Substrate conveyance device

Abstract

This substrate conveyance device comprises: a housing including a first conveyance space and a second conveyance space which are conveyance spaces of a substrate; a duct provided on a top part of the housing; at least one fan that is arranged in the duct and suctions gas from the outside; a first branch path branched from the duct; a second branch path branched from the duct; a first blower unit that has the gas introduced thereto via the first branch path, filters the gas, and supplies the gas to the first conveyance space; a second blower unit that has the gas introduced thereto via the second branch path, filters the gas, and supplies the gas to the second conveyance space; and a third blower unit that is arranged between the first conveyance space and the second conveyance space, suctions the gas from the second conveyance space, filters the gas, and discharges the gas to the first conveyance space.

Description

Substrate transfer apparatus

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate transfer apparatus.

[0002] There has been known an apparatus that transfers a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer between a container accommodating the substrate and a processing apparatus that performs processing on the substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 3878441

[0004] It is undesirable for particles to adhere to a substrate within the transfer space of the substrate. If the supply of outside air to a blower unit that supplies clean gas to the transfer space is interrupted, the cleaning performance inside the transfer space may decrease.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer apparatus that efficiently supplies outside air to a blower unit that supplies clean gas to a transfer space.

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided a substrate transfer apparatus, comprising: a housing including a first transfer space and a second transfer space that are substrate transfer spaces; a duct provided at a top portion of the housing; at least one fan disposed in the duct and configured to suck gas from outside; a first branch path branched from the duct; a second branch path branched from the duct; a first blower unit into which the gas is introduced via the first branch path, the first blower unit filtering the gas and supplying the filtered gas to the first transfer space; a second blower unit into which the gas is introduced via the second branch path, the second blower unit filtering the gas and supplying the filtered gas to the second transfer space; and a third blower unit disposed between the first transfer space and the second transfer space, the third blower unit sucking gas from the second transfer space, filtering the sucked gas, and discharging the filtered gas to the first transfer space.

[0007] According to the present invention, a substrate transfer apparatus that efficiently supplies outside air to a blower unit that supplies clean gas to a transfer space can be provided.

[0008] External view of the substrate processing system. Front view of a substrate transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Rear view of the substrate transport device in Figure 2. Explanatory diagram of the internal structure of the substrate transport device in Figure 2. Cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 4. Partially enlarged view of Figure 5. Cross-sectional view along line B-B in Figure 5. Explanatory diagram of the relay unit. Explanatory diagram of the sensor. Explanatory diagram of the transport space and air blowing mode inside the substrate transport device in Figure 2. Explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate transport device in Figure 2. Explanatory diagram of the loading port and the operation of unloading substrates from the container. Explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate transport device in Figure 2. Explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate transport device in Figure 2. Explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate transport device in Figure 2. Explanatory diagram of the operation of the substrate transport device in Figure 2. Explanatory diagram of the operation of loading substrates into the processing device. Diagram showing another example configuration of the transport unit. Diagram showing another example configuration of the substrate processing system. Diagram showing another example configuration of the substrate transport device. Diagram showing another example configuration of the substrate transport device. Diagram showing another example configuration of the substrate transport device. Diagram showing another example configuration of the substrate transport device.

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features from the multiple features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, identical or similar configurations will be given the same reference numeral, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] <First Embodiment> (Substrate Processing System) Figure 1 is an external view of a substrate processing system 1 using a substrate transport device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In each figure, arrows X and Y indicate mutually orthogonal horizontal directions, and arrow Z indicates the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the X direction is the depth direction (front-to-back direction) of the substrate transport device 10, and the Y direction is the width direction (left-to-right direction) of the substrate transport device 10.

[0011] The substrate processing system 1 comprises a plurality of load ports 2A to 2D arranged in the Y direction, a processing unit 3, and a substrate transport device 10 positioned between the plurality of load ports 2A to 2D and the processing unit 3 in the X direction. In this embodiment, four load ports 2A to 2D are provided, but the number of load ports may be two, three, or five or more.

[0012] Load ports 2A to 2D are devices for opening and closing containers such as FOUPs. Substrates W such as semiconductor wafers (see Figures 9, 12, etc.) are contained in the containers. Processing device 3 is a device for processing the substrates W contained in the containers, for example, a polishing device. Substrate transport device 10 transports the substrates W between the containers and the processing device 3.

[0013] (Substrate Transfer Device) Refer to Figures 2 to 4 in addition to Figure 1. Figure 2 is a front view of the substrate transfer device 10 (viewed from the side of the load ports 2A to 2D), and Figure 3 is a rear view of the substrate transfer device 10 (viewed from the side of the processing device 3). Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure of the substrate transfer device 10.

[0014] The substrate transport device 10 includes a housing 100 that forms the outer wall of the substrate transport device 10. The housing 100 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole and includes a front wall portion 101, a rear wall portion 102 facing the front wall portion 101, left and right side wall portions 103 and 104, and an upper wall portion 105.

