JP2722306B2 - Clean transfer method and device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clean transfer method and apparatus capable of transferring conveyed objects necessary for processing and assembling semiconductor-related products, optical disks and the like in a clean vacuum state free of pollutants.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a conveyed object between various processing apparatuses such as a film forming apparatus has been used by using a clean conveyer vehicle having a vacuum clean chamber and incorporating a transfer means for transferring the conveyed object in the vacuum clean chamber. It has been proposed by the applicant to carry out the transfer.

[0003]

However, the conventional transfer method using a clean transfer vehicle equipped with a vacuum clean chamber for storing the transfer object and a transfer means for transferring the transfer object has the following problems. There is. Positioning at the time of merging with various processing apparatuses of the other party is troublesome. Once merged, the clean transport vehicle also remains stationary, and the operating rate of the clean transport vehicle deteriorates. (If an unmanned transport vehicle is used as the clean transport vehicle, the unmanned transport vehicle cannot be diverted to other work.) Putting the transfer means (robot) in the vacuum clean room of the clean transfer vehicle makes the vacuum clean room larger than necessary, and it takes time to evacuate when it is combined with various processing equipment, and it takes time after disconnecting from various processing equipment. The vacuum maintenance time is shortened. Further, when storing the transferred object, a large vacuum device such as a vacuum stocker is required.

[0004] In view of the above, the present invention stores, transports, or transports a conveyed object using a vacuum clean box having no vacuum evacuation means and transfer means and having a minimum required space for maintaining a vacuum. It is an object of the present invention to provide a clean transfer method and apparatus which can be easily combined with various processing apparatuses, can maintain a vacuum for a long time, and are easy to handle.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a clean transfer method having an opening and closing opening which can be opened and closed by a shutter, and having a hermeticity capable of maintaining a vacuum state when the shutter is closed. A vacuum clean box that does not have a vacuum exhaust means and a transfer means, and a vacuum device having an opening and closing opening that can be opened and closed by a shutter are hermetically connected in a closed state of each shutter, and each opening and closing is a surface. After the closed space is formed, the shutters closing the opening and closing ports of the vacuum clean box and the vacuum device are opened, respectively, so that the vacuum clean box and the internal space of the vacuum device are connected to each other. .

Further, the clean transfer device of the present invention has an opening and closing opening which can be opened and closed by a shutter, has airtightness capable of maintaining a vacuum state when the shutter is closed, and has no vacuum exhaust means and transfer means. A vacuum clean box, comprising a vacuum device having an opening and closing opening that can be opened and closed by a shutter, opening and closing means for opening and closing both shutters of the vacuum clean box and the vacuum device is provided on the vacuum device side, the vacuum The clean box and the vacuum device constitute an airtight closed space where the respective opening / closing openings face when combined, and when opening the respective shutters that closed the respective opening / closing openings of the vacuum clean box and the vacuum device, It is configured such that the vacuum clean box and the internal space of the vacuum device are continuous with each other.

[0007]

In the present invention, positioning for integrating a vacuum clean box into various processing apparatuses as a vacuum apparatus is extremely easy because the vacuum clean box is light and compact without vacuum evacuation means and transfer means. Yes, it can be executed manually or by a commercially available robot (not necessarily clean). Further, even when an unmanned transport vehicle is used for transporting the vacuum clean box, the unmanned transport vehicle can be moved to another place after the vacuum clean box is combined, and the operation rate of the unmanned transport vehicle can be kept good. Further, the vacuum clean box is a minimum necessary space having no evacuation means and transfer means, and can maintain a sufficient airtightness to extend the vacuum maintenance time. further,
The transported object can be stored in a vacuum clean box and left for a while, which has an advantage of easy handling.

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a clean transfer method and apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum clean box, in which a substrate 2 which is an object to be conveyed and which is a film-forming object is fixedly disposed inside. 3 is a transfer opening / closing opening 4 of the vacuum clean box 1
It is a shutter that opens and closes.

