Load port and opening / closing method

Abstract

To provide a technique that can avoid unreasonable force causing deformation from acting on a door portion.SOLUTION: A load port 1 to be connected to a transport portion 8 includes a plate-shaped base portion 10 constituting a part of a wall portion of the transport portion 8, a mounting portion 20 on which a storage container 9 is mounted, a mounting portion drive mechanism 30 that moves the mounting portion 20 in a direction toward or away from the base portion 10, a door portion 40 that can open and close an opening portion 13 provided in the base portion 10, a door portion drive mechanism 50 that moves the door portion 40 between an opening position and a closing position, and a movement restricting portion 60 for restricting the movement of the mounting portion 20 in a direction away from the base portion 10 by abutting against the mounting portion 20 when the door portion 40 is pressed toward the opening portion 13 and a lid portion 92 held by the door portion 40 is attached to a container main body 91.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a load port connected to a transport unit that transports substrates and that transfers substrates between the transport unit and a storage vessel that stores the substrates, and to a method for opening and closing the storage vessel that stores the substrates. [Background technology]

[0002] A highly clean environment is required in semiconductor manufacturing processes, etc. In recent years, mini-environment systems have increasingly been adopted to create clean environments in semiconductor manufacturing plants, replacing the downflow system. The mini-environment system creates a localized clean environment only around the substrate being processed, and can create a highly clean environment at lower cost than the downflow system, which creates a clean environment throughout the entire plant.

[0003] In the mini-environment system, substrates are transported and stored in a containment vessel maintained at a higher level of cleanliness than the external atmosphere. A module called an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) is used to transfer substrates between the containment vessel and processing equipment that performs various processes on the substrates. The EFEM includes a transfer unit that includes a transfer chamber and a transfer robot installed therein, and a load port connected to the transfer unit. The load port is an interface for transferring substrates between the containment vessel that stores the substrates and the transfer unit. Substrates stored in the containment vessel are transferred between the containment vessel and the transfer unit (and thus the processing equipment) via the load port without being exposed to the external atmosphere (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-178133 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A conventional, typical load port will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a conventional, typical load port 900.

[0006] The load port 900 has a plate-shaped base 901 that forms part of the wall of the transfer unit 800 connected thereto. A placement unit 902 is provided on one side of the base 901, and a storage container 9 that stores substrates (e.g., wafers 90) is placed on the upper surface of the placement unit 902. The placement unit 902 is provided with a locking claw (not shown) or the like, which fixes the storage container 9 to prevent misalignment with respect to the placement unit 902. A drive mechanism (placement unit drive mechanism) 903 that moves the placement unit 902 in directions toward or away from the base 901 is connected to the placement unit 902. An opening 901a is formed in the surface of the base 901, and a door 904 is provided to close this opening. A drive mechanism (door section drive mechanism) 905 is connected to the door section 904, which moves it between a closed position (a position where the door section 904 closes the opening 901a) and an open position (a position where the door section 904 opens the opening 901a).

[0007] An example of the operation of the load port 900 having such a configuration is as follows. First, the storage container 9 storing wafers 90 is placed on the placement unit 902 by an external transfer robot such as an AMHS or PGV. The placement unit 902 is then moved toward the base unit 901, and the storage container 9 placed on the placement unit 902 comes into contact with the base unit 901, for example. In this state, the lid 92 of the storage container 9 is sufficiently close to the door unit 904 that closes the opening 901a. Then, the door unit 904 is connected to the lid 92. Then, the door unit 904 is moved together with the lid 92 from the closed position to the open position. This places the interior of the container body 91 of the storage container 9 in communication with the interior of the transfer unit 800 via the opening 901a. Then, the wafers 90 (e.g., unprocessed wafers 90) stored in the container body 91 are removed by the transfer robot of the transfer unit 800 and transferred to a processing device or the like. The transfer robot also stores wafers 90 (e.g., processed wafers processed in a processing device) in the container body 91. When a predetermined number of wafers 90 have been stored in the container body 91, the door part 904 is moved together with the lid 92 from the open position to the closed position. At this time, the door part 904 is pressed toward the opening 901a (i.e., toward the container body 91 placed on the placement part 902), thereby attaching the lid 92 held by the door part 904 to the container body 91. Once the lid 92 is attached to the container body 91, the connection between the door part 904 and the lid 92 is released. Thereafter, the placement part 902 is moved in a direction away from the base part 901, and the external transfer robot carries away the storage container 9 placed on the placement part 902.

[0008] In a typical storage container 9, a retainer is provided on the inward surface of the lid 92 as a wafer holder that holds the wafers 90 contained in the container body 91 so as to prevent displacement, and when the lid 92 is attached to the container body 91, the retainer elastically deforms to hold down the wafers 90. Therefore, when attaching the lid 92 to the container body 91, the lid 92 must be pressed against the container body 91 with a force that is at least greater than the reaction force of the retainer. In other words, the door portion 904 that holds the lid 92 must be pressed toward the container body 91 placed on the placement portion 902 with a force (door closing force) that is at least greater than the reaction force of the retainer.

[0009] In particular, in recent years, there has been a trend toward increasing the reaction force of the retainer in order to prevent particles from entering the containment vessel 9. Furthermore, a front-opening shipping box (FOSB), which is a type of containment vessel 9 often used for inter-factory transport, has a greater reaction force of the retainer than a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) or the like, which is used as a containment vessel 9 for substrates (e.g., wafers 90) within a factory, and there is also an increasing demand for opening and closing this FOSB on a load port 900. To address these circumstances, there is a trend toward increasing the door closing force.

[0010] On the other hand, when the door portion 904 is pressed to attach the lid 92 to the container body 91, the placing portion 902 on which the container body 91 is fixedly placed must be pressed against the base portion 901 by, for example, an air cylinder serving as a drive source provided in the placing portion drive mechanism 903 so that the placing portion 902 does not move (run away) when the container body 91 is pressed. In other words, the placing portion 902 must be pressed against the base portion 901 with a force that is not defeated by the door closing force.

[0011] However, if the force (dock force) pressing the mounting portion 902 toward the base portion 901 becomes large, the door portion 904 will be pushed back with a large force by the storage container 9 placed on the mounting portion 902, which may cause deformation of the door portion 904. For example, if the door portion 904 has a structure in which it is supported in a cantilevered state, the door portion 904 pushed by the storage container 9 may bend in a direction away from the opening 901a from the supported end side toward the non-supported end side. If such deformation (bending) occurs in the door portion 904, there is a risk that, for example, the lid 92 held by the door portion 904 will not be attached to the container body 91 and will come off.

[0012] In recent years, there has been a demand for increased door closing force, and the docking force has also inevitably increased, increasing the possibility that the door portion 904 will be deformed.

[0013] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technique that can prevent excessive force that may cause deformation from being applied to the door portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following measures.

[0015] That is, the present invention is a load port connected to a transfer section, comprising: a plate-shaped base section constituting a part of a wall section of the transfer section; a placement section on which a storage container is placed; a placement section drive mechanism that moves the placement section in directions toward and away from the base section; a door section that is capable of opening and closing an opening provided in the base section at a position facing the lid of the storage container placed on the placement section and that is capable of holding the lid that is positioned facing the opening in a state in which the opening is closed; a door section drive mechanism that moves the door section between an open position where the door section opens the opening and a closed position where the door section closes the opening; and a movement restriction section that abuts against the placement section and restricts movement of the placement section in a direction away from the base section when the door section is pressed toward the opening to attach the lid held by the door section to a container body.

[0016] With this configuration, for example, when attaching the lid held by the door section to the container body, the force pressing the mounting section toward the base section (docking force) is smaller than the force pressing the door section toward the opening (door closing force). Therefore, even if the mounting section attempts to move away from the base section, the movement restricting section abuts against the mounting section, restricting its movement. This allows the lid to be attached to the container body placed on the mounting section. In other words, the docking force does not need to be large enough to balance out the door closing force. This makes it possible to reduce the docking force, thereby avoiding the application of excessive force that could cause deformation to the door section.

[0017] Preferably, the load port is characterized in that the movement restricting portion abuts against the placement portion at a central position of the placement portion in a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the placement portion in a plan view.

[0018] According to this configuration, movement of the placement unit in the direction away from the base unit can be stably restricted.

[0019] Preferably, the load port is characterized in that the movement restriction portion can be switched between a restriction state in which it abuts against the placement portion to restrict the movement of the placement portion, and a release state in which it does not restrict the movement of the placement portion.

[0020] According to this configuration, the restriction on the movement of the mounting section and the release of the restriction can be easily and reliably performed.

[0021] Preferably, the load port is characterized in that the movement regulating unit comprises a rotating unit that is freely rotatable around a rotating axis that extends along a direction intersecting the movement direction of the placement unit, and a switching unit that switches between the regulated state and the released state by rotating the rotating unit.

[0022] According to this configuration, the restriction on the movement of the mounting unit and the release of the restriction can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0023] Preferably, the load port is characterized in that when the door portion is pressed toward the opening and the lid held by the door portion is attached to the container body, the force with which the placement portion drive mechanism presses the placement portion toward the base portion is smaller than the force with which the door portion drive mechanism presses the door portion toward the opening.

[0024] This configuration can sufficiently prevent the door portion from being subjected to excessive force that could cause deformation.

[0025] In another aspect, the present invention is a method for opening and closing a storage container for storing substrates, comprising: a mounting portion moving step of moving a mounting portion on which the storage container is placed in a direction approaching a base portion to bring the lid closer to an opening provided in the base portion opposite a lid of the storage container placed on the mounting portion; a lid holding step of causing a door portion closing the opening to hold the lid arranged opposite the opening; an opening step of moving the door portion together with the lid held by it from a closed position where the door portion closes the opening to an open position where the door portion opens the opening; a closing step of moving the door portion together with the lid held by it from the open position to the closed position; and a movement restricting step of pressing the door portion toward the opening to attach the lid held by the door portion to a container body in the closing step, in which a movement restricting portion abuts against the mounting portion to restrict movement of the mounting portion in a direction away from the base portion.

