JP2021005728A - Gas purge nozzle and front purge unit - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce fluctuation in purification gas evolution amount due to the position of an emission aperture.SOLUTION: A gas purge nozzle has a first portion where a first room extending in the longer direction is formed and supplied with purification gas, and a second portion where a second room extending alongside the first room is formed and emitting the purification gas from an emission aperture to the outside, the first and second rooms are connected so that the purification gas flows via first and second interconnection holes near both ends in the longer direction, the emission aperture is provided between the first and second interconnection holes with regard to the longer direction, and has a central wall part provided between the first and second interconnection holes and separating the first and second rooms, the emission aperture is provided to face the central wall part but not face the first and second interconnection holes, the first interconnection hole does not face the emission aperture but faces an upper end side end wall part connecting from the upper end part of the emission aperture to the upper end part of the second room, and the second interconnection hole does not face the emission aperture but faces a lower end side end wall part connecting from the lower end part of the emission aperture to the lower end part of the second room.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

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

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, some wafers housed in a wafer transfer container called a hoop (FOUP) or a pod have high-density metal wiring or the like formed therein. The wafer surface on which such high-density metal wiring is formed may be slightly oxidized during the process, and the desired characteristics may not be obtained when the device is completed. Therefore, in order to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the wafer surface and oxidation of the wafer surface during the process, it is necessary to maintain a high level of cleanliness while suppressing the oxygen concentration inside the transport container.

As a method for maintaining the cleanliness inside the transport container, a technique of discharging the cleaning gas into the transport container using a gas purge nozzle that discharges the cleaning gas has been proposed. Further, as a gas purge nozzle for discharging cleaning gas, a nozzle having a filter or the like installed inside has been proposed.

JP-A-2003-332402 JP 2015-165604

However, the conventional gas purge nozzle has a problem that the amount of the purified gas discharged varies depending on the position of the discharge opening, and it is difficult to efficiently clean the entire container due to the variation. For example, when the discharge opening is a slit extending in a predetermined direction, the amount of cleaning gas released differs between the central portion of the slit and the vicinity of both ends of the slit. Therefore, in the conventional gas purge nozzle, the inside of the container is used. There is a problem that it is difficult to clean the whole efficiently.

The present invention has been made in view of such an actual situation, and an object of the present invention is that it is possible to reduce the variation in the amount of cleaning gas released depending on the position of the discharge opening, and it is possible to efficiently clean the inside of the container. It is to provide a gas purge nozzle and a front purge unit.

In order to achieve the above object, the gas purge nozzle according to the present invention
A gas purge nozzle for introducing cleaning gas into the container.
A first chamber extending in the longitudinal direction is formed inside, and a first portion to which the cleaning gas is supplied from a gas supply unit and a first portion.
A second chamber extending in the longitudinal direction is formed inside along with the first chamber, and the cleaning gas is discharged from the second chamber to the outside through a discharge opening formed along the longitudinal direction. Has a second part that emits
The first chamber and the second chamber are a first communication hole for communicating the first chamber and the second chamber near one end in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber, and the second chamber. The cleaning gas is connected so as to flow through a second communication hole that communicates the first chamber and the second chamber near the other end in the longitudinal direction in the chamber.
The discharge opening is characterized in that it is provided between the first communication hole and the second communication hole in the longitudinal direction.

In the gas purge nozzle of the present invention, first, the cleaning gas is supplied from the gas supply unit to the first chamber, and the cleaning gas flows from the first chamber to the second chamber through the first and second communication holes, and further. The cleaning gas is discharged to the outside through the discharge opening formed in the second chamber. The gas purge nozzle of the present invention has a discharge opening by allowing a cleaning gas to flow from the first chamber to the second chamber through the first communication hole and the second communication hole formed near both ends of the second chamber. It prevents a difference in the amount of cleaning gas released between one end and the other end. Further, since the discharge opening is provided between the first communication hole and the second communication hole, the cleaning gas that has flowed from the first chamber to the second chamber through the first and second communication holes can be removed. After turning in the longitudinal direction once, it flows to the discharge opening and is discharged from the discharge opening. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the problem that the amount of the purified gas released from the discharge opening differs between the position near the first and second communication holes and the position far from the first and second communication holes. Such a gas purge nozzle can reduce the variation in the amount of purified gas released depending on the position of the discharge opening, and can efficiently clean the inside of the container.

