JP2004071784A - Clean transport device for substrate, and method for loading substrate thereon - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clean box capable of handling substrates larger than conventional models. <P>SOLUTION: The clean box 1 is provided with a clean box main body 3 comprising a first space 6 for accommodating a substrate 15, bulkheads 5 for delimitating the first space 6, and a second space 7 situated between the bulkheads 5 and clean box external walls for surrounding the first space 6; and with a door section 20 for closing the openings of both first and second spaces 5 and 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a conveyed object such as a substrate for a flat panel display, a semiconductor wafer, or the like, which needs to be prevented as much as possible from contamination of impurities or adhesion of particles, is transferred in a nitrogen atmosphere or the like without changing its cleanliness. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a clean transfer device (so-called clean box) capable of performing such operations and a method of loading a substrate into the device. More specifically, in a state sealed with an inert gas such as high-purity nitrogen, the above-described transported object can be stored, transported, etc. The present invention relates to a method for storing and removing a substrate.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, as a clean box for accommodating a semiconductor wafer, one having a configuration proposed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent No. 3167970 can be cited. The clean box includes a box body having an opening at the front, and a door facing the opening and used for opening and closing the opening. A port for exhausting the inside of the box, which is a closed space, and supplying an inert gas or the like to the inside, is provided in the box body.
[0003]
Further, a flange is provided around the opening, and the flange is configured to cooperate with an outer peripheral portion of the door to form an annular suction space. The suction space includes an annular groove provided on one of the periphery of the flange portion or the door portion, a flat surface on the other side facing the groove, and two spaces disposed on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side of the annular groove. And two O-rings.
[0004]
These O-rings may be fixed to either the flange portion or the periphery of the door portion, and function as an airtight seal by being in close contact with both. By reducing the pressure inside the suction space, the outer periphery of the door and the flange are firmly adhered to each other by the atmospheric pressure, and the airtightness inside the clean box is enhanced.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Due to various demands, the diameter of a semiconductor wafer, which is one of objects to be accommodated in a clean box, is being promoted. In addition, from the past results of semiconductor wafers, attempts have been made to use the box for a substrate for a flat panel display, for example. In this case, the clean box will be used after all its components such as the box body, the opening and the door are enlarged.
[0006]
When such a large size is achieved, the ratio of the length to the width or the depth of the annular groove in the conventionally used suction space is considered to be extremely large. For this reason, the exhaust efficiency of the space is extremely reduced, and it is difficult to reduce the pressure inside the space to a level showing a sufficient adhesion force, or the sealing by the O-long becomes incomplete and the space becomes insufficient. There is a possibility that the obtained adhesion may become uneven depending on the location.
[0007]
Further, as the size of the door or the like increases, its weight also increases, and when it is fixed at a predetermined position, a larger adhesion force is required than in the past. However, depending on the suction space having the above-described configuration, a sufficient size is required. It may be difficult to obtain the adhesion itself. In addition, it is difficult to keep the flatness between the flange portion and the outer peripheral portion of the door equal to that of the conventional clean box due to the increase in the size of the door or the like due to processing, and the adhesion may be reduced.
[0008]
Normally, the O-ring is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and is sandwiched between the flange portion and the outer peripheral portion of the door when the clean box is sealed. The O-ring is elastically deformed to enhance the sealing property and enhance the sealing property of the suction space. I have. However, when the O-ring is repeatedly used in a state where a load is applied only from a specific direction, the O-ring often causes a quasi-plastic deformation although the degree is different. When such deformation occurs in the O-ring, even greater adhesion is required to maintain the confidentiality of the clean box. However, when the condition that the suction space is lengthened is added as described above, it is considered that it becomes more difficult to provide such further adhesion.
[0009]
As described above, when a clean box having a conventional configuration is used for a substrate having a larger size, it is difficult to maintain sufficient airtightness, and thus it is also possible to provide sufficient cleanliness. It will be difficult. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can be used for a large substrate such as a substrate for a flat panel display, and a clean box as a clean transfer device capable of providing sufficient airtightness, It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for accommodating and removing a substrate from and into the box.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, a clean transfer device according to the present invention is a clean transfer device that holds a held object under a clean atmosphere maintained at a specific pressure, and accommodates the held object in a specific direction. A box body including a first space having an opening, a second space having an opening around the opening independently of the first space, and a second space having an opening around the opening; It is characterized by comprising an opening in the first space and a door closing both the opening in the second space.
