JP2016178133A - Door switchgear, carrier device, sorter device, and docking method for housing container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a door switchgear capable of effectively improving sealability in making a housing container mounted on a mounting table adhere to a frame on which an aperture for permitting carry-in and carry-out of an object to be carried to/from the housing container is formed, without depending on the housing container's pressing force on an elastic material.SOLUTION: A hollow elastic seal part S is provided in a region in the vicinity of an aperture edge of an aperture 21a of a frame 21 so as to surround the aperture 21a. Changing the hollow elastic seal part S's state from a contraction state to an expansion state (2) in a situation in which a mounting table mounting a housing container 4 is positioned at a predetermined cocking position makes the hollow elastic seal part S elastically come into contact with a seal surface set at a peripheral part of a lid part 43 of a housing container body 42 to form a seal region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

  The present invention relates to a door opening / closing device disposed adjacent to a transfer chamber, a transfer chamber including the door opening / closing device, a sorter device, and a storage container docking method.

  In a semiconductor manufacturing process, wafers are processed in a clean room in order to improve yield and quality. However, with high integration of elements, miniaturization of circuits, and increase in wafer size, it is difficult to manage small dust in the clean room as a whole in terms of cost and technology. Yes. For this reason, in recent years, as an alternative to improving the cleanliness of the entire clean room, the “mini-environment method”, which improves the cleanliness of only the local space around the wafer, has been introduced to carry wafers and other processes. Means to do is adopted. In the mini-environment method, a part of the wall surface of the wafer transfer chamber that is substantially closed inside the housing is formed, and a storage container (for example, FOUP Front-Opening Unified) in which a transferred object is stored in a highly clean internal space. A door opening / closing device is provided adjacent to the transfer chamber. The door opening / closing device is provided with a door portion that opens and closes the lid portion in a state of being in close contact with the lid portion of the storage container.

  Such a door opening and closing device is a device for taking in and out the object to be transferred to and from the transfer chamber, and functions as an interface unit with the storage container. When the door portion and the lid portion are simultaneously opened in a state where the door portion of the door opening / closing device is in close contact with the lid portion provided on the front surface of the storage container, the transfer robot provided in the transfer chamber causes the cover in the storage container. It is configured so that the conveyed product can be taken out into the conveying chamber, and the conveyed item can be stored in the storage container through the door opening / closing device from the conveying chamber.

  In recent years, the integration and miniaturization of devices have been promoted more and more, and the periphery of the object to be transported must be kept even higher so that particles and moisture do not adhere to the surface of the object to be transported such as a wafer. Is required. Further, in order to prevent the surface properties from changing due to oxidation of the surface of the object to be conveyed, the surroundings of the object to be conveyed are made an inert gas nitrogen atmosphere or in a vacuum state.

  In order to appropriately maintain the ambient atmosphere of such a transported object, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, an environment such as nitrogen or dry air is provided inside a sealable storage pod type storage container (for example, the FOUP). A door opening and closing device having a function capable of purging gas has been devised and put into practical use.

  In addition, by introducing clean air through a chemical filter or the like inside the wafer transfer chamber, a clean atmosphere with high cleanliness is achieved, and there is no contamination due to adhesion of particles or the like on the surface of the object being transferred. Has been. Moreover, it is also conceivable to make the inside of the transfer chamber a dry nitrogen atmosphere as in the case of the storage container. Furthermore, even if it is other than dry nitrogen, a gas atmosphere using an appropriate special gas (hereinafter collectively referred to as “environment gas”) may be considered depending on the processing to the conveyed object.

JP 2012-49382 A

  In the case of adopting the above-described configuration, the interior space of the transfer chamber and the interior space of the storage container, each having a predetermined gas atmosphere, communicate with each other through the opening of the door opening / closing device. Good sealing must be ensured. If a good sealing property between the opening and the storage container is not secured, the environmental gas in the transfer chamber and the environmental gas in the storage container may flow out of the transfer chamber and the door opening / closing device (load port). In consideration of such a situation, a configuration in which a large amount of environmental gas is supplied into the transfer chamber or the storage container is also conceivable.

  However, with such a configuration, even if it is possible to appropriately maintain and manage the atmosphere in the transfer chamber and the storage container, a large amount of environmental gas is required, so the cost required for the gas increases. become. If a large amount of environmental gas in the transfer chamber or storage container flows out of the transfer chamber or storage container without ensuring good sealing between the opening and the storage container, the type of the environmental gas Depending on the situation, the working environment may be deteriorated.

  In view of this, the applicant of the present invention has proposed that a load port (door opening / closing device) in which an opening for opening the transfer chamber is formed in a frame (plate-shaped portion) that constitutes a part of the wall surface of the transfer chamber. A configuration in which an elastic material made of, for example, an O-ring is provided along with this has been devised, and a patent application has already been filed (Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-017819). If it is this structure, an elastic material will elastically contact a storage container by moving the storage container mounted on the mounting base toward a flame | frame with a mounting base. Further, in the above-mentioned patent application, the applicant of the present application has attached the storage container to the frame side together with the engagement piece in a state in which the engagement piece is engaged with a part of the storage container (the collar portion provided around the lid portion). It also mentions the point of improving the adhesion between the storage container and the elastic material by using a mechanism that can be retracted into the container.

  By the way, even when the load port (door opening and closing device) devised by the applicant is applied and the elastic material made of, for example, an O-ring is elastically contacted with the storage container, the elasticity is inferior in flexibility. Because of the material, it is assumed that the shape deformation of the surface of the elastic material becomes non-uniform. As the cause, a minute uneven gap is partially formed between the elastic material and the storage container. In addition, if the structure for ensuring good sealing performance by increasing the pulling force by the pulling mechanism and pressing the storage container strongly against the elastic material, the sealing performance varies depending on the pressing force of the storage container against the elastic material. Can occur.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a problem, and a main object is to form a storage container placed on the mounting table and an opening that allows a transported object to be taken in and out of the storage container. It is possible to effectively improve the adhesion to the frame without depending on the pressing force of the storage container against the elastic material, such as the outflow of environmental gas supplied to the storage container or the transfer chamber, A door opening / closing device capable of suppressing the inflow from the outside and improving the quality of the object to be conveyed, a conveying device or sorter device such as EFEM equipped with such a door opening / closing device, and docking the storage container It is to provide a method.

  That is, the present invention provides a door opening and closing device that is provided adjacent to a transfer chamber and that allows the transfer object to be taken in and out between the transfer container and the storage container that can store the transfer object in the internal space of the storage container body. It is related. Here, examples of the object to be transported in the present invention include a wafer, a reticle, a liquid crystal substrate, a glass substrate, a culture plate, a culture vessel, a dish, and a petri dish. That is, the present invention can be applied to a transfer technique for a transfer object accommodated in a container in various fields such as semiconductor, liquid crystal, and cell culture. Further, the “transfer chamber” in the present invention is a room for transferring an object to be transferred. For example, if the object to be transferred is a wafer, the transfer chamber is a “wafer transfer chamber”.

  The door opening and closing device according to the present invention comprises a plate-shaped frame that forms a part of the wall surface of the transfer chamber and has an opening for opening the transfer chamber, and a door portion that can open and close the opening. , A mounting table on which the storage container is mounted in a direction facing the door portion so that the inner space of the storage container body can be opened and closed, and can move forward and backward with respect to the frame; A hollow elastic seal portion provided so as to go around the opening in a region near the edge and capable of changing its state between a contracted state and an expanded state, and the lid portion of the storage container placed on the mounting table is opened. The hollow elastic seal portion in a contracted state is changed to an expanded state with the mounting table positioned at a predetermined docking position approaching the container, so that the sealing surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body is hollow. Elastic seal It is characterized by being configured to form a seal region by elastic contact with.

  The present invention has a configuration in which the hollow elastic seal portion is provided so as to go around the opening at the opening edge of the opening in the frame, and the hollow elastic seal portion is provided so as to go around the opening in a region near the opening edge of the frame. These configurations are also included. Further, in the “state where the mounting table is positioned at a predetermined docking position where the lid portion approaches the opening”, the lid portion can be set so as to approach the opening without reaching the opening. On the other hand, in the “state where the mounting table is positioned at a predetermined docking position where the lid portion approaches the opening”, the lid portion can also be set so as to reach the opening. That is, the docking position of the mounting table can be appropriately set according to the specifications such as the size and type of the storage container or the location where the hollow elastic seal portion is disposed. In addition, the hollow elastic seal part in the present invention is a structure in which the elastic seal part itself has a hollow structure. The “opening for opening the transfer chamber” can also be regarded as “opening formed in the frame to open the space partitioned by the frame”.

  According to such a door opening and closing apparatus according to the present invention, the storage container main body is obtained by changing the hollow elastic seal portion that has been in a contracted state to an expanded state while the mounting table is positioned at a predetermined docking position. The sealing area is formed by elastically contacting a hollow elastic seal portion provided so as to go around the opening in the opening edge of the opening or in the vicinity of the opening edge of the frame with respect to the sealing surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid Is formed. For this reason, a storage container and a flame | frame can be mutually adhere | attached via the seal | sticker area | region which goes around the opening formed in the flame | frame. In addition, according to the present invention, the space between the frame and the storage container main body and the region that can communicate with the outside of the storage container and the outside of the transfer chamber is sealed with the seal region, so that the inside of the storage container is sealed outside the storage container. It can be shielded from the atmosphere (outside air).

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the sealing region is formed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic seal portion whose state has been changed from the contracted state to the expanded state with respect to the seal surface set around the lid portion of the storage container body. The configuration is adopted. For this reason, the sealing property (sealing property) of the sealing region is made higher than the sealing property of the sealing region formed by pressing the sealing surface of the storage container body against an elastic material having poor flexibility such as an O-ring. be able to.

  As described above, according to the door opening and closing apparatus according to the present invention, even when the environmental gas is supplied into the storage container or the transfer chamber, the environmental gas is stored in the storage container through the gap between the frame and the storage container body. Can be prevented from flowing out to the outside of the chamber or outside the transfer chamber. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent or suppress a situation in which air or the like flows from the outside into the storage container or the transfer chamber through the seal region. As a result, it is possible to improve the quality of the conveyed object.

  When the hollow elastic seal portion is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state with respect to the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the docking position, a force that presses the storage container in a direction away from the frame acts. The pressing force may cause the storage container to move away from the frame or tilt away from the frame. If such a situation occurs, the particles may rise in the storage container and the position of the transported object stored in the storage container may shift.

  In order to prevent and suppress the occurrence of such problems, in the present invention, the movement restriction state for restricting the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the docking position from moving in the direction away from the frame, and the docking position. The door opening / closing device further including a movement restricting portion that is switchable between a movement allowable state in which the storage container on the placed mounting table is allowed to move in a direction away from the frame can be provided. After the time when the mounting table is positioned at the docking position, the movement restricting portion is switched from the movement allowable state to the movement restricting state, and the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state is changed to the expanded state while maintaining the movement restricting state. If it is constituted, the following operational effects can be obtained. That is, when the hollow elastic seal portion is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state with respect to the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the docking position, a force to press the storage container in the direction away from the frame is applied. However, the movement restricting portion in the movement restricted state can prevent or suppress the movement or tilting of the storage container. As a result, the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the docking position moves away from the frame or tilts to avoid the particles flying up in the storage container and the misalignment of the conveyed object. can do.

  The timing for switching the movement restricting portion from the movement permitting state to the movement restricting state is “after the time when the mounting table is positioned at the docking position”, and “changes the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state to the expanded state” If it is before. For example, the movement restriction unit may be switched from the movement-permitted state to the movement-restricted state immediately after the mounting table is positioned at the docking position. Alternatively, the movement restriction unit may be switched from the movement-permitted state to the movement-restricted state after a predetermined time has elapsed since the mounting table was positioned at the docking position.

  As a preferable specific example of the movement restricting portion in the present invention, the movement restricting portion includes an engaging piece that can be engaged with a collar portion provided in a peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body, and the engaging piece. Examples include a retracting portion that moves to the frame side in a state of being engaged with the flange portion. With such a movement restricting portion, the hollow elastic against the sealing surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container main body by the operation of pulling the collar portion of the storage container main body engaged with the engagement piece to the frame side. It is possible to increase the degree of adhesion of the seal portion (increase the adhesion area). As a result, it is possible to ensure even better sealing performance in the sealing area.

  In the present invention, the “saddle” is “provided around the lid of the storage container body”. On the other hand, the “seal surface” in the present invention is “a seal surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body”. Here, in the configuration in which the flange portion is provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body, the seal surface may be set to a surface of the flange portion that faces the hollow elastic seal portion. In the configuration in which the flange portion is provided around the lid portion of the storage container body, the seal surface may be set to a portion of the storage container body that is the periphery portion of the lid portion and different from the flange portion. .

  In this invention, the structure which has each arrange | positioned the movement control part in the upper end vicinity and the lower end vicinity in the both sides of the substantially rectangular opening is employable. With such a configuration, when the hollow elastic seal portion is inflated and brought into close contact with the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the docking position, the storage container moves or tilts away from the frame. This can be prevented with a higher probability.

  The hollow elastic seal part in the present invention only needs to be capable of changing its state between the contracted state and the expanded state. For example, a hollow elasticity that is in an expanded state when the pressure of the hollow part is increased by the fluid supplied to the hollow part, and is in a contracted state by discharging the supplied fluid from the hollow part and reducing the pressure of the hollow part When a seal part (what is called an infra-teal seal) is applied, the supply pressure becomes the seal surface pressure, and a good sealing function is exhibited. Furthermore, by applying such a hollow elastic seal portion, the hollow portion itself can expand with respect to the seal surface of the storage container main body to load the surface pressure, and even when the seal surface fluctuates due to vibration or the like. A seal region can be formed that can be followed immediately. The door opening / closing device described in detail above may be referred to as “first door opening / closing device according to the present invention” in the following description.

  The door opening and closing device according to the present invention is provided adjacent to the transfer chamber, and puts and removes the transfer object between the transfer container and the storage container that can store the transfer object in the internal space of the storage container body. A frame that forms part of the wall surface of the transfer chamber, a door that can open and close an opening formed in the frame to open a space partitioned by the frame, and a storage container body of the frame An opening in the opening edge of the opening or in the vicinity of the opening edge of the frame, and a mounting table formed at a position where the storage container can be placed in a direction in which the lid portion capable of opening and closing the inner space faces the door portion. A storage container provided at a predetermined docking position on a mounting table provided with a hollow elastic seal portion provided so as to circulate and capable of changing a state between a contracted state and an expanded state, wherein a lid portion of the storage container approaches the opening Placed In this state, the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state is changed to the expanded state, so that the hollow elastic seal portion is elastically contacted with the seal surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body to form a seal region. It is characterized by being configured as described above. Hereinafter, for convenience, the door opening / closing device according to the present invention will be referred to as a “second door opening / closing device according to the present invention”.

  The second door opening / closing device according to the present invention is different from the above-described first door opening / closing device according to the present invention in the following points. In other words, the frame is not limited to a plate shape, as long as it forms part of the wall surface of the transfer chamber and has an opening for opening a space partitioned by the frame. Of the frame, any frame can be used as long as it is formed at a position where the storage container can be placed with the lid portion capable of opening and closing the internal space of the storage container body facing the door portion. The hollow elasticity that is in a contracted state with the storage container placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table where the lid of the storage container is close to the opening. The second door opening / closing device according to the present invention is different from the above-described first door opening / closing device according to the present invention in that the seal portion is changed to the expanded state.

  In the second door opening and closing apparatus according to the present invention, the “opening formed in the frame to open the space partitioned by the frame” is an opening formed in the mounting table that is a part of the frame. Can be adopted.

  According to the second door opening and closing apparatus according to the present invention, the hollow elastic seal that has been in a contracted state until the storage container is placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table formed on the frame. By changing the part to the expanded state, the opening around the opening or the area near the opening edge of the frame is made to circulate with respect to the sealing surface set in the peripheral part of the lid part of the storage container body. The provided hollow elastic seal portion is elastically contacted to form a seal region. For this reason, a storage container and a flame | frame can be mutually adhere | attached via the seal | sticker area | region which goes around the opening formed in the flame | frame. In addition, according to the present invention, the space between the frame and the storage container main body and the region that can communicate with the outside of the storage container and the outside of the transfer chamber is sealed with the seal region, so that the inside of the storage container is sealed outside the storage container. It can be shielded from the atmosphere (outside air).

