement of the port door in one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows the state in which the port door is positioned in the installation position, (b) shows the state in which the port door is positioned in the detection position, and (c) shows the state in which the port door is positioned in the retracted position. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the range of the port door when the container lid is in tight contact with the port door in one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the state in which the port door is positioned at the detection position where the detection area of ​​the detection unit is closest to the tip of the engagement unit, and (b) shows the state in which the port door is positioned at the detection position where the detection area of ​​the detection unit is closest to the second surface 13B of the lid. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the port door when the lid of the container is separated from the port door in one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the state in which the port door is positioned at a detection position where the detection area of ​​the detection unit is closest to the tip of the engagement unit, and (b) shows the state in which the port door is positioned at a detection position where the detection area of ​​the detection unit is closest to the second surface 13B of the lid. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control unit of the load port according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 3 is a flowchart showing a method for determining an abnormality in a load port according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Schematic diagrams showing abnormality patterns, where (a) shows the case where the lid is held in contact with the holding surface of the port door, and (b) shows the case where the lid is held away from the port door. [Figure 10] 1 is a timing chart of a method for determining abnormalities in a load port according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a normal case, (b) shows a case in which the port door 40 is in contact with and holding the lid 13, and (c) shows a case in which the port door 40 is holding the lid 13 at a distance. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a drive unit of a load port according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail. The following present embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention to the following content. The present invention can be carried out by appropriately modifying it within the scope of its gist. In the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right will be based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0024] Fig. 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a load port according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of a plate portion of the load port of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a port door that holds a container lid and is positioned at a detection position in the load port of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing movement of the port door in one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows a state in which the port door is positioned at the mounting position, (b) shows a state in which the port door is positioned at the detection position, and (c) shows a state in which the port door is positioned at the retracted position.

[0025] <Loading port> 1, the load port 1 of this embodiment includes a mounting section 20 for mounting a container 10, a plate 30, a port door 40, a drive mechanism 50, a detection section 60, and a control section 70 for controlling the operation of each section. The control section 70 determines whether or not there is an abnormality regarding the attachment or detachment of the lid 13 based on the detection result of the detection section 60. The control section 70 determines whether or not there is a substrate W protruding from the container 10 based on the detection result of the detection section 60.

[0026] (container) The container 10 includes a main body 11 having an opening 12 and a lid 13. The container 10 may be, for example, a FOUP, and can accommodate a plurality of substrates W by placing them on a slot with their surfaces facing upward. The container 10 has an opening 12 that is sealed with a lid 13. The lid 13 is provided with latches 13a, 13a that secure the lid 13 to the main body 11 of the container 10. The container 10, sealed with the lid 13, is transported by a transport device such as an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport, an automated guided vehicle that travels over an overhead).

[0027] The lid 13 of the container 10 has a second surface (inner surface) 13B on the opposite side of the first surface (outer surface) 13F (see FIG. 5(a)). The first surface 13F is provided with an engaged portion 13b (see FIG. 3) that engages with an engaging portion 411 of the port door 40, which will be described later. Furthermore, the first surface 13F has a locking hole (not shown) that is used when the lid 13 is locked by a locking mechanism 42 of the port door 40, which will be described later, after being fitted into the FOUP.

[0028] (Placement section) The placement unit 20 includes a base 21, a placement table 23 on which a container 10 containing a substrate W is placed, and a movement mechanism 22 that is incorporated into the base 21 and moves the placement table 23 in the horizontal direction (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1). For example, a container 10 transported by a transport device such as an OHT is placed on the placement table 23 waiting on the negative side of the Y-axis direction, and the placement table 23 is moved by the movement mechanism 22 toward the plate 30 (the positive direction of the Y-axis direction) and attached to the load port 1.

[0029] (plate) 1, the plate 30 is installed to extend vertically at the end of the base 21 of the mounting unit 20. The plate 30 constitutes a connection between the load port 1 and a substrate transport device (not shown) (for example, an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM)) that delivers the substrate W to a process device that performs various processes on the substrate W, and also serves as a partition between the processing region and the outside. The plate 30 has an opening 31 in an area extending upward from the base 21, and when the mounting table 23 moves toward the plate 30 and the container 10 and the plate 30 come into contact with each other, the substrate W is inserted or removed through this opening 31.