Further, for example, the gas purge nozzle according to the present invention is provided between the first communication hole and the second communication hole, and has a central wall portion that separates the first chamber and the second chamber. And
The discharge opening may be provided so as to face the central wall portion and not to face the first communication hole and the second communication hole.

In such a gas purge nozzle, the discharge opening faces the central wall portion and does not face the first and second communication holes, so that the gas purge nozzle flows from the first chamber to the second chamber through the first and second communication holes. It is possible to prevent the flow of the cleaning gas from flowing directly to the adjacent discharge opening. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the problem that the amount of the purified gas released from the discharge opening differs between the position near the first and second communication holes and the position far from the first and second communication holes.

Further, for example, when the length of the first communication hole and the second communication hole in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber is 1, the one end portion in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber or the said one. It may be provided in a region where the length from the other end is 0.15 or less.

By providing the first and second communication holes in a predetermined area near the end of the second chamber, the area in which the discharge opening can be formed with respect to the total length of the second chamber is expanded, so that such a gas purge nozzle is miniaturized. It is advantageous to.

Further, for example, in the gas purge nozzle according to the present invention, the conductance of the first communication hole and the second communication hole may be different.
Further, for example, the opening diameters of the first communication hole and the second communication hole may be different.

For example, when the first part of the gas purge nozzle has a structure in which a pressure difference of the cleaning gas is generated at both ends in the first chamber, the conductances of the first communication hole and the second communication hole are made different. The difference between the flow rate of the cleaning gas passing through the first communication hole and the flow rate of the cleaning gas passing through the second communication hole can be reduced, and the problem that the amount of the cleaning gas released varies depending on the position at the discharge opening can be prevented. ..
The method of making the conductances of the first communication hole and the second communication hole different is not particularly limited, but for example, by making the opening diameters of the first communication hole and the second communication hole different, it is possible to generate an accurate edge. ..

Further, for example, the first communication hole and the second communication hole may be provided with a communication hole filter that adjusts the flow of the cleaning gas from the first chamber to the second chamber.

By providing communication hole filters in the first and second communication holes, the conductance of the first and second communication holes should be adjusted so that the amount of gas flowing from the first chamber to the second chamber is within an appropriate range. Can be done. Further, the communication hole filter can remove dust and the like mixed in the cleaning gas in the piping and the like.

Further, for example, the discharge opening may be provided with an opening filter for adjusting the flow of the cleaning gas discharged from the second chamber to the outside.
Further, the aperture filter may be made of a porous material.

By providing an opening filter at the discharge opening, the conductance at the discharge opening can be increased and the pressure difference generated in the second chamber can be suppressed. In such a gas purge nozzle, the amount of cleaning gas released can be increased. It is possible to prevent the problem of variation depending on the position at the discharge opening. The material of the aperture filter is not particularly limited, but for example, by using a porous material, it is possible to effectively suppress the unevenness of the amount of the cleaning gas released and remove dust and harmful substances mixed in the cleaning gas.

Further, for example, in the gas purge nozzle according to the present invention, the conductance of the first communication hole and the second communication hole may be equal.

For example, when the first part of the gas purge nozzle has a small pressure difference between the cleaning gas at both ends in the first chamber, the first communication hole and the second communication hole are made equal in conduct to the first communication hole. The difference between the flow rate of the cleaning gas passing through the hole and the flow rate of the cleaning gas passing through the second communication hole can be reduced, and the problem that the amount of the cleaning gas released varies depending on the position at the discharge opening can be prevented.

The front purge unit according to the present invention has any of the above gas purge nozzles, and introduces the cleaning gas into the container through a main opening for taking in and out the contents.

