JP2020150281A - Load port and EFEM - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a load port capable of increasing sealing performance in an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module), reducing a supply amount of gas used in the EFEM, and achieving improvement of quality of a wafer.SOLUTION: A load port is provided adjacent to a wafer conveying chamber for taking in and out a wafer between the wafer conveying chamber and a Front-Opening Unified Pod (FOUP), and comprises: a panel that constitutes one part of a wall surface of the wafer conveying chamber, and forms an opening for opening the inside of the wafer conveying chamber; a door part for opening and closing the opening; a mounting stage that mounts the FOUP so that a lid part capable of opening and closing an inner space is opposite to the door part to enable progressing and retreating toward/from the panel; and an O-ring provided along a periphery of the opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a load port capable of reducing the amount of gas used even when the wafer transfer chamber has a special gas atmosphere, and an EFEM provided with the load port.

Conventionally, semiconductors have been manufactured by subjecting wafers to various processing steps. In recent years, higher integration of elements and miniaturization of circuits have been promoted, and it is required to maintain a high degree of cleanliness around the wafer so that particles and moisture do not adhere to the wafer surface. .. Further, the periphery of the wafer is made into a nitrogen atmosphere, which is an inert gas, or is put in a vacuum state so that the surface texture does not change such as oxidation of the wafer surface.

In order to properly maintain the atmosphere around the wafer, the wafer is managed by being placed inside a closed storage pod called FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod), and the inside is filled with nitrogen. Further, in order to transfer the wafer between the processing device for processing the wafer and the FOUP, an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is used. The EFEM constitutes a wafer transfer chamber that is substantially closed inside the housing, and has a load port (Load Port) that functions as an interface with the FOUP on one of the facing wall surfaces and processes on the other. The load lock chamber, which is part of the device, is connected. A wafer transfer device for transporting wafers is provided in the wafer transfer chamber, and the wafer transfer device is used to transfer wafers between the FOUP connected to the load port and the load lock chamber. ..

That is, the wafer is taken out from the FOUP (load port) at one delivery position using the wafer transfer device, and is transferred to the load lock chamber at the other transfer position. Then, in the processing apparatus, the wafer conveyed through the load lock chamber is processed in a processing unit called a process chamber, and after the processing is completed, the wafer is taken out again through the load lock chamber and inside the FOUP. Returned to.

The inside of the processing apparatus is provided with a special atmosphere such as a vacuum according to the processing so that the processing on the wafer can be performed quickly. In addition, the inside of the wafer transfer chamber in EFEM is made to have a clean air atmosphere with a high degree of cleanliness by introducing cleaned air through a chemical filter or the like, and particles or the like adhere to the surface of the wafer during transfer. It is designed to be free of pollution.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-49382

However, in recent years, with the progress of higher integration and miniaturization, although the degree of cleanliness of the EFEM wafer transfer chamber is relatively high, the air atmosphere is different from that in the FOUP and the processing equipment. It is becoming a concern.

That is, when exposed to the air atmosphere, moisture and oxygen are likely to adhere to the wafer surface, which may cause corrosion and oxidation. Further, when the corrosive gas or the like used in the processing apparatus remains on the surface of the wafer, the wiring material on the surface of the wafer may be corroded and the yield may be deteriorated. Furthermore, since the corrosive element accelerates the corrosion reaction due to the presence of water, the presence of both corrosive gas and water may cause the corrosion to proceed faster.

In order to avoid this, it is conceivable to create a dry nitrogen atmosphere inside the wafer transfer chamber as in the case of FOUP. Furthermore, even if it is not dry nitrogen, it is conceivable to create a gas atmosphere using an appropriate special gas depending on the content of the treatment on the wafer.

However, in the conventional EFEM, it is almost considered to suppress the outflow of gas from the wafer transfer chamber and the load port constituting the EFEM only by increasing the internal pressure so that the particles do not enter from the outside. Not. Therefore, even if a special gas such as dry nitrogen is supplied to the wafer transfer chamber, it is difficult to properly maintain and manage the internal atmosphere due to the outflow of the gas, and a large amount of gas is required. Therefore, the cost required for gas will increase. In addition, if a large amount of gas flows out of the EFEM, it may lead to deterioration of the working environment outside the EFEM depending on the type of the gas.

An object of the present invention is to effectively solve such a problem. Specifically, when the wafer transfer chamber constituting the EFEM has a special gas atmosphere, the gas used may flow out to the outside. It is an object of the present invention to provide a load port and EFEM capable of suppressing the inflow of air or the like from the outside, reducing the supply amount of the gas used, and improving the quality of the wafer.

The present invention has taken the following measures in order to achieve such an object.

That is, the load port of the present invention is provided adjacent to the wafer transfer chamber and is a load port for loading and unloading wafers between the wafer transfer chamber and the wafer storage container, and is a load port of the wafer transfer chamber. The door comprises a plate-shaped portion that constitutes a part of the wall surface and has an opening for opening the wafer transfer chamber, a door portion for opening and closing the opening, and a lid portion for opening and closing the internal space. A mounting table on which a wafer storage container is placed so as to face the portion so that it can move forward and backward toward the plate-shaped portion, and an elasticity provided on the previously described stand side of the plate-shaped portion along the peripheral edge of the opening. It is characterized in that the elastic material is made to bounce around the lid portion of the wafer storage container by providing the material and moving the above-mentioned stand toward the plate-shaped portion.