[0030] (Port Door) As shown in FIG. 2, the port door 40 fits into the opening 31 of the plate 30 to close the opening 31 when the port door 40 is in standby mode and no container 10 is attached. The port door 40 has a holding portion 41. The holding portion 41 has an engaging portion 411 and a suction pad 412. The engaging portion 411 engages with the engaged portion 13b of the lid 13 of the container 10. The engaging portion 411 is provided with a suction hole 411b connected to a suction device. After the engaging portion 411 engages with the engaged portion 13b of the lid 13, vacuum is drawn through the suction hole 411b, creating a negative pressure inside the suction pad 412 and enabling the lid 13 to be held. The port door 40 also has a locking mechanism 42. When the locking mechanism 42 is inserted into a locking hole (not shown) of the lid 13 and rotated, it operates a latch 13a of the lid 13 to lock and unlock the lid.

[0031] 5(a), when the container 10 is attached, the holding surface 40a of the port door 40 comes into contact with the first surface 13F of the lid 13. At this time, the engaged portion 13b of the lid 13 engages with the engaging portion 411 of the port door 40, and the locking hole of the lid 13 engages with the locking mechanism 42 of the port door 40. The lid 13 is unlocked by the locking mechanism 42 and is held by the engaging portion 411, making it possible to remove the lid 13.

[0032] The port door 40, while holding the lid 13 with the engagement portion 411, is moved horizontally rearward (positive direction of the Y axis) by the drive mechanism 50, and the lid 13 is removed to open the opening 12 of the container 10 and the opening 31 of the plate 30. The port door 40 is then moved vertically downward (negative direction of the Z axis) by the drive mechanism 50. At this time, the detection unit 60 may detect that the substrate W has protruded. The container 10 then opens relative to the substrate transfer device, allowing a transfer arm (not shown) within the substrate transfer device to access the container 10. The transfer arm holds the substrates W accommodated in the container 10 one by one and transfers them to the subsequent process device.

[0033] The substrate W that has been processed in the process device is transported to the container 10 by the substrate transport device. When closing the lid 13 of the container 10 that contains the substrate W that has been processed in the process device, the port door 40 moves vertically upward (positive direction in the Z axis direction) while holding the lid 13. At this time, the detection unit 60 may detect whether the substrate W has protruded. The port door 40 then moves horizontally toward the front (negative direction in the Y axis direction) and fits the lid 13 into the opening 12 of the container 10. The locking mechanism 42 is inserted into the locking hole, and the latch 13a of the lid 13 is operated to secure the lid 13 to the container 10. As described above, the port door 40 opens and closes the opening 12 of the container 10 and the opening 31 of the plate 30.

[0034] 2 and 3, the engaging portion 411 of the port door 40 protrudes from the holding surface 40a of the port door 40 at a position offset to the left or right from the center, and is configured to engage with the engaged portion 13b of the lid 13. The protruding amount H of the engaging portion 411 is smaller than the thickness dimension T of the lid 13 that it holds. Note that the engaging portion 411 may be, for example, a registration pin, and the protruding amount H may be approximately 11 mm. The thickness of the lid 13 may also be approximately 26 mm.

[0035] (Drive mechanism) 3, drive mechanism 50 is composed of an arm 51 that is connected to port door 40, extends vertically downward, and bends horizontally, and a drive unit 52 that is connected to the end of arm 51. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, drive mechanism 50 has drive unit 52 slidably fitted into a rail that extends vertically and is disposed below mounting table 23, and moves port door 40 up and down along this rail.

[0036] Furthermore, the arm portion 51 can be moved horizontally by the drive portion 52, so that the port door 40 can also be moved horizontally. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the arm portion 51 slidably engages with a linear guide 53 of the drive portion 52. In this way, the arm portion 51 moves the port door 40 horizontally along the linear guide 53.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the drive mechanism 50 moves the port door 40 to an attachment position A (FIG. 4(a)) close to the plate 30, a retracted position C (FIG. 4(c)) away from the plate, and a detection position B (FIG. 4(b)) between the attachment position A and the retracted position C. The attachment position A is a position where the holding surface 40a of the port door 40 contacts the first surface 13F of the lid 13 when the container 10 is sealed with the lid 13. The detection position B is a position where the port door 40 holding the lid 13 is moved horizontally from the attachment position A and where an area S, described later, can be detected by the detection unit 60. The retracted position is a position where the port door 40 is separated from the plate 30 and can move vertically.

