JP2022043645A - Article storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent deterioration of an article in a storage container even when a take-out space is formed in the storage container.SOLUTION: An article storage device 30 includes a storage container 5 having a plurality of supports 7 and forming a gas-fillable portion 5g by stacking these supports 7 in the vertical direction, an opening/closing device 60 that separates a support 7 of a plurality of stacked supports 7 constituting the storage container 5 from the upper support 7 in the vertical direction forms take-out spaces D1 and D2 for taking out a wafer W supported by one support 7, and a gas ejection device 70 that ejects inert gas toward the take-out spaces D1 and D2, and the gas ejection device 70 suppresses leakage from the gas-fillable portion 5g containing the inert gas to the outside of the storage container 5 through the take-out spaces D1 and D2 formed by the opening/closing device 60, or fills the inert gas in the gas-fillable portion 5g containing the inert gas through the take-out spaces D1 and D2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an article accommodating device.

It has a plurality of supports that can support a plate-shaped article such as a wafer, and by stacking these supports in the vertical direction, it is connected between the upper and lower supports inside and closed so that it can be filled with an inert gas. An article accommodating device having an accommodating container constituting a gas-fillable portion as a space and an opening / closing device for forming an taking-out space for taking out articles supported by the supports by separating the supports in the vertical direction is known. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 5564178

In the article storage device described in Patent Document 1, since the holding bodies are separated from each other in the vertical direction by a switchgear to form a take-out space, the inert gas filled in the storage container is removed from the take-out space when the article is taken in and out. It may leak out and allow outside air to enter the inside of the containment container. As a result, the article in the storage container may come into contact with the outside air and cause deterioration of the article.

An object of the present invention is to provide an article storage device capable of preventing deterioration of articles in a storage container even when a take-out space is formed in the storage container.

The article accommodating device according to the aspect of the present invention has a plurality of supports on which a plate-shaped article can be placed and can be supported, and by stacking these supports in the vertical direction, the support is connected to the inside between the upper and lower supports, which is not possible. A storage container that constitutes a gas-fillable portion that is a closed space that can be filled with active gas, a support that is one of a plurality of stacked supports that form the storage container, and a support on the upper side thereof. The gas ejection device includes an opening / closing device that is separated in the vertical direction to form a take-out space for taking out an article supported by one support, and a gas ejection device that ejects an inert gas toward the take-out space. , Suppresses leakage from the gas-fillable part in which the inert gas was contained to the outside of the storage container through the take-out space formed by the opening / closing device, or the inert gas is put in through the take-out space. The inert gas is replenished in the gas-fillable part.

According to the article accommodating device according to the above aspect, when the taking-out space is formed in the accommodating container by the opening / closing device, the inert gas is supplied toward the taking-out space, so that the inert gas filled in the accommodating container is released. It is possible to suppress leakage from the take-out space. In addition, the inert gas can be replenished from the take-out space formed in the storage container to the gas-fillable portion. As a result, the article in the storage container is less likely to come into contact with the outside air, so that deterioration of the article can be prevented.

In addition, a lifting device for raising and lowering the storage container is provided, the opening / closing device forms a take-out space at a predetermined height for the storage container raised and lowered by the lifting device, and the gas ejection device is inert corresponding to the predetermined height. It may be provided with a gas outlet. According to this configuration, since the ejection port of the inert gas may be arranged at a predetermined height, it is possible to prevent the inert gas from being ejected wastefully and to suppress the wasteful consumption of the inert gas. Further, the switchgear is provided with a claw portion that can move forward and backward between a plurality of supports, and further includes an elevating device that raises and lowers the storage container. By lowering one support in the supported state, the one support and the upper support supported by the claw portion may be separated to form a take-out space. According to this configuration, it is possible to easily form a take-out space by a simple operation such as supporting the upper support with the claw portion and lowering one support. Further, a plurality of spouts may be arranged in the vertical direction corresponding to the vertical dimension of the take-out space. According to this configuration, the inert gas can be widely ejected toward the take-out space.

Further, the switchgear forms a second space in which one support and the support below the support are separated in the vertical direction separately from the take-out space, and the spout is provided corresponding to the second space. May be done. According to this configuration, since the inert gas is ejected according to the height of the second space, it is possible to prevent unnecessary ejection of the inert gas. Further, the gas ejection device ejects the inert gas at the first flow rate when the take-out space is formed, and when the take-out space is not formed, the inert gas is ejected at a second flow rate smaller than the first flow rate. It may have a flow rate adjusting unit for ejecting. According to this configuration, since the inert gas is ejected at the second flow rate even when the take-out space is not formed, it is possible to prevent particles from adhering to the ejection port. Further, since the second flow rate is smaller than the first flow rate, the consumption of the inert gas can be suppressed. Further, the flow rate adjusting unit may eject the inert gas at the first flow rate even when the accommodating container is moved up and down by the elevating device. According to this configuration, since the inert gas is ejected at the timing of ascending and descending before the take-out space is formed in the storage container, the inert gas can be reliably supplied when the take-out space is formed.

Further, the elevating device is provided with an elevating table on which the accommodating container is placed and lifted, and the elevating table has a nozzle for supplying the inert gas from the bottom of the accommodating container to the accommodating container mounted on the elevating table. May be. Since the inert gas is supplied into the storage container via the nozzle, the inert gas can be supplied to the gas-fillable portion even when the taking-out space is formed in the storage container. Further, the gas ejection device is directed toward the third space formed by separating the uppermost support of the plurality of stacked supports constituting the storage container and the upper lid thereof in the vertical direction. The inert gas may be ejected. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the inert gas from the third space formed between the lid and the support.

