Pod opening / closing device

Abstract

Provided is a pod opening / closing device connected to a substrate transfer chamber, wherein the pod opening / closing device has a configuration that enables control of the height dimension of the substrate transfer chamber.　A pod opening / closing device 4 comprises: a placement section 44 on which an SMIF pod 100 having a bottom plate 101 and a cover 102 can be placed; a base 41; an opening 92 formed in the base 41; a shutter 42 that is arranged on the opposite side of the placement section 44 across from the base 41 and is able to close off and open up the opening 92; a cover movement mechanism 81; and a shutter opening / closing mechanism 82. The cover movement mechanism 81 is capable of moving the cover 102 between a lower position for covering a cassette C placed on the bottom plate 101, and an upper position that is higher than the lower position and exposes the cassette C. The shutter opening / closing mechanism 82 is capable of moving the shutter 42 between a closed position at which the opening 92 is closed, and an opened position which is below the closed position and on the inside of a substrate transfer chamber 2 connected to the pod opening / closing device 4, and at which the opening 92 is open.

Description

Pod opening and closing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a pod opening and closing device for opening and closing a pod that stores wafers.

[0002] Semiconductor devices are manufactured by subjecting wafers to various processes (cleaning, film formation, photoresist coating, etc.) in processing equipment. If particles or moisture adhere to the wafer surface during the semiconductor device manufacturing process, it may cause a deterioration in the quality of the semiconductor device. For this reason, it is necessary to maintain a high level of cleanliness around the wafer.

[0003] Therefore, wafers are stored in a container called a SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod, for example, whose interior is kept clean, and are transported to the processing equipment while maintaining the cleanliness around the wafers. The SMIF pod has a bottom plate on which a cassette containing wafers can be placed and a cover that covers the cassette placed on the bottom plate (see, for example, Figure 29 of Patent Document 1). In such a SMIF pod, the cassette can be exposed from the SMIF pod by lifting the cover from the bottom plate, allowing the wafers to be removed.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate transfer module (wafer transfer device of Patent Document 1) for transferring wafers stored in a SMIF pod to a processing apparatus. The substrate transfer module includes a pod opening / closing device (opener of Patent Document 1) that raises and lowers the cover of the SMIF pod, and a substrate transfer chamber (loader of Patent Document 1) that is connected to the pod opening / closing device and the processing apparatus and whose interior is kept clean. The pod opening / closing device is provided with a placement unit on which the SMIF pod is placed. A transfer mechanism (loading mechanism of Patent Document 1) is installed inside the substrate transfer chamber for transferring wafers from the SMIF pod placed on the placement unit to the processing apparatus.

[0005] Furthermore, a partition wall is provided between the placement unit of the pod opening / closing device and the substrate transfer chamber to isolate the substrate transfer chamber from the outside. The partition wall has an opening through which wafers can pass. The opening is closed by a movable shutter (the tongue piece in Patent Document 1), and the opening is opened when the shutter is raised.

[0006] The pod opening and closing device of Patent Document 1 is configured to integrally raise and lower the cover and shutter of a SMIF pod placed on a placement unit. When transferring wafers to a processing device, the pod opening and closing device first raises the cover and shutter together. This exposes the cassette from the SMIF pod and opens the opening. This allows the transfer mechanism to access the cassette through the opened opening, enabling transfer of wafers to the processing device. While the transfer mechanism of Patent Document 1 transfers wafers together with the cassette, transfer mechanisms configured to remove and transfer a single wafer from the cassette are also known in the art.

[0007] Patent No. 4552362

[0008] In Patent Document 1, if other components are placed in the space (hereinafter referred to as the upper space) near the shutter raised by the pod opening / closing device (i.e., above the opening formed in the partition wall), there is a risk of interference between the shutter and the other components. Examples of such other components include a fan (such as the purification fan in Patent Document 1) placed inside and above the substrate transfer chamber, or a cover member covering the outside of the substrate transfer chamber to improve its appearance. Therefore, components such as the fan and cover member of the substrate transfer chamber must be placed higher than the upper space to avoid interference with the shutter. The upper space then becomes a so-called dead space, where no components can be placed. As a result, the height of the substrate transfer chamber increases by the amount of the dead space in the upper space.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a pod opening and closing device that is connected to a substrate transfer chamber and has a configuration that can reduce the height dimension of the substrate transfer chamber.

[0010] The pod opening and closing device of the present invention is a pod opening and closing device connected to a substrate transport chamber for transporting substrates to a processing apparatus, and is characterized by comprising: a mounting section capable of mounting a pod having a bottom plate on which a cassette containing substrates is placed and a cover that covers the cassette placed on the bottom plate; a base that forms part of a partition that isolates the substrate transport chamber from an external space between the substrate transport chamber and the mounting section; an opening formed in the base; and a shutter that is positioned on the opposite side of the base from the mounting section and is capable of closing and opening the opening; a cover moving mechanism that is capable of moving the cover between a lower position that covers the cassette placed on the bottom plate and an upper position that is higher than the lower position and exposes the cassette; and a shutter opening and closing mechanism that is capable of moving the shutter between a closing position that closes the opening and an opening position that is lower than the closing position and inside the substrate transport chamber connected to the pod opening and closing device and is a position that opens the opening.

[0011] According to the present invention, when transferring substrates to a processing device, the cover is moved upward to expose the cassette, while the shutter is moved downward to open the opening. As a result, even if components constituting the substrate transfer chamber are placed in the space above the opening (hereinafter referred to as the upper space), the components do not interfere with the shutter. In other words, the upper space is not left as dead space, and the height dimension of the substrate transfer chamber above the opening can be reduced. In addition, the inventors of the present invention noted that, inside the substrate transfer chamber, there is typically space below the opening where the shutter can be placed while avoiding interference between the shutter and substrate transfer devices, etc. Therefore, even if the shutter is moved to the open position below the closed position, interference between the shutter and other components can be avoided, and an increase in the height dimension of the substrate transfer chamber below the opening can also be avoided. As described above, the pod opening and closing device of the present invention can reduce the height dimension of the substrate transfer chamber to which the pod opening and closing device is connected.

[0012] The pod opening and closing device of the present invention is preferably equipped with a gas replacement mechanism for replacing the inside of the cassette with clean gas, the gas replacement mechanism having a first supply port for supplying the clean gas into the inside of the cassette, the first supply port being attached to the shutter and configured to be able to open toward the placement section.

[0013] According to the present invention, the interior of a cassette can be replaced with clean gas by following the procedure below. That is, the cover is moved to the upper position to expose the cassette, and the shutter is left in the closed position. In this state, clean gas is supplied into the interior of the cassette from a first supply port attached to the shutter. This allows the interior of the cassette to be replaced with clean gas, and oxygen, moisture, and the like around the wafers stored in the cassette can be removed. As a result, the oxidation of the wafers and the adhesion of moisture to the wafers can be suppressed. The clean gas is, for example, nitrogen or dry air.

[0014] The pod opening and closing device of the present invention preferably has a second supply port for supplying clean gas into the inside of the cassette, and the second supply port is configured to be able to open toward the placement section when the shutter is positioned in the open position.

[0015] According to the present invention, when the cover is moved to the upper position to expose the cassette and the shutter is moved to the open position to open the opening, clean gas can be supplied to the cassette from the second supply port. Therefore, when the wafer is removed from the pod and loaded into the substrate transfer chamber, clean gas can be continuously supplied to the vicinity of the wafer. This increases the concentration of clean gas around the wafer, which in turn reduces the concentrations of oxygen, moisture, and the like around the wafer. As a result, it is possible to prevent the wafer from being oxidized or moisture from adhering to the wafer.

[0016] In the pod opening and closing device of the present invention, it is preferable that the air pressure in the substrate transport chamber is higher than the air pressure in the external space, the cover moving mechanism has a lifting section that raises and lowers the cover relative to the bottom plate and, together with the cover, forms a storage space that accommodates the cassette when the cover is separated from the bottom plate, the shutter has a communication section that connects the substrate transport chamber with the storage space, and a shielding member is provided that is configured to open and close the communication section by being moved and driven by a drive source separate from the cover moving mechanism.

[0017] In the present invention, when the lifting unit separates the cover from the bottom plate, the cassette is exposed to the storage space. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the shielding member can communicate between the substrate transfer chamber and the storage space. This allows gas to be supplied from the substrate transfer chamber, which has a high air pressure, to the storage space even when the shutter is in the closed position. Therefore, in a substrate transfer device in which a drive source (shutter opening / closing mechanism) for driving the shutter up and down and a drive source for driving the lifting unit up and down are separately provided, gas can be prevented from flowing into the cassette from the external space.

[0018] In addition to the above-mentioned inventions, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-520831 discloses a pod opening and closing device (hereinafter referred to as the pod opening and closing device) configured to open and close a SMIF pod (hereinafter referred to as the pod) that accommodates substrates and is connected to a process tool (hereinafter referred to as the substrate transfer chamber). More specifically, the pod opening and closing device has a front wall (base), a pod opening and closing device opening (hereinafter referred to as the passage opening) formed in the front wall, and a panel (hereinafter referred to as the shutter) that can open and close the passage opening. The shutter is configured to be movable between a closed position that closes the passage opening and an open position above the closed position that opens the passage opening. The shutter is disposed outside the housing that forms the substrate transfer chamber. In recent years, there has been a demand for further improving the cleanliness of the atmosphere within the substrate transfer chamber. In the above-mentioned configuration, outside air may enter the substrate transfer chamber through a gap between the shutter and the base, potentially generating particles. Therefore, the following measures have been considered to provide a pod opening and closing device that can suppress particle generation in the substrate transfer chamber.

[0019] The pod opening and closing device of the first means is a pod opening and closing device configured to open and close a pod containing substrates and connected to a substrate transport chamber for transporting the substrates, and is characterized by comprising: a base that forms part of a partition wall that separates the substrate transport chamber from the external space and has a passage opening through which the substrate can pass; a shutter that is configured to be movable between a closed position when the passage opening is closed and an open position above the closed position when the passage opening is open, and is positioned outside the substrate transport chamber; and a shutter cover that is positioned to cover at least a portion of the entrance to a gap, which is the space sandwiched between the shutter and the base, in the vertical direction.

[0020] The entrance of the gap means the end of the gap. In a configuration in which the shutter is disposed outside the substrate transfer chamber, outside air that has entered the gap between the shutter and the base may enter the substrate transfer chamber through the passage. According to this configuration, at least a portion of the entrance of the gap in the vertical direction is covered with the shutter cover, thereby preventing outside air from entering the gap. This prevents outside air from entering the substrate transfer chamber. Therefore, the generation of particles in the substrate transfer chamber can be suppressed.

[0021] The pod opening and closing device of the second means is characterized in that, in the first means, when the shutter is in the open position, the upper end of the shutter cover is positioned at the same position as the upper end of the shutter in the vertical direction or higher than the upper end of the shutter.

[0022] Even in a configuration in which the shutter cover is positioned below the upper end of the shutter, the shutter cover can prevent outside air from entering the gap to some extent. However, in the configuration of this means, the path from the entrance of the gap between the shutter and the base to the passage opening becomes longer. This longer path reduces the possibility of outside air entering the substrate transfer chamber. Therefore, the generation of particles in the substrate transfer chamber can be further suppressed.

[0023] The pod opening and closing device of the third aspect is the pod opening and closing device of the second aspect, characterized in that the shutter cover is open only downward.

[0024] According to this feature, the upper end of the shutter cover is closed, which makes it possible to more effectively prevent outside air from entering the gap from the space above the shutter.

[0025] The pod opening and closing device of the fourth means is characterized in that, in any of the first to third means, the shutter cover is a separate member from the base and is configured to be detachable from the upper end of the base.

[0026] The shutter cover may be non-detachable from the base (for example, it may be non-detachably fixed to the base or may be formed from the same material as the base). On the other hand, a pod opening / closing device is typically shipped disassembled into multiple components and packaged in a predetermined packaging material. Furthermore, among the multiple components, the base is typically the longest in the vertical direction. In other words, the vertical length of the packaging material is primarily determined by the vertical length of the base. Therefore, if the shutter cover is non-detachable from the base, the packaging material must be large enough to package components with a combined length of the base and shutter cover. This requires the use of packaging materials larger than conventional packaging materials. In this regard, the present invention allows the shutter cover to be separated from the base during shipping. Therefore, there is no need to change the packaging material from conventional packaging materials.

[0027] In addition to the above-mentioned inventions and means, the pod opening and closing device described in Patent Document 1 also includes a partition wall (hereinafter referred to as a base), a tongue (hereinafter referred to as a shutter), and an elevator. The base has an opening and separates the substrate transfer chamber from the exterior. The shutter is configured to open and close the opening. The elevator is configured to raise and lower the cover and move vertically integrally with the shutter. More specifically, the elevator is configured to raise and lower the cover while separating the cassette from the exterior. When the shutter and elevator are raised, the opening is opened and the cover is separated from the bottom plate. This exposes the cassette to the substrate transfer chamber, allowing substrates stored in the cassette to be transferred between the substrate transfer chamber and the cassette. While the cassette is exposed to the substrate transfer chamber, clean gas is supplied from the substrate transfer chamber to the cassette. The inventors of the present application are considering developing a pod opening and closing device in which a drive source for driving the shutter to raise and lower and a drive source for driving the elevator are separately provided. This allows the shutter to be moved vertically in a direction different from the direction of the elevator and cover. In this configuration, in order to maintain the substrate transfer chamber as isolated as possible from the external space, it is conceivable to first fully raise the elevator and then move the shutter. However, this procedure requires a long time for the shutter to close the opening. This means that it takes time for clean gas to start being supplied from the substrate transfer chamber to the cassette. This could result in low-purity gas flowing from the external space into the space where the cassette is located, potentially contaminating the substrates stored in the cassette. Therefore, in a substrate transfer device in which separate drive sources are provided for driving the shutter and the elevator, the following measures can be considered to prevent gas from flowing from the external space into the cassette.