The gas purge nozzle of the present invention may be arranged inside the container or outside the container, but for example, the gas purge nozzle of the front purge unit may be arranged outside the container and near the main opening. It can be suitably used as a nozzle.

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional schematic view of a load port device to which a gas purge nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the load port device shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram showing the process of opening the hoop lid by the load port device. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram showing a subsequent process of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram showing a subsequent step of FIG. 3B. FIG. 3D is a schematic diagram showing the steps following FIG. 3C. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV shown in FIG. 3D. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gas purge nozzle shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the gas purge nozzle with a cross section passing through the first or second communication hole. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the gas purge nozzle with a cross section passing through the discharge opening. FIG. 8 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view showing a modified example of the load port device in which the front purge unit is arranged inside the cover member.

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

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional schematic view of a load port device 10 to which the gas purge nozzle 22 according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. The load port device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the intermediate chamber 60a of the mini-environment device 60. In the embodiment described below, the gas purge nozzle 22 used in the front purge unit 20 of the load port device 10 will be described as an example, but the application of the gas purge nozzle 22 is not limited to this, and for example, a wafer or the like can be used. It can also be used in other devices for introducing cleaning gas into the containing container.

The load port device 10 is an interface device for transferring the wafer 1 housed in the sealed transport container 2 in a sealed state to the inside of the intermediate chamber 60a while maintaining a clean state. Further, a single or a plurality of processing chambers 70 are airtightly connected to the intermediate chamber 60a, and the wafer 1 conveyed to the intermediate chamber 60a is further conveyed from the intermediate chamber 60a to the processing chamber 70 by the robot arm 50. Will be done. The processing chamber 70 is a part of an apparatus for performing a predetermined processing on the wafer 1, and in the processing chamber 70, the predetermined processing is sequentially performed on the wafer 1 conveyed by the robot arm 50. .. The apparatus including the processing chamber 70 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include apparatus used in a semiconductor manufacturing process such as a vapor deposition apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, and an etching apparatus.

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

On the upper part of the movable table 14, a sealed transport container 2 composed of a pot, a hoop, or the like for sealing and storing and transporting a plurality of wafers 1 can be detachably placed. Other configurations of the load port device 10 will be described later.

The sealed transport container 2 has a casing 2a, a lid 4, an air supply port 5, an exhaust port 6, and the like. A space for accommodating the wafer 1 to be processed is formed inside the casing 2a. The casing 2a has a box-like shape having a main opening 2b for loading and unloading the wafer 1 as an container on any one surface existing in the horizontal direction. The lid 4 can seal the main opening 2b of the casing 2a. As will be described later, the load port device 10 can attach / detach the lid 4 to / from the casing 2a to open / close the main opening 2b.

Inside the casing 2a, shelves (not shown) having a plurality of stages for accommodating a plurality of wafers 1 so as not to come into contact with each other are provided. The wafers 1 housed in the sealed transport container 2 are held horizontally by being installed one by one on each stage of the shelves, and are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). In this state, it is arranged inside the casing 2a.

A robot arm 50 is installed in the intermediate chamber 60a of the mini-environment device 60. An FFU (Fan Filter Unit) 40 is mounted on the upper part of the intermediate chamber 60a. The FFU 40 forms a downflow of clean air inside the intermediate chamber 60a in the mini-environment device 60, and creates a local clean environment inside the intermediate chamber 60a. The cleanliness of the inside of the intermediate chamber 60a may be lower than that of the inside of the sealed transport container 2, but is higher than the cleanliness of the external environment.

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

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

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

At the same time that the opening edge 2c enters the inside of the wall-side opening 13, the surface of the door 18 that seals the wall-side opening 13 that faces the sealed transport container 2 engages with the lid 4 of the sealed transport container 2. .. At that time, the space between the opening edge 2c and the opening edge of the wall-side opening 13 is sealed by a gasket or the like, and the space between them is well sealed. After that, as shown in FIG. 3C, the door 18 is moved in parallel or rotationally in the Y-axis direction together with the lid 4 to move the lid 4 to the intermediate chamber 60a, thereby removing the door 18 from the opening edge 2c. In this way, the load port device 10 opens the main opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 and communicates the inside of the sealed transport container 2 with the intermediate chamber 60a through the main opening 2b and the wall side opening 13.

