JP2002235943A - Clean space structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide structure to prevent disturbance of an air flow of purified air, flowing in from an upper part and, since, compared with conventional clean space equipment, no uneven part and no groove are formed, to obtain the high degree of cleanness since an element to accumulate dust is eliminated, and to provide structure to improve the degree of purification in clean space equipment. SOLUTION: In a clean space structure used in a semiconductor substrate and liquid crystal substrate manufacturing equipment to feed clean air from an upper part in an internal part and discharge it to below, four sides to surround an internal part join together panel-form plates having neither column nor beam for constitution and a joint between the panel-form plates is not protruded to an internal part. This constitution eliminates a factor to cause disturbance of clean air and accumulation of particles and enables provision of a higher clean space.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clean space structure installed indoors used for production of a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal substrate, and the like in a high clean environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the manufacture of semiconductor substrates, liquid crystal substrates and the like, mini-environment systems have recently been adopted for the purpose of cost reduction. Since the cost of maintaining a large clean room is enormous, products such as wafers must be
The substrate processing is performed in a clean space structure as a small clean room. As shown in FIG. 1, the structure of a conventional clean space structure is similar to that of a clean room, in which a panel-like plate member 111 (wall material) is attached to a structural reinforcing member 110 serving as a frame to create a space, and clean air is supplied from above. It is structured to exhaust air from below the feed. If the strength is not sufficient simply by providing the structural reinforcing member 110 as a skeleton vertically from the floor, another structural reinforcing member 112 may be incorporated between them so as to be horizontal with the floor. . In general, these clean space structures are formed by forming a frame with the structural reinforcing member and attaching a panel-like plate material to the outer periphery, so that the structural reinforcing member is exposed inside, so that there is a space having gaps and irregularities.

[0003]

When clean air is sent from above into the clean space structure, a change in the cross section in the downflow direction of the air is unavoidable due to the unevenness of the structural reinforcing member, and the turbulence and speed change of the air flow are reduced. This caused the generation of dust. Therefore, if dust is generated inside the clean space structure,
Without falling quickly downward together with the clean air sent from above, it was floating in the clean space structure forever due to turbulence. In addition, there is a structure with a high possibility of dust accumulation on the horizontal plane or substantially horizontal plane of the structural reinforcing member or in the gap between the structural reinforcing member and the panel-like plate material. Dust will always be present in the clean space structure without falling off. Due to these circumstances, there was room for improvement in securing a clean space.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention focuses on the structure of a clean space structure and minimizes irregularities and gaps in the internal space in order to minimize dust stagnating inside the clean space structure. Provided is a clean space structure composed only of panel-shaped plate members without using any structural reinforcing member as a frame.

[0005] As described in the first aspect, if no pillars or beams are used at all, and only the panel-shaped plate material is used, there is no unevenness in the clean space structure, and no gap is formed at the joint between the pillars / beams and the panel. . When the unevenness is eliminated, there is no obstacle that obstructs the flow of the clean air from above, so that the turbulence of the air flow in the clean space structure does not occur, and the clean air flows smoothly from top to bottom. Therefore, the dust in the clean space structure does not float indefinitely due to the turbulent flow and is quickly discharged to the outside together with the air from above, so that a clean space can be always maintained. In addition, dust easily accumulates on gaps formed by joining the beam and the panel-like plate material and on the horizontal plane and substantially the horizontal plane of the beam, but the joint surface between the panel-like plate members is perpendicular to the floor, and dust accumulation occurs Factors are reduced.

Although there are various methods for joining the panel-shaped plate members to each other, the unevenness inside the clean space structure can be reduced by providing the joint portion of the panel-shaped plate members outside the inside of the clean space structure instead of inside the clean space structure. Even if it is composed only of the panel-shaped plate material, the joints can be replaced with pillars, and the strength is almost unchanged as compared with the conventional structure, so that a much cleaner space can be created.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the preferred embodiment is used as an evaluator for checking the degree of dust generation due to opening and closing of a door of a FOUP opener will be described below with reference to FIGS. The FOUP opener 17 includes an installation table 10 on which the FOUP 15 is mounted, an opening / closing door 16 that opens and closes integrally with the FOUP door 18, and an opening / closing mechanism 21 that operates the opening / closing door 16 below the installation table 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, the wall of the evaluation machine 1 is formed by combining two substantially U-shaped aluminum panels 11 a and 11 b and fastening them with bolts 9. When two substantially U-shaped panel-shaped plate members are combined face-to-face, there is no problem in strength even without columns, and a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with no unevenness inside is completed. At the time of fastening, the bolt 9 is inserted from the outside of the evaluation machine 1,
The bolt 9 is not exposed inside the evaluation machine 1. This is also to prevent unevenness such that dust accumulates in the evaluation device 1. Although an aluminum panel is used in this embodiment, the material is not particularly limited as long as it is a material suitable for use in a clean space structure such as steel, aluminum, and resin. The evaluation machine 1 has a cutout 23 formed on one of the four side walls from the lower end. The width of the notch 23 is F
It is created according to the width of the opening / closing door 16 of the OUP opener 17.