On the other hand, a sputtering device 5 as a vacuum device
Is provided with a target 18 for discharging sputtered particles in an airtight container 19 having an opening / closing port 6, and further opens / closes a shutter 7 for opening / closing the opening / closing port 6 of the sputtering apparatus 5 and an opening / closing port 4 of the vacuum clean box 1. Shutter 2 and a hydraulic cylinder 8 for driving the shutter 3
The heavy gate valve 10 is connected to the sputtering device 5. This double gate valve 10 is connected to the airtight container 1 of the sputtering apparatus 5.
9 has an airtight container 11 for a double gate valve which is airtightly connected to the airtight container 9. The piston rod 12 of the hydraulic cylinder 8
At the end of the shutter 3 on the vacuum clean box side
Engaging member 14 capable of engaging with the engaging pin (engaging convex portion) 13
Is fixed, and the shutter 7 on the sputtering apparatus side is attached to the engaging member 14 so as to move up and down in conjunction therewith.

When the vacuum clean box 1 is separated from the sputtering apparatus 5, the shutter 3 is detached from the double gate valve 10 with the opening 4 of the vacuum clean box 1 closed. That is,
The engaging pin 13 and the engaging member 14 of the shutter 3 are engaged when the vacuum clean box 1 is mounted on the opening 15 of the airtight container 11 of the double gate valve 10 and when the vacuum clean box 1 is removed from the opening 15. Is set to be disengaged. Further, an airtight sealing material 16 is provided at a portion where the shutters 3 and 7 contact the opening and closing openings 4 and 6, and an airtight sealing material 17 is provided at an opening edge portion of the airtight container 11 where the vacuum clean box 1 contacts. I have.

In the above-described first embodiment, the vacuum clean box 1 is previously evacuated to a vacuum state (for example, preferably at a vacuum of 0.1 Torr or less to greatly reduce dust) by another vacuum changer, and the shutter 3 Is conveyed with the inside sealed (in the phantom line state in FIG. 1). When the vacuum clean box 1 and the sputtering device 5 are separated from each other, the high vacuum inside the vacuum clean box 1
Shutter 3 opens and closes 4 due to pressure difference from outside atmospheric pressure
The opening 4 can be reliably hermetically sealed by being pushed to the side, and the shutter 3 does not move. Similarly, the shutter 7 in the imaginary line state is also pushed toward the opening 6 to hermetically seal the opening 6. When the shutter 7 is in the imaginary line state, the piston rod 12 of the hydraulic cylinder 8 is in the extended state, and the engaging member 14 is also waiting in the imaginary line state.

When the vacuum clean box 1 in the closed state is airtightly mounted on the opening 15 of the double gate valve 10, the engaging pin 13 of the shutter 3 on the vacuum clean box side is engaged with the engaging member 14 at the imaginary line position. In this state, the inside of the hermetic container 11 of the double gate valve 10 is evacuated by vacuum evacuation means (attached to the sputtering apparatus 5) (not shown) (for example, the degree of vacuum is 0.1 Torr or less). . afterwards,
By contracting the fluid pressure cylinder 8, the shutters 3 and 7 are lowered to the positions indicated by the solid lines in FIG. 1 and the opening and closing ports 4 and 6 are opened to connect the space in the sputtering apparatus 5 and the space in the vacuum clean box 1 continuously. Can be done. At this time, the substrate 2 in the vacuum clean box 1 faces the target 18 of the sputtering device 5. Therefore, a sputtered film can be directly formed on the substrate 2 by discharging required sputtered particles from the target 18. After the film formation, the double gate valve 10 is closed so that the vacuum clean box 1 is closed.
The opening / closing opening 4 of the sputtering device 5 is closed by a shutter 3 and the opening / closing opening 6 of the sputtering device 5 is closed by a shutter 7.
Can be separated from the sputtering apparatus 5 as shown by the phantom line in FIG.

In the structure of the first embodiment, there is no mechanism for transferring the substrate 2 in a vacuum, and there is no danger of dust scattering. Further, the structure is simple, it can be easily used for research and development, and the apparatus can be realized at low cost.

Further, if the structure shown in FIG. 1 is set in correspondence with several types of sputtered particles, and the vacuum clean box 1 is sequentially mounted on each sputtering apparatus, a plurality of types of sputtered films can be formed on the substrate. Can be laminated. At this time, the order of the sputtering devices to which the vacuum clean box 1 is mounted can be freely changed, and some of the sputtering devices can be skipped. Can be set and can flexibly respond to specification changes. This is an advantage which is not found in an in-line sputtering apparatus in which a plurality of sputtering units are connected in series and a substrate is sequentially transferred (the order of film formation is determined in advance in an in-line sputtering apparatus).