[0011]
Further, the clean transfer device according to the present invention is a clean transfer device that holds an object to be held in a clean atmosphere kept at a specific pressure, and has a door portion and a box body, and the box body is a box An outer wall defining the main body, a first space disposed inside the outer wall for housing the object to be held, and defining a first space, forming a second space between the first space and the outer wall The first space and the second space each have an opening, and each opening is closed together by a door. In the clean transfer device, it is preferable that the opening of the second space exists so as to surround the opening of the first space.
[0012]
Further, in the above-described clean transfer device, the door portion is provided with the latch mechanism, and the latch receiving portion for receiving the latch mechanism is disposed outside the second space opening on the surface of the box body having the second space opening. Preferably. Further, an opening in a vacuum suction path for communicating the second space with the outside of the clean box is disposed outside the second space opening on the surface of the box body having the second space opening, and the vacuum suction path is It is preferable to have an on-off valve in the path.
[0013]
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of loading a substrate into a clean transfer apparatus, comprising: a first space capable of storing an object to be held and having an opening in a specific direction; And a second space having an opening around the first space opening, and a door body for closing both openings of the first and second spaces. A specific surface where the openings of the first and second spaces in the clean transfer device are in close contact with the port area, with the door portion interposed therebetween, and the inside of the port area is By evacuating to the first predetermined pressure, communicating the second space with the port area at a portion other than the door, and introducing the predetermined gas into the port area and the second space, the second space is formed. The pressure is applied, the door portion is released from the close contact state with the predetermined surface, the first and second spaces are opened, the object to be held is housed in the first space, and the first and second spaces are closed by the door. The port area and the second space are evacuated to a third predetermined pressure,
The method is characterized in that the second space and the port area are independent spaces, and the inside of the port area is set to a pressure substantially equal to the second pressure.
[0014]
In the loading method, the port area holds the object to be stored in the first space in advance, and the door unit waits when the object is stored in the first space. A step of exhausting the port area by communicating with a load port previously held at a pressure substantially equal to the second pressure by the gas, a step of introducing a predetermined gas into the port area and the interior of the second space, and an inside of the port area In the step of making the pressure approximately equal to the second pressure, it is preferable that the load port and the port area are formed as independent spaces.
[0015]
In each of the steps in which the pressure inside the second space and the inside of the port area are adjusted, the latch mechanism provided on the door portion and the latch receiving portion provided on the clean transfer device allow the door portion to perform the first and second steps. In the step of removing the door portion from the opening of each of the first space and the second space, the door portion may be moved via the latch mechanism while the substantially closed state of the second space opening is maintained. preferable.
[0016]
【Example】
The structure of the clean box according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The clean box 1 also includes a box body 3 and a door unit 20 as in the related art, and the box body 3 has an opening on the side facing the door unit 10. However, the box body according to the present invention is separated by the partition 5 into the first space 6 and the second space 7 arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the first space 6 with the partition interposed therebetween.
[0017]
Therefore, when the box body 3 is viewed from the door portion direction, the opening 6a of the first space disposed substantially at the center, the partition end surface 5a that defines the opening, and the first space opening with the partition end surface interposed therebetween. The opening 7a of the second space surrounding the portion 6a and the outer wall 3a of the box body that defines the outer periphery of the second opening 7a are arranged in this order. That is, it can be said that the area of the first space 6 is defined by the partition wall 5.
[0018]
A first O-ring 11 is disposed on an end surface 5 a of the partition 5 facing the door portion 20, and the surface of the door portion 20 facing the box body is in close contact with the first O-ring 11, so that The airtightness of the space 6 is ensured. A second O-ring 12 is disposed on an end surface 3a of the clean box outer wall, which also serves as an outer wall of the second space 7, facing the door unit 20, and the surfaces of the door unit 20 facing the box body 3 are first and second. The close contact with the second O-rings 11 and 12 ensures the airtightness of the second space 7.
[0019]
The first space 6 is used as an accommodation room for accommodating the glass substrate 15 and the like. The second space 7 can communicate with a port area to be described later via an on-off valve 16 and a vacuum suction path 17 and is used as a vacuum chamber. The vacuum suction path 17 is provided outside the second O-ring with respect to the second space 7, and is usually in communication with the atmosphere. In this embodiment, the projection 15a for supporting the substrate is provided inside the first space 6, and the glass substrate 15 and the like are held in the space at substantially constant intervals by the projection. It will be.