With this configuration, by moving the wafer storage container together with the mounting table toward the plate-shaped portion, the opening of the plate-shaped portion and the periphery of the lid portion are connected via an elastic material, and the lid portion of the wafer storage container is connected. Even when the door portion of the plate-shaped portion is opened, it is possible to prevent the outflow of gas from the wafer transfer chamber to the outside. Therefore, even when the wafer transfer chamber has a special gas atmosphere such as an inert gas, a clean gas, or a dry gas, it is possible to reduce the amount of these gases used and reduce the cost required for gas management. At the same time, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the working environment outside the wafer transfer room due to the outflow of gas. Furthermore, since the inflow of gas from the outside into the wafer transfer chamber can be suppressed, it is possible to prevent particles from entering the wafer storage container and the wafer transfer chamber, and it is possible to maintain the quality of the wafer. ..

Even if particles are generated due to the impact of the elastic material, the pressure inside the wafer storage container is higher than that in the wafer transfer chamber so that the particles do not enter the wafer storage container when the lid and door are opened. In order to make it possible to increase the pressure, it is preferable to provide a gas supply means for supplying gas into the wafer storage container via a gas supply valve provided in the wafer storage container.

In order to improve the adhesion between the wafer storage container and the elastic material and further enhance the above effect, an engaging piece that can be engaged with the flange portion provided around the lid portion in the wafer storage container is used. It is preferable that the engaging piece is provided with a pulling means for pulling the engaging piece toward the plate-shaped portion in a state of being engaged with the flange portion.

Further, in order to suppress the outflow of gas from the opening regardless of whether the wafer storage container is connected or not, and to enable further gas saving, the plate-shaped portion of the plate-shaped portion is formed along the peripheral edge of the opening. An elastic material provided on the door portion side is further provided, and by closing the opening by the door portion, the elastic material provided on the door portion side and the door portion can be configured to be in elastic contact with each other. Suitable.

In order to realize the above structure at low cost, it is preferable to configure the elastic material to be an O-ring.

As a structure different from the above, it is also preferable to configure the elastic material so as to be formed in a plate shape.

In order to reduce the number of parts and further reduce the manufacturing cost, it is also preferable to integrally configure the elastic material provided on the pedestal side and the elastic material provided on the door portion side. ..

The EFEM of the present invention includes any of the above load ports and a housing constituting the wafer transfer chamber, and a seal member is provided between the plate-shaped portion constituting the load port and the housing. It is characterized by that.

With such a configuration, it is possible to increase the degree of sealing in the wafer transfer chamber and suppress the outflow of gas to the outside and the inflow of gas from the outside. Therefore, it is possible to easily manage the gas atmosphere in the wafer transfer chamber and reduce the cost required for management while maintaining a clean state.

Further, even when particles are generated by the elastic material repeatedly colliding with each other, in order to prevent the particles from adhering to the wafer to be conveyed, an air flow going downward from above inside the wafer transfer chamber. It is preferable to configure it so as to form.

According to the present invention described above, when the inside of the EFEM has a special gas atmosphere, the amount of gas to be used is controlled by suppressing the outflow of the gas to be used and the inflow of air or the like from the outside. It is possible to provide load ports and EFEMs that can reduce the cost and improve the quality of wafers.

The perspective view of the EFEM provided with the load port which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. Side view of the EFEM. The perspective view which shows the state which a part load port was separated from the EFEM. A perspective view of the load port. Front view of the load port. Rear view of the load port. Side sectional view of the load port. A side sectional view showing a state in which the FOUP is moved to the plate-shaped portion side from the state of FIG. 7. A side sectional view showing a state in which the door portion is separated from the plate-shaped portion together with the lid portion of the FOUP from the state of FIG. A side sectional view showing a state in which the door portion is moved downward together with the lid portion of the FOUP from the state of FIG. An enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an enlarged view of the window unit and the door part constituting the load port device. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing an enlarged cross section of AA in FIG. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing an enlarged BB cross section in FIG. An enlarged front view of a main part showing a clamp unit provided in the window unit. An enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an enlarged view of a window unit and a door part constituting a load port according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing an enlarged CC cross section in FIG. An enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an enlarged view of a window unit and a door part constituting a load port according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the seal member attached near the opening of the window unit. FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing an enlarged DD cross section in FIG. FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part corresponding to FIG. 12, showing an example in which the load port according to the first embodiment of the present invention is modified.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
The load port 3 of the first embodiment and the EFEM1 provided with the load port 3 are shown in FIG. The EFEM 1 has three load ports 3 arranged side by side and connected to a front surface 21 forming a part of a wall surface of a wafer transfer chamber 2 forming a box-shaped housing.