FIGS. 2 to 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In these figures, the vacuum clean box 31 has a structure in which a plurality of optical minidisks 30 can be stored in parallel and arranged at equal intervals. That is, the vacuum clean box 31 has a large number of partition plates 32 fixed to the inner surface as shown in FIG. 2, and the optical minidiscs 30 are inserted into each section partitioned by the partition plates 32. The transfer opening / closing port 34 of the vacuum clean box 31 can be freely opened / closed by a shutter 33, and a resin bar 35 for preventing movement of the optical minidisk 30 is fixed to the inner surface of the shutter 33. An engagement pin 39 and a roller 36 for smoothly opening and closing the shutter 33 are pivotally mounted on upper and lower ends of the shutter 33. Further, an airtight sealing material 37 is provided at a portion where the shutter 33 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the opening / closing opening 34.

The double gate valve 70 of each of the vacuum changer 50 of FIG. 4 and the film forming apparatus 60 of FIG. 5 has substantially the same structure as the double gate valve of the first embodiment.
As shown by the phantom line in FIG. 2, a double gate valve container unit 71 integrated with the apparatus side container, a hydraulic cylinder 78, and an engaging member 74 fixed to the tip of the hydraulic cylinder 78 are provided. ing. The groove of the engaging member 74 is a double gate valve 70.
When the vacuum clean box 31 is attached to the opening of the device, the engagement pin 39 of the vacuum clean box and the engagement pin 79 of the shutter 77 that opens and closes the opening / closing opening 76 on the device side.
, And both shutters 33 and 77 can be driven to open and close simultaneously. A positioning pin 38 is fixed to the vacuum clean box 31, and a positioning hole that fits the positioning pin 38 is formed on the double gate valve 70 side. A shutter (not shown) is provided by a mechanism (not shown) so that a resin bar 35 for holding the optical mini-discs 30 does not hinder opening and closing.
2 slides while being separated from the opening / closing port 34 of the vacuum clean box 31 as indicated by an arrow P in FIG.

FIG. 4 shows an injection molding process of the optical mini-disk 30 (the base disk before film formation) in the atmosphere. An injection molding machine 53 is installed in a clean room 52 having a filter 51. A vacuum changer 50 is arranged adjacent to the injection molding machine 53. The vacuum changer 50 is provided with a vacuum pump 54 and other vacuum evacuation means and a robot arm 55 as a transfer means, and can maintain a vacuum state by evacuating the vacuum chamber 56 inside. A shutter 58 is provided between the vacuum changer 50 and the clean room 52, and a double gate valve 70 is provided on the discharge side of the optical minidisk 30 of the vacuum changer 50.

FIG. 5 shows a film forming process of the optical mini-disk 30 in a vacuum.
Is provided with a required film forming means and a robot arm 61 as a transfer means inside, and a vacuum clean box 3
1 is provided with a plurality of double gate valves 70.

In the configuration of the second embodiment, a large number of optical minidisks 30 (base disks) injection-molded by an injection molding machine 53 in a clean room 52 in the atmosphere shown in FIG. The storage box 57 holding many optical minidisks 30 is transferred into the vacuum chamber 56 when the shutter 58 is opened by the robot arm 55 of the vacuum changer 50. afterwards,
The shutter 58 and the double gate valve 70 are closed and the vacuum chamber 5 is closed.
The inside of 6 is evacuated. After the vacuum chamber 56 is evacuated to a vacuum, the vacuum cleaner box 31 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 (the inside of which is empty) is mounted on the double gate valve 70. This mounting operation can be performed by a robot 81 mounted on an automatic guided vehicle 80 as shown in FIG. That is, the robot 81 holds the vacuum clean box 31 and moves to a position facing the double gate valve 70, recognizes an accurate position by a position recognition means using a camera, laser light or the like of the robot 81, and Positioning pin 38
Is mounted on the double gate valve 70 in an airtight manner while performing alignment using the above. After the mounting is completed, the inside of the double gate valve 70 is evacuated, and the vacuum clean box 31 and the vacuum changer 5 are evacuated.
The double gate valve container 71, which is a communication passage between 0, is 0.1T
After reaching orr or less, the double gate valve 70 is opened (the shutter on the device side and the shutter 33 on the vacuum clean box side).
open. ). Then, the optical minidisk 30 (base disk) is moved to the vacuum clean box 31 side by the robot arm 55.