It is a figure which shows an example of the article storage container which concerns on this embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view which shows an example of a containment container. It is a plan view which shows an example of a support, (A) is a figure which shows the 1st support, (B) is a figure which shows the 2nd support. It is a side view which shows an example of a support, (A) is a figure which shows the 1st support, (B) is a figure which shows the 2nd support. It is a front view which shows an example of a switchgear. It is a schematic perspective view which shows an example of a switchgear. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship between a 1st claw part and a support. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship between a 1st claw part and a support. It is a figure which shows an example of the state which the taking-out space and the 2nd space are formed in the storage container. It is a top view which shows an example of the state which the accommodating container is placed on the elevating table. It is a figure which shows an example which supplies the inert gas to the gas-fillable part of a containment container. It is a figure which shows an example of the state which the 3rd space is formed in the storage container.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following description. In addition, in order to explain the embodiment, the drawings are expressed by changing the scale as appropriate, such as by making a part larger or emphasized, and the shape, dimensions, etc. may differ from the actual product. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an article accommodating device 30 according to the present embodiment. The article accommodating device 30 is included in, for example, the wafer storage system 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the wafer storage system 100 includes a load port 10, a wafer transfer device 20, an article storage device 30, a stocker 40, and a control unit 50.

The load port 10 is used, for example, on which a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) 2 is mounted and is used to transfer the FOUP 2 to and from a transport device such as a transport vehicle. The transport vehicle travels along a track provided on the ceiling of a semiconductor factory, for example, and transports FOUP2. The FOUP2 has a box-shaped housing having an opening and a lid portion covering the opening. The lid portion is provided so as to be removable with respect to the housing. One or more wafers (articles) W are housed in FOUP2.

The wafer transfer device 20 transfers the wafer W between the FOUP 2 and the storage container 5 described later. The wafer transfer device 20 has a robot arm (not shown) that performs a transfer operation of the wafer W. The robot arm transfers the wafer W to one of the plurality of stacked supports 7 constituting the storage container 5. The robot arm has a slide fork for scooping up and transferring the wafer W. The robot arm is arranged adjacent to the switchgear 60 and the load port 10 (see FIG. 1). The robot arm is, for example, an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module).

The article storage device 30 is provided in the stocker 40, and among the plurality of storage containers 5 stored in the stocker 40, one storage container 5 transported by the container transport device 42 described later is arranged. As shown in FIG. 1, the article accommodating device 30 includes an opening / closing device 60 and a gas ejection device 70.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the storage container 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the storage container 5 is configured by stacking a plurality of supports 7 in the vertical direction. Each support 7 can be supported by mounting a wafer W on it. The storage container 5 is provided with a gas-fillable portion 5g inside by stacking a plurality of supports 7 in the vertical direction. The gas-fillable portion 5g is connected between the upper and lower supports 7 inside the storage container 5 and is formed so as to be a closed space in which the inert gas can be filled. The inert gas means a gas that is inert to the article to be contained, and is, for example, nitrogen gas, argon gas, or the like. Since the gas-fillable portion 5g is a closed space, it has a function of maintaining the concentration of the inert gas.

The support 7 includes a plurality of first supports 7A and a plurality of second supports 7B. The first support 7A and the second support 7B are alternately stacked in the vertical direction. The first support 7A and the second support 7B have the same or substantially the same outer edge shape in a plan view. The outer edge shapes of the first support 7A and the second support 7B are in a relationship of being rotated by 180 ° (point object). The plan view has the same meaning as when viewed from above or below (Z direction). Further, the support 7 may be referred to as, for example, a cell ring, a ring, or a cell.

In the storage container 5, a plurality of supports 7 are stacked with almost no gap in order to make the side surface as airtight as possible. The storage container 5 includes a bottom portion 5a on which the lowermost support 7 is placed, and a lid portion 5b on which the uppermost support 7 is placed. The bottom portion 5a and the lid portion 5b are, for example, rectangular plate-shaped bodies. The bottom portion 5a is provided with a nozzle insertion hole 5c (see FIG. 11) to which a nozzle 68 described later is connected. The plurality of supports 7 are pressed downward by utilizing the weight of the lid portion 5b. The lid portion 5b is provided with an exhaust hole 5d for discharging the gas inside the storage container 5. The exhaust hole 5d communicates with the gas-fillable portion 5g. Whether or not the storage container 5 is provided with the exhaust hole 5d is arbitrary, and the exhaust hole 5d may not be provided.

3A is a plan view showing the first support 7A, and FIG. 3B is a plan view showing the second support 7B. 4A is a side view showing the first support 7A, and FIG. 4B is a side view showing the second support 7B. As shown in FIG. 3A, the first support 7A has a frame 11, a first supported portion 12, a first holding portion 13, an engaging convex portion 14, and an engaging hole 15. The frame body 11 has a rectangular frame shape in a plan view. The frame body 11 is composed of a pair of side portions 11a and a pair of side portions 11b orthogonal to the pair of side portions 11a.

