Load port

Abstract

To provide a load port capable of realizing a low profile.　A load port 1 on which a wafer-holding FOUP is placed and which is for loading / unloading wafers into / from a processing device includes a base 11 having an opening 11a which serves as a carry-in / carry-out port of the wafers to the processing device and opens in a front-rear direction; a door 12 that opens / closes the opening 11a; and a door moving mechanism 13 for moving the door 12. The door moving mechanism 13 includes a door lifting mechanism 20 that lowers the door 12 removed from the opening 11a. At least a part 20a of the door lifting mechanism 20 is arranged at a position to be side by side with at least a part of the opening 11a when the base 11 is viewed from the front.

Description

Loading Port

[0001] The present invention relates to a load port.

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, substrates are subjected to various processes in processing equipment maintained in a clean environment. Load ports for transferring substrates stored in containers into and out of the processing equipment have been known.

[0003] The load port (FOUP opener) disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a mounting portion (dock plate) for mounting a container (FOUP) storing substrates (semiconductor wafers), a base (port plate) having an opening formed therein that serves as an entrance for substrates to be loaded into and unloaded from a processing device, and a door (port door) that can open and close the opening. The door is configured to be movable by a door lifting mechanism (port door lifting mechanism) between a position facing the opening and a position below the opening but not facing the opening. By lowering the door to a position not facing the opening, substrates can be transferred between the container and the processing device via the opening.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-164411

[0005] The inventors are considering reducing the height of the load port. In the load port of Patent Document 1, the door lifting mechanism is equipped with a screw feed mechanism consisting of a servo motor and a ball screw. This screw feed mechanism is located below the opening. Therefore, if the vertical length below the opening is shortened, the space for arranging the ball screw becomes smaller, and it becomes impossible to ensure a stroke sufficient to lower the door to a position where it does not face the opening. This makes it difficult to reduce the height of the load port.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a load port that can be made low-profile.

[0007] The load port of the first invention is a load port on which a container storing substrates is placed and which is used to load and unload the substrates into and from a processing apparatus, and is equipped with a base having an opening that opens in the front-to-rear direction and serves as an entrance for loading and unloading the substrates into the processing apparatus, a door that opens and closes the opening, and a door moving mechanism that moves the door, the door moving mechanism including a door lifting mechanism that lowers the door when removed from the opening, and at least a portion of the door lifting mechanism is aligned side by side with at least a portion of the opening when the base is viewed from the front.

[0008] In the present invention, compared to when the entire door lifting mechanism is located below the portion of the base corresponding to the opening, a low profile load port can be achieved while ensuring a sufficient stroke for the door to lift and lower.

[0009] In a load port according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the door moving mechanism further includes a door advancing / retreating mechanism that moves the door forward and backward in the front-to-rear direction, moving it between a position that blocks the opening and a position that opens the opening, and the door advancing / retreating mechanism is attached to a lifting member that rises and falls in conjunction with the lifting and lowering of the door by the door lifting mechanism, and the lifting member is disposed to the side of the door in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and in a horizontal direction.

[0010] In the present invention, the door advancing / retracting mechanism that moves the door forward and backward is attached to a lifting member that is disposed to the side of the door and moves up and down in conjunction with the lifting and lowering of the door, thereby ensuring a low profile load port.

[0011] The load port of the third invention is the load port of the first or second invention, and further comprises a mounting section for mounting the container at a position facing the opening on the opposite side of the opening from the processing device; a detection section attached to the surface of the door facing the processing device so as to rise and fall and move back and forth in the forward and backward directions, and detecting the substrate contained in the container mounted on the mounting section; a detection section lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the detection section between a position above the upper end of the door and a position below the upper end of the door; and a detection section advancing and retreating mechanism for advancing the detection section to the opposite side of the processing device across the opening when the detection section is in a position above the upper end of the door.

[0012] In the present invention, the detection unit is positioned above the upper end of the door using the detection unit lifting mechanism, and the detection unit is advanced to the front of the opening using the detection unit advancement / retraction mechanism, allowing the detection unit to detect substrates contained in the container.

[0013] In a load port according to a fourth invention, in any one of the first to third inventions, the door moving mechanism includes an apparatus-side portion arranged on the processing device side across the base, and further includes a cover that covers the apparatus-side portion arranged on the processing device side across the base and the opening, the cover having an inlet for allowing gas to flow into a space formed between the cover and the base, and an outlet for allowing gas to flow out of the space, and the apparatus-side portion and the opening are arranged between the inlet and the outlet in the flow direction of gas from the inlet to the outlet.

[0014] In the present invention, particles generated from the device-side portion of the door movement mechanism are carried by the airflow from the inlet to the outlet and discharged from the space. This allows particles to be removed from the vicinity of the opening. This prevents particles from adhering to substrates when they are loaded or unloaded through the opening.

[0015] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a load port according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, further comprising a fan that generates an airflow in the space from the inlet toward the outlet.

[0016] In the present invention, the fan can actively generate an airflow in the space from the inlet to the outlet, thereby reliably removing particles from the space.

[0017] The load port of the sixth invention is the fourth or fifth invention, further comprising a duct connected to the outlet and discharging gas in the space to the outside of the processing device, the outlet being formed at the lower end of the cover, and the duct being extended below the base.

[0018] In the present invention, the particles can be discharged to the outside of the treatment device through the duct.

[0019] In the load port of the seventh invention, in the fourth to sixth inventions, the cover has a cover opening formed therein that faces the opening, and further includes a cover door that opens and closes the cover opening and is raised and lowered together with the door by the door lifting mechanism.