Even after the main opening 2b is opened, the bottom gas purge may be continued to operate. Further, in addition to the bottom purge or by stopping the bottom purge, a purge gas (cleaning gas) such as nitrogen gas or other inert gas is introduced into the sealed transport container 2 from the opened main opening 2b. To start. In the front purge, the cleaning gas is discharged from the discharge opening 24b (see FIG. 4) of the gas purge nozzle 22 provided in the front purge unit 20 by using the front purge unit 20 mounted on the wall 11, and the sealed transport container 2 is used. It is carried out by introducing a cleaning gas inside. The front purge unit 20 will be described later.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3D, the door 18 and the lid 4 that were moved into the intermediate chamber 60a in the previous step are further moved downward on the Z axis, so that the main opening 2b and the load port of the sealed transport container 2 are further moved. The door 18 of the device 10 is completely opened, and the sealed transport container 2 and the intermediate chamber 60a communicate with each other. As a result, the robot arm 50 arranged in the intermediate chamber 60a can take out the wafer 1 from the inside of the sealed transport container 2 through the main opening 2b and the wall side opening 13 and transport the wafer 1 to the intermediate chamber 60a. Become. Even during the transfer operation of the wafer 1 by the robot arm 50, the front purge is always continued, preferably while the main opening 2b is open. By continuing the front purge, the inflow of air into the intermediate chamber 60a toward the inside of the sealed transport container 2 is suppressed, and the inside of the sealed transport container 2 is maintained in a cleaner environment as compared with the intermediate chamber 60a. Further, the front purge has the effect of discharging the outgas from the processed wafer in the sealed transport container 2 and improving the cleanliness of the inside of the sealed transport container 2. In order to close the main opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 and remove the sealed transport container 2 from the movable table 14, the above reverse operation may be performed.

In the drawings, the air supply port 5, the exhaust port 6, the front purge unit 20, etc. are enlarged and shown in comparison with the sealed transport container 2 for easy understanding, but the actual dimensions are shown. Different from the ratio.

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

As shown in FIG. 2, in the load port device 10 according to the present embodiment, the wall-side opening 13 formed in the wall 11 has a quadrangular opening surface, and the upper side portion 13b and the lower side portion 13c in the wall 11 It is surrounded by two side portions 13a. As shown in FIG. 3A, the main opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 has a shape corresponding to the wall side opening 13, and is set to the same size as the wall side opening 13 or slightly smaller than the wall side opening 13. There is.

As shown in FIG. 2, the front purge unit 20 of the present embodiment has two gas purge nozzles 22. The gas purge nozzle 22 has an elongated tubular outer shape, and each gas purge nozzle 22 is arranged on each of the two side portions 13a of the wall side opening 13 so as to avoid interference with the door 18. Has been done.

The gas purge nozzle 22 is arranged adjacent to the inner surface of the wall 11 facing the side opposite to the installation table 12. Therefore, the cleaning gas discharged from the gas purge nozzle 22 in the Pronto purge is the sealed transport container through the main opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 in the state where the door 18 and the lid 4 are opened (see FIGS. 3C and 3D). Introduced in 2. The fixing method of the gas purge nozzle 22 is not particularly limited, and in addition to the method of directly fixing to the inner surface of the wall 11, the method of fixing to the wall 11 via the adapter 17 or the shielding portion, and the gas supply connected to the gas purge nozzle 22 There is a method of fixing to another member via the portion 28.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the load port device 10 and the sealed transport container 2 during front purging as viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 4, the gas purge nozzles 22 are arranged substantially symmetrically on the two side side portions 13a that sandwich the wall side opening 13. The gas purge nozzle 22 is arranged along the vertical direction so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the Z-axis direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 3D, the length of the gas purge nozzle 22 in the Z-axis direction is formed to be longer than that of the main opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gas purge nozzle 22 arranged on the right side of the paper surface of FIG. 4 in a cross section orthogonal to the Y axis. Since the two gas purge nozzles 22 have symmetrical shapes, only one gas purge nozzle 22 will be described, and the other will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the gas purge nozzle 22 has an elongated square tubular outer shape in the Z-axis direction in the present embodiment. Each of the gas purge nozzles 22 has a hollow substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a first portion 23 and a second portion 24 having substantially the same length in the longitudinal direction. The first portion 23 and the second portion 24 are connected to each other in a state in which their respective longitudinal directions are arranged along the Z axis and their ends are aligned.