The first supported portion 12 is a portion supported by the switchgear 60. The first supported portion 12 is a convex portion provided so as to protrude (protrude) outward in a plan view on the outer side surface of each of the pair of side portions 11a. Two first supported portions 12 are provided at both ends of each of the pair of side portions 11a (four in total). The first supported portion 12 is provided at a corner portion of one side portion 11a. The first supported portion 12 is provided on the other side portion 11a away from the corner portion. Hereinafter, in a plan view, the position of the first supported portion 12 of the first support 7A is referred to as a “first position”.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 4A, the first holding portion 13 holds the wafer W above the first supported portion 12. The first holding portion 13 is provided at the tip of an arm 13a connected to the inside of each of the pair of side portions 11b. Two arms 13a are provided inside each of the pair of side portions 11b (four in total). Each of the arms 13a extends toward the center of the first support 7A in a plan view. The arm 13a extends upward and then curves downward toward the center of the first support 7A. The first holding portion 13 extends horizontally from the tip of the arm 13a. The wafer W is placed so as to be bridged over the four first holding portions 13. Further, the wafer W is positioned in the horizontal direction by the curved portions of the four arms 13a.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the engaging convex portions 14 are provided so as to project upward at each of the pair of diagonal corner portions on the upper surface of the frame body 11. The engaging convex portion 14 is inserted into the engaging hole 25 of the second support 7B stacked on the upper side. The engaging hole 15 is a through hole provided around the engaging convex portion 14 of the frame body 11. An opening 16 is formed inside the frame 11.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the second support 7B has a frame 21, a second supported portion 22, a second holding portion 23, an engaging convex portion 24, and an engaging hole 25. The frame body 21 has a rectangular frame shape in a plan view. The frame body 21 is composed of a pair of side portions 21a and a pair of side portions 21b orthogonal to the pair of side portions 21a.

The second supported portion 22 is a portion supported by the switchgear 60. The second supported portion 22 is a convex portion provided on the outer side surface of each of the pair of side portions 21a so as to protrude outward in a plan view. Two second supported portions 22 are provided at both ends of each of the pair of side portions 21a (four in total). The second supported portion 22 is provided on one side portion 21a away from the corner portion. The second supported portion 22 is provided in the corner region of the other side portion 21a. Hereinafter, in a plan view, the position of the second supported portion 22 of the second support 7B is referred to as a “second position”. When the first support 7A and the second support 7B are overlapped (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "stacking"), the second supported portion 22 is different from the first position in the plan view. It is formed so as to have two positions.

The second holding portion 23 holds the wafer W above the second supported portion 22. The second holding portion 23 is provided at the tip of the arm 23a connected to the inside of each of the pair of side portions 21b. Two arms 23a are provided inside each of the pair of side portions 21b (four in total). Each of the arms 23a extends toward the center of the second support 7B in a plan view. The arm 23a extends upward and then curves downward toward the center of the second support 7B. The second holding portion 23 extends horizontally from the tip of the arm 23a. The wafer W is placed so as to be bridged over the four second holding portions 23. Further, the wafer W is positioned in the horizontal direction by the curved portions of the four arms 23a. At the time of stacking, the second holding portion 23 and the arm 23a are provided at positions that do not overlap with the first holding portion 13 and the arm 13a in a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the engaging convex portions 24 are provided so as to project upward at each of the pair of diagonal corner portions on the upper surface of the frame body 21. The engaging protrusion 24 is inserted into the engaging hole 15 of the first support 7A stacked on the upper side. The engaging hole 25 is a through hole provided around the engaging convex portion 24 of the frame body 21. The engaging convex portion 14 of the first support 7A is inserted into the engaging hole 25 of the second support 7B, and the engaging convex portion 24 of the second support 7B is inserted into the engaging hole 15 of the first support 7A. By doing so, the first support 7A and the second support 7B are engaged and positioned so as not to be displaced in the horizontal direction. Inside the frame 21, an opening 26 communicating with the opening 16 of the first support 7A in the vertical direction is formed.

At the time of stacking, the first holding portion 13 and the arm 13a of the first support 7A penetrate the frame 21 of the second support 7B stacked on the upper side of the first support 7A. At the time of stacking, the first holding portion 13 of the first support 7A is located above the frame 21 of the second support 7B stacked on the upper side of the first support 7A. Similarly, at the time of stacking, the second holding portion 23 and the arm 23a of the second support 7B penetrate the frame 11 of the first support 7A stacked on the upper side of the second support 7B. At the time of stacking, the second holding portion 23 of the second support 7B is located above the frame 11 of the first support 7A stacked on the upper side of the second support 7B.

The switchgear 60 separates the support 7 of one of the plurality of supports 7 provided in the storage container 5 and the support 7 on the upper side thereof in the vertical direction, and the wafer supported by the one support 7. A take-out space D1 for taking out W is formed. By forming the take-out space D1, the wafer W can be delivered by the robot arm of the wafer transfer device 20. Further, in the switchgear 60, after the wafer W is stored in the storage container 5 via the take-out space D1, one support 7 and the support 7 on the upper side thereof are overlapped with each other (without the take-out space D1). , The gas-fillable portion 5 g is a closed space.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an example of the switchgear 60. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the switchgear 60. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the switchgear 60 includes a base 61 and an elevating device 62. The base 61 is installed on the lower side of the switchgear 60. The base 61 accommodates various mechanisms.

The elevating device 62 raises and lowers the storage container 5. The elevating device 62 has an elevating table 65, a pair of ball screws 66, and a linear guide 67. The elevating table 65 moves up and down with the storage container 5 placed above the base 61. The storage container 5 transported from the shelf 41 by the container transport device 42 (see FIG. 1) of the stocker 40, which will be described later, is placed on the elevating table 65. The storage container 5 is positioned and arranged on the elevating table 65 at a predetermined position. The elevating table 65 may be provided with a positioning portion for positioning the storage container 5 when the storage container 5 is placed.