[0020] In the present invention, the substrate can be loaded and unloaded through the cover opening.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a load port according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and a processing apparatus equipped with the load port. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the load port as seen from an oblique front. FIG. 3 is a view showing the installation state of the load port. FIG. 4 is a front view of the load port. FIG. 5 is a side view of the load port. FIG. 6 is a view showing the door and its vicinity in a closed position, where (a) is a partial cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the horizontal direction. FIG. 7 is a view showing the door and its vicinity in an open position, where (a) is a partial cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the horizontal direction. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a mapping device and its vicinity, where (a) shows a state in which the sensor is in a retracted position, and (b) shows a state in which the sensor is in a protruding position. FIG. 9 is a top view of the mapping device and its vicinity. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the load port as seen from an oblique rear. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the rear cover and its vicinity in a plane perpendicular to the horizontal direction. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the operation of the load port. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the load port. 10A and 10B are side and front views of the load port during installation work.

[0022] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described. For ease of explanation, the directions shown in FIG. 1 are defined as the front-rear and left-right directions. More specifically, the direction in which the load port 1 and processing device 2 are arranged is defined as the front-rear direction. In the front-rear direction, the load port 1 side is defined as the front side. In the front-rear direction, the processing device 2 side is defined as the rear side. The direction in which multiple load ports 1 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.

[0023] (Schematic Configuration of Load Port and Its Surrounding Area) The schematic configuration of a load port 1 and its surrounding area according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, a plurality of load ports 1 are provided in a processing device 2. The plurality of load ports 1 are arranged on the front side of the processing device 2.

[0024] Each load port 1 is capable of placing a FOUP 100 containing wafers W therein. "FOUP" is an abbreviation for "Front-Opening Unified Pod." A FOUP 100 is a container capable of accommodating a plurality of wafers W arranged vertically. The FOUP 100 is transported, for example, by a FOUP transport device (not shown). The FOUP 100 is transferred between the FOUP transport device and the load port 1. The wafers W are, for example, substantially disk-shaped semiconductor substrates. Each load port 1 is used to transfer wafers W into and out of the processing device 2. The configuration of the load port 1 will be described in more detail below.

[0025] The processing apparatus 2 includes a transfer unit 3, a load lock chamber 4, and a processing unit 5. The processing apparatus 2 performs various processes on wafers W removed from the FOUP 100 placed on the load port 1. The inside of the processing apparatus 2 is separated from an external space 10. The inside of the processing apparatus 2 is maintained in a clean environment. The module combining the multiple load ports 1 and the transfer unit 3 of the processing apparatus 2 is an EFEM 6. "EFEM" is an abbreviation for "Equipment Front End Module."

[0026] The transfer unit 3 has a housing 3a and a transfer robot 3b arranged in a transfer space 9 within the housing 3a. A plurality of load ports 1 are connected to the front end of the housing 3a. The load ports 1 may be connected to only one location. The load ports 1 may also be arranged in two or more tiers, one above the other. A load lock chamber 4 is connected to the rear end of the housing 3a. The transfer robot 3b is configured to be able to transfer wafers W between the FOUPs 100 placed on each load port 1 and the load lock chamber 4. The load lock chamber 4 is a room where the wafers W are temporarily kept waiting. The processing unit 5 performs various processes on the wafers W transferred from the load lock chamber 4.

[0027] (Load Port) Next, the schematic configuration of the load port 1 will be described with reference mainly to Figures 2 to 5. For the sake of explanation, the side plate 18a, top plate 18b, and isolation cover 19 are not shown in Figures 4 and 5. As shown in Figure 2, the load port 1 mainly has a base 11, a door 12, a door moving mechanism 13, and a mounting section 14.

[0028] The base 11 is a substantially flat member. The base 11 is disposed in a position in which the front-to-rear direction is the thickness direction. The base 11 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. The base 11 is disposed so as to extend in the up-down direction. The base 11 is part of a partition wall that separates the transport space 9 of the transport unit 3 from the external space 10.

[0029] A substantially rectangular opening 11a is formed in the base 11. The opening 11a penetrates the base 11 in the thickness direction (front-rear direction) of the base 11. That is, the opening direction of the opening 11a is the front-rear direction. The opening 11a allows the wafer W to pass through in the horizontal direction. The opening 11a serves as an opening for loading and unloading the wafer W into and from the processing device 2.

[0030] The door 12 can open and close the opening 11a. The door 12 is a plate-shaped member. The thickness of the door 12 is in the front-to-rear direction. The front portion of the door 12 in the thickness direction forms a fitting portion 12a (see FIG. 11 ) that can be fitted into the opening 11a. The rear portion of the door 12 in the thickness direction forms a protruding portion 12b (see FIG. 11 ) that protrudes rearward from the opening 11a when the fitting portion 12a is fitted into the opening 11a. When the fitting portion 12a is fitted into the opening 11a, the door 12 closes the opening 11a. A flange-shaped thin portion, as described in Japanese Patent No. 6849919, may be provided on the outer periphery of the protruding portion 12b of the door 12. A sealing member may be disposed between such a thin portion and the base 11 to seal the gap between the periphery of the opening 11a and the door 12. The door 12 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. The door 12 is provided with an unlocking mechanism and a holding mechanism (neither of which is shown) that unlock and hold the lid 102 (see FIGS. 12 and 13) of the FOUP 100.

[0031] The door moving mechanism 13 is a mechanism for moving the door 12. As will be described in detail later, the door moving mechanism 13 has a door lifting mechanism 20 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) that moves the door 12 up and down, and a door advancing and retreating mechanism 30 (see FIG. 5) that moves the door 12 back and forth.

[0032] The placement unit 14 is a platform-like member on which the FOUP 100 is placed. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the placement unit 14 can place the FOUP 100 in a position facing the opening 11a on the opposite side of the opening 11a from the processing device 2 (rear side). The FOUP 100 mainly includes a main body 101 and a lid 102 that covers the opening 101a formed on one side of the main body 101. The FOUP 100 placed on the placement unit 14 is oriented such that the lid 102 faces the opening 11a. The placement unit 14 may be configured to rotate by a rotation mechanism (not shown). In this case, by rotating the placement unit 14, the lid 102 of the FOUP 100 placed on the placement unit 14 can be positioned to face the opening 11a.