[0015] Rectangular openings 101a to 101d corresponding to load ports 2A to 2D are formed in the front wall portion 101 (Figure 2). Load ports 2A to 2D are attached to the front wall portion 101 so as to close the corresponding openings 101a to 101d. Substrates W contained in containers on the load ports 2A to 2D are transported into the substrate transport device 10 through the corresponding openings 101a to 101d, and also transported from the substrate transport device 10 into containers.

[0016] An opening 102a corresponding to the processing apparatus 3 is formed in the rear wall portion 102 (Figure 3). The substrate W to be processed is transported from the substrate transport device 10 to the processing apparatus 3 through the opening 102a, and also transported from the processing apparatus 3 to the substrate transport device 10.

[0017] The upper edge of openings 101a to 101d is at position Z1 in the Z direction, and the lower edge of opening 102a is at position Z2 in the Z direction. In this embodiment, the relationship Z1 < Z2 holds, and opening 102a is formed at a higher position than openings 101a to 101d. In order to transport the substrate W between the container on the load ports 2A to 2D and the processing apparatus 3, it is necessary to move the substrate W up and down in the Z direction.

[0018] To transport the substrate W to openings 101a to 101d and opening 102a, which are located at different positions in the Z direction, the housing 100 is provided with a lower transport unit 120 and an upper transport unit 130. The transport unit 120 loads and unloads the substrate W into and out of containers on the load ports 2A to 2D, and the transport unit 130 loads and unloads the substrate W into and out of the processing unit 3. By transporting the substrate W between the transport unit 120 and the transport unit 130, the substrate W is transported between the containers on the load ports 2A to 2D and the processing unit 3. This accommodates the height difference between the transport height of the substrate W relative to the containers and the transport height of the substrate W relative to the processing unit 3, and prevents a decrease in throughput related to the transport of the substrate W.

[0019] In addition to Figure 4, the configuration of the transport unit 120 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a partially enlarged view of Figure 4 and is an explanatory diagram of the transport unit 120.

[0020] The transport unit 120 comprises a transport robot 121 and a movement unit 124 that moves the transport robot 121 in the Y direction. The transport robot 121 is a SCARA robot equipped with a horizontal articulated arm 122. The transport robot 121 in this embodiment is a double-arm robot and is equipped with two sets of independently driven arms 122. The tip of each arm 122 is provided with a hand portion for holding a substrate W, and the substrate W is transported horizontally by extending and retracting the arms 122. The transport robot 121 is equipped with a swivel / lifting unit 123 that constitutes its main body. The swivel / lifting unit 123 performs swivel of the arm 122 around the Z axis and lifts and lowers the arm 122.

[0021] The mobile unit 124 includes a rail 1241 extending in the Y direction from the bottom of the housing 100, and a plurality of sliders 1242 that engage with the rail 1241 and are movable in the Y direction guided by the rail 1241. Two sets of rail 1241 and plurality of sliders 1242 are provided spaced apart in the X direction. Brackets 1243 are fixed to the plurality of sliders 1242 in each set. The transport robot 121 is fixed to two brackets 1243 so as to be positioned between the two brackets 1243 that are spaced apart in the X direction. Therefore, the transport robot 121 is movable in the Y direction along the rail 1241.

[0022] The moving unit 124 is equipped with a ball screw mechanism. Specifically, the moving unit 124 includes a ball screw shaft 1244 extending in the Y direction parallel to the rail 1241, and a ball nut 1245 that screws onto the ball screw shaft 1244. The ball nut 1245 is rotatably supported about the Y axis by the drive transmission unit 1247. The drive transmission unit 1247 is equipped with a mechanism (for example, a belt drive mechanism) that transmits the driving force of the motor 1246, which is the drive source, to the ball nut 1245. The drive transmission unit 1247 is fixed to one of the two brackets 1243.

[0023] When the motor 1246 is driven to rotate the ball nut 1245, the transport robot 121 moves in the Y direction. The transport robot 121 can be moved to a position in the Y direction that faces each of the load ports 2A to 2D. The transport robot 121 can access the containers on the load ports 2A to 2D through the openings 101a to 101d by extending and retracting the arm 122. As the transport robot 121 moves in the Y direction within the housing 100, the substrate W supported by the arm 122 is transported within the housing 100 along the transport track 13 shown in Figure 4.

[0024] In addition to Figure 4, the configuration of the transport unit 130 will be explained with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 4.

[0025] The transport unit 130 includes a transport robot 131. The transport robot 131 is a SCARA robot equipped with a horizontal articulated arm 132. The transport robot 131 in this embodiment is a single-arm robot and is equipped with one set of arms 132. The tip of the arm 132 is provided with a hand portion for holding the substrate W, and the substrate W is transported horizontally by extending and retracting the arm 132. The transport robot 131 includes a swivel / lifting unit 133 which constitutes its main body. The swivel / lifting unit 133 performs swivel of the arm 132 around the Z axis and lifts and lowers the arm 132.