The lift 65 is provided with a nozzle 68. The nozzle 68 is provided so as to project upward from the elevating table 65. The nozzle 68 is connected to the nozzle insertion hole 5c (see FIG. 11) of the bottom portion 5a of the storage container 5 when the storage container 5 is placed on the elevating table 65. The nozzle 68 supplies the inert gas to the gas-fillable portion 5 g. Whether or not the elevating table 65 is provided with the nozzle 68 is arbitrary, and the elevating table 65 may not be provided with the nozzle 68.

The ball screw 66 is a drive device that drives the elevator base 65. The ball screws 66 are arranged on both sides of the elevating table 65 on the base 61. The ball screw 66 is rotated around an axis by a drive source (not shown) such as an electric motor. This drive source is provided, for example, on the base 61. The lift 65 has a female screw portion (not shown) and is screw-coupled to the ball screw 66. By rotating the ball screw 66, the female screw portion screwed to the ball screw 66 moves up and down, and the elevating table 65 integrated with the female screw portion moves up and down. The elevator base 65 is not limited to being raised and lowered using the ball screw 66 (ball screw mechanism), and for example, a drive device such as a cylinder device or a linear motor may be used. Further, the elevating table 65 may be in a form of being suspended and arranged by, for example, two timing belts. In the case of this form, the elevating table 65 is raised and lowered by winding or feeding out two timing belts by an electric motor or the like. The height position of the lift 65 is set by the winding amount or the feeding amount of the two timing belts.

The linear guide 67 guides the elevating table 65 that moves up and down by the rotation of the ball screw 66. The linear guide 67 is arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction on the side of the elevating table 65. The linear guide is fixed to the base 61.

The switchgear 60 includes a first support piece 81, a second support piece 82, a third support piece 83, a fourth support piece 84, a rotary shaft 85, a first drive mechanism 86, and a second drive mechanism 87. And a third drive mechanism 88 and a fourth drive mechanism 89. In FIG. 6, the first support piece 81, the second support piece 82, the third support piece 83, and the fourth support piece 84 are collectively represented by a box-shaped alternate long and short dash line. The first support piece 81, the second support piece 82, the third support piece 83, and the fourth support piece 84 (hereinafter, these may be referred to as the first support piece 81 or the like) are each the first support 7A. Or, support either one of the second supports 7B. A plurality of the first support pieces 81 and the like are arranged on the same horizontal plane, and are rotatably provided around the axis of the rotating shaft 85 extending in the vertical direction. The first support piece 81 and the like are each in the shape of a plate thinner than the thickness of the frame 11 of the support 7.

The first support piece 81 and the like are arranged in the vertical direction on the rotating shaft 85 in the order of the first support piece 81, the second support piece 82, the third support piece 83, and the fourth support piece 84 from above. Have been placed. The position of the first support piece 81 or the like in the vertical direction is fixed. The first support piece 81 supports the support 7 on the upper side of one support 7 to be delivered to the wafer W. The second support piece 82 supports one support 7 to be delivered to the wafer W. The distance between the first support piece 81 and the second support piece 82 is set so as to form a take-out space D1 for transferring the wafer W by the robot arm of the wafer transfer device 20 to the support 7.

The third support piece 83 supports the support 7 on the upper side of one support 7 to be delivered to the wafer W. The fourth support piece 84 supports one support 7 to be delivered to the wafer W. The distance between the third support piece 83 and the fourth support piece 84 is such that a take-out space D2 (see FIG. 9) for transferring the wafer W by the robot arm of the wafer transfer device 20 to the support 7 is formed. Is set to. The distance between the second support piece 82 and the third support piece 83 can be arbitrarily set.

The switchgear 60 includes a first drive mechanism 86 that rotates the first support piece 81, a second drive mechanism 87 that rotates the second support piece 82, and a third drive mechanism 88 that rotates the third support piece 83. A fourth drive mechanism 89 for rotating the fourth support piece 84 is provided. The first drive mechanism 86, the second drive mechanism 87, the third drive mechanism 88, and the fourth drive mechanism 89 are provided on, for example, the base 61. The first drive mechanism 86 has a drive source (not shown) such as an electric motor or a cylinder device, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force of the drive source. As this transmission mechanism, for example, a link mechanism for synchronously rotating a plurality of first support pieces 81 is used.

Similarly, the first drive mechanism 86 has a drive source (not shown) and a transmission mechanism, and rotates a plurality of second support pieces 82 in synchronization with each other. The third drive mechanism 88 has a drive source (not shown) and a transmission mechanism, and rotates a plurality of third support pieces 83 in synchronization with each other. The fourth drive mechanism 89 has a drive source (not shown) and a transmission mechanism, and rotates a plurality of fourth support pieces 84 in synchronization with each other. The configuration for rotating the first support piece 81 or the like is arbitrary, and for example, the configuration for rotating the first support piece 81 or the like by an electric motor may be used.

The switchgear 60 has one switchgear module for forming one take-out space D1 in the storage container 5 by the first support piece 81, the second support piece 82, the first drive mechanism 86, and the second drive mechanism 87. 1 for forming one take-out space D2 different from the take-out space D1 in the storage container 5 by the third support piece 83, the fourth support piece 84, the third drive mechanism 88, and the fourth drive mechanism 89. Configure two switchgear modules. In the present embodiment, a configuration in which the switchgear 60 includes two switchgear modules will be described as an example. However, the switchgear 60 is not limited to including two switchgear modules, and may be in a form including any one switchgear module.

7 and 8 are diagrams showing the positional relationship between the first support piece 81 and the first support 7A. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first support piece 81 has a first claw portion 81a, a second claw portion 81b, and a base portion 81c. The base 81c is rotatably attached to the rotating shaft 85. The first claw portion 81a, the second claw portion 81b, and the base portion 81c are integrally formed and are rotatably supported around the rotation shaft 85. In a plan view, the first claw portion 81a and the second claw portion 81b are provided so as to protrude from the base portion 81c. The second support piece 82, the third support piece 83, and the fourth support piece 84 have the same shape.

