JP2016127105A - Gas purge unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gas purge unit capable of introducing a purge gas to the entire transport container, by strengthening the direction of purification gas release.SOLUTION: A gas purge unit for introducing a purification gas into a container (2) having a main opening (2b) for loading and unloading a housing material, from the main opening, has a cylindrical blowoff member (22) where a long cavity (23) extending in the longitudinal direction, and supplied with the purification gas from a supply section, and a plurality of discharge paths (26) arranged in the longitudinal direction, and causing outflow of the purification gas in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction, by interconnecting the long cavity and the outside, are formed internally. The opening area A2 of an opening (26b) to the outside is smaller than opening area A1 of an opening (26a) to the long cavity, in the discharge paths.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas purge unit used in, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing process.

  In a semiconductor manufacturing process, a wafer accommodated in a wafer transfer container called a FOUP or a pod has a structure in which, for example, high-density metal wiring is formed. The wafer surface on which such high-density metal wiring is formed is only slightly oxidized during the process, and there is a possibility that desired characteristics cannot be obtained when the device is completed. Therefore, in order to prevent oxidation of the wafer surface during the process, it is necessary to keep the oxygen concentration inside the transfer container at a low level.

  However, when the wafer in the transfer container is brought into various processing apparatuses and subjected to predetermined processing, it is necessary to open the main opening of the transfer container for the convenience of performing the operation of taking the wafer in and out of the transfer container. . At this time, the inside of the transfer container is in communication with the environment in the intermediate chamber in which a robot or the like for transferring the wafer from the transfer container to various processing apparatuses is disposed via the main opening. The environment in the intermediate chamber is controlled by a device (such as an EFEM) that includes a fan and a filter for purifying the environment in the intermediate chamber, and the cleanliness in the intermediate chamber is managed to a certain value or more. However, since the cleanliness in the intermediate chamber may be lower than that inside the transfer container filled with a cleaning gas such as nitrogen gas, if the air in the intermediate chamber enters the transfer container, oxygen in the transfer container The concentration increases and the risk of oxidation of the wafer surface increases.

  Thus, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for introducing a purge gas such as nitrogen gas toward the inside of the transfer container.

JP 2004-235516 A

  However, in the conventional apparatus, the direction of the purge gas is not sufficiently determined, or the purge gas does not easily reach a place far from the main opening of the transfer container because the wafer in the transfer container prevents introduction of the purge gas. From the viewpoint of introducing purge gas into the entire transport container, there is a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a gas purge unit capable of introducing a purge gas into the entire transport container by enhancing the direction of discharge of the cleaning gas.

In order to achieve the above object, a gas purge unit according to the present invention comprises:
A gas purge unit for introducing a cleaning gas into the inside of a container having a main opening for taking in and out the contents from the main opening,
A plurality of long cavities that extend in the longitudinal direction and in which the cleaning gas is supplied from a supply section; and a plurality of the cavities that are communicated with the outside to allow the cleaning gas to flow out in a direction that intersects the longitudinal direction. A discharge channel, and a cylindrical blowing member formed inside,
The plurality of discharge channels are arranged along the longitudinal direction,
The discharge channel is characterized in that A2 is smaller than A1 when the opening area of the opening to the long cavity is A1 and the opening area of the opening to the outside is A2.

  In the gas purge unit of the present invention, the opening area A2 to the outside is smaller than the opening area A1 to the long cavity. The purge gas can reach a place far away from the vehicle. In addition, since the plurality of discharge flow paths are arranged along the longitudinal direction, it is easy to allow the purge gas to reach the back of the transfer container through the wafer by adjusting the position of the nozzle. .

  Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to introduce the purge gas into the entire transport container, and it is possible to prevent the problem that the oxygen concentration inside the transport container increases when the main opening is open.

  For example, the long cavity may include a first portion that communicates with the supply unit, and a second portion that is partitioned by a filter with respect to the first portion and communicates with the discharge flow path.

  Since the long cavity has the first part and the second part partitioned by the filter, the difference between the discharge amount and the discharge pressure of the purge bath from each discharge flow path formed in the blowing member is reduced, and the entire transfer container The purge gas can be efficiently introduced into the gas.

  In the discharge channel, A2 / A1 is preferably larger than 0.25 and smaller than 1.0. By setting it as such a range, since the opening area A2 to the outside does not become too small, the flow rate per discharge flow path is ensured more than a certain value, and the direction of the purge gas can be appropriately managed, The purge gas can efficiently reach the depth of the transfer container.