[0020]
As described above, by using the second space 7 as a vacuum chamber, it is possible to press the door portion 20 against the first O-ring 11 with a very large adhesive force, and the first space can be sealed in a highly sealed state. 6 can be sealed. Therefore, even in a clean box having a large storage capacity corresponding to a larger substrate, it is possible to provide reliable airtightness. In addition, since the second space 7 having high exhaust efficiency is used to obtain the adhesion, the outer periphery of the opening 6a of the first space is almost uniformly adhered to the accommodation chamber (the first space 6). Can be closed.
[0021]
Further, in this configuration, the storage chamber 6 has a large-volume vacuum chamber 7 disposed as a buffer layer between the storage chamber 6 and the atmosphere. For this reason, if a league caused by flaws or the like occurs in the first or second O-rings 11 and 12, the periphery of the substrate or the like is kept in a clean state for a longer time than in the related art. The following secondary effects can also be obtained.
[0022]
The door unit 20 is provided with a latch mechanism 25 used to open and close the door unit 20 on a surface (a door unit surface) 20a opposite to a surface facing the box body. In FIG. 1, the clean box itself is omitted for the sake of simplicity, but FIG. 2 shows a front view of the surface 20a of the door section 20 and the latch mechanism 25, and this will be briefly described. explain.
[0023]
To facilitate understanding of the positional relationship between the first and second spaces. In the figure, portions corresponding to the boundaries of the first space 6, the partition 5, and the second space 7 are indicated by dotted lines. The latch mechanism 25 is composed of a pair of an upper latch 25a and a lower latch 25b arranged in a straight line on the same axis, and their shapes are the same except that their arrangement and driving directions are symmetrical. At the outer end of each latch, there is provided an engaging claw 27 for engaging with the latch receiving portion 18 provided around the opening of the box body.
[0024]
A latch drive shaft 40 as an external operation mechanism is disposed between the upper and lower latches 25a and 25b. The latch drive shaft 40 has a latch drive shaft 40 for driving each latch to two positions of lock and unlock. Two driving pins 41 corresponding to the latch are provided. A hook 28 is provided at the inner end of each of the latches 25a and 25b to engage with the drive pin 41 when the latch is driven. A spring 29 is disposed substantially at the center of each latch, and each latch is urged by these springs 29 in a direction in which the engaging claw 27 engages with the latch receiving portion 18.
[0025]
The driving pin 41 is engaged with the claw 28 by the rotation of the driving shaft 40 and the state shown in the drawing. As the drive shaft 40 further rotates in the direction of arrow A in the figure, each latch driving pin 41 pulls the latches 25a and 25b in a direction substantially opposite to the biasing direction by the spring, and the engaging claws 27 It is separated from the receiving part 18.
[0026]
When the drive shaft 40 rotates in the direction opposite to the arrow A, the hooks 28 are released from being pulled by the drive pins 41, and the engaging claws 27 are moved by the biasing force of the springs 29. 18 will be engaged. When the engagement claw 27 and the latch receiving portion 18 are in the engaged state, the door portion 20 is pressed against the opening of the box body 3 via the latch mechanism 25. When the engagement state is released, the box main body 3 and the door unit 20 can be separated.
[0027]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3D, an operation of separating the clean box and the door unit, that is, an operation of opening the door unit will be described. Here, a case where the substrate is accommodated in an empty clean box will be described. The figure shows a schematic configuration when the door unit opening / closing mechanism 50 and the clean box 1 and the door unit 20 arranged at the door opening / closing position in the mechanism are viewed from the side.
[0028]
The door opening / closing mechanism 50 has a low port 51 which is a substantially closed space having a load opening 51a, and a port area 61 continuous with the load opening 51a. The load opening 51a has a size that allows the door 20 to pass through. Inside the load port 51, a port door 52 having a size capable of closing the load opening 51a and a port door connected to the port door 52 for approaching and separating the port door 52 from the opening 51a. Cylinder 53 is disposed.
[0029]
At a substantially central portion of the port door 52, a latch drive shaft 40 used for driving the above-described latch mechanism 25 is disposed so as to protrude outside the load port 51, that is, in the direction in which the clean box 1 is disposed. A rotation mechanism (not shown) is connected to the drive shaft 40. Further, the port door 52 has a size capable of making contact with the outer periphery of the load opening 51a on the inner side of the load port 51, and the fourth and fifth O-rings 54 and 55 are arranged at this contact portion. I have.