The first support piece 81 and the like are arranged at four locations surrounding the elevating table 65 (corresponding to four corners in a plan view). The first support piece 81 and the like are provided at positions close to the support 7 of the storage container 5 placed on the elevating table 65, respectively. Specifically, the first support piece 81 and the like are provided at positions close to each of the four corners of the support 7 in a plan view. The first support piece 81 or the like advances or retreats the first claw portion 81a (82a, 83a, 84a) with respect to the support 7 by rotating around the rotation shaft 85, or the second claw portion 81b (82b, 83b). , 84b) advance and retreat.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first support piece 81 is rotated clockwise by the first drive mechanism 86 in a plan view, so that the first claw portion 81a becomes the first cover on the first support 7A. It is in a state of being located on the side of the support portion 12. In this state, the second supported portion 22 (second position, see FIG. 3B) of the second support 7B superposed on the upper side of the first support 7A and the first claw portion 81a are flat. It overlaps visually. As a result, the second support 7B superposed on the upper side of the first support 7A can be supported by the first claw portion 81a. In this state, the first claw portion 81a and the bottom portion 5a of the storage container 5 are relatively separated in the vertical direction, so that the first support 7A and the upper second support 7B are separated in the vertical direction.

Further, although not shown, the first support piece 81 rotates counterclockwise so that the second claw portion 81b is positioned on the side of the second supported portion 22 in the second support 7B. .. In this state, the first supported portion 12 (first position) of the first support 7A overlapped on the upper side of the second support 7B and the second claw portion 81b overlap in a plan view. As a result, the first support 7A superposed on the upper side of the second support 7B can be supported by the second claw portion 81b. In this state, by relatively separating the second claw portion 81b and the bottom portion 5a of the storage container 5 in the vertical direction, the second support 7B and the upper first support 7A are separated in the vertical direction. ..

The second support piece 82, the third support piece 83, and the fourth support piece 84 are also rotated clockwise by the second drive mechanism 87, the third drive mechanism 88, and the fourth drive mechanism 89 in the same manner as the first support piece 81. By doing so, the first claw portions 82a, 83a, 84a can be projected to support the second support 7B. Further, the second support piece 82, the third support piece 83, and the fourth support piece 84 rotate counterclockwise to project the second claw portions 82b, 83b, 84b to support the first support 7A. be able to. The first support piece 81 or the like may be in a neutral state in which both the first claw portion 82a and the like and the second claw portion 82b and the like do not protrude. The neutral state is a state in which the first support piece 81 or the like does not overlap with both the first position and the second position in a plan view.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which take-out spaces D1 and D2 are formed in the storage container 5 by the opening / closing device 60. The switchgear 60 forms take-out spaces D1 and D2 at a predetermined height with respect to the storage container 5 by separating the two supports 7 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the switchgear 60 first sets the second support 7B on the upper side of the first support 7A (one of the plurality of supports 7) to be delivered to the wafer W. The first support 7A is lowered by being supported by the support piece 81 and the elevating table 65 is lowered, and the wafer W take-out space D1 is formed between the support piece 81 and the upper second support 7B. Further, the switchgear 60 supports the first support 7A to be delivered to the wafer W by the second support piece 82, and lowers the elevating table 65 to lower the second support 7A below the first support 7A. 7B is lowered to form a second space D3 with the lower second support 7B. As described above, the first support piece 81 and the second support piece 82 do not move in the vertical direction. Therefore, the height at which the extraction space D1 and the second space D3 are formed does not change and is set to a fixed height.

Further, the switchgear 60 supports the second support 7B on the upper side of the first support 7A to be delivered to the wafer W by the third support piece 83, and lowers the elevating table 65 to lower the first support 7A. Is lowered to form a take-out space D2 for the wafer W with the upper second support 7B. Further, the switchgear 60 supports the first support 7A to be delivered to the wafer W by the fourth support piece 84, and lowers the elevating table 65 to lower the second support 7A below the first support 7A. 7B is lowered to form a second space D4 with the lower second support 7B. As described above, the third support piece 83 and the fourth support piece 84 do not move in the vertical direction. Therefore, the height at which the take-out space D2 and the second space D4 are formed does not change and is set to a fixed height.

The gas ejection device 70 has a gas supply unit 71 and a pipe 72. The gas supply unit 71 supplies the inert gas to the pipe 72. For the gas supply unit 71, for example, a nitrogen gas supply line provided in a building such as a factory is used. The gas supply unit 71 has a flow rate adjusting unit 74 that adjusts the flow rate of the inert gas supplied to the pipe 72. The pipe 72 circulates the inert gas from the gas supply unit 71. The pipe 72 is arranged on the wafer transfer device 20 side with respect to the elevating table 65 (see FIG. 1). A pair of pipes 72 are arranged outside the first support piece 81 and the like on the wafer transfer device 20 side, and extend in the vertical direction. The pipe 72 has a plurality of outlets 73 for ejecting the inert gas.

A plurality of spouts 73 are provided side by side in the vertical direction of the pipe 72, and are directed toward the storage container 5 side on the elevating table 65 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). A plurality of spouts 73 are arranged in the vertical direction corresponding to the vertical dimensions of the take-out spaces D1 and D2 and the second spaces D3 and D4. As shown in FIG. 9, the switchgear 60 forms a take-out space D1 and a second space D3 between the height H1 and the height H2. Therefore, the spout 73 is provided in the portion of the pipe 72 corresponding to the height H1 and the height H2. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the switchgear 60 forms a take-out space D2 and a second space D4 between the height H3 and the height H4. Therefore, the spout 73 is provided in the portion of the pipe 72 corresponding to the height H3 and the height H4. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent unnecessary injection of the inert gas.