Further, for example, in the gas purge unit according to the present invention, the peripheral wall of the discharge flow path and the peripheral wall of the long cavity may be integrally formed by the outer wall of the blowing member.
For example, in a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, L1 may be greater than L2 when the flow path length of the discharge flow path is L1 and the average thickness of the outer wall of the blowing member is L2. .

  Since the blowing member in which the peripheral wall of the discharge flow path and the peripheral wall of the long cavity are integrated, the structure is simple, and thus the gas purge unit using such a blowing member is easy to manufacture. By setting the flow path length of the discharge flow path to be larger than the average thickness of the outer wall of the blow-out member, the blow-off member can be configured to be light and compact, and sufficient directionality can be given to the discharged purge gas.

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional schematic view of a load port device to which a gas purge unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. 2 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the load port device shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating a process in which a hoop lid is opened by a load port device. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram showing a step subsequent to FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C is a schematic view showing a step subsequent to FIG. 3B. FIG. 3D is a schematic diagram showing a continuation process of FIG. 3C. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. 3D. 5A is a schematic perspective view of the gas purge unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and the like, FIG. 5B is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, and FIG. 5C is a transverse sectional view thereof. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a gas purge unit according to a modification.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional schematic view of a load port apparatus 10 having a gas purge unit 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The load port apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the intermediate chamber 60a of the eFem body 60. In the embodiment described below, the present invention will be described by taking the gas purge unit 20 applied to the load port apparatus 10 as an example. However, the use of the gas purge unit 20 is not limited to this, and the contents are taken in and out. Therefore, the present invention can also be applied to other apparatuses that introduce cleaning gas from the main opening.

  The load port device 10 is an interface device for transferring the wafer 1 accommodated in a sealed state in the sealed transfer container 2 into the intermediate chamber 60a while maintaining a clean state. A single or a plurality of processing chambers 70 are hermetically connected to the intermediate chamber 60a, and the wafer 1 transferred to the intermediate chamber 60a is further transferred from the intermediate chamber 60a to the processing chamber 70 by the robot arm 50. Is done. The processing chamber 70 is a part of an apparatus for performing predetermined processing on the wafer 1. In the processing chamber 70, predetermined processing is sequentially performed on the wafer 1 transferred by the robot arm 50. . An apparatus including the processing chamber 70 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include apparatuses used in a semiconductor manufacturing process such as a vapor deposition apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, and an etching apparatus.

  The load port device 10 includes a wall 11, an installation table 12, a movable table 14, a door 18, a gas purge unit 20, and the like. The movable table 14 is disposed on the installation table 12 and is movable in the X-axis direction with respect to the installation table 12. In the drawings, the X-axis indicates the moving direction of the movable table 14, the Z-axis indicates the vertical direction in the vertical direction, and the Y-axis indicates the direction perpendicular to these X-axis and Z-axis.

  On the upper part of the movable table 14 in the Z-axis direction, a sealed transfer container 2 composed of a pot, a hoop, or the like for sealing, storing, and transferring a plurality of wafers 1 can be detachably mounted. Other configurations of the load port device 10 will be described later.

  The sealed transfer container 2 includes a casing 2a, a lid 4, an air supply port 5, an exhaust port 6, and the like. Inside the casing 2a, a space for accommodating the wafer 1 as an object to be processed is formed. The casing 2a has a substantially box-like shape having a main opening 2b for taking in and out the wafer 1 which is a contained material on any one surface present in the horizontal direction. The lid 4 can seal the main opening 2b of the casing 2a. As will be described later, the load port apparatus 10 can open and close the main opening 2b by moving the lid 4.

  A shelf (not shown) having a plurality of steps for accommodating a plurality of wafers 1 so as not to contact each other is provided inside the casing 2a. The wafers 1 accommodated in the sealed transfer container 2 are placed horizontally on each shelf so that they are held horizontally and spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). In the state, it is arranged inside the casing 2a.

  A robot arm 50 is installed in the intermediate chamber 60 a of the eFem body 60. An FFU (Fan Filter Unit) 40 is mounted on the upper part of the intermediate chamber 60a. The eFem body 60 flows clean air from the FFU 40 to the inside of the intermediate chamber 60a by a downflow, and creates a local clean environment inside the intermediate chamber 60a. The cleanliness inside the intermediate chamber 60a is lower than the cleanliness inside the sealed transfer container 2, but higher than the cleanliness in the external environment.