[0028] The substrate transfer device of the fifth means is a substrate transfer device comprising: a housing formed with a substrate transfer chamber into which substrates are transferred; a bottom plate on which a cassette containing the substrates is placed; and a cover that covers the cassette placed on the bottom plate; and a pod opening and closing device connected to the substrate transfer chamber, wherein the air pressure in the substrate transfer chamber is higher than the air pressure in an external space that is the space outside the housing; and the pod opening and closing device comprises a base that forms a part of a partition wall that separates the substrate transfer chamber from the external space; an opening formed in the base through which the substrates can pass; a closed position in which the opening is closed; and a cover that closes the opening. the shutter is configured to be movable between an open position in which the mouth is open and a second drive source that drives the shutter to move; a lifting unit that raises and lowers the cover relative to the bottom plate and, together with the cover, forms a storage space that stores the cassette when the cover is separated from the bottom plate; and a second drive source that is provided separately from the first drive source and drives the lifting unit to move; the shutter has a communication portion that connects the substrate transport chamber and the storage space, and is provided with a shielding member that is configured to open and close the communication portion by being driven to move by a drive source separate from the first drive source.

[0029] In this means, when the lifting unit separates the cover from the bottom plate, the cassette is exposed to the storage space. Furthermore, according to this means, the shielding member can communicate between the substrate transfer chamber and the storage space. This allows gas to be supplied from the substrate transfer chamber, which has a high air pressure, to the storage space even when the shutter is in the closed position. Therefore, in a substrate transfer device in which a drive source for driving the shutter up and down and a drive source for driving the lifting unit up and down are separately provided, gas can be prevented from flowing into the cassette from the external space.

[0030] A substrate transfer device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the substrate transfer device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, characterized in that the separate drive source that drives the shielding member to move is the second drive source.

[0031] In this means, the structure of the pod opening and closing device can be simplified compared to when the shielding member is driven by a drive source different from both the first drive source and the second drive source.

[0032] The substrate transport device of the seventh means is characterized in that, in the fifth or sixth means, the shielding member is arranged so as not to protrude above the upper end of the base when the communication portion is open.

[0033] If the shielding member protrudes above the upper end of the base, the shielding member increases the vertical size of the pod opening and closing device. In this regard, this aspect of the present invention can prevent the shielding member from increasing the vertical size of the pod opening and closing device.

[0034] The substrate transport device of the eighth means is any one of the fifth to seventh means, characterized in that it comprises a pressure adjustment unit configured to be able to adjust the air pressure in the substrate transport chamber, and a control unit, and the control unit controls the pressure adjustment unit based on information regarding the movement of the shielding member.

[0035] When the shielding member moves to connect the substrate transfer chamber to the accommodation space, the movement of gas can cause fluctuations in the air pressure in the substrate transfer chamber. This method allows the pressure adjustment unit to be controlled taking into account the movement of the shielding member. Therefore, fluctuations in the air pressure in the substrate transfer chamber can be effectively suppressed.

[0036] The pod opening and closing device of the ninth means is a pod opening and closing device connected to a substrate transfer chamber to which substrates are transferred, and configured to open and close a pod accommodating a cassette in which the substrates are stored, the pod having a bottom plate on which the cassette is placed and a cover that covers the cassette placed on the bottom plate, a base that constitutes a part of a partition wall that separates the substrate transfer chamber from an external space, an opening formed in the base through which the substrates can pass, and a shutter configured to be movable between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening. a first drive source that drives and moves the shutter; a lifting section that raises and lowers the cover relative to the bottom plate and, together with the cover, forms a storage space that stores the cassette when the cover is separated from the bottom plate; and a second drive source that is provided separately from the first drive source and drives and moves the lifting section, wherein the shutter has a communication section that connects the substrate transport chamber and the storage space, and is provided with a shielding member that is configured to open and close the communication section by being driven and moved by a drive source separate from the first drive source.

[0037] In this method, by appropriately setting the air pressure in the substrate transfer chamber, gas can be supplied from the substrate transfer chamber to the accommodation space even when the shutter is in the closed position. Therefore, in a substrate transfer device in which a drive source for driving the shutter up and down and a drive source for driving the lifting unit up and down are separately provided, it is possible to prevent gas from flowing into the cassette from the external space.

[0038] 15 is a schematic plan view of an EFEM and a processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a side view showing a state in which a side wall of the EFEM has been removed. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the electrical configuration of the EFEM. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a pod opening and closing device. FIG. 19 is a front view of the pod opening and closing device. FIG. 20 is a rear view of the pod opening and closing device. FIG. 21 is a side cross-sectional view of the pod opening and closing device, taken along VII-VII in FIG. 5. FIG. 22 is a side cross-sectional view of the pod opening and closing device when the cover has been moved to the upper position from the state of FIG. 7. FIG. 23 is a side cross-sectional view of the pod opening and closing device when the shutter has been moved to the open position from the state of FIG. 7. FIG. 24 is a side cross-sectional view of a pod opening and closing device according to a first modified example. FIG. 25 is a plan view of a bottom plate placed on a placement section according to the first modified example, as seen from above. FIG. 26 is a side cross-sectional view of a pod opening and closing device according to a second modified example. FIG. 27 is a schematic plan view of a substrate transport device including a pod opening and closing device according to a second embodiment, and its periphery. FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the substrate transport device. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 13. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 13. FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the pod opening and closing device and its periphery. (a) and (b) are front views schematically showing a base and a shutter. (b) are views corresponding to FIG. 15, showing a state in which the shutter is positioned in the open position. 28 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 16 , showing a state where the shutter is positioned in the open position. (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the shutter and its peripheral configuration. (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the shutter cover and its peripheral configuration. (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the shutter cover and its peripheral configuration according to a modified example. A schematic plan view of an EFEM and processing device according to a third embodiment. A side view of the EFEM. A diagram showing the electrical configuration of the EFEM. A perspective view of a pod opening and closing device. A front view of the pod opening and closing device. A rear view of the pod opening and closing device. A cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 28 . A diagram showing a state where the cover is positioned between the lower position and the upper position. A diagram showing a state where the cover is positioned in the upper position. A diagram showing a state where the shutter is positioned in the open position.

[0039] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) 1 (substrate transfer module) according to the first embodiment, and a processing device 6 connected to the EFEM 1. In FIG. 1, the top panel 32 and other components of the substrate transfer chamber 2 (described below) have been removed to allow the interior of the substrate transfer chamber 2 to be seen. FIG. 2 is a side view in which a side wall (right side wall 36) of the EFEM 1 has been removed to allow the interior to be seen. For convenience of explanation, the directions shown in FIG. 1 are defined as the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. That is, the direction in which the EFEM 1 and the processing device 6 are arranged is defined as the front-to-back direction. In the front-to-back direction, the EFEM 1 side is defined as the front side, and the processing device 6 side is defined as the rear side. The direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, in which multiple pod opening / closing devices 4 are arranged, is defined as the left-to-right direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to both the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction is defined as the up-to-down direction (see FIG. 2).

[0041] (Schematic Configuration of EFEM and Its Periphery) First, the schematic configuration of the EFEM 1 and its periphery will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the electrical configuration of the EFEM 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the EFEM 1 includes a substrate transfer chamber 2, multiple pod opening and closing devices 4, and a control device 5 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 1, a processing device 6 is disposed behind the EFEM 1. The processing device 6 is a device that performs a predetermined process on a wafer W (substrate of the present invention), which is a semiconductor substrate. The predetermined process may be, for example, a process performed in a vacuum chamber (such as sputtering or dry etching), or may be another process. The EFEM 1 transfers the wafer W between the processing device 6 and a SMIF pod 100 (pod of the present invention) placed on the pod opening and closing device 4, using a transfer mechanism 3 disposed in the substrate transfer chamber 2.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2 , the SMIF pod 100 includes a bottom plate 101 on which a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W is placed, and a cover 102 that covers the cassette C placed on the bottom plate 101. The cassette C is configured to accommodate a plurality of wafers W arranged vertically in a substantially horizontal state. The cassette C is open at the rear, allowing the wafers W to be removed from the rear. The cover 102 is configured to cover the cassette C and the bottom plate 101 from above. The cover 102 is open at the bottom. The lower end of the cover 102 is located outside the bottom plate 101 in the horizontal direction. The cover 102 has a locking mechanism (not shown). The locking mechanism can secure and release the cover 102 to and from the bottom plate 101.

[0043] The substrate transfer chamber 2 connects multiple pod opening / closing devices 4 and processing equipment 6. The substrate transfer chamber 2 has an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the substrate transfer chamber 2 has vertically extending support columns 37a-37d and multiple partition walls (a bottom plate 31, a top plate 32, a front wall 33, a rear wall 34, a left side wall 35, and a right side wall 36). The multiple partition walls are attached to the support columns 37a-37d. The support column 37a is located at the right end of the front end of the substrate transfer chamber 2. The support column 37b is located at the left end of the front end of the substrate transfer chamber 2. The support column 37c is located at the left end of the rear end of the substrate transfer chamber 2. The support column 37d is located at the right end of the rear end of the substrate transfer chamber 2. The bottom plate 31 is located at the bottom of the substrate transfer chamber 2 (see FIG. 2). The top plate 32 is located at the ceiling of the substrate transfer chamber 2 (see FIG. 2). The front wall 33 is located at the front end of the substrate transfer chamber 2 (see FIG. 2). The rear wall 34 is located at the rear end of the substrate transfer chamber 2 (see FIG. 2). The left side wall 35 is located at the left end of the substrate transfer chamber 2 (see FIG. 1). The right side wall 36 is located at the right end of the substrate transfer chamber 2 (see FIG. 1). In the first embodiment, the front wall 33 is formed by a partition wall located at the front end of the substrate transfer chamber 2 and a base 41 (described below) of the pod opening and closing device 4. In other words, the base 41 of the pod opening and closing device 4 forms part of the front wall 33. The space surrounded by the multiple partition walls is substantially sealed from the space outside the substrate transfer chamber 2 (hereinafter referred to as the external space 9). Each partition wall member is formed, for example, from a general sheet metal (a rolled metal plate with a thickness of 6 mm or less).

[0044] A fan filter unit (FFU) 13 having a fan 13a and a filter 13b is disposed inside the substrate transfer chamber 2. The FFU 13 is supported from below by a horizontally extending support member 18 (see FIG. 2). The support member 18 is connected to the rear side of the front wall 33, the front side of the rear wall 34, the right side of the left side wall 35, and the left side of the right side wall 36 at a position closer to the top plate 32 than the bottom plate 31 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the space below the support member 18 within the interior of the substrate transfer chamber 2 defines a transfer space 30 in which wafers W are transferred. The support member 18 has an opening 18a that penetrates the support member 18 in the vertical direction. The fan 13a is configured to send clean air (such as nitrogen or dry air) downward. The clean air sent downward from the fan 13a passes through the filter 13b and is sent to the transfer space 30 through the opening 18a. As a result, the transfer space 30 is filled with clean air, and the cleanliness of the transfer space 30 is maintained.

[0045] A pod opening / closing device 4 is attached to the front end of the substrate transfer chamber 2. A load lock chamber 7 (see FIG. 1) of the processing apparatus 6 is connected to an opening 34a provided in a rear wall 34 of the substrate transfer chamber 2. The opening 34a can be opened and closed by a door 1a, which is generally called a gate valve. Wafers W are transferred between the transfer space 30 and the load lock chamber 7 through the door 1a.

[0046] The transfer mechanism 3 is configured to transfer wafers W within the transfer space 30. As shown in FIG. 2 , the transfer mechanism 3 includes, for example, an arm 3a having a pick on which a wafer W is placed and transferred, and a base 3b supporting the arm 3a from below. The base 3b is supported on a front wall 33 of the substrate transfer chamber 2 via a support 21 and a guide rail 22. The transfer mechanism 3 is capable of moving along the guide rail 22 extending in the left-right direction within the substrate transfer chamber 2. The control device 5 controls the operation of the transfer mechanism 3, thereby transferring wafers W accommodated in SMIF pods 100 placed on each of the pod opening and closing devices 4 aligned in the left-right direction to the load lock chamber 7, and transferring wafers W after being processed in a processing chamber 8 (described below) back into the SMIF pod 100.

[0047] Each of the multiple pod opening and closing devices 4 is configured to receive a SMIF pod 100. The multiple pod opening and closing devices 4 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The rear end of each pod opening and closing device 4 is arranged along the front wall 33 of the substrate transfer chamber 2. The pod opening and closing devices 4 will be described in detail later.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 1 , the processing apparatus 6 includes, for example, a load lock chamber 7 and a processing chamber 8. The load lock chamber 7 is a chamber in which the wafer W is temporarily placed on standby. The pressure inside the load lock chamber 7 is maintained at, for example, a near-vacuum pressure (a pressure much lower than the pressure in the substrate transfer chamber 2). The load lock chamber 7 is connected to the substrate transfer chamber 2 via the above-mentioned door 1 a, and is connected to the processing chamber 8 via a door 6 a. The door 6 a is, for example, a gate valve, similar to the door 1 a. In the processing chamber 8, a predetermined process is performed on the wafer by a processing mechanism (not shown).

[0049] 3, the control device 5 is electrically connected to the cover moving mechanism 81, the shutter opening and closing mechanism 82, the gas replacement mechanism 83, the transfer mechanism 3, the FFU 13, the processing chamber control unit 85, etc. The control device 5 controls the operations of the cover moving mechanism 81, the shutter opening and closing mechanism 82, the gas replacement mechanism 83, the transfer mechanism 3, and the FFU 13. The control device 5 also controls the processing chamber control unit 85 to control the opening and closing of the doors 1a and 6a, and to control the operation of a processing mechanism (not shown) of the processing chamber 8.

[0050] (Pod Opening and Closing Device 4) Next, the pod opening and closing device 4 according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the pod opening and closing device 4. FIG. 5 is a front view of the pod opening and closing device 4. FIG. 6 is a rear view of the pod opening and closing device 4. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the pod opening and closing device 4, taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 5. Note that FIGS. 4 to 6 show the pod opening and closing device 4 in a state where the SMIF pod 100 is not placed. In contrast, FIG. 7 shows the pod opening and closing device 4 in a state where the SMIF pod 100 is placed. In FIG. 5, the shutter opening and closing mechanism 82, which is located behind the cover moving mechanism 81, is not shown. In FIG. 6, the cover moving mechanism 81, which is located in front of the shutter opening and closing mechanism 82, is not shown. As shown in Figure 4, the pod opening and closing device 4 includes a base 41, a horizontal base 43, a housing 46, legs 45, a shutter 42, a cover moving mechanism 81 (see Figure 7), a shutter opening and closing mechanism 82 (see Figure 7), and a gas replacement mechanism 83 (see Figure 7).