[0026] The transport robot 131 is supported by a support base 106. The support base 106 includes a beam member 106a installed between the front wall portion 101 and the rear wall portion 102. In this embodiment, two beam members 106a are provided spaced apart in the Y direction. The support base 106 includes a support plate 106b fixed on the two beam members 106a. The swivel and lifting unit 133 of the transport robot 131 is fixed to the support plate 106b. Therefore, unlike the transport robot 121, the position of the transport robot 131 is fixed. This allows for simplification of the mechanism of the transport unit 130.

[0027] The transport robot 131 is positioned adjacent to the opening 102a. By raising and lowering and extending the arm 132, the transport robot 131 can access the processing unit 3 through the opening 102a.

[0028] The transport robot 131 is positioned above the transport track 13 at a height that allows the transport robot 121 to perform transport operations below the transport robot 131, and the position of the transport robot 131 in the X direction coincides with the position of the transport track 13 in the X direction. By adopting an arrangement in which the transport robots 121 and 131 overlap in the vertical direction, the size of the substrate transport device 10 can be suppressed, and a thin substrate transport device 10 in the X direction can be provided.

[0029] Refer to Figure 4. A stocker 170 is located inside the housing 100. The stocker 170 is a substrate housing having slots 171 capable of accommodating substrates W. Multiple rows of slots 171 are provided in the Z direction. The transport unit 120 can store substrates W in the stocker 170 in case of emergency.

[0030] The housing 100 also includes a relay unit 140 that relays the substrate W between the transport unit 120 and the transport unit 130. In this embodiment, the relay unit 140 functions as a buffer on which the substrate W being transferred between the transport unit 120 and the transport unit 130 is temporarily placed. This eliminates the need to synchronize the timing of the transfer of the substrate W between the transport unit 120 and the transport unit 130, further improving the throughput related to the transport of the substrate W.

[0031] Refer to Figures 7 and 8 in addition to Figure 4. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of the relay unit 140. The relay unit 140 comprises a mounting member 141 on which the substrate W is placed, and a lifting mechanism 143 for raising and lowering the mounting member 141. The mounting member 141 has slots 142 on which the substrate W is placed in a horizontal position. Multiple rows of slots 142 are provided in the Z direction. The center position of the slots 142 is located within the range that the arm 132 of the transport robot 131 can reach through its movement.

[0032] The slot 143 on which the substrate is placed may be determined by the state of the substrate W. For example, an unprocessed substrate W (a substrate W being transported from transport unit 120 to transport unit 130) is placed in the third slot 142 from the top in the processing unit 3. In this case, transport unit 120 always transports the substrate W to the third slot 142 from the top, and transport unit 130 always receives the substrate W from the third slot 142 from the top.

[0033] On the other hand, substrates W processed by the processing unit 3 (substrates W transported from transport unit 130 to transport unit 120) are placed in the third slot 142 from the bottom. In this case, transport unit 130 always transports substrates W to the third slot 142 from the bottom, and transport unit 120 always receives substrates W from the third slot 142 from the bottom. By determining which slot 142 to place the substrates W in based on whether or not they have been processed, the transport of substrates W can be made smoother.

[0034] The lifting mechanism 143 is, for example, a linear motor. The lifting mechanism 143 moves the mounting member 141 up and down between a lower position shown by a solid line in Figure 8 (corresponding to the height Z5 position shown in Figure 14) and an upper position shown by a dashed line in Figure 8 (corresponding to the height Z6 position shown in Figure 15), which is above the lower position. The lower position is the height position in the Z direction of the mounting member 141 when the substrate W is transferred between the transport robot 121 and the mounting member 141. The upper position is the height position in the Z direction of the mounting member 141 when the substrate W is transferred between the transport robot 131 and the mounting member 141.

[0035] The lower position is the position where at least one slot 142 is at the same height as the communication hole 113. The lower position is such that a predetermined slot 142 into which the transport robot 121 loads or unloads the substrate W is at the same height as the communication opening 113, which will be described later, and there may be some degree of vertical movement.

[0036] The upper position is the position between the minimum height at which the hand portion provided at the tip of the arm 132 of the transport robot 131 can access the predetermined slot 142 and the position of the upper edge of the opening 102a. The upper position is a height at which the hand portion provided at the tip of the arm 132 of the transport robot 131 can access the predetermined slot 142 into which the transport robot 131 loads or unloads the substrate W, and there is some degree of vertical variation.

[0037] A sensor unit 144 is provided to confirm which slot 142 the substrate W is placed in. The sensor unit 144 is supported by a beam member 1440 that is installed between the front wall portion 101 and the rear wall portion 102 (see Figures 4 and 7).

