CN110277339B - EFEM and gas displacement method thereof - Google Patents

EFEM and gas displacement method thereof Download PDF

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Publication number
CN110277339B
CN110277339B CN201910164786.3A CN201910164786A CN110277339B CN 110277339 B CN110277339 B CN 110277339B CN 201910164786 A CN201910164786 A CN 201910164786A CN 110277339 B CN110277339 B CN 110277339B
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Prior art keywords
efem
inert gas
case member
nitrogen
robot
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CN201910164786.3A
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CN110277339A (en
Inventor
河合俊宏
小仓源五郎
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Sinfonia Technology Co Ltd
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Sinfonia Technology Co Ltd
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Priority to CN202311500242.2A priority Critical patent/CN117457556A/en
Priority to CN202311500243.7A priority patent/CN117438355A/en
Publication of CN110277339A publication Critical patent/CN110277339A/en
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
    • H01L21/67775—Docking arrangements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
    • H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/673—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere using specially adapted carriers or holders; Fixing the workpieces on such carriers or holders
    • H01L21/6735—Closed carriers
    • H01L21/67389—Closed carriers characterised by atmosphere control
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67739—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber
    • H01L21/67742—Mechanical parts of transfer devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
    • H01L21/67766—Mechanical parts of transfer devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
    • H01L21/67772—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading involving removal of lid, door, cover

Abstract

The invention provides an EFEM and a gas displacement method of the EFEM. In an EFEM of the type in which an inert gas is circulated within a housing, an increase in cost is suppressed, and particle emissions into a transport chamber are suppressed. The EFEM has a transfer chamber configured to circulate nitrogen for the flow of nitrogen purified by the FFU for particle removal in a predetermined direction, and a return path returning the nitrogen from a downstream side of the transfer chamber to the FFU. The EFEM includes a transfer robot disposed in a transfer chamber and performing a predetermined operation while maintaining a wafer. The conveying robot includes: a case member formed with an opening; an arm mechanism disposed outside the case member for holding a wafer; a support post which supports the arm mechanism and penetrates the opening; and a driving mechanism accommodated in the case member for driving the column, wherein the conveying robot is provided with a connection path for connecting the case member and the return path.

Description

EFEM and gas displacement method thereof
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module ) capable of circulating an inert gas.
Background
Patent document 1 discloses an EFEM for transferring wafers between a processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a semiconductor substrate (wafer) and a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) that houses the wafer. The EFEM comprises a shell, a loading port and a conveying device, wherein the shell is provided with a plurality of conveying chambers for conveying wafers, the loading ports are arranged on the outer side of the shell and used for respectively placing FOUPs, and the conveying device walks on a track extending in the conveying chambers to convey the wafers.
In the past, oxygen, moisture, and the like in the transfer chamber have had little effect on semiconductor circuits fabricated on wafers, but in recent years, the effect has become apparent as semiconductor circuits are further miniaturized. Then, the EFEM described in patent document 1 is configured to fill the transfer chamber with nitrogen as an inert gas. Specifically, the EFEM includes a circulation flow path through which nitrogen circulates in the interior of the housing, a gas supply member that supplies nitrogen to the circulation flow path, and a gas discharge member that discharges nitrogen from the circulation flow path. Nitrogen is appropriately supplied and discharged in accordance with the fluctuation of the oxygen concentration and the like in the circulation flow path. This makes it possible to maintain the nitrogen atmosphere in the transfer chamber while suppressing an increase in the amount of nitrogen supplied, as compared with a configuration in which nitrogen is always supplied and discharged.
In addition, in order to suppress an increase in the amount of nitrogen supplied and to maintain the transport chamber in an appropriate atmosphere, it is necessary to provide a sensor device or the like for monitoring the oxygen concentration, humidity, or the like. However, if the sensor device or the like is simply provided in the conveyance chamber, the traveling conveyance device may be disturbed. Then, the present inventors studied the application of a conveyor (conveyor robot) whose position is fixed as described in patent document 2, instead of a conveyor that travels on a rail. Specifically, the transfer robot includes a hollow body fixed in a transfer chamber, a support column disposed so as to protrude upward from the body, a driving mechanism for driving the support column vertically, and a multi-joint arm mounted on the support column and driven horizontally for holding and transferring the wafer. Such a transfer robot can access FOUPs placed in a plurality of load ports by horizontally driving the multi-joint arm. That is, since there is no track in the conveyance chamber, the main body does not travel, and accordingly, a space for installing the sensor device or the like can be ensured in the conveyance chamber.
Prior art literature
Patent literature
Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2015-146349
Patent document 2: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2012-169691
Disclosure of Invention
Problems to be solved by the invention
In the transfer robot described in patent document 2, a wafer is also transferred in the up-down direction by driving the support column supporting the multi-joint arm up and down. When such a transfer robot is applied to the EFEM described in patent document 1, the following problems occur. That is, when the gas (inert gas) in the main body is exhausted to the external space outside the EFEM housing in order to remove particles that may be generated in the main body when the driving mechanism is operated, the nitrogen supplied into the transfer chamber is sucked into the main body through the gap opened between the main body and the pillar, and then exhausted to the external space. Accordingly, the need to replenish nitrogen is correspondingly created, and the cost of supplying nitrogen may increase. In this case, when the nitrogen is not discharged to the outside from the main body, the gas (inert gas) in the main body is pushed out to the periphery as the column moves next time the column is driven to retract downward (the internal volume of the main body is reduced). Thus, the gas containing particles (inert gas) may be discharged into the transport chamber through the gap.
The object of the present invention is to suppress an increase in cost and to suppress particle emission into a transfer chamber in an EFEM of a type in which an inert gas in a housing is circulated.