  The wall 11 of the load port device 10 faces the sealed conveyance container 2 installed on the movable table 14, and functions as a part of a casing that seals the intermediate chamber 60a. A wall-side opening 13 is formed in the wall 11. The door 18 opens and closes the wall side opening 13.

  The movement of the door 18 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3D. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the sealed transport container 2 is installed on the movable table 14, the positioning pins 16 are fitted into the recesses of the positioning section 3 provided on the lower surface of the casing 2 a of the sealed transport container 2. Thus, the positional relationship between the sealed transport container 2 and the movable table 14 is uniquely determined. During the storage of the wafer 1 and the transfer of the sealed transfer container 2 itself that accommodates the wafer 1, the inside of the sealed transfer container 2 is sealed, and the environment around the wafer 1 is maintained in a substantially constant state. .

  When the sealed transport container 2 is positioned and installed on the upper surface of the movable table 14, the air supply port 5 and the exhaust port 6 formed on the lower surface of the sealed transport container 2 are arranged inside the movable table 14. It is airtightly connected to a bottom purge device. Then, a bottom gas purge is performed through an air supply port 5 and an exhaust port 6 provided at the lower part of the sealed transfer container 2. In the state where the bottom gas purge is performed, as shown in FIG. 3B, the movable table 14 moves in the X-axis direction, and the opening edge to which the lid 4 that hermetically closes the main opening 2b of the sealed transfer container 2 is attached. 2 c enters the inside of the wall-side opening 13 of the wall 11.

  At the same time, the surface of the door 18 that seals the wall-side opening 13 on the side facing the sealed transport container 2 engages with the lid 4 of the sealed transport container 2. At that time, the gap between the opening edge 2c and the opening edge of the wall side opening 13 is sealed with a gasket or the like, and the gap between these is well sealed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3C, the door 18 is moved in parallel with the lid 4 in the X-axis direction or is pivotally moved to move the lid 4 to the intermediate chamber 60a, thereby removing the door from the opening edge 2c. In this way, the main opening 2b of the sealed conveyance container 2 is opened, and the inside of the sealed conveyance container 2 and the intermediate chamber 60a are communicated with each other through the main opening 2b and the wall side opening 13.

  Even after the main opening 2b is opened, the bottom gas purge may be continued and operated. Further, in addition to the bottom purge or by stopping the bottom purge, a front purge for introducing a purge gas (cleaning gas) such as nitrogen gas or other inert gas into the sealed transfer container 2 from the opened main opening 2b. To start. The front purge uses the gas purge unit 20 attached to the wall 11 to release the cleaning gas from the discharge passage formed in the blowing member 22 provided in the gas purge unit 20 and cleans the inside of the sealed transfer container 2. Implemented by introducing gas. The gas purge unit 20 will be described later.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3D, if the lid 4 moved to the intermediate chamber 60a along with the door 18 is moved downward in the Z-axis, the main opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 is moved to the intermediate chamber 60a. Open completely. As a result, the robot arm 50 disposed in the intermediate chamber 60a can take out the wafer 1 from the inside of the sealed transfer container 2 through the main opening 2b and the wall side opening 13, and transfer the wafer 1 to the intermediate chamber 60a. Become. Even during the transfer operation of the wafer 1 by the robot arm 50, preferably, the front purge is continued whenever the main opening 2b is open. By continuing the front purge, the inflow of air into the intermediate chamber 60a toward the inside of the sealed transfer container 2 is suppressed, and the inside of the sealed transfer container 2 is maintained in a cleaner environment as compared with the intermediate chamber 60a. In order to close the main opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 and remove the sealed transport container 2 from the movable table 14, the reverse operation described above may be performed.

  In the drawing, the air supply port 5, the exhaust port 6, the gas purge unit 20, and the like are illustrated in an enlarged manner as compared with the sealed transfer container 2 for easy understanding. Is different.