[0038] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of the sensor unit 144. The sensor unit 144 is an optical sensor equipped with a light-emitting element 144a and a light-receiving element 144b spaced apart in the X direction, and the light-receiving element 144b detects light emitted from the light-emitting element 144a. When the mounting part 141 on which the substrate W is placed in the slot 142 is raised and lowered by the sensor unit 144, the substrate W is positioned so that it crosses the optical axis between the light-emitting element 144a and the light-receiving element 144b. The presence or absence of a substrate W in each slot 142 can be determined by the position of the mounting member 141 raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism 143 and the detection result of the sensor unit 144. If the system stops due to a power outage or other reason, or if it is stopped in an emergency for any reason, this determination can be made when the system is restored, allowing for a smoother resumption of substrate W transport.

[0039] (Partitioning of the transport space) The partitioning of the transport space for the substrate W inside the housing 100 will be described with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 10. A partition section 110 is provided inside the housing 100. The partition section 110 divides the transport space for the substrate W inside the housing 100 into transport space 12A and transport space 12B.

[0040] The transport space 12A is a relatively large transport space and includes a region 12a in the Y direction and a region 12b extending upward in the Z direction from region 12a. The transport track 13 is included in region 12a. Transport space 12A is the transport space for the substrate W by the transport unit 120, which houses the transport unit 120, and is in communication with the openings 101a to 101d. Transport space 12B is a relatively small transport space. Transport space 12B is in communication with the opening 102a. It is the transport space for the substrate W by the transport unit 130, which houses the transport unit 130. Transport space 12B is located above the transport track 13 and region 12a in the Z direction, and laterally in the Y direction relative to region 12b.

[0041] The partitioning part 110 is an L-shaped structure including a bottom part 111 that partitions the transfer space 12A and the transfer space 12B in the Z direction, and a side part 112 that partitions the transfer space 12A and the transfer space 12B in the Y direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the bottom part 111 is formed by a blower unit 163 which will be described later. The side part 112 is a vertical wall formed by a plate-shaped member, and in the case of the present embodiment, it is located at the center of the space inside the housing 100 in the Y direction. By arranging the side part 112 at the center, both securing of the transfer space 12B and securing of the region 12b can be achieved at the same time.

[0042] The side part 112 is formed with a communication port 113 that penetrates the side part 112 in the Y direction and communicates the transfer space 12A and the transfer space 12B. The communication port 113 forms a transfer path for the substrate W between the transfer space 12A and the transfer space 12B.

[0043] The relay unit 140 is arranged in the transfer space 12B. The relay unit 140 is located between the communication port 113 and the transfer unit 130. Accordingly, the arm 122 of the transfer robot 121 passes through the communication port 113 to access the placement member 141 of the relay unit 140. The arm 132 of the transfer robot 131 accesses the placement member 141 of the relay unit 140 without passing through the communication port 113.

[0044] (Airflow and Air Pressure Adjustment in Transfer Spaces) A duct 150 is provided at the top of the housing 100. A fan 151 is arranged inside the duct 150, and gas outside the substrate transfer apparatus 10 is sucked into the housing 100. In the case of the present embodiment, a plurality of fans 151 (three fans 151) are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. A sufficient air volume can be obtained while suppressing the dimension of the apparatus in the height direction. The number of the fans 151 may be one, two, or four or more. Blower units 161 to 163 are arranged inside the housing 100. The blower units 161 to 163 are fan filter units (FFU) that remove impurities from the sucked gas and discharge the purified gas.

[0045] The air blowing unit 161 is disposed above the transfer space 12A, particularly above the region 12b. Gas outside the substrate transfer apparatus 10 is introduced via a duct 152 (first branch path) that branches off from the lower end of a duct 150 and forms a branch path. The air blowing unit 161 sucks the introduced gas with a built-in fan, filters the gas through a filter to remove impurities such as particles, and then discharges the gas downward toward the transfer space 12A.

[0046] The air blowing unit 162 is disposed above the transfer space 12B. Gas is introduced from outside the substrate transfer apparatus 10 via a duct 153 (second branch path) that branches off from the lower end of the duct 150 similarly to the duct 152 and forms a branch path. The air blowing unit 162 sucks the introduced gas with a built-in fan, filters the gas through a filter to remove impurities, and then discharges the gas downward toward the transfer space 12B.

[0047] Since the air blowing unit 161 is located at a lower position in the Z direction than the air blowing unit 162, the duct 152 is configured to be longer in the Z direction than the duct 153. At least a portion of both the air blowing units 161 and 162 overlaps with the duct 150 in the Z direction. Outside air can be efficiently supplied from the duct 150 to the air blowing units 161 and 162 via the branch paths, and the air volume can be increased.

[0048] The air blowing unit 163 is disposed below the transfer space 12B and above the transfer space 12A, particularly above the region 12a, and is located between the transfer space 12A and the transfer space 12B. The air blowing unit 163 sucks gas in the transfer space 12B with a built-in fan, filters the gas through a filter to remove impurities such as particles, and then discharges the gas downward toward the transfer space 12A.