The gas ejection device 70 suppresses or takes out the gas filling portion 5 g from the gas fillable portion 5 g to the outside of the storage container 5 through the take-out spaces D1 and D2 and the second spaces D3 and D4 formed by the opening / closing device 60. Inert gas is filled in the gas-fillable portion 5 g via the spaces D1 and D2 and the second spaces D3 and D4.

The flow rate adjusting unit 74 adjusts the flow rate of the inert gas ejected from the ejection port 73. In this case, the flow rate adjusting unit 74 ejects the inert gas from the ejection port 73 at the first flow rate when the take-out spaces D1, D2 and the second spaces D3, D4 are formed, and the take-out spaces D1, D2 and the second are taken out. When the two spaces D3 and D4 are not formed, the inert gas is ejected from the ejection port 73 at a second flow rate smaller than the first flow rate. The first flow rate is a flow rate per unit time for the purpose of suppressing leakage of the inert gas from the gas-fillable portion 5 g, or for the purpose of supplementing the gas-fillable portion 5 g with the inert gas. It is set to the flow rate per unit time. The second flow rate is set to a flow rate per unit time for the purpose of preventing particles from adhering to the ejection port 73 while the take-out space D1 or the like is not formed. Since this second flow rate is smaller than the first flow rate, consumption of the inert gas can be suppressed.

Further, the flow rate adjusting unit 74 may eject the inert gas at the first flow rate when the accommodating container 5 is moved up and down by the elevating device 62. That is, when the take-out space D1 and the like are formed, the accommodating container 5 is moved up and down by the elevating device 62, but the inert gas is ejected at the first flow rate from the timing before the take-out space D1 and the like are formed to take out the inert gas. When the space D1 or the like is formed, the inert gas can be reliably ejected.

The stocker 40 stores the storage container 5. The stocker 40 has a plurality of shelves 41 and a container transport device 42. The plurality of shelves 41 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in the stocker 40, for example. Each shelf 41 may be equipped with a storage container 5 on which the storage container 5 is placed, and may be provided with a gas supply mechanism (not shown) for supplying the inert gas to the placed storage container 5. The container transport device 42 uses, for example, a crane device and includes a transport arm (not shown) that holds the lower surface side of the bottom portion 5a of the container 5. The container transport device 42 transports the storage container 5 between the shelf 41 and the elevating table 65 of the article storage device 30. Further, the container transport device 42 transports the storage container 5 between the shelves 41 and the shelves 41.

The control unit 50 controls each operation of the article accommodating device 30. The control unit 50 controls, for example, the operation of the switchgear 60 and the gas ejection device 70. Further, the control unit 50 controls each operation of the wafer storage system 100 including the article accommodating device 30. The control unit 50 is an electronic control unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The control unit 50 may be configured as hardware using an electronic circuit or the like. The control unit 50 may be composed of one device or a plurality of devices.

Next, an example of the operation of the article accommodating device 30 will be described. In the following description, an operation of taking out the wafer W stored in the storage container 5 by the wafer transfer device 20 and storing it in the FOUP 2 will be described. First, the container transfer device 42 of the wafer transfer device 20 places the storage container 5 on the elevating table 65 in the article storage device 30 from the shelf 41.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a state in which the storage container 5 is placed on the elevating table 65. As shown in FIG. 10, when the accommodating container 5 is placed on the elevating table 65, the nozzle 68 of the elevating table 65 is inserted into the nozzle insertion hole 5c provided in the bottom 5a of the accommodating container 5. The nozzle 68 or the elevating table 65 is provided with a sensor that detects that the nozzle 68 has been inserted into the nozzle insertion hole 5c or that the storage container 5 has been placed on the elevating table 65. When it is detected by this sensor that the container 5 is placed on the elevating table 65, the control unit 50 drives the gas supply unit 71 to eject the inert gas from the nozzle 68.

The accommodation container 5 is placed on the elevating table 65, so that the inert gas is supplied from the nozzle 68 to the gas-fillable portion 5 g. That is, even if the inert gas leaks while being transported from the shelf 41 to the elevator 65, the inert gas is replenished to the gas-fillable portion 5 g. The gas supply unit 71 supplies the inert gas to the pipe 72 and supplies the inert gas to the nozzle 68. However, the gas supply unit that supplies the inert gas to the pipe 72 and the gas supply unit that supplies the inert gas to the nozzle 68 may be provided separately. Further, while the storage container 5 is not placed on the elevating table 65, the inert gas may be ejected from the nozzle 68 at a small flow rate for the purpose of preventing particles from adhering to the nozzle 68.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of supplying an inert gas to the gas-fillable portion 5 g of the storage container 5. As shown in FIG. 11, the inert gas ejected from the nozzle 68 enters the gas-fillable portion 5g of the storage container 5 through the nozzle insertion hole 5c, circulates inside the storage container 5, and then the lid portion 5b. It is discharged from the exhaust hole 5d of. In this way, the inside of the storage container 5 is in a state in which the fresh inert gas supplied from the nozzle 68 circulates. Therefore, the wafer W housed in the storage container 5 is less likely to come into contact with the outside air, and deterioration of the wafer W can be prevented.