  Furthermore, in the second door opening and closing device according to the present invention, the hollow elastic seal portion that is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state is elastically contacted with the seal surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body. The structure which forms a seal | sticker area | region by doing is employ | adopted. For this reason, the sealing property (sealing property) of the sealing region is made higher than the sealing property of the sealing region formed by pressing the sealing surface of the storage container body against an elastic material having poor flexibility such as an O-ring. be able to.

  In the second door opening and closing device according to the present invention, when a storage container in which the internal space of the storage container main body released from the sealed state by the lid is applied downward is applied, the sealing surface of the storage container main body is The hollow elastic sealing portion is set on the downward surface of the storage container body, and is configured to elastically contact the sealing surface of the storage container body from below. In this case, when the storage container is placed at a predetermined docking position on a mounting table formed in a part of the frame, the contracted hollow elastic seal portion contacts the sealing surface of the storage container body. It is also possible to adopt. On the other hand, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state does not contact the sealing surface of the storage container body when the storage container is placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table. In any configuration, by changing the hollow elastic seal portion in a contracted state into an expanded state, the hollow elastic seal portion is elastically brought into contact with the seal surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container main body, thereby providing a seal region. What is necessary is just to comprise so that it may form.

  Thus, in the case of the second door opening / closing device according to the present invention, as in the case of the first door opening / closing device according to the present invention, the environmental gas is transferred to the outside of the storage container or conveyed from the gap between the frame and the storage container body. It is possible to prevent / suppress the situation of flowing out of the chamber or the situation of air or the like flowing from the outside into the storage container or the transfer chamber through the seal region. As a result, it is possible to improve the quality of the conveyed object.

  When the hollow elastic seal portion is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state with respect to the storage container placed at the docking position on the mounting table, a force that presses the storage container in a direction away from the frame acts. The pressing force may cause the storage container to move away from the frame or tilt away from the frame. In such a case, a movement restriction state that restricts movement of the storage container positioned at the docking position in a direction away from the frame and a movement of the storage container positioned at the docking position in a direction away from the frame are permitted. A door opening / closing device further including a movement restricting portion that can be switched between the movement-permitted states can be provided. Then, after the time when the storage container is placed at the docking position, the movement restricting portion is switched from the movement allowable state to the movement restricting state, and the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state is brought into the inflated state while maintaining the movement restricting state. What is necessary is just to comprise so that it may change. The installation location and number of the movement restriction units can be selected as appropriate.

  In addition, a transfer device according to the present invention includes a transfer chamber, a door opening / closing device having the above-described configuration provided on a wall surface of the transfer chamber, a storage container provided on the mounting table of the door opening / closing device, and a transfer device. It is characterized by having a transfer robot capable of taking in and out the object to be transferred to and from the chamber.

  A sorter device according to the present invention includes a transfer chamber, a door opening / closing device having the above-described configuration provided on a wall surface of the transfer chamber, and a mounting table for at least the plurality of door opening / closing devices provided in the transfer chamber. It is characterized by comprising a transfer robot capable of taking in and out the object to be transferred between the placed storage containers.

  If it is such a conveyance apparatus and a sorter apparatus, the effect mentioned above can be acquired by providing the door opening and closing apparatus which has the above-mentioned structure. And in the environment which improved the adhesiveness of the flame | frame of a door opening / closing apparatus and a storage container, the taking-in / out process of a to-be-conveyed object can be performed suitably by the conveyance robot.

  The storage container docking method of the present invention also relates to a storage container docking method using the first door opening and closing device according to the present invention described above, wherein the mounting table on which the storage container is mounted has a lid portion. After moving to a predetermined docking position approaching the opening, the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state is changed to the expanded state, so that the hollow elastic seal is set on the seal surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body. It is characterized by undergoing a sealing process in which the part is elastically contacted to form a sealing region.

  With such a storage container docking method, the sealing surface of the storage container on the mounting table moved to a predetermined docking position is changed to an expanded state, and a hollow elastic seal portion is elastically contacted to form a seal region. By performing the sealing process, the above-described operational effects can be obtained. By adopting such a storage container docking method, a gap between the opening of the frame and the storage container main body, that is, a gap in which the internal space of the storage container can communicate with the outside of the storage container and the outside of the transfer chamber is sealed. It is possible. And the favorable airtightness at the time of making the internal space of the storage container mounted on a mounting base and the internal space of a conveyance chamber communicate is securable. As a result, the outflow of the environmental gas supplied to the inside of the storage container and the transfer chamber and the inflow of air and the like from the outside are suppressed, and the supply amount of the environmental gas to be used is reduced. Quality can be improved.

  The storage container docking method of the present invention relates to a storage container docking method using the above-described second door opening and closing device according to the present invention, and the storage container is placed on the mounting table whose lid portion approaches the opening. After being placed in the predetermined docking position above, the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state is changed to the expanded state, so that the hollow elastic seal portion is placed on the seal surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body. It is characterized by undergoing a sealing process in which a sealing region is formed by elastic contact.

  With such a storage container docking method, a sealing region is formed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic seal portion on the sealing surface of the storage container placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table and changing to an expanded state. By performing the sealing process, the above-described operational effects can be obtained. By adopting such a storage container docking method, a gap between the opening of the frame and the storage container main body, that is, a gap in which the internal space of the storage container can communicate with the outside of the storage container and the outside of the transfer chamber is sealed. It is possible. And the favorable airtightness at the time of making the internal space of the storage container mounted on a mounting base and the internal space of a conveyance chamber communicate is securable. As a result, the outflow of the environmental gas supplied to the inside of the storage container and the transfer chamber and the inflow of air and the like from the outside are suppressed, and the supply amount of the environmental gas to be used is reduced. Quality can be improved.

  The present invention provides a hollow elastic seal portion provided so as to go around the opening in the opening edge of the opening or in the vicinity of the opening edge of the frame with respect to the sealing surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body. The seal region is formed by elastic contact. In the present invention, the hollow elastic seal portion changed from the contracted state to the expanded state can be elastically contacted with the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the predetermined docking position. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively increase without depending on the pressing force of the storage container against the elastic material, and in the storage container even in a usage situation where environmental gas is supplied into the storage container or the transfer chamber. The door can improve the quality of transported objects by preventing or suppressing the occurrence of environmental gas in the transport chamber or the outside, or the occurrence of external air or the like flowing into the storage container or transport chamber It is possible to provide an opening / closing device, and a conveying device or sorter device such as EFEM equipped with such a door opening / closing device, and further a method for opening a storage container.

The side view which shows typically the relative positional relationship of EFEM provided with the door opening / closing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and its peripheral device. The perspective view which abbreviate | omits and shows the door opening / closing apparatus which concerns on embodiment. The x direction arrow line view of FIG. The y direction arrow directional view of FIG. The figure which shows typically the side cross section of the door opening / closing apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment in the state which a storage container spaces apart from a flame | frame, and a door part exists in a fully-closed position. The figure which shows the state which positions a mounting base in a docking position, and a door part exists in a fully closed position corresponding to FIG. The figure which shows the state which has a door part in a moving direction switching position corresponding to FIG. The figure which shows the state which has a door part in a fully open position corresponding to FIG. The whole perspective view of the window unit in the embodiment. The figure which expands a part of FIG. 6 and shows a time point when a hollow elastic seal part is in a contracted state. The figure which shows the time of a hollow elastic seal part being in an expansion | swelling state corresponding to FIG. The figure which shows the time of the hollow elastic seal part in an expanded state corresponding to FIG. The schematic diagram which looked at the movement control part at the time of completion of a storage container clamp process, and its periphery from the storage container side. The figure which shows typically the plane cross section in the predetermined height position of the door opening / closing apparatus at the time of completion | finish of a storage container sealing process. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of EFEM in this embodiment. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of EFEM in this embodiment. The figure which shows the door opening / closing apparatus which concerns on the one modification of the embodiment corresponding to FIG. The figure which shows the door opening and closing apparatus which concerns on the other modification of the embodiment corresponding to FIG. The figure which shows the door opening / closing apparatus which concerns on the further another modification of the embodiment corresponding to FIG. The figure which shows the door opening / closing apparatus which concerns on the modification corresponding to FIG. The figure which shows the further another modification of the door opening / closing apparatus which concerns on the embodiment corresponding to FIG. The side view which shows typically the relative positional relationship of the door opening / closing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, and its peripheral device.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The door opening / closing device 2 according to the present embodiment is used, for example, in a semiconductor manufacturing process. As shown in FIG. 1, the door opening / closing device 2 constitutes a part of the wall surface of the transfer chamber 3 in the clean room. To carry the workpiece W in and out. In the following description, the door opening / closing device 2 is a load port constituting a part of an EFEM 1 (Equipment Front End Module) which is an example of a transfer device according to the present invention. A description will be given of an aspect in which the loading / unloading process is performed between (for example, FOUP) and the transfer chamber 3 (wafer transfer chamber). The size of wafers handled by EFEM has been standardized as SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) standard, but the diameter of the wafer has been increased from the viewpoint of improving productivity, and the conventional diameter of 300 (radius 150) mm. The transition from a wafer with a diameter of 450 (radius 225) mm to a diameter of 500 (radius 250) mm is being promoted.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the door opening / closing device 2 according to the present embodiment constitutes a part of the wall surface 3 </ b> A of the transfer chamber 3 and has an opening 21 a for opening the internal space 3 </ b> S of the transfer chamber 3. A plate-shaped frame 21 formed, a door portion 22 that opens and closes an opening 21a of the frame 21, and a mounting table 23 provided in a substantially horizontal posture on the frame 21 are provided. Here, the opening 21 a for opening the internal space 3 </ b> S of the transfer chamber 3 is an opening formed in the frame 21 for opening the internal space 3 </ b> S of the transfer chamber 3, which is a space partitioned by the frame 21. 2 and 3 show a state in which the external cover 20 (see FIG. 2) provided below the mounting table 23 shown in FIG. 1 is removed and a part of the internal structure is exposed.

  The frame 21 is arranged in a standing posture, and has a substantially rectangular plate shape having an opening 21 a having a size capable of communicating with the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4 placed on the placement table 23. The door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment can be used with the frame 21 in close contact with the transfer chamber 3. In addition, a leg portion 24 having casters and installation legs is provided at the lower end of the frame 21. In the present embodiment, a support column 211 erected on both sides, a frame main body 212 supported by the support column 211, and a window unit 214 attached to a window portion 213 opened to the frame main body 212 in a substantially rectangular shape. The provided frame 21 is applied.

  The window unit 214 is provided at a position facing the lid portion 22 of the storage container 4, and the opening 215 provided in the window unit 214 corresponds to the opening 21a formed in the frame 21 in the present invention.

  Here, the substantially rectangular shape referred to in the present embodiment refers to a shape in which four corners are smoothly connected by arcs while a rectangle having four sides is a basic shape. Although not shown, a gasket as an elastic material formed in a rectangular frame shape is provided in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the surface (front surface) on the transfer chamber side of the frame main body 212, and the frame 21 of the transfer chamber 3 has the frame 21. By contacting the gasket in the vicinity of the edge of the opening to be mounted, the gap between the frame main body 212 and the transfer chamber is eliminated, and the space between the frame main body 212 and the transfer chamber 3 passes through the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 to the outside. Gas leakage is suppressed.

  The mounting table 23 of the door opening / closing device 2 is provided on an upper portion of a horizontal base 25 (supporting table) disposed in a substantially horizontal posture at a position slightly above the center in the height direction of the frame 21. The mounting table 23 is capable of mounting the storage container 4 in a direction in which the lid portion 43 that can open and close the internal space 4 </ b> S of the storage container main body 42 faces the door portion 22. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the mounting table 23 includes a predetermined docking position (see FIG. 6) where the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 approaches the opening 21 a of the frame 21, and the lid portion 43 at the docking position. Further, it is configured to be able to move forward and backward with respect to the frame 21 between a position (see FIG. 5) that is separated from the frame 21 by a predetermined distance. As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting table 23 has a plurality of protrusions 231 protruding upward, and these protrusions 231 are engaged with holes (not shown) formed on the bottom surface of the storage container 4. The positioning of the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 is intended. 5 and 6 show a state in which the bottom surface of the storage container 4 is in contact with the top surface of the mounting table 23 as the mounting state of the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23. However, actually, the plurality of positioning protrusions 231 protruding above the top surface of the mounting table 23 are engaged with the bottomed holes formed on the bottom surface of the storage container 4 to support the storage container 4. The upper surface of the mounting table 23 and the bottom surface of the storage container 4 are not in contact with each other, and a predetermined gap is defined between the upper surface of the mounting table 23 and the bottom surface of the storage container 4. Further, a lock claw 232 for fixing the storage container 4 to the mounting table 23 is provided. The lock claw 232 is hooked and fixed to a locked portion (not shown) provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 4 so as to lock the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 in cooperation with the positioning projection 231. It can be fixed while guiding to an appropriate position. Further, the storage container 4 can be separated from the mounting table 23 by releasing the locked state of the lock claw 232 with respect to the locked portion provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 4.

  In the present embodiment, the frame 21 side is defined as the front in the front-rear direction D (see FIG. 1 and the like) in which the storage container 4 and the frame 21 placed on the mounting table 23 of such a load port are arranged, and the storage container 4 side Is defined as backward.

  The door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of nozzles 261 at predetermined locations on the mounting table 23. These nozzles 261 are environmental gases (also called purge gas, which are appropriately selected gases such as nitrogen gas, inert gas, dry air, etc.) from the bottom surface side of the storage container 4 into the storage container 4 and are mainly nitrogen gas or dry air. And a bottom purge section 26 that can replace the gas atmosphere in the storage container 4 with an environmental gas. However, in the door opening and closing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the nozzles 261 provided in advance on the mounting table 23 are used as nozzles constituting a part of the pressure adjusting unit 6 described later. The plurality of nozzles 261 originally function as bottom purge injection nozzles for injecting environmental gas into the storage container 4 and bottom purge discharge nozzles for discharging the gas atmosphere in the storage container 4. It can be provided in pairs at positions spaced along the width direction of the mounting table 23. The plurality of nozzles 261 can be connected in a state of being fitted to an inlet and an outlet (both not shown) provided at the bottom of the storage container 4. Each nozzle 261 (bottom purge injection nozzle, bottom purge discharge nozzle) or injection port and discharge port has a valve function that regulates the backflow of gas. The fitting portion between each nozzle 261 (bottom purge injection nozzle, bottom purge discharge nozzle) and the injection port and discharge port of the storage container 4 is hermetically sealed by packing or the like provided on the nozzle 261. In the door opening / closing device 2 of the present embodiment, each nozzle 261 (bottom purge injection nozzle, bottom purge discharge nozzle) is placed on the mounting table 23 when the storage container 4 is not mounted on the mounting table 23. It is positioned below the top surface. For example, when it is detected that the bottom portion of the storage container 4 has pressed the pressed portion of the pressure sensor provided on the mounting table 23, each nozzle 261 (bottom purge injection nozzle) is detected by a signal from the control unit 2C. The bottom purge discharge nozzle) is moved upward to be connected to the injection port and the discharge port of the storage container 4, respectively.