[0049] The airflow and air pressure in the transport spaces 12A and 12B can be adjusted by the air blowing units 161 to 163. The ducts 150, 152, and 153 can efficiently supply outside air to the air blowing units 161 to 163, which supply clean air to the transport spaces. A transport unit 130 is located in the transport space 12B, which can be a source of particles. Since the transport space 12B is located above the area 12a of the transport space 12A, if particles flow from the transport space 12B into the transport space 12A, there is a risk that the particles will fall onto the substrate W being transported within area 12a.

[0050] By slightly lowering the air pressure in the transport space 12B compared to the transport space 12A, it is possible to prevent particles from flowing from the transport space 12B into the transport space 12A. Specifically, the air pressure difference between the transport space 12A and the transport space 12B creates an airflow from area 12b of the transport space 12A toward the transport space 12B via the communication port 113, thereby preventing particles from flowing from the transport space 12B into the transport space 12A. To achieve this, the airflow rate of the blower unit 163 is controlled to be greater than that of the blower units 161 and 162. This makes it possible to slightly lower the air pressure in the transport space 12B compared to the transport space 12A. By narrowing the communication point between the transport space 12A and the transport space 12B to the communication port 113 using the partition 110, it is possible to easily create an air pressure difference between the transport space 12A and the transport space 12B, or to suppress the movement of particles from the transport space 12B toward the transport space 12A. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the air blower unit 162 discharges gas downward into the transport space 12B, it is possible to suppress the inflow of particles and the like into the transport space 12B from the side of region 12b through the communication port 113.

[0051] (Control Unit) A control unit 11 is located inside the enclosure 100 (Figure 4, etc.). The control unit 11 is an electronic circuit that controls the substrate transport device 10. The control unit 11 includes a processor, such as a CPU, a storage device that stores a program executed by the processor, an input / output interface for sending and receiving signals with external devices, and a communication interface. The transport units 120 and 130, the relay unit 140, and the blower units 161 to 163 are controlled by the execution of the program by the processor.

[0052] (Example of transport operation) An example of the transport operation of the substrate W controlled by the control unit 11 will be explained with reference to Figures 11 to 17. Here, as an example, an example of transporting the substrate W from a container on the load port 2A to the processing device 3 will be described.

[0053] First, the transport robot 121 is moved to a position facing the load port 2A. Figure 11 shows the stage in which the transport robot 121 is being moved in the Y direction to a position facing the load port 2A by the moving unit 124. Once the transport robot 121 is in a position facing the load port 2A, the substrate W is unloaded.

[0054] Figure 12 shows the stage of unloading the substrate W from the container 200 on the load port 2A. The load port 2A will now be described with reference to Figure 12. Note that load ports 2B to 2D have the same structure as load port 2A.

[0055] The container 200 has a box-shaped container body 201 with an opening 201a on its side for inserting and removing a substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer, and a door portion 202 that is detachably attached to the opening 201a and closes the opening 201a, and houses the substrate W. Figure 12 shows the state in which the door portion 202 has been removed from the container body 201 by the load port 2A and the door portion 202 has been lowered.

[0056] The load ports 2A to 2D include a mounting section 22 on which the container 200 is placed, a bolt plate 21, a port door 24, and a storage section 25 located below the mounting section 22. The bolt plate 21 is a plate-shaped wall extending in the Z direction. The bolt plate 21 closes the opening 101a formed in the front wall section 101 and, together with the front wall section 101, separates the external space on the side of the mounting section 22 from the area 12a of the substrate transport space 12A for transporting the substrate W inside the substrate transport device 10.

[0057] The bolt plate 21 includes an opening 21a through which the removed door section 202 and the arm 122 of the transport robot 121 can pass in the X direction.

[0058] The port door 24 includes a holding portion 24a for holding the door portion 202 and a support portion 24b for supporting the holding portion 24a. The holding portion 24a is equipped with, for example, a suction mechanism, which allows it to hold the door portion 202 by suction. The holding portion 24a is also provided with an operating mechanism (latch key) for operating the opening and closing of the locking mechanism of the door portion 202, which allows the container body 201 and the door portion 202 to be detached and attached.

[0059] The mounting section 22 comprises a dock plate 23 on which the container 200 is placed, and an operating mechanism 22a located inside it. The operating mechanism 22a includes a displacement mechanism for displacing the dock plate 23 in the X direction, a presence sensor for detecting the presence of the container 200, and a locking mechanism for locking the container 200 placed on the dock plate 23 to the dock plate 23. The dock plate 23 is provided with a plurality of positioning pins (kinematic pins) that position and support the container 200.

[0060] The storage section 25 is a hollow body in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The storage section 25 is provided with a lifting mechanism 26 for raising and lowering the port door 24 relative to the opening 21a. The lifting mechanism 26 comprises a lifting section 27 stored in the storage section 25 and a ball screw mechanism for raising and lowering the lifting section 27. The ball screw mechanism includes a ball screw shaft 26b, a slider 26e, a guide member 26d, a motor 26a which is the drive source, and a belt transmission mechanism 26c.

