JP2002110757A - Load port for open cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To fully ensure safety of a worker in a clean room, while facilitating the transfer work of a cassette from an AGV in a clean room, by enabling supply of a wafer using an open cassette to a main frame designed for FOUP type. SOLUTION: This road port 1 comprises a mounting stage 7 for receiving and placing the open cassette 6 in which a wafer W is loaded, which is arranged in a clean room 2, and a back wall 8 having an interface 5 that can connect the mounting stage 7 to a robot chamber 4, which is arranged on the back side of the mounting stage 7, and a ceiling part 24 extending forward from the upper end of the back wall 8, and provided with a door 13 for opening/ closing an opening part 8 so as to surround the circumference of the mounting stage 7 along with the back wall 8 at the opening part 9 formed, so as to open up the front side and both sides part of the mounting stage 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is provided for receiving an open cassette provided in a clean room and conveyed in the clean room, and supplying a wafer loaded in the open cassette to a main frame. And a load port for an open cassette delivered to a manipulator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method of supplying a wafer to a main frame, there are a method using an open cassette and a method using a closed box type cassette. Conventionally, in Japan, a method using an open cassette has been mainly adopted as a method for supplying a 200 mm wafer to a main frame.

In this method, an open load port formed integrally with a robot room having a manipulator is used. That is, the robot room and the load port connected to the main frame via the load lock are integrally disposed in the clean room, so that the air cleanness around the wafer is kept high. When an open cassette carried by an automatic guided vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as an AGV) traveling in a clean room is delivered to a load port, a wafer is pulled out of the open cassette by the operation of the manipulator and supplied to the main frame. Was to be done.

On the other hand, the method using a box type cassette has recently become the mainstream overseas for supplying 300 mm wafers. This method accommodates a large number of wafers in a sealed box-type cassette and maintains the inside of the cassette with high cleanliness, and has become an industry standard overseas as the FOUP method.

In other words, the FOUP system uses a cassette which is kept highly clean by itself, connects the cassette to a robot room which is also kept highly air-clean, and then opens a partition between the two. This is a method in which a wafer in a cassette is taken out by a manipulator in a robot room.
According to this method, the cleanness of the air around the wafer is kept high by the sealed cassette, so that the environment for transporting the cassette does not need to be a clean room with high cleanliness. There is an advantage that an overhead traveling mechanism can be used.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION However, FOU
In the P method, since the inside of the cassette needs to be kept at a high degree of cleanliness, the mechanism for opening and closing the cassette is complicated and expensive, and dust is generated when the cassette is opened and closed. Is difficult.

In the FOUP system, as described above, since wafers are transported using a sealed cassette,
It is sufficient to maintain high air cleanliness after the robot room equipped with a manipulator for handling wafers. For this purpose, the components from the main frame to the robot room are provided as one unit.

However, in a Japanese company that has conventionally adopted an open cassette for supplying 200 mm wafers, a clean room has already been set up as an environment for transferring wafers.
In some cases, it is desirable to follow the method of supplying wafers using an open cassette even for 300 mm wafers.
In this case, it is necessary that the supply method using the open cassette can be adopted for the main frame provided as a unit up to the robot room.

Further, in the method of supplying an open cassette from within a clean room, the supply is performed by an AGV.
It is necessary that the transfer arm of the AGV has a wide opening so as not to interfere with the load port. On the other hand, in addition to the case where the open cassette is supplied by the AGV, it is necessary to consider that the worker in the clean room may supply the cassette manually. That is, in this case, it is necessary to take sufficient measures so that the manipulator in the robot room does not interfere with the worker in the clean room.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and enables a wafer to be supplied using an open cassette to a main frame designed for a FOUP system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a load port capable of sufficiently securing the safety of an operator working through the opening while ensuring a wide opening to the load port.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a wafer in an open cassette which is connected to a robot room equipped with a manipulator for supplying a wafer to a main frame and has been transported in a clean room. A loading table that is disposed in the clean room, receives and places an open cassette loaded with wafers, and a loading port that is disposed on the rear side of the loading table, and transfers the loading table to the robot. A rear wall having an interface connectable to the room, and a ceiling extending forward from an upper end of the rear wall,
An open cassette load port is provided in which an opening formed by opening the front side and both side portions of the mounting table is provided with a door for opening and closing the opening so as to surround the mounting table together with the rear wall. ing. In the above-described load port, it is effective if the door is formed of a member having a U-shaped cross section that is raised and lowered from below the mounting table.