Solution for solving the problem
The EFEM according to claim 1 is an EFEM including a transfer chamber for circulating an inert gas, the transfer chamber being configured to flow the inert gas purified by a fan-type filter unit for removing particles in a predetermined direction, and a return passage for returning the inert gas from a downstream side of the transfer chamber in the predetermined direction to the fan-type filter unit, the EFEM including an automatic device disposed in the transfer chamber and configured to perform a predetermined operation while maintaining a substrate, the automatic device including: a case member formed with an opening; a holding portion disposed outside the case member for holding the substrate; a support portion that supports the holding portion and penetrates the opening; and a driving mechanism accommodated in the case member for driving the support portion, wherein the robot is provided with a connection path for connecting the case member and the return path.
By driving the support portion by a driving mechanism provided in the robot, particles may be generated in the inner space of the case member. When the inert gas containing the particles leaks from the gap between the opening of the case member and the support portion, the transport chamber may be contaminated with the particles. In the present invention, since the connection passage is provided to connect the case member and the return passage, even if particles are generated in the inner space of the case member, the particles are discharged to the return passage through the connection passage, and therefore leakage of the particles into the conveying chamber can be suppressed. Further, the particles discharged to the return passage are removed by a fan filter unit disposed on the downstream side of the return passage. Thus, contamination of the transport chamber by particles generated in the inner space of the case member can be suppressed. In addition, in the above-described configuration, since the inert gas in the case member is not directly discharged to the outside, it is not necessary to supplement the inert gas discharged from the case member, and an increase in the amount of inert gas to be supplied can be suppressed, and hence an increase in cost can be suppressed. Thus, in the EFEM of the type in which the inert gas in the housing is circulated, the increase in cost can be suppressed, and the release of particles into the transfer chamber can be suppressed.
The EFEM according to claim 2 is the EFEM according to claim 1, further comprising a fan that sends the inert gas in the case member to the return passage through the connection passage.
In the present invention, since the inert gas in the case member can be reliably conveyed to the return passage by the air flow generated by the fan, leakage of the inert gas in the case member from the gap between the opening and the support portion can be suppressed, and discharge of particles into the conveying chamber can be more reliably suppressed.
The EFEM according to the 3 rd invention is the above-mentioned 2 nd invention, wherein the EFEM further comprises: a fan driving device that rotationally drives the fan; and a control unit that controls the fan driving device, wherein the control unit causes the rotation speed of the fan to be faster when the driving mechanism is operated than when the driving mechanism is not operated.
In the case member, particles may be easily generated when the support portion is driven by the driving mechanism. In the present invention, the rotation speed of the fan is increased and the wind speed is increased when the driving mechanism is operated, so that the inert gas in the case member can be reliably supplied to the return passage. Further, by slowing down the rotation speed of the fan when the driving mechanism is not operating, the power consumption for driving the fan can be reduced.
The EFEM according to claim 4 is the above-described invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the robot is provided with a transfer robot that transfers the substrate, the housing member is fixed in the transfer chamber, the holding unit is provided with an arm mechanism that holds the substrate and transfers the substrate in a horizontal direction, and the support unit is provided with a support column that supports the arm mechanism, and the support column is driven up and down by the driving mechanism.
In the present invention, the housing member of the transfer robot is fixed in the transfer chamber. That is, the housing portion itself does not move within the conveying chamber, and accordingly, a space for disposing various devices within the conveying chamber can be ensured. On the other hand, in the structure in which the support column of the support arm mechanism is driven up and down, particularly when the support column is driven to retract downward, the inert gas containing particles generated in the case member may be pushed out upward with the movement of the support column and discharged into the transport chamber through the gap between the case member and the support column. In the present invention, in the above-described configuration, since the shell member is connected to the return passage by the connection passage, particles can be discharged to the return passage through the connection passage. Thus, the inflow of the inert gas containing particles into the transport chamber can be effectively suppressed.
The EFEM according to claim 5 is the EFEM according to claim 4, wherein the arm mechanism includes: a robot hand for holding the substrate; and a switching unit configured to switch a state of the robot hand between a holding state in which the substrate is held and a releasing state in which the holding state is released, wherein the EFEM includes an ejector that sucks particles generated when the switching unit operates by a flow of the inert gas supplied from an inert gas supply source for removing particles, and further discharges the supplied inert gas together with the particles to the return path.
When the robot hand is switched between the holding state and the releasing state by the switching unit, if particles are generated, the particles may adhere to the substrate. Accordingly, when the vacuum evacuation is performed to remove particles, the inert gas is exhausted from the transfer chamber, and thus, a need to replenish the inert gas is generated accordingly, and the cost may increase. In the present invention, the inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply source is discharged to the return passage together with the particles by sucking the particles by the ejector, and thus the inert gas is directly circulated. In addition, particles are removed using a fan filter unit. Therefore, an increase in cost due to the replenishment of the inert gas can be suppressed as compared with the configuration in which the vacuum evacuation is performed.
The EFEM according to claim 6 is the EFEM according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the arm mechanism includes a hollow arm member, and an inflow port for allowing the inert gas supplied from an inert gas supply source for purging to flow into an internal space of the arm member and an outflow port for allowing the inert gas to flow out of the internal space of the arm member are formed in the arm member.
The arm member of the transfer robot generally has a hollow structure so as to incorporate a mechanism for driving. The inner space of the arm member is preferably completely sealed from the transport chamber, but in a structure other than this, for example, when the transport chamber is left to be in the atmosphere at the time of maintenance, the inner space of the arm member is also in the atmosphere, and oxygen, moisture, or the like may enter the inner space. In this case, if the replacement of the inert gas in the arm member takes time during the re-operation after the maintenance, the production efficiency may be lowered. In the present invention, since the inflow port and the outflow port are formed in the arm member, the time taken for the replacement of the gas in the inner space of the arm member can be shortened as compared with the case where these inflow port and outflow port are not formed, and the decrease in production efficiency can be suppressed.
In the gas replacement method of the EFEM according to the 7 th aspect of the invention, the EFEM includes a transfer chamber in which the inert gas purified by the particle-removing fan filter unit flows in a predetermined direction, and a return passage in which the inert gas is returned from a downstream side of the transfer chamber in the predetermined direction to the fan filter unit, and the gas replacement method is characterized in that the EFEM includes an automatic device disposed in the transfer chamber and performing a predetermined operation while holding a substrate, the automatic device includes a case member in which an opening is formed, and a driving mechanism accommodated in the case member, and the driving mechanism supplies the inert gas from a supply source of the inert gas to an inside of the case member and sends the gas from the inside of the case member to the return passage, thereby replacing the gas inside the case member.