The automatic guided vehicle 80 is a film forming apparatus 60 shown in FIG.
The vacuum clean box 31 is mounted by the robot 81 in the same manner as the double gate valve 70 on the film forming apparatus side by the robot 81, and the vacuum clean box 31 is mounted. Thereafter, the evacuation in the double gate valve 70 is performed until the pressure becomes 0.1 Torr or less, and the optical minidisks 30 are transferred one by one to a predetermined film forming position by the robot arm 61 through the opened double gate valve 70. . In FIG. 5, for example, the upper vacuum clean box 31 stores the optical mini-discs 30 before film formation, the lower vacuum clean box 31 stores the optical mini-discs 30 after film formation, and the lower vacuum clean box 31 stores, for example. The vacuum clean box 31 is initially empty. Therefore, the optical minidiscs 30 sent from the upper vacuum clean box 31 to the film forming position by the robot arm 61 are removed from the robot arm 61 after the film forming process.
Is transferred to the lower vacuum clean box 31.

According to the second embodiment, the clean transfer from the injection molding of the optical minidisk 30 to the film forming process can be performed efficiently and easily.

A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 shows an optical minidisk sputtering apparatus, which is used to supply the optical minidisk 30 before film formation and take out the optical minidisk 30 after film formation.
The vacuum clean box 31 shown in FIG. A vacuum robot 91 is installed in the first container section 90 of FIG. 6, and a plurality of double gate valves 70 are provided in the first container section 90. A vacuum clean box 31 can be attached to each double gate valve 70.
The vacuum robot 91 includes a telescopic arm 9
3 is attached. The inside of the first container part 90 constitutes a stocker room for supplying and taking out the optical mini-discs 30.

An attitude conversion device 101 for converting the attitude of the optical minidisk 30 from a horizontal state to a vertical state is disposed in the second container part 100 airtightly connected to the first container part 90. This posture conversion device 101 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of holding members 102 for holding the peripheral portion of the optical mini-disc 30 and an electromagnet 104 for adsorbing an inner peripheral mask 103 of a magnetic material previously mounted on the optical mini-disc 30 are provided at a tip thereof. And an arm 105.

The third container hermetically connected to the second container 100
An index table 111 that rotates intermittently at an angle obtained by dividing 360 degrees into seven equal parts is installed inside the container part 110,
Seven extendable arms 112 that are driven to expand and contract by fluid pressure or the like are attached to the index table 111 at an angle obtained by dividing 360 degrees into seven equal parts. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the distal end of the telescopic arm 112 is a disc holding portion 115 having a concave portion 113 fitted to the projection of the inner peripheral mask 103 and a permanent magnet 114 fixedly arranged at the bottom of the concave portion.
Six first to sixth sputtering units S1 to S6 are provided outside the third container part 110. Each of the sputter units S1 to S6 has a sputter chamber 116 which is continuous with the inside of the third container part, and a target 117 for discharging required sputter particles is arranged in the sputter chamber 116. Here, the first sputtering unit S1,
S2 and S3 are for executing the sputtering of SiN, and a target for releasing SiN is arranged in these sputtering chambers. The fourth sputter unit S4 is T
A target for emitting TbFeCo is disposed in these sputtering chambers for performing bFeCo sputtering. The fifth sputter unit S5 is LaSiON
In these sputtering chambers, a target for releasing LaSiON is arranged. The sixth sputter unit S6 is for performing the sputtering of AlNi.
A target that emits Ni is disposed.

In the configuration of the third embodiment, the position Q
The vacuum clean box 31 is for supplying the optical mini-discs 30 (base disk before film formation), the vacuum clean box 31 at the position R is for taking out the optical mini-discs 30 after the film formation, and the vacuum clean box 31 at the position T is spare. Suppose there is. The inside of the double gate valve 70 at the positions Q, R, and T where the vacuum clean box 31 is hermetically mounted is evacuated (preferably to a degree of vacuum of 0.1 Torr or less, which is about the same as that of the stocker chamber). The heavy gate valve 70 is opened. That is, the shutter 33 on the vacuum clean box side and the apparatus side shutter 77 are opened by the fluid pressure cylinder 78.

Then, the optical minidisk 30 in the vacuum clean box 31 at the position Q is held by the tip of the telescopic arm 93 by the rotation, the vertical movement of the rotary vertical drive unit 92 of the vacuum robot 91 and the telescopic operation of the telescopic arm 93. The position is changed to the posture conversion device 101 which is standing by in the horizontal state in FIG. At this time, the electromagnet 104 of the rotating arm 105 is in an excited state, and attracts the inner peripheral mask 103 made of a magnetic material previously fitted to the center hole of the optical mini-disk 30. The pair of holding members 102 are open when the optical mini-disk 30 is received, but close when the optical mini-disk 30 is placed, and hold the periphery of the optical mini-disk 30.