Inside the first portion 23, a first chamber 23a extending in the longitudinal direction is formed. Purifying gas is supplied to the first chamber 23a from the gas supply unit 28 connected to the lower end portion 23f, which is the other end in the longitudinal direction of the first chamber 23a.

Inside the second portion 24, a second chamber 24a extending in the longitudinal direction alongside the first chamber 23a is formed inside. A discharge opening 24b is formed in the second portion 24 along the longitudinal direction. The discharge opening 24b is formed on a side surface of the second portion 24 other than the joint surface with the first portion 23, and the second portion 24 is formed from the second chamber 24a to the outside of the gas purge nozzle 22 via the discharge opening 24b. Releases cleaning gas. The discharge opening 24b according to the present embodiment is composed of slits having continuous openings in the longitudinal direction, but the discharge opening 24b is not limited to this, and a plurality of through holes in which openings are intermittently formed in the longitudinal direction. It may be composed of.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first chamber 23a and the second chamber 24a are connected so that the cleaning gas flows through the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26. The first communication hole 25 communicates the first chamber 23a and the second chamber 24a near the upper end portion 24e, which is one end in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber 24a. On the other hand, the second communication hole 26 communicates the first chamber 23a and the second chamber 24a near the lower end portion 24f, which is the other end in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber 24a.

The first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 are provided with communication hole filters 25a and 26a for adjusting the flow rate of the cleaning gas flowing from the first chamber 23a to the second chamber 24a. The communication hole filters 25a and 26a are particularly capable of passing a cleaning gas and changing the conductance of the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 as compared with the case where the communication hole filters 25a and 26a are not arranged. The present invention includes, but is not limited to, a metal or resin cloth, a plate having fine pores, a net, or a porous body. Further, the communication hole filter 25a provided in the first communication hole 25 and the communication hole filter 26a provided in the second communication hole 26 may be the same or different.

The discharge opening 24b is provided with an opening filter 27 that adjusts the flow of the cleaning gas discharged from the second chamber 24a to the outside of the gas purge nozzle 22. Like the communication hole filters 25a and 26a, the opening filter 27 is not particularly limited as long as it allows the cleaning gas to pass through and changes the conductance of the discharge opening 24b as compared with the case where the opening filter 27 is not arranged. Examples of the opening filter 27 include a cloth made of metal or resin, a plate having fine pores, a net, or a porous body, and the opening filter 27 is preferably a porous body. As the porous body constituting the aperture filter 27, for example, a porous body made of an organic material such as a resin or a porous body made of an inorganic material such as a ceramic or a metal material can be adopted. In particular, the discharge unit 24 is preferably composed of a porous body made of an inorganic material, whereby the problem that organic substances are mixed in the cleaning gas and adversely affect the wafer 1 can be avoided.

As shown in FIG. 5, the discharge opening 24b formed in the second chamber 24a is provided between the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 in the longitudinal direction of the second chamber 24a. More specifically, the upper end of the discharge opening 24b is separated from the upper end 24e of the second chamber 24a from the lower end of the first communication hole 25, and the lower end of the discharge opening 24b is the second. It is separated from the lower end portion 24f of the second chamber 24a from the lower end portion of the communication hole 26.