In the present invention, for example, when the EFEM is started, inactive gas is positively supplied from the supply source, so that the gas in the case member can be quickly replaced. Further, since the gas is sent from the inside of the shell member to the return passage, the particles in the shell member can be suppressed from being discharged into the transfer chamber at the time of the EFEM start-up or the like.
The method for replacing the gas in the EFEM according to claim 8 is the method according to claim 7, wherein after the gas atmosphere in the transfer chamber becomes lower than a predetermined oxygen concentration, the supply of the inert gas from the supply source is stopped, and then the gas in the transfer chamber is introduced into the interior of the case member and sent out to the return passage.
In the present invention, in normal times, the gas is introduced into the case member from the delivery chamber and sent out to the return passage without supplying the inactive gas from the supply source to the case member, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed. Further, the backflow of the gas from the housing member into the transport chamber can be suppressed, and therefore, the particles in the housing member can be suppressed from being discharged into the transport chamber.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of the EFEM and its surroundings according to the present embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an electrical structure of the EFEM.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the housing.
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of IV-IV of fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a V-V sectional view of fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a structure of the transfer robot.
Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a supply passage and a discharge passage of nitrogen to the circulation passage.
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a nitrogen outlet of the transfer robot.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a transfer robot according to a modification.
Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an aligner according to another modification.
Description of the reference numerals
1. EFEM; 3. a transfer robot (automatic device); 12. a fan control unit (control unit); 43. a regression path; 44. FFU (fan filter unit); 54. an aligner (automatic device); 61. a shell member; 61a, openings; 62. a support (support section); 63. a driving mechanism; 70. an arm mechanism (holding part); 71. 72, 73, arm members; 71a, 72a, 73a, an inner space; 71b, 72b, 73b, inflow openings; 71c, 72c, 73c, and an outflow port; 74. a robot hand; 77. a movable section (switching section); 82a, connection paths; 83. a fan; 87. an ejector; 92. a shell member; 93. a holding section; 94. a support section; 95. a motor (driving mechanism); 98a, a connection path; w, wafer (substrate).
Detailed Description
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 8. For convenience of explanation, the directions shown in fig. 1 are referred to as the front-rear-left-right directions. That is, the direction in which EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) 1 and the substrate processing apparatus 6 are aligned is the front-rear direction. The EFEM 1 side is set to the front and the substrate processing apparatus 6 side is set to the rear. The direction in which the plurality of load ports 4 are arranged, which is orthogonal to the front-rear direction, is referred to as the left-right direction. The direction orthogonal to both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is referred to as the up-down direction.
(EFEM outline Structure of the periphery)
First, a schematic structure of the EFEM 1 and its periphery will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an EFEM 1 and its periphery according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an electrical structure of the EFEM 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the EFEM 1 includes a housing 2, a transfer robot 3, a control device 5, and a plurality of load ports 4. A substrate processing apparatus 6 for performing a predetermined process on a wafer W (substrate of the present invention) is disposed behind the EFEM 1. The EFEM 1 transfers the wafer W between the substrate processing apparatus 6 and the FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) 100 placed on the load port 4 by the transfer robot 3 disposed in the housing 2. The FOUP 100 is a container capable of accommodating a plurality of wafers W in a vertically aligned manner, and a lid 101 is attached to a rear end portion (an end portion on the housing 2 side in the front-rear direction). For example, the FOUP 100 is transported by an OHT (overhead traveling unmanned conveyor) not shown, which is suspended from a track not shown provided above the load port 4 and travels. The FOUP 100 is transferred between the OHT and the load port 4.
The housing 2 is used to connect the substrate processing apparatus 6 with the plurality of load ports 4. A transfer chamber 41 for transferring the wafer W is formed in the housing 2 so as to be substantially closed to the outside space. When the EFEM 1 is in operation, the transfer chamber 41 is filled with nitrogen (the inert gas of the present invention). The housing 2 is configured to circulate nitrogen in an internal space including a transfer chamber 41 (see later for details). A door 2a is attached to the rear end of the housing 2, and the transfer chamber 41 is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 6 through the door 2 a.
The transfer robot 3 is disposed in the transfer chamber 41, and transfers the wafer W. The transfer robot 3 includes a base 60 (see fig. 3), an arm mechanism 70 (see fig. 3), and a robot control unit 11 (see fig. 2), the position of the base 60 is fixed, and the arm mechanism 70 is disposed above the base 60 to hold and transfer the wafer W. The transfer robot 3 mainly performs an operation of taking out the wafer W in the FOUP 100 and delivering the wafer W to the substrate processing apparatus 6, and an operation of receiving the wafer W processed by the substrate processing apparatus 6 and returning the wafer W to the FOUP 100.
The load port 4 is used to place the FOUP 100 (see fig. 5). The plurality of loading ports 4 are arranged in the left-right direction so that the rear end portions thereof are along the partition wall on the front side of the housing 2. The load port 4 is configured to be capable of replacing the atmosphere in the FOUP 100 with an inert gas such as nitrogen. A door 4a is provided at the rear end of the loading port 4. The door 4a is opened and closed by a door opening and closing mechanism, not shown. The door 4a is configured to be capable of releasing the lock of the lid 101 of the FOUP 100 and capable of holding the lid 101. In a state where the door 4a holds the unlocked cover 101, the door moving mechanism is caused to open the door 4a to open the cover 101. This allows the transfer robot 3 to take out the wafer W in the FOUP 100.