Here, in the present application, the direction of the load port 3 connected to the wafer transfer chamber 2 is defined as the front, and the direction of the rear surface 22 facing the front surface 21 is defined as the rear, and further, in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction. The direction perpendicular to each other is defined as lateral. That is, the three load ports 3 are arranged side by side along the sides.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the load port 3 and the EFEM 1 provided with the load port 3. As described above, the load port 3 is connected to the front surface 21 of the wafer transfer chamber 2. The load port 3 is provided with a panel 31 as a plate-shaped portion at the rear, and the panel 31 is integrated with the front surface 21 to form a part of the wall surface of the EFEM1. The load port 3 is provided with a mounting table 34 so as to project forward from the panel 31, and it is possible to mount FOUP7 as a wafer storage container for accommodating the wafer W on the mounting table 34. It has become.

The EFEM 1 is installed on the floor surface FL, and a processing device 9 for performing a predetermined process on the wafer W can be connected to the rear surface 22 side via a gate valve (not shown) provided on the rear surface 22 of the EFEM 1. Therefore, the internal space Se of the wafer transfer chamber 2 and the processing device 9 communicate with each other. Further, a wafer transfer device 8 for transferring the wafer W is provided in the internal space Se of the wafer transfer chamber 2, and the wafer transfer device 8 is used to process with the FOUP 7 installed in the load port 3. It is possible to transfer the wafer W to and from the device 9.

The wafer transfer chamber 2 is configured so that the internal space Se is substantially sealed by connecting the load port 3 and the processing device 9, and the gas supply port and the gas discharge port (not shown) are connected to each other. It is possible to increase the nitrogen gas concentration in the internal space Se by purging with dry nitrogen gas. Then, a fan filter unit 25 is provided in the upper part of the wafer transfer chamber 2 to send out gas downward, gas is sucked from the chemical filter 26 provided in the lower part, and circulation provided adjacent to the inside of the rear surface 22. The gas can be returned to the upper fan filter unit 25 via the duct 27. By doing so, it is possible to form a downflow, which is an air flow from the upper side to the lower side in the wafer transfer chamber 2, and to circulate the gas inside to maintain a clean state. Further, even if particles that contaminate the surface of the wafer W are present in the internal space Se of the wafer transfer chamber 2, the particles are pushed downward by the downflow to prevent the particles from adhering to the surface of the wafer W during transfer. It becomes possible to suppress it. In addition, the chemical filter 26 can also capture the residual gas from the processing device 9, making it possible to keep the internal space Se in a cleaner state.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which one load port 3A is removed from the wafer transfer chamber 2 from the state of FIG. The front surface 21 to which the load port 3A is connected is provided with an opening 23 slightly smaller than the panel 31 of the load port 3, and the internal space Se can be opened by the opening 23. A contact surface 24 is formed along the peripheral edge of the opening 23 so as to form a stepped shape that is recessed rearward, and the rear surface of the panel 31 comes into contact with the contact surface 24.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show a perspective view of the load port 3, a front view when viewed from the front, and a rear view when viewed from the rear, respectively. Hereinafter, the configuration of the load port 3 will be described with reference to these drawings. It should be noted that these drawings show a state in which the outer cover 32 (see FIG. 2) located below the mounting table 34 is removed to expose a part of the internal structure.

In the load port 3, the panel 31 is vertically erected from the rear of the leg portion 35 to which the casters and the installation legs are attached, and the horizontal base portion 33 is provided toward the front from a height position of about 60% of the panel 31. There is. Further, a mounting table 34 for mounting the FOUP 7 (see FIG. 2) is provided on the upper portion of the horizontal base 33. As schematically shown in FIG. 7, the FOUP 7 is provided on one surface of the main body 71 having an internal space Sf for accommodating the wafer W (see FIG. 2) and as a carry-in / out port of the wafer W. The opening 71a is composed of a lid portion 72 that can be closed, and the lid portion 72 faces the panel 31 when the opening 71a is correctly placed on the mounting table 34.

Returning to FIGS. 4 to 6, a positioning pin 34a for positioning the FOUP 7 is provided on the mounting table 34, and a lock claw 34b for fixing the FOUP 7 to the mounting table 34 is provided. There is. The lock claw 34b can be fixed while guiding the FOUP7 to an appropriate position in cooperation with the positioning pin 34a by performing the locking operation, and the FOUP7 can be separated from the mounting table 34 by performing the unlocking operation. Can be in a state.

Further, the mounting table 34 has a gas supply nozzle 34c that constitutes a gas supply means for supplying gas into the FOUP7 (see FIG. 2) and a gas that constitutes a gas discharge means for discharging gas from the inside of the FOUP7. Discharge nozzles 34d are provided at two locations each. These are usually located below the upper surface of the mounting table 34, and when used, they advance upward and are connected to the gas supply valve 73 and the gas discharge valve 74 (see FIG. 7) provided in the FOUP 7. There is. Then, a gas such as dry nitrogen gas is supplied from the gas supply nozzle 34c to the internal space Sf (see FIG. 7) of the FOUP 7 via the gas supply valve 73, and the internal space Sf is supplied from the gas discharge nozzle 34d through the gas discharge valve 74. It is possible to perform gas purging by discharging the gas from. Further, by making the amount of gas supplied larger than the amount of gas discharged, the pressure of the internal space Sf is set to be higher than the pressure of the external space or the internal space Se (see FIG. 2) of the wafer transfer chamber 2. You can also.