Further, the gas purge nozzle 22 is provided between the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 in the longitudinal direction thereof, and has a central wall portion 29 that separates the first chamber 23a and the second chamber 24a. ing. As described above, since the discharge opening 24b is provided between the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26, it faces the central wall portion 29 and faces the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 25. It is provided so as not to face the hole 26.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the gas purge nozzle 22 orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) and having a cross section for cutting the discharge opening 24b. As shown in FIG. 6, in the cross section of cutting the discharge opening 24b orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, neither the first communication hole 25 nor the second communication hole 26 appears. Although the display is omitted in FIG. 5 and the like, the gas purge nozzle 22 has a connecting member 83 that connects the first portion 23 and the second portion 24, and a filter retainer that fixes the opening filter 27 to the second portion 24. It has 84 and 85. The filter retainer 84 has a function as a rectifying plate that guides the cleaning gas discharged from the discharge opening 24b to the wafer 1, and the filter retainer 85 is connected to a function as a rectifying plate similar to the filter retainer 84. Like the member 83, it has a function of connecting the first portion 23 and the second portion 24.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first communication hole 25 does not face the discharge opening 24b, connects the upper end of the discharge opening 24b to the upper end 24e of the second chamber 24a, and does not allow the cleaning gas to pass through. It faces the end wall portion 24c. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the gas purge nozzle 22 orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) and having a cross section for cutting the first communication hole 25. As shown in FIG. 7, the discharge opening 24b does not appear in the cross section of cutting the first communication hole 25 orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second communication hole 26 also does not face the discharge opening 24b like the first communication hole 25, and connects from the lower end of the discharge opening 24b to the lower end 24f of the second chamber 24a. It faces the end wall portion 24d that does not allow the cleaning gas to pass through. The cross section of the gas purge nozzle 22 orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) and having a cross section for cutting the second communication hole 26 is the same as the shape shown in FIG. 7.

In the gas purge nozzle 22 as shown in FIG. 5, for example, the first portion 23 and the second portion 24 excluding the communication hole filters 25a and 26a and the opening filter 27 are formed by molding and processing, and then the communication hole filter is positioned at a predetermined position. It is manufactured by connecting the 25a, 26a and the aperture filter 27 by using the connecting member 83 and the filter retainers 84, 85 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 to connect the members. The materials of the first portion 23 and the second portion 24 excluding the communication hole filters 25a and 26a and the opening filter 27 are not particularly limited, but resin, metal, ceramic or the like can be adopted.

The alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 5 schematically shows the flow of the purified gas in the gas purge nozzle 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning gas flowing into the first chamber 23a from the gas supply unit 28 passes through the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 formed near both ends in the longitudinal direction. It flows from the first chamber 23a into the second chamber 24a. The gas purge nozzle 22 causes the cleaning gas to flow from the first chamber 23a to the second chamber 24a through the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 formed near both ends of the second chamber 24a. The difference in the position in the longitudinal direction of the discharge opening 24b, for example, the difference in the amount of the cleaning gas released between the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the discharge opening 24b is prevented.

The first communication hole 25 may be arranged at a position closer to the upper end 24e than the central position in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber 24a, and the second communication hole 26 may be located at the central position in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber 24a. It suffices if it is arranged at a position closer to the lower end portion 24f. However, the lengths of the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 from the upper end portion 24e or the lower end portion 24f in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber 24a, where the length L1 in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber 24a is 1. It is preferable that the L2 is provided in a region of 0.15 or less. As a result, the formable region of the discharge opening 24b with respect to the total length L1 of the second chamber 24a is expanded, so that such a gas purge nozzle 22 is advantageous for miniaturization.

Further, in the gas purge nozzle 22, a discharge opening 24b is provided between the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 5, the flow of the cleaning gas flowing from the first chamber 23a to the second chamber 24a through the first and second communication holes 25 and 26 is the end wall portions 24c and 24d. After changing the direction once in the longitudinal direction, it flows toward the discharge opening 24b. Here, unlike the present embodiment, if the first or second communication hole and the discharge opening face each other, the position of the discharge opening facing the first or second communication hole is another position. The problem that the amount of cleaning gas released is large compared to the position is likely to occur.