As shown in fig. 2, the control device 5 is electrically connected to a robot control unit 11 of the transfer robot 3, a control unit (not shown) of the load port 4, and a control unit (not shown) of the substrate processing apparatus 6, and communicates with these control units. The control device 5 is electrically connected to an oxygen concentration meter 55, a pressure meter 56, a hygrometer 57, and the like provided in the housing 2, and receives measurement results of these measurement devices to grasp information about the atmosphere in the housing 2. The control device 5 is electrically connected to a supply valve 112 and a discharge valve 113 (described later), and adjusts the opening degree of these valves to appropriately adjust the atmosphere in the casing 2.
As shown in fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 6 includes, for example, a load lock chamber 6a and a processing chamber 6b. The load lock chamber 6a is a room for temporarily waiting for the wafer W, and is connected to the transfer chamber 41 through the door 2a of the housing 2. The processing chamber 6b is connected to the load lock chamber 6a through a door 6 c. In the processing chamber 6b, a predetermined process is performed on the wafer W by a processing mechanism, not shown.
(Structure of the case and the inside thereof)
Next, the structure of the housing 2 and the inside thereof will be described with reference to fig. 3 to 5. Fig. 3 is a front view of the housing 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of IV-IV of fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a V-V sectional view of fig. 3. In fig. 3, the partition wall is not shown. In fig. 5, the conveyance robot 3 and the like are not shown.
The housing 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. As shown in fig. 3 to 5, the housing 2 includes columns 21 to 26 and partition walls 31 to 36. The partition walls 31 to 36 are attached to the columns 21 to 26 extending in the vertical direction, and the internal space of the casing 2 is substantially sealed from the external space.
More specifically, as shown in fig. 4, the columns 21 to 24 are arranged in this order from the left side to the right side at the front end portion of the housing 2. The columns 22, 23 arranged between the columns 21 and 24 are shorter than the columns 21 and 24. Posts 25, 26 are disposed upright on the left and right sides of the rear end portion of the housing 2.
As shown in fig. 3, a partition wall 31 is disposed at the bottom of the case 2, and a partition wall 32 is disposed at the top. As shown in fig. 4, the partition wall 33 is disposed at the front end portion, the partition wall 34 is disposed at the rear end portion, the partition wall 35 is disposed at the left end portion, and the partition wall 36 is disposed at the right end portion. A mounting portion 53 (see fig. 3) on which an aligner 54 to be described later is mounted is provided at the right end portion of the housing 2. The aligner 54 and the placement unit 53 are also housed inside the case 2 (see fig. 4).
As shown in fig. 3 and 5, a support plate 37 extending in the horizontal direction is disposed in an upper portion (above the columns 22 and 23) in the housing 2. Thereby, the inner portion of the housing 2 is divided into the above-described conveyance chamber 41 formed on the lower side and the FFU installation chamber 42 formed on the upper side. An FFU (fan filter unit) 44 described later is disposed in the FFU installation chamber 42. An opening 37a for communicating the conveyance chamber 41 with the FFU installation chamber 42 is formed in the central portion of the support plate 37 in the front-rear direction. The partition walls 33 to 36 of the housing 2 are divided into a lower wall for the conveyance chamber 41 and an upper wall for the FFU installation chamber 42 (see, for example, the partition walls 33a and 33b at the front end and the partition walls 34a and 34b at the rear end in fig. 5).
Next, the structure of the interior of the housing 2 will be described. Specifically, a structure for circulating nitrogen in the housing 2, a peripheral structure thereof, and equipment disposed in the transfer chamber 41 will be described.
The structure for circulating nitrogen in the case 2 and the peripheral structure thereof will be described with reference to fig. 3 to 5. As shown in fig. 5, a circulation passage 40 for circulating nitrogen is formed in the case 2. The circulation path 40 is constituted by a conveyance chamber 41, an FFU installation chamber 42, and a return path 43. In summary, in the circulation path 40, clean nitrogen is sent downward from the FFU installation chamber 42, reaches the lower end of the transport chamber 41, and then rises through the return path 43 to return to the FFU installation chamber 42 (see an arrow in fig. 5). Hereinafter, the description will be made in detail.
The FFU installation chamber 42 is provided with an FFU 44 disposed on the support plate 37 and a chemical filter 45 disposed on the FFU 44. The FFU 44 has a fan 44a and a filter 44b. The FFU 44 sends nitrogen in the FFU installation chamber 42 downward by the fan 44a, and removes particles (not shown) contained in the nitrogen by the filter 44b. The chemical filter 45 is used to remove, for example, the reactive gas or the like carried from the substrate processing apparatus 6 into the circulation passage 40. Nitrogen purified by the FFU 44 and the chemical filter 45 is sent out from the FFU setting chamber 42 to the transport chamber 41 through the opening 37a formed in the support plate 37. The nitrogen sent out to the transport chamber 41 forms a laminar flow and flows downward.
The return passage 43 is formed in the columns 21 to 24 (the column 23 in fig. 5) and the support plate 37 disposed at the front end portion of the housing 2. That is, the columns 21 to 24 are hollow, and a space 21a to a space 24a through which nitrogen flows are formed, respectively (see fig. 4). That is, the spaces 21a to 24a constitute the return passages 43, respectively. The return passage 43 communicates with the FFU installation chamber 42 by means of an opening 37b formed in the front end portion of the support plate 37 (see fig. 5).
The regression path 43 is described in further detail with reference to fig. 5. In fig. 5, the column 23 is shown, but the other columns 21, 22, 24 are similar. An introduction pipe 27 for allowing nitrogen in the transfer chamber 41 to easily flow into the return passage 43 (space 23 a) is attached to the lower end portion of the column 23. An opening 27a is formed in the introduction duct 27, and nitrogen reaching the lower end portion of the transfer chamber 41 can flow into the return passage 43. An enlarged portion 27b that widens rearward as going downward is formed at the upper portion of the introduction duct 27. A fan 46 is disposed below the enlarged portion 27b. The fan 46 is driven by a motor (not shown), sucks nitrogen reaching the lower end of the transport chamber 41 into the return passage 43 (the space 23a in fig. 5), and sends the nitrogen upward, and returns the nitrogen to the FFU installation chamber 42. The nitrogen returned to the FFU installation chamber 42 is purified by the FFU 44 and the chemical filter 45, and is sent again to the transport chamber 41. The nitrogen can be circulated in the circulation passage 40 as described above.