  Next, the gas purge unit 20 for performing the front purge according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the wall side opening 13 formed in the wall 11 has a rectangular opening surface, and an upper side portion 13b, a lower side portion 13c, and two side portions 13a in the wall 11 are provided. It is surrounded by As shown in FIG. 3A, the main opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 has a shape corresponding to the wall-side opening 13, and is set to have the same size as the wall-side opening 13 or slightly smaller than the wall-side opening 13. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the gas purge unit 20 is attached to the inner surface of the wall 11 so as to avoid the door 18 at both side portions 13 a of the wall-side opening 13. The inner surface of the wall 11 is the surface of the wall 11 opposite to the installation base 12, and the gas purge unit 20 is fixed to the wall 11 via an adapter 17. In the present embodiment, the gas purge unit 20 is attached through the adapter 17, but it is not always necessary to use the adapter as shown in the embodiment, and the gas park unit is directly attached to the wall 11. Also good.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the gas purge unit 20 is disposed on both side portions 13 a of the wall-side opening 13 along the Z-axis direction. 3D, the length of the gas purge unit 20 in the Z direction is longer than that of the main opening 2b of the sealed transfer container 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the gas purge unit 20 has a cylindrical blowing member 22.

  In the present embodiment, the blowing member 22 is a tubular member that is elongated in the Z-axis direction, and the longitudinal direction of the blowing member 22 coincides with the Z-axis direction. FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C are a schematic perspective view, a schematic vertical sectional view, and a schematic horizontal sectional view of the blowing member 22. As shown in FIG. 5A, the blowing member 22 has a substantially quadrangular prism-like outer shape having four side surfaces extending in the longitudinal direction and two end surfaces extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

  An external opening 26b of the discharge channel 26 is provided along the Z-axis direction on the side surface 22a, which is one of the side surfaces included in the blowing member 22. A supply pipe 28 for supplying the cleaning gas to the blowing member 22 is connected to the end surface 22b facing the Z-axis negative direction side of the blowing member 22. The outer shape of the blowing member 22 is not limited to a quadrangular prism shape, and may be a polygonal column shape other than the quadrangular column shape, an elliptical / cylindrical shape, or other shapes.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, which is a longitudinal sectional view (a sectional view with a section extending in the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction)), inside the blowing member 22, there is one long cavity 23 and a long cavity 23. And a plurality of discharge flow channels 26 connected to. The long cavity 23 and the discharge channel 26 constitute a cleaning gas channel.

  The long cavity 23 extends in the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) similarly to the outer shape of the blowing member 22, and the shape of the long cavity 23 is cylindrical. The end opening on the Z axis negative direction side of the long cavity 23 communicates with a supply flow path 28a in the supply pipe 28, and the cleaning gas is supplied to the long cavity 23 from the supply flow path 28a.

  The discharge channel 26 communicates the outside of the blowing member 22 with the long cavity 23. The discharge channel 26 has a central axis extending in a direction (a direction parallel to the XY plane) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction), and discharges the cleaning gas in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. A plurality of discharge channels 26 are formed inside the blowing member 22, and the plurality of discharge channels 26 are arranged along the longitudinal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5B and a cross-sectional view (a cross section taken along a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction)), in one discharge flow channel 26, the length of the discharge flow channel 26 is shown. When the opening area of the internal opening 26a that is the opening to the cavity 23 is A1, and the opening area of the external opening 26b that is the opening to the outside of the discharge flow path 26 is A2, A2 is smaller than A1. The inner opening 26a and the outer opening 26b are both substantially circular. That is, in the present embodiment, the discharge flow channel 26 has a truncated cone shape whose diameter decreases from the long cavity 23 toward the outside.

  In the present embodiment, A1 and A2 are calculated from the inner diameter D1 of the inner opening 26a and the inner diameter D2 of the outer opening 26b. The ratio between A1 and A2 is not particularly limited, but A2 / A1 is preferably larger than 0.25 and smaller than 1.0. By making A2 / A1 larger than 0.25, the opening area A2 to the outside does not become too small, and the flow rate per one discharge flow path can be secured above a certain level. Moreover, the directionality of purge gas can be improved by making the ratio of A2 / A1 smaller than 1.0.

  As shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, the peripheral wall of the discharge flow channel 26 and the peripheral wall of the long cavity 23 are integrally formed by the outer wall 22 c of the blowing member 22. Further, as shown in FIG. 5C, in the cross-sectional view passing through the central axis C1 of the discharge flow channel 26, the flow channel length of the discharge flow channel 26 is L1, and the average thickness of the outer wall 22c of the blowing member 22 is set. When L2 is L2, L1 is preferably larger than L2. Note that the average thickness L2 of the outer wall is a value obtained by dividing the cross-sectional area of the outer wall 22c by the length of the center line C2 of the outer wall 22c in the cross-sectional view passing through the central axis of the discharge flow channel 26.