[0030]
The port area 61 has a port opening 61a formed on the side opposite to the loading opening 51a, and the port opening 61a has a size such that the door portion 20 can pass through similarly to the loading opening 51a. are doing. A nitrogen supply system 63 is connected to the port area 61 via a nitrogen supply valve 62, and an exhaust system (not shown) is connected via an exhaust valve 64.
[0031]
The clean box 1 is held by the position adjusting mechanism 70 such that the door 20 faces the load port 51 side, and the center of the latch mechanism 25 provided on the door 20 and the tip of the latch drive shaft 40 coincide with each other. The position is adjusted. This state is shown in FIG. 3A.
[0032]
After the adjustment of the holding position, the clean box 1 is moved to the load port 51 side by the clean box moving cylinder 71 arranged behind the clean box 1. When the clean box 1 is moved, the third O-ring 13 arranged on the outer periphery of the door portion 20 of the clean box 1 is substantially moved relative to the O-ring receiving surface formed on the outer periphery of the port opening 61a on the position adjusting mechanism side. It stops when it comes into close contact. This state is shown in FIG. 3B.
[0033]
In the state of FIG. 3B, the port area 61 is a closed space by the door portion 20, the end of the box body located on the outer periphery of the door portion, the third O-ring 13, the fourth O-ring 54, and the port door 52. You. In this state, the vacuum suction path 17 provided in the clean box 1 is in communication with the port area 61. The tip of the latch drive shaft 40 is located substantially at the center of the latch mechanism 25 and at a position where the latch mechanism 25 can be driven.
[0034]
In this state, the rotation of the latch drive shaft 40 causes the drive pin 41 to engage with the claw 28. As the latch drive shaft 40 further rotates, each of the latches 25a and 25b is pulled to a substantially central portion of the latch mechanism 25, and the engaging claw 27 is separated from the latch receiving portion 18. This state is shown in FIG. 3C.
[0035]
In this state, since air at atmospheric pressure exists in the port area 61, the door portion 20 is in close contact with the clean box body 3 due to the pressure received from the air. Subsequently, the port area 61 is evacuated through the exhaust valve 64. This evacuation operation is preferably continued up to a first predetermined pressure at which the pressure inside the port area 61 substantially matches the predetermined pressure value inside the second space 7.
[0036]
At this time, the inside of the vacuum suction path 17 provided in the clean box 1 is also exhausted together with the port area 61. After the exhaust of the inside of the port area 61 is completed, the nitrogen supply valve 62 is opened, and nitrogen is introduced into the port area 61 from the nitrogen tank 63 which is a nitrogen supply system via the valve 62. In this embodiment, nitrogen selected as a predetermined gas is introduced until the inside of the port area 61 reaches the second pressure.
[0037]
Further, by opening the on-off valve 16 provided in the clean box 1, the second space 7 communicates with the port area 61 via the vacuum suction path 17, and nitrogen is also introduced into the second space 7. It will be. Since the inside of the second space 7 is filled with nitrogen and the internal pressure becomes substantially the same as the pressure inside the port area 61, the pressure received from the surrounding gas on the door portion 20 is almost zero. It becomes. As a result, the force holding the door unit 20 to the clean box body 3 is only from the latch drive shaft 40.
[0038]
As shown in FIG. 3D, by retreating the port door 52 using the port door moving cylinder 53, the door unit 20 held by the latch drive shaft 40 moves together with the port door 52. Needless to say, when the port door 52 is moved, the space inside the load port 51 needs to be at substantially the same pressure by nitrogen as the space inside the port area 61.
[0039]
With the above operation, the door section 20 of the clean box 1 is removed, and the board 15 can be inserted into the clean box body 3. Insertion of the substrate 15 or the like is performed by a substrate transport mechanism (not shown) arranged in the load port 51. At this time, since the inside of the load port 51 and the inside of the port area 61 are filled with high-purity nitrogen gas, the first space 6, which is the substrate accommodating chamber, is also filled with high-purity nitrogen.