[0033] 4 and 5, the placement unit 14 is supported by a support frame 15. The placement unit 14 is configured to be movable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the support frame 15. The top surface of the placement unit 14 is provided with positioning pins for positioning the FOUP 100 and fixing pins for fixing the FOUP 100 (neither of which is shown).

[0034] The mounting unit 14 is configured to be movable by a drive mechanism (not shown) between a predetermined delivery position (see FIG. 12( a)) and a lid opening / closing position (see FIG. 12( b)) located behind the delivery position. The delivery position is the position of the mounting unit 14 when the FOUP 100 can be delivered to or from a FOUP transport device (not shown). The lid opening / closing position is the position of the mounting unit 14 when the unlocking mechanism and holding mechanism (neither of which are shown) of the door 12 can unlock and hold the lid 102 of the FOUP 100 placed on the mounting unit 14.

[0035] 4 and 5, the portion of the load port 1 below the mounting section 14 is surrounded by an outer frame 17. Side plates 18a and a top plate 18b (see FIGS. 2 and 3) are attached to the outer frame 17. The side plates 18a form the front and left and right side surfaces of the load port 1. The top plate 18b forms the top surface of the load port 1.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the load port 1 is installed at a position higher than the floor surface F. The opening 11a of the load port 1 is located at the same height as the opening of a conventional load port installed on the floor surface F. Here, the length of the load port 1 below the opening 11a in the vertical direction is shorter than that of a conventional load port. Therefore, a space A is formed between the load port 1 and the floor surface F. In this embodiment, this space A can be used effectively.

[0037] (Door Moving Mechanism) Next, the configuration of the door moving mechanism 13 will be described with further reference to Figures 6 and 7. As described above, the door moving mechanism 13 has the door lifting mechanism 20 and the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30.

[0038] The door lifting mechanism 20 can raise and lower the door 12 between a predetermined open position (see FIG. 12(c)) and a retracted position (see FIG. 13(d)) that is lower than the open position. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the door lifting mechanism 20 is a ball screw mechanism that includes a screw shaft 21, a motor 22 that rotates the screw shaft 21, sliders 23a, 23b, guide rails 24a, 24b, etc. The motor 22 is, for example, a stepping motor or a servo motor.

[0039] The screw shaft 21 is disposed in a position where its longitudinal direction is aligned with the vertical direction. As shown in Fig. 4, the screw shaft 21 is disposed to the right of the opening 11a when viewed from the front.

[0040] The guide rails 24a and 24b are attached to the front surface of the base 11. The guide rails 24a and 24b extend in the vertical direction. The guide rail 24a is disposed in a position facing the screw shaft 21 in the front-rear direction. That is, the guide rail 24a is disposed to the right of the opening 11a when viewed from the front. The guide rail 24b is disposed to the left of the opening 11a when viewed from the front, as shown in FIG. 4 .

[0041] The slider 23a is guided by a guide rail 24a and can move up and down in the vertical direction. The slider 23b is guided by a guide rail 24b and can move up and down in the vertical direction. As described below, the sliders 23a and 23b are attached to connecting members 40 disposed on both left and right sides of the door 12. As shown in FIG. 4 , the two connecting members 40 extend from the front side of the base 11 to the rear side of the base 11 through two slits 11b formed in the base 11. The two slits 11b extend up and down on both left and right sides of the opening 11a. The connecting members 40 support the door 12. That is, the sliders 23a and 23b, the connecting members 40 attached to the sliders 23a and 23b, and the door 12 supported by the connecting members 40 move up and down in conjunction with each other.

[0042] The slider 23a is integrated with a nut (not shown) fitted onto the screw shaft 21. The slider 23a moves up and down when the screw shaft 21 is rotated by the motor 22. When the slider 23a moves up and down, the door 12 and the slider 23b also move up and down.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 5, the door lifting mechanism 20 is disposed forward of the base 11. As shown in Fig. 4, a portion 20a of the door lifting mechanism 20 is disposed in a position that does not face the opening 11a and is aligned with a portion of the opening 11a in the left-right direction (horizontal direction). In other words, the portion 20a of the door lifting mechanism 20 is aligned with a portion of the opening 11a when the base 11 is viewed from the front. The portion 20a of the door lifting mechanism 20 includes a portion of the screw shaft 21. The portion 20a of the door lifting mechanism 20 includes a portion of the guide rails 24a, 24b.

[0044] The screw shaft 21, motor 22, slider 23a, and guide rail 24a of the door lifting mechanism 20 are covered by an isolation cover 19 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The isolation cover 19 is located to the right of the opening 11a when viewed from the front. While the isolation cover 19 is installed to the right of the opening 11a when viewed from the front, there is an empty space to the left of the opening 11a where the isolation cover 19 is not installed. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, all of the elements constituting the door lifting mechanism 20 are located to the sides of the opening 11a in the left-right direction. That is, there is an empty space below the opening 11a (below the mounting portion 14). Therefore, other components can be arranged in this empty space, leading to improved space efficiency.

[0045] The configuration of the door lifting mechanism 20 may be reversed left to right. That is, the screw shaft 21 and the motor 22 of the door lifting mechanism 20 may be located on the left side of the opening 11a when viewed from the front. In this case, the isolation cover 19 is also installed on the left side of the opening 11a when viewed from the front.