[0026] With this configuration, when attaching the lid held by the door portion to the container body, the movement restricting portion abuts against the mounting portion, restricting the movement of the mounting portion. This reduces the docking force and prevents excessive force from being applied to the door portion, which may cause deformation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the door portion from being subjected to excessive force that may cause deformation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an EFFM equipped with a load port according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an EFFM. [Figure 3] A front view of the load port from diagonally above. [Figure 4] Front view of the load port. [Figure 5] Rear view of the load port. [Figure 6] A side view of the load port. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the movement restriction unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of a movement restriction portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operation flow of the load port. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a side view of the load port in an operating state. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a side view of the load port in an operating state. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a side view of the load port in an operating state. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a side view of the load port in an operating state. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a side view of the load port in an operating state. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a window unit. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a sealing member provided in the window unit. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a lock unit. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an EFEM according to a conventional example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] <1. EFFM Overview> Prior to describing the configuration of the load port according to the embodiment, the schematic configuration of an EFFM (Equipment Front End Module) equipped with a load port will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the EFFM 100. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the EFFM 100.

[0031] The EFFM 100 is used in semiconductor manufacturing processes, etc. The EFFM 100 is a module combining a load port 1 and a transport unit 8, and is configured, for example, with multiple load ports 1 (three in the illustrated example) arranged in a row and connected to one end of the transport unit 8. The EFFM 100 is connected to a processing device M that performs various processes on substrates (here, for example, wafers 90) at the end of the transport unit 8 opposite to the end where the load ports 1 are provided, and transfers the wafers 90 between the processing device M and the storage vessel 9. In the following, the side of the transport unit 8 where the load ports 1 are provided will be referred to as the "front," and the side where the processing device M is provided will be referred to as the "rear." Furthermore, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction (i.e., the direction in which the multiple load ports 1 are arranged) will be referred to as the "left-to-right direction."

[0032] As the storage container 9, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) is used. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 (and FIG. 6), the storage container 9 includes a container body 91 having an opening on one side and a lid 92 that closes the opening of the container body 91. The container body 91 is provided with a jaw 911 that protrudes outward and surrounds the opening, and the lid 92 is attached to the inside of the jaw 911. With the lid 92 attached, the jaw 911 abuts against the periphery of the lid 92, sealing the inside of the container body 91. Meanwhile, inside the container body 91, shelves or grooves (not shown) that support the peripheries of the substrates (here, for example, wafers 90) to be stored therein are provided in multiple stages, and the storage container 91 is configured to store multiple wafers 90 in a horizontal position in multiple stages. Furthermore, a retainer 921 is provided on the inward surface of the lid 92 as a wafer holder that holds the wafers 90 housed in the container body 91 so as not to shift position, and when the lid 92 is pressed against the container body 91, the retainer 921 is elastically deformed to press down the wafers 90. Furthermore, the lid 92 is provided with a latch (not shown) for fixing the lid 92 to the container body 91.

[0033] The load port 1 is a device for connecting the interior of a storage container 9, which stores wafers 90, to the interior of the transfer unit 8 without exposing the interior to the external atmosphere. Specifically, the load port 1 removes the lid 92 of the storage container 9 from the container body 91, thereby connecting the interior of the container body 91 to the transfer space V, which is the internal space of the transfer unit 8. Once the interior of the container body 91 is connected to the transfer space V, a transfer robot 82 disposed in the transfer space V removes wafers 90 (e.g., unprocessed wafers 90) stored in the container body 91 from the container body 91 and transfers them to the processing equipment M. The transfer robot 82 also removes wafers 90 that have been subjected to a predetermined process in the processing equipment M from the processing equipment M and stores them in the container body 91. Once a predetermined number of wafers 90 have been stored in the container body 91, the load port 1 attaches the lid 92 to the container body 91 and seals the storage container 9 again. The specific configuration of the load port 1 will be described later.

[0034] The transfer unit 8 is a device for transferring wafers 90 stored in a storage vessel 9, and includes a transfer chamber 81 and a transfer robot 82 disposed therein. One or more openings 812 (three in the illustrated example) are formed in a front wall 811 of the transfer chamber 81, and a load port 1 is airtightly attached to close each opening 812. A processing device M (e.g., a load lock chamber of the processing device M) is airtightly connected to a rear wall of the transfer chamber 81 via, for example, a gate valve. This makes the internal space (transfer space) V of the transfer chamber 81 a substantially sealed space.

[0035] The transfer space V is maintained at a higher level of cleanliness than the outside (i.e., the clean room in which the processing device M is installed). Specifically, for example, a fan filter unit (FFU) 83 is installed in the transfer chamber 81, and gas purified by the fan filter unit 83 is sent downward, thereby forming a downflow of clean gas in the transfer space V. Preferably, a chemical filter 84, a circulation duct 85, etc. are further installed in the transfer space V, and the gas flow that reaches the lower part of the transfer space V passes through the chemical filter 84 to remove contaminants, etc., and then returns to the fan filter unit 83 through the circulation duct 85 and is sent downward again (i.e., air circulation is formed).

[0036] The transfer chamber 81 is also provided with a gas supply port and a gas exhaust port (both not shown), and is configured so that a predetermined gas (e.g., nitrogen gas, dry air, dry nitrogen gas, etc.) can be purged through the gas supply port, and gas in the transfer space V can be exhausted through the gas exhaust port. By controlling the amount of gas supplied through the gas supply port and the amount of gas exhausted through the gas exhaust port, the pressure, gas concentration, etc. of the transfer space V can be adjusted to any value. Here, by appropriately controlling the amount of gas supplied and the amount of gas exhausted, the transfer space V is maintained at a pressure (slightly positive pressure) slightly higher than the outside (i.e., the clean room in which the processing device M is installed). This ensures that even if there is a small gap connecting the inside and outside of the transfer chamber 81, gas will not flow into the transfer space V from the outside through the gap.

[0037] <2. Load port configuration> The configuration of the load port 1 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 as well as Figs. 3 to 6. Fig. 3 is a view of the load port 1 as seen from diagonally above the front. Fig. 4 is a view of the load port 1 as seen from the front. Fig. 5 is a view of the load port 1 as seen from the rear. Fig. 6 is a view of the load port 1 as seen from the side.

[0038] The load port 1 includes a base section 10, a placement section 20, a placement section drive mechanism 30, a door section 40, a door section drive mechanism 50, and a movement restriction section 60. The load port 1 also includes a control section 70 that controls each of these sections 10-60.

[0039] (Base part 10) The base unit 10 is a plate-like member that forms part of the front wall of the transfer unit 8 (FIG. 1). Specifically, the base unit 10 is a flat plate-like member (panel member) that is slightly larger than an opening 812 (FIG. 2) formed in a front wall 811 of the transfer chamber 81, and is attached to the wall 811 in an upright position so as to close the opening 812, thereby forming the front wall of the transfer unit 8 together with the wall 811. A gasket 101, for example, is disposed on the rear surface of the base unit 10, and the base unit 10 is attached airtightly to the wall 811 via the gasket 101.

[0040] A base platform 11 is provided on the front surface of the base unit 10, protruding forward in a substantially horizontal position. A cover 12 ( FIG. 2 ) is provided below the base platform 11 (for ease of explanation, FIGS. 3 to 6 show a state in which the cover 12 is removed). An opening 13 for passing a wafer 90 is provided within the surface of the base unit 10, and a window unit 14 in the shape of a window frame is attached to surround the opening 13. In other words, the frame of the window unit 14 defines the periphery of the opening 13. The opening 13 is formed in a position facing a lid 92 of a storage container 9 placed on a placement unit 20 provided on the base platform 11. The size of the opening 13 (i.e., the size within the frame of the window unit 14) is slightly larger than the lid 92 of the storage container 9, allowing the lid 92 to pass through the opening 13. Furthermore, slits 15 extending vertically are provided within the surface of base unit 10 below opening 13, for inserting a support frame 51 (described later). Furthermore, legs 16 including casters and the like are provided protruding forward from the front surface of base unit 10, and these legs 16 abut against the floor surface to support base unit 10.

[0041] (Placement section 20) The mounting portion 20 is a flat plate-like member that is horizontally positioned and disposed on a base pedestal 11 that protrudes forward from the base portion 10. The storage container 9 is placed on the mounting portion 20. That is, the upper surface of the mounting portion 20 forms a mounting surface 201 on which the storage container 9 is placed. The storage container 9 is placed on the mounting surface 201 with the lid 92 facing the base portion 10.

[0042] The mounting surface 201 is provided with positioning pins (guide pins) 21 that engage with recesses provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 9 to guide and position the storage container 9 to a predetermined position. The mounting surface 201 is also provided with locking portions 22 that hook onto fixed portions (for example, front retaining features) provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 9 to fix the storage container 9 in the predetermined position.