The posture changing device 101 is rotated 90 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 7 to the state shown in FIG.
(2) Convert to a vertical position facing the disk holding unit 115 at the end. At this time, the excitation of the electromagnet 104 of the rotating arm 105 is continued. Thereafter, the telescopic arm 112 moves forward to receive the optical mini-discs 30, and at the same time, the excitation of the electromagnet 104 on the rotating arm side is turned off. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the projection of the inner peripheral mask 103 on the side of the optical minidisk 30 is fitted into the concave portion 113 and the permanent magnet 114 attracts the projection of the inner peripheral mask 103. The disk is held by the disk holding unit 115 away from the disk 101.

The seven telescopic arms 112 repeatedly extend and retract in synchronization with each other.
It rotates by 1/7 of 360 degrees with 11 intermittent rotations. Therefore, the optical minidisk 30 moved from the attitude conversion device 101 to the disk holding unit 115 moves to a position facing the first sputtering unit S1 with the intermittent rotation of the index table 111. Then, the optical minidisk 30 enters the sputtering chamber in the sputtering unit S1 due to the extension of the telescopic arm 112, and the SiN sputtering process is executed facing the target in the sputtering chamber.
Next, the telescopic arm 112 contracts and the index table 111 rotates by 1/7 of 360 degrees, and the optical minidisk 30 moves to a position facing the second sputter unit S2. In this manner, the optical mini-discs 30 performs the sputtering process of SiN in the first sputtering unit S1, the SiN in the second sputtering unit S2, the SiN in the third sputtering unit S3, and the Tb in the fourth sputtering unit S4.
The sputtering process of FeCo, LaSiON in the fifth sputtering unit S5, and the sputtering process of AlNi in the sixth sputtering unit S6 are sequentially performed.

The optical minidiscs 30 on which the processing in each of the sputter units S1 to S6 has been completed are returned to the posture changing device 101 again, and the posture is changed from vertical to horizontal.
Further, the wafer is transferred to the vacuum clean box 31 at the position R by the vacuum robot 91. Such processing is sequentially performed on each optical mini-disc 30.

According to the third embodiment, multi-layer sputtering of the optical mini-discs 30 can be performed extremely efficiently, and supply and removal of the optical mini-discs 30 to and from the sputtering apparatus can be easily performed while maintaining a clean state. .

A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This fourth embodiment shows a process of performing a process such as etching in a nitrogen atmosphere after performing a PVD process in a vacuum atmosphere on a semiconductor wafer. FIG. 10 shows a PVD apparatus in which five PVD units 121 are provided for a common vacuum chamber 120, and a vacuum robot 122 is installed in the common vacuum chamber 120. Further, a double gate valve 130 is provided in the common vacuum chamber 120. Vacuum clean box 131 attached to double gate valve 130
A shutter 13 for storing one semiconductor wafer 132 as shown in FIG. 11 and opening and closing a transfer opening and closing port.
Three. FIG. 12 shows a resist coating unit 141, a baking unit 142, a developing unit 143, a cleaning unit 144,
This is a processing apparatus provided with an etching unit 145 and an exposure unit 146.
47 are installed. Also, the on-off valve 1 is provided in the common chamber 140.
The vacuum changer 148 is connected to the vacuum changer 148 via the vacuum cleaner 49.
A double gate valve 130A is provided at the mounting portion.

In the case of the fourth embodiment, the vacuum clean box 131 is held by the transfer robot 150 and the P in FIG.
When mounted on the double gate valve 130 of the VD apparatus, the double gate valve 130 is opened after the double gate valve 130 is evacuated, and the on-off valve 149 is opened after the vacuum changer 148 converts the vacuum to a nitrogen atmosphere and the above-described respective operations are performed. As in the example, the semiconductor wafer 132 in the vacuum clean box is sequentially transferred to each PVD unit 121 by the vacuum robot 122 to execute a predetermined PVD process. Then, the semiconductor wafer 13
2 is returned to the vacuum clean box 131. The vacuum clean box 131 containing the semiconductor wafer 132 after the PVD processing is transferred to the double gate valve 130A of the processing apparatus of FIG.
After the vacuum is changed from a vacuum to a nitrogen atmosphere by the vacuum changer 148, the resist coating unit 14 is changed by the robot 147.
1, baking unit 142, developing unit 143,
The cleaning unit 144, the etching unit 145, and the exposure unit 146 are transported in this order, and undergo predetermined processing.
The processed semiconductor wafer 132 is returned to the vacuum clean box 131 via the vacuum changer 148 again.