[0046] The door advancing / retreating mechanisms 30 are disposed on the right and left sides of the door 12. The two door advancing / retreating mechanisms 30 are bilaterally symmetrical and have the same configuration. The door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 disposed on the right side as viewed from the front will be described below with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

[0047] The door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 is disposed rearward of the base 11. The door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 moves the door 12 between a predetermined closed position (see FIG. 12(b)) and an open position (see FIG. 12(c)) rearward of the closed position. When the door 12 is in the closed position, the fitting portion 12a (see FIG. 11) fits into the opening 11a. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 has a rotary actuator 31, an arm 32, and a roller 33.

[0048] The rotary actuator 31 is attached to the above-mentioned connecting member 40. More specifically, the rotary actuator 31 is attached to a portion of the connecting member 40 that protrudes rearward beyond the base 11 via the slit 11b.

[0049] Support portions 41 are attached to both side surfaces (the surface facing right and the surface facing left) of the protruding portion 12b of the door 12. The connecting member 40 faces the support portions 41 in the left-right direction. The connecting member 40 supports the door 12 via the support portions 41 so that the door 12 can slide back and forth.

[0050] The arm 32 is disposed between the connecting member 40 and the support portion 41 in the left-right direction. The arm 32 can be swung by the rotary actuator 31 around one end thereof in a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0051] The roller 33 is attached to the other end opposite to the end that serves as the center of swing of the arm 32. A groove 41a extending in the vertical direction is formed on the surface of the support part 41 that faces the connecting member 40. The roller 33 is disposed in the groove 41a of the support part 41.

[0052] 6(a) and 6(b), when the door 12 is in the closed position, the arm 32 is oriented in the front-to-rear direction. At this time, one end of the arm 32, which is the center of swing, is the rear end, and the other end to which the roller 33 is attached is the front end. The roller 33 is located at the upper end of the groove 41a.

[0053] The rotary actuator 31 swings the arm 32, changing the position of the arm 32 from that shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b) to that shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), thereby moving the door 12 from the closed position to the open position. That is, the arm 32 is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from the right, so that one end of the arm 32, which is the center of the swing, becomes the upper end, and the other end to which the roller 33 is attached becomes the lower end. At this time, the roller 33 is positioned at the lower end of the groove 41a.

[0054] (Mapping Device) The load port 1 further includes a mapping device 50 that detects the presence or absence of each wafer W stored in the FOUP 100 placed on the placement section 14. The mapping device 50 will be described below with further reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. The mapping device 50 is attached to the rear surface of the door 12. The mapping device 50 mainly includes a transmission sensor 51 consisting of a light-emitting element 51 a and a light-receiving element 51 b, a pair of arms 52 a, 52 b to which the light-emitting element 51 a and the light-receiving element 51 b are respectively attached, a swinging mechanism 57 that swings the pair of arms 52 a, 52 b, a support member 53 that supports the pair of arms 52 a, 52 b, and a sensor lifting mechanism 54 that lifts and lowers the sensor 51.

[0055] The pair of arms 52a, 52b are configured to be swingable in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction around one end by a swing mechanism 57 having an air cylinder or the like. The pair of arms 52a, 52b are swingable between a standby position (position indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 9) and a detection position (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 9). A light-emitting element 51a is attached to the other end of arm 52a opposite to the one end which is the swing center. A light-receiving element 51b is attached to the other end of arm 52b opposite to the one end which is the swing center.

[0056] The pair of arms 52a, 52b are arranged so that their ends, which serve as the swing centers, are closely aligned in the left-right direction. When the pair of arms 52a, 52b are in a position where they extend in the left-right direction when positioned at the standby position, the pair of arms 52a, 52b move from the standby position to the detection position by swinging in a direction in which the other ends, to which the light-emitting element 51a and the light-receiving element 51b are attached, move forward. In other words, the swing mechanism 57 that swings the pair of arms 52a, 52b advances and retreats the sensor 51 (the light-emitting element 51a and the light-receiving element 51b), and functions as the "detection unit advancement and retreat mechanism" of the present invention.

[0057] 9, when the pair of arms 52a, 52b are located at the detection position, the light-emitting element 51a and the light-receiving element 51b are located forward of the base 11. At this time, the light-emitting element 51a and the light-receiving element 51b enter the FOUP 100 placed on the placement section 14. The light-emitting element 51a and the light-receiving element 51b are located at positions that sandwich the wafer W stored in the FOUP 100 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the presence or absence of the wafer W can be detected based on the amount of light (indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 9) received by the light-receiving element 51b from the light-emitting element 51a when the mapping device 50 is moved downward together with the door 12 by the door lifting mechanism 20.

[0058] If a wafer W housed in the FOUP 100 protrudes rearward from its normal position, there is a risk that the pair of arms 52a, 52b at the detection position may collide with the wafer W. Therefore, a protrusion sensor may be provided to detect the protruding wafer W. Such a protrusion sensor is configured to be able to detect the rear end of the protruding wafer W. As an example of the protrusion sensor, a transmission-type sensor 58 consisting of a light-emitting element 58a and a light-receiving element 58b is shown in FIG. 11. The light-emitting element 58a and the light-receiving element 58b are arranged vertically on either side of the opening 11a on the rear surface of the base 11. A reflective sensor may also be used as the protrusion sensor.

[0059] 8(a) and 8(b), the pair of arms 52a, 52b are attached to the upper surface of a support member 53. The support member 53 is guided by a pair of left and right guide rails 55 attached to the rear surface of the door 12, and is configured to be able to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0060] The support member 53 is disposed on the right side of the door 12 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the weight balance of the door 12 is shifted to the right. In this embodiment, the screw shaft 21 and motor 22 of the door lifting mechanism 20 are disposed on the right side of the door 12. The right side of the door 12 is supported by a connecting member 40 attached to a slider 23a that moves up and down as the screw shaft 21 rotates. Therefore, tilting of the door 12 during lifting and lowering can be suppressed. The support member 53 may be disposed on the opposite side of the door 12 from the side on which the screw shaft 21 and motor 22 of the door lifting mechanism 20 are disposed in the left-right direction. Alternatively, the support member 53 may be disposed in the center of the door 12 in the left-right direction.