As shown in fig. 3, a supply pipe 47 for supplying nitrogen into the circulation passage 40 is connected to a side portion of the FFU installation chamber 42. The supply pipe 47 is connected to a nitrogen supply source 111. A supply valve 112 capable of changing the supply amount of nitrogen per unit time is provided in the middle of the supply pipe 47. As shown in fig. 5, a discharge pipe 48 for discharging the gas in the circulation passage 40 is connected to the front end portion of the transport chamber 41. The discharge pipe 48 is connected to the outside space. A discharge valve 113 capable of changing the discharge amount per unit time of the gas in the circulation path 40 is provided in the middle of the discharge pipe 48. The supply valve 112 and the discharge valve 113 are electrically connected to the control device 5 (see fig. 2). This makes it possible to appropriately supply and discharge nitrogen to and from the circulation passage 40. For example, when the oxygen concentration in the circulation passage 40 increases, a large amount of nitrogen is temporarily supplied from the supply source 111 to the circulation passage 40 via the supply pipe 47, and oxygen is discharged together with the nitrogen via the discharge pipe 48, whereby the oxygen concentration can be reduced.
Next, an apparatus or the like disposed in the transfer chamber 41 will be described with reference to fig. 3 and 4. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the above-described transfer robot 3, control unit storage box 51, measurement device storage box 52, and aligner 54 are disposed in the transfer chamber 41. The configuration of the conveyance robot 3 will be described later. The control unit housing box 51 is provided, for example, on the left side of the base unit 60 (see fig. 3) of the conveyor robot 3, and is disposed so as not to interfere with the arm mechanism 70 (see fig. 3). The robot control unit 11 is stored in the control unit storage box 51. The measuring instrument housing box 52 is provided, for example, on the right side of the base 60, and is configured so as not to interfere with the arm mechanism 70. The measurement devices (see fig. 2) such as the oxygen concentration meter 55, the pressure meter 56, and the hygrometer 57 can be stored in the measurement device storage box 52.
The aligner 54 detects how much the holding position of the wafer W held by the arm mechanism 70 (see fig. 3) of the transfer robot 3 is deviated from the target holding position. For example, the wafer W may slightly move inside the FOUP 100 (see fig. 1) transported by the OHT (not shown). Then, the transfer robot 3 temporarily mounts the wafer W before processing taken out from the FOUP 100 on the aligner 54. The aligner 54 measures how much the wafer W is held at a position deviated from the target holding position by the transfer robot 3, and sends the measurement result to the robot control unit 11. The robot control unit 11 corrects the holding position of the arm mechanism 70 based on the measurement result, and controls the arm mechanism 70 to hold the wafer W at the target holding position and convey the wafer W to the load lock chamber 6a of the substrate processing apparatus 6. This enables the substrate processing apparatus 6 to process the wafer W normally.
(Structure of conveying robot)
Next, a structure of the transfer robot 3 (automatic device of the present invention) will be described with reference to fig. 6. Fig. 6 (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the transfer robot 3. Fig. 6 (b) is a plan view of a robot hand 74 described later. As described above, the conveyance robot 3 has the base 60 and the arm mechanism 70 (the holding unit of the present invention).
As shown in fig. 6 (a), the base portion 60 is provided with a case member 61, a stay 62, and a driving mechanism 63. The arm mechanism 70 is supported by a stay 62 protruding upward from the inside of the case member 61. The support column 62 is driven up and down by a driving mechanism 63.
The case member 61 is a cylindrical member extending in the up-down direction. The case member 61 is fixed in the conveying chamber 41. An opening 61a through which the stay 62 passes is formed in the upper surface of the case member 61. The support post 62 is a columnar member protruding upward from the inner side of the case member 61 through the opening 61a. A gap is provided between the pillar 62 and the opening 61a. An arm mechanism 70 is attached to the upper end of the stay 62.
As an example, the driving mechanism 63 has a motor 64, a belt 65, a ball screw shaft 66, and a slider 67. The power of the motor 64 is transmitted to the ball screw shaft 66 via the belt 65, and the ball screw shaft 66 extending in the up-down direction rotates. When the ball screw shaft 66 rotates, the slider 67 screwed with the ball screw shaft 66 moves up and down to move the stay 62 up and down.
The motor 64 is a general ac motor having a rotation shaft 64 a. The motor 64 is controlled by the robot control unit 11 (see fig. 2). A pulley (not shown) is attached to the distal end portion of the rotation shaft 64a, and a belt 65 is wound around the pulley. The ball screw shaft 66 extends in the up-down direction. A pulley (not shown) is attached to a lower end portion of the ball screw shaft 66, and a belt 65 is wound around the pulley. The ball screw shaft 66 is formed with an external screw (not shown). The slider 67 is a member that supports the stay 62. The slider 67 is formed with an internal thread (not shown) that is screwed with the external thread of the ball screw shaft 66. The slider 67 is movable up and down along a guide (not shown) extending in the up-down direction with the rotation of the ball screw shaft 66. The column 62 is driven up and down by the driving mechanism 63 having the above-described structure. Thus, the wafers W stored in the FOUP 100 at the respective separated positions in the up-down direction can be held by the arm mechanism 70.
As shown in fig. 6 (a), the arm mechanism 70 includes 3 arm members 71 to 73 and two robot hands 74 as an example. The arm mechanism 70 is supported from below by the support post 62, and the arm members 71 to 73 are rotated to horizontally move the robot hand 74 holding the wafer W. Further, only 1 robot hand 74 may be provided.