  The door portion 22 connects the door portion 22 to the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4, releases the lid connection state in which the lid portion 43 can be detached from the storage container main body 42, and the connection state to the lid portion 43, and A connection mechanism 221 (see FIG. 4) that can be switched between a lid connection release state in which the lid portion 43 is attached to the storage container main body 42 is provided. The door portion 22 is movable along a predetermined movement path while holding the lid portion 43 in an integrated state by the coupling mechanism 221. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment is a fully closed position in which the door portion 22 is sealed in the internal space 4 </ b> S of the storage container body 42 by the lid portion 43 held by the door portion 22. (C) and a fully open position (O) in which the lid portion 43 held by the door portion 22 is separated from the storage container main body 42 and the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 is fully opened forward toward the inside of the transfer chamber 3. ) To move between. In this embodiment, the posture of the door portion 22 positioned at the fully open position (O) shown in FIG. 8 is the same as the standing posture of the door portion 22 positioned at the fully closed position (C) shown in FIGS. It is set to move between the fully open position (O) and the fully closed position (C) while maintaining the standing posture. That is, the movement path of the door portion 22 between the fully open position (O) and the fully closed position (C) is the transfer chamber 3 side while maintaining the height position of the door portion 22 in the fully closed position (C). And a path (vertical path) in which the door portion 22 in the fully open position (O) is moved upward while maintaining the front-rear position thereof, and the horizontal path and the vertical path intersect. At the point, the moving direction of the door portion 22 is switched from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction, or from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction. At the point where the horizontal path and the vertical path intersect, the door portion 22 is positioned at the movement direction switching position (P) shown in FIG. As can be understood from the figure, the door portion 22 positioned at the movement direction switching position (P) is moved so that the door portion 22 positioned at the movement direction switching position (P) can move both in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 to be held is positioned at a position in front of the frame 21 together with the door portion 22 (a position that is completely separated from the storage container main body 42 and disposed in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3). . In particular, as will be described later, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment includes a chamber 5. Therefore, at least the movement of the door portion 22 between the fully closed position (C) and the movement direction switching position (P) is performed in the internal space 5S of the chamber 5. Further, the door portion 22 that moves between the fully closed position (C) and the fully open position (O) via the movement direction switching position (P) is configured not to interfere with the chamber 5.

  Such movement of the door portion 22 is realized by a door moving mechanism 27 provided in the door opening and closing device 2. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the door moving mechanism 27 includes a support frame 271 that supports the door portion 22 and a movable block 273 that supports the support frame 271 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction D via the slide support portion 272. And a slide rail 274 that supports the movable block 273 so as to be movable in the vertical direction H, the movement of the door portion 22 in the front-rear direction D along the horizontal path, and the movement in the vertical direction H along the vertical path. Drive source (for example, an actuator not shown). By giving a drive command to the actuator from the control unit 2C, the door unit 22 is moved in the front-rear direction D and the up-down direction. In addition, the aspect which provided the actuator for a back-and-forth movement and the actuator for a vertical movement separately may be sufficient, and the aspect which performs a back-and-forth movement and a vertical movement by using a common actuator as a drive source may be sufficient.

  The support frame 271 supports the lower rear portion of the door portion 22. The support frame 271 has a substantially crank shape that extends downward and then passes through a slit-like insertion hole 21b formed in the frame 21 and protrudes to the outside of the transfer chamber 3 (on the mounting table 23 side). doing. The slide support portion 272, the movable block 273, and the slide rail 274 for supporting the support frame 271 are also arranged on the mounting table 23 side of the frame 21, that is, outside the transfer chamber 3. The slide support portion 272, the movable block 273, and the slide rail 274 serve as sliding portions when the door portion 22 is moved. In the present embodiment, by disposing these outside the transfer chamber 3, even when particles are generated during the movement of the door portion 22, the insertion hole 21b is set in a minute slit shape. Further, it is possible to prevent / suppress the situation where particles enter the transfer chamber 3. Further, the cover 28 that covers the parts and portions of the door moving mechanism 27 that are arranged outside the transfer chamber 3, specifically, a part of the support frame 271, the slide support portion 272, the movable block 273, and the slide rail 274. Is provided. Thus, the environmental gas in the transfer chamber 3 is set so as not to flow out of the EFEM 1 through the insertion hole 21b formed in the frame 21.

  Moreover, the door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment includes a chamber 5 provided closer to the transfer chamber 3 than the opening 21 a of the frame 21 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 to 8. The chamber 5 can shield the storage container 4 in a state where the internal space is opened by the door portion 22 from the front side of the storage container 4. In FIG. 1, the entire chamber 5 is indicated by a hidden line (dashed line), and the side section of the door opening / closing device 2 is schematically illustrated as a side view rather than a side section in FIGS. 5 to 8. Yes. Also, the chamber 5 is omitted in FIGS.

  The chamber 5 is provided at a position facing the loading / unloading port 41 of the storage container 4 and the opening 21 a of the frame 21. And in this embodiment, when the door part 22 is moved to a fully open position (O) and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 released from the sealed state by the lid part 43 is opened forward, the storage container 4 The space in which the internal space 4S communicates is configured to be blocked at least in the front-rear direction by the chamber 5. That is, the space in which the internal space 4 </ b> S of the storage container 4 communicates can be limited to the internal space 5 </ b> S of the chamber 5. The chamber 5 includes a standing wall 51 that is slightly larger than the opening size of the opening 21 a formed in the frame 21, a pair of left and right side walls 52 that extend from both side edges of the standing wall 51 toward the frame 21, and a standing wall 51. An upper wall 53 and a bottom wall 54 extending from the upper edge and the lower edge to the frame 21 side are integrally or integrally provided. When the door portion 22 is positioned at the fully closed position (C), the internal space 5S of the chamber 5 is sealed or substantially sealed by the walls 51, 52, 53, and 54 of the chamber 5 and the frame 21 and the door portion 22. It becomes the made space. When the door portion 22 is moved to the fully open position (O), the internal space 5S of the chamber 5 is sealed or substantially communicated with the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 through the carry-in / out port 41 and the opening 21a of the frame 21. It becomes a sealed space.

  In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the chamber 5 is communicated with the opening 21 a by a chamber moving mechanism (not shown) that covers the opening 21 a of the frame 21 from the transfer chamber 3 side (see FIGS. 5 to 8). The internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is configured to be movable between a chamber retreat position (not shown) that can be opened to the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 and thus the internal space MS of the processing apparatus M. The chamber moving mechanism includes an air cylinder for horizontally driving the chamber 5, a guide rail portion for guiding the horizontal operation of the chamber 5, an air cylinder for driving the chamber 5 up and down, and a guide for the up and down operation of the chamber 5. And a guide rail portion that uses a guide rail. In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the door portion 22 and the chamber 5 are set to be movable independently of each other. The bottom wall 54 of the chamber 5 is formed with an opening and a slit through which these members and mechanisms can pass (not shown). Thereby, when the door part 22 is moved in the state which set the chamber 5 to the shielding position, the situation where the door part 22 and the door moving mechanism 27 interfere with the chamber 5 can be avoided.

  In the present embodiment, a gas supply nozzle 55 for supplying an environmental gas such as nitrogen gas into the chamber 5 and a gas discharge nozzle 56 for discharging the environmental gas filled in the chamber 5 out of the chamber 5 are provided. The chamber 5 is applied. An in-chamber purge process for supplying environmental gas into the chamber 5 from the gas supply nozzle 55 provided on the upper wall 53 of the chamber 5 can be performed. When the in-chamber purge process is performed, the gas atmosphere in the chamber 5 is discharged from the gas discharge nozzle 56 provided on the bottom wall 54 of the chamber 5. That is, the door opening / closing device 2 of the present embodiment allows the gas such as the air filled in the internal space 5 </ b> S of the chamber 5 or the environmental gas having a low cleanliness other than air to pass outside the chamber 5 through the gas discharge nozzle 56. The environmental gas supplied from the gas supply nozzle 55 can be filled in the chamber 5 at a high concentration. The gas supply nozzle 55 and the gas discharge nozzle 56 have a valve function for restricting the backflow of gas.

  Further, the door opening / closing device 2 according to the present embodiment is configured so that the internal space 5S of the chamber 5 and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 communicate with each other using a path different from the opening 21a formed in the frame 21. 6 is provided.

  The pressure adjusting unit 6 of the present embodiment includes a gas discharge unit 61 that discharges the environmental gas supplied to the internal space 5S of the chamber 5 to the outside of the chamber 5, and a gas that introduces the environmental gas into the internal space 4S of the storage container 4. An introduction portion 63 and a gas exhaust path 62 disposed between the gas discharge portion 61 and the gas introduction portion 63 are provided. The upstream end of the gas exhaust path 62 is connected to the gas exhaust unit 61. The downstream end of the gas exhaust path 62 is connected to the gas introduction part 63. Through such a gas exhaust path 62, the environmental gas discharged from the chamber 5 can be introduced into the storage container 4. In this embodiment, the gas discharge part 61 is comprised by the gas discharge nozzle 56 provided in the bottom wall 54 of the chamber 5 mentioned above. Further, the gas introduction part 63 is configured by a bottom purge injection nozzle among the nozzles 261 provided on the mounting table 23. Here, in FIGS. 5 to 8, the nozzle 261 on the frame 21 side among the plurality of nozzles 261 provided at positions spaced apart in the front-rear direction D on the mounting table 23 functions as the gas introduction part 63. An embodiment is illustrated. Further, in the pressure adjusting unit 6 of the present embodiment, the gas exhaust path 62 is configured by an exhaust tube having an upstream end connected to the gas exhaust nozzle 56. The downstream end of the exhaust tube 62 is connected to a nozzle 261 that functions as a gas introduction part 63.

  As schematically shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, a predetermined portion between the upstream end and the downstream end of the exhaust tube 62 constituting the pressure adjusting unit 8 penetrates the frame 21 in the thickness direction (front-rear direction). Or penetrates the horizontal base 25 and the mounting table 23 in the height direction. In addition, an appropriate sealing process is applied to a portion of the frame 21, the horizontal base 25, and the mounting table 23 through which the exhaust tube 62 passes. Thereby, the fall of the sealing performance by the clearance gap between penetration parts can be prevented and controlled. In this embodiment, the exhaust tube 62 excellent in flexibility or stretchability (including a bellows type) that can follow the movement of the chamber 5 and the mounting table 23 is applied. The fitting portion of the exhaust tube 62 with the gas discharge nozzle 56 and the gas introduction nozzle 63 is sealed with packing or the like.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment includes a hollow elastic seal portion S provided near the periphery of the opening 42 and a storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position. And a movement restricting portion L that restricts movement in a direction (backward) away from 21. In the present embodiment, the hollow elastic seal portion S and the movement restricting portion L are unitized as the window unit 214 described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 9, the window unit 214 includes a window frame portion 216 having a frame shape in which a substantially rectangular opening 215 is formed in the center portion, a hollow elastic seal portion S, and a movement restriction. Part L.

  The window frame portion 216 is provided at a position facing the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4. The window frame 216 is formed with an opening 215 set to an opening size slightly larger than the outer periphery (outside dimension) of the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4. Through this opening 215, the lid portion 43 held by the door portion 22 can be moved to the inside of the transfer chamber 3.

  The hollow elastic seal portion S is provided in the frame 21 so as to go around the opening 21a in a region near the opening edge of the opening 21a. In the present embodiment in which a configuration in which the window unit 214 is attached to the frame 21 is provided, the hollow elastic seal portion S is provided in a position around the opening 215 in the region near the opening edge of the opening 215 in the window frame portion 216. . More specifically, among the back surface 216A of the window frame portion 216, the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 and a seal surface described later (a surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 42) The hollow elastic seal portion S is mounted around the opposite position. The hollow elastic seal portion S arranged so as to go around the opening 215 in the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening 215 having a rectangular shape has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the storage container 4 side, as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the hollow elastic seal portion S is provided in the vicinity of the upper side portion SA disposed near the upper edge of the opening 215, the lower side portion SB disposed near the lower edge of the opening 215, and both side edges of the opening 215, respectively. It can be divided roughly into the side part SC arranged. The hollow elastic seal portion S of the present embodiment having a rectangular shape including these four side portions SA, SB, and SC as a basic shape has a shape in which the four corners are smoothly connected by arcs.

  The hollow elastic seal portion S can change state between the contracted state (1) and the expanded state (2). As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the hollow elastic seal portion S in the present embodiment communicates with the inside of the hollow portion S <b> 1 and the ring-shaped hollow portion S <b> 1 that is hollow inside and circulates around the opening 21 a as a whole. And a fluid passage S2 (in the illustrated example, a through hole). The hollow elastic seal portion S is in an expanded state when the pressure of the hollow portion S1 is increased by the fluid supplied through the fluid passage S2. Further, the hollow elastic seal portion S is in a contracted state by discharging the supplied fluid from the hollow portion S1 through the fluid passage S2 and reducing the pressure of the hollow portion S1. That is, in the present embodiment, an inflatate seal is applied as the hollow elastic seal portion S. The hollow elastic seal portion S includes one hollow portion S1 and one fluid passage S2.

  In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the hollow elastic seal mounting groove (the hollow portion S1 in FIG. 10 is fitted on the back surface 216A of the window frame portion 216 has a concave shape so as to go around the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening 215. A concave portion). The hollow elastic seal mounting groove is closely attached in a state where the hollow portion S1 is inserted. The hollow portion S1 is attached so as not to come off from the hollow elastic seal attachment groove by an appropriate means such as an adhesive or a bolt. In this attached state, only a predetermined portion on the frame 21 side of the hollow portion S1 is accommodated in the hollow elastic seal attachment groove, while the other portion (predetermined portion on the storage container 4 side) is accommodated in the hollow elastic seal attachment groove. Without being exposed to the hollow elastic seal mounting groove.

  When the hollow elastic seal portion S is in the contracted state (1) shown in FIG. 10, the pressure is increased by supplying fluid from the predetermined gas supply portion to the hollow portion S1 through the fluid passage S2 communicating with the hollow portion S1. . Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the hollow elastic seal portion S is in an expanded state in which a portion of the hollow portion S1 exposed outside the hollow elastic seal mounting groove is expanded toward the storage container 4 side (rear). (2) In addition, in FIG. 11, the storage container 4 mounted on the mounting base 23 positioned at a predetermined docking position is indicated by an imaginary line. And the figure shows typically the expanded state (2) of the hollow elastic seal portion S under the condition where no contact with the storage container 4 occurs.

  On the other hand, FIG. 12 shows the hollow elastic seal portion S that has changed from the contracted state (1) to the expanded state (2) with respect to the storage container 4 mounted on the mounting table 23 positioned at a predetermined docking position. Indicates the point of contact. As shown in the figure, the hollow portion S1 in the expanded state (2) is in elastic contact with the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 placed on the placement table 23 positioned at a predetermined docking position. That is, in this embodiment, the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 with which the hollow elastic seal portion S of the storage container 4 is elastically contacted is set as a seal surface. A good seal region can be formed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic seal portion S with the seal surface.

  In this embodiment, even when the hollow elastic seal portion S is in the contracted state (1), a part of the hollow portion S1 is exposed outside the hollow elastic seal mounting groove. However, as will be described later, the hollow elastic seal in which the sealing surface of the storage container 4 (the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42) placed on the mounting base 23 positioned at a predetermined docking position is in the contracted state (1). It sets so that it may approach to the extent which does not contact | abut the part S. Moreover, the environmental gas supplied in the conveyance chamber 3 and the environmental gas supplied in the storage container 4 can be used for the fluid supplied to the hollow part S1.

  In the present embodiment, the hollow elastic seal portion S in the expanded state (2) is vacuum-sucked through the fluid passage S2 to draw the hollow elastic seal portion S from the expanded state (2) into FIG. The contraction state (1) shown in FIG. Specifically, an environmental gas supply path S3 for supplying environmental gas to the hollow portion S1 is connected to the upstream end of the fluid path S2, and a gas supply changeover switch S4 is provided in the environmental gas supply path S3. The environmental gas supply path S3 is connected to a vacuum path S5 for vacuum suction in the hollow portion S1, and a gas exhaust switch S6 is provided in the vacuum path S5. Each of these switches S4 and S6 can be constituted by an on-off valve (switching valve), for example. Then, the hollow elastic seal portion S can be changed between the contracted state (1) and the expanded state (2) by appropriately switching the open / closed states of the switches S4 and S6 as described later.

  In FIGS. 5 to 8, the hollow elastic seal portion S is schematically shown by a substantially oval mark filled in black. 6 to 8, the front surface (seal surface) of the storage container main body 42 is in contact with the frame 21 (window unit 214). However, actually, the seal surface of the storage container main body 42 is the frame 21 (window). Do not touch unit 214). As described above, the sealing surface of the storage container main body 42 is in contact with the frame 21 (window unit 214) through the hollow elastic seal portion S in the expanded state (2).