[0043] Furthermore, one or more gas nozzles 23 are provided on the support surface 201. Each gas nozzle 23 may be used as a gas supply nozzle for supplying a predetermined gas (e.g., nitrogen gas, inert gas, dry air, etc.) into the containment vessel 9 through a gas supply valve provided on the bottom surface of the containment vessel 9, or may be used as a gas exhaust nozzle for exhausting gas from the containment vessel 9 through a gas exhaust valve provided on the bottom surface of the containment vessel 9. For example, when gas nozzles 23 are provided at the four corners of the support surface 201, a pair of gas nozzles 23 on the front side may be used as gas supply nozzles, and a pair of gas nozzles 23 on the rear side may be used as gas exhaust nozzles. Each gas nozzle 23 is disposed below the support surface 201 when not in use, and is moved upward to be connected to a gas supply valve or a gas exhaust valve of the containment vessel 9 when in use. A predetermined gas (e.g., nitrogen gas, dry air, dry nitrogen gas, etc.) is purged into the containment vessel 9 from the gas nozzle 23 serving as a gas supply nozzle through a gas supply valve, and the gas inside the containment vessel 9 is discharged from the gas nozzle 23 serving as a gas discharge nozzle through a gas discharge valve, thereby replacing the interior of the containment vessel 9 with the predetermined gas. Furthermore, by controlling the gas supply amount and gas discharge amount, the pressure inside the containment vessel 9 can be adjusted to a desired value. Preferably, by appropriately controlling the gas supply amount and gas discharge amount, the pressure inside the containment vessel 9 is set to be slightly higher than the outside (e.g., the clean room in which the processing device M is installed and the transfer space V of the transfer unit 8). This makes it difficult for gas to flow into the container body 91 when the lid 92 of the containment vessel 9 is opened.

[0044] (Placement section drive mechanism 30) The mount unit drive mechanism 30 moves the mount unit 20, while it remains in a horizontal position, in a direction toward or away from the base unit 10 (front-rear direction), thereby moving the mount unit 20 between a separation position B1 (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 6) and a dock position B2 (a position indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 6). Here, the "separation position B1" is a position where the mount unit 20 is separated from the base unit 10 by a predetermined distance, and is a position where an external robot such as an AMHS or a PGV transfers the storage container 9 to or from the mount unit 20. On the other hand, the "dock position B2" is a position closer to the base unit 10 than the separation position B1, and specifically, for example, is a position where the jaw 911 of the storage container 9 placed on the mount unit 20 abuts against the base unit 10 (specifically, the window unit 14).

[0045] Specifically, the mount drive mechanism 30 includes, for example, a rod (cylinder rod) 31 oriented so as to extend forward and backward in a horizontal plane, a cylinder (air cylinder) 32 as a drive unit that moves the rod 31 forward and backward along the direction of extension, and a connection unit 33 that connects the rod 31 to the mount 20. The air cylinder 32 controls air pressure by, for example, opening and closing a solenoid valve, and moves the rod 31 forward and backward using the air pressure. The rod 31 and the air cylinder 32 are disposed within the base 11. Meanwhile, the connection unit 33 is inserted through a slit 111 that extends forward and backward and is provided on the upper surface of the base 11. The connection unit 33 is connected to the rod 31 at its lower end that protrudes downward from the base 11, and is connected to the underside of the mount 20 at its upper end that protrudes upward from the base 11. In this configuration, when the rod 31 moves back and forth in response to the drive of the air cylinder 32, the mounting portion 20 connected to the rod 31 via the connection portion 33 is guided by a linear guide (not shown) provided on the base 11 and moves back and forth within a horizontal plane.

[0046] (Door section 40) The door section 40 is a member for opening and closing the opening 13 formed in the base section 10, and is provided on the rear side of the base section 10 (i.e., the side opposite the placement section 20 across the base section 10). The door section 40 is made of a flat plate-shaped member that is slightly larger than the opening 13, and when placed in a closed position D1 (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 6 ) described later, it completely blocks the opening 13. At this time, the outer periphery of the front surface of the door section 40 abuts (or is in close contact with) the rear surface of the base section 10 (specifically, the window unit 14) (or is in close contact via a sealing member or the like), thereby sealing the transfer space V. On the other hand, when the door section 40 is placed in an open position D2 (position indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 6 ) described later, the entire opening 13 is opened.

[0047] The door part 40 is provided with a lid holding mechanism 41. When the door part 40 is closing the opening 13, the lid holding mechanism 41 connects and integrates the door part 40 with a lid 92 arranged opposite the opening 13, thereby holding the lid 92 on the door part 40. The lid holding mechanism 41 also latches and releases the lid 92 between the container body 91 and the lid 92.

[0048] (Door drive mechanism 50) The door section drive mechanism 50 moves the door section 40 between a closed position D1 and an open position D2. Here, the "closed position D1" is a position where the door section 40 completely blocks the opening 13. On the other hand, the "open position D2" is a position where the door section 40 completely opens the opening 13, and more specifically, is a position where the door section 40 is retracted below the opening 13 so as not to completely overlap the opening 13.

[0049] Specifically, the door section drive mechanism 50 includes, for example, a support frame 51 that supports the door section 40 and a lifting block 52 that supports the support frame 51. One end of the support frame 51 is connected to the door section 40 (for example, the lower portion of the rear surface of the door section 40), extends downward from that end, bends forward midway, extends approximately horizontally, passes through a slit 15 provided in the base section 10, and has the other end connected to the lifting block 52 in front of the base section 10. A slide support section 511 that supports the support frame 51 so as to be movable back and forth is provided between the support frame 51 and the lifting block 52, and the support frame 51 is supported so as to be movable back and forth relative to the lifting block 52. In addition, a slide rail 521 that supports the lifting block 52 so as to be movable up and down is provided between the lifting block 52 and the base section 10, and the lifting block 52 is supported so as to be movable up and down relative to the base section 10.

[0050] The door section drive mechanism 50 further includes a drive source (e.g., a stepping motor as a drive source), a linear motion mechanism that converts power provided by the drive source into lifting and lowering motion of the lift block 52, a linear motion mechanism that converts the power into back-and-forth movement motion of the support frame 51, and a link mechanism that links these two linear motion mechanisms (all of which are not shown). Each linear motion mechanism may include, for example, a feed screw. For example, to move the door section 40 from the closed position D1 to the open position D2, power from the drive source is transmitted to the linear motion mechanism on the support frame 51 side and then transmitted to the linear motion mechanism on the lift block 42 side via the link mechanism. As a result, the door section 40 from the closed position D1 is moved rearward to the motion conversion position Dt (the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6), and then moved downward from there to the open position D2. On the other hand, when moving the door section 40 from the open position D2 to the closed position D1, power from the drive source is transmitted to the linear motion mechanism on the lift block 42 side, and then transmitted via the link mechanism to the linear motion mechanism on the support frame 51 side. As a result, the door section 40 from the open position D2 is moved upward and first positioned at the motion conversion position Dt, and then moved forward from there to the closed position D1.

[0051] A housing 501 is provided on the front surface of the base unit 10 and is airtightly connected to the base unit 10, and elements of the door unit drive mechanism 50 that are arranged on the front surface side of the base unit 10 are housed in this housing 501. This prevents gas that has flowed into the housing 501 through the slit 15 from leaking out of the housing 501. Furthermore, among the elements of the door unit drive mechanism 50, the slide support 511 and slide rail 521, which have sliding points, are provided on the front surface side of the base unit 10 (i.e., outside the transfer space V) and housed in the housing 501, and a communication portion between the housing 501 and the transfer space V is formed by a thin slit 15, thereby preventing particles and the like generated at the sliding points from entering the transfer space V.

[0052] (Movement restriction unit 60) When the lid 92 of the storage container 9 is attached to the container body 91, specifically, when the door section 40 is pressed toward the opening 13 to attach the lid 92 held by the door section 40 to the container body 91, the movement restricting section 60 abuts against the mounting section 20 to restrict movement of the mounting section 20 in a direction away from the base section 10 (forward). In this embodiment, one movement restricting section 60 is provided at approximately the center of the base pedestal 11 in the left-right direction (FIG. 3), and this movement restricting section 60 abuts against the mounting section 20 at the center of the mounting section 20 in a direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the movement direction of the mounting section 20 (front-back direction) in a plan view, thereby restricting its movement. The specific configuration of the movement restricting section 60 will be described later.

[0053] (control unit 70) The control unit 70 is an element that controls the operation of each of the components 10 to 60 of the load port 1 and performs various types of arithmetic processing. It is configured, for example, by a general-purpose computer with electrical circuits or a microcomputer. Specifically, the control unit 70 includes, for example, a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) that processes data, a read-only memory (ROM) that stores basic programs, a random access memory (RAM) used as a work area when the CPU performs predetermined processing (data processing), a storage device configured by a nonvolatile storage device such as a flash memory or a hard disk drive, and a bus line connecting these components to each other. The control unit 70 performs processing defined by a program stored in the storage device, for example, by the CPU executing the program. However, some or all of the processing performed by the control unit 70 may be performed by hardware such as a dedicated logic circuit (for example, a dedicated processor).

[0054] The load port 1 is provided with various sensors at appropriate positions (e.g., a sensor that detects that the storage container 9 has been placed on the receiver 20, a sensor that detects that the receiver 20 has been placed in the dock position B2, a sensor that detects that the door section 40 has been placed in the closed position D1, etc.). The control section 70 is electrically connected to each of the sensors provided on the load port 1, and controls the operation of each of the sections 10 to 60 (e.g., the lock section 22 and gas nozzle 23 provided on the receiver 20, the receiver drive mechanism 30, the lid holding mechanism 41 provided on the door section 40, the door drive mechanism 50, and a solenoid 633b (described later) provided in the movement restriction section 60) based on detection information obtained from each sensor.

[0055] <3. Operational Overview of Movement Restriction Unit> An outline of the operation of the movement restriction unit 60 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the movement restriction unit 60.

[0056] The movement restricting unit 60 is configured to be switchable between a restricting state K1 in which it abuts against the mounting unit 20 and restricts the movement of the mounting unit 20 in the direction (forward) away from the base unit 10, and a release state K2 in which it does not restrict the movement of the mounting unit 20.