[0061] The sensor lifting mechanism 54 is attached below the support member 53 on the rear surface of the door 12. In this embodiment, the sensor lifting mechanism 54 is an air cylinder. The configuration of the sensor lifting mechanism 54 is not limited thereto, and an electric power source such as a motor may also be used. The sensor lifting mechanism 54 is disposed in a position in which the rod 54a moves in the vertical direction. The tip of the rod 54a of the sensor lifting mechanism 54 is connected to the support member 53. The sensor lifting mechanism 54 can raise and lower the support member 53. Raising and lowering the support member 53 raises and lowers the sensor 51, which is composed of a pair of arms 52a, 52b attached to the support member 53 and a light-emitting element 51a and a light-receiving element 51b attached to the pair of arms 52a, 52b.

[0062] The sensor lifting mechanism 54 can move the sensor 51 between a retracted position (see FIG. 8(a)) and an extended position (see FIG. 8(b)). The retracted position is a position where the sensor 51 is lower than the upper end of the door 12. The extended position is a position where the sensor 51 is higher than the upper end of the door 12. By setting the sensor 51 to the extended position, the pair of arms 52a, 52b can be swung from the standby position to the detection position.

[0063] (Rear cover) As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the load port 1 further includes a rear cover 61 attached to the rear surface of the base 11, a cover door 62, an exhaust fan 63 for discharging gas from the rear space 60 between the rear cover 61 and the base 11, and a duct 64 for discharging gas in the rear space 60 outside the processing device 2.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 11 , the rear cover 61 covers the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 and the opening 11a. An inlet 61a is formed at the upper end of the rear cover 61 to allow gas to flow into the rear space 60. Gas in the EFEM 6 is taken into the rear space 60 through the inlet 61a. In this embodiment, the inlet 61a is composed of multiple small holes. The inlet 61a may be multiple slits or a single opening. Two outlets 61b are formed at the lower end of the rear cover 61 to allow gas to flow out of the rear space 60.

[0065] The rear cover 61 has a cover opening 61c facing the opening 11a. The cover door 62 can open and close the cover opening 61c. As shown in FIGS. 6( a) and 6(b), the cover door 62 is attached to the rear end of the connecting member 40. Therefore, the cover door 62 can be raised and lowered together with the door 12 by the door lifting mechanism 20. The cover door 62 is positioned so that a small gap is formed between the cover door 62 and the front surface of the rear cover 61. This prevents the cover door 62 from rubbing against the rear cover 61 when the door 12 is raised and lowered. When the door 12 is in the closed position (see FIG. 12(b)) and the open position (see FIG. 12(c)), the cover door 62 covers the cover opening 61c. When the door 12 is in the retracted position (see FIG. 13(d)), the cover door 62 opens the cover opening 61c.

[0066] The exhaust fans 63 are disposed at positions facing the two outlets 61b. When the exhaust fans 63 exhaust gas from the rear space 60 through the outlets 61b, an airflow is generated in the rear space 60 from the inlet 61a to the outlet 61b. That is, an airflow is generated in the rear space 60 from above to below. The door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 and the opening 11a are disposed between the inlet 61a and the outlet 61b in the flow direction of the airflow generated in the rear space 60 from above to below.

[0067] The duct 64 is connected to the two outlets 61 b, respectively. The duct 64 is drawn out below the base 11.

[0068] (Basic Operation of Load Port) The basic operation of the load port 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. Note that wafers W are not shown in Figures 12 and 13. Here, the operation from when the FOUP 100 is placed on the placement section 14 until the wafer W can be loaded into or unloaded from the FOUP 100 will be described.

[0069] First, as shown in Fig. 12(a) , a FOUP transport device (not shown) places a FOUP 100 on the placement unit 14 located at the delivery position. At this time, a positioning pin and a fixing pin (neither of which are shown) provided on the placement unit 14 position the FOUP 100 placed on the placement unit 14 and fix it to the placement unit 14. Next, the placement unit 14 is moved rearward by a drive mechanism (not shown) to move from the delivery position (see Fig. 12(a) ) to the lid opening / closing position (see Fig. 12(b) ).

[0070] 12( b), the placement unit 14 moves to the lid open / close position, bringing the FOUP 100 close to the door 12. At this time, an unlocking mechanism and a holding mechanism (neither of which are shown) provided on the door 12 unlock the lid 102 of the FOUP 100 and hold it to the door 12.

[0071] Next, the door 12 is moved rearward by the door advancing / retracting mechanism 30, thereby moving from the closed position (see FIG. 12(b)) to the open position (see FIG. 12(c)). As a result, the door 12 is removed from the opening 11a, opening the opening 11a. At this time, the lid 102 of the FOUP 100 held by the door 12 also moves rearward together with the door 12. As a result, the lid 102 of the FOUP 100 is removed from the opening 101a, opening the opening 101a. As shown in FIG. 12(c), when the door 12 is in the open position, the door 12 and the lid 102 are located rearward of the base 11.

[0072] At this time, the cover opening 61c of the rear cover 61 is closed by the cover door 62. Particles generated by driving the door advancing / retracting mechanism 30 are carried by the air current and move from above to below within the rear space 60, and are discharged to the outside of the processing device 2 through the duct 64.

[0073] Next, the sensor 51 is moved upward by the sensor lifting mechanism 54, thereby moving from the retracted position (see FIG. 12(c)) to the protruding position (see FIG. 12(d)). Furthermore, the door 12 is moved downward by the door lifting mechanism 20, thereby lowering the upper end of the door 12 to the first position, as shown in FIG. 12(d) . Note that either the movement of the sensor 51 from the retracted position to the protruding position or the lowering of the door 12 to the first position can occur first.