[0038] (Detection unit) As shown in FIG. 2 , the detection unit 60 is configured, for example, by a pair of optical sensors, and includes a light-projecting unit 61 and a light-receiving unit 62. In this embodiment, the light-projecting unit 61 and the light-receiving unit 62 are arranged above and below the opening 31 in the horizontal (X-axis direction) central portion of the plate 30. When light from the light-projecting unit 61 is detected by the light-receiving unit 62, it is determined that no object is present within the opening 31. On the other hand, when light is not detected by the light-receiving unit 62, it is determined that an object is present within the opening 31. Examples of the object include the lid 13 and the substrate W. In this embodiment, the detection unit 60 is provided on the plate 30.

[0039] In this embodiment, when the port door 40 is placed at the detection position B, the movement of the drive mechanism stops and the optical sensor placed at the opening 31 operates to determine whether the lid 13 is present. When the port door 40 is placed at the detection position B, the optical sensor detects whether the lid 13 is present. When the lid 13 is included in the detection area O of the detection unit 60, it is determined that an object is present. The detection area O is the optical axis extending from the light-emitting unit 61 toward the light-receiving unit 62 (shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2).

[0040] In this embodiment, the detection unit 60 uses an optical sensor, but is not limited to this. For example, the presence or absence of the lid 13 may be detected by an image using an imaging device such as a CCD camera.

[0041] Furthermore, the port door 40 moves up and down at the retracted position C, and the optical sensor arranged at the opening 31 operates to determine whether or not the substrate W accommodated in the main body 11 of the container 10 has protruded from the opening 12. When the port door 40 moves up and down at the retracted position, the optical sensor detects whether or not the substrate W has protruded. If the substrate W falls within the detection area O of the detection unit 60, it is determined that the substrate W has protruded.

[0042] (detection position) In this embodiment, the control unit determines whether the lid attachment state is normal or abnormal based on the detection results of the detection unit 60. Specifically, after the container 10 is sealed with the lid 13 and locked by the locking mechanism 42, the control unit also determines that an abnormal state exists when the engaging portion 411 of the port door 40 holds the lid 13 at a distance (see FIG. 6). At this time, the area S of the lid 13, which would be held by the port door 40 if it were held by the port door 40, is positioned in the detection area O of the detection unit 60 described above, and the presence or absence of the lid 13 is detected to determine the abnormal state. The position of the port door 40 positioned at this time refers to the detection position in this embodiment.

[0043] Here, area S means the area between the tip 411a of the engagement portion 411 of the port door 40 and the second surface 13B of the lid 13 when the first surface 13F of the lid 13 is in contact with the holding surface 40a of the port door 40, as shown in Figure 3.

[0044] Region S will be described in further detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The dashed line indicates the position of the port door when detection region O of detection unit 60 is closest to tip 411a of engagement portion 411, and the dotted line indicates the position of the port door when detection region O of detection unit 60 is closest to second surface 13B of lid 13. In either case, the position of port door 40 corresponds to the detection position.

[0045] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the port door 40 when the lid 13 of the container 10 is in close contact with the port door 40. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the port door 40 when the lid 13 of the container 10 is separated from the port door 40.

[0046] Figure 5(a) shows the state in which the port door is positioned at detection position B where the detection area O of the detection unit 60 is closest to the tip 411a of the engagement portion 411, and (b) shows the state in which the port door is positioned at detection position B where the detection area O of the detection unit 60 is closest to the second surface 13B of the lid 13.

[0047] The drive mechanism 50 operates the port door 40 so that area S overlaps with the detection area O of the detection unit 60, thereby positioning the port door at detection position B. In other words, the drive mechanism 50 positions the port door 40 at detection position B. When the drive mechanism 50 positions the port door 40 at detection position B, area S overlaps with the detection area O of the detection unit 60. In other words, the possible detection position B of the port door 40 is range D indicated by the arrow in Figures 5(a) and 5(b).

[0048] 5(a) and 5(b), the presence of the lid 13 is detected because the lid 13 is included in the detection area O of the detection unit 60. As will be described later, if the presence of the lid 13 is detected, it is determined that there is an abnormality.