[0061] The guide member 26d is a rail member that guides the vertical movement of the slider 26e and is fixed to the bolt plate 21. The slider 26e has an engaging portion that engages with the guide member 26d and is reciprocable in the Z direction guided by the guide member 26d. The slider 26e is provided with a ball nut that engages with the ball screw shaft 26b via a ball.

[0062] The ball screw shaft 26b is connected to a belt drive mechanism 26c at its lower end. The belt drive mechanism 26c includes a driven pulley connected to the ball screw shaft 26b, a drive pulley connected to the output shaft of the motor 26a, and an endless belt wound around them. The rotational force of the motor 26a is transmitted to the ball screw shaft 26b via the belt drive mechanism 26c, causing the ball screw shaft 26b to rotate. The rotation of the ball screw shaft 26b causes the slider 26e, which is equipped with a ball nut, to move up and down.

[0063] The lifting section 27 includes a pair of connecting members 27a. The connecting members 27a are plate-shaped members that extend in the X direction through a slit 31 formed in the bolt plate 21. Supports 24b of the port door 24 are fixed to the X-direction ends of the pair of connecting members 27a. The lifting section 27 also includes a reciprocating mechanism 27b that moves the pair of connecting members 27a back and forth in the X direction. The reciprocating mechanism 27b allows the port door 24 to move back and forth in the X direction, thereby opening and closing the container 200.

[0064] With the container 200 open via the load port 2A, the substrate W can be unloaded by inserting the arm 122 of the transport robot 121 into the container body 201 through the opening 201a, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 12. The same procedure is followed when loading the substrate W into the container body 201. Let Z3 be the height of the arm 122 that unloads and loads the substrate W into and out of the container 200. The height Z3 may vary slightly depending on the storage position of the substrate W inside the container 200.

[0065] Once the substrate W is unloaded, the transport robot 121 is moved downwards in area 12b (Figure 10), as shown in Figure 13. The substrate W on the arm 122 is transported along the transport track 13 in the Y direction. In the example in Figure 13, two substrates W are transported by two sets of arms 122.

[0066] Next, as shown in Figure 14, the swivel / lifting unit 123 is driven to raise the arm 122 to area 12b (Figure 10). The substrate W and the arm 122 are positioned facing the communication opening 113. The mounting member 141 of the relay unit 140 is lowered to a position at a height Z5 below the transport unit 120 and the mounting member 141 for transporting the substrate W.

[0067] Next, as shown in Figure 14, the extension and raising / lowering of the arm 122 allows the substrate W and the arm 122 to pass through the communication opening 113, and the substrate W is placed in the slot 141a of the mounting member 141 in the transport space 12B. The same procedure is followed when unloading the substrate W from the mounting member 141. Let Z4 be the height of the arm 122 that loads and unloads the substrate W between the transport space 12A and the transport space 12B via the communication opening 113. The height Z4 varies slightly depending on the storage position of the substrate W within the mounting member 141. The relationship between height Z3 and height Z4 is Z3 < Z4.

[0068] Next, as shown in Figure 15, the mounting member 141 of the relay unit 140 is raised by the lifting mechanism 143 to a position above height Z6 for transporting the substrate W between the transport unit 130 and the mounting member 141. The substrate W that was transported earlier by the transport robot 121 is placed on the mounting member 141. Subsequently, the transport robot 131 takes out the first substrate W from the mounting member 141 by extending and raising the arm 132. Meanwhile, the transport robot 121 lowers the hand 122 by the swivel / lifting unit 123 and moves on to the operation of unloading another substrate W.

[0069] Next, as shown in Figure 16, the arm 132 of the transport robot 131 is rotated and raised by the rotation and lifting unit 133, and the arm 132 on which the substrate W is placed moves to a position facing the opening 102a. The transport robot 121 moves in the Y direction and proceeds with the unloading operation of another substrate W.

[0070] Next, as shown in Figure 17, the extension and raising / lowering of the arm 132 causes the substrate W and the arm 132 to pass through the opening 102a, and the substrate W is transported into the processing apparatus 3. The second substrate W is also transported to the processing apparatus 3 using the procedure shown in Figures 16 and 17. When transporting the substrate W from the processing apparatus 3 to the container 200, the procedure is generally the reverse of the above procedure.

[0071] In this embodiment, the substrate W can be transported between the container 200 and the processing device 3 using two transport units 120 and 130 arranged vertically. Since the transport units 120 and 130 can transport the substrate W in parallel, the throughput for transporting the substrate W can be improved.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the substrate W can be transported between the container 200 and the processing device 3 using two transport robots 121 and 131 arranged to overlap in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the substrate transport device 10 can be miniaturized in the X direction (depth direction), so the distance between the openings 101a to 101d and the opening 102a can be shortened. Therefore, the throughput for transporting the substrate W can be improved.