[0051] The base 41 is a plate-like member extending in the vertical and horizontal directions. The base 41 constitutes a part of the front wall 33 that separates the transfer space 30 from the external space 9. In other words, the base 41 constitutes a part of the front wall that separates the substrate transfer chamber 2 from the external space 9 between the substrate transfer chamber 2 and the placement portion 44. As shown in FIG. 4 , a window frame portion 91 is formed in the base 41. The window frame portion 91 has a frame shape with a substantially rectangular opening 92 formed inside. In other words, the opening 92 is formed in the base 41.

[0052] The horizontal base 43 extends forward from the base 41. For example, the horizontal base 43 extends forward from a height position slightly above the center of the base 41 in the up-down direction (see FIG. 4 ). A mounting portion 44 on which the SMIF pod 100 can be placed is formed on the upper surface of the horizontal base 43. The mounting portion 44 is, for example, a substantially flat plate-shaped member. A through-hole 56 formed in the upper surface 51 d of the cassette cover 51 (described later) can pass through the mounting portion 44. The mounting portion 44 is supported by, for example, a substantially columnar support member (not shown). The support member is fixed to, for example, the housing 46. As shown in FIG. 4 , in the first embodiment, the mounting portion 44 is positioned slightly below the height position of the bottom of the opening 92. As shown in FIG. 4 , the mounting portion 44 is provided with three positioning pins 44 a for positioning the SMIF pod 100.

[0053] The housing 46 extends downward from directly below the horizontal base 43 on the front side of the base 41. Inside the housing 46, a cover moving mechanism 81 (described later), some of the components of a shutter opening / closing mechanism 82 (described later), some of the components of a gas replacement mechanism 83 (described later), and the like are arranged.

[0054] The legs 45 support the housing 46 from below. The legs 45 are arranged on the front side of the lower part of the base 41 and below the housing 46. Casters, for example, may be attached to the legs 45.

[0055] The shutter 42 is a plate-like member that can move up and down to close and open the opening 92. As shown in Fig. 7, the shutter 42 is disposed rearward of the base 41. In other words, the shutter 42 is disposed on the opposite side of the base 41 from the mounting portion 44.

[0056] (Cover Moving Mechanism) The cover moving mechanism 81 is configured to be able to move the cover 102 of the SMIF pod 100 between a lower position and an upper position. The lower position is the position of the cover 102 when the cover 102 covers the cassette C placed on the bottom plate 101 of the SMIF pod 100. The lower position is the position of the cover 102 in FIG. 7. When the cover 102 is in the lower position, the lower end of the cover 102 is in contact with the bottom plate 101. The upper position is a position higher than the lower position, and is the position of the cover 102 when the cassette C placed on the bottom plate 101 is exposed from the cover 102. The upper position is the position of the cover 102 in FIG. 9.

[0057] 5 and 7, the cover moving mechanism 81 has a cassette cover 51 (the lifting section of the present invention), a cassette cover support section 52, a ball screw 53, bearings 54a and 54b, and a bearing support section 55. The cassette cover 51 is a member that can come into contact with the lower end of the cover 102 of the SMIF pod 100 placed on the placement section 44, and is a member that pushes up the cover 102 that is located in the lower position to the upper position. This will be explained in detail below.

[0058] The cassette cover 51 is housed inside the housing 46 (see FIG. 7). The cassette cover 51 is a roughly rectangular box-shaped member. The cassette cover 51 includes a front surface 51a (see FIGS. 5 and 7 to 9) extending in the left-right and up-down directions, a left surface 51b (see FIGS. 7 to 9) extending from the left end of the front surface 51a toward the rear, a right surface 51c (see FIG. 5) extending from the right end of the front surface 51a toward the rear, and a top surface 51d (see FIGS. 4 and 7) connected to the upper ends of the front surface 51a, left surface 51b, and right surface 51c and extending in a generally horizontal direction. The left surface 51b and right surface 51c are arranged to face each other in the left-right direction.

[0059] The top surface 51d is positioned so as to be in contact with the underside of the cover 102 of the SMIF pod 100. Because of this configuration, when the cassette cover 51 housed inside the housing 46 is moved upward, the top surface 51d pushes the cassette cover 51 upward. As shown in FIG. 4 , a through-hole 56 is formed in the top surface 51d, penetrating the cassette cover 51 in the vertical direction. The through-hole 56 has, for example, a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the top. The through-hole 56 is large enough to allow the placement portion 44 to pass through. Because of this configuration, when the cassette cover 51 is moved vertically, the placement portion 44 passes through the through-hole 56 formed in the top surface 51d. This allows the cassette cover 51 to be moved vertically without interference between the cassette cover 51 and the placement portion 44. The cassette cover 51 is configured to be movable upward until the cover 102 is positioned in the upper position (see FIG. 9 ).

[0060] Furthermore, the cassette cover 51 raises and lowers the cover 102 relative to the bottom plate 101, and together with the cover 102, forms a storage space for accommodating the cassette C when the cover 102 is separated from the bottom plate 101. In other words, the cassette cover 51 has the function of covering the front, left, and right sides of the cassette C when the cover 102 is moved to a height that positions the cover 102 in the upper position. Specifically, the front surface 51a of the cassette cover 51 covers the front side of the cassette C, the left surface 51b covers the left side of the cassette C, and the right surface 51c covers the right side of the cassette C. This prevents the cassette C from being exposed to the external space 9, even when the cover 102 is moved to the upper position and the cassette C is exposed from the cover 102, thereby preventing a decrease in the cleanliness around the cassette C. Note that when the cover 102 is positioned in the upper position, the rear side of the cassette C is not covered by the cassette cover 51.

[0061] The cassette cover support portion 52 is a member that supports the cassette cover 51 from below. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 , the cassette cover support portion 52 is connected to the upper end of the ball screw 53 via a bearing 54a. The lower end of the ball screw 53 is connected to a bearing 54b. The bearing 54b is supported by a bearing support portion 55. The bearing support portion 55 is attached to, for example, the lower surface of the housing 46. The ball screw 53 is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). The cover moving mechanism 81 moves the cassette cover support portion 52 and the cassette cover 51 in the up and down direction by rotation of the ball screw 53. As a result, the cover moving mechanism 81 moves the cover 102, which abuts against the cassette cover 51, between a lower position and an upper position. Note that in the first embodiment, the cassette cover support portion 52 is, for example, a substantially rectangular plate-like member, and is provided with notches near the center in the left-right direction and at the rear. By providing the cassette cover support portion 52 with a notch, it is possible to prevent interference between the cassette cover support portion 52 and a movable block 63 (described later) when the cassette cover support portion 52 is moved up and down.

[0062] (Shutter Opening and Closing Mechanism) The shutter opening and closing mechanism 82 is configured to be able to move the shutter 42 between a closed position and an open position. The closed position is the position of the shutter 42 when the shutter 42 closes the opening 92. The closed position is the position of the shutter 42 in FIG. 7. The open position is a position lower than the closed position. The open position is a position inside the substrate transfer chamber 2 connected to the pod opening and closing device 4. The open position is the position of the shutter 42 when the shutter 42 opens the opening 92. The open position is the position of the shutter 42 shown in FIG. 9.

[0063] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the shutter opening / closing mechanism 82 includes a shutter holding portion 61, a support frame 62, a movable block 63, and a slide rail 64. As shown in FIG. 7 , the shutter holding portion 61 is a member that holds the shutter 42 from the rear side. The support frame 62 is a member that supports the shutter holding portion 61 from below. As shown in FIG. 7 , the support frame 62 is generally crank-shaped. More specifically, the upper portion of the support frame 62 extends vertically (for convenience of explanation, this will be referred to as the "extending portion"). The lower portion of the support frame 62 protrudes forward from the lower end of the extending portion. This lower portion passes through a slit-shaped insertion hole 93 (see FIG. 6 ) provided in the base 41. That is, a portion of the support frame 62, including its upper end, is disposed rearward of the base 41, and the remaining portion, including its lower end, is disposed frontward of the base 41.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 7 , the movable block 63 is a member that supports the lower end of the support frame 62 from below. The movable block 63 is disposed in front of the base 41. The slide rails 64 are two rail members that are disposed in front of the base 41 and extend in the vertical direction (see FIG. 6 ). The two slide rails 64 are disposed parallel to each other. The movable block 63 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction along the slide rails 64. The movable block 63 is driven to move in the vertical direction by a motor (not shown). The shutter opening / closing mechanism 82 moves the movable block 63 along the slide rails 64 to move the shutter 42 between a closed position (see FIG. 7 ) and an open position (see FIG. 9 ).

[0065] (Gas Replacement Mechanism) The gas replacement mechanism 83 is for replacing the gas inside the cassette C with clean gas. As shown in FIG. 7 , the gas replacement mechanism 83 includes a first supply nozzle 71 and a second supply nozzle 72.

[0066] The first supply nozzle 71 is a nozzle for supplying clean gas into the cassette C. A first supply port 71a is formed at one end of the first supply nozzle 71, and a first supply valve 71b is provided at the other end. As shown in FIG. 7 , a portion of the first supply nozzle 71, including the first supply port 71a, is attached to the shutter 42. The first supply port 71a is configured to be able to open toward the mounting portion 44. Specifically, when the shutter 42 is in the closed position, the first supply port 71a opens toward the mounting portion 44 (see FIG. 7 ). The first supply valve 71b is disposed inside the housing 46 on the front side of the base 41. In summary, the first supply nozzle 71 is configured as follows. That is, the first supply nozzle 71 extends from the end where the first supply port 71a is formed toward the rear side, penetrating the shutter 42 and the shutter holder 61. The first supply nozzle 71 extends rearward from one end, bends midway, and extends downward behind the base 41. Furthermore, the first supply nozzle 71 extending downward bends midway and extends forward, penetrating the base 41.

[0067] When the first supply valve 71b is open, the clean gas flows through the first supply nozzle 71. Then, the clean gas flowing through the first supply nozzle 71 is released from the first supply port 71a toward the mounting unit 44. When the first supply valve 71b is closed, the clean gas does not flow through the first supply nozzle 71. Therefore, when the first supply valve 71b is closed, the clean gas is not released from the first supply port 71a toward the mounting unit 44.

[0068] The second supply nozzle 72 is a nozzle for supplying clean gas into the interior of the cassette C. More specifically, the second supply nozzle 72 is configured to be able to supply clean gas into the interior of the cassette C even when the shutter 42 is in the open position (i.e., when clean gas cannot be supplied into the interior of the cassette C via the first supply nozzle 71). Specifically, a second supply port 72a is formed at one end of the second supply nozzle 72, and a second supply valve 72b is provided at the other end. In the first embodiment, the second supply nozzle 72 is attached to the upper part of the base 41 via a nozzle support member 73. The second supply port 72a is configured to be able to open toward the mounting portion 44 when the shutter 42 is in the open position. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the second supply port 72a opens toward the opening 92 on the rear side of the shutter 42. The second supply port 72a configured in this manner opens toward the mounting portion 44 when the shutter 42 is in the open position (see FIG. 9 ).

[0069] When the second supply valve 72b is open, the clean gas flows through the second supply nozzle 72. The clean gas flowing through the second supply nozzle 72 is then released from the second supply port 72a toward the mounting unit 44. When the second supply valve 72b is closed, the clean gas does not flow through the second supply nozzle 72. Therefore, when the second supply valve 72b is closed, the clean gas is not released from the second supply port 72a toward the mounting unit 44.

[0070] (Operation Procedure of Pod Opening and Closing Device) Next, the operation procedure for moving the cover 102 of the SMIF pod 100 to the upper position and the shutter 42 to the open position using the pod opening and closing device 4 of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 7 to 9. In the initial state, each valve is closed and the shutter 42 is in the closed position.

[0071] First, as shown in FIG. 7, the SMIF pod 100 is placed on the placement section 44. At this time, the cover 102 is in the lower position. Next, the control device 5 controls the drive of the cover moving mechanism 81 to move the cover 102 from the lower position to the upper position (see FIG. 8). As a result, the cassette C is exposed from the cover 102, and the front, left, and right sides of the cassette C are covered by the cassette cover 51. At this time, the upper side of the cassette C is covered by the upper surface 51d of the cassette cover 51 and the cover 102 (see FIG. 8).

[0072] Next, the control device 5 controls the operation of the gas replacement mechanism 83 to open the first supply valve 71b. This causes clean gas to be released from the first supply port 71a attached to the shutter 42, which is positioned in the closed position, toward the mounting section 44. As a result, clean gas is supplied to the inside of the cassette C placed on the mounting section 44. Here, there is a small gap between the cassette cover 51 and the base 41. Therefore, the gas inside the cassette C is discharged through this gap into the external space 9. In this way, the inside of the cassette C is replaced with clean gas.

[0073] At a predetermined timing when the gas replacement inside the cassette C has progressed, the control device 5 controls the operation of the gas replacement mechanism 83 to close the first supply valve 71b. The predetermined timing is, for example, a timing that is set in advance. The control device 5 then controls the operation of the shutter opening / closing mechanism 82 to move the shutter 42 from the closed position to the open position (see FIG. 9 ). This opens the opening 92, allowing the transfer mechanism 3 to remove the wafer W from inside the cassette C and transfer it into the transfer space 30.

[0074] In the first embodiment, immediately after the shutter 42 starts to move from the closed position to the open position, the control device 5 controls the operation of the gas replacement mechanism 83 to open the second supply valve 72b. This causes the clean gas to be released from the second supply port 72a toward the mounting part 44. This makes it possible to maintain a high concentration of the clean gas around the wafers W accommodated inside the cassette C, thereby preventing a decrease in the cleanliness around the wafers W. The release of the clean gas from the second supply port 72a may be continued, for example, throughout the time the wafers W are removed by the transfer mechanism 3 and transferred to the processing device 6.

[0075] (Effects) As described above, the pod opening and closing device 4 of the first embodiment is a pod opening and closing device 4 connected to the substrate transfer chamber 2 for transferring wafers W to the processing apparatus 6. The pod opening and closing device 4 includes: a mounting portion 44 on which the SMIF pod 100 having a bottom plate 101 and a cover 102 can be mounted; a base 41 constituting a part of the front wall 33 that isolates the substrate transfer chamber 2 from the external space 9 between the substrate transfer chamber 2 and the mounting portion 44; an opening 92 formed in the base 41; a shutter 42 that is disposed on the opposite side of the base 41 from the mounting portion 44 and can close and open the opening 92; a cover moving mechanism 81; and a shutter opening and closing mechanism 82. The cover moving mechanism 81 can move the cover 102 between a lower position that covers a cassette C mounted on the bottom plate 101 and an upper position that is higher than the lower position and exposes the cassette C. The shutter opening / closing mechanism 82 is capable of moving the shutter 42 between a closed position in which the opening 92 is closed, and an open position which is lower than the closed position and inside the substrate transport chamber 2 connected to the pod opening / closing device 4, in which the opening 92 is opened.