[0049] Next, a case will be described where the lid 13 of the container 10 is separated from the port door 40, as shown in Figure 6. Figure 6(a) shows a state where the port door is located at a detection position where the detection area O of the detection unit 60 is closest to the tip 411a of the engagement portion 411, and Figure 6(b) shows a state where the port door is located at a detection position where the detection area O of the detection unit 60 is closest to the second surface 13B of the lid 13.

[0050] When the drive mechanism 50 is operated to move the port door 40 to the same position as in FIG. 5(a), the first surface 13F of the lid 13 is positioned in the detection area O of the detection unit 60, as shown in FIG. 6(a). Furthermore, when the port door 40 is moved to the same position as in FIG. 5(b), the lid 13 is positioned in the detection area O of the detection unit 60, as shown in FIG. 6(b). In other words, even when the lid 13 of the container 10 is separated from the port door 40 as shown in FIG. 6, the lid 13 is included in the detection area O of the detection unit 60, so the detection unit 60 can detect the presence of the lid 13. Therefore, the presence of the lid 13 determines that an abnormality has occurred.

[0051] As described above, in the present disclosure, an abnormal state can be determined more accurately by setting an area S in which multiple possible abnormal states can be detected, and by setting the position of the load port 40 when the detection area O of the detection unit 60 overlaps with the area S as the detection position B. In other words, according to the present disclosure, even if the abnormal states differ in form, they can be determined to be abnormal under common conditions.

[0052] The advantageous effect of setting the detection position as described above will be explained using Figure 10. Figure 10 shows timing charts of the abnormality determination step S2 after the container 10 is sealed with the lid 13 and locked by the locking mechanism 42. (a) shows a normal case, (b) shows a case in which the port door 40 is in contact with and holding the lid 13, and (c) shows a case in which the port door 40 is separated from and holding the lid 13. In Figure 10, On indicates a state in which the detection unit 60 detects an object, and Off indicates a state in which the detection unit 60 does not detect an object.

[0053] 10(a), at mounting position A, the port door 40 is positioned in the detection area O, so the detection unit 60 is On. Thereafter, if normal, the detection unit 60 is Off while the port door 40 moves from mounting position A to detection position B, and remains Off at detection position B. In this embodiment, if the detection result at detection position B is Off, it is detected that no object is present, and therefore it is determined that there is no abnormality (normal).

[0054] On the other hand, when the port door 40 is in contact with and holding the lid 13, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the detection unit 60 does not turn off while the port door 40 moves from the mounting position A to the detection position B, but remains on until the port door 40 reaches the detection position B. That is, in such a case, the port door 40 is located in the detection area O at the mounting position A, and then the lid 13 is located as the port door 40 moves to the detection position B. Therefore, the presence of an object is detected at the detection position B. In this embodiment, when the detection result at the detection position B is on, it is determined that the presence of an object has been detected and an abnormality has occurred.

[0055] In this embodiment, an abnormal state can also be determined when the port door 40 holds the lid 13 at a distance. In this case, the lid 13 is caught and held by the engagement portion 411, and the position of the engagement portion 411 does not overlap with the optical axis (detection area O) of the detection unit 60, so the engagement portion 411 is not detected by the detection unit 60. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10(c), while the port door 40 moves from the mounting position A to the detection position B, the detection unit 60 turns off for a certain period of time and then turns on again. That is, even if the detection unit 60 turns off once as shown in FIG. 10(c), if the detection result is on at the detection position B, it is determined that an object has been detected and an abnormality has occurred. If an abnormality were determined based on the timing when the object was no longer detected, it would be difficult to determine an abnormality in a case such as that shown in FIG. 10(c).

[0056] As described above, according to the present disclosure, even if the abnormal state is different, it can be determined to be abnormal under common conditions.

[0057] (Control unit) 1 and 7, the moving mechanism 22 of the mounting table 23, the detection unit 60, and the drive mechanism 50 are electrically connected to a control unit 70. The control unit 70 is further connected to an input unit 73 that inputs parameters for the operation of each unit of the load port 1.

[0058] The control unit 70 includes a controller 71 that receives various control programs and input data from the input unit 73 and controls the operation of each part of the load port 1, and a memory unit 72 that stores the various control programs and input data from the input unit 73.