On the other hand, in the gas purge nozzle 22 according to the embodiment, since the discharge opening 24b does not face the first and second communication holes 25 and 26, the cleaning gas flowing into the second chamber 24a from the first chamber 23a Can prevent the problem of being discharged from the discharge opening 24b without changing the direction of the flow. Therefore, the gas purge nozzle 22 can reduce the variation in the amount of purified gas released due to the difference in the position in the longitudinal direction (position in the Z-axis direction) in the discharge opening 24b. Further, the cleaning gas discharged from the gas purge nozzle 22 through the discharge opening 24b flows into the sealed transport container 2 as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 4, and uniformly cleans the entire inside of the sealed transport container 2. It is possible.

In the gas purge nozzle 22 shown in FIG. 5, the conductance when the cleaning gas passes through the first communication hole 25 may be different from the conductance when the cleaning gas passes through the second communication hole 26. For example, in the first chamber 23a, a pressure difference occurs such that the pressure is high around the second communication hole 26 near the gas supply unit 28 and the pressure is low around the first communication hole 25 far from the gas supply unit 28. In this case, the conductance value of the second communication hole 26 may be larger than the conductance value of the second communication hole 26. As a method of making the conductance values of the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 different, for example, a method of making the opening diameters of the first and second communication holes 26 different, or different communication hole filters 25a and 26a are used. The method etc. can be mentioned.

Further, unlike this, in the gas purge nozzle 22, the conductance when the cleaning gas passes through the first communication hole 25 is the same as the conductance when the cleaning gas passes through the second communication hole 26. May be good. For example, the gas supply unit 28 is connected to the first chamber 23a in the vicinity of the central portion in the longitudinal direction thereof so that a pressure difference does not occur between the vicinity of the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26. In some cases, the conductance of the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 may be the same.

The discharge opening 24b of the gas purge nozzle 22 is composed of slits formed along the longitudinal direction, and the opening width of the slit is constant along the longitudinal direction, but the shape of the discharge opening 24b formed by the slits is Not limited to this, the opening width of the slit may change along the longitudinal direction of the second chamber 24a. Further, when the discharge opening is composed of a plurality of through holes formed intermittently along the longitudinal direction, the opening area of the through holes may be constant regardless of the position in the longitudinal direction, and the opening area may be constant in the longitudinal direction. It may change along with.

As described above, although the embodiment has been shown and the gas purge nozzle 22 and the front purge unit 20 having the gas purge nozzle have been described in detail, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the gas purge nozzle 22, the total length of the first chamber 23a and the total length of the second chamber 24a are equal, and the upper end portion 23e and the lower end portion 23f of the first chamber 23a and the upper end portion 24e and the lower end portion 24f of the second chamber 24a Are aligned. However, the shape of the gas purge nozzle is not limited to this, for example, the total lengths of the first chamber and the second chamber may be different, and a plurality of second chambers (second part) may be referred to. There may be a mode in which the chamber (second part) is connected.

Further, the longitudinal directions of the first chamber 23a, the second chamber 24a, and the gas purge nozzle 22 are not limited to the embodiment that coincides with the Z-axis direction that is the vertical direction, and in other embodiments, they coincide with the horizontal direction and the oblique direction. In some cases. Further, the outer shapes of the first portion 23 and the second portion 24 are not limited to the square cylinder shape, and may be a polygonal cylinder shape, an ellipse / cylinder shape, or any other shape other than the square cylinder shape.

Further, it is preferable that the wall portion connecting the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 does not allow the cleaning gas to pass through, as in the central wall portion 29 shown in FIG. 5, but unlike this, the first communication hole Another communication hole having a higher conductance value than the first communication hole 25 and the second communication hole 26 may be formed between the hole 25 and the second communication hole 26. In the front purge in the load port device 10, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3C and 3D, in addition to the front purge unit 20 described above, the cleaning gas is supplied from the curtain nozzle 30 arranged on the upper side portion 13b. It may be ejected vertically downward (Z-axis negative direction).

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the front purge unit 20 may be arranged inside the cover member 31 that surrounds the wall-side opening 13. When the cover member 31 is used, the curtain nozzle 30 may also be arranged inside the cover member 31.