[0012]

According to the load port for an open cassette according to the present invention, the mounting table connected to the robot room using the interface is arranged in the clean room, and the open cassette conveyed in the clean room is mounted on the mounting table. Thus, the manipulator in the robot chamber can take out the wafer from the open cassette mounted on the mounting table. As a result, it is possible to supply the wafer by the open cassette to the main frame provided as one unit to the robot room.

In this case, only the rear wall provided with an interface with the robot room is provided around the mounting table, and the front side and both left and right sides of the mounting table form openings without obstacles. When the AGV exchanges the open cassette with the mounting table, the transfer arm of the AGV does not interfere with the load port.

On the other hand, if the opening is made large in order to avoid the interference between the AGV and the load port, the workability is improved when an operator in the clean room handles the open cassette, but the manipulator in the robot room operates. In such a case, there is a high possibility of interference between the manipulator and the worker, and it is necessary to reliably prevent this. According to the load port of the present invention, this object can be achieved by providing a door that opens and closes the opening at the front and both sides of the mounting table. That is,
By closing the door, the door is arranged so as to surround the mounting table together with the rear wall and the ceiling, completely shutting off the approach path from the clean room side, and allowing the operator to operate the manipulator during operation. It is possible to reliably prevent a hand from being put on the mounting table by mistake.

Further, by forming the door to have a U-shaped cross section, it is possible to simultaneously open and close the front and both sides of the mounting table with a single driving device. In addition, since the door has a U-shaped cross section, the door can have a higher section modulus, so that it is possible to reduce the weight of the door while securing necessary strength.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a load port according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the load port 1 according to this embodiment is a box-shaped device including an interface unit 5 for connecting to a robot room 4 arranged so as to open on one wall surface 3 of a clean room 2. In the vicinity of the center in the height direction, there is provided a mounting table 7 for receiving the open cassette 6 loaded with the wafer W.

The mounting table 7 is horizontally arranged and provided with positioning means (not shown) such as a projection for positioning the open cassette 6 to be mounted. As shown in FIG. 2, only a rear wall portion 8 disposed on the robot room 4 side is arranged around the mounting table 7, and there is no side wall on the front surface and both side surfaces, and a wide opening 9 is secured. Have been.

The rear wall 8 is formed with a window 11 which is connected to the robot chamber 4 and through which a manipulator 10 in the robot chamber 4 can take in and out the wafer W from the open cassette 6 on the mounting table. ing. The window 11 is provided with a rear door 12 that is moved up and down from below the mounting table 7 to open and close the window 11. Further, the interface section 5 is provided on the back surface of the rear wall section 8.

At the upper end of the rear wall portion 8, the mounting table 7
Above the ceiling 24, a ceiling 24 arranged in parallel with the mounting table 7 with a space capable of receiving the open cassette 6 is provided.
It is provided in a cantilever shape. The ceiling portion 24 is provided with a downward flow supply means 14 for flowing a downward air flow around the mounting table 7. In the present embodiment, the descending flow supply unit 14 is, for example, a grid, which allows the descending air flow supplied from the ceiling of the clean room 2 to pass therethrough, and surrounds the open cassette 6 placed on the placing table 7. It can be supplied to. When the load port 1 is installed by the flush mount method, a fan that independently generates a downward flow and a filter disposed below the fan may be provided instead of the grid.

A front door 13 is provided on the front surface and both side surfaces of the mounting table 7 to move up and down from below the mounting table 7 to open and close the periphery of the mounting table 7. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the front door 13 is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross-section that opens and closes the front surface and both side surfaces simultaneously. That is, the wide openings 9 on the front surface and both side surfaces of the mounting table 7 are simultaneously closed by raising the front door 13 arranged below the mounting table 7.

The front door 13 and the rear door 12 are interlocked so that they are not opened simultaneously. That is, the front door 13 is opened, and the AGV 25 or the operator
When the robot is mounted on the mounting table 7, the rear door 12 is always closed, so that the manipulator 10 in the robot chamber 4 does not move toward the mounting table 7. .