[0009] The FOUP opener 17 and the evaluator 1
Is configured to be detachable. In use, FOUP
The upper surface 16a of the opening / closing door 16 of the opener 17 and the upper surface 23a of the notch 23 of the evaluation machine 1 are brought into close contact with each other. The upper part of the evaluator 1 is covered with a filter 13 for removing dust, and an air blower 14 for sending air from the outside into the evaluator 1 by a fan is installed thereon. Here, a blower with a fan was installed to take in air from the outside. The filter may be simply covered with a filter to be taken into the clean space structure. The clean air taken into the evaluation device 1 is discharged from a gap 12 formed between the floor and the evaluation device 1 as shown by an arrow in FIG. Under the evaluator 1, an intake hose 19 is inserted from the gap 12 with the floor so as to take in the air inside the evaluator.
Sent to 0. The lower structure of the evaluator 1 is such that a bracket 7 having wheels 8 at four corners is provided with bolts 6 from outside the evaluator 1.
It is fixed at. Also in this case, the bolts 6 are designed so as not to be exposed inside the evaluator 1 so as not to form irregularities inside the evaluator 1. An adjuster bolt 5 is connected to the other end of the bracket 7.
When the nut 4 is rotated, the threaded shaft 3 fixed to the nut 4 rotates, and the height of the evaluator 1 can be adjusted.
The installation seat 2 is attached to the threaded shaft 3, and the evaluation machine 1 can be stably installed. When it is desired to move the evaluator 1, each wheel 8 is in contact with the floor and
Turns the nut 4 to a position where it is separated from the floor, and moves the evaluator 1. When the installation location is determined, the nuts 4 are turned to a height at which the wheels 8 at the four corners are separated from the floor, and the installation seat 2 is placed in close contact with the floor. Further, since the height of the evaluator 1 is adjustable, it can easily cope with other types of FOUP openers of the same standard size to be evaluated.

[0010] The lower structure of the clean space structure is used in a clean room, and when a perforated metal with holes for exhaust is laid on the floor, there is no need for a gap with the floor for exhaust. It may be placed directly on the floor without adding a height adjustment mechanism.

Next, a description will be given of the opening and closing operation of the FOUP opener 17 and a procedure for measuring the generation of dust accompanying the opening and closing operation. FO
The FOU of the FOUP 15 is set on the installation table 10 of the UP opener 17.
The P door 18 is placed so as to be in contact with the opening / closing door 16. Thereafter, when an open / close operation switch (not shown) is operated, the lock of the FOUP door 18 is released, and the open / close door 16 is
The OUP door 18 is sucked and lowered integrally. When the open / close operation switch is operated again, the FOUP door 18 and the open / close door 16 are raised, and the FOUP door 18 is moved to the FOUP 15.
And is locked. After locking, the opening / closing door 16 can be released from the FOUP door 18 so that the FOU
The opening / closing operation of the P door 18 is completed.

The evaluation machine 1 of the FOUP opener 17 is FOU
The purpose is to measure how much dust is generated with the opening and closing operation of the P door 18. Therefore, a narrow clean space is formed so as to surround the opening / closing mechanism 21 of the FOUP opener 17, and the air inside the clean space is taken in by the intake hose 19 and measured by the particle counter 20 during or immediately after the opening / closing operation is completed. Therefore, if the dust generated in the previous use stays in the evaluation device 1, it becomes impossible to accurately measure how much dust is generated by one opening / closing operation. In the case of a conventional clean space structure, dust that has been stagnant in the clean space structure for a long time is also measured, so that the reliability of the FOUP opener for dust generation evaluation was poor. If the inside of the clean space structure has no irregularities as in the present invention, the clean air from above flows down without disturbing the airflow, so that the dust is quickly discharged to the outside together with the clean air, and the dust is accumulated. Since there is no easy plane, a clean space can always be obtained, and the measured value of the particle counter is highly reliable.

Another embodiment will be described below. FIG. 4 shows a clean space structure in which two substantially L-shaped panel-shaped plate members having different shapes from those of the above embodiment are combined. For a relatively small clean space structure, sufficient strength can be obtained only by bonding two panel-shaped plate members, but when a slightly wider clean space structure is to be made, it is sufficient to bond two panel-shaped plate members. Since strength cannot be obtained, a plurality of panel-like plate members are bonded together as shown in FIG. The joints between the panel-shaped plate members were fastened outside the clean space structure, and the joints did not protrude inside. As a result, there is no unevenness inside the clean space structure, and the factor of dust accumulation is eliminated without disturbing the air flow of clean air from above. The method of joining the panels is not particularly limited, but in any case, bolt fastening may be used as in the above-described embodiment, or fastening may be performed using a joint material 22 as shown in FIG. Also, in this case, similarly to the above embodiment, if the upper part of the clean space structure is provided with a filter or a clean air blower, and the lower part has a structure having a space through which air is discharged from above, particularly, Not limited.

[0014]

As compared with the conventional clean space equipment, there is no unevenness or grooves inside, so that the clean air flowing from above is not obstructed, and a high degree of cleanliness can be obtained because there is no dust accumulation element. It became so.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional technique.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing the structure of an evaluator according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view when used as an evaluation device for a FOUP opener.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view of the evaluation machine.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a method of joining panel-shaped plate members to each other.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A clean space structure used for a semiconductor substrate and a liquid crystal substrate manufacturing facility in which clean air is supplied from the upper side to the inside and discharged to the lower side, and a panel-like plate member having four sides surrounding the inside without pillars or beams. A clean space structure characterized by being constructed by joining together. 2. The clean space structure according to claim 1, wherein a joint portion of the panel-shaped plate member does not protrude inside.