Next, the control unit 50 drives the elevating device 62 to raise the elevating table 65 and raise the storage container 5. At this time, the first support piece 81 and the like of the switchgear 60 are in a neutral state. Further, the control unit 50 may eject the inert gas from the ejection port 73 of the pipe 72 at the first flow rate as the elevating table 65 rises. The control unit 50 stops the ascent of the elevating table 65 when the height of the first support 7A to be taken out of the wafer W reaches the height of the first support piece 81. Next, the control unit 50 rotates the first support piece 81 to project the first claw portion 81a. As a result, the second support 7B on the upper side of the first support 7A is in a state of being supported by the first claw portion 81a.

Next, the control unit 50 lowers the elevating table 65. As a result, the first support 7A to be taken out from the wafer W descends away from the upper second support 7B. The control unit 50 stops the descent of the lift 65 when the second support 7B on the lower side of the first support 7A reaches the height of the second support piece 82. A take-out space D1 is formed between the first support 7A and the upper second support 7B (see FIG. 9). At this time, the control unit 50 controls the flow rate adjusting unit to eject the inert gas from the ejection port 73 at the first flow rate. The inert gas leaks out of the storage container 5 from the take-out space D1, but the first flow rate of the inert gas ejected from the ejection port 73 suppresses the leakage of the inert gas from the take-out space D1 or the gas. The fillable portion 5 g is filled with the inert gas.

Next, the control unit 50 rotates the second support piece 82 to project the second claw portion 82b. As a result, the first support 7A is in a state of being supported by the second claw portion 82b. Next, the control unit 50 lowers the elevating table 65. As a result, the lower second support 7B descends away from the first support 7A. A second space D3 is formed between the first support 7A and the lower second support 7B (see FIG. 9). At this time, the inert gas leaks from the second space D3 to the outside of the accommodation container 5, but the inert gas of the first flow rate ejected from the ejection port 73 causes the inert gas to leak from the second space D3. Suppress or fill 5 g of the gas-fillable portion with an inert gas.

The control unit 50 stops the descent of the elevating table 65 when the height of the first support 7A to be taken out from the next wafer W reaches the height of the third support piece 83. Next, the control unit 50 rotates the third support piece 83 to project the first claw unit 83a. As a result, the second support 7B on the upper side of the first support 7A is in a state of being supported by the first claw portion 83a. Next, the control unit 50 lowers the elevating table 65. As a result, the first support 7A to be taken out from the wafer W descends away from the upper second support 7B.

The control unit 50 stops the descent of the lift 65 when the second support 7B on the lower side of the first support 7A reaches the height of the fourth support piece 84. A take-out space D2 is formed between the first support 7A and the upper second support 7B (see FIG. 9). Similar to the above, the inert gas leaks out of the storage container 5 from the take-out space D2, but the first flow rate of the inert gas ejected from the ejection port 73 causes the inert gas to leak out from the take-out space D2. Suppress or fill 5 g of the gas-fillable portion with an inert gas.

Next, the control unit 50 rotates the fourth support piece 84 to project the second claw portion 84b. As a result, the first support 7A is in a state of being supported by the second claw portion 84b. Next, the control unit 50 lowers the elevating table 65. As a result, the lower second support 7B descends away from the first support 7A. A second space D4 is formed between the first support 7A and the lower second support 7B (see FIG. 9). Similar to the above, the inert gas leaks from the second space D4 to the outside of the accommodation container 5, but the inert gas leaks from the second space D4 due to the first flow of the inert gas ejected from the ejection port 73. The outflow is suppressed, or the gas-fillable portion 5 g is filled with the inert gas.

In the above-mentioned take-out spaces D1 and D2, the wafer W of the first support 7A is exposed. Further, the wafer W is lifted by the arm 13a of the first support 7A, and a space is secured in which the robot arm of the wafer transfer device 20 can be inserted under the wafer W. The vertical dimensions of the take-out spaces D1 and D2 are set so that the robot arm of the wafer transfer device 20 can scoop the wafer W. Further, the second claw portions 82b and 84b respectively position the height of the first support 7A so that the robot arm of the wafer transfer device 20 can accurately take out the wafer W.

After the take-out spaces D1 and D2 are formed as described above, the wafer W of the first support 7A is taken out by the robot arm of the wafer transfer device 20. After taking out the wafer W, the control unit 50 raises the elevating table 65 and sequentially makes the first support piece 81 and the like neutral, so that the take-out spaces D1 and D2 and the second spaces D3 and D4 are closed. The gas-fillable portion 5 g returns to the original sealed state. At the timing when the take-out spaces D1 and D2 and the second spaces D3 and D4 are closed, the control unit 50 switches the flow rate of the inert gas ejected from the ejection port 73 from the first Takamasa to the second flow rate. Although the removal of the wafer W of the first support 7A has been described above, the same applies to the case of removing the wafer W from the second support 7B. Further, when the wafer W is carried from the robot arm of the wafer transfer device 20 to the empty first support 7A or the second support 7B, the take-out spaces D1 and D2 and the second spaces D3 and D4 are formed in the same manner as described above. It can be done by.

In the above-described embodiment, a case where a take-out space is formed between the supports 7 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. A take-out space may be formed between the lid portion 5b of the storage container 5 and the support 7. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a third space D5 as a take-out space is formed in the storage container 5. The control unit 50 raises (lowers) the elevating table 65 until the height of the first support 7A on the lower side of the lid portion 5b reaches the first support piece 81, stops the elevating table 65, and then first. The support piece 81 is rotated to project the first claw portion 81a, and then the elevating table 65 is lowered again.