  The movement restricting portion L includes a movement restricting state (3) that restricts the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position from moving in the direction away from the frame 21 (rearward), and a mounting positioned at the docking position. The storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 can be switched between a movement allowable state (4) that allows the storage container 4 to move away from the frame 21. That is, the movement restricting portion L can hold the storage container 4 placed on the placing table 23 positioned at a predetermined docking position by entering the movement restricted state (3).

  As shown in FIG. 9 and the like, the movement restricting portion L in the present embodiment is engaged with an engaging piece L1 that can be engaged with a flange portion 45 provided in a peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 42, and A pull-in portion L2 that moves the piece L1 toward the frame 21 in a state where the piece L1 is engaged with the flange portion 45 is provided. Such a movement restricting portion L exhibits a clamping function capable of holding the flange portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 in a state of being sandwiched between the engagement piece L1 and the frame 21. In this embodiment, a window unit 214 is provided on the frame 21. Therefore, the movement restricting portion L has a function of sandwiching the flange portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 between the engaging piece L1 and the window frame portion 216 of the window unit 214.

  The drawing-in portion L2 is disposed in a posture that penetrates the hole formed in the window frame portion 216, and is provided on the shaft L3 that can move forward and backward in the front-rear direction D and the proximal end portion side of the shaft L3. The main component is a cylinder L4 for movement. A guide groove L3a having a 90 ° phase twist along the axial direction is formed on the outer periphery of the shaft L3 (see FIG. 9). And the guide pin (illustration omitted) fixed to the window frame part 216 side is the state inserted from the radial direction of the shaft L3 with respect to the guide groove L3a. As a result, the guide groove L3a is guided by the guide pin as the shaft L3 advances and retreats, and the entire shaft L3 rotates 90 ° around the axis.

  The cylinder L4 is disposed in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3. In the present embodiment in which the chamber 5 is disposed in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3, the cylinder L4 is disposed in the internal space 5S of the chamber 5. The distal end side region of the shaft L3, the base end portion of which is held by the cylinder L4, is disposed outside the transfer chamber L, that is, behind the rearmost surface 21A of the frame 21 (on the storage container 4 side) ( 2 and 9). The cylinder L4 is supported by a cylinder support portion L5 fixed to the window frame portion 216.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, the engagement piece L1 has a base end L1a attached to the tip of the shaft L3, and faces the radially outer side of the shaft L3 from the base end L1a (a direction away from the shaft center of the shaft 53). The tip 51b is extended. Then, the cylinder L4 moves the shaft L3 by a predetermined distance from the predetermined reference position in a direction (rear) away from the transfer chamber 3. Then, the engaging piece L1 moves in the same direction as the shaft L3, and the whole including the tip L1b does not face the storage container 4 in the front-rear direction D (FIG. 13 shows an engaging piece as an example of the non-facing attitude). The posture in which the tip L1b of L1 faces upward is indicated by an imaginary line). In the present embodiment, an appropriate cover L6 may be provided around the engagement piece L1 in order to prevent other members from being caught in the engagement piece L1.

  Further, the shaft L3 moved rearward to the position where the engagement piece 51 takes the non-facing posture is moved (retracted) by a predetermined distance toward the transfer chamber 3 side (front). Then, the engagement piece L1 moves in the same direction as the shaft L3, and a facing area in which the predetermined region including the tip L1b faces the storage container 4 in the front-rear direction D (FIG. 13 shows an engagement piece L1 as an example of the facing attitude). (The solid line indicates the posture in which the tip L1b of the head is oriented in the horizontal direction).

  In the door opening and closing device 2 according to the present embodiment, the engaging piece L1 is placed in a non-facing posture, so that the mounting table 23 on which the storage container 4 is mounted is opened, and the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 is opened 21a, 215. Can be moved between a predetermined docking position approaching the position and a position spaced a predetermined distance from the transfer chamber 3 relative to the docking position. That is, the movement restricting portion L enters the movement allowed state (4) by setting the engaging piece L1 to the non-face-to-face posture.

  After such a movement restricting portion L has moved the mounting table 23 in the undocking position to the docking position with the storage container 4 mounted, with the engaging piece L1 in the non-facing posture, The engagement piece L1 in the non-face-to-face posture is moved together with the shaft L3 in the direction in which the engagement piece L1 is pulled toward the transfer chamber 3 to change from the non-face-to-face posture to the face-to-face posture. Then, the engaging piece L1 can be engaged with the flange 45 projecting outward on the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42. Then, by pulling the shaft L3 toward the transfer chamber 3 side, the engagement piece L1 is moved to the transfer chamber 3 side (forward) while maintaining the engagement state between the engagement piece L1 and the flange 45 of the storage container 4. Be drawn. As a result, the flange portion 45 of the storage container 4 is sandwiched between the engagement piece L1 and the frame 21, and the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position moves in a direction away from the frame 21. Can be regulated. That is, the movement restricting portion L changes the engagement piece L1 from the non-face-to-face posture to the face-to-face posture, and pulls the engagement piece L1 toward the frame 21 by the pull-in portion L2 to enter the movement restricted state (3).

  In this embodiment, when the mounting table 23 is positioned at a predetermined docking position, the front surface 42B of the storage container body 42 is separated from the rear surface 21A of the frame 21 (the rear surface 216A of the window frame portion 216) with a gap of a predetermined size. It is set to approach. Even when the movement restricting portion L is switched from the movement allowed state (4) to the movement restricted state (3), the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 and the rear surface 21A of the frame 21 (the rear surface 216A of the window frame portion 216). A gap of a predetermined dimension is secured between them.

  In the door opening and closing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, such a movement restricting portion L is provided near the upper end and the lower end on both sides of the substantially rectangular opening 21a of the frame 21, as shown in FIGS. They are arranged at a total of four locations. Specifically, the movement restricting portions L are arranged at a total of four locations spaced apart in the vertical direction on both sides of the substantially rectangular opening 215 in the window frame portion 216 of the window unit 214.

  The door opening / closing device 2 configured as described above performs a predetermined operation by giving a drive command to each unit from the control unit 2C. In the EFEM 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of (for example, three) such door opening / closing devices 2 are arranged side by side on one wall surface 3 </ b> A of the transfer chamber 3. As described above, in the present embodiment in which the frame 21 side is defined as the front and the storage container 4 side is defined as the rear in the front-rear direction D in which the storage container 4 and the frame 21 are arranged, the door opening / closing device 2 in the transfer chamber 3. The wall surface 3 </ b> A on which is placed can be regarded as the back surface.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the EFEM 1 is composed mainly of a door opening / closing device 2 (load port) and a transfer chamber 3 provided at positions adjacent to each other in a common clean room. The operation of the EFEM 1 is controlled by a controller of the door opening / closing device 2 (a control unit 2C shown in FIG. 2) or a controller of the entire EFEM 1 (a control unit 3C shown in FIG. 1).

  For example, a processing apparatus M (semiconductor processing apparatus) is provided adjacent to a wall surface 3B facing the wall surface 3A (back surface) on which the door opening / closing device 2 is arranged in the transfer chamber 3. In the clean room, the internal space MS of the processing apparatus M, the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3, and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 placed on the door opening / closing device 2 are maintained at high cleanliness. On the other hand, the space where the door opening / closing device 2 is arranged, in other words, outside the processing device M and outside the EFEM 1 has a relatively low cleanliness. FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing the relative positional relationship between the door opening / closing device 2 and the transfer chamber 3 and the relative positional relationship between the EFEM 1 including the door opening / closing device 2 and the transfer chamber 3 and the processing device M. FIG.

  The processing apparatus M includes a load lock chamber disposed at a position relatively close to the transfer chamber 3 and a processing apparatus main body disposed at a position relatively far from the transfer chamber 3. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the door opening / closing device 2, the transfer chamber 3, and the processing device M are arranged in close contact with each other in this order in the front-rear direction D of the EFEM 1. Note that the operation of the processing device M is controlled by the controller (the control unit MC shown in FIG. 1) of the processing device M. Here, the control unit MC that is the controller of the entire processing apparatus M and the control unit 3C that is the controller of the entire EFEM 1 are host controllers of the control unit 2C of the door opening and closing device 2.

  The transfer chamber 3 is provided with a transfer robot 31 in the internal space 3 </ b> S that can transfer a wafer W as a transfer object W between the storage container 4 and the processing apparatus M. The transfer robot 31, for example, connects a plurality of link elements so as to be able to turn horizontally, supports an arm provided with a hand at the tip, and an arm base constituting the base end of the arm so as to be turnable, and the transfer chamber 3. And a traveling part that travels in the width direction (parallel direction of the door opening and closing device 2), and is shaped between a folded state in which the arm length is minimized and an extended state in which the arm length is longer than in the folded state The link structure (multi-joint structure) changes. It is also possible to configure an EFEM in which one or both of a buffer station and an aligner are arranged on the side surface of the transfer chamber 3.

  In the transfer chamber 3, the internal space 3 </ b> S is substantially sealed by connecting the door opening / closing device 2 and the processing device M. In the transfer chamber 3, the environmental gas concentration can be increased by performing a purge process with an environmental gas using a gas supply port and a gas discharge port (not shown). A fan filter unit 32 is provided in the upper part of the wafer transfer chamber 3 to send gas downward, and the gas is sucked from a chemical filter provided in the lower part. The sucked gas is returned toward the upper fan filter unit 32 through the circulation duct 321. By doing so, a downflow that is an air flow from the upper side to the lower side is formed in the internal space 3 </ b> S of the transfer chamber 3. Therefore, the gas in the transfer chamber 3 can be circulated and maintained in a clean state. Further, even when particles that contaminate the surface of the wafer W are present in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3, the particles are pushed down by the downflow to suppress adhesion of particles to the surface of the wafer W being transferred. It becomes possible to do. In FIG. 1, the gas flow by the fan filter unit 32 is schematically indicated by arrows.

  In the present embodiment in which the above-described chamber 5 is arranged in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 having a high environmental gas concentration, environmental gas purge processing (in-chamber purge processing) is performed on the internal space 5S of the chamber 5. 3 is controlled so that it can be performed simultaneously or individually with the purging process of the environmental gas for the internal space 3S. That is, the gas supply nozzle 55 provided on the upper wall 53 of the chamber 5 described above may supply the environmental gas supplied from the gas supply source dedicated to the purge process in the chamber into the chamber 5. The environmental gas supplied into the transfer chamber 3 may be supplied into the chamber 5 as it is.

  In this embodiment, FOUP is applied as the storage container 4. The storage container 4 according to the present embodiment includes a storage container body 42 that can open the internal space 4S only forward through a carry-in / out opening 41 formed on the front surface (the surface on the frame 21 side), and a lid 43 that can open and close the carry-in / out opening 41. It has. The storage container 4 is a known container configured to accommodate a plurality of wafers W, which are the objects to be transferred W, in a multi-stage shape in the vertical direction H and to be able to take in and out the wafers W via a loading / unloading port 41. .

  The storage container body 42 integrally includes a back wall, a pair of left and right side walls, an upper wall, and a bottom wall. A shelf part 421 (wafer placing part) capable of placing a plurality of transported objects W at a predetermined pitch in the internal space 4S surrounded by these walls is provided. The boundary portion between the walls constituting the storage container main body 42 has a gently curved shape. Moreover, the flange part hold | gripped by the storage container conveying apparatus (for example, OHT: Over Head Transport) etc. is provided in the center part of the upward surface in an upper wall. The front end portion of the storage container main body 42 is provided with a flange 45 that protrudes upward and on both sides of the other portions. That is, the collar part 45 is provided in the peripheral part of the area | region where the cover part 43 is arrange | positioned among the storage container main bodies 42. FIG. In this embodiment, the engagement piece L1 of the movement restricting portion L described above is set to engage with the flange portion 45.

  The lid portion 43 faces the door portion 22 of the door opening / closing device 2 in a state of being placed on the mounting table 23 of the door opening / closing device 2 and has a substantially plate shape. The height dimension of the lid portion 43 is set to be approximately equal to the height dimension of the surface of the door portion 22 that can be in close contact with the lid portion 43. In addition, in FIG. 5 etc., the cover part 43 set to the height dimension slightly larger than the height dimension of the surface which can contact | adhere to the cover part 43 among the door parts 22 is shown typically. The lid portion 43 is provided with a latch portion (not shown) that can lock the lid portion 43 to the storage container main body 42. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, a retainer 44 is provided on the inward surface 431 of the lid portion 43. The retainer 44 may be provided integrally or integrally with the lid portion 43. However, if the retainer 44 is detachably provided on the lid portion 43, only the corresponding retainer 44 is replaced when damaged. Can respond. Furthermore, the number of retainers that hold one wafer may be either one or a plurality, and the shape of the retainer 44 may be changed as appropriate. The retainer 44 that functions as a wafer retainer by holding the wafer W stored in the storage container 4 while elastically deforming the wafer W from the inward surface 431 side of the lid portion 43 and the inward surface 431 of the lid portion 43 (specifically Specifically, it is provided in a recess 432) formed in the inward surface 431. Thereby, the storage position of each transferred object W in the storage container 4 can be positioned, and damage to the transferred object W such as a thin and fragile wafer can be prevented. A gasket 433 is provided on a predetermined portion (both sides of the inward surface 431 in the illustrated example) of the inward surface 431 that is in contact with or close to the storage container main body 42 in a state where the carry-in / out entrance 41 is closed by the lid portion 43. Yes. And it is comprised so that the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 can be sealed completely by making the gasket 433 contact the storage container main body 42 and making it elastically deform preferentially over the inward surface 431 of the lid part 43. In FIG. 14, the chamber 5 is omitted.

  The door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment performs a predetermined operation by giving a drive command to each unit from the control unit 2C. In this embodiment, it is comprised so that a drive command may be given to each part from the control part 2C which the door opening / closing apparatus 2 has. The control unit 2C includes an input / output interface (IF) for inputting / outputting data between the storage unit, ROM, RAM, I / O port, CPU, external display device (not shown), and the like. And a bus that interconnects them to transmit information between the components. The storage unit stores a control procedure according to the type of processing executed by the door opening / closing device 2. That is, the storage unit stores a predetermined operation program for each part of the apparatus.

  Thus, the program in the present embodiment is stored as a program that can be executed on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium (such as a hard disk). The ROM is a recording medium that includes a hard disk, an EEPROM, a flash memory, and the like, and stores a CPU operation program and the like. The RAM functions as a work area for the CPU. The I / O port outputs, for example, a control signal output from the CPU to each unit of the apparatus or supplies information from the sensor to the CPU. The CPU constitutes the center of the control unit 2C and executes an operation program stored in the ROM. The CPU controls the operation of the door opening / closing device in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit. The contents of the program stored in the storage unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16 showing the operation flow of the EFEM 1 together with the method of using the EFEM 1 provided with the door opening / closing device 2 and the operation.

  First, the storage container 4 is opened and closed by a storage container transfer device such as an OHT that operates on a straight transfer line (flow line) extending along a common wall surface 3A in which the door opening / closing device 2 is disposed in the transfer chamber 3. 2 and is placed on the mounting table 23. At this time, for example, positioning protrusions 231 provided on the mounting table 23 are fitted into the positioning recesses of the storage container 4. Further, the control unit 2C locks the lock claw 232 on the mounting table 23 (lock process St1). Specifically, a locked state is obtained by hooking and fixing a lock claw 232 on the mounting table 23 to a locked portion (not shown) provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 4. Thereby, the storage container 4 can be mounted and fixed at a predetermined regular position on the mounting table 23. In the present embodiment, the storage containers 4 can be mounted on the mounting table 23 of the door opening / closing device 2 that is arranged side by side in the width direction of the transfer chamber 3. Further, the fact that the storage container 4 has been placed at the normal position on the placement table 23 by a seating sensor (not shown) that detects whether or not the storage container 4 is placed at a predetermined position on the placement table 23. It can also be configured to detect.

  Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C moves the mounting table 23 at the position shown in FIG. 5 to the docking position shown in FIG. 6 (docking process St2). That is, the mounting table 23 located at the position shown in FIG. The front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 and the outward surface 434) of the lid portion 43 are brought close to a predetermined distance. Until the docking process St2 is executed, the movement restricting portion L is maintained in the movement-permitted state (4) in which the engagement piece L1 is in the non-facing posture. Further, until the docking process St2 is executed, the hollow elastic seal portion S is maintained in the contracted state (1). The surface indicated by reference numeral 21 </ b> B in FIG. 5 or the like is the forefront of the frame farthest from the storage container main body 42 at the periphery of the opening 21 a (the opening 215 of the window frame 216) of the frame 21.

  When the mounting table 22 is moved to a predetermined docking position, in the door opening / closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C uses the movement restricting unit L to hold and fix at least both sides. Processing (storage container clamp processing St3) is performed. Specifically, the engagement piece L1 is pulled to the frame 21 side by the pull-in portion L2 of the movement restricting portion L. Then, the engagement piece L1 is switched from the non-face-to-face posture to the face-to-face posture, and is in a state of being engaged with the flange portion 45 of the storage container main body 42. In this state, the flange portion 45 of the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position is placed between the engagement piece L1 of the movement restricting portion L and the frame rearmost surface 21A (the rear surface 216A of the window frame portion 216). Can be pinched. That is, the storage container clamping process St3 can be realized by a process of switching the movement restricting portion L from the movement permitted state (4) to the movement restricted state (3).

  In addition, the timing which switches the movement control part L from a movement permissible state (4) to a movement control state (3) is after the time of positioning the mounting base 23 in a docking position, Comprising: The hollow elastic seal in a contracted state (1) What is necessary is just to change the part S to the expanded state (2). Therefore, the movement restricting portion L may be switched from the movement permitted state (4) to the movement restricted state (3) immediately after the mounting table 23 is positioned at the docking position. Alternatively, the movement restricting portion L may be switched from the movement-permitted state (4) to the movement-restricted state (3) after a predetermined time has elapsed since the mounting table 23 was positioned at the docking position.

  In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the hollow elastic seal portion S in the contracted state (1) at the time when the storage container clamping process is completed is set so as to approach the front surface 42B of the storage container body 42. . That is, when the storage container clamping process St3 is completed, the hollow elastic seal portion S in the contracted state (1) is set so as not to contact the front surface 42B of the storage container body 42 (see FIG. 10).

  Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C changes the state of the hollow elastic seal portion (2) set to the contracted state (1) until the storage container clamping process St3 is completed to the expanded state. Thus, a process (sealing process St4) for closing the gap between the storage container 4 and the frame 21 in the vicinity of the opening 21a (the opening 215 of the window frame part 216) formed in the frame 21 is performed. That is, the gas supply changeover switch S4 that has been in the closed state before the sealing process St4 is switched to the open state, and the gas exhaust switch S6 that has been in the open state before the sealing process St4 is switched to the closed state. Then, the fluid is supplied from the predetermined gas supply source to the hollow portion S1 through the fluid passage S2 (flow hole) communicating with the hollow portion S1. Thereby, the pressure in the hollow part S1 can be increased, and the state of the hollow part S1 can be changed from the contracted state shown in FIG. 10 to the expanded state shown in FIG. 12 expanded rearward (side of the storage container 4). . As a result, the hollow elastic seal portion S and the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 set as the seal surface among the storage containers 4 placed on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position are elastically contacted. By passing through this sealing process St4, the supply pressure acting on the hollow elastic seal portion S elastically contacted with the front surface 42B of the storage container body 42 becomes the seal surface pressure, and a good seal region is formed.

  In the present embodiment, the portion where the hollow elastic seal portion S is elastically contacted by the sealing process St4 is a portion that circulates in the vicinity of the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4 in the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42. More specifically, the portion where the upper side portion SA and both side portions SC (see FIG. 9) of the hollow elastic seal portion S elastically contact with each other by the sealing process St4 is stored in the portion that circulates in the vicinity of the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4. This is the front surface of the flange 45 provided at the front end of the container body 42. Further, the flange portion 45 is provided so as to protrude upward and on both sides at the front end portion of the storage container main body 42. That is, the collar part which protrudes below in the front-end part of the storage container main body 42 is not provided. Therefore, the lower side portion SB of the hollow elastic seal portion S is the front surface on the lower end side in the front end portion of the storage container main body 42 by the sealing process St4.

  In the door opening and closing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 is used as a seal surface, and the hollow portion S1 itself of the hollow elastic seal portion S can expand and load the surface pressure with respect to the seal surface. . As a result, it is possible to secure a seal region that can immediately follow even when the seal surface fluctuates due to vibration or the like.

  By performing the sealing process St4 and changing the hollow elastic seal portion S to the expanded state (2), a force pressed in a direction away from the frame 21 acts on the storage container 4. However, in the door opening and closing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position can be maintained in the state of being fixed by the movement restricting portion L by performing the storage container clamping process St3. . For this reason, the storage container 4 pressed by the hollow elastic seal portion S can be prevented from moving or tilting away from the frame 21. In particular, in the present embodiment, the movement restricting portions L are arranged at a total of four locations near the upper end and the lower end on both sides of the substantially rectangular openings 21a and 215. Thereby, among the storage containers 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position, a total of four locations near the upper and lower ends of both sides at the front end of the storage container main body 42 are fixed by the movement restricting portions L Can do.

  In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C switches the coupling mechanism 221 to the lid coupling state following the sealing process St4 (lid coupling process St5). By this process, the lid portion 43 can be connected to the door portion 22 that has been waiting in the fully closed position (C) in advance by the connecting mechanism 221 and can be held in close contact. Further, the lid 43 can be removed from the storage container main body 42. Further, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, when the storage container 4 is placed at the regular position on the placement table 23, the control unit 2 </ b> C, for example, a pressed portion of a pressure sensor provided on the placement table 23. It is detected that the bottom surface portion of the storage container 4 is pressed. As a result, the control unit 2C causes the nozzles 261 (all nozzles 261 including the nozzles functioning as the gas introduction unit 63) provided on the mounting table 23 to move upward from the upper surface of the mounting table 23 (signals). )give. As a result, these nozzles 261 are connected to the inlet and outlet of the storage container 4, respectively, so that the purge process for the storage container 4 can be performed.

  Subsequently, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes an in-chamber purge process St6 for supplying environmental gas to the inside of the chamber 5. In this in-chamber purge process St6, an environmental gas supplied from an appropriate environmental gas supply source is injected into the chamber 5 from a gas supply nozzle 55 provided on the upper wall 53 of the chamber 5, and the inside of the chamber 5 is This is a process of replacing with gas. By executing the in-chamber purge process St6, the gas atmosphere in the chamber 5 is discharged from the gas discharge nozzle 56 (gas discharge portion 61) provided on the bottom wall 54 of the chamber 5. The discharged gas atmosphere (exhaust gas) passes through the exhaust tube 62 and is stored from the nozzle 261 that functions as the gas introducing portion 63 by connecting the downstream end of the exhaust tube 62 among the nozzles 261 provided on the mounting table 23. It is introduced into the internal space 4S of the container 4. Thereby, the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is filled with the same environmental gas as the internal space 5S of the chamber 5, and the pressure of the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 becomes equal to the pressure of the internal space 5S of the chamber 5.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the in-chamber purge process St6 is performed in a state where the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is sealed, and a path different from the opening 21a from the internal space 5S of the chamber 5 subjected to the purge process St6. An environmental gas in the chamber 5 is introduced into the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 by the pressure adjusting unit 6 using the pressure so that the pressure in the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is equal to the pressure in the internal space 5S of the chamber 5. The pressure adjustment process St7 is performed. During the execution of the pressure adjustment process St7, among the nozzles 261 provided on the mounting table 23, the nozzle 261 (bottom purge) connected to the discharge port formed in the storage container 4 and not connected to the exhaust tube 62 of the pressure adjustment unit 6. The gas atmosphere in the storage container 4 is discharged from the discharge nozzle), and the discharged gas atmosphere (this gas atmosphere is an environmental gas having a low cleanliness other than air or air from the start of the pressure adjustment process until a predetermined time) The environmental gas filled in the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 after the predetermined time elapses) into an appropriate space not communicating with the interior of the storage container 4 and the transfer chamber 3 through an appropriate exhaust path (not shown). It is configured to exhaust. Thereby, the environmental gas supplied from the nozzle 261 functioning as the gas introduction part 63 can be filled in the storage container 4 at a high concentration. By performing such pressure adjustment processing St7, the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is filled with the environmental gas, and the water concentration and the oxygen concentration in the storage container 4 are reduced to a predetermined value or less, respectively. The surrounding environment of the object to be transported W is set to a low humidity environment and a low oxygen environment. Therefore, the pressure adjustment process St7 can also be regarded as a process that also serves as a process for replacing the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 with the environmental gas (a purge process in the storage container).

  In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C moves the lid 43 together with the door unit 22 following the pressure adjustment process St7, and opens the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4. Is opened, and the process of releasing the sealed state in the storage container 4 (storage container seal release process St8) is executed. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the control unit 2 </ b> C moves the door unit 22 from the fully closed position (C) to the transfer chamber 3 side in the internal space 5 </ b> S of the chamber 5 by the door moving mechanism 27. A predetermined distance is moved along the horizontal path described above. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the control unit 2C lowers the door unit 22 that has reached the above-described movement direction switching position (P) by a predetermined distance along the above-described vertical path and opens the fully open position (O). Position. At the time of executing the storage container release process St8, the pressure difference between the internal space 5S of the chamber 5 and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is eliminated by the pressure adjustment process St7 described above. 5 can be performed smoothly and appropriately. Note that the storage container sealing release process St8 is a process of opening the inside of the storage container 4, and can also be referred to as a “storage container release process”.

  Subsequently, in the door opening / closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C causes the chamber 5 to move from the shielding position to the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 that communicates with the opening 21a, to the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3, and thus to the processing device M. A process (chamber evacuation process St9) for moving to a chamber evacuation position (not shown) that can be opened to the internal space MS is executed. As a result, the internal space 4S of the storage container body 42 and the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 are in communication with each other without being shielded by the chamber 5. Note that after the chamber purge process St6 is performed, the door portion 22 is moved from the fully closed position (C) to the moving direction switching position (P), and the chamber 5 is kept in the shielded position in a state where it is temporarily waiting at that position. It is also possible to adopt a processing procedure in which the door 22 is moved from the movement direction switching position (P) to the fully open position (O) after the movement to the chamber retracted position. In the present embodiment, the supply of the environmental gas to the internal space 5S of the chamber 5 is stopped at an appropriate time after the pressure adjustment processing St7 is completed, for example, before the chamber retreat processing St9 is executed. Thus, the gas usage amount and the gas usage time can be limited to reduce the cost.

  Then, with the internal space 4S of the storage container body 42 and the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 communicating, the transfer robot 31 provided in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 accesses the storage container 4 and The conveyance process with respect to the conveyed product W is implemented (conveyance process St10). The content of the transport process that can be performed in the transport process St10 is a process in which the transport robot 31 picks up the transported object W in the storage container 4 with a hand or a processed transported object W that has undergone appropriate processing by the manufacturing apparatus M. This is a process of placing the container 4 in the storage container 4 by hand. For example, when the object W in the storage container 4 is transferred into the transfer chamber 3 by the transfer process St10, the object W transferred into the transfer chamber 3 is processed by the transfer robot 31 by the processing device M (specifically, the processing apparatus M). To the load lock chamber) or to the buffer station or aligner. In addition, the processed object W that has undergone appropriate processing by the manufacturing apparatus M is directly stored in the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 from the internal space MS of the processing apparatus M by the transfer robot 31 or via a buffer station. Then, it is sequentially stored in the internal space 4S of the storage container 4.

  And in the door opening / closing apparatus 2 which concerns on this embodiment, when performing the next access of the conveyance robot 31 with respect to the storage container 4 (St11; Yes in FIG. 15), the conveyance process St6 is performed repeatedly. In the door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, when all the articles to be conveyed W in the storage container 4 have finished the processing process by the processing apparatus M, the control unit 2C does not execute the next conveyance process (FIG. The process of St11 in No. 15; No) is executed. That is, the control unit 2C moves the door unit 22 to the fully closed position (C) by the door moving mechanism 27 to close the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4 so that the inside of the storage container 4 A process of sealing the space 4S (storage container sealing process St12, see FIG. 16) is executed. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the control unit 2C raises the door unit 22 by a predetermined distance along the above-described vertical path, from the fully open position (O) to the moving direction switching position (P). Move. Subsequently, the control unit 2 </ b> C moves the door unit 22 that has reached the movement direction switching position (P) by a predetermined distance along the above-described horizontal path in a direction (backward) away from the transfer chamber 3. As a result, the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4 are closed, and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is hermetically sealed. Along with this storage container sealing process St12, the retainer 44 provided on the inward surface 431 of the lid portion 43 holds the edge of the conveyed object W while being elastically deformed, and all the objects stored in the storage container 4 are retained. The conveyed product W can be positioned at a regular storage position (see FIG. 14).

  Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes a process (chamber shielding process St13) for moving the chamber 5 from the chamber retracted position to the shielding position. Subsequently, in the door opening and closing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C performs the same processing contents as the above-described chamber purge process St6 and the pressure adjustment process St7, respectively, and the secondary chamber purge process St14 and the secondary pressure. The adjustment process St15 is executed. The door 22 is moved from the fully open position (O) to the moving direction switching position (P), and the chamber shielding process St13 is executed in a state where the door section 22 is temporarily kept at that position, and then the second chamber purge process is performed. It is also possible to adopt a processing procedure in which St14 and the secondary pressure adjustment processing St15 are executed, and then the door portion 22 is moved from the moving direction switching position (P) to the fully closed position (C). Further, in the present embodiment, by stopping the supply of environmental gas to the internal space 5S of the chamber 5 at an appropriate time after starting the in-chamber purge process St6, the amount of gas used and the use time are limited, and the cost is reduced. Can be reduced.

  Subsequently, in the door opening and closing device 2 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes a process of switching the coupling mechanism 221 from the lid coupling state to the lid coupling cancellation state (lid coupling cancellation processing St16). By this processing, the connection state (lid connection state) between the door portion 22 and the lid portion 43 by the coupling mechanism 221 can be released, and the lid portion 43 can be attached to the storage container main body 42.

  Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 according to the present embodiment, the controller 2C changes the state of the hollow elastic seal portion S from the expanded state (2) to the contracted state (1) following the lid connection release process St16. A process of releasing the seal state between the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 and the frame 21 by the hollow elastic seal portion 1 (seal release process St17) is executed. That is, the gas supply changeover switch S4 that is maintained in the open state from the start of the seal process St4 to before the seal release process St17 is switched to the closed state, and is closed from the start of the seal process St4 to before the seal release process St17. The gas exhaust switch S6 maintained in the state is switched to the open state. Then, the inside of the hollow portion S1 is vacuumed through the fluid passage S2. Therefore, the fluid supplied into the hollow part S1 can be discharged from the hollow part S1. Thereby, the pressure of the hollow part S1 can be lowered and the hollow elastic seal part S can be changed from the expanded state (2) shown in FIG. 12 to the contracted state (1) shown in FIG. As a result, the elastic contact state between the hollow elastic seal portion S and the front surface 42B of the storage container 4 placed on the placement table 23 positioned at the docking position is released.

  In the door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 2C performs a storage container clamp release process St18 for releasing the fixed state (clamped state) of the storage container 4 by the movement restriction unit L, following the seal release process St17. . Specifically, the engaging piece L1 at the position retracted to the frame 21 side by the retracting portion L2 of the movement restricting portion L is moved together with the shaft L3 in a direction away from the frame 21. Then, the engaging piece L1 is automatically switched from the facing posture to the non-facing posture, the engagement state of the engaging piece L1 with respect to the flange portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 is released, and the storage container 4 is fixed by the movement restricting portion L. The state can be released. That is, the storage container clamp release process St18 can be realized by a process of switching the movement restricting portion L from the movement restricted state (3) to the movement permitted state (4).

  Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes a process of retracting the mounting table 23 in a direction away from the frame 21 (docking release process St19). Further, the control unit 2C releases the state where the storage container 4 is locked by the lock claw 232 on the mounting table 23 (lock release processing St20). Specifically, the locked state of the lock claw 232 with respect to the locked portion provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 4 is released. As a result, the storage container 4 storing the object to be transported W that has been subjected to the predetermined processing is transferred from the mounting table 23 of each door opening / closing device 2 to the storage container transport apparatus, and is carried out to the next process.