  By setting the flow path length L1 of the discharge flow path 26 to be larger than the average thickness L2 of the outer wall 22c of the blow-out member 22, the blow-off member 22 is configured to be lightweight and compact, and has sufficient directionality to the purge gas to be discharged. Can be given. In addition, as a method of making L1 larger than L2, with respect to the side surface 22a on the discharge flow channel 26 side as in this embodiment, in addition to the method of increasing the thickness of the outer wall 22c from the other side surface, On the other hand, a method of forming the discharge channel obliquely can be mentioned.

  The arrows in FIG. 4 schematically show how the cleaning gas reaches the back of the sealed transfer container 2 in the front purge performed using the gas purge unit 20 shown in FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (c). Represents. As shown in FIG. 4, the gas purge unit 20 includes the adapter 17 so that the side surface 22a of the blowing member 22 in which the external openings 26b are arranged is inclined with respect to the wall 11 so as to face the back of the sealed transport container 2. It is fixed using.

  As described above, in the gas purge unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the opening area A2 to the outside of the discharge flow path 26 is smaller than the opening area A1 to the long cavity 23, and thus the directionality of the purge gas ejected from the blowing member 22. Moreover, the momentum at the time of discharge becomes strong, and the cleaning gas can reach the back of the sealed transport container 2 far from the main opening 2 b of the sealed transport container 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 3D and the like, since the plurality of discharge flow paths 26 are arranged along the longitudinal direction, the position of the discharge flow paths 26 is set up and down with respect to the position of the wafer 1 placed on the shelf. The cleaning gas can pass through between the wafers 1 and reach the depth of the transfer container. Therefore, in the gas purge unit 20, it becomes possible to introduce the cleaning gas into the entire inside of the sealed transport container 2, and the problem that the oxygen concentration inside the sealed transport container 2 increases in the state where the main opening 2b is open, It can be effectively prevented. Further, the gas purge unit 20 can generate a discharge flow capable of introducing the cleaning gas into the entire inside of the sealed transport container 2 without changing the gas pressure on the supply side, and thus the consumption amount of the cleaning gas can be reduced. Can be suppressed.

  In the front purge in the load port apparatus 10 according to the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3C and 3D, in addition to the gas purge unit 20 described above, cleaning is performed from the curtain nozzle 30 disposed on the upper side portion 13b. The gasified gas may be ejected vertically downward (Z-axis negative direction). In the front purge, the curtain nozzle 30 is used to form the downflow of the cleaning gas on the front surface of the main opening 2b, thereby more effectively preventing the air in the intermediate chamber 60a from entering the sealed transfer container 2. Can be prevented.

  In the above-described embodiment, the gas purge unit 20 shown in FIG. 5 and the like has been described as an example. However, the structure of the long cavity formed in the gas purge unit and the discharge channel is various within the range where the effect of the invention is exerted. Modifications are possible, and modifications thereof are also included in the technical scope of the invention. For example, FIG. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the blowing member 122 of the gas purge unit according to the first modification. Inside the blowing member 122, a discharge channel 126 and a long cavity 123 are formed.

  The long cavity 123 of the blowing member 122 is connected to the first part 123a that communicates with the supply flow path 28a (FIG. 5B) and the first part 123a via the filter 124 and communicates with the discharge flow path 126. And a second portion 123b. The outer wall 122c that constitutes the blowing member 122 has a structure in which the quadrangular column that constitutes the first portion 123a and the quadrangular column that constitutes the second portion 123b are connected so that their side surfaces are in contact with each other. The discharge channel 126 is different from the discharge channel 26 shown in FIG. 5C in that the discharge channel 126 is formed at the corner of a quadrangular prism that constitutes the second portion 123b. The point that the plurality of discharge channels 126 are arranged along the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) and the point that the opening area of the external opening 126b is smaller than the opening area of the internal opening 126a are the same as those of the discharge channel 26. .

  In this way, the long cavity 123 is divided into the first portion 123a and the second portion 123b, and the filter 124 is disposed between the first portion 123a and the second portion 123b, thereby cleaning the inside of the second portion 123b. The variation in pressure of the chemical gas (particularly the pressure variation in the longitudinal direction) is reduced. Therefore, the gas purge unit having the blowing member 122 reduces the variation in the discharge flow rate and the discharge flow rate of the cleaning gas for each discharge flow channel 26 and efficiently introduces the cleaning gas into the entire inside of the sealed transfer container 2. Can do.