[0076] According to the first embodiment, when transferring a wafer W to the processing apparatus 6, the cover 102 is moved upward to expose the cassette C, while the shutter 42 is moved downward to open the opening 92. As a result, even if components constituting the substrate transfer chamber 2 are disposed in the space above the opening 92 (hereinafter referred to as the upper space), the components do not interfere with the shutter 42. The upper space here refers to the space immediately above the opening 92 in FIG. 2 . In the first embodiment, the front ends of the support members 18 constituting the substrate transfer chamber 2 are disposed in the upper space. This configuration prevents the upper space from becoming dead space, thereby reducing the height of the substrate transfer chamber 2 above the opening 92. Additionally, the present inventors have noted that a space (hereinafter referred to as the lower space) has conventionally existed inside the substrate transfer chamber 2 below the opening 92 in which the shutter 42 can be disposed while avoiding interference between the shutter 42 and devices for transferring the wafer W. The lower space here refers to the space immediately below the opening 92 in Fig. 2. In other words, the lower space is the space in front of the base 3b of the transport mechanism 3 and above the support portion 21 (see Fig. 2). Therefore, even if the shutter 42 is moved to the open position below the closed position, interference between the shutter 42 and other components can be avoided, and an increase in the height dimension of the substrate transport chamber 2 below the opening 92 can also be avoided. As described above, the pod opening and closing device 4 of the first embodiment can reduce the height dimension of the substrate transport chamber 2 to which the pod opening and closing device 4 is connected.

[0077] The pod opening and closing device 4 of the first embodiment also includes a gas replacement mechanism 83 for replacing the interior of the cassette C with clean gas. The gas replacement mechanism 83 has a first supply port 71a for supplying clean gas into the interior of the cassette C. The first supply port 71a is attached to the shutter 42 and is configured to be open toward the mounting portion 44. This allows the interior of the cassette C to be replaced with clean gas by performing the following procedure. That is, the cover 102 is moved to the upper position to expose the cassette C, and the shutter 42 is left in the closed position. In this state, clean gas is supplied into the interior of the cassette C through the first supply port 71a attached to the shutter 42. This allows the interior of the cassette C to be replaced with clean gas, thereby removing oxygen, moisture, and the like from around the wafers W housed in the cassette C. As a result, oxidation of the wafers W and adhesion of moisture to the wafers W can be suppressed. The clean gas is, for example, nitrogen or dry air.

[0078] The pod opening and closing device 4 of the first embodiment also includes a second supply port 72a that supplies clean gas into the cassette C. The second supply port 72a is configured to be openable toward the mounting portion 44 when the shutter 42 is in the open position. This allows clean gas to be supplied to the cassette C from the second supply port 72a when the cover 102 is moved to the upper position to expose the cassette C and the shutter 42 is moved to the open position to open the opening 92. Therefore, when a wafer W is removed from the SMIF pod 100 and loaded into the substrate transfer chamber 2, clean gas can be continuously supplied to the periphery of the wafer W. This increases the concentration of clean gas around the wafer W, which in turn reduces the concentrations of oxygen, moisture, and the like around the wafer W. As a result, oxidation of the wafer W and adhesion of moisture to the wafer W can be suppressed.

[0079] (Modifications) Modifications of the above embodiment will be described below, with the same reference numerals being used to designate components having the same configuration as the above embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0080] (First Modification) In the above embodiment, a through-hole 56 is formed in the upper surface 51d of the cassette cover 51, and the through-hole 56 is configured to allow the mounting portion 44 to pass through. However, the mounting portion 44 and the cassette cover 51 are not limited to this configuration. For example, a cassette cover 151 according to the first modification does not have an upper surface. That is, the cassette cover 151 is a cover that is generally U-shaped when viewed from above (see FIG. 11 ). Note that the front surface 151a, left surface 151b, and right surface 151c of the cassette cover 151 have the same configurations as the front surface 51a, left surface 51b, and right surface 51c of the above embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] The mounting portion 144 according to the first modification is formed with through-holes 144a through which the front surface 151a, left surface 151b, and right surface 151c of the cassette cover 151 can pass (see FIG. 10 ). Furthermore, in the first modification, the bottom plate 201 of the SMIF pod 200 is formed with through-holes 201a through which the front surface 151a, left surface 151b, and right surface 151c of the cassette cover 151 can pass (see FIGS. 10 and 11 ). Specifically, the mounting portion 144 is formed with through-holes 144a that are generally U-shaped when viewed from above. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11 , the bottom plate 201 is formed with through-holes 201a that are generally U-shaped when viewed from above. The through-holes 144a and 201a have substantially the same size and shape. That is, a through hole 144a having substantially the same size and shape as through hole 201a is present immediately below through hole 201a in Fig. 11. Furthermore, in the first modified example, cover 202 is placed on bottom plate 201. The lower end of cover 202 placed on bottom plate 201 is configured to cover at least a portion of through hole 201a from above.

[0082] Due to the above-described configuration, when cassette cover 151 stored inside housing 46 is moved upward, the upper end of cassette cover 151 (i.e., the upper ends of front surface 151a, left surface 151b, and right surface 151c) passes through through-hole 144a and through-hole 201a and abuts against the lower end of cover 202. In this state, by moving cassette cover 151 further upward, cover 202 abutting against the upper end of cassette cover 151 is pushed upward.

[0083] (Second Modification) In the above embodiment, the gas replacement mechanism 83 includes a first supply nozzle 71 and a second supply nozzle 72. In this regard, the gas replacement mechanism 183 may further include an exhaust nozzle 74 for exhausting gas from the inside of the cassette C. As shown in FIG. 12 , an exhaust port 74a is formed at one end of the exhaust nozzle 74, and an exhaust valve 74b is provided at the other end. As shown in FIG. 12 , a portion of the exhaust nozzle 74 including the exhaust port 74a is attached to the shutter 42. The exhaust port 74a is configured to be able to open toward the mounting portion 44. Specifically, when the shutter 42 is in the closed position, the exhaust port 74a opens toward the mounting portion 44 (see FIG. 12 ). In the second modification, the exhaust port 74a is located above the first supply port 71a. The exhaust valve 74b is located inside the housing 46 on the front side of the base 41. In summary, the exhaust nozzle 74 is configured as follows. That is, the discharge nozzle 74 extends from one end where the discharge port 74a is formed toward the rear side, penetrating through the shutter 42 and the shutter holding portion 61. The discharge nozzle 74 extending toward the rear from one end bends midway and extends downward behind the base 41. Furthermore, the discharge nozzle 74 extending downward bends midway and extends forward so as to penetrate through the base 41.

[0084] When the exhaust valve 74b is open, gas present in the space in front of the shutter 42 is exhausted from the exhaust port 74a to the exhaust nozzle 74. When the exhaust valve 74b is closed, gas present in the space in front of the shutter 42 is not exhausted from the exhaust port 74a to the exhaust nozzle 74.

[0085] By providing the exhaust nozzle 74, it becomes easier to exhaust the gas inside the cassette C, and the inside of the cassette C can be efficiently replaced with clean gas.

[0086] (Other Modifications) In the above embodiment, the gas replacement mechanism 83 includes the first supply nozzle 71 and the second supply nozzle 72. However, the gas replacement mechanism 83 may be configured not to include the second supply nozzle 72. Alternatively, the gas replacement mechanism 83 may be configured not to include the first supply nozzle 71.

[0087] In the above embodiment, one first supply nozzle 71 is provided. However, two or more first supply nozzles 71 may be provided. For example, the first supply nozzle 71 may be provided in place of the discharge nozzle 74 (see FIG. 12 ) of the second modified example. This improves the supply efficiency of clean air.

[0088] The pod opening and closing device 4 in the above embodiment includes the gas replacement mechanism 83. However, the pod opening and closing device 4 of the present invention may be configured not to include the gas replacement mechanism 83.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the first supply port 71 a may be covered with a lid. In this case, for example, the lid of the first supply port 71 a is opened when the first supply valve 71 b is opened. The second supply port 72 a may also be covered with a lid. Furthermore, the discharge port 74 a of the second modified example may also be covered with a lid.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the second supply nozzle 72 is attached to the upper part of the base 41 via the nozzle support member 73. However, the second supply nozzle 72 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the second supply nozzle 72 may be attached to the right or left part of the base 41 via the nozzle support member 73.

[0091] The second supply nozzle 72 may also be configured to be extendable and retractable along the nozzle extension direction. In this case, when the second supply nozzle 72 is extended, a second supply port 72a formed at one end of the second supply nozzle 72 opens toward the mounting unit 44. In such a configuration, the control device 5 controls the driving of the gas replacement mechanism 83 so that, for example, the second supply nozzle 72 is retracted when the shutter 42 is in the closed position, and the second supply nozzle 72 is extended when the shutter 42 is in the open position.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the cover moving mechanism 81 is configured to include the ball screw 53, the bearings 54a and 54b, and the bearing support portion 55. However, the cover moving mechanism 81 is not limited to this configuration. The cover moving mechanism 81 may be configured to move the cover 102 up and down, and may be, for example, a pneumatic, hydraulic, or magnetic linear actuator.

[0093] The pod opening and closing device 4 in the above embodiment has a cassette cover 51 that covers the front, left, and right sides of the cassette C when the cover 102 is in the upper position. However, the pod opening and closing device 4 does not have to have the cassette cover 51. In this case, the cover 102 is pushed up from the lower position to the upper position by a member separate from the cassette cover 51. The member separate from the cassette cover 51 here refers to a member that does not have the function of covering the front, left, and right sides of the cassette C when the cover 102 is in the upper position.

[0094] In the above embodiment, there is no particular limitation on the location where the control device 5 is disposed. For example, the control device 5 may be built into the pod opening and closing device 4, the substrate transfer chamber 2, or an external PC. Furthermore, the control device 5 may be provided in each of the pod opening and closing device 4, the substrate transfer chamber 2, and the processing device 6.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the first supply port 71a and the front surface of the shutter 42 are at the same position in the front-rear direction. However, the first supply port 71a may be located further forward than the front surface of the shutter 42. Similarly, the discharge port 74a in the second modified example may be located further forward than the front surface of the shutter 42.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the pod placed on the mounting portion 44 is a SMIF pod 100. However, the pod placed on the mounting portion 44 may be any pod as long as the cover can move up and down to cover and expose the cassette C, and is not limited to a SMIF pod.

[0097] In the pod opening and closing device 4 of the above embodiment, the shutter 42 may have a communication part that communicates the substrate transfer chamber 2 with the accommodation space (for details, see the accommodation space 571 of the third embodiment described later). In addition, a shielding member configured to open and close the communication part by being moved and driven by a drive source separate from the cover moving mechanism 81 may be provided. For details of the communication part and the shielding member, see the through hole 547a and the shielding plate 570 of the third embodiment described later, and FIGS. 28 to 31, etc.

[0098] Second Embodiment A different embodiment (second embodiment) from the present invention will be described. For ease of explanation, the directions shown in FIG. 13 are defined as the front-rear and left-right directions. More specifically, the direction in which the substrate transport device 301 (described later) and the processing device 306 (described later) are arranged is defined as the front-rear direction. In the front-rear direction, the side of the substrate transport device 301 is defined as the front side. In the front-rear direction, the side of the processing device 306 is defined as the rear side. The direction in which the multiple pod opening and closing devices 304 are arranged, which is perpendicular to the front-rear direction, is defined as the left-right direction. The direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is defined as the up-down direction. The up-down direction is a direction parallel to the vertical direction in which gravity acts.

[0099] (Schematic Configuration of Pod Opening and Closing Apparatus and Its Periphery) A schematic configuration of a pod opening and closing apparatus 304 and its periphery according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a substrate transfer apparatus 301 equipped with a plurality of pod opening and closing apparatuses 304 and its periphery. The substrate transfer apparatus 301 is an apparatus for transferring a wafer W2 (substrate) between a pod 400 (container) placed on each pod opening and closing apparatus 304 and a processing apparatus 306. The substrate transfer apparatus 301 may be, for example, a so-called Equipment Front End Module (EFEM). The wafer W2 is a known semiconductor substrate. For example, a semiconductor circuit (not shown) is formed on the wafer W2. The wafer W2 is, for example, substantially disk-shaped.

[0100] 13, the substrate transfer device 301 includes a housing 302, a transfer robot 303, a plurality of pod opening and closing devices 304, and a control device 305. A processing device 306 is disposed behind the substrate transfer device 301.

[0101] The substrate transfer device 301 is installed at a predetermined position in, for example, a semiconductor factory. The substrate transfer device 301 uses a transfer robot 303 arranged in a housing 302 to transfer wafers W2 between a cassette C2 in a pod 400 placed on a pod opening / closing device 304 and the processing device 306. The pod 400 is, for example, a known SMIF pod. The cassette C2 is accommodated in the internal space of the pod 400. A plurality of wafers W2 are accommodated in the cassette C2. The pod 400 is transported, for example, by a pod transport device (not shown). The pod 400 is transferred between the pod transport device and the pod opening / closing device 304.

[0102] The housing 302 is a box-shaped member having a substrate transfer chamber 309 into which the wafer W2 is transferred. The substrate transfer chamber 309 is separated from a space outside the housing 302 (external space 310). A plurality of pod opening and closing devices 304 are connected to the front end of the housing 302. A load lock chamber 307 of the processing device 306 is connected to the rear end of the housing 302. The transfer robot 303 transfers the wafer W2 between the cassette C2 and the load lock chamber 307.

[0103] The multiple pod opening and closing devices 304 are arranged, for example, side by side in the left-right direction. The multiple pod opening and closing devices 304 are attached to the front end of the housing 302. Each pod opening and closing device 304 is configured to receive a pod 400. The configuration of the pod opening and closing devices 304 will be described later.

[0104] The control device 305 is electrically connected to a control unit 303a of the transfer robot 303, a control unit 327 (described later) of the pod opening and closing device 304, and a control unit (not shown) of the processing device 306 (see FIG. 14). The control device 305 is configured to communicate with these control units. The control device 305 may also be electrically connected to a higher-level host computer (not shown).

[0105] The processing device 306 is a device that performs a predetermined process on the wafer W2, such as sputtering, dry etching, etc. The processing device 306 includes, for example, a load lock chamber 307 for temporarily waiting the wafer W2, and a processing chamber 308 for performing the predetermined process on the wafer W2.