  As described above, the door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment provides the hollow elastic seal portion S so as to go around the opening 21a in the region near the opening edge of the opening 21a in the frame 21. The state can be changed between the contracted state (1) and the expanded state (2). Therefore, the hollow elastic seal portion S in the contracted state (1) is placed in a state where the mounting table 23 is positioned at a predetermined docking position where the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 mounted on the mounting table 23 approaches the opening 21a. By changing to the expanded state (2), the hollow elastic seal portion S is formed on the seal surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container body 42, that is, the front surface 42B of the storage container body 42 in this embodiment. Can be elastically contacted to form a good seal region. As a result, the storage container 4 and the frame 21 can be brought into close contact with each other via a seal region that goes around the opening 21 a formed in the frame 21.

  In addition, according to the door opening and closing device 2 according to the present embodiment, a region that is a gap between the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the storage container main body 42 and can communicate with the outside of the storage container 4 and the outside of the transfer chamber 3 is a sealing region. By sealing with, the inside of the storage container 4 can be shut off from the atmosphere (outside air) outside the storage container 4. Further, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, air or the like is supplied from the outside through the sealing region formed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic seal portion S in the expanded state (2) to the sealing surface of the storage container body 42. It is possible to prevent / suppress the situation of flowing into the inside or the transfer chamber 3. As a result, it is possible to improve the quality of the conveyed object.

  Furthermore, the door opening / closing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment changes the state of the seal surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid 43 of the storage container main body 42 from the contracted state (1) to the expanded state (2). The structure which forms the seal | sticker area | region by making the hollow elastic seal part S elastically contact is employ | adopted. For this reason, the seal | sticker property (sealing property) of the seal | sticker area | region formed in this embodiment is the seal | sticker formed by pressing the sealing surface of the storage container main body 42 with respect to the elastic material inferior to flexibility, such as an O-ring. It can be higher than the sealing performance of the region. Therefore, even when the environment gas is supplied into the storage container 4 or the transfer chamber 3, the situation where the environmental gas flows out from the seal region to the outside of the storage container 4 or the transfer chamber 3 is prevented. be able to. Further, by using the hollow elastic seal portion S described above, it is possible to seal even a relatively large gap.

  In particular, the door opening and closing device 2 according to the present embodiment is provided with the movement restricting portion L at least near the upper end of the opening 21 a of the frame 21. And the movement control state (3) which the movement control part L controls that the storage container 4 on the mounting base 23 located in the docking position moves in the direction away from the frame 21, and the mounting base positioned in the docking position It is possible to switch between the movement-permitted state (4) in which the storage container 4 on 23 is allowed to move in a direction away from the frame 21. Therefore, after the stage 23 is positioned at the docking position, the movement restricting portion L is switched from the movement permitted state (4) to the movement restricted state (3), and the contracted state is maintained while maintaining the movement restricted state (3). By changing the hollow elastic seal portion S in (1) to the expanded state (2), the following effects can be obtained. That is, when the hollow elastic seal portion S is changed from the contracted state (1) to the expanded state (3) with respect to the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position, it is pressed away from the frame 21. Even if the force which acts on the storage container 4 can move and tilt the storage container 4 by the movement control part L in the movement control state (3) provided at least near the upper end of the opening 21a. As a result, the rising of particles in the storage container 4 and the position of the transported object W that may occur when the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position moves in a direction away from the frame 21 or tilts. Misalignment can be avoided.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, as the movement control part L, the engagement piece L1 which can be engaged with the collar part 45 provided in the peripheral part of the cover part 43 among the storage container main bodies 42, and the engagement piece L1 are collar parts. 45, and a retracting portion L2 that can be moved to the frame 21 side in a state of being engaged with 45 is applied. Since it is such a movement restricting portion L, an operation of pulling the flange portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 engaged with the engagement piece L1 toward the frame 21 causes the peripheral portion of the storage container main body 42 around the lid portion 43 to move. It is possible to increase the degree of adhesion of the hollow elastic seal portion S to the set seal surface (increase the adhesion area). As a result, it is possible to ensure even better sealing performance in the sealing area. In the present embodiment, the “sealing surface” forming the sealing region is “a surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 42”. In the present embodiment, the storage container 4 provided with the flange 45 that protrudes upward and outward in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 43 is employed, and the upper side portion SA and the hollow seal portion S Both side portions SC are in elastic contact with the front surface of the collar portion 45. Therefore, the front surface of the flange portion 45 functions as a seal surface on which the hollow elastic seal portion S is elastically contacted by the sealing process St4.

  In addition, the door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment employs a configuration in which movement restriction portions L are arranged in the vicinity of the upper end and the vicinity of the lower end on both sides of the opening 21a having a substantially rectangular shape. Accordingly, when the hollow elastic seal portion S is inflated and brought into close contact with the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the docking position, the storage container 4 moves or tilts away from the frame 21. The situation can be prevented more reliably.

  In particular, in the door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, the fluid supplied to the hollow part S1 is in an expanded state (2) when the pressure of the hollow part S1 is increased, and the supplied fluid is discharged from the hollow part S1. Thus, a hollow elastic seal portion that is in a contracted state (1) is applied by lowering the pressure of the hollow portion S1. Thereby, the supply pressure in the hollow portion S1 becomes the seal surface pressure as it is, and a good sealing function is exhibited. In addition, the hollow portion S1 itself can expand and apply a surface pressure to the sealing surface of the storage container main body 42, and a sealing region that can immediately follow even when the sealing surface fluctuates due to vibration or the like. Can be formed.

  In addition, the transfer device (EFEM 1) according to the present embodiment is provided in the transfer chamber 3, the door opening / closing device 2 having the above-described configuration provided on the wall surface 3A of the transfer chamber 3, the door opening / closing device provided in the transfer chamber 3. Since the transport robot 31 capable of taking in and out the transported object W between the storage container 4 and the transport chamber 3 on the mounting table 23 of the device 2 is provided, the above-described operational effect produced by the door opening and closing device 2 is obtained. The gap between the peripheral portion of the opening 21a and the storage container 4 in the frame 21 is eliminated, and the environmental gas in the storage container 4 and the transfer chamber 3 flows out of the storage container 4 and the transfer chamber 3 through the gap. It is possible to prevent or suppress the situation or the situation where air or the like flows into the storage container 4 or the transfer chamber 3 from the outside.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, as a docking method of the storage container 4 using the door opening / closing device 2 described above, the mounting table 23 on which the storage container 4 is placed is placed at a predetermined docking position where the lid portion 43 approaches the opening 21a. After the movement, the hollow elastic seal portion S in the contracted state (1) is changed to the expanded state (2), and the hollow elastic seal portion is set on the seal surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 42. A method is adopted in which a seal process St4 is performed in which S is elastically contacted to form a seal region. Therefore, a gap between the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the storage container main body 42, that is, a gap through which the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 and the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 can communicate with the outside can be sealed. Good airtightness can be ensured when the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 placed above and the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 communicate with each other.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the hollow elastic seal portion is provided so as to go around the opening in the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening in the frame, and the sealing process is performed, so that the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the docking position is provided. A configuration in which the hollow elastic seal portion is inflated and elastically contacted with the front surface (back side of the storage container) is illustrated. Instead of this configuration, a configuration in which the hollow elastic seal portion is provided so as to go around the opening at the opening edge of the opening in the frame can be adopted. As a preferred case of applying such a configuration, in a state in which the mounting table is positioned at a predetermined docking position where the lid portion of the storage container approaches the opening of the frame, the lid portion approaches the opening and arrives Can be mentioned.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 17, the lid 43 of the storage container 4 approaches the opening 21a of the frame 21 (the opening 215 of the window unit 214) when the mounting table 23 is positioned at a predetermined docking position. In such a case, the front surface 42 </ b> B of the storage container main body 42 is positioned in front of the opening rear edge of the opening 21 a formed in the frame 21. In such a configuration, if the hollow elastic seal portion S provided so as to go around the opening at the opening edge of the opening 21a in the frame 21 is in the contracted state (1), the hollow elastic seal is provided at the front end portion of the storage container body 42. It sets so that the part S may not contact. When the hollow elastic seal portion S is changed from the contracted state (1) to the expanded state (2), the hollow elastic seal portion S narrows the opening dimension of the opening 21a (the direction toward the center of the opening 21a). It expands and elastically contacts the front end of the storage container main body 42. Thereby, the clearance gap between the opening 21a of the flame | frame 21 and the storage container main body 42 can be sealed.

  When the configuration shown in FIG. 17 is adopted, the sealing surface to which the hollow elastic sealing portion S is elastically contacted by the sealing process is the lid portion of the storage container main body 42 in a state where the mounting table 23 is positioned at a predetermined docking position. 43 is a surface that is a peripheral portion of 43 and faces the opening edge of the opening 21a. Specifically, a surface of the storage container main body 42 that faces the opening edge of the opening 21a in a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction D functions as a seal surface. Therefore, the upward surface, the downward surface, and the side surface at the front end portion of the storage container body 42 function as a sealing surface. And a seal | sticker area | region can be formed by making the hollow elastic seal part S of an expanded state elastically contact to these seal surfaces. In addition, as shown in FIG. 17, when the collar part 45 is provided in the front-end part of the storage container main body 42, the upward surface and side surface of the collar part 45 function as a sealing surface.

  When the configuration shown in FIG. 17 is adopted, the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state and the expanded state can be set so as to be within the thickness of the frame. On the other hand, the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state and the expanded state does not fall within the thickness of the frame, and protrudes forward or rearward from at least one of the frontmost surface 21B and the rearmost surface 21A of the frame 21. May be.

  In addition, the docking position of the mounting table can be appropriately set according to the specifications such as the location of the hollow elastic seal portion in the opening frame of the frame at the front end of the storage container body.

  For example, when the hollow elastic seal portion is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state with respect to the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the docking position as shown in FIG. The movement restricting portion can be omitted as long as the force for pressing in the separating direction does not act. If the movement restricting portion is unnecessary, the structure can be simplified as compared with the aspect provided with the movement restricting portion.

  The hollow elastic seal part in the present invention only needs to be capable of changing its state between the contracted state and the expanded state. Therefore, it is also possible to configure the hollow elastic seal portion by using parts and mechanisms other than the so-called inflatate seal having the above-described configuration.

  Further, the hollow elastic seal portions that circulate around the openings formed in the frame may be arranged in a plurality of stages at a predetermined pitch in the height direction or the front-rear direction. In this case, the plurality of hollow elastic seal portions are arranged, so that the seal area is widened, and a higher sealing performance can be secured. In addition, even when the sealing function of one hollow elastic seal portion is lowered, it is possible to ensure good sealing performance in the seal region by ensuring the effective sealing function of the other hollow elastic seal portions.

  It is also possible to form a hollow elastic seal portion arranged so as to go around the opening by arranging a plurality of hollow elastic seal elements in order along the opening formed in the frame.

  The location where the movement restricting portion is arranged can be selected as appropriate. As an example, it may be a door opening and closing device provided with a movement restricting portion capable of holding a portion (for example, a central portion in the width direction) other than both sides in the upper end portion of the storage container body. It is also possible to change the number of movement restriction units.

  Furthermore, instead of or in addition to the movement restricting portion that exhibits the clamping function exemplified in the above embodiment, the clamping function is not exhibited, but the locking function or the holding function is exhibited by an appropriate means, so that the docking position can be achieved. It is also possible to apply a movement restricting portion capable of restricting movement or tilting of the storage container on the placed mounting table in a direction away from the frame.

  Further, the hollow elastic seal portion and the movement restricting portion may be unitized and arranged on the frame, or the hollow elastic seal portion and the movement restricting portion may be arranged separately without being unitized. When the configuration in which the window unit 214 in the above embodiment is omitted is adopted, a frame in which the opening 21a is directly formed in the frame body 212 can be applied.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the chamber is arranged in the transfer chamber is illustrated, but a configuration in which the chamber is not arranged in the transfer chamber can be adopted. If the chamber is not arranged in the transfer chamber, the pressure adjusting unit can be omitted. In this case, the chamber purge process and the pressure adjustment process are also omitted.

  As a door opening / closing device provided with a chamber and a pressure adjusting unit, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, a gas exhaust path provided with a gas discharge unit 61 ′ in the frame 21 and an upstream end connected to the gas discharge unit 61 ′. A pressure adjusting unit 6 ′ having 62 ′ can be employed. The gas discharge part 61 ′ provided in the frame 21 is a through hole communicating with the internal space 5 </ b> S of the chamber 5. The upstream end of the gas exhaust path 62 'is brought into close contact with the gas exhaust 61'. Most of the gas exhaust path 62 'is disposed in the cover 28 described above. At least a portion of the gas exhaust path 62 ′ disposed in the cover 28 is formed by a tube. The downstream end of the gas exhaust path 62 ′ is in close contact with the gas introduction part 63. The environmental gas supplied into the chamber 5 by the in-chamber purge process by such a pressure adjusting unit 6 ′ passes through the gas discharge unit 61 ′, the gas exhaust path 62 ′, and the gas introduction unit 63 in this order, and the storage container 4 Is introduced into the internal space 4S. Therefore, the pressure difference between the internal space 5S of the chamber 5 and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 can be eliminated through the pressure adjusting unit 6 '. Such a gas exhaust path 62 ′ does not require a condition that it can be moved or deformed following the movement of the chamber 5. Therefore, the degree of freedom in selecting the members constituting the gas exhaust path 62 'and designing in the installation space is increased. As a gas exhaust path 62 ′, as shown in FIG. 18, in addition to a path (pressure adjustment path) for directing the environmental gas in the chamber 5 flowing from the gas exhaust section 61 ′ to the gas introduction section 63, the gas exhaust section A configuration having a path (exhaust path) for directing environmental gas in the chamber 5 flowing from 61 'to an appropriate exhaust space (for example, the internal space of the transfer chamber) can be employed. In FIG. 18, the downstream end of the exhaust path is brought into close contact with a through hole 64 ′ provided at a position in the frame 21 that communicates the internal space of the cover 28 and the internal space of the transfer chamber. In this case, the environment gas exhaust path in the chamber 5 flowing from the gas discharge section 61 ′ may be configured to be switchable to either the pressure adjustment path or the exhaust path (for example, a structure in which a switching valve is disposed). .

  Moreover, the door part may be accompanied by a rotation operation in all or part of the movement between the fully closed position and the fully open position. For example, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the movement direction switching position (P) is set while the movement of the door portion 22 between the fully closed position (C) and the movement direction switching position (P) is set as a rotation operation. And a configuration in which the movement of the door portion 22 between the fully open position (O) is set to a linear motion. In this case, the posture of the door portion 22 positioned at the movement direction switching position (P) is a posture inclined by a predetermined angle. It moves between the movement direction switching position (P) and the fully open position (O) while maintaining this inclined posture. In addition, the specific structure and drive source of the door moving mechanism 27 which are partially omitted in FIGS. 19 and 20 can be changed as appropriate.

  Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the aspect comprised so that a door part was made to wait in a fully open position during the taking in / out process of the to-be-conveyed object was illustrated. Instead of such a mode, for example, as shown in FIG. 21, the storage container main body 42 corresponding to the amount necessary to take in and out the transported object W with respect to the storage container 4 during the process of loading and unloading the transported object W. It is also possible to configure the door unit 22 to wait at a midway open position (I) that opens the internal space 4S. With such a configuration, it is possible to effectively reduce the degree of opening in the height direction of the internal space 4S of the storage container body 42 during the taking-in / out process of the transported object W. Therefore, when the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 is opened, the purge concentration in the storage container 4 once decreases and the water concentration increases, but the increased water concentration is returned to a predetermined low water concentration. Time can be shortened. Furthermore, there is an advantage that the movement stroke of the door portion 22 can be shortened as compared with an aspect in which the door portion 22 is moved between the fully closed position (C) and the fully open position (O). Depending on the setting of the fully open position (O), the midway open position during the loading / unloading process of the transported object W stored at the lowest position in the storage container 4 is the same as or substantially the same as the fully open position (O). It may be a position. In FIG. 21, the chamber is omitted.