  Further, in the blowing member 122, the discharge flow channel 26 is formed at the corner of a quadrangular prism that is the flow channel shape of the second portion 123b so as to extend obliquely with respect to the side surface of the outer wall 122c. For this reason, if one of the side surfaces of the blowing member 122 is arranged in parallel with the wall 11 (see FIG. 4) of the load port device 10, the discharge channel 126 faces the back of the sealed transport container 2. The mounting to the wall 11 is easy. In addition, about the part which abbreviate | omitted description about the blowing member 122 which concerns on a modification, it is the same as that of the blowing member 22, and there exists an effect similar to the blowing member 22. FIG.

  FIG. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the blowing member 222 of the gas purge unit according to the second modification. The blowing member 222 is different from the blowing member 22 shown in FIG. 5C in that the peripheral wall of the discharge channel 226 and the peripheral wall of the long cavity 223 are formed of different members. The peripheral wall of the discharge channel 226 is combined with the peripheral wall of the long cavity 223 by molding after being individually molded. In this way, by configuring the peripheral wall of the discharge channel 226 separately from at least a part of the peripheral wall of the long cavity 223, the structure of the mold for molding the blowing member 222 can be simplified. On the contrary, as in the blowing member 22 shown in FIG. 5C, the peripheral wall of the discharge flow channel 26 and the peripheral wall of the long cavity 23 are integrally formed by the outer wall 22c of the blowing member 22, thereby While simplifying the assembly process of the unit 20, it is possible to eliminate the assembly error and suppress variations in the central axis C1 of the discharge flow channel 26.

  In the above-described embodiment, the shapes of the inner opening 26a and the outer opening 26b in the discharge channel 26 are circular. However, the shape of the opening of the discharge channel is not limited to this, and an ellipse (major axis or minor axis is Including those that match the longitudinal direction and those that do not match), polygons and other shapes. In addition, the discharge passages formed in one gas purge unit 20 may include discharge passages having different opening shapes. Further, the opening area A2 of the external opening 26b may be smaller than the opening area A1 of the internal opening 26a for all the discharge flow paths 26 formed in one gas purge unit 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in one gas purge unit, in addition to a discharge flow path in which the opening area of the external opening is narrower than the opening area of the internal opening, a discharge flow path in which the opening area of the external opening is the same as the opening area of the internal opening, A discharge flow path in which the opening area of the opening is wider than the opening area of the internal opening may be included.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Wafer 2 ... Sealed conveyance container 2a ... Casing 2b ... Main opening 2c ... Opening edge 3 ... Positioning part 4 ... Lid 5 ... Air supply port 6 ... Exhaust port 10 ... Load port apparatus 11 ... Wall 12 ... Installation stand 13 ... Wall Side opening 13a ... Side edge 13b ... Upper edge 13c ... Lower edge 14 ... Movable table 16 ... Positioning pin 18 ... Door 20 ... Gas purge unit 22, 122, 222 ... Blowing member 22a ... Side 22b ... End face 22c ... Outer wall 23, 123 ... long cavity 123a ... first part 123b ... second part 124 ... filter 26, 126 ... discharge passage 26a, 126a ... internal opening 26b, 126b ... external opening 28 ... supply pipe 28a ... supply passage 30 ... curtain nozzle 40 ... FFU
50 ... Robot arm 60 ... eFem body 60a ... Intermediate chamber 70 ... Processing chamber 124 ... Filter

Claims (5)

A gas purge unit for introducing a cleaning gas into the inside of a container having a main opening for taking in and out the contents from the main opening,
A plurality of long cavities that extend in the longitudinal direction and in which the cleaning gas is supplied from a supply unit; and the long cavities and the outside communicate with each other, and the cleaning gas is discharged in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. A discharge channel, and a cylindrical blowing member formed inside,
The plurality of discharge channels are arranged along the longitudinal direction,
In the discharge channel, the gas purge unit is characterized in that A2 is smaller than A1 when the opening area of the opening to the long cavity is A1 and the opening area of the opening to the outside is A2.   The said long cavity has the 1st part which leads to the said supply part, and the 2nd part which is connected to the said 1st part via the filter and leads to the said discharge flow path. The gas purge unit according to 1.   The gas purge unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein A2 / A1 is larger than 0.25 and smaller than 1.0 in the discharge flow path.   The gas purge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a peripheral wall of the discharge channel and a peripheral wall of the long cavity are integrally formed by an outer wall of the blowing member.   The cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is characterized in that L1 is larger than L2 when the flow path length of the discharge flow path is L1 and the average thickness of the outer wall of the blowing member is L2. 5. The gas purge unit according to 4.

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