Further, the mounting table 34 can be moved in the front-rear direction with the FOUP2 (see FIG. 7) mounted.

The panels 31 constituting the load port 3 are attached to the columns 31a and 31a standing on both sides, the panel main body 31b supported by these, and the window portion 31c opened in a substantially rectangular shape in the panel main body 31b. It is composed of a window unit 4 and a window unit 4. Here, the substantially rectangular shape referred to in the present application means a shape in which four corners are smoothly connected by an arc while using a rectangle having four sides as a basic shape. A gasket 37 as an elastic material formed in a rectangular frame shape is provided in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the rear surface of the panel body 31b. The gasket 37 is made of a rubber material having little gas permeability. The gasket 37 comes into contact with the contact surface 24 (see FIG. 3) set near the edge of the opening 23 of the wafer transfer chamber 2 described above, and the gap between the outer circumference of the panel body 31b and the opening 23. Is eliminated so that gas leakage from the inside of the wafer transfer chamber 2 to the outside is suppressed.

The window unit 4 is provided at a position facing the lid portion 72 (see FIG. 7) of the FOUP7 described above, and is provided with a substantially rectangular opening 42 (see FIG. 7) as described in detail later. Therefore, the internal space Se of the wafer transfer chamber 2 can be opened through the opening 42. The load port 3 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 6 for opening / closing the opening 42.

The opening / closing mechanism 6 includes a door portion 61 for opening / closing the opening 42, a support frame 63 for supporting the door portion 61, and a movable block that movably supports the support frame 63 in the front-rear direction via the slide support means 64. It includes a 65 and a slide rail 66 that movably supports the movable block 65 with respect to the panel body 31b in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the support frame 63 supports the lower rear portion of the door portion 61, extends downward, and then passes through the slit-shaped insertion hole 31d provided in the panel main body 31b. It has a substantially crank-like shape that projects toward the front of the panel body 31b. The slide support means 64, the movable block 65, and the slide rail 66 for supporting the support frame 63 are provided in front of the panel body 31b. That is, the sliding portion for moving the door portion 61 is on the outside of the wafer transfer chamber 2, and even if particles are generated in these portions, the insertion hole 31d is made small as a slit shape, so that the particles are formed. It is possible to suppress the entry of the wafer into the wafer transfer chamber 2.

Further, actuators (not shown) for moving the door portion 61 in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction are provided for each direction, and a drive command is given to these from the control unit Cp. As a result, the door portion 61 can be moved in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction.

Further, a cover 36 extending downward from directly below the horizontal base 33 is provided in front of the panel body 31b, and inside the cover 36, a support frame 63, a slide support means 64, and a movable block 65 are provided. And the slide rail 66 is covered so as to be in a sealed state. Therefore, although the insertion hole 31d is formed in the panel main body 31b, the gas in the wafer transfer chamber 2 (see FIG. 3) is prevented from flowing out through this portion.

The door portion 61 includes a latch operation for opening and closing the lid portion 72 (see FIG. 7) of the FOUP 7, and a connecting means 62 for holding the lid portion 72. In the connecting means 62, the lid 72 can be opened by performing a latch operation on the lid 72, and the lid 72 can be connected to the door 61 to be integrated. Further, on the contrary, the connection between the lid portion 72 and the door portion can be released, and the lid portion 72 can be attached to the main body 71 to be in the closed state.

Here, the detailed configuration of the window unit 4 described above will be described with reference to FIG. The window unit 4 attaches the window frame portion 41, the O-rings 44 and 46 (see FIG. 12) as elastic materials attached to the window frame portion 41, and the FOUP7 (see FIG. 7) to the window frame portion 41 via the O-ring 44. It is composed of a clamp unit 5 as a pull-in means for bringing it into close contact with the window.

The window frame portion 41 has a frame shape in which a substantially rectangular opening 42 is formed inside. Since the window frame portion 41 constitutes a part of the panel 31 (see FIG. 3) described above as a component of the window unit 4, the opening 42 serves as a wall surface of the housing constituting the wafer transfer chamber 2. It can be said that the front surface 21 is opened. The opening 42 is slightly larger than the outer circumference of the lid 72 (see FIG. 7) of the FOUP 7, and the lid 72 is movable through the opening 42. Further, in a state where the FOUP 7 is placed on the mounting table 34, the front surface of the main body 71 forming the periphery of the lid portion 72 serves as a contact surface 71b and abuts on the window frame portion 41 via the O-ring 44.

Further, the door portion 61 described above comes into contact with the rear surface of the window frame portion 41 via an O-ring 46 (see FIG. 12). Specifically, the thin-walled portion 61a provided in a collar shape abuts on the outer periphery of the door portion 61. At this time, the thick portion 61b formed inside the thin portion 61a is formed to be smaller than the opening 42, so that the thick portion 61b projects forward through the opening 42.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the AA cross section in FIG. An dovetail groove 43 having a trapezoidal cross section is formed on the front surface of the window frame portion 41 so as to go around the periphery of the opening 42, and an O-ring 44 is inserted inside the groove 43. Since the dovetail groove 43 has a small opening and has a cross-sectional shape that widens toward the inside, the O-ring 44 can be appropriately supported inside, and the O-ring 44 does not easily pop out. Further, a part of the O-ring 44 protrudes forward from the opening of the dovetail groove 43 so that the protruding portion can come into contact with the contact surface 71b set in the FOUP7. It has become. Therefore, the FOUP7 mounted on the mounting table 34 (see FIG. 7) moves toward the panel 31 together with the mounting table 34, so that the O-ring 44 can be brought into contact with the contact surface.