[0040]
After the insertion of the board 15 is completed, the port door 52 holding the door unit 20 is driven, and when the door unit 20 comes into contact with the first and second O-rings 6, 7, the driving is stopped. After the driving is stopped, the latch driving shaft 40 rotates, the hooks 28 are released from the driving pins 41, the engaging claws 27 are fitted into the latch receiving portions 18 by the urging force of the springs 29, and the door portion 20 is connected to the clean box body. 3 fixed.
[0041]
In this state, the exhaust valve 64 provided in the port area 61 is opened to exhaust the inside of the port area 61 and the second space 7 communicating with the port area 61. This evacuation operation is continued until the inside of the port area 61 reaches the third predetermined pressure. At this time, since the inside of the first space 6 is filled with nitrogen, the door portion 20 receives a pressure toward the port area 61 side. Therefore, the latch mechanism 25 needs to be strong enough to withstand this pressure.
[0042]
After the port area 61 and the like are exhausted to a predetermined pressure value, the exhaust valve 64 and the open / close valve 16 on the clean box 1 side are closed. Thereafter, the nitrogen supply valve 62 provided in the port area 61 is opened, and nitrogen is introduced until the pressure in the port area 61 becomes substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure.
[0043]
By the above operation, the door portion 20 completely closes the opening 3a of the clean box main body 3, and the second space 7 vacuum-adsorbs the door portion 20, thereby providing the first and second doors with sufficient strength. Spaces 6 and 7 are sealed. Further, when the port area 61 is set to the atmospheric pressure, the clean box 1 can be easily separated from the port area 61. When the substrate 15 is taken out, it is possible to reverse the above-described procedure, and therefore, a further description is omitted here.
[0044]
By using the door opening / closing mechanism 50 having the above configuration, it is possible to perform the replacement of nitrogen in the substrate storage chamber 6, the filling of nitrogen, and the storage and removal of the substrate 15 by a relatively simple procedure. This configuration is particularly suitable as a transfer technique for large substrates, and can be operated stably at low cost as a device configuration. Therefore, it is considered that this also contributes to an improvement in production efficiency in a production line using the substrate.
[0045]
In this embodiment, nitrogen is used as the predetermined gas for filling each space, but any inert gas may be used. Further, various gases such as an oxidizing gas can be used depending on the type of the substrate or the treatment performed on the substrate.
[0046]
In addition, when the substrate is stored, the inside of the port area or the like is set to the atmospheric pressure.For example, when it is necessary to leave the clean box in the substrate storing state for a long time, each operation is performed under a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. It is preferable that the inside of the substrate accommodating chamber is finally set to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. Further, an independent nitrogen supply system and an independent exhaust system may be provided in the first space which is the substrate accommodating chamber.
[0047]
In the present embodiment, the second space communicates with the port area to introduce or exhaust nitrogen through the port area, but this is connected to the individual nitrogen supply system and exhaust system. It is good to do. This makes it possible to increase the degree of vacuum inside the second space, improve the adhesion between the door section and the clean box, and improve the cleanliness inside the second space.
[0048]
Further, in the present embodiment, the second space is formed so as to surround all surfaces of the first space other than the surface having the opening. However, in view of the effects of the present invention, the second space may be formed so as to surround four surfaces other than the surface having the opening and the surface facing the opening in the first space. In this case, it is desirable to increase the distance between the contact portion of each of the four surfaces in the first space and the outer wall forming the second space, and sufficiently reduce the exhaust resistance of this portion. Alternatively, an on-off valve or the like may be provided at a plurality of positions as needed.
[0049]
In addition, the second space is disposed above and below the first space having a substantially cubic shape, and a partition wall (substantially coincident with the outer wall) in a portion where the second space is not disposed communicates with each of the second spaces. The suction groove may be formed. Since the inside of the suction groove can be evacuated satisfactorily through the second space, the width of the suction groove and the like can be made larger than before and the suction force by the groove can be increased, so that a larger door portion Can also be handled.
[0050]
In this embodiment, a latch mechanism including two latches is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more latches may be used if it is necessary to fix the door part more strongly in the above-described operations such as storage of the substrate. In addition, the shape of the latch, the method of driving the latch, and the like are not limited by the present embodiment, and it is desirable that the shape is appropriately changed according to the door fixing type, the weight of the door, and the like.
[0051]
[Effects of the present invention]
By implementing the present invention, it is possible to press the door portion against the first O-ring with a very large adhesion force as compared with the conventional clean box, and it is possible to seal the first space with a high sealing state. It becomes possible. Therefore, even in a clean box having a large storage capacity corresponding to a larger substrate, it is possible to provide reliable airtightness.