According to the fourth embodiment, various processes of the semiconductor wafer 132 in a vacuum and nitrogen atmosphere can be efficiently performed, and the semiconductor wafer is supplied to and removed from the processing apparatus by using the vacuum clean box 131. It can be easily executed.

In the above embodiment, a sputtering apparatus or a PVD apparatus is exemplified as a processing apparatus in a vacuum atmosphere.
The present invention can also be applied to an apparatus that performs a film forming process such as vapor deposition or ion plating.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the vacuum clean box does not have a vacuum exhaust unit or a transfer unit, the vacuum clean box can be configured to be lightweight and compact, and positioning for integrating the vacuum clean box with various processing apparatuses as a vacuum device can be performed extremely easily. Further, the attachment to various kinds of processing apparatuses can be easily performed manually or by a commercially available robot (not necessarily clean). Also,
Even when an unmanned transport vehicle is used for transporting the vacuum clean box, the unmanned transport vehicle can be moved to another place after the vacuum clean box is combined, and the operation rate of the unmanned transport vehicle can be kept good. Further, the vacuum clean box is a minimum necessary space having no evacuation means and transfer means, and can maintain a sufficient airtightness to extend the vacuum maintenance time. Further, it is possible to store the transferred object in a vacuum clean box and leave it for a while, and there is an advantage that the handling is simple.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a clean transfer method and apparatus according to the present invention.
It is a front sectional view showing an example.

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional plan view showing a vacuum clean box used in a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating an optical mini-disc injection molding process in a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram illustrating a film forming process of an optical minidisk in a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram when the attitude conversion device used in the third embodiment is in a horizontal state.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram when the attitude conversion device used in the third embodiment is in a vertical state.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of transferring the optical minidisk from the attitude conversion device to the disk holding unit in the third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a plan sectional view showing a PVD apparatus used in a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a vacuum clean box used in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 12 shows a processing apparatus in a nitrogen atmosphere used in the fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,31,131 Vacuum clean box 3,7,33,58,77,133 Shutter 4,6,34,76 Opening / closing port 5 Sputtering apparatus 10,70,130,130A Double gate valve 18,117 Target 30 Optical minidiscs 50,148 Vacuum changer 53 Injection molding machine 60 Film forming device 61 Robot arm 91,122,147 Robot 101 Attitude conversion device 111 Index table 112 Telescopic arm 116 Sputter chamber 121 PVD unit 132 Semiconductor wafer 141 Resist coating unit 142 Baking unit 143 Development Unit 144 Cleaning unit 145 Etching unit 146 Exposure unit S1 to S6 Sputtering unit

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An opening and closing opening which can be opened and closed by a shutter,
A vacuum clean box having airtightness capable of maintaining a vacuum state when the shutter is closed and having no evacuation means and transfer means, and a vacuum device having an opening and closing opening which can be opened and closed by a shutter, each of which is closed. After airtightly coupled in the state, to form a closed space facing each opening and closing opening each shutter which closed each opening and closing opening of the vacuum clean box and the vacuum device, respectively, the vacuum clean box and A clean transfer method, wherein the internal spaces of the vacuum device are connected to each other. 2. An opening and closing opening which can be opened and closed by a shutter,
A vacuum clean box having airtightness capable of maintaining a vacuum state when the shutter is closed and having no vacuum evacuation means and transfer means, and a vacuum device having an opening and closing opening which can be opened and closed by a shutter; Opening / closing means for opening and closing the shutters of both the box and the vacuum device are provided on the vacuum device side, and the vacuum clean box and the vacuum device constitute an airtight closed space facing the respective opening / closing ports when combined. Wherein the vacuum clean box and the vacuum apparatus are configured such that the internal spaces of the vacuum apparatus are continuous with each other when the respective shutters closing the respective opening / closing ports of the vacuum apparatus are opened. apparatus. 3. The clean transfer device according to claim 2, wherein a film-forming particle generation source is provided in the vacuum device, and a film-forming object is provided in the vacuum clean box. 4. The clean transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the vacuum device is provided with a vacuum exhaust unit and a transfer unit for transferring the transferred object.