The arm members 71 to 73 are hollow members extending in a predetermined direction. That is, the arm member 71 has an inner space 71a, the arm member 72 has an inner space 72a, and the arm member 73 has an inner space 73a. The internal spaces 71a, 72a, 73a communicate with each other via gaps. The arm members 71, 72, 73 are arranged in this order from below. One end of the arm member 71 is rotatably coupled to the stay 62, and one end of the arm member 72 is rotatably coupled to the other end of the arm member 71. One end of the arm member 73 is pivotably coupled to the other end of the arm member 72. The robot hand 74 is pivotably coupled to the other end portion of the arm member 73. The arm members 71 to 73 and the robot hand 74 are driven to rotate in the horizontal direction by motors, not shown.
As shown in fig. 6b, the robot hand 74 includes a placement member 75, protrusions 76a to 76d, and a movable portion 77 (switching portion of the present invention). The wafer W is placed on a placement member 75 extending in the extending direction of the robot hand 74 (see fig. 6 b). The wafer W is held by the protrusions 76a and 76b disposed on the distal end side of the mounting member 75, the protrusions 76c and 76d disposed on the base end side of the mounting member 75, and the pressing portion 78 provided on the distal end portion of the movable portion 77. In this way, the wafer W is held by the robot hand 74. The movable portion 77 is moved in the extending direction of the robot hand 74 by an operating cylinder 79 incorporated in the robot hand 74. The rod (not shown) of the actuator cylinder 79 is configured to be extendable and retractable in the extending direction by the supply of nitrogen from a supply source 114 different from the supply source 111 (see fig. 3). In a state where nitrogen is supplied into the cylinder 79 and the pressing portion 78 is located on the tip side (see the solid line in fig. 6 b), the wafer W is pressed and held by the pressing portion 78 (held state). In a state where nitrogen is not supplied into the cylinder 79 and the pressing portion 78 is located on the base end side (see the two-dot chain line of fig. 6 b), the holding state is released (released state).
When the transfer robot 3 having the above-described structure is applied to the EFEM 1, the following problems occur. First, the support column 62 is driven up and down by the driving mechanism 63 at the base portion 60, whereby particles are generated inside the case member 61. The generated particles may leak out into the conveying chamber 41 through the gap between the opening 61a and the pillar 62. In particular, as shown by the arrow in fig. 6 (a), when the support column 62 is driven by the driving mechanism 63 to retract downward, nitrogen in the case member 61 is pushed upward, and there is a possibility that nitrogen containing particles is scattered into the transport chamber 41 through the gap.
Further, when the movable portion 77 of the robot hand 74 is driven by the actuator cylinder 79, particles may be generated in the conveyance chamber 41. When the structure for exhausting is formed for removing the particles, nitrogen is exhausted from the inside of the delivery chamber 41, and accordingly, the need for supplementing nitrogen from the supply source 111 arises, and the cost may increase.
In the structure in which the inner spaces 71a to 73a of the arm members 71 to 73 are not completely sealed with respect to the transport chamber 41, for example, when the transport chamber 41 is left to be in the atmosphere during maintenance, the inner spaces 71a to 73a are also left to be in the atmosphere, and oxygen, moisture, or the like may enter into the inner spaces. In this case, if the replacement of nitrogen in the internal spaces 71a to 73a takes time during the re-operation after maintenance, the production efficiency may be lowered. Accordingly, the EFEM 1 has the following structure in order to solve these problems.
(discharge route of Nitrogen in transfer robot, etc.)
A nitrogen discharge path and the like in the transfer robot 3 will be described with reference to fig. 7 and 8. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a nitrogen supply passage and a nitrogen discharge passage with respect to the circulation passage 40. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a nitrogen discharge port in the transfer robot 3.
First, a structure for discharging nitrogen containing particles from the inside of the case member 61 of the transfer robot 3 will be described. As shown in fig. 7 and 8, a delivery port 61b for delivering nitrogen to the circulation passage 40 is formed in a side portion of the case member 61. A delivery portion 81 for delivering nitrogen from the inside of the case member 61 to the circulation passage 40 is provided in the case 2. The delivery unit 81 includes a fan 83 (fan of the present invention), a motor 84 (fan driving device of the present invention), and a connection path 82a formed by the connection pipe 82. The connection passage 82a connects the case member 61 with the return passage 43. The connection passage 82a extends from the outlet 61b of the case member 61, and is connected to an upstream end portion (more specifically, a position upstream of the fan 46) of the return passage 43 in the nitrogen flow direction. In other words, the case member 61 and the return passage 43 are directly connected without via the delivery chamber 41. The fan 83 is disposed near the outlet 61b and is driven to rotate at a constant rotational speed by the motor 84.
With the above configuration, nitrogen in the case member 61 is sent out to the return passage 42 through the send-out port 61b (see arrows 201 and 202 in fig. 8). Thereby, contamination of the conveying chamber 41 by particles generated in the case member 61 is suppressed. Further, since nitrogen in the case member 61 is not directly discharged to the outside of the case 2, it is not necessary to immediately supplement the amount of nitrogen emitted from the case member 61, and an increase in the amount of nitrogen supplied is suppressed. In addition, since nitrogen in the case member 61 is reliably fed to the return passage by the air flow generated by the fan 83, leakage of nitrogen in the case member 61 from the gap between the opening 61a (see fig. 6 (a)) and the stay 62 (see fig. 6 (a)) is suppressed.
Next, a structure for removing particles generated when the movable portion 77 of the robot hand 74 is driven by the actuator cylinder 79 will be described. As shown in fig. 7, the EFEM 1 includes a suction portion 86 for sucking and removing particles generated by the operation of the actuator cylinder 79. The suction unit 86 includes an ejector 87, and the ejector 87 sucks and removes particles by nitrogen supplied from a supply source 115 (an inert gas supply source for particle removal of the present invention) different from the above-described supply sources 111 and 114 (see fig. 6 b). The ejector 87 has a nozzle 87a, a diffuser 87b, and a suction port 87c. The ejector 87 generates negative pressure in the suction port 87c by the flow of nitrogen ejected from the nozzle 87a toward the diffuser 87 b. The nozzle 87a is connected to a supply passage 88a, and the supply passage 88a is supplied with nitrogen supplied from the supply source 115. The diffuser 87b is connected to a delivery passage 88b, and the delivery passage 88b delivers nitrogen to the circulation passage 40. The downstream end of the delivery passage 88b is connected to the middle portion of the connection passage 82a, and merges with the delivery portion 81. The suction port 87c is connected to a suction passage 88c extending from the vicinity of the cylinder 79.