The front door 13 and the rear door 1
2 also constitutes a part of the downward flow supply means 14.
That is, by closing these doors 12 and 13, a flow path is defined around the open cassette 6 on the mounting table 7 so that the supplied downward flow is not disturbed around the open cassette 6. Can be.

Further, the load port 1 according to the present embodiment
, An optical sensor 15 (safety device) is attached to the rear door 12. The sensor 15 has a pair of light emitting units 15a and light receiving units 15b arranged so as to form a light beam A that crosses the center of the window 11 opened and closed by the rear door 12 vertically. An object that crosses the light beam A can be detected.

Further, the front door 13 is moved up and down by a driving device 16 as shown in FIG.
The driving device 16 includes a slider 21 attached to the front door 13, linear guides 17 and 19 for guiding the slider 21 in the vertical direction, a ball screw 18 arranged in parallel with the linear guide 17, and a ball screw 18. A nut 22 screwed to the slider 21 and a motor 22 for rotating the ball screw 18. The motor 22 is disposed between the motor 22 and the ball screw 18. When an external force is applied to the front door 13, the motor And a torque limiter 23 that functions to limit the torque of the motor 22.

The operation of the thus configured load port 1 according to the present embodiment will be described below. The load port 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG.
It is arranged in the clean room 2, and then connected to the robot room 4 which is opened and arranged on one wall surface 3 of the clean room 2 by using the interface section 5 of the wall section 8. As a result, the manipulator 10 in the robot room 4 is moved through the window 11 of the rear wall 8 through the mounting table 7 of the load port 1.
The wafer W in the open cassette 6 mounted on the mounting table 7 can be taken out and transferred to the fixed cassette 27 in the load lock 26.

In this state, the AGV 25 traveling in the clean room 2 transfers the open cassette 6 loaded with the wafer W onto the mounting table 7 of the load port 1. At this time, the front door 13 of the load port 1 is opened. As a result, the front surface and both side surfaces of the mounting table 7 are widely opened, so that a wide opening 9 is secured.
The interference between the transfer arm of the V25 and the load port 1 is reduced. At this time, the rear door 12 of the window 11 of the rear wall 8 is kept closed by the operation of the interlock. Therefore, the transfer arm of the AGV 25, the open cassette 6 during transfer, and the robot room 4
Interference with the manipulator 10 in the inside can be reliably prevented.

Next, the transfer by the AGV 25 is completed,
With the transfer arm of the AGV 25 separated from the mounting table 7, the front door 13 is moved to the ceiling 2 by the operation of the driving device 16.
It is raised to 4. In this case, the front door 1
3 is formed in a U-shaped cross section, the front door 13
Can simultaneously close the wide openings 9 on the front surface and both side surfaces of the mounting table 7, so that the approach path from the clean room 2 to the mounting table 7 can be reliably blocked.

The front door 13 has a U-shaped cross section, so that the section modulus is increased, and the front door 13 is lightweight and achieves high strength. As a result, the required power of the driving device 16 can be reduced. In this embodiment, the front door 13 has a U-shaped cross section.
It also includes a cross-sectional shape such as a U-shape, a semi-circle, a semi-ellipse, etc., which can obtain the same operation and effect.

The front door 13 has a torque limiter 2
3 is attached, even if the front door 13 is accidentally closed when an operator in the clean room 2 is manually mounting the open cassette 6 on the mounting table 7. By the operation of the torque limiter 23, the blocking force of the front door 13 is limited to a certain value or less.

When both the front door 13 and the rear door 12 are closed, the periphery of the open cassette 6 mounted on the mounting table 7 is closed over the entire circumference.
By the operation of the descending flow supply means 14, the descending flow supplied from the ceiling of the clean room 2 is supplied around the open cassette 6 on the mounting table 7, and the dust attached to the open cassette 6 is removed from the mounting table. 7 is washed down.

In this case, the periphery of the mounting table 7 is closed by the front door 13 and the rear door 12 and the flow path is defined, so that the downward flow supplied by the downward flow supply means 14 is supplied to the open cassette. Disturbance around 6 is minimized. Therefore, the dust can flow below the mounting table without staying around the open cassette 6.