[0074] Thereafter, the pair of arms 52a, 52b to which the sensor 51 is attached are swung by a swinging mechanism (not shown) to move from the standby position (see FIG. 12(d)) to the detection position (see FIG. 13(a)). As a result, the light-emitting element 51a and the light-receiving element 51b attached to the pair of arms 52a, 52b advance to the opposite side of the processing device 2 across the opening 11a. Then, the sensor 51 (light-emitting element 51a and light-receiving element 51b) enters the space within the FOUP 100.

[0075] 13(b), the door 12 is moved downward by the door lifting mechanism 20, and the upper end of the door 12 descends to a second position where it faces the lower part of the space within the FOUP 100. At this time, the sensor 51 also descends together with the door 12, moving from the upper part to the lower part of the space within the FOUP 100. This allows the sensor 51 to detect the presence or absence of wafers W stored in the FOUP 100. Thereafter, the pair of arms 52a, 52b are swung by a swinging mechanism (not shown) to move from the detection position (FIG. 13(b)) to the standby position (see FIG. 13(c)).

[0076] Next, the sensor 51 is moved downward by the sensor lifting mechanism 54, thereby moving from the protruding position (see FIG. 13(c)) to the retracted position (see FIG. 13(d)). The door 12 is also moved downward by the door lifting mechanism 20, thereby descending to the retracted position. Note that either the movement of the sensor 51 from the protruding position to the retracted position or the descending of the door 12 to the retracted position can occur first.

[0077] When the door 12 is in the retracted position, it does not face the opening 11 a. When the door 12 is in the retracted position, the cover door 62 is in a position that opens the cover opening 61 c. Therefore, wafers W can be loaded and unloaded into the FOUP 100 through the opening 11 a and the cover opening 61 c.

[0078] (Load Port Installation Method) Here, a method for installing the load port 1 at a position higher than the floor surface F (see FIG. 3) will be described. When installing the load port 1, first, a pair of sub-frames 70 are attached as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. The pair of sub-frames 70 are attached to both left and right ends of the load port 1. The sub-frames 70 are fixed to the base 11 and the outer frame 17 with screws or the like. A hanging member 71 such as an eyebolt or a hanging bracket is attached to the upper end of each of the pair of sub-frames 70. In this embodiment, the two hanging members 71 attached to each of the pair of sub-frames 70 are arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction. The two hanging members 71 may also be arranged at different positions in the front-rear direction.

[0079] 15 , the load port 1 is lifted up by passing a cable C through the two suspension members 71 and hooking the cable C onto a crane hook H, and then raised and installed to a position higher than the floor surface F. After the load port 1 is installed, the pair of sub-frames 70 are removed from the load port 1.

[0080] The subframes 70 do not have to be a pair, but may be a single subframe 70. When there is a single subframe 70, the single subframe 70, the base 11, and the outer frame 17 are lifted. The lifting member 71 does not have to be attached. The subframe 70 may be lifted directly.

[0081] (Features of the Embodiment) As described above, the load port 1 of the present embodiment is a load port 1 on which a FOUP 100 storing wafers W is placed and which is used to load and unload the wafers W into and from the processing apparatus 2, and includes a base 11 having an opening 11a that opens in the front-to-rear direction and serves as an entrance for loading and unloading the wafers W into and from the processing apparatus 2, a door 12 that opens and closes the opening 11a, and a door moving mechanism 13 that moves the door 12. The door moving mechanism 13 includes a door lifting mechanism 20 that lowers the door 12 when it is removed from the opening 11a, and a part 20a of the door lifting mechanism 20 is aligned horizontally with a part of the opening 11a when the base 11 is viewed from the front.

[0082] According to the above-described configuration, the height of the load port 1 can be reduced while ensuring a sufficient stroke for the lifting and lowering movement of the door 12, compared to when the entire door lifting mechanism 20 is positioned below the portion corresponding to the opening 11a in the base 11.

[0083] Furthermore, in the load port 1 of this embodiment, the door moving mechanism 13 further includes a door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 that advances and retreats the door 12 in the front-to-rear direction, moving it between a position that blocks the opening 11 a and a position that opens the opening 11 a. The door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 is attached to a connecting member 40 that rises and falls in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the door 12 by the door lifting mechanism 20, and the connecting member 40 is disposed to the side of the door 12 in the left-right direction. With this configuration, by attaching the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 that advances and retreats the door 12 to the connecting member 40 that is disposed to the side of the door 12 and rises and falls in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the door 12, the height of the load port 1 can be reliably reduced.

[0084] The load port 1 of this embodiment further includes a mounting section 14 for mounting a FOUP 100 at a position facing the opening 11 a on the opposite side of the opening 11 a from the processing equipment 2; a sensor 51 attached to the surface of the door 12 facing the processing equipment 2 so as to be able to rise and fall and to move back and forth in the forward and backward directions, and consisting of a light-emitting element 51 a and a light-receiving element 51 b for detecting a wafer W contained in the FOUP 100 mounted on the mounting section 14; a sensor lifting mechanism 54 for lifting and lowering the sensor 51 between a protruding position above the upper end of the door 12 and a retracted position below the upper end of the door 12; and a swinging mechanism 57 for swinging a pair of arms 52 a, 52 b to which the light-emitting element 51 a and the light-receiving element 51 b are respectively attached when the sensor 51 is in the protruding position, thereby moving the light-emitting element 51 a and the light-receiving element 51 b forward across the opening 11 a to the opposite side of the processing equipment 2 from the processing equipment 2. According to this configuration, the sensor 51 is positioned at the protruding position by the sensor lifting mechanism 54, and the swing mechanism 57 moves the sensor 51 forward to the front of the opening 11 a. Then, the door 12 is lowered by the door lifting mechanism 20, allowing the sensor 51 to detect wafers W contained in the FOUP 100. By lowering the door 12 to a retracted position where it does not face the opening 11 a and lowering the sensor 51 to the retracted position by the sensor lifting mechanism 54, the sensor 51 can be prevented from interfering with the loading and unloading of wafers W through the opening 11 a. Therefore, compared to when the sensor 51 is fixed at a position above the upper end of the door 12, even if the stroke of the lifting and lowering movement of the door 12 is short, the sensor 51 can be prevented from interfering with the loading and unloading of wafers W.