In the suction portion 86 having the above-described configuration, nitrogen is supplied from the supply source 115 to the injector 87, and the particles generated by the operation of the operation cylinder 79 are sucked through the suction passage 88 c. The supplied nitrogen flows into the connection passage 82a together with the sucked particles through the discharge passage 88b, and is discharged to the return passage 43. That is, the nitrogen is not directly discharged to the external space of the casing 2, but temporarily flows into the circulation passage 40.
Next, a structure for replacing nitrogen in the inner space 71a of the arm member 71 to the inner space 73a (see fig. 8) of the arm member 73 of the transfer robot 3 will be described. As shown in fig. 7 and 8, the transfer robot 3 is provided with a replacement passage 91 that passes through the inside of the arm members 71 to 73. The replacement passage 91 includes a supply passage 91a and an internal passage 91b (see fig. 8). The supply passage 91a extends from a supply source 116 (inactive gas supply source for purging of the present invention) different from the above-described supply sources 111, 114, 115, and is configured to flow nitrogen supplied from the supply source 116. The supply passage 91a is formed of, for example, a flexible hose or the like, and passes through the inside of the case member 61 and the inside of the arm members 71 to 73. The distal end portion of the supply passage 91a is disposed in the inner space 73a of the uppermost arm member 73. That is, nitrogen is first supplied into the inner space 73a of the arm member 73 through the supply passage 91 a. The internal passage 91b is a passage containing nitrogen in the internal spaces 71a to 73a, which is disposed downstream of the supply passage 91a in the nitrogen flow direction.
An example of the internal passage 91b is described with reference to fig. 8. The arm members 71 to 73 are respectively formed with inflow ports 71b to 73b into which nitrogen flows and outflow ports 71c to 73c from which gas flows out. More specifically, this is as follows. That is, the distal end portion of the supply passage 91a is attached near the inflow port 73b formed in the lower portion of the arm member 73. The inner space 73a of the arm member 73 communicates with the supply passage 91 a. The inner space 72a of the arm member 72 communicates with the inner space 73a via the outflow port 73c and the inflow port 72 b. The inner space 71a of the arm member 71 communicates with the inner space 72a via the outflow port 72c and the inflow port 71 b. The inner space 71a communicates with the interior of the case member 61 via the outflow port 71 c. Thereby, the nitrogen supplied from the supply source 116 to the internal space 73a through the supply passage 91a flows into the interior of the case member 61 through the internal spaces 73a, 72a, 71a in this order, and is sent to the return passage 42 through the send-out port 61 b.
Next, a method of replacing the gas in the transfer robot 3 will be described. First, for example, when the EFEM 1 is started, nitrogen is supplied from the supply source 116 (see fig. 7. The supply source of the present invention) to the inner space 73a of the arm member 73 via the supply passage 91a, and nitrogen is supplied to the inside of the case member 61 via the inner spaces 72a and 71a (see fig. 8). The gas in the case member 61 is further sent to the return passage 43 through the send-out port 61 b. Thereby, the gas in the case member 61 is rapidly replaced with nitrogen. Subsequently, after the oxygen concentration in the delivery chamber 41 becomes lower than a predetermined value (for example, lower than 100 ppm), the supply of nitrogen from the supply source 116 is stopped. In normal operation, the fan 83 is rotationally driven, so that gas is introduced from the transport chamber 41 into the case member 61 through the opening 61a and the like. Then, the gas in the case member 61 is sent to the return passage 43. This suppresses the particles from being discharged into the transport chamber 41.
As described above, the connection passage 82a is provided to connect the case member 61 of the transfer robot 3 and the return passage 43. Therefore, even if particles are generated in the inner space of the case member 61, the particles are discharged to the return passage 43 via the connection passage 82a, and thus leakage of the particles into the conveying chamber 41 can be suppressed. Further, the particles discharged to the return path 43 are removed by the FFU44 disposed on the downstream side of the return path 43. Thus, contamination of the transport chamber 41 by particles generated in the inner space of the case member 61 can be suppressed. In addition, in the above-described configuration, since nitrogen in the case member 61 is not directly discharged to the outside, it is not necessary to supplement nitrogen in an amount discharged from the case member 61, and an increase in the amount of nitrogen supplied can be suppressed, and therefore an increase in cost can be suppressed. Thus, in the EFEM 1 of the type in which nitrogen is circulated in the housing 2, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost and to suppress particle discharge into the transport chamber 41. In addition, for example, when the EFEM 1 is started, the inert gas is actively supplied from the supply source 116, so that the gas in the shell member 61 can be quickly replaced. In addition, after the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 41 becomes lower than the predetermined value, the supply of nitrogen from the supply source 116 is stopped, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed.
Further, since nitrogen in the case member 61 can be reliably conveyed to the return passage 43 by the air flow generated by the fan 83, leakage of nitrogen in the case member 61 from the gap between the opening 61a and the stay 62 can be suppressed, and discharge of particles into the conveying chamber 41 can be more reliably suppressed.
Further, the particles generated in the vicinity of the cylinder 79 are sucked by the ejector 87, and the nitrogen supplied from the supply source 115 is discharged to the return passage 43 together with the particles, so that the nitrogen is directly circulated. In addition, FFU44 is utilized to remove particulates. Therefore, an increase in cost due to nitrogen replenishment can be suppressed as compared with a structure in which vacuum evacuation is performed.
Further, since the inflow ports 71b to 73b and the outflow ports 71c to 73c are formed in the arm members 71 to 73, respectively, the time taken for gas replacement in the inner spaces 71a to 73a of the arm members 71 to 73 can be reduced as compared with the case where these inflow ports and outflow ports are not formed, and thus, a decrease in production efficiency can be suppressed.