  As described above, the door opening and closing device according to the present invention can be used as a part of an EFEM that is an example of a transport device. Therefore, it can also be used as a part of a transfer device or sorter device other than EFEM. The sorter device has a plurality of door opening / closing devices according to the present invention arranged on the wall surface of the transfer chamber, and the objects to be transferred between the storage containers placed on the mounting table of each door opening / closing device are replaced by a transfer robot provided in the transfer chamber. It is a possible device. A sorter device in which a plurality of door opening / closing devices are arranged on a common wall surface of the transfer chamber, or one or more door opening / closing devices on different wall surfaces of the transfer chamber (for example, opposite wall surfaces such as a front wall and a rear wall), respectively. Placed sorter device, or buffer station or aligner on either side, and transported between storage containers placed on the mounting table of each door opening / closing device, or between storage container and buffer station or aligner Any of these sorter devices can be used which can exchange and take in / out items by a transfer robot.

  With such a sorter device, by providing the door opening and closing device having the above-described configuration, it is possible to obtain the above-described operational effects, and to appropriately carry out the loading / unloading processing of the object to be conveyed.

  One door opening / closing device may be disposed on the wall surface of the transfer chamber.

  In the above-described embodiment, the wafer is exemplified as the object to be conveyed. However, the object to be conveyed may be a reticle, a liquid crystal substrate, a glass substrate, a culture plate, a culture container, a dish, a petri dish, or the like. In other words, the present invention can be applied to a transfer technique for a transfer object stored in a container in various fields such as semiconductor, liquid crystal, and cell culture.

  Further, the door opening and closing device according to the present invention is not limited to a load port, and can be used for an application functioning as an interface portion between a storage container and a transfer chamber.

  As the purge process in the storage container, a so-called front purge process for supplying environmental gas from the front of the internal space of the storage container can be applied in addition to or instead of the above-described bottom purge process. The front purge unit that performs the front purge process may be provided in the storage container body or the lid, or may be provided in the door opening / closing device. As described in the above embodiment, the storage container in the present invention may be a storage container that is purged at an appropriate timing after the time when it is mounted on the mounting table of the door opening and closing device. However, as a storage container in the present invention, a storage container that is not purged at an appropriate timing after the time when it is placed on the mounting table of the door opening / closing device, or a time point before being placed on the mounting table It is also possible to apply a storage container that has been previously purged. As a specific example of the timing of the purging process that is performed in advance before being placed on the mounting table of the door opening / closing device, the time when the plurality of storage containers are stored in a storage room that can be stored, the door Examples include a time point on a dedicated purge station different from the switchgear device, a suitable time point during a manufacturing process in another transported object manufacturing apparatus, or a proper time point after completion of manufacturing.

  The type and type of the storage container and the specific configuration and function of the transfer chamber can be changed as appropriate. A gas other than nitrogen gas or dry air may be applied as the environmental gas required for the purge process.

  As the transfer robot, a transfer robot having a plurality of transfer object gripping parts (or hands in the above embodiment) can be applied. In addition, it is possible to apply a transport robot in which the transported object gripping portion is configured by predetermined parts other than the hand. The transfer robot may be any one that is arranged in the transfer chamber. It may be a door opening and closing device provided with a transfer robot.

  In the above-described embodiment, the door opening / closing device 2 includes the control unit 2 </ b> C, and the mode in which the control unit 2 </ b> C controls the operation of each unit such as movement of the door unit 22 is illustrated. Instead of this mode, a control unit (the above-described EFEM overall control unit 3M or processing device M, which is a host controller) that controls the operation of a higher-level device of the door opening / closing device (EFEM or processing device in the above-described embodiment). The control unit MC) can also be configured to control the operation of the door opening and closing device.

  Moreover, the above-mentioned control part is realizable using a normal computer system irrespective of a dedicated system. For example, by installing the program from a recording medium (flexible disk, CD-ROM, etc.) storing a program for executing the above-described process in a general-purpose computer, a control unit that executes the above-described process is configured. Can do. The means for supplying these programs is arbitrary. In addition to being able to be supplied via a predetermined recording medium as described above, for example, it may be supplied via a communication line, a communication network, a communication system, or the like. In this case, for example, the program may be posted on a bulletin board (BBS) of a communication network and provided by superimposing it on a carrier wave via the network. Then, the above-described processing can be executed by starting the program thus provided and executing it in the same manner as other application programs under the control of the OS.

  Further, for example, as a transfer device other than the EFEM, for example, as shown in FIG. 22, a SMIF (standard of mechanical interface) system 1 can be cited. In the SMIF system 1, with the storage container 4 having a lid 43 provided on the bottom placed on a mounting table 23 formed on a part of the frame 21, the lid 43 is connected to the door 22 from below the storage container 4. Can be opened and closed. In addition, in the SMIF system, for example, a storage case (not shown) called a cassette that stores an object to be transferred, such as a wafer, is fixed on the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4, and is transferred as the door portion 22 moves up and down. It can be made to stand by in the state which can be conveyed in the chamber 3, or can be conveyed to 4S in storage containers. Hereinafter, an example of a transport device 1 (SMIF system) to which the door opening and closing device 2 according to the present invention is applied will be described as a second embodiment.

  The door opening / closing device 2 according to the second embodiment is used in, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing process, and forms a part of a wall surface of a transfer chamber 3 called a loader in a clean room as shown in FIG. This is for taking in and out the article W to be transferred between the chamber 3 and the storage container 4. The door opening / closing device 2 according to the second embodiment includes a frame 21 that forms part of the wall surface 3 </ b> A of the transfer chamber 3, a door portion 22 that opens and closes an opening 21 a formed in the frame 21, and a storage container among the frames 21. 4 is provided with a mounting table 23 formed at a position where the storage container 4 can be mounted in such a direction that the lid portion 43 capable of opening and closing the internal space 4S is opposed to the door portion 22.

  The frame 21 has a hollow box shape, and the upper wall 211 functions as the mounting portion 23. An opening 21 a is formed in the upper wall 211 of the frame 21 that functions as the mounting table 23 for opening a space partitioned by the frame 21 (frame internal space 21 </ b> S). The opening 21 a has a size capable of communicating with the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4 placed on the placement table 23. Further, the opening 21 a is formed in the central portion of the mounting table 23 in plan view. The door opening / closing device 2 of the second embodiment can be used with such a frame 21 in close contact with the transfer chamber 3. In addition, an opening 212 a that communicates the internal spaces 3 </ b> S and 21 </ b> S is formed in a part of the standing wall 212 that partitions the internal space 3 </ b> S of the transfer chamber 3 and the internal space 21 </ b> S of the frame 21 in the frame 21.

  The door portion 22 connects the door portion 22 to the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4, releases the lid connection state in which the lid portion 43 can be detached from the storage container main body 42, and the connection state to the lid portion 43, and A connection mechanism (not shown) that can be switched between a lid connection release state in which the lid portion 43 is attached to the storage container main body 42 is provided. The door part 22 is movable along a predetermined movement path while the cover part 43 is held in an integrated state by a coupling mechanism. The door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment includes a door portion 22 in a fully closed position (see FIG. 22) in which the internal space 4S of the storage container body 42 is sealed by a lid portion 43 held by the door portion 22 and the door. Between the fully open position (not shown) in which the lid portion 43 held by the portion 22 is separated from the storage container main body 42 and the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 is fully opened downward toward the internal space 21S of the frame 21. It is configured to be movable. In the second embodiment, the door portion 22 is set so as to be movable to the fully open position while maintaining its posture at the fully closed position shown in FIG. That is, the movement path of the door part 22 between the fully closed position and the fully open position is a path (vertical path) in which the door part 22 in the fully closed position is moved downward while maintaining its front-rear position.

  Such movement of the door portion 22 is realized by a door moving mechanism 27 provided in the door opening and closing device 2. The door moving mechanism 27 includes an elevating unit 271 that can move up and down while supporting the door unit 22, and a drive source (for example, an actuator not shown) that drives the elevating unit 271. By giving a drive command to the actuator from the control unit, the door unit 22 can be moved in the vertical direction.

  Further, in the door opening / closing device 2 according to the second embodiment, the hollow elastic seal portion S provided near the periphery of the opening 42 and the storage container 4 placed at a predetermined docking position on the placement table 23 are separated from the frame 21. And a movement restricting portion L that restricts movement in the direction of movement (upward).

  The hollow elastic seal portion S is provided in the frame 21 so as to go around the opening 21a in a region near the opening edge of the opening 21a. In the second embodiment in which the mounting table 23 is formed in a part of the frame 21, the hollow elastic seal portion is provided at a position around the opening 215 in the region near the opening edge of the opening 21 a formed in the central portion of the mounting table 23 in plan view. S is provided. More specifically, of the upward surface 23T of the mounting table 23, it is the downward surface 42U of the storage container main body 42 and a seal surface described later (the surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 42). The hollow elastic seal portion S is attached to the position opposite to. The hollow elastic seal portion S arranged so as to go around the opening 21a in the vicinity of the opening edge of the rectangular opening 21a has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. In the second embodiment, the hollow elastic seal portions S are arranged in a plurality of stages (two stages in the illustrated example) at a predetermined pitch in the front-rear direction D.

  The hollow elastic seal portion S can change state between an expanded state shown in FIG. 22 and a contracted state (not shown). The hollow elastic seal portion S in the second embodiment applies an inflatate seal similarly to the configuration of the hollow elastic seal portion S in the above-described embodiment. That is, the hollow elastic seal portion S includes a ring-shaped hollow portion that is hollow inside and circulates around the opening 21a as a whole, and a fluid passage (flow hole) that communicates with the inside of the hollow portion. The hollow elastic seal portion S is in an expanded state when the pressure of the hollow portion is increased by the fluid supplied through the fluid passage. Further, the hollow elastic seal portion S is brought into a contracted state by discharging the supplied fluid from the hollow portion through the fluid passage and reducing the pressure of the hollow portion. The hollow elastic seal portion S includes one hollow portion and one fluid passage S.

  In the door opening and closing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment, a hollow elastic seal mounting groove having a concave cross section is formed in the upward surface 23T of the mounting table 23 so as to go around the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening 21a. The hollow elastic seal mounting groove is closely attached with the hollow portion inserted. The hollow portion is attached so as not to come off from the hollow elastic seal attachment groove by an appropriate means such as an adhesive or a bolt. In this attached state, only a predetermined portion on the frame 21 side of the hollow portion is accommodated in the hollow elastic seal attachment groove, while the other portion (predetermined portion on the storage container 4 side) is not accommodated in the hollow elastic seal attachment groove. Are exposed outside the hollow elastic seal mounting groove. When the hollow elastic seal portion S is in a contracted state, when the fluid is supplied from the predetermined gas supply portion to the hollow portion through the fluid passage communicating with the hollow portion and the pressure is increased, the hollow elastic seal portion S becomes hollow. The part exposed to the outside of the hollow elastic seal mounting groove in the part is in an expanded state in which it is expanded toward the storage container 4 side (upward).

  As shown in FIG. 22, the hollow elastic seal portion S in an expanded state is brought into elastic contact with the downward surface 42 </ b> U of the storage container main body 42 placed at a predetermined docking position on the placement table 23. That is, in this embodiment, the downward surface of the storage container main body 42 with which the hollow elastic seal portion S is elastically contacted is set as the seal surface. A good seal region can be formed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic seal portion S with the seal surface.

  In this embodiment, even when the hollow elastic seal portion S is in a contracted state, a part of the hollow portion is exposed outside the hollow elastic seal mounting groove. The sealing surface of the storage container 4 (downward surface 42U of the storage container main body 42) placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table 23 is set so as to come into contact with the hollow elastic seal portion S in a contracted state. The sealing surface of the storage container 4 placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table 23 is in a contracted state by bringing it into contact with other parts in preference to the hollow elastic seal portion S in the contracted state. You may employ | adopt the structure set so that it might approach so that it may not contact | abut to the hollow elastic seal part S. FIG. Moreover, the environmental gas supplied in the conveyance chamber 3 and the environmental gas supplied in the storage container 4 can be used for the fluid supplied to the hollow part S1.

  In the second embodiment, the hollow elastic seal portion S can be changed from the expanded state to the contracted state by vacuum suction of the hollow elastic seal portion S in the expanded state through the fluid passage S2.

  In FIG. 22, the hollow elastic seal portion S is schematically shown by a substantially circular mark painted black. As can be understood from the figure, in the second embodiment, the hollow elastic seal portion S is also disposed between the downward surface of the frame 21 (specifically, the mounting table 23) and the door portion 23.

  The movement restricting portion L includes a movement restricting state (see FIG. 22) that restricts the storage container 4 placed at the docking position on the placing table 23 from moving in the direction away from the frame 21 (upward), and the placing table 23. The storage container 4 placed in the upper docking position can be switched between a movement allowable state (not shown) that allows the storage container 4 to move in a direction away from the frame 21. That is, the movement restricting portion L can hold the storage container 4 placed at a predetermined docking position on the placement table 23 by entering the movement restricted state.

  The movement restricting portion L in the present embodiment is mainly composed of an engaging piece L1 that can be engaged with the flange portion 45 provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 in the storage container main body 42. It is also possible to employ a movement restricting portion that includes a pull-in portion that moves the engaging piece L1 toward the frame 21 while being engaged with the flange portion 45. Such a movement restricting portion L exhibits a clamping function capable of holding the flange portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 in a state of being sandwiched between the engagement piece L1 and the frame 21.

  The engagement piece L1 is movable between a facing posture (see FIG. 22) facing the storage container 4 in the height direction H and a non-facing posture (not shown) not facing the storage container 4 in the small height direction H. To do.

  The door opening and closing device 2 according to the second embodiment places the storage container 4 from above the mounting table 23 in a predetermined docking position where the lid 43 approaches the opening 21a by setting the engaging piece L1 to the non-facing posture. The storage container placed or placed at the docking position can be moved above the placement table 23. That is, the movement restricting portion L enters the movement allowable state by setting the engaging piece L1 to the non-face-to-face posture.

  Such a movement restricting portion L places the storage container 4 at the docking position on the mounting table 23 with the engaging piece L1 in the non-facing posture, and the engaging piece in the non-facing posture after that time. L1 is changed from the non-face-to-face posture to the face-to-face posture. Then, the engagement piece L1 can be engaged with the flange portion 45 projecting outward at the lower end portion of the storage container main body 42. As a result, the flange portion 45 of the storage container 4 is sandwiched between the engagement piece L1 and the frame 21 (specifically, the mounting table 23), and the storage container 4 placed at the docking position is separated from the frame 21. Movement in the direction can be restricted. That is, the movement restricting portion L enters the movement restricting state by changing the engagement piece L1 from the non-face-to-face posture to the face-to-face posture.

  In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, such movement restricting portions L are arranged at positions where the vicinity of the four corners of the flange portion 45 of the storage container 4 can be clamped, that is, a total of four locations.

  The door opening / closing device 2 configured as described above performs a predetermined operation by giving a drive command to each unit from the controller (control unit) of the door opening / closing device 2. A plurality of (for example, three) such door opening / closing devices 2 can be arranged on one wall surface 3 </ b> A of the transfer chamber 3.

  As shown in FIG. 22, the transport device 1 according to the second embodiment is configured mainly with a door opening / closing device 2 provided at a position adjacent to each other in a common clean room and a loader 3 that is a transport chamber. is there. The operation of the conveying device 1 is controlled by a controller of the door opening / closing device 2 or a controller of the entire conveying device 1. For example, a processing device (semiconductor processing device) (not shown) is provided adjacent to the wall surface of the transfer chamber 3 that faces the wall surface 3A on which the door opening / closing device 2 is disposed. The operation of the processing device is controlled by the controller of the processing device. Here, the controller of the entire processing apparatus and the controller of the entire transport apparatus 1 are higher-order controllers of the control unit of the door opening and closing apparatus 2.

  The loader 3 serving as a transfer chamber transfers a cassette (a cassette in which the article to be transferred W is stored) moved from the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 to the internal space 21S of the frame 21 to the processing device, or removed from the processing device. The cassette can be transported to the door portion 22 of the door transport device 2. In the transfer chamber 3, the internal space 3 </ b> S is substantially sealed by connecting the door opening / closing device 2 and the processing device M. In the transfer chamber 3, the environmental gas concentration can be increased by performing a purge process with an environmental gas using a gas supply port and a gas discharge port (not shown).