Similarly, an dovetail groove 45 having a trapezoidal cross section is formed on the rear surface of the window frame portion 41 so as to orbit the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the opening 42, and an O-ring 46 is inserted therein. Then, by closing the door portion 61, it comes into contact with the front surface of the thin-walled portion 61a on the outer circumference. The dovetail groove 45 is formed inside the dovetail groove 43, and the wall thickness is extremely thin between the two so that the strength is not insufficient.

Returning to FIG. 11, the clamp units 5 are provided at a total of four locations arranged apart from each other in the vertical direction on both side portions of the window frame portion 41. Each clamp unit 5 is generally composed of an engaging piece 51 and a cylinder 52 for operating the engaging piece 51.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the BB cross section in FIG. The cylinder 52 constituting the clamp unit 5 is attached to the rear of the window frame portion 41, and includes a shaft 53 that can move forward and backward through a hole provided in the window frame portion 41. The base end 51a of the engaging piece 51 is attached to the tip of the shaft 53, and the tip 51b extends from the base end 51a toward the outer periphery of the shaft 53. Further, a guide groove 53a whose phase is twisted by 90 ° along the axial direction is formed on the outer periphery of the shaft 53, and a guide pin 54 fixed to the window frame portion 41 side is inserted into the guide groove 53a from the radial direction. There is. Therefore, the guide groove 53a is guided by the guide pin 54 as the cylinder 52 advances and retreats, and the shaft 53 rotates 90 ° around the center of the shaft. Then, as shown in FIG. 13b, when the engaging piece 51 protrudes forward together with the shaft 51, the tip 51b faces upward, and when the engaging piece 51 is pulled backward, the tip 51b is inside the FOUP7. It becomes the direction toward. Since the tip 51b of the engaging piece 51 faces inward, it is possible to engage the engaging piece 51 with the flange portion 71c protruding laterally from the FOUP7. While maintaining the engaged state in this way, the shaft 53 is further pulled in by the cylinder 52, so that the contact surface 71b of the FOUP 7 is more strongly brought into close contact with the O-ring 44 as shown in FIG. It is possible to do. When such a clamp unit 5 works at four locations, the amount of deformation of the O-ring 44 can be made uniform and the sealing property can be further improved. Further, when the engaging piece 51 is moved forward, the tip 51b faces upward so that the engaging piece 51 does not interfere with the flange portion 71c when viewed from the front. By doing so, the FOUP 7 can be moved together with the mounting table 34 (see FIG. 7). When the tip 51b is moved forward, it suffices if it can simply not interfere with the flange portion 71c, and the tip 51b may be set not only in the upward direction but also in the downward direction or the outward direction.

Further, a cable guide 55 extending in the vertical direction is provided in front of the engaging piece 51. The cable guide 55 is formed by bending the sheet metal, and can prevent other members from being caught in the engaging piece 51. It is also preferable to fix the piping, electrical wiring, and the like to the outside of the cable guide 55.

The load port 3 configured as described above operates by giving a drive command to each unit by the control unit Cp shown in FIG. Hereinafter, an operation example when the load port 3 of the present embodiment is used will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the FOUP 7 is placed on the mounting table 34 and separated from the panel portion 31. In this state, since the door portion 61 is in contact with the rear surface of the window frame portion 41 (see FIG. 12) constituting the window unit 4 via the O-ring 46, between the window frame portion 41 and the door portion 61. There is no gap in the door, and high sealing performance can be obtained. Therefore, even if the internal space Sf of the wafer transfer chamber 2 is filled with nitrogen gas or the like, it is possible to suppress the outflow of gas to the outside and the inflow of gas from the outside into the internal space Sf.

Although omitted in this figure, the FOUP 7 is fixed at an appropriate position with respect to the mounting table 34 by the locking operation by the lock claw 53 (see FIG. 4) and the positioning action with the positioning pin 34.

Then, the gas supply nozzle 34c and the gas discharge nozzle 34d included in the mounting table 34 project upward, and are connected to the gas supply valve 73 and the gas discharge valve 74 included in the FOUP7, respectively. After that, fresh dry nitrogen gas is supplied from the gas supply nozzle 34c through the gas supply valve 73, and the gas that has remained in the internal space Sf until then is discharged from the gas supply nozzle 34c through the gas discharge valve 74. By performing the gas purge in this way, the internal space Sf is filled with nitrogen gas, and the pressure is made higher than the internal space Sf of the wafer transfer chamber 2.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the mounting table 34 is moved rearward to bring the contact surface 71b of the FOUP 7 into contact with the window frame portion 41. Specifically, the contact surface 71b is brought into contact with the window frame portion 41 (see FIG. 12) via an O-ring 44 provided on the front surface thereof to form a sealed state. When the mounting table 34 is moved in this way, the engaging piece 51 (see FIG. 13) is projected forward by the cylinder 52 constituting the clamp unit 5 in advance, and the tip 51b is set to face upward. Make sure that it does not interfere with FOUP7.