[0059] The controller 71 is configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, etc., and controls the operation of each unit by executing a predetermined program. The storage unit 72 can be configured with a storage medium such as a hard disk drive, a compact disc, a flash memory, a flexible disk, or a memory card. These storage media store control programs, which are installed in the control unit 70 and executed by the controller 71.

[0060] The control unit 70 first detects that the container 10 has been placed on the placement table 23 and controls the moving mechanism 22 to move the placement table 23 horizontally toward the plate 30. When the container 10 comes into contact with the plate 30 and the port door 40, the locking mechanism 42 of the port door 40 is activated to unlock the lid 13. Next, the control unit 70 controls the port door 40 to hold the lid 13 and open the opening 31 of the plate 30. At this time, the control unit 70 controls the drive mechanism 50 to move the port door 40 holding the lid 13 from the loading position A to the retracted position C, and then lowers the port door 40 to a height where it does not face the opening 31 at the retracted position C. Next, the substrate W is removed by a transfer arm in the substrate transfer device, undergoes a series of processes in a process device, and is returned to the container 10 via the substrate transfer device. Thereafter, when the port door 40 rises to a height where it faces the opening at the retracted position C, the detection unit 60 detects that the substrate W has protruded from the container 10. Based on the detection result, the control unit 70 determines whether the substrate W has protruded from the container 10. Then, the port door 40 holding the lid 13 is aligned with the opening 31 of the plate 30, and the lid 13 is locked by the locking mechanism 42, thereby sealing the container 10.

[0061] After the lid 13 is locked, the control unit 70 controls the drive mechanism 50 to move the port door 40 from the attachment position A to the detection position B. Then, with the port door 40 stopped at the detection position B, the control unit 70 controls the detection unit 60 to detect whether the port door 40 is holding the lid 13. Furthermore, based on the detection result of the detection unit 60, the control unit 70 determines whether there is an abnormality regarding the attachment or detachment of the lid 13.

[0062] The control unit 70 moves the port door 40 from the mounting position A to the detection position B based on the command value input to the input unit 73, and stops the port door 40 when it reaches the detection position B. As this command value, either the moving distance or the moving time from the mounting position A to the detection position B can be used, or a combination thereof.

[0063] In this embodiment, the control unit 70 moves the port door 40 from the mounting position A to the detection position B and stops it based on, for example, a command value input to the input unit 73. For example, a pulse value may be used as the command value for the movement distance. A pulse value for moving the port door 40 and stopping it at the detection position B may be set as the command value based on a predetermined pulse value corresponding to the mounting position A. Alternatively, a pulse value corresponding to the distance between the mounting position A and the detection position B may be set as the command value. Furthermore, a time measured using a timer may be input as the command value for stopping the port door 40 at the detection position B. The time required for the port door 40 to move from the mounting position A to the detection position B may be calculated based on the distance between the mounting position A and the detection position B and the movement speed of the port door 40 moving from the mounting position A to the detection position B, and the calculated time may be set as the command value. In other words, the command value may be a pulse value or a value representing the movement time from the mounting position A to the detection position B, or a combination thereof. Note that the command value does not necessarily have to be input to the input unit 73; the command value may be incorporated into the control program stored in the memory unit 72.

[0064] The control unit 70 controls the drive mechanism 50 so that the port door 40 stops at detection position B. By performing abnormality detection with the port door 40 stopped at detection position B in this manner, more accurate abnormality detection is possible. When the control unit 70 determines that the attachment of the lid 13 is normal based on the detection result of the detection unit 60, it controls the drive mechanism 50 to move the port door 40 to attachment position A. In this way, the container 10 is transported to the next process, and the port door 40 waits at attachment position A until the next container 10 is carried in.

[0065] Furthermore, if the control unit 70 determines that there is an abnormality in the installation of the lid 13, it controls the drive mechanism 50 to make an emergency stop of the port door 40 at the detection position B, to sound an alarm, or to make an emergency stop and to sound an alarm.

[0066] In this embodiment, abnormality detection is performed with the port door 40 stopped at detection position B, so the time required for the abnormality detection method can be shortened compared to when the port door 40 is moved further to the retracted position C to detect an abnormality.