[0057] For example, when the placement section 20 on which the storage container 9 is placed is moved from the separated position B1 (undocked position) to the docked position B2, the movement restricting section 60 is in the released state K2 and does not restrict the movement of the placement section 20 (Figure 7(a)).

[0058] On the other hand, when the mounting unit 20 is disposed at the dock position B2, the movement restricting unit 60 is switched from the release state K2 to the restricting state K1 (FIG. 7(b)). As will be described later, when the mounting unit 20 is disposed at the dock position B2, the door unit 40 holds the lid 92 of the storage container 9, and the door unit 40 holding the lid 92 is moved from the closed position D1 to the open position D2, thereby opening the storage container 9.

[0059] Thereafter, as will be described later, the door section 40 holding the lid 92 is moved from the open position D2 to the closed position D1, and the lid 92 is attached to the container body 91, thereby closing the storage container 9. When attaching the lid 92 to the container body 91, the door section 40 holding the lid 92 is pressed toward the opening 13 (i.e., toward the container body 91 placed on the placement section 20) with a predetermined door closing force F1. At this time, the movement restricting section 60, which is in the restricted state K1, abuts against the placement section 20 and restricts movement of the placement section 20 in a direction away from the base section 10 ( FIG. 7( c) ). In other words, the movement restricting section 60 functions as an anti-back mechanism that receives the load of the placement section 20 (a load equivalent to the difference between the door closing force F1 and the docking force F2 pressing the placement section 20 toward the base section 10) so that the placement section 20, which is pushed by the door closing force F1 via the storage container 9, does not move backward.

[0060] Thereafter, the movement restricting unit 60 is switched from the restricting state K1 to the releasing state K2, and the mounting unit 20 is moved from the dock position B2 to the separated position B1.

[0061] <4. Configuration of movement restriction unit> The specific configuration of the movement restricting portion 60 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a side view showing the configuration of the movement restricting portion 60.

[0062] The movement restricting portion 60 includes a base portion 61 , a rotating portion 62 , and a switching portion 63 .

[0063] The base unit 61 is a member that rotatably supports the rotating unit 62, and includes a flat bottom plate 611 that is fixed to a predetermined position on the base 11 (for example, in a recess provided in the base 11) using screws or the like, and support pieces 612 that rise from each of the left and right edges of the bottom plate 611. A rotation shaft 621 of the rotating unit 62 is rotatably supported between the pair of support pieces 612, 612, thereby rotatably supporting the rotating unit 62 relative to the base unit 61.

[0064] The rotating unit 62 is an elongated member extending in the front-rear direction, and is provided with a rotating shaft 621 penetrating left and right at approximately the front-rear center. As described above, this rotating shaft 621 is rotatably bridged between the pair of support pieces 612, 612 of the base unit 61, and the rotating unit 62 is supported to be rotatable around the rotating shaft 621 with respect to the base unit 61. However, the rotating unit 62 is disposed in an attitude such that the rotating shaft 621 extends along the left-right direction (i.e., the left-right direction that intersects (here, is perpendicular to) the front-rear direction that is the movement direction of the mounting unit 20).

[0065] An abutment portion 622 that protrudes toward the base portion 61 is provided in a portion of the rotating portion 62 that is forward of the rotation shaft 621. Furthermore, a pair of roller support pieces 623, 623 that face each other on the left and right are provided in a portion of the rotating portion 62 that is rearward of the rotation shaft 621, protruding toward the opposite side from the base portion 61. A roller 624 is rotatably supported between the pair of roller support pieces 623, 623. That is, the roller 624 is rotatably supported with respect to the rotating portion 62 by having its rotation shaft 6241 rotatably suspended between the pair of roller support pieces 623, 623. However, the roller 624 is disposed in an orientation such that the rotation shaft 6241 extends along the left-right direction (that is, parallel to the extending direction of the rotation shaft 621 of the rotating portion 62).

[0066] The switching unit 63 switches between a restricted state K1 (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 8) and a released state K2 (a position indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 8) by rotating the rotating unit 62 around the rotating shaft 621. Specifically, the switching unit 63 includes, for example, an elastic member 631, a stopper 632, and a pressing unit 633.

[0067] The elastic member 631 is provided between the rotating part 62 and the base part 61 at a position rearward of the rotation shaft 621. The elastic member 631 is made up of, for example, a spring, and is in a contracted state, with its upper end connected to the rotating part 62 and its lower end connected to the base part 61 (specifically, the bottom plate 611). Therefore, the elastic member 631 biases the position of the rotating part 62 rearward of the rotation shaft 621 in a direction away from the base part 61. If the rotation direction around the rotation shaft 621 in which a position rearward of the rotation shaft 621 moves away from the base part 61 is defined as a "first rotation direction R1," then the elastic member 631 biases the rotating part 62 in the first rotation direction R1.

[0068] The stopper 632 is a rod-shaped member erected on the base portion 61 (specifically, the bottom plate 611), and is provided at a position facing the contact portion 622 of the rotating portion 62. The stopper 632 restricts the rotation of the rotating portion 62 in the first rotation direction R1.

[0069] The pressing portion 633 is provided between the rotating portion 62 and the base portion 61 at a position forward of the rotation shaft 621. Specifically, the pressing portion 633 includes, for example, a rod (cylinder rod) 633a provided in an orientation extending in a normal direction of the base portion 61 (specifically, the bottom plate 611), and a solenoid (linear solenoid) 633b serving as a drive portion that moves the rod 633a forward and backward along the extension direction. The solenoid 633b is electrically connected to the control portion 70, and drives the rod 633a in response to instructions from the control portion 70. When the rod 633a rises (moves in a direction away from the base portion 61) in response to the drive of the solenoid 633b, the tip of the rod 633a comes into contact with the abutment portion 622 and pushes it up. That is, the pressing portion 633 presses a position of the rotating portion 62 in front of the rotation shaft 621 in a direction away from the base portion 61. This causes the rotating portion 62 to rotate in a rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction R1 (hereinafter referred to as a "second rotation direction R2").

[0070] For example, when the rotating unit 62 is biased by the elastic member 631 to rotate in the first rotation direction R1 from a state in which the stopper 632 and the abutment portion 622 are separated (the state shown by the dashed line in FIG. 8 ), the rotation progresses and the stopper 632 abuts on the abutment portion 622, thereby stopping the rotation of the rotating unit 62 (the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 8 ). When the rotating unit 62 is in a rotational position in which the abutment portion 622 abuts against the stopper 632, the roller 624 is positioned at a height overlapping with at least a portion of the mounting unit 20. In other words, the upper end of the roller 624 is positioned higher than the lower end of the front end surface 24 of the mounting unit 20. When the rotating unit 62 is in this rotational position, even if the mounting unit 20 attempts to move forward, the roller 624 of the rotating unit 62 abuts against the front end surface 24, preventing the mounting unit 20 from moving further. That is, when the rotating portion 62 is in such a rotating position, the movement restricting portion 60 abuts against the front end surface 24 of the placement portion 20, thereby entering a restricting state K1 in which the movement of the placement portion 20 is restricted.

[0071] On the other hand, when the movement restricting unit 60 is in the restricted state K1 (the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. 8 ), the contact portion 622 of the rotating unit 62 is pushed up by the rod 633a, causing the rotating unit 62 to rotate in the second rotation direction R2. As the rotation progresses, the roller 624 descends, and when the rotation angle exceeds a certain angle, the roller 624 is positioned at a height where it does not overlap with the mounting unit 20 (the state indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 8 ). In other words, the upper end of the roller 624 is positioned at the same height as or lower than the lower end of the front end surface 24 of the mounting unit 20. When the rotating unit 62 is in this rotational position, the mounting unit 20 can move back and forth without being obstructed by the rotating unit 62. In other words, when the rotating unit 62 is in this rotational position, the movement restricting unit 60 is in the released state K2 where it does not restrict the movement of the mounting unit 20.

[0072] In this way, the movement restricting portion 60 is biased by the elastic member 631, causing the rotating portion 62 to rotate in the first rotation direction R1, thereby switching from the release state K2 to the restriction state K1, and is pressed by the pressing portion 633, causing the rotating portion 62 to rotate in the second rotation direction R2, thereby switching from the restriction state K1 to the release state K2.

[0073] <5. Load port operation> The operation of the load port 1 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 9 and Figs. 10 to 14. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the flow of operation of the load port 1. Figs. 10 to 14 show side views of the load port 1 in various operating states and enlarged side views of the movement restriction unit 60 of the load port 1. The series of processes described below are performed by the control unit 70 controlling the units 10 to 60 of the load port 1 (specifically, the lock unit 22 and gas nozzle 23 provided on the platform unit 20, the platform unit drive mechanism 30, the lid holding mechanism 41 provided on the door unit 40, the door unit drive mechanism 50, the solenoid 633b provided on the movement restriction unit 60, etc.).

[0074] Step S1: Containment vessel delivery process First, with the mounting part 20 positioned in the separated position B1 and the door part 40 positioned in the closed position D1, the storage container 9 (e.g., the storage container 9 storing unprocessed wafers 90) is transported by an external robot such as an AMHS or PGV and placed on the mounting part 20 ( FIG. 10( a) ). The storage container 9 placed on the mounting part 20 is guided to a predetermined position by a positioning pin 21 provided on the mounting part 20. Furthermore, a locking part 22 provided on the mounting part 20 is engaged with a fixing part provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 9, thereby fixing the storage container 9 to the mounting part 20 at the predetermined position. Thereafter, as necessary, a predetermined gas is purged into the storage container 9 from a gas nozzle 23 through a gas supply valve, and the gas in the storage container 9 is discharged from another gas nozzle 23 through a gas exhaust valve. Thus, the interior of the storage container 9 is replaced with the predetermined gas, and the pressure inside the storage container 9 is adjusted to a predetermined value.