  In the second embodiment, a storage container body 42 having a storage container body 42 that can open the internal space 4S only downward through a carry-in / out opening 41 formed at the lower end and a cover 43 that can open and close the carry-in / out opening 41 is applied. Yes. In the internal space 4S of the storage container 4, a cassette (not shown) that stores a plurality of wafers to be transferred in a multi-stage shape in the vertical direction H is set on the lid portion 43, and passes through the carry-in / out port 41. Thus, these wafers are known so that the entire cassette can be taken in and out.

  At the lower end of the storage container main body 42, a flange 45 is provided that protrudes outward from the other portions. That is, the collar part 45 is provided in the peripheral part of the area | region where the cover part 43 is arrange | positioned among the storage container main bodies 42. FIG. In this embodiment, the engagement piece L1 of the movement restricting portion L described above is set to engage with the flange portion 45.

  The lid portion 43 faces the door portion 22 of the door opening / closing device 2 in a state where the storage container 4 is placed at the docking position on the placement table 23 and has a substantially plate shape. The lid portion 43 is provided with a latch portion (not shown) that can lock the lid portion 43 to the storage container main body 42. Note that a gasket 433 is provided in a predetermined portion of the lid portion 43 that is in contact with or close to the storage container main body 42 in a state where the carry-in / out entrance 41 is closed by the lid portion 43. And it is comprised so that the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 can be sealed completely by making the gasket 433 contact the storage container main body 42 and making it elastically deform in preference to the upward surface of the cover part 43.

  The door opening / closing device 2 according to the present embodiment is driven by a predetermined control unit (this control unit may be the control unit of the door opening / closing device 2 or the above-described host controller). A predetermined operation is executed by giving The storage unit of the control unit stores a predetermined operation program for each unit of the apparatus. This program is stored as a program executable on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium (such as a hard disk). The usage method and operation of the transfer device 1 provided with the door opening and closing device 2 are as follows.

  First, the storage container 4 is opened and closed by a storage container transfer device such as an OHT that operates on a straight transfer line (flow line) extending along a common wall surface 3A in which the door opening / closing device 2 is disposed in the transfer chamber 3. 2 and is placed on the mounting table 23. At this time, for example, positioning protrusions provided on the mounting table 23 fit into the positioning recesses of the storage container 4. Further, the control unit locks a lock claw (not shown) on the mounting table 23. Thereby, the docking process which mounts and fixes the storage container 4 in the predetermined docking position on the mounting base 23 can be performed. In 2nd Embodiment, the storage container 4 can be mounted in the mounting base 23 of the door opening / closing apparatus 2 arrange | positioned along with the width direction of the conveyance chamber 3, respectively. In addition, the storage container 4 is placed at the docking position on the placement table 23 by a seating sensor (not shown) that detects whether the storage container 4 is placed at a predetermined docking position on the placement table 23. Can also be configured to detect. Until the docking process is executed, the movement restricting portion L is maintained in the movement allowable state in which the engagement piece L1 is in the non-facing posture. Further, until the docking process is executed, the hollow elastic seal portion S is maintained in the contracted state.

  And in the door opening / closing apparatus 2 of 2nd Embodiment, a control part performs the process (storage container clamp process) which hold | maintains and fixes the collar part 45 of the storage container 4 using the movement control part L. FIG. Specifically, the engagement piece L1 of the movement restricting portion L is switched from the non-face-to-face posture to the face-to-face posture and is engaged with the flange portion 45 of the storage container main body 42. In this state, the flange portion 45 of the storage container 4 placed at the docking position on the placement table 23 can be sandwiched between the engagement piece L1 of the movement restricting portion L and the upward surface 23T of the frame 23. That is, the storage container clamping process can be realized by a process of switching the movement restricting portion L from the movement permitted state to the movement restricted state.

  In addition, the timing which switches the movement control part L from a movement permissible state to a movement control state is after the time of mounting the storage container 4 in the docking position on the mounting base 23, Comprising: The hollow elastic seal part S in a contracted state is used. What is necessary is just before changing to an expanded state. Therefore, the movement restricting portion L may be switched from the movement permitted state to the movement restricted state immediately after the storage container 4 is placed at the docking position on the placement table 23. Alternatively, the movement restricting portion L may be switched from the movement-permitted state to the movement-restricted state after a predetermined time has elapsed since the storage container 4 was placed at the docking position on the mounting table 23.

  In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the hollow elastic seal portion S that is in a contracted state when the storage container clamping process is completed is set so as to contact the downward surface 42U of the storage container body 42.

  Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit changes the state of the hollow elastic seal portion, which has been set in the contracted state until the storage container clamping process is completed, to the expanded state, and is formed in the frame 21. A process (sealing process) for closing the gap between the storage container 4 and the frame 21 in the vicinity of the opened opening 21a is performed. As a result, the hollow elastic seal portion S and the downward surface 42U of the storage container main body 42 set as the seal surface in the storage container 4 placed at the docking position on the placement table 23 are in elastic contact. Through this sealing process, the supply pressure that acts on the hollow elastic seal portion S elastically contacted with the downward surface 42U of the storage container body 42 becomes the seal surface pressure, and a good seal region is formed.

  In the second embodiment, the portion where the hollow elastic seal portion S is elastically contacted by the sealing process circulates in the vicinity of the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4 in the downward surface 42U (downward surface of the flange 45) of the storage container main body 42. Part.

  In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the downward surface 42U of the storage container body 42 is used as a seal surface, and the hollow portion S1 itself of the hollow elastic seal portion S expands against this seal surface to apply a surface pressure. Can do. As a result, it is possible to secure a seal region that can immediately follow even when the seal surface fluctuates due to vibration or the like.

  By performing the sealing process and the hollow elastic seal portion S is changed to the expanded state, a force pressed in a direction away from the frame 21 acts on the storage container 4. However, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the storage container 4 placed at the docking position on the mounting table 23 can be maintained in the state of being fixed by the movement restricting portion L through the storage container clamping process. . For this reason, the storage container 4 pressed by the hollow elastic seal portion S can be prevented from moving or tilting away from the frame 21. In particular, in this embodiment, the movement restricting portion L is arranged at a position where the vicinity of the four corners of the flange portion 45 having a rectangular shape in plan view can be held.

  In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit switches the coupling mechanism to the lid coupling state following the sealing process (lid coupling process). By this process, the lid portion 43 can be connected to the door portion 22 that has been waiting in the fully closed position in advance by the connecting mechanism and can be held in a close contact state. Further, the lid 43 can be removed from the storage container main body 42. Further, in the door opening / closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit performs a purge process on the inside of the storage container 4 at an appropriate timing after the storage container 4 is placed at the docking position on the mounting table 23. can do.

  And in the door opening and closing apparatus 2 of 2nd Embodiment, a control part moves the cover part 43 with the door part 22, opens the opening 21a of the flame | frame 21, and the entrance / exit 41 of the storage container 4, and the storage container 4 is opened. A process for releasing the sealed state (storage container seal release process) is executed. Specifically, the control unit moves the door unit 22 downward by a predetermined distance from the fully closed position toward the internal space 21 </ b> S of the frame 21 by the door moving mechanism 27. The storage container sealing release process is a process of opening the inside of the storage container 4, and can be said to be a “storage container release process”.

  Subsequently, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit conveys the cassette on the lid unit 43 in a state where the internal space 4S of the storage container body 42 and the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 are in communication. A process (transport process) for transporting to the chamber 2 is performed. The cassette transported into the transport chamber 3 is transported to a processing apparatus or transported to a buffer station. Further, the cassette containing the processed wafers that have been subjected to appropriate processing by the processing apparatus is passed through the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 and the lid 43 is held by the door 22 positioned at the fully open position. Placed on top.

  Next, in the door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment, the control unit moves the door unit 22 to the fully closed position by the door moving mechanism 27 to close the opening 21 a of the frame 21 and the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4. Then, a process of closing the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 (storage container sealing process) is executed. Specifically, the control unit raises the door 22 in the fully open position by a predetermined distance and moves it to the fully closed position. As a result, the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the carry-in / out port 41 of the storage container 4 are closed, and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is hermetically sealed.

  Subsequently, in the door opening and closing device 2 according to the second embodiment, the control unit executes a process of switching the connection mechanism from the lid connection state to the lid connection release state (lid connection release process). By this processing, the connection state (lid connection state) between the door portion 22 and the lid portion 43 by the coupling mechanism 221 can be released, and the lid portion 43 can be attached to the storage container main body 42.

  Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 according to the second embodiment, the control unit changes the state of the hollow elastic seal portion S from the expanded state to the contracted state following the lid connection release processing, and is stored by the hollow elastic seal portion 1. A process of releasing the seal state between the downward surface 42U of the container body 42 and the frame 21 (seal release process) is executed. As a result, the elastic contact state between the hollow elastic seal portion S and the downward surface 42U of the storage container 4 placed at the docking position on the placement table 23 is released.

  In the door opening and closing device 2 according to the second embodiment, the control unit performs a storage container clamp release process for releasing the fixed state (clamped state) of the storage container 4 by the movement restricting unit L following the seal release process. Specifically, the engagement piece L1 is switched from the facing posture to the non-facing posture, the engagement state of the engagement piece L1 with respect to the flange portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 is released, and the storage container 4 is moved by the movement restricting portion L. Release the fixed state. That is, the storage container clamp release process St18 can be realized by a process of switching the movement restricting portion L from the movement restricted state to the movement allowed state.

  Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit releases the state where the storage container 4 is locked by the lock claw on the mounting table 23, and moves the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 upward. A process for making it movable (undocking process) is executed. As a result, the storage container 4 storing the cassette in which the object to be transported W that has undergone the predetermined processing is stored is transferred from the mounting table 23 of each door opening / closing device 2 to the storage container transport apparatus and carried to the next process. It is.

  As described above, the door opening and closing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment is provided with the hollow elastic seal portion S so as to go around the opening 21a in the region near the opening edge of the opening 21a in the frame 21, and this hollow elastic seal portion S. Is configured to be changeable between a contracted state and an expanded state. Therefore, in a state where the storage container 4 is placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table 23 where the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 approaches the opening 21a, the hollow elastic seal portion S in the contracted state is changed to the expanded state. Thus, the hollow elastic seal portion S is elastically contacted with the sealing surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body, that is, the downward surface 42U of the storage container main body 42 in the present embodiment. Regions can be formed. As a result, the storage container 4 and the frame 21 can be brought into close contact with each other via a seal region that goes around the opening 21 a formed in the frame 21.

  Moreover, according to the door opening and closing device 2 according to the second embodiment, a region between the opening 21 a of the frame 21 and the storage container main body 42 that can communicate with the outside of the storage container 4 and the outside of the transfer chamber 3 is sealed. By sealing in the area, the inside of the storage container 4 can be shut off from the atmosphere outside the storage container 4 (outside air), and the situation where air or the like flows into the storage container 4 or the transfer chamber 3 from the outside through the seal area. It can be prevented / suppressed. As a result, it is possible to improve the quality of the conveyed object. In addition, the door opening / closing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment can obtain the same or substantially the same effect as the above-described embodiment.

  Such a door opening and closing device 2 according to the second embodiment can be suitably applied to a SMIF system (also called a SMIF loader).

  In particular, in the second embodiment, as a method of docking the storage container 4 using the door opening and closing device 2 described above, the hollow container is in a contracted state after the storage container 4 is placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table 23. A method of undergoing a sealing process in which the elastic sealing portion S is changed to an expanded state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion S is elastically contacted with a sealing surface set in a peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 42 to form a sealing region. Is adopted. Therefore, the gap between the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the storage container main body 42 can be reliably sealed.

  The door opening and closing apparatus according to the present invention shown as the second embodiment can also be used as a part of a conveying apparatus or sorter apparatus other than the above-described conveying apparatus.

  Note that the various modifications described above can also be applied to the door opening and closing apparatus of the present invention according to the second embodiment.

  In addition, the specific configuration of each part is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 ... Conveying device (EFEM)
2 ... Door opening / closing device 21 ... Frame 21a ... Opening 22 ... Door part 23 ... Mounting table 3 ... Transfer chamber 31 ... Transfer robot 4 ... Storage container 4S ... Storage container internal space 45 ... Ling part L ... Movement restricting part L1 ... Joint piece L2 ... Pull-in part S ... Hollow elastic seal part S1 ... Hollow part W ... Conveyed object

Claims (7)

A door opening and closing device for placing and removing the transported object between the storage container and the transport chamber provided adjacent to the transport chamber and capable of storing the transported object in the internal space of the storage container body,
A part of the wall surface of the transfer chamber, and a plate-shaped frame in which an opening for opening the transfer chamber is formed;
A door part capable of opening and closing the opening;
A mounting table that mounts the storage container in a direction to oppose the door portion so that the inner space of the storage container body can be opened and closed, and can move forward and backward with respect to the frame;
A hollow elastic seal portion provided so as to go around the opening in an opening edge of the opening or a region near the opening edge of the frame, and capable of changing a state between a contracted state and an expanded state;
The hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state is brought into the expanded state in a state where the mounting table is positioned at a predetermined docking position where the lid portion of the storage container placed on the mounting table approaches the opening. A door opening and closing device characterized in that, by changing, the hollow elastic sealing portion is elastically contacted with a sealing surface set in a peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container main body to form a sealing region. . A movement restriction state that restricts movement of the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the docking position in a direction away from the frame, and the storage container on the mounting table positioned at the docking position is the frame. A movement restricting portion that is switchable between a movement-permitted state that allows movement in a direction away from
The hollow elastic seal portion that is in the contracted state while the movement restriction state is maintained while the movement restriction portion is switched from the movement permission state to the movement restriction state after the time when the mounting table is positioned at the docking position. The door opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the door opening and closing device is configured to be changed to the expanded state. A door opening and closing device for placing and removing the transported object between the storage container and the transport chamber provided adjacent to the transport chamber and capable of storing the transported object in the internal space of the storage container body,
A frame constituting a part of the wall surface of the transfer chamber;
A door part capable of opening and closing an opening formed in the frame to open a space partitioned by the frame;
Of the frame, a mounting table formed at a position where the storage container can be mounted in a direction in which a lid portion capable of opening and closing the internal space of the storage container body is opposed to the door portion;
A hollow elastic seal portion provided so as to go around the opening in an opening edge of the opening or a region near the opening edge of the frame, and capable of changing a state between a contracted state and an expanded state;
The hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state is changed to the expanded state in a state in which the storage container is placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table where the lid portion of the storage container approaches the opening. Thus, the door opening and closing device is configured to form a seal region by elastically contacting the hollow elastic seal portion with a seal surface set in a peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body. The door opening and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, provided on the transfer chamber, and a wall surface of the transfer chamber, the storage container provided on the door opening and closing device, and the transfer chamber. And a transport robot capable of taking in and out the transported object between them. 4. The door opening / closing device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the transfer chambers are provided on a wall surface of the transfer chamber, and the storage containers provided at least in the plurality of door opening / closing devices are provided in the transfer chamber. A sorter apparatus comprising: a transfer robot capable of taking in and out the transfer object in between. A storage container docking method in which a storage container capable of sealing an internal space of a storage container main body with a lid is in close contact with the frame in a state where the storage container is placed on the mounting table of the door opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2. ,
By changing the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state to the expanded state after moving the mounting table on which the storage container is mounted to a predetermined docking position where the lid portion approaches the opening. A docking method for a storage container, wherein a sealing process is performed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic seal portion to a seal surface set in a peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body to form a seal region. A storage container docking method in which a storage container capable of sealing the internal space of the storage container main body with a lid is in close contact with the frame in a state where the storage container is placed on the mounting base of the door opening and closing device according to claim 3,
After the storage container is placed at a predetermined docking position on the mounting table before the lid portion approaches the opening, the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state is changed to the expanded state, A method for docking a storage container, wherein a sealing process is performed in which a hollow elastic seal portion is elastically contacted with a seal surface set in a peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body to form a seal region.

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