[0106] (Pod Opening and Closing Device and Its Surroundings) The configuration of the pod opening and closing device 304 and its surroundings will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 18(b). FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the substrate transfer device 301. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 13. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 13. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the pod opening and closing device 304 and its surroundings. FIGS. 18(a) and 18(b) are front views that schematically show the base 321 (described below) and the shutter 325. First, the general configuration of the housing 302 and the pod 400 will be described.

[0107] The housing 302 forms a substrate transfer chamber 309. The housing 302 has, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , the housing 302 has, for example, a front wall 302F, an upper wall 302U, and a lower wall 302D. The front wall 302F is disposed at the front end of the housing 302. The front wall 302F extends in the vertical and left-right directions. An opening 302Fa having a size that allows the wafer W2 to pass through in the vertical direction is formed in the middle of the front wall 302F in the vertical direction. The upper wall 302U is located at, for example, substantially the same position as the upper end of the front wall 302F. The lower wall 302D is located at, for example, substantially the same position as the lower end of the front wall 302F in the vertical direction. The pressure inside the substrate transfer chamber 309 is preferably slightly higher than the pressure inside the external space 310 (that is, the substrate transfer chamber 309 is at a positive pressure relative to the external space 310).

[0108] The pod 400 is configured to accommodate, for example, a cassette C2 containing a plurality of wafers W2. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , the pod 400 includes a bottom plate 401 and a pod cover 402. The bottom plate 401 is a flat member on which the cassette C2 is placed. The cassette C2 is configured to accommodate a plurality of wafers W2 arranged vertically in a substantially horizontal state. The pod cover 402 is configured to cover the cassette C2 and the bottom plate 401 from above. The pod cover 402 is open downward. The lower end of the pod cover 402 is located outside the bottom plate 401 in the horizontal direction. The pod cover 402 has a locking mechanism (not shown). The locking mechanism can secure and release the pod cover 402 to and from the bottom plate 401.

[0109] The pod opening and closing device 304 is configured so that the pod cover 402 can be attached to and detached from the bottom plate 401. The pod opening and closing device 304 is also configured so that the opening 302Fa can be opened and closed. As shown in Figures 14 to 17, the pod opening and closing device has a base 321, a box 322, a lifting box 323, a placing section 324, a shutter 325, a lifting mechanism 326 (see Figure 14), and a control section 327 (see Figure 14).

[0110] The base 321 is a plate-like member that extends elongatedly in the vertical direction. The base 321 is part of a partition wall that separates the substrate transfer chamber 309 from the external space 310. As shown in FIGS. 15 to 17 , the base 321 is fixed to, for example, the front end of the front wall 302F. As shown in FIG. 15 , the base 321 extends in the vertical direction, for example, from a position near the lower end to a position near the upper end of the front wall 302F. The base 321 is provided so as to close the opening 302Fa of the front wall 302F. As shown in FIG. 16 , a passage opening 321a is formed in the middle of the base 321 in the vertical direction. The passage opening 321a penetrates the base 321 in the front-rear direction. The passage opening 321a has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in the front-rear direction (see FIGS. 18( a) and 18(b)). The passage opening 321a has a size that allows the wafer W2 to pass through in the front-rear direction. The passage opening 321 a is opened and closed by a shutter 325 .

[0111] As shown in Figure 16, for example, the area around and directly above passage opening 321a of base 321 is thinner than the other parts (normal portion 321b) of base 321. For convenience of explanation, this portion having a relatively small thickness (i.e., length in the front-to-rear direction) is referred to as thin plate portion 321c (see Figures 16, 18(a) and 18(b)). The space immediately in front of thin plate portion 321c is a space in which shutter 325 can move up and down.

[0112] The box body 322 is, for example, a roughly rectangular box-shaped member. The box body 322 separates the substrate transfer chamber 309 from the external space 310. The box body 322 is open at the top. The front end of the box body 322 is fixed to, for example, the front wall 302F of the housing 302. The height of the box body 322 is, for example, roughly half the height of the base 321. The box body 322 houses a lift box 323 in a manner that allows it to move up and down.

[0113] The lift box 323 is a roughly rectangular box-shaped member. Together with the box body 322, the lift box 323 separates the substrate transfer chamber 309 from the external space 310. The lift box 323 is open, for example, at the bottom and front. The lift box 323 is configured to be vertically movable relative to the base 321, the box body 322, etc. The lift box 323 is housed in the box body 322 so as to be vertically movable. An upper surface 323b of the lift box 323 is arranged so as to be able to come into contact with the lower surface of the pod cover 402 of the pod 400. The lift box 323 is driven to move up and down by a lift mechanism 326. The lift box 323 is provided so as to be vertically movable integrally with the shutter 325. The lift box 323 may be provided with, for example, a clamp (not shown) configured to grip the pod cover 402.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 16 , a through-hole 323a is formed in the top surface of the lift box 323, penetrating in the vertical direction. The through-hole 323a has, for example, a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the top. The through-hole 323a is large enough to allow the placement portion 324 to pass through. As shown in FIG. 17 , for example, four positioning portions 331 and two unlocking portions 332 are provided on the top surface 323b of the lift box 323. Each positioning portion 331 and each unlocking portion 332 is disposed outside the through-hole 323a when viewed from the top. The four positioning portions 331 are configured to restrict horizontal movement of the pod 400. The four positioning portions 331 are disposed near the four corners of the top surface 323b. The two unlocking portions 332 are configured to lock and unlock a locking mechanism (not shown) of the pod cover 402. Each unlocking section 332 is disposed, for example, between two of the four positioning sections 331 that are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction.

[0115] The mounting portion 324 is a member on which the bottom plate 401 of the pod 400 is placed. The mounting portion 324 is, for example, a substantially flat plate-shaped member. The mounting portion 324 can pass through the through-hole 323a of the lift box 323. The mounting portion 324 is supported by, for example, a substantially columnar support member 333. The support member 333 is fixed to, for example, the box body 322. Unlike the lift box 323, the mounting portion 324 is, for example, configured to be immovable.

[0116] The shutter 325 is configured to open and close the passage opening 321a. The shutter 325 is, for example, a substantially flat plate-shaped member extending in the vertical direction. The shutter 325 is disposed immediately in front of the thin plate portion 321c of the base 321. That is, the shutter 325 is disposed outside the housing 302 (outside the substrate transfer chamber 309). In other words, the shutter 325 is disposed on the opposite side of the housing 302 (and the substrate transfer chamber 309) across the base 321 in the front-rear direction. The shutter 325 is fixed to, for example, the lift box 323. More specifically, for example, the lower end of the shutter 325 is fixed to the front end of the upper end of the lift box 323 by a fastener such as a bolt (not shown). This allows the shutter 325 to move up and down integrally with the lift box 323. That is, the shutter 325 is driven to move up and down together with the lift box 323 by the lift mechanism 326. The shutter 325 is movable between a closed position (see FIGS. 15 to 18(a)) and an open position (see FIG. 18(b)). The closed position is the position of the shutter 325 when the shutter 325 closes the passage opening 321a. The open position is the position of the shutter 325 when the shutter 325 opens the passage opening 321a.

[0117] The lifting mechanism 326 (see FIG. 14 ) is configured to lift and lower (i.e., drive to move in the up and down direction) the lifting box 323 and the shutter 325. The lifting mechanism 326 is housed, for example, inside the box body 322 (not shown). The lifting mechanism 326 has, for example, a ball screw mechanism (not shown) driven by a motor (not shown). Alternatively, the lifting mechanism 326 may have, for example, an air cylinder (not shown) as a drive source.

[0118] The control unit 327 (see FIG. 14 ) includes a CPU, ROM, and RAM (not shown). The control unit 327 controls each mechanism of the pod opening and closing device 304 using the CPU in accordance with a program stored in the ROM. The control unit 327 is electrically connected to, for example, the lifting mechanism 326, an indicator 350 (described later), and a gas supply mechanism 360 (described later). The control unit 327 also communicates with the control device 305 of the substrate transfer device 301.

[0119] Additionally, the pod opening and closing device 304 may include an exhaust unit (not shown) configured to be able to evacuate the gas in the internal space of the pod 400. A description of the exhaust unit will be omitted.

[0120] Additionally, the pod opening and closing device 304 may include a mapping device (not shown) for determining the state of the wafers W2 accommodated in the cassette C2. A description of the mapping device will be omitted.

[0121] (Basic Operation of Pod Opening and Closing Device) The basic operation of the pod opening and closing device 304 having the above configuration will be described with reference to Figures 15, 16, and 18(a) to 20. Figure 19 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 15, showing a state in which the shutter 325 is in the open position. Figure 20 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 16, showing a state in which the shutter 325 is in the open position.

[0122] First, the pod 400 is placed on the pod opening / closing device 304 (see FIGS. 15 and 16 ). More specifically, the bottom plate 401 is placed on the placement unit 324, and the pod cover 402 is placed on the lifting box 323. Next, the pod cover 402 may be gripped by, for example, the clamp (not shown). Next, the exhaust unit (not shown) may exhaust gas from the internal space of the pod 400. Next, the unlocking unit 332 operates a locking mechanism (not shown), allowing the pod cover 402 to be separated from the bottom plate 401.

[0123] Next, the control unit 327 (see FIG. 14 ) controls the lifting mechanism 326 (see FIG. 14 ), so that the lifting box 323 and the shutter 325 are lifted and lowered together by the lifting mechanism 326. This causes the lifting box 323 to move between a storage position (see FIGS. 15 and 16 ) and a non-storage position (see FIGS. 19 and 20 ). The storage position is the vertical position of the lifting box 323 when the pod cover 402, together with the bottom plate 401, stores the cassette C2 inside the pod 400. The non-storage position is the vertical position of the lifting box 323 when the pod cover 402 is separated from the bottom plate 401 and no longer covers the cassette C2. When the lifting box 323 is located at the non-storage position, the cassette C2 is exposed to the rear side (the side of the opening 302Fa and the passage opening 321a). At this time, the spaces in front and on both the left and right sides of the cassette C2 are isolated from the external space 310 by the lift box 323. The space above the cassette C2 is isolated from the external space 310 by the lift box 323 and the pod cover 402. The space below the cassette C2 is isolated from the external space 310 by the box body 322.

[0124] The shutter 325 is driven by the lifting mechanism 326 to move between the closed position (see Figures 15, 16, and 18(a)) and the open position (see Figures 18(b), 19, and 20). The closed position is the vertical position of the shutter 325 when the passage opening 321a is closed. The open position is the vertical position of the shutter 325 when the passage opening 321a is open. The upper end of the shutter 325 in the open position protrudes above the upper end of the base 321, for example.

[0125] As described above, with the lift box 323 and the shutter 325 raised, the wafer W2 can be taken in and out of the cassette C2 by the transfer robot 303 (see FIG. 13).

[0126] In recent years, there has been a demand for further improving the cleanliness of the atmosphere inside the substrate transfer chamber 309. Potential problems with the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 18(a), 18(b), 21(a), and 21(b). FIGS. 21(a) and 21(b) are diagrams showing the shutter 325 and its surrounding configuration. In FIGS. 21(a) and 21(b), detailed illustration of the shutter cover 340, which will be described later, is omitted, and the shutter cover 340 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0127] In the pod opening and closing device 304, gas (outside air) from the external space 310 may enter the substrate transfer chamber 309 (and the space around the cassette C2) through a gap G (see the hatched portion in Figures 18(a) and 18(b)) between the base 321 and the shutter 325. The gap G is a space sandwiched between the base 321 and the shutter 325. The gap G is a gap in the front-to-rear direction between the thin plate portion 321c of the base 321 and the shutter 325. Outside air may enter the substrate transfer chamber 309 through an inlet E of the gap G and the passage opening 321a. The inlet E is the end (outer edge) of the hatched portion in Figures 18(a) and 18(b) excluding the lower end (see the thick and dashed lines). In other words, the inlet E is the outer end of the gap G. In other words, the entrance E is located at the boundary between the space sandwiched between the base 321 and the shutter 325 and the external space 310. The entrance E is located at the upper end and both left and right ends of the gap G, for example.

[0128] More specifically, when the shutter 325 is in the closed position (see FIGS. 18(a) and 21(a)), outside air can enter the gap G1 through the inlet E1. The inlet E1 is formed at the top end of the shutter 325 in the vertical direction and at both side surfaces of the shutter 325 in the horizontal direction. The outside air can enter the gap G2 from above and the sides (left and right) through the inlet E1. Note that when the substrate transfer chamber 309 is at a slightly positive pressure relative to the external space 310, the outside air is pushed outward by the gas inside the substrate transfer chamber 309, and therefore the outside air is unlikely to reach the substrate transfer chamber 309.

[0129] When the shutter 325 is in the open position (see FIGS. 18(b) and 21(b)), outside air can enter the gap G2 through the inlet E2. The inlet E2 is formed at the top end of the base 321 in the vertical direction and at both side surfaces of the shutter 325 in the horizontal direction. In particular, when the shutter 325 descends from the open position to the closed position, negative pressure is generated in the gap G2, and a large amount of outside air can be drawn into the gap G2 through the inlet E2. The outside air can enter the substrate transfer chamber 309 from above and the sides (left and right) through the gap G2. This can cause particles to be generated in the substrate transfer chamber 309 (and the space around the cassette C2). Therefore, in order to suppress the generation of particles in the substrate transfer chamber 309 (and the space around the cassette C2), the pod opening and closing device 304 has the following configuration.

[0130] (Detailed Configuration of Pod Opening and Closing Device) The detailed configuration of the pod opening and closing device 304 will be described with reference to Figures 22(a) and 22(b). Figures 22(a) and 22(b) are diagrams showing the configuration of a shutter cover 340 (described below) and its surroundings. More specifically, Figure 22(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of the shutter cover 340 and its surroundings when the shutter 325 is in the closed position. Figure 22(b) is a diagram showing the configuration of the shutter cover 340 and its surroundings when the shutter 325 is in the closed position.

[0131] 22( a) and 22(b), the pod opening and closing device 304 has a shutter cover 340. The shutter cover 340 is arranged to cover at least a portion of the entrance E of the gap G in the vertical direction. More specifically, the shutter cover 340 is arranged to cover a portion of the entrance E of the gap G that is above the upper end of the passage opening 321a.