[0052]
Further, with respect to the clean box according to the present invention, it is possible to perform the replacement of nitrogen in the substrate accommodating chamber, the filling of nitrogen, and the accommodating and removing of the substrate by a relatively simple procedure. It is also possible to improve the production efficiency of the process.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a cross-sectional shape of a clean box according to the present invention when viewed from a side.
FIG. 2 is a view showing a configuration of a clean box according to the present invention in a state where a door portion is viewed from the front.
FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a procedure when a substrate is stored in the clean box shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a procedure for storing a substrate in the clean box shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 3C is a diagram showing a procedure for storing a substrate in the clean box shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 3D is a diagram showing a procedure for storing a substrate in the clean box shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Clean box
3: Box body
5: Partition wall
6: 1st space (substrate accommodation room)
7: Second space (vacuum chamber)
11: First O-ring
12: Second O-ring
13: Third O-ring
15: Substrate
16: Open / close valve
17: Vacuum suction path
18: Latch receiving part
20: Door section
25: Latch mechanism
27: engaging claw
28: Claw
29: Spring
40: Latch drive shaft
41: drive pin
50: Door opening / closing mechanism
51: Load port
52: Port door
53: Port door cylinder
54: Fourth O-ring
55: Fifth O-ring
61: Port area
62: Nitrogen supply valve
63: Nitrogen supply system
64: Exhaust valve
70: Position adjustment mechanism
71: Cylinder

Claims (8)

A clean transfer device that holds the held object under a clean atmosphere maintained at a specific pressure,
A first space that accommodates the held object and has an opening in a specific direction;
A box body comprising a second space which is arranged around the first space independently of the first space and has an opening around the opening;
A clean transport device comprising: a door that closes both the opening in the first space and the opening in the second space. A clean transfer device that holds the held object under a clean atmosphere maintained at a specific pressure,
Door part,
Having a box body,
The box body has an outer wall defining the box body,
A first space arranged inside the outer wall and accommodating the held object;
A partition that defines the first space and forms a second space between the first space and the outer wall;
The said 1st space and 2nd space each have an opening part, The said each opening part is closed together by the said door part, The clean conveyance apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 3. The clean transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the opening of the second space exists so as to surround the opening of the first space. A latch mechanism is provided on the door portion, and a latch receiving portion for receiving the latch mechanism is arranged outside the second space opening on a surface of the box body having the second space opening. The clean transfer device according to claim 1 or 3, wherein Outside the second space opening on the surface of the box body having the second space opening, an opening in a vacuum suction path that communicates the second space with the outside of the clean box is arranged, 4. The clean transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum suction path has an opening / closing valve in the path. A first space capable of storing an object to be held and having an opening in a specific direction; and a second space surrounding the first space and having an opening around the first space opening. A method of loading an object to be held into a clean transfer device having a box body and a door unit for closing both openings of the first and second spaces.
With the door portion in between, the specific surface where the opening of each of the first and second spaces in the clean transfer device is in close contact with a port area,
Evacuating the interior of the port area to a first predetermined pressure;
Allowing the second space and the port area to communicate with each other at a portion other than the door portion;
A second pressure is introduced by introducing a predetermined gas into the port area and the second space,
Releasing the door portion from the close contact state with the predetermined surface to open the first and second spaces,
The object to be held is stored inside the first space,
The first and second spaces are substantially closed by the door portion,
Evacuating the interior of the port area and the interior of the second space to a third predetermined pressure;
The second space and the port area are independent spaces,
A step of setting the inside of the port area to a pressure substantially equal to the second pressure. The port area holds the object to be stored in the first space in advance, and waits for the door unit to store the object in the first space. Communicating with a load port previously held at a pressure substantially equal to the second pressure;
In the step of exhausting the port area, the step of introducing a predetermined gas into the port area and the interior of the second space, and the step of setting the inside of the port area to a pressure substantially equal to the second pressure, 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the load port and the port area are independent spaces. In each of the steps in which the pressure inside the second space and the inside of the port area are adjusted, the latch mechanism provided on the door portion and the latch receiving portion provided on the clean transfer device allow the door portion to be used. A substantially closed state of the first and second space openings is maintained;
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, in the step of removing the door portion from the opening in each of the first space and the second space, the door portion is moved via the latch mechanism. .

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