[0085] Additionally, in the load port 1 of this embodiment, the door advancing / retracting mechanism 30 of the door moving mechanism 13 is disposed on the processing device 2 side across the base 11. The load port 1 further includes a rear cover 61 that covers the door advancing / retracting mechanism 30 and the opening 11a. The rear cover 61 has an inlet 61a through which gas flows into a rear space 60 formed between the rear cover 61 and the base 11, and an outlet 61b through which gas flows out of the rear space 60. The door advancing / retracting mechanism 30 and the opening 11a are disposed between the inlet 61a and the outlet 61b in the gas flow direction from the inlet 61a to the outlet 61b. With this configuration, particles generated by the door advancing / retracting mechanism 30 are carried by the airflow from the inlet 61a to the outlet 61b and discharged from the rear space 60. This allows particles to be removed from the vicinity of the opening 11a. This prevents particles from adhering to the wafer W when the wafer W is loaded or unloaded through the opening 11a. The rear cover 61 can also provide the same effects as the present invention when applied to a conventional load port such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-164411.

[0086] The load port 1 of this embodiment is further equipped with an exhaust fan 63 that generates an airflow from the inlet 61 a toward the outlet 61 b ​​in the rear space 60. With this configuration, the exhaust fan 63 can actively generate an airflow from the inlet 61 a toward the outlet 61 b ​​in the rear space 60. Therefore, particles can be reliably removed from the rear space 60.

[0087] Furthermore, the load port 1 of this embodiment is further provided with a duct 64 that is connected to the outlet 61b and that discharges gas in the rear space 60 to the outside of the processing device 2. The outlet 61b is formed at the lower end of the rear cover 61, and the duct 64 is drawn out below the base 11. With this configuration, particles can be discharged to the outside of the processing device 2 by the duct 64.

[0088] Additionally, in the load port 1 of this embodiment, the rear cover 61 is formed with a cover opening 61c facing the opening 11a, and further includes a cover door 62 configured to open and close the cover opening 61c and to be raised and lowered together with the door 12 by the door lifting mechanism 20. With this configuration, wafers W can be loaded and unloaded through the cover opening 61c.

[0089] Furthermore, with the method for installing the load port 1 of this embodiment, the area that receives the load during installation of the load port 1 (the subframe 70) is structurally separate from the areas that affect the inherent transport performance of the load port 1 (the base 11 and outer frame 17). This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in transport performance.

[0090] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations should not be considered to be limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description of the embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the case where the portion 20a of the door lifting mechanism 20 is aligned with a portion of the portion of the base 11 that corresponds to the opening 11a in the left-right direction has been described, but this is not limited to this. That is, the entire door lifting mechanism 20 may be aligned with a portion of the portion of the base 11 that corresponds to the opening 11a in the left-right direction. The portion 20a of the door lifting mechanism 20 may be aligned with the entire portion of the base 11 that corresponds to the opening 11a in the left-right direction. The entire door lifting mechanism 20 may be aligned with the entire portion of the base 11 that corresponds to the opening 11a in the left-right direction.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the door lifting mechanism 20 is a ball screw mechanism, but is not limited to this. For example, the door lifting mechanism 20 may be composed of a lifting belt wound around two pulleys spaced apart from each other above and below, and a motor that drives the pulleys to move the lifting belt. The door lifting mechanism 20 may also be an air cylinder.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 is described as being raised and lowered in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the door 12 by the door lifting mechanism 20 and is attached to the connecting member 40 arranged on the side of the door 12 in the left-right direction, but is not limited to this. For example, the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 may be attached to a member arranged below the door 12.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the two door advancing / retreating mechanisms 30 having the same configuration are arranged symmetrically, but this is not limiting. The door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 may be arranged only on either the right or left side of the door 12. The two door advancing / retreating mechanisms 30 arranged on the left and right sides of the door 12 do not have to be arranged symmetrically.

[0095] Additionally, in the above embodiment, the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 has been described as having a rotary actuator 31, but this is not limiting. For example, the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 may be an air cylinder. It may also be an electric drive source such as a motor.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the sensor 51 of the mapping device 50 is described as being capable of being raised and lowered by the sensor lifting mechanism 54 and moved forward and backward by the swinging mechanism 57, but this is not limiting. For example, the sensor 51 may be configured to be able to be raised and lowered but not be able to move forward and backward, to be not able to be raised and lowered but be able to move forward and backward, or to be able to neither raise and lower nor be able to move forward and backward.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the sensor 51 is of a transmissive type, but this is not limiting. For example, the sensor 51 may be of a reflective type. If the sensor 51 is of a reflective type, the sensor 51 does not need to be configured to enter the space within the FOUP 100.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the door lifting mechanism 20 is disposed on the opposite side (front side) of the base 11 from the processing device 2, and the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 is disposed on the processing device 2 side (rear side) of the base 11. However, this is not limiting. The door lifting mechanism 20 may be disposed rearward of the base 11, and the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 may be disposed forward of the base 11. Both the door lifting mechanism 20 and the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 may be disposed forward of the base 11, or both the door lifting mechanism 20 and the door advancing / retreating mechanism 30 may be disposed rearward of the base 11. For example, a part of the door lifting mechanism 20 (such as the screw shaft 21) may be disposed forward of the base 11, and another part of the door lifting mechanism 20 (such as the guide rails 24a, 24b) may be disposed rearward of the base 11.