[0132] The shutter cover 340 is a separate member from the base 321. The shutter cover 340 is configured to be detachable from the upper end of the base 321 (see FIGS. 21(a) and 21(b)). As shown in FIGS. 22(a) and 22(b), the shutter cover 340 has a first cover member 341 and a second cover member 342. The first cover member 341 is disposed in front of a portion (upper portion 321d) of the thin plate portion 321c of the base 321 that is above the passage opening 321a. The second cover member 342 is disposed above both the upper end of the base 321 and the upper end of the first cover member 341.

[0133] The first cover member 341 is, for example, a generally C-shaped member that is open at the rear when viewed from above. As shown in Fig. 22(a) , the first cover member 341 has a front member 341F and a pair of side members 341S. In Fig. 22(a) , only one of the pair of side members 341S (more specifically, the side member 341S on the left side, i.e., the side member 341S located at the back of the page) is shown.

[0134] The front surface member 341F is a plate-like member that is substantially rectangular when viewed from the front-rear direction. The front surface member 341F is disposed immediately in front of the shutter 325. Both ends of the front surface member 341F in the left-right direction are fixed to the pair of side surface members 341S by fasteners such as bolts (not shown).

[0135] The pair of side members 341S are disposed on both outer sides in the left-right direction of the shutter 325. Each of the pair of side members 341S is, for example, a substantially rectangular plate-like member extending in the up-down direction. The pair of side members 341S are each detachably fixed to the thin plate portion 321c of the base 321 by, for example, fasteners such as bolts (not shown).

[0136] With this configuration, the first cover member 341 covers at least a portion in the up-down direction of the entrance E of the gap G. More specifically, the first cover member 341 is arranged so as to cover a portion in the up-down direction of each of both ends in the left-right direction of the entrance E.

[0137] The second cover member 342 is, for example, a box-shaped member that is thin in the front-to-rear direction and open only on the bottom side. The second cover member 342 is detachably fixed to the first cover member 341 and the base 321 by fasteners such as bolts (not shown). The lower end surface of the second cover member 342 is disposed so as to be in close contact with the upper end surfaces of the first cover member 341 and the base 321, for example. This closes the gap between the second cover member 342 and the first cover member 341 and the gap between the second cover member 342 and the base 321. As shown in FIG. 22( a), the second cover member 342 includes a front member 342F, a pair of side members 342S, a rear member 342R, and an upper member 342U. In FIG. 22( a), only one of the pair of side members 342S (more specifically, the side member 342S on the left side, i.e., the side member 342S located at the back of the page) is shown.

[0138] The front surface member 342F is a plate-like member that is substantially rectangular when viewed from the front-rear direction. The front surface member 342F is disposed in front of the shutter 325 and above the front surface member 341F. Both left and right ends of the front surface member 342F are fixed to the pair of side surface members 342S by fasteners such as bolts (not shown). The lower end of the front surface member 342F is fixed to the base 321 by fasteners such as bolts (not shown).

[0139] The pair of side members 342S are disposed on both outer sides in the left-right direction of the shutter 325. Each of the pair of side members 342S is, for example, a substantially rectangular plate-shaped member extending in the up-down direction. The pair of side members 342S are fixed to both ends in the left-right direction of the rear member 342R, for example, by fasteners such as bolts (not shown).

[0140] The rear member 342R is a plate-like member that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front-rear direction and has, for example, approximately the same size as the front member 342F. The rear member 342R is disposed behind the shutter 325 and above the base 321. The lower end of the rear member 342R is fixed to the base 321 by, for example, a fastener such as a bolt (not shown).

[0141] The top surface member 342U is a substantially rectangular plate-like member extending in the left-right direction, for example. The thickness direction of the top surface member 342U is substantially parallel to the up-down direction, for example. The top surface member 342U is fixed to the upper end of the front surface member 342F and the upper end of the rear surface member 342R, for example, by fasteners such as bolts (not shown).

[0142] With this configuration, the second cover member 342 is provided integrally with the base 321 together with the first cover member 341. The second cover member 342, together with the first cover member 341, covers at least a portion of the entrance E of the gap G in the up-down direction. More specifically, when the shutter 325 is in the closed position, the second cover member 342 covers the upper end of the entrance E1 (see FIGS. 18(a) and 21(a)). Furthermore, when the shutter 325 is in the open position, the second cover member 342 covers the upper end of the entrance E2 (see FIGS. 18(b) and 21(b)) and portions of the upper side in the up-down direction of both left-right ends of the entrance E2.

[0143] The shutter cover 340 having the above-described configuration covers the upper end and portions of both left-right ends of the entrance E1 of the gap G1 in the vertical direction. The shutter cover 340 also covers the upper end and both left-right ends of the entrance E2 of the gap G2. In other words, the shutter cover 340 is open only downward. Furthermore, when the shutter 325 is in the open position, the upper end of the shutter cover 340 is located above the upper end of the shutter 325.

[0144] With this arrangement, the entrance to the gap between the shutter cover 340 and the shutter 325 (entrance E3 shown in FIG. 22( a)) is formed only between the lower end of the shutter cover 340 and the shutter 325. As a result, a path 343 (see the thick lines in FIGS. 22( a) and 22(b)) is formed between the shutter cover 340 and the shutter 325 through which outside air must pass before entering the substrate transfer chamber 309. When the shutter 325 is in the closed position, a path 343A (see the thick line in FIG. 22( a)) having a predetermined length is formed. When the shutter 325 is in the open position, a path 343B (see the thick line in FIG. 22(b)) that is longer than the path 343A is formed. Both the path 343A and the path 343B pass near the front surface, near the top surface, and near the rear surface of the shutter 325. When the shutter 325 is in the open position, the lift box 323 is in the non-storage position and the cassette C2 is exposed. However, even when the cassette C2 is exposed in this manner, the long path 343B can effectively prevent outside air from entering.

[0145] (Overview of Assembly of the Pod Opening and Closing Device) A procedure for assembling the pod opening and closing device 304 to the housing 302 will be briefly described. First, for example, a worker carries a box (not shown) containing the disassembled pod opening and closing device 304 to the vicinity of the housing 302. Next, the worker opens the box and removes the components of the pod opening and closing device 304. Next, the worker secures the base 321 to the front wall 302F of the housing 302. Next, the worker attaches, for example, the shutter 325, the lifting box 323, the lifting mechanism 326, and the box 322 to the base 321. Finally, the worker attaches, for example, the shutter cover 340 to the base 321. Alternatively, the worker may attach the shutter cover 340 to the base 321 at any time after the base 321 is fixed to the front wall 302F of the housing 302. Note that the base 321 is the largest component of the pod opening and closing device 304. Because the base 321 and the shutter cover 340 are separate components, a box of approximately the same size as a box used to package a conventional pod opening and closing device (not shown) can be used as the box described above. In other words, there is no need to prepare a box that is longer than conventional boxes in the direction in which the base extends.

[0146] (Other Components) Other exemplary configurations of the pod opening and closing device 304 will be described. As shown in FIG. 17 , an indicator 350 (status display unit) may be provided on the front surface of the shutter cover 340. The indicator 350 is a device for displaying the operating status of the pod opening and closing device 304. The indicator 350 may include, for example, a known liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or a lamp. The indicator 350 is electrically connected to the control unit 327 (see FIG. 14 ). The indicator 350 may be fixed to the front surface of the shutter cover 340. Alternatively, the indicator 350 may be embedded in the front surface of the shutter cover 340 (for example, the front member 341F).

[0147] As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , a gas supply mechanism 360 may be attached to, for example, the upper end of the base 321. The gas supply mechanism 360 is configured to supply a predetermined type of gas (e.g., an inert gas such as nitrogen or a clean gas such as dry air) into the substrate transfer chamber 309. The gas supply mechanism 360 is provided, for example, in the substrate transfer chamber 309. The gas supply mechanism 360 includes, for example, a supply nozzle member 361, a valve 362, and a support member 363. The supply nozzle member 361 is connected to a gas supply source via a pipe (not shown). The valve 362 is configured to open and close the pipe. The valve 362 may be configured to change the amount of gas supplied. More specifically, the valve 362 may be, for example, a known solenoid valve or electropneumatic regulator. The support member 363 is configured to support the supply nozzle member 361. The support member 363 may be disposed, for example, so as to protrude rearward from the rear end of the upper end portion of the base 321 and pass through the opening 302Fa. The gas supply mechanism 360 (more specifically, the valve 362) is electrically connected to the control unit 327 (see FIG. 14 ). For example, while the shutter 325 is in the open position, the control unit 327 may control the gas supply mechanism 360 to continue supplying gas to the space in which the substrate transfer chamber 309 and the cassette C2 are disposed.

[0148] As described above, by covering at least a portion of the entrance E of the gap G in the vertical direction with the shutter cover 340, it is possible to prevent outside air from entering the gap G. This makes it possible to prevent outside air from entering the substrate transfer chamber 309. Therefore, it is possible to prevent particle generation within the substrate transfer chamber 309 (and the space around the cassette C2).

[0149] Furthermore, the shutter 325 in the open position is located below the upper end of the shutter cover 340. With this configuration, the distance of the path (path 343B) from the entrance of the gap G between the shutter 325 and the base 321 to the passage opening 321a is longer. The longer path 343B reduces the possibility of outside air entering the substrate transfer chamber 309. Therefore, the generation of particles in the substrate transfer chamber 309 (and the space around the cassette C2) can be further suppressed.

[0150] Moreover, the shutter cover 340 is open only on the lower side, that is, the upper end of the shutter cover 340 is closed, which makes it possible to more effectively prevent outside air from entering the gap G from the space above the shutter 325.

[0151] Furthermore, the shutter cover 340 is a separate member from the base 321 and is detachable from the base 321. This allows the vertical length of the base 321 to be approximately equal to the vertical length of a conventional base (not shown). This means that there is no need to change the packaging material used to package the pod opening and closing device 304 from the conventional one.

[0152] Next, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described, in which the same reference numerals are used to designate components similar to those in the second embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0153] (1) In the second embodiment, the second cover member 342 includes the upper surface member 342U. However, this is not limited to this. As shown in FIGS. 23( a) and 23(b), the second cover member 342 does not need to include the upper surface member 342U. Even with this configuration, the shutter cover 340 can cover at least a portion of the entrance E in the vertical direction. That is, the shutter cover 340 can form a path 343 from the entrance E to the passage opening 321a. More specifically, when the shutter 325 is in the closed position, the entrance E4 (see FIG. 23(a)) is formed between the upper end of the shutter 325 and the base 321. The path 343C (see the thick line in FIG. 23(a)) passes only near the rear surface of the shutter 325 and is therefore shorter than the path 343A (see the thick line in FIG. 22(a)). When the shutter 325 is in the open position, the entrance E5 (see FIG. 23(b)) is formed between the upper end of the shutter 325 and the rear member 342R. The path 343D (see the thick line in FIG. 23(b)) passes only near the rear surface of the shutter 325, and is therefore shorter than the path 343B (see the thick line in FIG. 22(b)). In this modified example, the upper end of the shutter cover 340 may be positioned at the same position as the upper end of the shutter 325 in the vertical direction when the shutter 325 is in the open position.

[0154] (2) In the second embodiment, the shutter cover 340 includes the first cover member 341 and the second cover member 342. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the shutter cover 340 may include only the first cover member 341. Even with this configuration, it is possible to cover a portion of the entrance E of the gap G in the vertical direction. In this case, when the shutter 325 is in the open position, the upper end of the base 321 and the upper end of the shutter cover 340 are located below the upper end of the shutter 325.

[0155] (3) In the second embodiment, the shutter cover 340 is detachable from the base 321. However, this is not limited to this. When the shutter cover 340 is fixed to the base 321, it may be made undetachable from the base 321 by, for example, welding. Such a configuration is also defined as a configuration in which the shutter cover 340 is provided integrally with the base 321.

[0156] (4) In the second embodiment, the shutter cover 340 is separated from the base 321 until the pod opening and closing device 304 is assembled to the housing 302. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the shutter cover 340 may be permanently fixed to the base 321 before the disassembled pod opening and closing device 304 is packed for shipping. Such a configuration is also defined as a configuration in which the shutter cover 340 is provided integrally with the base 321.

[0157] (5) In the second embodiment, the shutter cover 340 is a separate member from the base 321. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the base 321 and the shutter cover 340 may be formed from a single member. This configuration is also defined as a configuration in which the shutter cover 340 is provided integrally with the base 321.

[0158] (6) The pod opening and closing device 304 may be mounted on a substrate transfer device 301 other than an EFEM.

[0159] Third Embodiment A third embodiment (third embodiment) of the present invention will now be described. FIG. 24 is a schematic plan view of an EFEM 501 (Equipment Front End Module), which is a substrate transfer module according to the third embodiment, and a processing device 506 connected to the EFEM 501. The EFEM 501 corresponds to a substrate transfer device. Components such as a top plate 532 of a housing 502 (described below) are omitted from FIG. 24 . FIG. 25 is a side view of the EFEM 501. A side wall (right side wall 536) is omitted from FIG. 25 . For convenience of explanation, the directions shown in FIG. 24 are defined as front-rear and left-right directions. That is, the direction in which the EFEM 501 and the processing device 506 are arranged side by side is defined as the front-rear direction. In the front-rear direction, the EFEM 501 side is defined as the front side, and the processing device 506 side is defined as the rear side. The direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction in which the pod opening and closing devices 504 are arranged is defined as the left-right direction. The direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is defined as the up-down direction (see FIG. 25).

[0160] (Schematic Configuration of EFEM and Its Periphery) First, the schematic configuration of the EFEM 501 and its periphery will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 to 26. FIG. 26 is a diagram showing the electrical configuration of the EFEM 501. As shown in FIG. 24, the EFEM 501 includes a housing 502, multiple pod opening and closing devices 504, and a control device 505 (control unit; see FIG. 26). A processing device 506 is disposed behind the EFEM 501. The processing device 506 is a device that performs a predetermined process on a wafer W3 (substrate), which is, for example, a semiconductor substrate. The predetermined process may be, for example, a process (such as film formation or etching) performed in a vacuum chamber, or may be another process. The EFEM 501 transfers the wafer W3 between the processing device 506 and the SMIF pod 600 (pod) placed on the pod opening and closing device 504 using a transfer mechanism 503 disposed in the housing 502.