[0073] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the transport robot 121 of the transport unit 120 was moved in the Y direction by a moving unit 124 using a ball screw mechanism, but the configuration of the moving unit 124 is not limited to this. Figure 18 shows another example of the moving unit. The moving unit 124A is a self-propelled mobile unit that mounts the transport robot 121 and moves by the rolling of multiple wheels. The transport robot 121 may be moved by such a moving unit 124A. In addition, in the first embodiment and the example in Figure 18, an example was shown in which the transport robot 121 of the transport unit 120 can move in the Y direction by a moving unit, but the transport robot 121 (more specifically the part of the swivel / lifting unit 123) may be configured to have a fixed position in the Y direction. For example, even if the position of the transport robot 121 in the Y direction is fixed, the arm 122 may be configured in multiple stages so that the hand portion provided at the tip of the arm 122 can access each of the containers 200 placed on the load ports 2A to 2D, and the substrates W can be transported in the Y and X directions by only the extension and rotation movements of the arm 122.

[0074] <Third Embodiment> In the first embodiment, a layout in which the processing device 3 is placed behind the substrate transport device 10 was illustrated, but a layout in which the processing device 3 is placed to the side of the substrate transport device 10 is also possible. Figure 19 shows an example of this. In the example of Figure 19, the processing device 3 is placed on the side of the side wall portion 104 of the substrate transport device 10. In this case, an opening corresponding to the opening 102a in the first embodiment is formed in the side wall portion 104, and the substrate W is transported between the processing device 3 and the substrate transport device 10 through this opening.

[0075] <Fourth Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the substrate W was transferred between the transport unit 120 and the transport unit 130 via the relay unit 140. However, a structure in which the substrate W is directly transferred between the transport unit 120 and the transport unit 130 is also possible.

[0076] <Fifth Embodiment> A chemical filter may be provided in the duct 150. Figure 20 shows an example. In the example in Figure 20, a support member 181 is provided in the duct 150, and the chemical filter 180 is installed supported by the support member 181. In this embodiment, a plurality of chemical filters 180 are installed. The support member 181 is, for example, a stay that extends laterally inside the duct 150. The support member 181 may also be a perforated plate that divides the inside of the duct 150 vertically, and any structure is acceptable as long as it can support the chemical filter 180. Examples of chemical filters 180 include filters having a physical adsorbent such as activated carbon, and filters having a chemical adsorbent. The chemical filter 180 can further purify the gas introduced into the transport spaces 12A and 12B.

[0077] <Sixth Embodiment> In the above embodiments, the fan 151 was installed inside the duct 150, but the fan 151 may also be installed inside the duct 152. Figure 21 shows an example. In the illustrated example, the fan 151 inside the duct 150 as exemplified in the above embodiments is removed, and multiple fans 151 are arranged horizontally inside the duct 152. This allows the blower unit 161 to supply more outside air. The blower unit 162 supplies outside air to the transport space 12B via the ducts 150 and 153 with its blowing capacity.

[0078] In this embodiment, since the duct 152 is longer than the duct 153, and the blower unit 161 supplies gas to the transport space 12A which has a large volume, supplying more outside air to the blower unit 161 can help to purify the transport space 12A.

[0079] Furthermore, since both the blower units 161 and 162 take in outside air through a common duct 150 that opens upwards, and corresponding ducts 152 and 153, they can efficiently and stably supply gas to the corresponding transport spaces 12A and 12B.

[0080] The fan 151 may be installed in duct 153 instead of duct 152. In either case, the airflow to the corresponding blower unit 161 or 162 can be adjusted individually.

[0081] In the example shown in Figure 21, a chemical filter 180 is provided, similar to the fifth embodiment, but a configuration without the chemical filter 180 is also possible.

[0082] <Seventh Embodiment> The fan 151 may not be installed upstream of the blower units 161 and 162. Figure 22 shows an example of this. In the illustrated example, the fan 151 inside the duct 150 has been removed. Also, in the sixth embodiment, a fan 151 was provided in the duct 152, but in this embodiment, this is also not provided. The blower unit 161 supplies outside air to the transport space 12A via the ducts 150 and 152 with its blowing capacity. The blower unit 162 also supplies outside air to the transport space 12B via the ducts 151 and 153 with its blowing capacity.

[0083] If the air blowing capacity of the blowing units 161 and 162 is high, the required airflow can be obtained without installing the fan 151. Since both the blowing units 161 and 162 take in outside air through a common duct 150 that opens upwards, they can stably supply gas to the corresponding transport spaces 12A and 12B.

[0084] In the example shown in Figure 22, a chemical filter 180 is provided, similar to the fifth embodiment, but a configuration without the chemical filter 180 is also possible.

[0085] <Eighth Embodiment> In some cases, the substrate transport device 1 may be used by connecting a duct in the factory to the duct 150. In this case, the length of the duct 150 may be insufficient. To prepare for such cases, the duct 150 may be configured to allow for the attachment and detachment of an auxiliary duct. Figure 23 shows an example of this.

[0086] The auxiliary duct 150A is attached to the duct 150 by inserting its lower end into the duct 150. The auxiliary duct 150A can also be removed from the duct 150 by pulling it upwards. When the auxiliary duct 150A is attached to the duct 150, it may be fixed to the duct 150 with fasteners such as bolts.