Further, by operating the connecting means 62 (see FIG. 6) provided on the door portion 61, the lid portion 72 is released from the main body 71 in an unlatched state, and the lid portion 72 is integrally formed by the door portion 61. It is in a held state. At the same time, the engaging piece 51 (see FIG. 13) is pulled backward by the cylinder 52 constituting the clamp unit 5, and is engaged with the flange portion 71c of the FOUP 7 with the tip 51b facing inward. By further pulling in, the contact surface 71b of the FOUP 7 is brought into close contact with the O-ring 44, and the sealing property is improved.

From this state, as shown in FIG. 9, the door portion 61 is moved rearward together with the support frame 63. By doing so, the lid portion 72 of the FOUP 7 can be separated from the main body 71 to open the internal space Sf. At this time, since the contact surface 71b of the FOUP 7 is firmly adhered to the window unit 4, it is possible to suppress the outflow and inflow of gas between the wafer transfer chamber 2 and the FOUP 7 and the outside. There is.

Further, since the pressure of the FOUP 7 is increased, a gas flow is generated from the internal space Sf of the FOUP 7 toward the inside of the wafer transfer chamber 2. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the entry of particles and the like from the way transport chamber 2 into the FOUP 7 and keep the inside of the FOUP 7 clean. It is also preferable to continuously supply a low flow rate gas through the gas supply nozzle 34c in order to prevent particles from entering.

Next, the door portion 61 is moved downward together with the support frame 63. By doing so, the rear side of the opening 71a as the carry-in / out port of the FOUP 7 can be greatly opened, and the wafer W can be moved between the FOUP 7 and the processing device 9 (see FIG. 2). Since all the mechanisms for moving the door portion 61 are covered with the cover 36 in this way, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the gas in the wafer transfer chamber 2 to the outside.

As described above, the operation when the opening 71a of the FOUP 7 is opened has been described, but when the opening 71a of the FOUP 7 is closed, the operation opposite to the above may be performed.

By repeating such an operation, the O-rings 44 and 46 are repeatedly in contact with the lid portion 72 or the door portion 61, and new particles may be generated. When the lid portion 72 or the door portion 61 is opened, these particles are moved downward by the downflow formed inside the wafer transfer chamber 2 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, it is possible to maintain the wafer W surface in a clean state without adhering to the wafer W surface.

As described above, the load port 3 in the present embodiment is provided adjacent to the wafer transfer chamber 2 and is for loading and unloading the wafer W between the wafer transfer chamber 2 and the wafer storage container FOUP 7. A panel 31 as a plate-like portion that constitutes a part of the wall surface of the wafer transfer chamber 2 and has an opening 42 for opening the inside of the wafer transfer chamber 2, and a door for opening and closing the opening 42. Along the peripheral edge of the opening 42, the mounting table 34 on which the FOUP 7 is mounted so that the portion 61 and the lid portion 72 that can open and close the internal space Sf face the door portion 61 so that the FOUP 7 can move forward and backward toward the panel 31. An O-ring 44 as an elastic material provided on the mounting table 34 side of the panel 31 is provided, and the mounting table 34 is moved toward the panel 31 to form a contact surface around the lid 72 in the FOUP 7. The O-ring 44 is configured to come into contact with the 71b.

Since the FOUP 7 is configured in this way, by moving the FOUP 7 together with the mounting table 34 toward the panel 31, the opening 42 of the panel 31 and the periphery of the lid 72 are connected via the O-ring 44, and the lid of the FOUP 7 is connected. Even when the portion 72 and the door portion 61 provided on the panel 31 are opened, it is possible to prevent the outflow of gas from the wafer transfer chamber 2 to the outside. Therefore, even when the inside of the wafer transfer chamber 2 has a special gas atmosphere such as an inert gas, a clean gas, or a dry gas, it is possible to reduce the amount of these gases used and reduce the cost required for gas management. At the same time, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the working environment outside the wafer transfer chamber 2 due to the outflow of gas. Further, since the inflow of gas from the outside into the wafer transfer chamber 2 can be suppressed, it is possible to prevent particles from entering the FOUP 7 and the wafer transfer chamber 2 from the outside, and the quality of the wafer W can be maintained. Is also possible.

Further, since the gas supply nozzle 34c as a gas supply means for supplying gas into the FOUP7 via the gas supply valve 73 provided in the FOUP7 is further provided, the O-ring 44 can be impacted. Even if particles are generated as a result, if the pressure inside the FOUP 7 is made higher than that inside the wafer transfer chamber 2 by using the gas supply nozzle 34c, the lid 72 and the door 61 are opened and the pressure inside the FOUP 7 is increased. Since the gas flows to the wafer transfer chamber 2 side, it is possible to prevent particles from entering the FOUP 7 and maintain a clean state.