[0161] As shown in FIG. 25 , the SMIF pod 600 includes a bottom plate 601 and a cover 602. The bottom plate 601 is a generally flat member on which a cassette C3 containing multiple wafers W3 is placed. The cover 602 is a member that covers the cassette C3 placed on the bottom plate 601. The cassette C3 is configured to accommodate multiple wafers W3 arranged vertically in a generally horizontal state. The cassette C3 is open at the rear, allowing the wafers W3 to be inserted and removed from the rear. The cover 602 is configured to cover the cassette C3 and the bottom plate 601 from above. The cover 602 is open at the bottom. The lower end of the cover 602 is located outside the bottom plate 601 in the horizontal direction. The cover 602 has a locking mechanism (not shown). The locking mechanism can secure and release the cover 602 to and from the bottom plate 601.

[0162] The housing 502 is used to connect multiple pod opening and closing devices 504 and processing devices 506. The housing 502 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 , the housing 502 has vertically extending support columns 537a to 537d and multiple partition walls (a bottom plate 531, a top plate 532, a front wall 533, a rear wall 534, a left side wall 535, and a right side wall 536). The multiple partition walls are attached to the support columns 537a to 537d. The support column 537a is located at the right end of the front end of the housing 502. The support column 537b is located at the left end of the front end of the housing 502. The support column 537c is located at the left end of the rear end of the housing 502. The support column 537d is located at the right end of the rear end of the housing 502. The bottom plate 531 is located at the bottom of the housing 502 (see FIG. 25 ). The top plate 532 is disposed on the ceiling of the housing 502 (see FIG. 25). The front wall 533 is disposed at the front end of the housing 502 (see FIG. 25). The rear wall 534 is disposed at the rear end of the housing 502 (see FIG. 25). The left side wall 535 is disposed at the left end of the housing 502 (see FIG. 24). The right side wall 536 is disposed at the right end of the housing 502 (see FIG. 24). In the third embodiment, the front wall 533 is formed by a partition wall disposed at the front end of the housing 502 and a base 541 (described below) of the pod opening and closing device 504. In other words, the base 541 of the pod opening and closing device 504 forms part of the front wall 533. The space surrounded by the multiple partition walls is substantially sealed from the space outside the housing 502 (hereinafter referred to as the external space 509). Each partition wall is formed, for example, from a typical sheet metal.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 25 , a fan filter unit (hereinafter, FFU 513) is disposed inside the housing 502. The FFU 513 includes a fan 513 a and a filter 513 b. The FFU 513 is supported by a horizontally extending support member 518 (see FIG. 25 ). The support member 518 vertically divides the space within the housing 502 into a space in which the FFU 513 is disposed and a substrate transfer chamber 530 (see FIG. 25 ) to which the wafer W3 is transferred. The support member 518 has an opening 518 a that penetrates the support member 518 vertically. The fan 513 a is configured to send clean gas (such as nitrogen or dry air) downward. The fan 513 a is driven to rotate by an FFU motor 513 c (a pressure adjusting unit; see FIG. 26 ). The FFU motor 513 c is, for example, a known DC motor. The FFU motor 513c is configured to be able to change the rotation speed of the fan 513a. The clean gas sent downward from the fan 513a passes through the filter 513b and is sent through the opening 518a to the substrate transfer chamber 530. As a result, the substrate transfer chamber 530 is filled with clean gas.

[0164] A pressure gauge 514 (see FIG. 26) is provided inside the housing 502. The pressure gauge 514 is disposed, for example, inside the substrate transfer chamber 530. The pressure gauge 514 is configured to be able to measure the air pressure in the substrate transfer chamber 530.

[0165] A pod opening / closing device 504 is attached to the front end of the housing 502. A load lock chamber 507 (see FIG. 24) of the processing device 506 is connected to an opening 534a provided in a rear wall 534 of the housing 502. The opening 534a is opened and closed by a door 501a. Wafer W3 is transferred between the substrate transfer chamber 530 and the load lock chamber 507 through the opening 534a.

[0166] The transfer mechanism 503 is configured to transfer the wafer W3 within the substrate transfer chamber 530. As shown in FIG. 25 , the transfer mechanism 503 has an arm portion 503a and a base portion 503b. The arm portion 503a holds the wafer W3. The base portion 503b supports the arm portion 503a. The base portion 503b is configured to be movable in the left-right direction along the guide rails 522. The transfer mechanism 503 can transfer the wafer W3 between the cassette C3 placed in each pod opening / closing device 504 and the load lock chamber 507.

[0167] Each of the multiple pod opening and closing devices 504 is configured to receive a SMIF pod 600. The multiple pod opening and closing devices 504 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The rear end of each pod opening and closing device 504 is arranged along the front wall 533 of the housing 502. The pod opening and closing devices 504 will be described in detail later.

[0168] 24 , the processing apparatus 506 includes, for example, a load lock chamber 507 and a processing chamber 508. The load lock chamber 507 is a room for temporarily storing the wafer W3. The load lock chamber 507 is connected to the housing 502 via the door 501 a described above. The load lock chamber 507 is connected to the processing chamber 508 via a door 506 a. In the processing chamber 508, a predetermined process is performed on the wafer W3 by a processing mechanism (not shown).

[0169] The control device 505 is configured to be able to control each component of the EFEM 501. As shown in Fig. 26, the control device 505 is electrically connected to a cover moving mechanism 550 (described later), a shutter opening / closing mechanism 560 (described later), a pressure gauge 514, an FFU motor 513c, etc.

[0170] (Pod Opening and Closing Device) A pod opening and closing device 504 according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 27 to 30. FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the pod opening and closing device 504. FIG. 28 is a front view of the pod opening and closing device 504. FIG. 29 is a rear view of the pod opening and closing device 504. FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 28. Note that FIGS. 27 to 29 show the pod opening and closing device 504 without a SMIF pod 600 placed thereon. FIG. 30 shows the pod opening and closing device 504 with a SMIF pod 600 placed thereon. The shutter opening and closing mechanism 560 is not shown in FIG. 28. The cover moving mechanism 550 is not shown in FIG. 29. As shown in Figure 27, the pod opening and closing device 504 has a base 541, a horizontal base 543, a mounting portion 544, a housing 546, a shutter 547, a cover moving mechanism 550 (see Figure 30), and a shutter opening and closing mechanism 560 (see Figure 30).

[0171] The base 541 is a plate-like member that extends in the vertical direction and also in the horizontal direction. The base 541 constitutes a part of the front wall 533 that isolates the substrate transfer chamber 530 from the external space 509. In other words, the base 541 constitutes a part of the front wall 533 that isolates the housing 502 from the external space 509 between the housing 502 and the mounting portion 544. As shown in FIG. 27 , a frame-shaped window frame portion 541a is formed in the base 541. A substantially rectangular opening 541b is formed inside the window frame portion 541a. In other words, the opening 541b is formed in the base 541.

[0172] The horizontal base 543 is a member extending forward from the base 541 (see FIG. 27 ). The horizontal base 543 is provided, for example, slightly above the center of the base 541 in the vertical direction. A mounting portion 544 is provided at the upper end of the horizontal base 543. The mounting portion 544 is a member on which the SMIF pod 600 is placed. The mounting portion 544 is, for example, a substantially flat plate-shaped member. When viewed from the vertical direction, the mounting portion 544 is disposed inside a through-hole 556 formed in an upper surface 551 d of a cassette cover 551 (described later). The mounting portion 544 is supported, for example, by a substantially columnar support member (not shown) fixed to the housing 546. As shown in FIG. 27 , in the third embodiment, the mounting portion 544 is positioned slightly below the height position of the bottom of the opening 541 b. As shown in FIG. 27, the top surface of the mounting portion 544 is provided with a plurality of positioning pins 544 a for positioning the SMIF pod 600 .

[0173] The housing 546 is disposed in front of the base 541 and below the horizontal base 543. The housing 546 extends in the vertical direction. Inside the housing 546, a cover moving mechanism 550 (described later), a part of a shutter opening / closing mechanism 560 (described later), and the like are disposed.

[0174] The shutter 547 is a plate-shaped member that can open and close the opening 541b. The shutter 547 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. The shutter 547 is disposed rearward of the base 541 (see FIG. 30). In other words, the shutter 547 is disposed on the opposite side of the base 541 from the mounting portion 544.

[0175] (Cover Moving Mechanism) The cover moving mechanism 550 (see FIG. 30) is configured to be able to move the cover 602 of the SMIF pod 600 between a lower position and an upper position. The lower position is the position of the cover 602 when the cover 602 covers the cassette C3 placed on the bottom plate 601 of the SMIF pod 600 (see FIG. 30). The upper position is a position higher than the lower position. The upper position is the position of the cover 602 when the cassette C3 placed on the bottom plate 601 is exposed from the cover 602 (see FIG. 32).

[0176] 28 and 30, the cover moving mechanism 550 has a cassette cover 551 (lifting unit), a cassette cover support unit 552, and a ball screw mechanism 553. The cassette cover 551 is a member that can come into contact with the lower end of the cover 602 of the SMIF pod 600 placed on the placement unit 544. The cassette cover 551 is a member that pushes up the cover 602 that is located in the lower position to the upper position. This will be explained in detail below.

[0177] The cassette cover 551 is housed inside the horizontal base 543 and the housing 546 with the cover 602 positioned in the lower position (see FIG. 30). The cassette cover 551 is a roughly rectangular box-shaped member. The cassette cover 551 includes a front surface 551a (see FIGS. 28 and 30), a left surface 551b (see FIG. 30), a right surface 551c (see FIG. 28), and a top surface 551d (see FIGS. 27 and 30). The front surface 551a extends in the left-right direction and also in the up-down direction. The left surface 551b extends rearward from the left end of the front surface 551a. The right surface 551c extends rearward from the right end of the front surface 551a. The top surface 551d is connected to the upper ends of the front surface 551a, the left surface 551b, and the right surface 551c, and extends substantially horizontally. The left surface 551b and the right surface 551c are disposed opposite each other in the left-right direction.

[0178] The top surface 551d is arranged to be able to come into contact with the bottom surface of the cover 602 of the SMIF pod 600. As a result, when the cassette cover 551 moves upward, the top surface 551d pushes the cassette cover 551 upward. As shown in FIG. 27 , the top surface 551d is formed with a through-hole 556 that penetrates in the vertical direction. The through-hole 556 has, for example, a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the top. The through-hole 556 is sized to allow the placement portion 544 to pass through. As a result, when the cassette cover 551 moves in the vertical direction, the placement portion 544 passes through the through-hole 556. Therefore, the cassette cover 551 can be moved in the vertical direction without interference between the cassette cover 551 and the placement portion 544. The cassette cover 551 is configured to be able to move upward until the cover 602 is positioned in the upper position (see FIG. 32 ).

[0179] The cassette cover 551 has the function of covering the front, left, and right sides of the cassette C3 when the cover 602 is moved to a height that positions it in the upper position. Specifically, the front surface 551a of the cassette cover 551 covers the front side of the cassette C3, the left surface 551b covers the left side of the cassette C3, and the right surface 551c covers the right side of the cassette C3. This prevents the cassette C3 from being exposed to the external space 509 even when the cover 602 is in the upper position and the cassette C3 is exposed from the cover 602. Note that when the cover 602 is in the upper position, the rear side of the cassette C3 is not covered by the cassette cover 551.

[0180] The cassette cover support portion 552 is a member that supports the cassette cover 551 from below. As shown in FIGS. 28 and 30 , the cassette cover support portion 552 is connected to a ball screw mechanism 553. The ball screw mechanism 553 is configured to be able to move the cassette cover 551 up and down via the cassette cover support portion 552. The ball screw mechanism 553 is disposed, for example, below the mounting portion 544. The ball screw mechanism 553 is driven by a cover moving motor 553a (a second driving source and another driving source). Although not shown, the cover moving motor 553a is also disposed, for example, below the mounting portion 544. With the above configuration, the cover moving mechanism 550 moves the cover 602, which is in contact with the cassette cover 551, between a lower position and an upper position.

[0181] (Shutter Opening / Closing Mechanism) The shutter opening / closing mechanism 560 is a mechanism for moving the shutter 547 between a closed position and an open position. The closed position is the position of the shutter 547 when the shutter 547 closes the opening 541b (see FIG. 30). The open position is the position of the shutter 547 when the shutter 547 opens the opening 541b (see FIG. 33). The open position is a position inside the housing 502 connected to the pod opening / closing device 504. The open position is, for example, a position lower than the closed position, but is not limited to this.

[0182] As shown in Figures 29 and 30, the shutter opening / closing mechanism 560 has a support frame 562, a movable block 563, and a slide rail 564. The support frame 562 is a member that supports the shutter 547. The movable block 563 is a member that supports the lower end of the support frame 562. The movable block 563 is disposed on the front side of the base 541. The slide rail 564 is a member that guides the movable block 563 in the up and down direction. The movable block 563 is driven to move in the up and down direction by a shutter movement motor 565 (first drive source). The shutter movement motor 565 is a motor separate from the cover movement motor 553a. The shutter opening / closing mechanism 560 moves the movable block 563 along the slide rail 564 to move the shutter 547 between a closed position (see Figure 30) and an open position (see Figure 33).

[0183] In the above-described configuration, in order to keep the substrate transfer chamber 530 separated as much as possible from the external space 509, it is conceivable to first fully lift the cassette cover 551 and then move the shutter 547. However, this procedure requires a long time for the shutter 547 to close the opening 541b. This results in a long time before clean gas starts to be supplied from the substrate transfer chamber 530 to the cassette C3. This may result in low-purity gas flowing from the external space 509 into the space where the cassette C3 is located (the storage space 571, described below), potentially contaminating the wafers W3 stored in the cassette C3. For example, when the cassette cover 551 is lifted, negative pressure is generated in the storage space 571. This makes it particularly likely that gas will flow from the external space 509 into the storage space 571. Furthermore, as the cassette cover 551 is lifted, an upward airflow is generated in the internal space of the pod opening and closing device 504. As a result, in addition to the inflow of gas from the external space 509 into the accommodation space 571 , there is a risk that particles generated in the cover moving mechanism 550 may flow into the accommodation space 571 .

[0184] Therefore, in order to prevent gas from flowing into the cassette C3 from the external space 509 or the like in the EFEM 501 of the third embodiment, the EFEM 501 is configured as follows.

[0185] (Details of the EFEM Configuration) The details of the configuration of the EFEM 501 will be described with reference to FIGS. 27 to 30. As shown in FIGS. 28 to 30, the shutter 547 is formed with a plurality of through-holes 547a (communicating portions) that penetrate in the front-to-rear direction. The plurality of through-holes 547a are arranged, for example, only below the center of the shutter 547 in the up-down direction. The plurality of through-holes 547a may also be arranged, for example, in a staggered pattern in the left-to-right direction. This arrangement is similar to the arrangement of holes formed in, for example, a known punched metal (not shown).