[0075] When the mounting portion 20 is disposed at the separated position B1, the movement restricting portion 60 is at a position overlapping with the mounting portion 20 in a plan view, and the rotating portion 62 is biased in the first rotation direction R1 by the elastic member 631, so that the roller 624 abuts against the lower surface of the mounting portion 20 (FIG. 10(b)). In other words, the upper end of the roller 624 is at the same height as the lower end surface of the mounting portion 20, and the movement restricting portion 60 is in a released state K2 in which it does not prevent the movement of the mounting portion 20.

[0076] Step S2: Placement unit movement process When the storage container 9 is placed on the placement unit 20, the placement unit drive mechanism 30 moves the placement unit 20 from the separated position B1 to the dock position B2 (FIG. 11(a)). That is, the placement unit drive mechanism 30 moves the placement unit 20 in a direction approaching the base unit 10 (rearward), bringing the opening 13 (and thus the door unit 40 closing it) provided in the base unit 10 closer to the lid 92. When the placement unit 20 is arranged at the dock position B2, the jaw portion 911 of the storage container 9 placed on the placement unit 20 abuts (docks) against the base unit 10 (specifically, the window unit 14).

[0077] Here, the state of the movement restricting unit 60 when the operation of step S2 is performed will be described. For a while after the mount unit drive mechanism 30 starts to move the mount unit 20, which is positioned at the separated position B1, backward, the front end surface 24 of the mount unit 20 remains forward of the roller 624 of the movement restricting unit 60 (the state shown by the dashed line in FIG. 11(b)). In this state, the movement restricting unit 60 is in the released state K2, and when the mount unit 20 moves backward, the roller 624 rolls while hitting the underside of the mount unit 20, and moves forward relative to the mount unit 20. Therefore, the movement of the mount unit 20 is not hindered by the movement restricting unit 60.

[0078] As the rearward movement of the mounting portion 20 progresses and the front end surface 24 of the mounting portion 20 reaches the position of the roller 624 (the state indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11(b)), the lower surface of the mounting portion 20, which had been pressing down on the roller 624 from above, disappears, and the rotating portion 62 rotates in the first rotation direction R1 due to the biasing force of the elastic member 631. This rotation is stopped when the stopper 632 abuts against the abutment portion 622. As a result, the rotating portion 62 assumes a position in which the upper end of the roller 624 is positioned above the lower end of the front end surface 24 of the mounting portion 20 (the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. 11(b)). In other words, the movement restricting portion 60 enters a restricted state K1 in which it can restrict the movement of the mounting portion 20. In other words, when the front end surface 24 of the mounting portion 20 reaches the position of the roller 624, the rotating portion 62 is biased by the elastic member 631 to rotate in the first rotation direction R1, and the movement restricting portion 60 switches from the released state K2 to the restricted state K1.

[0079] Thereafter, the mounting portion 20 is further moved rearward by a small distance and disposed at docking position B2 (the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. 11(b)). After the movement restricting portion 60 switches to the restricting state K1, the mounting portion 20 is further moved rearward by a small distance and disposed at docking position B2, so that a small gap G is provided between the front end surface 24 of the mounting portion 20 disposed at docking position B2 and the roller 624. In other words, the movement restricting portion 60 is provided at a position forward of the mounting portion 20 disposed at docking position B2 (more specifically, at a position where the roller 624 is disposed forward of the front end surface 24 of the mounting portion 20 disposed at docking position B2 while providing a small gap G between the front end surface 24 and the movement restricting portion 60).

[0080] Step S3: Lid holding process When the mounting portion 20 is placed in the docking position B2, the lid holding mechanism 41 then causes the door portion 40 to hold the lid 92. That is, when the mounting portion 20 is placed in the docking position B2 and the jaw portion 911 of the storage container 9 placed on the mounting portion 20 is in contact with the window unit 14, the lid 92 of the storage container 9 is in contact with or sufficiently close to (at least close enough for the lid holding mechanism 41 to cause the door portion 40 to hold the lid 92) the door portion 40 that is closing the opening 13 (i.e., positioned in the closed position D1). In this state, the lid holding mechanism 41 connects and integrates the lid 92 and the door portion 40, thereby holding the lid 92 on the door portion 40. The lid holding mechanism 41 also releases the latch between the container body 91 and the lid 92 of the storage container 9.

[0081] Step S4: Opening process Next, the door driving mechanism 50 moves the door 40 together with the lid 92 held by it from the closed position D1 to the open position D2 (FIG. 12(a)). Specifically, the door driving mechanism 50 moves the door 40 from the closed position D1 backward to the motion conversion position Dt, and then moves it down to the open position D2. This opens the opening 13, and the interior of the container body 91 communicates with the transfer space V through the opening 13. When this state is achieved, the transfer robot 82 disposed in the transfer space V removes the wafers 90 stored in the container body 91 and transfers them into the processing equipment M. Furthermore, the transfer robot 82 transfers the wafers 90, which have been subjected to a predetermined process in the processing equipment M, from the processing equipment M and stores them in the container body 91.

[0082] Step S5: Closing process When a predetermined number of wafers 90 have been stored in the container body 91, the door section drive mechanism 50 moves the door section 40, together with the lid 92 held by it, from the open position D2 to the closed position D1 (FIG. 13(a)). Specifically, the door section drive mechanism 50 raises the door section 40 from the open position D2 to place it in the motion conversion position Dt, and then moves it forward from there to the closed position D1. As the door section 40 moves forward, it is pressed against the opening 13. As a result, the retainer 921 (FIG. 6) provided on the inward surface of the lid 92 elastically deforms to hold down the wafers 90, and the lid 92 held by the door section 40 is attached to the container body 91.

[0083] Here, when attaching the lid 92 to the container body 91, the force (door closing force) F1 with which the door section drive mechanism 50 presses the door section 40 toward the opening 13 (i.e., forward) is set to a magnitude that exceeds at least the reaction force of the retainer 921. On the other hand, when attaching the lid 92 to the container body 91, the force (dock force) F2 with which the placement section drive mechanism 30 presses the placement section 20 toward the base section 10 (i.e., backward) is set to be smaller than the door closing force F1 (F2 <F1)。

[0084] Therefore, when the lid 92 is attached to the container body 91, the container body 91 is pushed forward by the lid 92 held by the door portion 40, and the placement unit 20 to which the container body 91 is fixed attempts to move forward (i.e., in a direction away from the base portion 10). However, in this case, the movement restricting portion 60 (i.e., the movement restricting portion 60 in the restricted state K1) abuts against the placement unit 20 attempting to move forward, restricting the forward movement of the placement unit 20 (step S51: movement restricting step). Specifically, when the placement unit 20 moves forward a small distance corresponding to the gap G, the roller 624 of the rotating portion 62 abuts against the front end surface 24 of the placement unit 20 ( FIG. 13(b) ). Then, the placement unit 20 cannot move forward any further (its movement is restricted) and stops. In other words, the placement unit 20 moves forward a small distance corresponding to the gap G, but does not move any further. Therefore, the lid 92 can be easily attached to the container body 91 placed on the placement portion 20.

[0085] Step S6: Lid holding release process When the lid 92 is attached to the container body 91, the lid holding mechanism 41 latches the container body 91 and the lid 92. The lid holding mechanism 41 also releases the connection between the door section 40 and the lid 92, separating the door section 40 and the lid 92 (releasing the held state). After the lid 92 is attached to the container body 91, when the door closing force F1 disappears or is reduced, the placement section 20, which had been pushed to a position slightly forward from the docking position B2, returns to the docking position B2 again due to the docking force F2 of the placement section drive mechanism 30, etc.

[0086] Step S7: Placement unit moving process Next, the receiver drive mechanism 30 moves the receiver 20 from the docking position B2 to the separation position B1 (FIG. 14(a)).

[0087] Here, the state of the movement restricting unit 60 when the operation of step S7 is performed will be described. The movement restricting unit 60 is switched from the restricting state K1 to the released state K2 before the movement of the mounting unit 20 starts. Specifically, for example, when a sensor (not shown) detects that the lid 92 has been attached to the container body 91, the control unit 70 sends a predetermined command to the solenoid 633b of the pressing unit 633. In response to the predetermined command, the solenoid 633b raises the rod 633a (moves it in a direction away from the base unit 61). Then, the contact portion 622 is pushed up by the rod 633a, and the rotating unit 62 rotates in the second rotation direction R2. Because a small gap G is provided between the front end surface 24 of the mounting unit 20 arranged at the docking position B2 and the roller 624, the rotating unit 62 can rotate without interfering with the mounting unit 20. As a result of the rotation of the rotating portion 62 in the second rotation direction R2, the upper end of the roller 624 is positioned lower than the lower end of the front end surface 24 of the mounting portion 20. This causes the movement restricting portion 60 to enter a release state K2 in which the movement of the mounting portion 20 is not restricted. That is, the movement restricting portion 60 switches from the restriction state K1 (the state indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 14(b)) to the release state K2 (the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. 14(b)).

[0088] Thereafter, the mount unit drive mechanism 30 starts to move the mount unit 20, which is disposed at the dock position B2, forward. At this time, the movement restricting unit 60 is in the released state K2, so even if the mount unit 20 moves backward, the roller 624 does not interfere with the mount unit 20. Therefore, the movement of the mount unit 20 is not hindered by the movement restricting unit 60.