Next, a modified example obtained by modifying the above embodiment will be described. However, members having the same configuration as those of the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the above-described embodiments, and descriptions thereof are appropriately omitted.
(1) In the above embodiment, the fan 83 is rotationally driven at a constant rotational speed by the motor 84, but the present invention is not limited to this. Within the housing member 61, particles may be easily generated when the driving mechanism 63 drives the support post 62 up and down. Then, as shown in fig. 9, the conveyance robot 3a may have a fan control unit 12 (control unit of the present invention) that controls the motor 84. Further, the fan control unit 12 may cause the rotation speed of the fan 83 to be faster when the driving mechanism 63 is operated than when the driving mechanism 63 is not operated. Accordingly, by increasing the rotational speed of the fan 83 and increasing the wind speed when the driving mechanism 63 is operated, nitrogen in the case member 61 can be reliably fed to the return passage 43. Further, by slowing down the rotation speed of the fan 83 when the driving mechanism 63 is not operating, the power consumption of the motor 84 can be reduced. The rotation speed of the fan 83 may be controlled by the control device 5 (see fig. 1 and the like) or the robot control unit 11 (see fig. 2 and the like).
(2) In the above embodiment, the case member 61 of the transfer robot 3 and the return path 43 are connected by the connection path 82a (that is, the transfer robot 3 corresponds to the robot of the present invention), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to the aligner 54 described above. In this case, the aligner 54 also corresponds to an automatic apparatus of the present invention. Hereinafter, the description will be specifically made with reference to fig. 10. Fig. 10 (a) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the aligner 54. Fig. 10 (b) is a top view of the aligner 54 and its periphery.
The structure of the lower aligner 54 is briefly described. As shown in fig. 10 (a), the aligner 54 has a case member 92, a holding portion 93, a supporting portion 94, a motor 95 (driving mechanism of the present invention), and a camera 96. An opening 92a is formed in the case member 92. A holding portion 93 for holding the wafer W is disposed outside the case member 92. The supporting portion 94 supports the holding portion 93 from below. The motor 95 rotationally drives the support 94. The camera 96 captures an outer edge portion of the wafer W rotated while being held by the holding portion 93. Thus, the aligner 54 measures how much the wafer W is held at a position deviated from the target holding position by the transfer robot 3, and sends the measurement result to the robot control unit 11.
By rotationally driving the supporting portion 94 with the motor 95, particles may be generated in the case member 92. Then, as shown in fig. 10 (a), a nitrogen discharge port 97 is formed in the case member 92. The discharge port 97 is connected to a connection passage 98a formed by the connection pipe 98. As shown in fig. 10 (b), the connection passage 98a connects the case member 92 and the return passage 43. Further, a fan 99 may be disposed in the connection path 98 a.
(3) In the above embodiment, the spaces 21a to 24a formed inside the columns 21 to 24 are the return passages 43, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the return passage 43 may be formed of other members.
(4) In the above embodiment, nitrogen is used as the inert gas, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, argon or the like may be used as the inert gas.

Claims (6)

1. An EFEM having a transfer chamber for circulating an inert gas, the transfer chamber for flowing the inert gas purified by a fan filter unit for removing particles in a predetermined direction, and a return passage for returning the inert gas from a downstream side of the transfer chamber in the predetermined direction to the fan filter unit,
the EFEM includes a robot disposed in the transfer chamber and performing a predetermined operation while holding the substrate,
the robot has:
a case member formed with an opening;
a holding portion disposed outside the case member for holding the substrate;
a support portion that supports the holding portion and penetrates the opening; and
a driving mechanism accommodated in the case member for driving the supporting portion,
the robot is provided with a connection path connecting the shell member with the return path,
The robot is provided with a transfer robot for transferring the substrate,
the shell member is secured within the transport chamber,
an arm mechanism for holding the substrate and conveying the substrate in a horizontal direction is provided as the holding portion,
the support portion is provided with a support column for supporting the arm mechanism,
the driving mechanism is utilized to drive the support column up and down,
the arm mechanism has:
a robot hand for holding the substrate; and
a switching unit that switches a state of the robot hand between a holding state in which the substrate is held and a release state in which the holding state is released,
the EFEM includes an ejector that sucks particles generated during operation of the switching unit by using a flow of the inert gas supplied from an inert gas supply source for removing particles, and further discharges the supplied inert gas together with the particles to the return passage.
2. The EFEM as claimed in claim 1, wherein,
the EFEM further includes a fan that sends the inert gas in the shell member to the return passage through the connection passage.
3. The EFEM as claimed in claim 2, wherein,
the EFEM further includes:
a fan driving device that rotationally drives the fan; and
a control unit for controlling the fan driving device,
the control unit causes the rotation speed of the fan to be faster when the driving mechanism is operated than when the driving mechanism is not operated.
4. The EFEM as claimed in any one of claims 1-3,
the arm mechanism has a hollow arm member,
an inflow port for allowing the inert gas supplied from an inert gas supply source for purging to flow into an inner space of the arm member and an outflow port for allowing the gas to flow out from the inner space of the arm member are formed in the arm member.
5. A gas displacement method of an EFEM as claimed in claim 1, wherein gas is displaced in the EFEM, the EFEM having a transfer chamber for circulating an inert gas, the transfer chamber for flowing the inert gas purified by a fan filter unit for removing particles in a predetermined direction, and a return passage for returning the inert gas from a downstream side of the transfer chamber in the predetermined direction to the fan filter unit, the gas displacement method being characterized in that,
The EFEM includes a robot disposed in the transfer chamber and performing a predetermined operation while holding the substrate,
the robot has a housing member formed with an opening and a driving mechanism accommodated in the housing member,
the inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply source to the inside of the case member, and the gas is sent from the inside of the case member to the return passage, thereby replacing the gas in the case member.
6. The method of gas displacement of an EFEM as claimed in claim 5,
after the gas atmosphere in the transfer chamber becomes lower than a predetermined oxygen concentration, the supply of the inert gas from the supply source is stopped, and the gas in the transfer chamber is introduced into the interior of the case member and sent out to the return passage.
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