[0067] The load port 1 of this embodiment comprises a mounting section 20 on which a container 10 containing a substrate W is placed, a plate 30 having an opening 31 adjacent to the container 10 through which the substrate W is inserted and removed, a port door 40 that opens and closes the opening 31 and has an engaging section 411 that engages with the engaged section 13b of the lid 13 of the container 10 and comes into contact with the first surface 13F of the lid 13, a drive mechanism 50 that moves the port door 40 to an attachment position A close to the plate 30, a detection position B between the attachment position A and the retracted position C, and a retracted position C away from the plate 30, a detection section 60, and a control section 70. The control section 70 moves the port door 40 from attachment position A to detection position B, and when the port door 40 is stopped at detection position B, detects using the detection section 60 whether the port door 40 is holding the lid 13, and determines whether there is an abnormality in the attachment state of the lid 13 based on the detection result of the detection section 60. Furthermore, if an abnormality is determined, the port door 40 is brought to an emergency stop at detection position B, an alarm is sounded, or both an emergency stop and an alarm are sounded. This makes it possible to detect more possible abnormality patterns related to the lid attachment / detachment without requiring any additional complex mechanisms, and to more accurately determine whether an abnormality exists. In other words, it is possible to more accurately determine the state of the lid attachment / detachment.

[0068] 9(a), examples of abnormal patterns include a case where the latch 13a of the lid 13 is not fitted in the groove 10a of the main body 11 of the container 10, and the lid 13 is held in contact with the holding surface 40a of the port door 40. Also, as shown in FIG. 9(b), a case where the latch 13a of the lid 13 is not fitted in the groove 10a of the main body 11 of the container 10, and the lid 13 is not held by the port door 40, and further a case where the latch 13a of the lid is not fitted in the groove 10a of the main body 11 of the container 10, and the lid is held apart from the port door (see FIG. 6), etc.

[0069] In the case of Figure 9(a), the lid 13 is present in the detection area O of the detection unit 60, so the detection unit 60 detects that an object is present in the detection area O and determines that an abnormality has occurred. Also in the case of Figure 9(b), the lid 13 is not fitted into the latch 13a and is tilted, so that part of the lid 13 is included in the detection area O, so the detection unit 60 detects that an object is present in the detection area O and determines that an abnormality has occurred.

[0070] Furthermore, detection position B, where port door 40 stops, is a position where detection unit 60 is disposed in region S between tip 411a of engagement portion 411 and second surface 13B of lid 13, with first surface 13F of lid 13 in contact with holding surface 40a of port door 40. By controlling the movement of port door 40 in this way, it is possible to detect more possible patterns of abnormalities related to lid attachment / detachment without requiring any additional complex mechanisms, and it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not an abnormality exists. In other words, it is possible to more accurately determine the state of lid attachment / detachment.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 70 moves the port door 40 from the mounting position A to the detection position B based on a command value input to the input unit 73. This command value can be either the moving distance or the moving time from the mounting position A, or a combination thereof. This configuration makes it possible to flexibly set the detection position B even when there are individual differences in the thickness of the lid 13 or the length of the engagement portion 411.

[0072] In this embodiment, the detection unit 60 is composed of an optical sensor equipped with a light-emitting unit 61 and a light-receiving unit 62, and the light-emitting unit 61 and the light-receiving unit 62 are arranged above and below the opening 31 in the center of the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) of the plate 30. With this configuration, the detection unit 60 can be used to detect protrusion of the substrate W in addition to determining mounting abnormalities.

[0073] When the control unit 70 determines that the attachment and detachment of the lid 13 is normal, it moves the port door 40 to the attachment position A. That is, to determine an abnormal state, it is sufficient to move the port door 40 to the detection position B, and when it determines that the state is normal, it can immediately move the port door 40 to the attachment position A and wait there. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to move the port door 40 to the retracted position C to determine an abnormal state, and it is possible to quickly determine an abnormality.

[0074] <Abnormality determination method> In the load port 1 having the above configuration, a method for determining the state of attachment / detachment of the lid 13 (determining abnormality) will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0075] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an abnormality determination method P100 according to this embodiment.