As a result, the first support 7A descends away from the lid portion 5b. As shown in FIG. 12, a third space D5 is formed between the lid portion 5b and the first support 7A. At this time, the control unit 50 controls the flow rate adjusting unit to eject the inert gas from the ejection port 73 at the first flow rate. The inert gas leaks out of the accommodation container 5 from the third space D5, but the first flow rate of the inert gas ejected from the ejection port 73 suppresses the leakage of the inert gas from the third space D5. Alternatively, 5 g of the gas-fillable portion is filled with the inert gas. Since the point that the second space D6 is formed below the first support 7A as described above is the same as described above, the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, according to the article accommodating device 30 according to the present embodiment, when the accommodating container 5 is opened by the opening / closing device 60, the inert gas is supplied toward the take-out spaces D1 and D2, so that the accommodating container 5 is used. The outflow of the inert gas inside from the take-out spaces D1 and D2 is suppressed. Alternatively, the inert gas can be supplemented to the gas-fillable portion 5 g in which the inert gas is contained via the take-out spaces D1 and D2. As a result, the wafer W in the storage container 5 is less likely to come into contact with the outside air, and the wafer W can be prevented from deteriorating.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the embodiments described above. Also included in the technical scope of the invention are forms with such modifications or improvements. In addition, one or more of the requirements described in the above-described embodiments may be omitted. Further, the requirements described in the above-described embodiments and the like can be appropriately combined. Further, the execution order of each procedure shown in the present embodiment can be realized in any order as long as the result of the previous procedure is not used in the later procedure. Further, even if the operations in the above-described embodiment are described using "first", "next", "successive", etc. for convenience, it is not essential to carry out the operations in this order.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the ejection port 73 of the inert gas is arranged at a predetermined height in the pipe 72 has been described as an example, but the configuration is not limited to this configuration. For example, the spouts 73 may be arranged at regular intervals over the entire length of the pipe 72.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the first support piece 81 or the like does not move in the vertical direction has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a mechanism for moving the first support piece 81 or the like in the vertical direction may be provided. In this case, the opening / closing device 60 can be configured without including the elevating device 62 for raising and lowering the storage container 5. However, the article accommodating device 30 may be configured to include both a mechanism for moving the first support piece 81 and the like in the vertical direction and an elevating device 62.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the first claw portion 81a or the like and the second claw portion 81b or the like are selectively moved back and forth with respect to the support 7 by rotating the first support piece 81 or the like is given as an example. As described, but not limited to this configuration. For example, a configuration may be applied in which the first claw portion 81a or the like or the second claw portion 81b or the like is formed as separate bodies, and each slides to move forward or backward with respect to the support 7.

D1, D2 ... Extraction space D3, D4, D6 ... Second space D5 ... Third space W ... Wafer 5 ... Storage container 7 ... Support 30 ... Article storage device 60 ... Switchgear 62 ... Elevating device 65 ... Elevating table 68 ... Nozzle 70 ... Gas ejection device 71 ... Gas supply unit 72 ... Piping 73 ... Ejection 74 ... Flow rate adjusting parts 81a, 82a, 83a, 84a ... First claw parts 81b, 82b, 83b, 84b ... Second claw parts 100 ... Wafer storage system

Claims (9)

It has a plurality of supports on which a plate-shaped article can be placed and can be supported, and by stacking these supports in the vertical direction, a closed space that is connected between the upper and lower supports and can be filled with an inert gas. The storage container that constitutes the gas-fillable part and
In order to vertically separate the support from one of the plurality of stacked supports constituting the storage container and the support on the upper side thereof, and to take out the article supported by the one support. A switchgear that forms a take-out space for
A gas ejection device for ejecting an inert gas toward the take-out space is provided.
The gas ejection device suppresses leakage from the gas-fillable portion containing the inert gas to the outside of the storage container through the take-out space formed by the opening / closing device, or the take-out space. An article accommodating device for filling the gas-fillable portion containing the inert gas with the inert gas. A lifting device for raising and lowering the storage container is provided.
The switchgear forms the take-out space at a predetermined height with respect to the storage container that is lifted and lowered by the lift device.
The article accommodating device according to claim 1, wherein the gas ejection device includes an ejection port of an inert gas corresponding to the predetermined height. The switchgear includes a claw portion that can move forward and backward between the plurality of supports, and further includes an elevating device that raises and lowers the storage container.
The elevating device lowers the one support in a state where the claw portion advances and supports the upper support, whereby the one support and the upper side supported by the claw portion are supported. The article accommodating device according to claim 1, wherein the take-out space is formed by separating from the support. The article accommodating device according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the spouts are arranged in the vertical direction corresponding to the vertical dimension of the take-out space. The switchgear forms a second space in which the one support and the support below the support are vertically separated from each other in addition to the take-out space.
The article accommodating device according to claim 2, wherein the spout is also provided corresponding to the second space. The gas ejection device ejects the inert gas at the first flow rate when the take-out space is formed, and is inert at a second flow rate smaller than the first flow rate when the take-out space is not formed. The article accommodating device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a flow rate adjusting unit for ejecting gas. The article accommodating device according to claim 6, wherein the flow rate adjusting unit ejects the inert gas at the first flow rate even when the accommodating container is moved up and down by the elevating device. The elevating device includes an elevating table on which the storage container is placed and elevated.
The elevator according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the lift has a nozzle for supplying the inert gas from the bottom of the storage container mounted on the lift. Goods storage device. The gas ejection device is provided in a third space formed by vertically separating the uppermost support of the plurality of stacked supports constituting the storage container and the upper lid thereof in the vertical direction. The article storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the inert gas is ejected toward the object.

Images