[0087] In the example shown in Figure 23, the auxiliary duct 150A is provided with multiple chemical filters 180 and their support members 181. The auxiliary duct 150A can also be used as an optional component for using or not using the chemical filters 180. The auxiliary duct 150A can also be described as an auxiliary duct unit comprising a duct section and support members 181.

[0088] <Other Embodiments> The internal pressure of the housing 100 may be controlled to be within the range of 2 Pa to 7 Pa relative to the outside pressure. Depending on the user's requirements, the inside of the housing 100 can be kept under positive pressure to reliably prevent the inflow of particles and impurity gases from the outside.

[0089] The airflow of fan 151 may be set so that the airflow of blower units 161 and 162 does not exceed a predetermined airflow. For example, the airflow of blower units 161 and 162 may be 1.0 m / s or less. This prevents a decrease in dust collection performance. The airflow may be set by operating the adjustment mechanism provided in blower units 161 and 162, or the adjustment may be made by measuring the actual airflow using an airflow measuring unit and adjusting based on the measured value.

[0090] The airflow of fan 151 may also be set to be greater than or equal to the required intake air volume of blower units 161 and 162. If the airflow of fan 151 significantly exceeds the required intake air volume, the space from duct 150 to blower units 161 and 162 becomes positively pressurized, and the effective airflow of fan 151 naturally decreases due to the pressure resistance. In this way, appropriate air supply is achieved through natural pressure equilibrium without the need for active interlocking control.

[0091] Although embodiments of the invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Claims

1. A substrate transport device comprising: a housing including a first transport space and a second transport space which are transport spaces for substrates; a duct provided on the top of the housing; at least one fan disposed in the duct for drawing in gas from the outside; a first branch path branching off from the duct; a second branch path branching off from the duct; a first blower unit that introduces the gas through the first branch path, filters the gas, and supplies it to the first transport space; a second blower unit that introduces the gas through the second branch path, filters the gas, and supplies it to the second transport space; and a third blower unit disposed between the first transport space and the second transport space, which draws in gas from the second transport space, filters it, and discharges it to the first transport space.

2. A substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first blower unit, the second blower unit, and the third blower unit are fan filter units.

3. A substrate transport device according to claim 1, comprising an auxiliary duct detachably attached to the duct and extending above the duct.

4. A substrate transport device according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary duct has a support portion on which a chemical filter can be mounted.

5. A substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first blower unit is located above the first transport space, the second blower unit is located above the second transport space, the third blower unit is located below the second blower unit, the first blower unit is located at a lower position than the second blower unit, and the first branch path is longer than the second branch path.

6. A substrate transport device according to claim 1, wherein the duct is positioned to overlap the first blower unit and the second blower unit in the vertical direction, and the at least one fan comprises a plurality of fans arranged in a horizontal direction.

7. A substrate transport device according to claim 1, wherein the airflow of the first blower unit and the second blower unit is set so that the air pressure inside the housing relative to the outside is less than a predetermined pressure, and the airflow of the fan is set so that the airflow of the first blower unit and the second blower unit does not exceed a predetermined airflow.

8. A substrate transport device according to claim 1, comprising: a first transport unit for transporting a substrate in a first transport space; and a second transport unit for transporting a substrate in a second transport space, wherein the third blower unit is positioned lower than the first blower unit, the second transport unit is positioned higher than the first transport unit, and a communication section capable of transporting a substrate is provided between the first transport space and the second transport space.

9. A substrate transport device according to claim 1, wherein the first branching path and the second branching path branch off from the lower end of the duct.

10. A substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first blower unit discharges gas downward toward the first transport space, and the second blower unit discharges gas downward toward the second transport space.

11. A substrate transport device comprising: a housing including a first transport space and a second transport space which are transport spaces for substrates; a duct provided on the top of the housing and communicating with the outside; a first branch path branching from the duct; a second branch path branching from the duct; a first blower unit that introduces external gas through the first branch path, filters the gas, and supplies it to the first transport space; a second blower unit that introduces external gas through the second branch path, filters the gas, and supplies it to the second transport space; and a third blower unit positioned between the first transport space and the second transport space, which sucks gas from the second transport space, filters it, and discharges it to the first transport space, wherein the first blower unit is positioned above the first transport space; the second blower unit is positioned above the second transport space; and the third blower unit is positioned below the second blower unit. A substrate transport device wherein the first blower unit is positioned lower than the second blower unit, and the first branching path is longer than the second branching path.

12. A substrate transport device according to claim 1, comprising a fan positioned in the middle of the first branch path for drawing in external gas.

13. A substrate transport device comprising: a housing including a space for transporting substrates; a duct provided on the top of the housing; a branch path branching off from the duct; a fan positioned in the middle of the branch path for drawing in external gas through the duct; and a blower unit for introducing the gas through the branch path, filtering the gas, and supplying it to the transport space.

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