[0076] In Figure 8, S1 indicates a step of attaching a lid to the container 10, and S2 indicates an abnormality determination step. First, after processing of all substrates W in the container 10 is completed and all substrates W are accommodated in the container 10, the port door 40 is moved from the retracted position C to the attachment position A. As the port door 40 moves up and down in the retracted position C, an optical sensor detects whether or not a substrate W has protruded. If a substrate W falls within the detection area O of the detection unit 60, it is determined that a substrate W has protruded (first detection step S10). Thereafter, the locking mechanism 42 of the port door 40 engages with the locking hole of the lid 13 to lock the lid 13 (locking step S20).

[0077] Next, the process proceeds to an abnormality determination step S2. First, the suction of the port door 40 that has been holding the lid 13 is released. Specifically, for example, vacuuming through the suction holes 411b provided in the engagement portion 411 of the port door 40 is stopped. As described above, vacuuming through the suction holes 411b creates a negative pressure inside the suction pad 412, enabling it to hold the lid 13 (preparation step S30). Thereafter, the port door 40 is moved from the mounting position A to the detection position B (first movement step S40). Next, with the port door 40 stopped at the detection position B, the detection unit 60 detects whether the port door 40 is holding the lid 13 (second detection step S50). Finally, based on the detection result of the detection unit 60, the control unit 70 determines the state regarding the attachment / detachment of the lid 13 (determines whether there is an abnormality) (determination step S60).

[0078] Specifically, in the movement process S40, with the first surface 13F of the lid 13 in contact with the holding surface 40a of the port door 40, the drive mechanism 50 is moved to the detection position B, where the detection unit 60 is positioned in the area S between the tip 411a of the engagement portion 411 and the second surface 13B of the lid 13.

[0079] The abnormality determination step S2 further includes a determination step S60, in which if the lid 13 is not detected in the detection step S50, it is determined that there is no abnormality (NO), and if the lid 13 is detected in the detection step S50, it is determined that there is an abnormality (YES).

[0080] If it is determined in this determination step S60 that there is no abnormality (if it is determined that the attachment and detachment of the lid 13 is normal), the port door 40 is moved to the attachment position A (second movement step S70). In this way, the series of abnormality determination steps S2 ends (End).

[0081] Furthermore, if it is determined in the determination step S60 that an abnormality exists (if it is determined that an abnormality exists regarding the attachment / detachment of the lid 13), the port door 40 is brought to an emergency stop at the detection position B, an alarm is sounded, or an emergency stop and an alarm are sounded (alarm step S80). In this way, the series of abnormality determination steps S2 ends (End).

[0082] In the load port 1 of this embodiment, the port door 40 is moved from attachment position A to detection position B, and while the port door 40 is stopped at detection position B, the detection unit 60 detects whether the port door 40 is holding the lid 13, and the presence or absence of an abnormality related to the attachment state of the lid 13 is determined based on the detection result of the detection unit 60. This configuration enables more accurate abnormality detection, and if an abnormality is determined, the port door 40 is brought to an emergency stop at detection position B, an alarm is sounded, or both an emergency stop and an alarm are sounded. Without requiring any additional complex mechanisms, more possible patterns of abnormalities related to the attachment or detachment of the lid can be detected, and the presence or absence of an abnormality can be more accurately determined. Abnormal patterns include when the lid latch 13a is not fitted into the groove 10a of the main body 11 and the lid is not held on the port door, when the lid latch 13a is not fitted into the groove 10a of the main body and the lid is held in contact with the holding surface 40a of the port door, or when the lid latch 13a is not fitted into the groove 10a of the main body and the lid is held at a distance from the port door.

[0083] In the abnormality determination method P100 of this embodiment, the second detection step S50 includes a movement step of moving the drive mechanism 50 to a position where the detection unit 60 is disposed in the region S between the tip 411a of the engagement portion 411 and the second surface 13B of the lid 13, with the first surface 13F of the lid 13 in contact with the holding surface 40a of the port door 40. In this way, it is possible to detect more possible abnormality patterns related to the attachment state of the lid without requiring any additional complex mechanisms, and it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not an abnormality exists.

[0084] In the abnormality determination method P100 of this embodiment, if it is determined in determination step S60 that the attachment and detachment of the lid 13 is normal, the port door 40 is moved to the attachment position A. That is, to determine an abnormal state, it is sufficient to move the port door 40 to the detection position B, and if it is determined to be normal, the port door 40 can be immediately moved to the attachment position A and wait there. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to move the port door 40 to the retracted position C to determine an abnormal state, and it is possible to quickly determine an abnormality.