[0099] Additionally, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which an airflow is generated from above to below in the rear space 60 of the rear cover 61, but this is not limiting. For example, the inlet 61a may be formed in the right side wall of the rear cover 61, and the outlet 61b may be formed in the left side wall of the rear cover 61, so that an airflow is generated from right to left in the rear space 60.

[0100] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where two outlets 61b and two ducts 64 are provided has been described, but this is not limiting. It is preferable that the number of outlets 61b and the number of ducts 64 be appropriately set depending on the required performance.

[0101] In the above embodiment, an airflow is generated in the rear space 60 by the exhaust fan 63 disposed at the outlet 61b, but this is not limiting. For example, an intake fan may be disposed at the inlet 61a. Also, instead of the exhaust fan 63, an exhaust damper may be employed that opens and closes the outlet 61b depending on the magnitude of the pressure difference between the rear space 60 and the outside. The number of exhaust fans 63 is preferably set appropriately depending on the required performance.

[0102] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the duct 64 is drawn out below the base 11, but this is not limiting. For example, if the outlet 61b is formed in the side wall of the rear cover 61, the duct 64 does not have to be drawn out below the base 11.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the gas in the EFEM 6 is taken into the rear space 60 through the inlet 61a formed at the upper end of the rear cover 61, but this is not limiting. For example, a gas in which at least one of temperature, humidity, oxygen concentration, etc., such as an inert gas such as nitrogen, argon, or helium, or dry air, may be controlled, may be supplied to the rear space 60 through a duct (not shown) connected to the inlet 61a.

[0104] Additionally, in the above embodiment, the case where the cover opening 61c facing the opening 11a is formed in the rear cover 61 has been described, but this is not limiting. For example, if the rear cover 61 is configured to be slidable left and right or up and down, even if the cover opening 61c is not formed, the rear cover 61 can be slid to load and unload the wafer W.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the cover door 62 that can open and close the cover opening 61c is configured to be able to move up and down together with the door 12 by the door lifting mechanism 20, but this is not limiting. The cover door 62 may be configured to be lifted and down by a mechanism separate from the door lifting mechanism 20.

[0106] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the load port 1 on which the FOUP 100 storing the wafer W is placed has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the wafer W is an example of a substrate stored in the FOUP 100. The FOUP 100 may store, for example, a wafer supported on a tape frame (tape frame wafer) or a rectangular substrate (glass substrate, glass epoxy resin substrate, etc.). The FOUP 100 is also an example of a container for storing substrates. For example, a FOSB (Front-Opening Shipping Box) or an open cassette may also be used as a container for storing substrates.

[0107] 1 Load port 2 Processing device 11 Base 11a Opening 12 Door 13 Door moving mechanism 14 Placement section 20 Door lifting mechanism 20a Part 30 Door advance / retract mechanism (device side part) 40 Connecting member (lifting member) 51 Sensor (detection section) 54 Sensor lifting mechanism (detection section lifting mechanism) 57 Swing mechanism (detection section advance / retract mechanism) 60 Back space (space) 61 Back cover (cover) 61a Inlet 61b Outlet 61c Cover opening 62 Cover door 63 Exhaust fan (fan) 64 Duct 100 FOUP (container) W Wafer (substrate)

Claims

1. A load port on which a container containing substrates is placed and which is used to load and unload the substrates from and into a processing device, comprising: a base having an opening which opens in the front-to-rear direction and serves as an entrance / exit for the substrates into the processing device; a door which opens and closes the opening; and a door moving mechanism which moves the door, wherein the door moving mechanism includes a door lifting mechanism which lowers the door when removed from the opening, and at least a portion of the door lifting mechanism is aligned side by side with at least a portion of the opening when the base is viewed from the front.

2. The load port described in claim 1, wherein the door movement mechanism further includes a door advancing / retracting mechanism that moves the door forward and backward in the front-to-rear direction, moving it between a position that blocks the opening and a position that opens the opening, the door advancing / retracting mechanism is attached to a lifting member that rises and falls in conjunction with the lifting and lowering of the door by the door lifting mechanism, and the lifting member is positioned to the side of the door in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and in a horizontal direction.

3. The load port according to claim 2, further comprising: a mounting section for mounting the container at a position facing the opening on the opposite side of the processing device from the opening; a detection section attached to the surface of the door facing the processing device so as to rise and fall and move back and forth, and which detects the substrate contained in the container mounted on the mounting section; a detection section lifting and lowering mechanism for raising and lowering the detection section between a position above the upper end of the door and a position below the upper end of the door; and a detection section advancing and retreating mechanism for advancing the detection section to the opposite side of the processing device from the opening when the detection section is in a position above the upper end of the door.

4. A load port as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the door movement mechanism includes an equipment-side portion arranged on the processing device side across the base, and further comprises a cover that covers the equipment-side portion arranged on the processing device side across the base and the opening, the cover having an inlet for allowing gas to flow into a space formed between the cover and the base, and an outlet for allowing gas to flow out of the space, and in the flow direction of gas from the inlet to the outlet, the equipment-side portion and the opening are arranged between the inlet and the outlet.

5. The load port according to claim 4, further comprising a fan that generates an airflow in the space from the inlet toward the outlet.

6. The load port described in claim 4, further comprising a duct connected to the outlet for discharging gas in the space to the outside of the processing device, the outlet being formed at the lower end of the cover, and the duct being drawn out below the base.

7. The load port according to claim 4, characterized in that the cover has a cover opening formed opposite the opening, and further comprises a cover door that opens and closes the cover opening and is raised and lowered together with the door by the door raising and lowering mechanism.

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