[0089] At an appropriate timing after the placement unit 20 starts to move forward, the pressing unit 633 releases the pressure on the rotating unit 62. Specifically, the control unit 70 sends a predetermined command to the solenoid 633b, and in response to the predetermined command, the solenoid 633b lowers the rod 633a (moves it in a direction approaching the base unit 61). Then, the rotating unit 62 rotates slightly in the first rotation direction R1 due to the biasing force of the elastic member 631, and the roller 624 comes into contact with the lower surface of the placement unit 20 (see FIG. 10(b)). In other words, even if the pressure of the pressing unit 633 on the rotating unit 62 is released, the movement restricting unit 60 is maintained in the released state K2. Needless to say, after the pressing of the pressing portion 633 on the rotating portion 62 is released, when the placing portion 20 moves forward, the rollers 624 roll while hitting the lower surface of the placing portion 20, and move rearward relative to the placing portion 20. Therefore, the movement of the placing portion 20 is not hindered by the movement restricting portion 60.

[0090] Step S8: Containment vessel removal process When the mounting part 20 is placed in the separated position B1, the locking part 22 provided on the mounting part 20 is released, and the storage container 9 is released from the mounting part 20. Thereafter, the storage container 9 is carried out by the external robot.

[0091] <6. Effects> The load port 1 according to the above embodiment includes a plate-shaped base portion 10 that forms part of the wall of the transfer portion 8; a mounting portion 20 on which a storage container 9 is placed; a mounting portion drive mechanism 30 that moves the mounting portion 20 in directions toward and away from the base portion 10; a door portion 40 that is capable of opening and closing an opening 13 provided in a position on the base portion 10 opposite a lid 92 of the storage container 9 placed on the mounting portion 20, and that is capable of holding the lid 92 that is arranged opposite the opening 13 when the lid 92 is closed; a door portion drive mechanism 50 that moves the door portion 40 between an open position D2 where the door portion 40 opens the opening 13 and a closed position D1 where the door portion 40 closes the opening 13; and a movement restriction portion 60 that abuts against the mounting portion 20 and restricts movement of the mounting portion 20 in a direction away from the base portion 10 when the door portion 40 is pressed toward the opening 13 to attach the lid 92 held by the door portion 40 to the container body 91.

[0092] According to this configuration, for example, when attaching the lid 92 held by the door portion 40 to the container body 91, the force (docking force) F2 pressing the mounting portion 20 toward the base portion 10 is smaller than the force (door closing force) F1 pressing the door portion 40 toward the opening 13. Therefore, even if the mounting portion 20 attempts to move away from the base portion 10, the movement restricting portion 60 abuts against the mounting portion 20, restricting its movement. This allows the lid 92 to be attached to the container body 91 placed on the mounting portion 20. In other words, the lid 92 can be attached to the container body 91 without the docking force F2 being large enough to balance the door closing force F1. This makes it possible to reduce the docking force F2, thereby preventing excessive force that could cause deformation from being applied to the door portion 40. This in turn prevents deformation of the door portion 40. This also prevents the lid 92 from being detached from the container body 91 due to deformation of the door portion 40.

[0093] If the storage container 9 is to be opened or closed by balancing the docking force F2 with the door closing force F1, the two forces F1 and F2 are specified so that when the lid 92 held by the door section 40 is attached to the container body 91, the storage container 9 placed on the mounting section 20 and the door section 40 are positioned so as to overlap each other to some extent in the front-to-rear direction. For example, the door closing force F1 is specified to have a magnitude that pushes the door section 40 forward from the intermediate position, and the docking force F2 is specified to have a magnitude that causes the storage container 9 placed on the mounting section 20 to push the door section 40 rearward from the intermediate position. This makes it easy for deflection to occur in one or both of the storage container 9 and the door section 40. In contrast, in the configuration in which the movement restricting section 60 is provided, the docking force F2 can be made smaller than the door closing force F1 as described above, making it difficult for such deflection to occur in the storage container 9 and the door section 40. Furthermore, in order to balance the docking force F2 with the door closing force F1, it is necessary to perform strict adjustments to each drive mechanism, but when the movement restricting portion 60 is provided, such strict adjustments are no longer necessary.

[0094] Furthermore, when the docking force F2 is sufficiently small, the contact force between the storage container 9 placed on the placement unit 20 disposed at the docking position B2 and the base unit 10 (specifically, between the jaw 911 and the window unit 14) is sufficiently small. Therefore, even if a foreign object is caught between them, a serious problem is unlikely to occur. Therefore, it is possible to omit a sensor for preventing or detecting the trapping. Furthermore, when the docking force F2 is sufficiently small to ensure that the door unit 40 is not deformed, it is possible to omit a sensor for detecting the occurrence of deformation in the door unit 40 (or an operation for detecting this). Furthermore, it is possible to omit a sensor for detecting the occurrence of deformation in the door unit 40 (or an operation for detecting this). Furthermore, it is possible to omit a sensor for detecting the occurrence of detachment of the lid 92 from the container body 91 (or an operation for detecting this).

[0095] Note that, when the docking force F2 is relatively small, it is preferable to maintain the transfer space V at a pressure slightly higher than the outside. That is, when the docking force F2 is relatively small, it becomes difficult to maintain airtightness between the storage container 9 and the base part 10 (specifically, between the jaw part 911 and the window unit 14) when the mounting part 20 is disposed at the docking position B2. However, if the transfer space V is maintained at a pressure slightly higher than the outside, even if a gap is formed between the storage container 9 and the base part 10, outside air will not flow in through the gap. Therefore, a decrease in the cleanliness of the transfer space V is avoided. For the same reason, it is also preferable to maintain the inside of the container body 91 at a pressure slightly higher than the outside.

[0096] Furthermore, in the load port 1 according to the above embodiment, the movement restricting portion 60 abuts against the mounting portion 20 at a central position of the mounting portion 20 in a direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the movement direction (front-back direction) of the mounting portion 20 in a plan view. With this configuration, it is difficult for a force to act on the mounting portion 20 to rotate it left or right, so movement of the mounting portion 20 in a direction away from the base portion 10 can be stably restricted.

[0097] Furthermore, the load port 1 according to the above embodiment can be switched between a restricted state K1 in which the movement restricting part 60 abuts against the mounting part 20 to restrict movement of the mounting part 20, and a released state K2 in which the movement restricting part 60 does not restrict movement of the mounting part 20. This configuration makes it possible to easily and reliably restrict and release movement of the mounting part 20.

[0098] Furthermore, in the load port 1 according to the above embodiment, the movement restricting unit 60 includes a rotating unit 62 that is rotatable around a rotating shaft 621 that extends in a direction intersecting the movement direction of the mounting unit 20, and a switching unit 63 that switches between a restricted state K1 and a released state K2 by rotating the rotating unit 62. With this configuration, the restriction of movement of the mounting unit 20 and its release can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0099] Furthermore, in the load port 1 according to the above embodiment, the switching unit 63 includes an elastic member 631 that biases the rotating unit 62 in a first rotation direction R1, and a pressing unit 633 that presses the rotating unit 62 in response to instructions from the control unit 70 to rotate the rotating unit 62 in a second rotation direction R2 opposite to the first rotation direction R1. When biased by the elastic member 631, the rotating unit 62 rotates in the first rotation direction R1, thereby switching from the released state K2 to the restricted state K1. When pressed by the pressing unit 633, the rotating unit 62 rotates in the second rotation direction R2, thereby switching from the restricted state K1 to the released state K2. With this configuration, switching from the released state K2 to the restricted state K1 is performed using the biasing force of the elastic member 631, thereby reducing the processing load on the control unit 70.

[0100] Furthermore, in the load port 1 according to the above embodiment, a small gap G is provided between the rotating part 62 and the front end surface 24 of the platform 20 disposed at the dock position B2. With this configuration, when the rotating part 62 rotates to switch from the restricted state K1 to the released state K2, it is unlikely that the rotating part 62 will interfere with the platform 20. It is also possible to accommodate storage containers 9 of different sizes.

[0101] Furthermore, in the load port 1 according to the above embodiment, when the door section 40 is pressed toward the opening 13 to attach the lid 92 held by the door section 40 to the container body 91, the force (docking force) F2 with which the placement section drive mechanism 30 presses the placement section 20 toward the base section 10 is smaller than the force (door closing force) F1 with which the door section drive mechanism 50 presses the door section 40 toward the opening 13. This configuration makes it possible to sufficiently prevent the door section 40 from being subjected to excessive force that could cause deformation.

[0102] Furthermore, the method for opening and closing the storage container 9 according to the above embodiment includes a placement unit moving step (step S2) of moving the placement unit 20, on which the storage container 9 storing substrates such as wafers 90 is placed, in a direction approaching the base unit 10 to bring the lid 92 closer to the opening 13 provided in the base unit 10 at a position opposite the lid 92 of the storage container 9 placed on the placement unit 20; a lid holding step (step S3) of making the door unit 40, which is closing the opening 13, hold the lid 92 arranged opposite the opening 13; and a lid holding step (step S4) of moving the door unit 40 together with the lid 92 held by it to the opening 13. The apparatus includes an opening process (step S4) in which the door section 40 is moved from a closed position D1 in which it blocks the opening 13 to an open position D2 in which the door section 40 opens the opening 13; a closing process (step S5) in which the door section 40, together with the lid 92 it holds, is moved from the open position D2 to the closed position D1; and a movement restricting process (step S51) in which, during the closing process, the door section 40 is pressed toward the opening 13 to attach the lid 92 held by the door section 40 to the container body 91, the movement restricting section 60 abuts against the mounting section 20 to restrict movement of the mounting section 20 in a direction away from the base section 10.

[0103] According to this configuration, when the lid 92 held by the door part 40 is attached to the container body 91, the movement restricting part 60 abuts against the mounting part 20, thereby restricting the movement of the mounting part 20. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the docking force F2, and it is possible to avoid applying an excessive force to the door part 40 that may cause deformation.