[0085] The abnormality determination method P100 may be performed by storing a control program in a storage medium, installing the control program in the control unit 70, and causing the control unit 70 to execute a series of steps in the abnormality determination method P100.

[0086] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the content of the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, operational techniques, etc. made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are naturally included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 Loading Port 10 containers 13 Lid 20 Placement section 30 plates 40 Port Door 41 Holding part 411 Engagement part 50 Drive mechanism 60 Detection unit 70 Control Unit

Claims

1. a placement section on which a container for accommodating a substrate is placed; a plate having an opening adjacent to the container through which the substrate is inserted and removed; a port door that opens and closes the opening and has an engaging portion that engages with an engaged portion of a lid of the container, for holding the lid; a drive mechanism that moves the port door to an attachment position close to the plate, a retracted position away from the plate, and a detection position between the attachment position and the retracted position; a detection unit that detects at least the lid; a control unit that controls the operation of each unit, the engaging portion protrudes from the holding surface of the port door, and the protruding amount of the engaging portion is smaller than the dimension of the lid in the thickness direction that it holds; the lid has a second surface opposite a first surface facing the port door; the control unit moves the port door from the mounting position to the detection position, and while the port door is stopped at the detection position, determines whether the mounting state of the lid is normal or abnormal based on the detection result of the detection unit; a load port characterized in that the detection position is a position when the detection area of ​​the detection unit overlaps with the area between the tip of the engagement portion and the second surface of the lid when the first surface of the lid is in contact with the holding surface of the port door.

2. the detection unit is provided on the plate, The load port according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the position of the port door when the area overlaps the detection area as the detection position, moves the port door, and determines the attachment state of the lid attached to the container.

3. the control unit moves the port door from the mounting position to the detection position based on a command value input to the input unit, and stops the port door when it reaches the detection position; 3. The load port according to claim 1, wherein the command value is one or a combination of a movement distance and a movement time from the mounting position to the detection position.

4. the detection unit is composed of an optical sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, 3. The load port according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are disposed above and below the opening in the lateral center of the plate.

5. 3. The load port according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when determining that the attachment of the lid is normal, moves the port door, which is stopped at the detection position, from the detection position to the attachment position, and, when determining that there is an abnormality, issues an alarm while keeping the port door stopped at the detection position.

6. The detection unit further detects the substrate jumping out of the container, 3. The load port according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a state in which the substrate has protruded from the container when the port door holding the lid is positioned at the retracted position.

7. 2. The load port according to claim 1, wherein the normal state is a state in which the detection unit detects that no object is present in the detection area when the port door is located at the detection position, and the abnormal state is a state in which the detection unit detects that an object is present in the detection area when the port door is located at the detection position.

8. a placement section on which a container for accommodating a substrate is placed; a plate having an opening adjacent to the container through which the substrate is inserted and removed; a port door that opens and closes the opening and has an engaging portion that engages with an engaged portion of the lid of the container; a drive mechanism that moves the port door to an attachment position close to the plate, a retracted position away from the plate, and a detection position between the attachment position and the retracted position; a detection unit that detects at least the lid; a control unit for controlling the operation of each unit, the engaging portion protrudes from the holding surface of the port door, and the protruding amount of the engaging portion is smaller than the dimension of the lid in the thickness direction that it holds; the lid has a second surface opposite a first surface facing the port door; a detection step of moving the port door from the attachment position to the detection position, and detecting the state of the lid attached to the container by the detection unit while the port door is stopped at the detection position; and a determination step of determining whether the attachment state of the lid is normal or abnormal based on the detection result of the detection unit, An abnormality determination method characterized in that the detection process includes a moving process of moving the drive mechanism to a position where the detection area of ​​the detection unit overlaps with the area between the tip of the engagement portion and the second surface of the lid when the first surface of the lid is in contact with the holding surface of the port door.

9. An abnormality determination method as described in claim 8, characterized in that if the determination process determines that the installation state of the lid is normal, the port door, which is stopped at the detection position, is moved from the detection position to the installation position.

10. A storage medium storing a program for causing the control unit to execute the abnormality determination method according to claim 8 or 9.

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