Further, in FOUP7, an engaging piece 51 that can be engaged with the flange portion 71c provided around the lid portion 72 and a pulling means for pulling the engaging piece 51 toward the panel 31 side in a state of being engaged with the flange portion 71c As the mounting table 34 is moved, the engaging piece 51 is pulled toward the panel 31 side while being engaged with the flange portion 71c of the FOUP 7 by the clamp unit 5, so that the FOUP 7 and O are provided. The adhesion with the ring 44 can be enhanced to further enhance the above effect.

Further, an O-ring 46 as an elastic material provided on the door portion 61 side of the panel 31 along the peripheral edge of the opening 42 is further provided, and by closing the opening 42 by the door portion 61, the door portion 61 side is provided. Since the provided O-ring 46 and the door portion 61 are configured to be in bullet contact with each other, the O-ring 46 provided on the door portion 61 side is brought into contact with the door portion 61, so that the door portion 61 closes the door portion 61. At that time, the outflow of gas from the opening 42 can be suppressed regardless of whether the FOUP 7 is connected or not, so that the gas can be further saved.

Further, since the elastic material for sealing is the O-rings 44 and 46, the sealing structure can be constructed at low cost.

Further, the EFEM 1 of the present embodiment includes the above-mentioned load port 3 and a housing 2 constituting a wafer transfer chamber, and a gasket as a sealing member between the panel 31 constituting the load port 3 and the housing 2. 37 is provided. Therefore, it is possible to increase the degree of sealing in the wafer transfer chamber 2 to suppress the outflow of gas to the outside and the inflow of gas from the outside, and it is possible to easily manage the gas atmosphere in the wafer transfer chamber 2. It is possible to reduce the management cost while maintaining a clean state.

In addition, since an air flow is formed inside the wafer transfer chamber 2 from above to below, even when particles are generated due to the impact of the O-rings 44 and 46 as elastic materials, the door portion 61 At the same time as the opening of the door and the lid 72, the particles can be moved downward by the downward airflow so as not to adhere to the wafer W to be conveyed.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 15 shows a window unit 104 that constitutes a part of the EFEM 101 and the load port 103 of the second embodiment. The door portion 61 shown in the figure is the same as that in the first embodiment, and the points other than the window unit 104 are configured in the same manner as those in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the window unit 104, a gasket 144 as a plate-shaped elastic material is provided in front of the window frame portion 141 and in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the opening 142. The gasket 144 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape, and the inside is the same size as the opening 142. Then, it is fixed so as to be sandwiched between the stop plate 143, which is similarly formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape, and the window frame portion 141.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16, on the rear surface of the window frame portion 141 as well as the front surface, a gasket 146 as a plate-shaped elastic material configured in a substantially rectangular frame shape is provided with a substantially rectangular frame-shaped stopper plate 145. It is fixed using.

The gaskets 144 and 146 are made of a rubber material having low gas permeation, and can improve the sealing property by contacting the contact surface 71b of the FOUP 7 and the thin wall portion 61a of the door portion 61. ..

The gaskets 144 and 146 can be designed to improve the adhesion performance by increasing the contact area with the contact surface 71b of the FOUP 7 and the door portion 61 by appropriately changing the hardness and the thickness. It is not necessary to provide the clamp unit 5 as shown in the embodiment on the window frame portion 141. However, if higher sealing performance is required, such as by increasing the pressure difference between the inside and outside, a clamp unit 5 may be provided in order to improve the adhesion performance.

Even in the case of the above configuration, it is possible to obtain the same action and effect as in the above-described first embodiment.

Further, since the elastic material for sealing is formed in a plate shape, the sealing structure can be constructed at low cost.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 17 shows a window unit 204 that constitutes a part of the EFEM 201 and the load port 203 of the third embodiment. The door portion 61 shown in the figure is the same as that in the first and second embodiments, and the points other than the window unit 204 are configured in the same manner as those in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the same parts as those in the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the window unit 204, a seal member 244 as an elastic member is provided in a portion of the window frame portion 241 near the peripheral edge of the opening 242, specifically, so as to project slightly inward from the peripheral edge of the opening 242. It has become a thing.

The seal member 244 has a substantially rectangular frame shape as shown in FIG. 18A, and has a flat plate portion 244a formed on the outer peripheral side and an inner circumference as shown in the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 18B. On the side, two elastic portions 244b and 244c branched in an inverted Y shape are formed. The elastic portions 244b and 244c have a shape that projects from the inside of the flat plate portion 244a while being curved so as to form a convex shape toward the front and the rear, respectively. Due to such a shape, the elastic portions 244b and 244c have a large deformation margin, and can be easily deformed in the front-rear direction.

Another way of looking at the shape of the sealing member 244 is to seal between the elastic portion 244b as an elastic material protruding forward and the door portion 61 in order to seal with FOUP7. Therefore, it can be said that the elastic portion 244c as the elastic material projecting forward is integrally formed via the flat plate portion 244a.

As shown in FIG. 19, the seal member 244 is fixed so as to sandwich the flat plate portion 244 between the window frame portion 241 and the stop plate 243 formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape provided behind the window frame portion 241. The elastic portions 244b and 244c are located inside the opening 242 of the window frame portion 241.