[0104] <7. Other embodiments> <7-1. Sealing materials> In the load port 1 according to the above embodiment, a window frame-shaped window unit 14 is attached to the base 10 so as to surround the opening 13, and when the mounting unit 20 is positioned at docking position B2, the window unit 14 and the storage container 9 mounted on the mounting unit 20 come into contact with each other. Here, as shown in FIG. 15 , a seal member 141 may be disposed on the front surface of the window unit 14 so as to surround the periphery of the opening 13. With this configuration, when the mounting unit 20 is positioned at docking position B2, the storage container 9 (specifically, the jaw 911) mounted on the mounting unit 20 and the window unit 14 are airtightly connected via the seal member 141. A similar seal member 141 may also be disposed on the rear surface of the window unit 14.

[0105] When the window unit 14 is provided with a seal member 141, it is also preferable to use a hollow seal member (hollow elastic seal member) 141a made of an elastic material as the seal member 141, as shown in FIG. 16. In this case, a groove is formed on the front surface of the window unit 14 so as to surround the periphery of the opening 13, and the hollow elastic seal member 141a is attached along the groove so that a portion of the hollow elastic seal member 141a in the circumferential direction is accommodated in the groove and the remaining portion is exposed from the groove. When the hollow elastic seal member 141a is provided, the window unit 14 is provided with a flow path 142 communicating with the hollow portion of the hollow elastic seal member 141a, a fluid supply unit 143 that supplies a predetermined fluid (e.g., nitrogen gas, dry air, dry nitrogen gas, etc.) to the flow path 142, and a fluid discharge unit 144 that discharges the fluid from the flow path 142. The fluid supply unit 143 can be configured to include a pipe connected to a supply source that supplies the predetermined fluid, an on-off valve inserted in the pipe, etc. The fluid discharge section 144 can be configured to include a pipe connected to a pump, an on-off valve inserted in the pipe, and the like.

[0106] In this configuration, when the fluid in the hollow portion of the hollow elastic sealing member 141a is discharged from the fluid discharge portion 144 through the flow path 142, the pressure in the hollow portion decreases, and the hollow elastic sealing member 141a enters a contracted state C1 (FIG. 16(a)). On the other hand, when fluid is supplied from the fluid supply portion 143 to the hollow portion of the hollow elastic sealing member 141a through the flow path 142, the pressure in the hollow portion increases, and the hollow elastic sealing member 141a enters an expanded state C2 (for example, FIG. 16(b)). In this way, the volume (radial dimension) of the hollow elastic sealing member 141a can be changed by controlling the supply and discharge of fluid to and from the hollow portion.

[0107] For example, when a fluid is supplied to the hollow portion of the hollow elastic seal member 141a and the hollow elastic seal member 141a changes from the contracted state C1 to the expanded state C2, the hollow elastic seal member 141a elastically contacts the jaw portion 911 of the storage container 9 placed on the mounting portion 20 arranged at the docking position B2 (FIG. 16(b)). As a result, the storage container 9 placed on the mounting portion 20 and the window unit 14 are airtightly connected via the hollow elastic seal member 141a.

[0108] When the movement restricting unit 60 restricts the movement of the mounting unit 20 at a position forward of the docking position B2 by a distance corresponding to the gap G as in the above embodiment, there is a possibility that the storage vessel 9 mounted on the mounting unit 20 will move away from the window unit 14 by a small distance corresponding to the gap G. In this regard, when a hollow elastic sealing member 141a is used as the sealing member 141, if fluid is added to the hollow portion at an appropriate timing (or if the pressure in the hollow portion is sufficiently increased in advance), when the storage vessel 9 moves away slightly from the window unit 14, the hollow elastic sealing member 141a will further expand in response to this and reach a following expanded state C2′, and will continue to make elastic contact with the jaw portion 911 of the storage vessel 9 ( FIG. 16( c) ). In other words, even if the storage vessel 9 moves away from the window unit 14 by a small distance corresponding to the gap G, the window unit 14 and the storage vessel 9 will remain airtightly connected.

[0109] Normally, in order to ensure airtightness between the window unit 14 and the storage container 9 via the seal member 141, a clamp member is provided that pulls the storage container 9 toward the window unit 14 and holds it so that the storage container 9 does not move away from the window unit 14. However, when the movement restricting part 60 is provided, this restricts the mounting part 20 from moving forward, thereby ensuring that the storage container 9 does not move away from the window unit 14 by more than a certain amount (more than a small distance corresponding to the gap G). Therefore, airtightness via the seal member 141 can be ensured without providing such a clamp member.

[0110] <7-2. Lock Unit> In the load port 1 according to the above embodiment, a lock unit 22U may be provided as the lock section 22 provided on the platform 20. The configuration of the lock unit 22U will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the lock unit 22U provided on the platform 20.

[0111] The bottom surface of the containment vessel 9 is provided with multiple types of retaining portions having different shapes. One of the retaining portions (first retaining portion) 93 is also called a front retaining feature, and is provided on the side of the bottom surface of the containment vessel 9 relatively closer to the lid 92. The first retaining portion 93 includes a recess 93a provided on the bottom surface of the containment vessel 9 and an engagement protrusion 93b formed so as to protrude from the edge of the recess 93a on the side farther from the lid 92 in a direction approaching the lid 92. The other retaining portion (second retaining portion) 94 is also called a center retaining feature, and is provided in approximately the center of the bottom surface of the containment vessel 9, on the opposite side from the lid 92 with the first retaining portion 93 in between. The second retaining portion 94 is configured to include a recess 94a.

[0112] The lock unit 22U includes a first lock portion 22a that hooks onto the first retaining portion 93 to fix the storage container 9 placed at a predetermined position on the mounting portion 20 (a position positioned by the positioning pin 21) at the predetermined position, and a second lock portion 22b that is inserted into the second retaining portion 94 to prevent the first lock portion 22a from being released from its hooking onto the first retaining portion 93.

[0113] (First locking portion 22a) The first locking portion 22a is a so-called bottom clamp and includes a clamping portion 221 provided on the mounting portion 20 and a driving portion 222 that drives the clamping portion 221 to switch its position between a clamping position and a released position. The driving portion 222 is realized by an appropriate driving mechanism including a cylinder or the like. Here, the "clamping position" refers to a position in which the clamping portion 221 clamps the engaging protrusion 93b of the first retaining portion 93 of the storage container 9 placed in a predetermined position on the mounting portion 20. More specifically, the "clamping position" refers to a position in which the hook-shaped portion 221a provided at the tip of the clamping portion 221 is hooked onto the engaging protrusion 93b (the position shown in FIG. 17). On the other hand, the "released position" refers to a position in which the clamping state of the clamping portion 221 is released and the entire clamping portion 221 is positioned outside the recess 93a (below the bottom surface of the storage container 9) (not shown).

[0114] When the clamp part 221 is set in the clamping position, the clamp part 221 is caught by the engaging protrusion 93b, and the lower surface of the hook-shaped part 221a comes into contact with the upper surface of the engaging protrusion 93b, and the front end surface of the hook-shaped part 221a comes into contact with the rear end surface of the engaging protrusion 93b. As a result, the storage container 9 placed at a predetermined position on the mounting part 20 is fixed to the mounting part 20 at the predetermined position.

[0115] (Second locking portion 22b) The second locking portion 22b includes a container removal prevention pin 223 provided on the placement portion 20 and a push-up block 224 provided on the base 11.

[0116] Container removal prevention pin 223 includes insertion portion 223a and shaft portion 223b provided below the insertion portion 223a, and shaft portion 223b is inserted into a through-hole provided in mounting portion 20. A flange portion 223c extending radially is provided at the connection portion between shaft portion 223b and insertion portion 223a, and this flange portion 223c is hooked around the periphery of the through-hole in mounting surface 201, thereby preventing shaft portion 223b from falling off. In addition, a spring member 223d is provided in a contracted state at the lower portion of shaft portion 223b (the portion protruding into the internal space of mounting portion 20). By being biased downward by this spring member 223d, the container removal prevention pin 223 is disposed at a lower position such that the flange portion 223c abuts against the mounting surface 201, and at this time, the upper end of the insertion portion 223a is disposed at a position lower than the bottom surface of the storage container 9 placed on the mounting portion 20 (FIG. 17(a)). Hereinafter, such a position of the container removal prevention pin 223 is also referred to as the "release position Q1."

[0117] Furthermore, when the container removal prevention pin 223 is pushed up by a push-up block 224 (described later), it is disposed at an upper position such that the flange portion 223c is separated from the mounting surface 201. At this time, a part or all of the insertion portion 223a is inserted into the recess 94a of the second retaining portion 94 of the storage container 9 mounted at a predetermined position on the mounting portion 20 (FIG. 17(b)). Hereinafter, such a position of the container removal prevention pin 223 is also referred to as the "insertion position Q2." Note that the container removal prevention pin 223 may be provided with a guide portion 223e that guides the container removal prevention pin 223 as it moves up and down smoothly between the release position Q1 and the insertion position Q2. Specifically, for example, a guide portion 223e extending parallel to the shaft portion 223b from below the flange portion 223c may be provided, and this guide portion 223e may be inserted into a guide hole provided in the mounting portion 20. According to this configuration, the guide portion 223e moves up and down while being guided by the guide hole, so that the container removal prevention pin 223 moves up and down smoothly without any axial wobble.

[0118] The push-up block 224 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member, and its front end surface is configured as an inclined surface 224a that inclines rearward as it approaches the top. The push-up block 224 is provided on the upper surface of the base 11, specifically, for example, on a linear guide 301 (linear guide for guiding the placement unit 20 moved by the placement unit drive mechanism 30) provided on the upper surface of the base 11.