[0186] Furthermore, the control device 505 controls the operation of the FFU motor 513c based on the detection result from the pressure gauge 514. More specifically, the control device 505 controls the rotation speed of the fan 513a so that the air pressure in the substrate transfer chamber 530 is slightly higher than the air pressure in the external space 509 (i.e., a slightly positive pressure is maintained). By appropriately controlling the rotation speed of the fan 513a, the flow rate of clean gas sent into the substrate transfer chamber 530 by the FFU 513 is appropriately controlled. This effectively prevents gas in the external space 509 from flowing into the substrate transfer chamber 530 through the multiple through-holes 547a.

[0187] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 27, 28, and 30, the pod opening and closing device 504 includes a shielding plate 570 (shielding member) for opening and closing the through-hole 547a. The shielding plate 570 is, for example, a substantially flat plate-shaped member extending in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The shielding plate 570 may be formed, for example, from sheet metal. The thickness direction of the shielding plate 570 is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. The shielding plate 570 is fixed, for example, to the upper end surface of the front end of the cassette cover 551 by a fastener (not shown). Alternatively, the shielding plate 570 may be formed integrally with the cassette cover 551 by welding or other means. The shielding plate 570 is vertically movable integrally with the cassette cover 551. In other words, the shielding plate 570 is driven and moved by the cover movement motor 553a. When the cover 602 of the SMIF pod 600 is in the lower position and the shutter 547 is in the closed position, the shielding plate 570 is disposed to face the shutter 547. For convenience of explanation, the position of the shielding plate 570 when the cover 602 of the SMIF pod 600 is in the lower position will be referred to as the plate lower position hereinafter.

[0188] The shielding plate 570 is positioned so as to close the multiple through-holes 547a when positioned at the plate lower position. Here, "closing" means that the multiple through-holes 547a are positioned so as to overlap with the shielding plate 570 when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, as shown in FIG. 28 . As shown in FIG. 30 , a small gap is left between the shielding plate 570 and the shutter 547 in the front-to-rear direction. However, the configuration provided with the shielding plate 570 has the following advantages over the configuration not provided with the shielding plate 570. That is, when the shielding plate 570 closes the multiple through-holes 547a, the gas flow path from the substrate transfer chamber 530 to the external space 509 is relatively narrow and long. This results in a relatively high flow path resistance, thereby preventing gas from leaking from the substrate transfer chamber 530 to the external space 509. The shielding plate 570 preferably has a length in the left-to-right direction that is approximately the same as that of the shutter 547, for example. When the shielding plate 570 is located at the plate lower position, it is arranged so as to cover, for example, the lower half of the opening 541b of the base 541 in the vertical direction.

[0189] (Operation Procedure of Pod Opening and Closing Device) Next, the operation procedure of the pod opening and closing device 504 will be described with reference to Figures 30 to 33. In the initial state, the cover 602 of the SMIF pod 600 is in the lower position. That is, the shielding plate 570 is in the lower plate position. Also, the shutter 547 is in the closed position.

[0190] First, as shown in Figure 30, the SMIF pod 600 is placed on the placement section 544. At this time, the cover 602 is in the lower position. Next, the control device 505 controls the cover movement motor 553a to start lifting the cassette cover 551. As a result, the cover 602 starts to lift from the lower position to the upper position, and the shielding plate 570 starts to lift from the plate lower position together with the cassette cover 551.

[0191] As shown in FIG. 31 , assume that the cover 602 has moved somewhat upward from the lower position. At this time, the cover 602 is separated from the bottom plate 601. The cassette C3 is exposed from the cover 602, and the front, left, and right sides of the cassette C3 are covered by the cassette cover 551. At this time, the upper side of the cassette C3 is covered by the upper surface 551d of the cassette cover 551 and the cover 602. In other words, the cassette cover 551, together with the cover 602, forms a storage space 571 that stores the cassette C3. The air pressure in the storage space 571 is approximately equal to the air pressure in the external space 509 and lower than the air pressure in the substrate transfer chamber 530. At this time, the shielding plate 570 is positioned somewhat above the lower plate position. More specifically, the shielding plate 570 is positioned above the multiple through-holes 547a, leaving the multiple through-holes 547a open. As a result, the substrate transfer chamber 530 and the accommodation space 571 are in communication with each other via the plurality of through-holes 547a. In the above state, clean gas is supplied from the substrate transfer chamber 530 to the accommodation space 571 through the plurality of through-holes 547a (see the arrows in FIG. 31 ). In other words, clean gas is supplied to the accommodation space 571 with the shutter 547 in the closed position.

[0192] Preferably, the control device 505 controls the FFU motor 513c based on information related to the movement of the shielding plate 570. The information related to the movement of the shielding plate 570 may be, for example, information indicating that a predetermined time has elapsed since the cover movement motor 553a was controlled to start lifting the cassette cover 551. More specifically, when the predetermined time has elapsed since the control device 505 started lifting the cassette cover 551, the control device 505 may, for example, control the FFU motor 513c to increase the rotation speed of the fan 513a above normal.

[0193] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 32 , the cover 602 reaches the upper position. At this time, clean gas continues to be supplied from the substrate transfer chamber 530 to the accommodation space 571 through the multiple through-holes 547 a. For convenience of explanation, the position of the shielding plate 570 when the cover 602 is in the upper position is referred to as the plate upper position. When the shielding plate 570 is in the plate upper position, the shielding plate 570 is positioned so as not to protrude above the upper end of the base 541 (below the upper end of the base 541 or flush with the upper end of the base 541). More precisely, regardless of whether the shielding plate 570 is positioned at a position between the plate lower position and the plate upper position, the upper end of the shielding plate 570 is positioned so as not to protrude above the upper end of the base 541.

[0194] Furthermore, the control device 505 controls the shutter movement motor 565 to move the shutter 547 from the closed position to the open position (see FIG. 33 ). This opens the opening 541b, allowing the wafer W3 to be transferred between the cassette C3 and the substrate transfer chamber 530. At this time, the substrate transfer chamber 530 and the accommodation space 571 are in communication with each other via the opening 541b.

[0195] As described above, when the cassette cover 551 separates the cover 602 from the bottom plate 601, the cassette C3 is exposed to the storage space 571. Furthermore, the shielding plate 570 allows the substrate transfer chamber 530 and the storage space 571 to communicate with each other. This allows gas to be supplied from the substrate transfer chamber 530, which has a higher air pressure, to the storage space 571 even when the shutter 547 is in the closed position. Therefore, in the EFEM 501 in which the drive source (shutter movement motor 565) for driving the shutter 547 up and down and the drive source (cover movement motor 553 a) for driving the cassette cover 551 up and down are separately provided, it is possible to prevent gas from flowing into the cassette C3 from the external space 509.

[0196] Furthermore, in the pod opening and closing device 504 of the third embodiment, clean gas is supplied from the substrate transfer chamber 530 to the storage space 571. This prevents negative pressure from being generated in the storage space 571 when the cassette cover 551 is raised. This prevents gas from flowing into the storage space 571 from the external space 509. Furthermore, this prevents an upward airflow from being generated in the internal space of the pod opening and closing device 504 when the cassette cover 551 is raised. This prevents particles generated in the cover moving mechanism 550 from flowing into the storage space 571.

[0197] The cover moving motor 553a is the driving source that drives and moves the shielding plate 570. This allows the structure of the pod opening and closing device 504 to be simpler than when the shielding plate 570 is driven by a driving source different from both the shutter moving motor 565 and the cover moving motor 553a.

[0198] Furthermore, the shielding plate 570 is positioned so as not to protrude above the upper end of the base 541 while the through-hole 547a connects the substrate transfer chamber 530 and the storage space 571. Therefore, an increase in the vertical size of the pod opening and closing device 504 due to the shielding plate 570 can be suppressed.

[0199] Furthermore, the control device 505 controls the FFU motor 513c based on information related to the movement of the shielding plate 570. When the substrate transfer chamber 530 and the accommodation space 571 are connected by the movement of the shielding plate 570, the air pressure in the substrate transfer chamber 530 may fluctuate due to the movement of gas. In this regard, in the third embodiment, the FFU motor 513c can be controlled taking into account the movement of the shielding plate 570. Therefore, the fluctuation in air pressure in the substrate transfer chamber 530 can be effectively suppressed.

[0200] Next, a modified example of the third embodiment will be described, in which the same reference numerals are used to designate components having the same configuration as those in the third embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0201] (1) In the third embodiment, the drive source that drives and moves the shielding plate 570 is the cover moving motor 553a. However, this is not limited to this. The shielding plate 570 may be driven and moved by a drive source (not shown) that is separate from both the shutter moving motor 565 and the cover moving motor 553a.

[0202] (2) In the third embodiment, the shielding plate 570 does not protrude above the upper end of the base 541 when the through-hole 547a connects the substrate transfer chamber 530 and the accommodation space 571. However, this is not limiting. The shielding plate 570 may protrude above the upper end of the base 541.

[0203] (3) In the third embodiment, the control device 505 uses the information about the predetermined time period described above as information about the movement of the shielding plate 570. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the control device 505 may increase the rotation speed of the fan 513a substantially simultaneously with the start of movement of the shielding plate 570. Alternatively, a sensor (not shown) that detects the movement of the shielding plate 570 may be provided. The control device 505 may use the detection result of the sensor as information about the movement of the shielding plate 570.

[0204] (4) In the third embodiment, the FFU motor 513c corresponds to the pressure adjusting unit. However, this is not limited to this. For example, an exhaust unit (not shown) that exhausts gas from the substrate transfer chamber 530 and an exhaust valve (not shown) that is configured to adjust the flow rate of the gas exhausted by the exhaust unit may be provided. The control device 505 may control the exhaust valve in addition to or instead of the FFU motor 513c based on information related to the movement of the shielding plate 570. In this case, the exhaust valve is included in the pressure adjusting unit.

[0205] (5) In the third embodiment, the control device 505 controls the pressure adjustment unit based on information related to the movement of the shielding plate 570. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the control device 505 may control the pressure adjustment unit solely based on the detection results of the pressure gauge 514.

[0206] (6) In the third embodiment, the shielding plate 570 corresponds to the shielding member. However, this is not limited to this. The shielding member does not have to be substantially flat as long as it can open and close the communication portion.

[0207] (7) In the third embodiment, the multiple through holes 547a correspond to the communication portion. However, this is not limited to this. The communication portion may be configured as follows. For example, the multiple through holes 547a may be arranged in a row in the left-right direction. Alternatively, the multiple through holes 547a may be arranged in three or more rows. Alternatively, instead of the multiple through holes 547a, only one through hole (not shown) may be formed in the shutter 547. The opening area of ​​the single through hole may be smaller than the sum of the opening areas of the multiple through holes 547a. Alternatively, the opening area of ​​the single through hole may be equal to or greater than the sum. For example, the single through hole may be formed in substantially the entire portion of the shutter 547 below the center in the up-down direction.

[0208] Alternatively, the communication portion may have a shape other than a through hole. For example, the communication portion may have a slit (not shown) extending from the lower end of the shutter 547 to a portion midway in the up-down direction. Alternatively, the communication portion may have a gap (not shown) formed at an end of the shutter 547 in the left-right direction. Alternatively, the communication portion may be a pipe-shaped member passing through the inside of the shutter 547. The communication portion may have any configuration as long as it communicates between the substrate transfer chamber 530 and the accommodation space 571 and is opened and closed by a shielding member.

[0209] (8) The structure and shape of the cassette cover 551 (lifting unit) are not limited to those described above. A member having a different structure and / or shape may be provided to lift and lower the cover 602 and form the storage space 571 together with the cover 602.

[0210] (9) The first drive source, the second drive source, and the other drive source are not limited to those described above. For example, an air cylinder (not shown) may be provided as a drive source instead of any of the motors.

[0211] (10) In the third embodiment, the pod placed on the mounting portion 544 is the SMIF pod 600. However, this is not limited to this. The pod (not shown) placed on the mounting portion 544 may be another type of pod that can cover and expose the cassette C3 by moving a cover (not shown) in the vertical direction.

[0212] (11) The means according to the third embodiment may be applied to a substrate transfer device (not shown) that transfers a substrate (not shown) other than the EFEM 501. The substrate transfer device may transfer a substrate other than the wafer W3. The type and / or shape of the substrate is not particularly limited.

[0213] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 EFEM 2 Substrate transfer chamber 3 Transfer mechanism 4 Pod opening / closing device 5 Control device 6 Processing device 41 Base 42 Shutter 44 Placement section 71a First supply port 72a Second supply port 81 Cover moving mechanism 82 Shutter opening / closing mechanism 83 Gas replacement mechanism 92 Opening 100 SMIF pod 101 Bottom plate 102 Cover C Cassette W Wafer

Claims

1. A pod opening and closing device connected to a substrate transport chamber for transporting substrates to a processing apparatus, comprising: a mounting section capable of mounting a pod having a bottom plate on which a cassette containing substrates is placed and a cover which covers the cassette placed on the bottom plate; a base constituting part of a partition which isolates the substrate transport chamber from an external space between the substrate transport chamber and the mounting section; an opening formed in the base; and a shutter which is disposed on the opposite side of the mounting section across the base and is capable of closing and opening the opening; a cover moving mechanism which is capable of moving the cover between a lower position which covers the cassette placed on the bottom plate and an upper position which is a position higher than the lower position and exposes the cassette; and a shutter opening and closing mechanism which is capable of moving the shutter between a closing position which closes the opening and an opening position which is a position lower than the closing position and inside the substrate transport chamber connected to the pod opening and closing device and which opens the opening.

2. A pod opening and closing device as described in claim 1, further comprising a gas replacement mechanism for replacing the inside of the cassette with clean gas, the gas replacement mechanism having a first supply port for supplying the clean gas to the inside of the cassette, the first supply port being attached to the shutter and configured to be able to open toward the placement section.

3. A pod opening and closing device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is provided with a second supply port for supplying clean gas into the inside of the cassette, the second supply port being configured to be able to open toward the placement section when the shutter is positioned in the open position.

4. A pod opening and closing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the air pressure in the substrate transport chamber is higher than the air pressure in the external space, the cover moving mechanism has a lifting section which raises and lowers the cover relative to the bottom plate and, together with the cover, forms a storage space for accommodating the cassette when the cover is separated from the bottom plate, the shutter has a communication section which connects the substrate transport chamber with the storage space, and a shielding member is provided which is configured to open and close the communication section by being moved and driven by a drive source separate from the cover moving mechanism.