The elastic portions 244b and 244c can be sealed by elastically contacting the contact surface 71b of the FOUP 71 and the thin portion 61a of the door portion 61. At this time, since the elastic portions 244b and 244c are greatly elastically deformable, the contact area of the contact surface 71b of the FOUP 71 and the thin-walled portion 61a of the door portion 61 can be increased and made uniform, resulting in high sealing performance. Can be obtained. Therefore, as in the second embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the clamp unit 5 as shown in the first embodiment on the window frame portion 141, but when higher sealing performance is required, a clamp is used to improve the adhesion performance. The unit 5 may be provided.

Even in the case of the above configuration, it is possible to obtain the same action and effect as in the above-described first embodiment.

Since the elastic portion 244b, which is an elastic material provided on the mounting table 34 side, and the elastic portion 244c, which is an elastic material provided on the door portion 61 side, are integrally formed for sealing. The seal structure can be constructed with a small number of parts, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The specific configuration of each part is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the panel 31 as a plate-shaped portion is configured by attaching the window unit 4 to the panel main body portion 31b, but both can be integrally configured without being separated. Specifically, the window frame portion 41 constituting the window unit 5 may be integrally configured without being divided from the panel main body portion 31b.

Further, in the first embodiment, an O-ring 46 is provided on the rear surface of the window frame portion 41 in order to seal between the window frame portion 41 and the door portion 61, as shown in FIG. The window unit 304 and the door portion 361 may be deformed. That is, a dovetail groove 345 may be formed in the thin portion 361a of the door portion 361 instead of the rear surface of the window frame portion 341, and the O-ring 346 may be inserted inside the groove 345. Even in this case, the door portion may be provided. The same sealing property can be obtained by bringing the thin portion 361a of the 361 and the rear surface of the window frame portion 341 into contact with each other via the O-ring 346.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the gas supply nozzle 34c, which is a gas supply means, is incorporated in the mounting table 34, and the gas supply nozzle 34c is configured as a so-called bottom purge method in which the gas is supplied from the lower side into the FOUP7. It may be incorporated in the door portion 61 and configured as a so-called front purge method in which gas is supplied into the FOUP 7 from the front side. Further, even if the load port 3 does not have a gas supply means, gas is supplied to the FOUP 7 in advance by using a gas supply device into the FOUP 3 which is configured as a separate body from the load port 3, such as a so-called purge station. It is also possible to obtain the same effect as described above by installing the load port 3 in a state where the pressure is increased.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, nitrogen gas is used as the gas to be supplied into EFEM1 and FOUP7, but various gases such as air and ozone can be used depending on the treatment.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, FOUP7 is used as the wafer storage container, but even when a wafer storage container of another form is used, the same configuration can be obtained to obtain the same effect as described above. ..

Other configurations can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 ... EFEM
2 ... Wafer transfer chamber (housing)
3 ... Load port 5 ... Clamp unit (pull-in means)
7 ... FOUP (wafer storage container)
31 ... Panel (plate-shaped part)
34 ... Mounting stand 34c ... Gas supply nozzle (gas supply means)
37 ... Gasket (seal member)
42 ... Opening 44, 46 ... O-ring (elastic material)
51 ... Engagement piece 61 ... Door part 71c ... Flange part 72 ... Lid part 73 ... Gas supply valve 144, 146 ... Gasket (elastic material)
244b, 244c ... Elastic part (elastic material)
W ... Wafer

Claims (9)

It is a load port provided adjacent to the wafer transfer chamber and for loading and unloading wafers between the wafer transfer chamber and the wafer storage container.
A plate-shaped portion that constitutes a part of the wall surface of the wafer transfer chamber and has an opening for opening the wafer transfer chamber.
A door for opening and closing the opening,
A mounting table on which a wafer storage container is placed so that the lid portion that can open and close the internal space faces the door portion so that the wafer storage container can move forward and backward toward the plate-shaped portion.
An elastic material provided on the previously described pedestal side of the plate-shaped portion along the peripheral edge of the opening is provided.
The load port is characterized in that the elastic material is elastically contacted around the lid portion of the wafer storage container by moving the above-mentioned stand toward the plate-shaped portion. The load port according to claim 1, further comprising a gas supply means for supplying gas into the wafer storage container via a gas supply valve provided in the wafer storage container. An engaging piece that can be engaged with a flange portion provided around the lid portion in the wafer storage container, and a pulling means that pulls the engaging piece toward the plate-shaped portion side in a state where the engaging piece is engaged with the flange portion. The load port according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the load port comprises. An elastic material provided on the door portion side of the plate-shaped portion is further provided along the peripheral edge of the opening, and the elastic material provided on the door portion side is provided by closing the opening with the door portion. The load port according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the door portion is elastically contacted with the door portion. The load port according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic material is an O-ring. The load port according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic material is formed in a plate shape. The load port according to claim 4, wherein the elastic material provided on the pedestal side and the elastic material provided on the door portion side are integrally formed. A load port according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and a housing constituting the wafer transfer chamber are provided, and a seal member is provided between the plate-shaped portion constituting the load port and the housing. EFEM characterized by. The EFEM according to claim 8, wherein an air flow is formed inside the wafer transfer chamber from above to below.