Thereafter, by opening the rear door 12, the window 11 is opened, and the manipulator 10 in the robot room 4 can take out the wafer W from the open cassette 6. Before the rear door 12 is opened, the dust around the open cassette 6 is flowed by the downward flow, so that dust is prevented from entering the robot chamber 4.

At this time, since the front door 13 is closed by the operation of the interlock, the worker working in the clean room 2 erroneously puts his hand on the mounting table 7 and comes into contact with the manipulator 10. It is possible to prevent accidents such as accidents. Further, the rear door 12
Is provided with an optical sensor 15 for detecting an object passing through the window 11, so that when the wafer W jumps out of the open cassette 6 and crosses the window 11 for some reason, the rear door It is possible to prevent the wafer 12 from being damaged when the wafer 12 is closed. In this case, the device may be stopped and an alarm may be issued.

As described above, according to the load port 1 according to the present embodiment, the existing clean room 2 can be mounted on the main frame integrally including the robot room 4 so as to conform to the FOUP system. , The supply of the wafer W using the open cassette 6 can be enabled. Therefore, there is an advantage that the cost required for constructing new equipment in accordance with the FOUP method can be minimized.

Further, the opening / closing mechanism is complicated, cleaning is difficult, and dust is easily generated in the mechanism.
It is possible to avoid using a closed cassette which has many problems such as being expensive, and it is possible to prevent the above problems from occurring.

In this case, according to the load port 1 according to the present embodiment, the rear wall 8 is used only as the wall disposed around the mounting table 7 to secure a wide opening 9 extending forward and to both sides. AG coming in from the front
The transfer arm of the V25 does not interfere with the load port 1, and the transfer operation of the open cassette 6 can be easily performed.

Further, since the openings 9 extending forward and on both sides of the mounting table 7 are simultaneously closed by the front door 13 having a U-shaped cross section, the approach path from the clean room 2 to the mounting table 7 is reliably blocked. Thus, interference between the worker and the manipulator 10 in the robot room 4 can be reliably prevented.

Further, the front door 13 and the rear door 12
When both are closed, there is also an effect that a flow path for a downward flow is defined around the open cassette 6 on the mounting table 7 so that dust around the wafer W can be reliably washed away.

[0039]

As described above, according to the load port of the present invention, wide openings are secured in front of and on both sides of the mounting table, with only the rear wall being the wall disposed around the mounting table. Therefore, there is an effect that the interference between the transfer arm of the AGV and the load port is reliably prevented, and the transfer operation of the open cassette by the AGV or the operator can be facilitated.

The upper part of the mounting table is closed by a ceiling extending forward from the rear wall, and the front and both sides of the mounting table are closed.
Since the door is closed by the door, the approach route from the clean room side can be reliably shut off. As a result, it is possible to reliably avoid a situation in which the worker in the clean room accidentally contacts the manipulator in the robot room.

Further, by forming this door to have a U-shaped cross section, it is possible to construct a lightweight and highly rigid door, and a wide opening in front of and on both sides of the mounting table can be formed by a single driving device. And can be opened and closed at the same time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an installation state of a load port according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the load port of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view showing a driving device of a front door of the load port of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 W wafer 1 load port 2 clean room 4 robot room 5 interface 6 open cassette 7 mounting table 8 rear wall 9 opening 10 manipulator 13 front door (door) 24 ceiling

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takeshi Sasaki 14-3 Shinsen, Narita-shi, Chiba Nogehira Industrial Park Inside Applied Materials Japan Co., Ltd. 3 Nogedaira Industrial Park Applied Materials Japan Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5F031 CA02 DA01 FA12 FA15 GA02 PA08 PA18

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A load port connected to a robot room having a manipulator for supplying a wafer to a main frame and transferring a wafer in an open cassette conveyed in a clean room to the manipulator, wherein the load port is disposed in the clean room. A mounting table for receiving and placing an open cassette loaded with wafers, a rear wall disposed behind the mounting table, and having an interface capable of connecting the mounting table to the robot chamber; and a rear wall. A ceiling extending forward from the upper end of the mounting table, and opening and closing the opening so as to surround the mounting table together with the rear wall in an opening formed by opening the front side and both sides of the mounting table. A load port for an open cassette, which is provided with a door. 2. The load port for an open cassette according to claim 1, wherein the door is made of a member having a U-shaped cross section which is raised and lowered from below the mounting table.