Further, the curtain nozzle 30 may eject gas supplied from a gas supply source (not shown) different from the front purge unit 20, but unlike this, the curtain nozzle 30 and the front purge unit 20 May be configured such that the cleaning gas is supplied from the common gas supply unit 28. For example, by communicating the end of the curtain nozzle 30 with the upper end 23e of the first chamber 23a of the gas purge nozzle 22, the curtain nozzle 30 is supplied from the gas supply unit 28 to the first chamber 23a, and further, the first chamber 23a. The cleaning gas flowing from the 23a into the curtain nozzle 30 may be used to eject the cleaning gas vertically downward.

1 ... Wafer 2 ... Sealed transport container 2a ... Casing 2b ... Main opening 2c ... Opening edge 3 ... Positioning part 4 ... Lid 5 ... Air supply port 6 ... Exhaust port 10 ... Load port device 11 ... Wall 12 ... Installation stand 13 ... Wall Side opening 13a ... Side side 13b ... Upper side 13c ... Lower side 14 ... Movable table 16 ... Positioning pin 17 ... Adapter 18 ... Door 20 ... Front purge unit 22 ... Gas purge nozzle 23 ... First part 23a ... First chamber 23e, 24e ... Upper end 23f, 24f ... Lower end 24 ... Second part 24a ... Second chamber 24b ... Discharge opening 24c, 24d ... End wall 25 ... First communication hole 25a, 26a ... Communication hole filter 26 ... Second communication Hole 27 ... Opening filter 29 ... Central wall 28 ... Gas supply 30 ... Curtain nozzle 40 ... FFU
50 ... Robot arm 60 ... Mini environment device 60a ... Intermediate chamber 70 ... Processing chamber 83 ... Connecting members 84, 85 ... Filter holder

Claims (9)

A gas purge nozzle for introducing cleaning gas into the container.
A first chamber extending in the longitudinal direction is formed inside, and a first portion to which the cleaning gas is supplied from a gas supply unit and a first portion.
A second chamber extending in the longitudinal direction is formed inside along with the first chamber, and the cleaning gas is discharged from the second chamber to the outside through a discharge opening formed along the longitudinal direction. Has a second part that emits
The first chamber and the second chamber are a first communication hole for communicating the first chamber and the second chamber near one end in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber, and the second chamber. The cleaning gas is connected so as to flow through a second communication hole that communicates the first chamber and the second chamber near the other end in the longitudinal direction in the chamber.
The discharge opening is provided between the first communication hole and the second communication hole in the longitudinal direction.
It is provided between the first communication hole and the second communication hole, and has a central wall portion that separates the first chamber and the second chamber.
The discharge opening is provided so as to face the central wall portion and not to face the first communication hole and the second communication hole.
The first communication hole does not face the discharge opening, connects from the upper end of the discharge opening to the upper end of the second chamber, and does not allow the cleaning gas to pass through. Facing
The second communication hole does not face the discharge opening, connects from the lower end of the discharge opening to the lower end of the second chamber, and does not allow the cleaning gas to pass through. A gas purge nozzle characterized by facing the. The first communication hole and the second communication hole have one end or the other end in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber when the length in the longitudinal direction in the second chamber is 1. The gas purge nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the gas purge nozzle is provided in an area within 0.15, respectively. The gas purge nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conductance of the first communication hole and the second communication hole are different. The gas purge nozzle according to claim 3, wherein the opening diameters of the first communication hole and the second communication hole are different. 1. The first communication hole and the second communication hole are provided with a communication hole filter for adjusting the flow of the cleaning gas from the first chamber to the second chamber. The gas purge nozzle according to any one of claims 4 to 4. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the discharge opening is provided with an opening filter for adjusting the flow of the cleaning gas discharged to the outside from the second chamber. Gas purge nozzle. The gas purge nozzle according to claim 6, wherein the opening filter is made of a porous material. The gas purge nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the conductance of the first communication hole and the second communication hole are equal. The gas purge nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is provided.
A front purge unit that introduces the cleaning gas into the container through a main opening for taking in and out the contents.

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