[0119] When the mounting unit 20 is located at the separated position B1, the push-up block 224 is located at a position rearward of the container removal prevention pin 223 and separated from the pin (FIG. 17(a)). At this time, the container removal prevention pin 223 is urged downward by the spring member 223d and is located at the release position Q1. On the other hand, when the mounting unit 20 is moved rearward from the separated position B1, the push-up block 224 provided on the base 11 moves forward relative to the mounting unit 20 and approaches the container removal prevention pin 223, and the lower end (specifically, the lower end of the shaft portion 223b) comes into contact with the inclined surface 224a of the push-up block 224. When the mounting unit 20 is moved further rearward, the container removal prevention pin 223 is guided by the inclined surface 224a and pushed upward. When the mounting section 20 is positioned at the dock position B2, the container removal prevention pin 223 comes into contact with the upper surface of the push-up block 224, and at this time, the container removal prevention pin 223 is positioned at the insertion position Q2 (Figure 17(b)).

[0120] In this way, when the mounting unit 20 is moved from the separated position B1 to the docked position B2, the push-up block 224 provided on the base 11 pushes up the container removal prevention pin 223 provided on the mounting unit 20. This switches the position of the container removal prevention pin 223 from the release position Q1 to the inserted position Q2. Conversely, when the mounting unit 20 is moved from the docked position B2 to the separated position B1, the push-up block 224 moves away from the container removal prevention pin 223, and the container removal prevention pin 223 is urged downward by the spring member 223d, switching from the inserted position Q2 to the released position Q1.

[0121] In the lock unit 22U having such a configuration, as described above, the clamp portion 221 of the first lock portion 22a is set in the clamping position, and thus the storage container 9 placed at a predetermined position on the mounting portion 20 is fixed to the mounting portion 20 at the predetermined position. However, because the clamp portion 221 abuts against the engagement protrusion 93b from above and from the rear, the storage container 9 is only fixed by friction between the clamp portion 221 and the engagement protrusion 93b when pulled forward. Therefore, if only the first lock portion 22a is provided, for example, if an operator intentionally applies a force that pulls the storage container 9 forward, the storage container 9 may move forward relative to the mounting portion 20, causing the engagement protrusion 93b to come off the clamp portion 221 (i.e., the fixation of the storage container 9 to the mounting portion 20 may be released), and the storage container 9 may be removed. However, in the lock unit 22U, when the mounting portion 20 is placed in the dock position B2, the container removal prevention pin 223 of the second lock portion 22b is inserted into the recess 94a of the second retaining portion 94, thereby fixing the storage container 9 so that it does not move in the front-to-rear direction relative to the mounting portion 20. Therefore, even if an operator intentionally pulls the storage container 9 forward, the storage container 9 cannot be removed. In other words, the lock unit 22U can prevent an operator from intentionally removing the storage container 9.

[0122] Furthermore, with lock unit 22U, there is no need to provide a dedicated drive mechanism (actuator) for moving container removal prevention pin 223 of second lock portion 22b, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. However, in some cases, a drive mechanism for moving container removal prevention pin 223 may be provided instead of push-up block 224. In this case, the drive mechanism need only be one that achieves a simple linear motion, and specifically, it can be realized by, for example, a linear motion mechanism including a solenoid, a cylinder (air cylinder), a feed screw using a motor as a drive source, or the like.

[0123] For example, a mechanism (a so-called center clamp mechanism) that clamps the second retaining part 94 with a T-shaped hook to secure the storage container 9 to the mounting part 20 has conventionally existed. However, this mechanism is expensive because it clamps the second retaining part 94 by performing a complex operation of lifting, rotating, and lowering. Furthermore, because the drive mechanism is compact to perform the complex operation in a small space, it has the disadvantage of being easily broken. In contrast, the lock unit 22U does not require a drive mechanism to perform such complex operations, and therefore can achieve low cost, compactness, high durability, and the like.

[0124] <8. Variations> In the above embodiment, the switching unit 63 of the movement restricting unit 60 is provided with a solenoid (electromagnetic solenoid) 633b as a drive unit that drives the pressing unit 633, but the drive unit that drives the pressing unit 633 may have any configuration. For example, the drive unit that drives the pressing unit 633 may be a cylinder (air (pneumatic) cylinder), or may be a linear motion mechanism that uses a motor as a drive source and includes a feed screw or the like.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the movement restricting unit 60 includes the switching unit 63, but the specific configuration is not limited to that exemplified in the above embodiment. For example, the tip of the rod 633a of the pressing unit 633 may be fixed to the rotating unit 62. In this case, when the solenoid 633b lowers the rod 633a in response to an instruction from the control unit 70, the rotating unit 62 rotates in the first rotation direction R1, switching from the release state K2 to the restricted state K1. When the solenoid 633b raises the rod 633a in response to an instruction from the control unit 70, the rotating unit 62 rotates in the second rotation direction R2, switching from the restricted state K1 to the release state K2. Needless to say, with this configuration, the elastic member 631 and the stopper 632 can be omitted.

[0126] In the above embodiment, the movement restricting unit 60 is switched between the release state K2 and the restricted state K1 by the rotation of the rotating unit 62, but the configuration of the movement restricting unit 60 is not limited to this. For example, the movement restricting unit 60 may be switched between the release state K2 and the restricted state K1 by the movement of a block-shaped restricting member in a direction (e.g., left-right direction, up-down direction, etc.) that intersects with the movement direction of the mounting unit 20. In this case, it is sufficient for the drive mechanism that moves the restricting member to achieve a simple linear motion, and specifically, it can be realized by, for example, a linear motion mechanism including a solenoid, a cylinder (air cylinder), a feed screw with a motor as a drive source, or the like.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the movement restricting unit 60 restricts the movement of the mounting unit 20 at a position forward of the docking position B2 by a distance corresponding to the gap G, but such a gap G is not essential. In other words, the movement restricting unit 60 may abut against the mounting unit 20 disposed at the docking position B2 and restrict the movement of the mounting unit 20 in a direction away from the base unit 10.

[0128] In the above embodiment, the movement restricting portion 60 (specifically, the roller 624) abuts against the front end surface 24 of the mounting portion 20 to restrict the forward movement of the mounting portion 20, but the movement restricting portion 60 does not necessarily have to abut against the front end surface 24 of the mounting portion 20. For example, a recess may be provided on the bottom or side surface of the mounting portion 20, and the movement restricting portion 60 may abut against the inner wall surface of the recess to restrict the movement of the mounting portion 20.

[0129] In the above embodiment, only one movement restricting portion 60 is provided, but it is also possible to provide a plurality of movement restricting portions 60. For example, a plurality of movement restricting portions 60 may be provided near the front end of the base 11, arranged in a line in the left-right direction of the base 11.

[0130] In the above embodiment, the substrates stored in the storage container 9 do not necessarily have to be wafers 90, but may be, for example, wafers held in a tape frame (tape frame wafers), rectangular substrates, etc. Also, the storage container 9 does not necessarily have to be a FOUP, but may be, for example, a FOSB, a cassette, etc.

[0131] Other configurations can also be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 100 EFEM 1 Loading Port 10 Base 20 Placement section 30 Mounting section drive mechanism 40 Door section 50 Door drive mechanism 60 Movement Control Department 61 Base 62 Rotating part 63 Switching section 631 Elastic Members 632 Stopper 633 Pressing part 633b solenoid

Claims

1. A load port connected to a transfer unit, a plate-shaped base portion that constitutes a part of the wall portion of the transport portion; a mounting portion on which the containment vessel is mounted; a placement unit drive mechanism that moves the placement unit in a direction toward or away from the base unit; a door portion that can open and close an opening provided in the base portion at a position facing a lid of the storage container placed on the placement portion, and that can hold the lid that is positioned facing the opening in a state where the opening is closed; a door section drive mechanism that moves the door section between an open position where the door section opens the opening and a closed position where the door section closes the opening; a movement restriction portion that abuts against the placement portion and restricts movement of the placement portion in a direction away from the base portion when the door portion is pressed toward the opening and the lid held by the door portion is attached to the container body; A load port comprising:

2. 2. The load port according to claim 1, the movement restricting portion abuts against the placement portion at a center position of the placement portion in a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the placement portion in a plan view; A load port characterized by:

3. 3. The load port according to claim 1 or 2, The movement restricting portion is switched between a restricting state in which the movement restricting portion abuts against the placement portion to restrict the movement of the placement portion, and a release state in which the movement restricting portion does not restrict the movement of the placement portion. A load port characterized by:

4. 4. The load port according to claim 3, The movement restriction portion is a rotating unit provided to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in a direction intersecting the movement direction of the placement unit; a switching unit that switches between the restricted state and the released state by rotating the rotating unit; A load port comprising:

5. 3. The load port according to claim 1 or 2, when the door section is pressed toward the opening and the lid held by the door section is attached to the container body, a force with which the placement section drive mechanism presses the placement section toward the base section is smaller than a force with which the door section drive mechanism presses the door section toward the opening. A load port characterized by:

6. A method for opening and closing a containment vessel for storing a substrate, comprising the steps of: a mounting unit moving step of moving a mounting unit on which the storage container is placed in a direction approaching a base unit to bring the lid closer to an opening of the base unit, the opening being located at a position opposite to the lid of the storage container placed on the mounting unit; a lid holding step of holding the lid, which is arranged opposite the opening, on a door portion that closes the opening; an opening step of moving the door portion together with the lid held by the door portion from a closed position in which the door portion closes the opening to an open position in which the door portion opens the opening; a closing step of moving the door portion, together with the lid it holds, from the open position to the closed position; a movement restricting step in which, when the door portion is pressed toward the opening and the lid held by the door portion is attached to the container body in the closing step, a movement restricting portion abuts against the placement portion, thereby restricting movement of the placement portion in a direction away from the base portion; An opening and closing method comprising:

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