JP3899564B2 - Seal box exhaust mechanism - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a seal box that hermetically accommodates various devices for moving various members such as a wafer surface treatment apparatus, a wafer inspection apparatus, and a gas purge station disposed in a clean room. The present invention relates to an exhaust mechanism of a seal box that exhausts dust generated by driving various devices while preventing the dust from leaking into a space that requires cleanliness.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 4 shows a semiconductor manufacturing system arranged in a clean room X in which the internal atmosphere is cleaned. 1 is a surface processing apparatus incorporating a surface processing furnace for performing surface processing of a semiconductor wafer, and 2 is a wafer inspection. Device 3 is a self-propelled transfer robot, 4 is a wafer storage housed with a stacker crane 6, 5 is a wafer cleaning device, 7 is a linear motor type transfer device, and 8 is a plurality of semiconductor wafers W mounted in stages. This is a portable sealed container that houses a wafer cassette 9 (shown in FIG. 5).
[0003]
In order to prevent dust from adhering to the semiconductor wafer W, the wafer cassette 9 is housed in the sealed container 8 during transport between the processes (each device 1 to 5) in the clean room X and storage in the wafer storage 4. Attempts to do so began.
Also, in recent years, since the fine processing of semiconductors has been advanced to the limit, it is necessary to prevent the growth of oxide films due to natural oxidation of semiconductor wafers by oxygen in the air and the effects of organic gases in the air. For this reason, a gas purge station 10 as shown in FIG. 5 is provided in the surface treatment apparatus 1 or the wafer storage 4 or the like, and in this gas purge station 10 an inert gas (nitrogen, clean dry air) in the sealed container 8 is stored. Etc.), oxygen and organic gas in the air that causes the oxide film growth of the semiconductor wafer W are released to the outside of the sealed container 8, and the atmosphere inside the sealed container 8 is made inert gas (nitrogen gas, Purging (replacement) to clean dry air.
[0004]
In this way, in order to purge the internal atmosphere of the sealed container 8 with an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.), the gas purge station 10 provided in the surface treatment apparatus 1, the wafer storage 4 or the like is shown in FIG. As shown, an elevating device 13 having an elevating table 12 is arranged in a sitation main body 11 having a predetermined volume, and this elevating table 12 is sealed in an upper opening 14 of the station main body 11 (not shown). And the station main body 11 is hermetically sealed. A mechanical or electrical device 15 (such as a gear or an electric motor) that locks or unlocks the lid 17 of the hermetic container 8 placed on the station main body 11 for gas purge is housed in the lower part of the lifting table 12. A seal box 16 is provided. The seal box 16 has a lock pin 18 that is attached to the elevating table 12 and is spline-engaged from the lower side of the lid 17 of the hermetic container 8. The lid 17 is locked or unlocked with respect to 8.
[0005]
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a cable 19 for supplying electric power to an electrical device 15B (such as an electric motor) for driving the mechanical device 15A is connected to the seal box 16. As shown in FIG. 7, the cable 19 is configured by covering a plurality of wires 20 that connect the electrical device 15B in the seal box 16 and a power source (not shown) with a sheath 21 (covering body), It is inserted into the seal box 16 through an insertion hole 22 formed in the seal box 16. In order to secure the airtightness of the seal box 16, a rubber bush 23 fitted on the cable 19 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 22. The rubber bush 23 is detachably press-fitted from the insertion hole 22 of the seal box 16 in order to enable maintenance of the cable 19, and does not completely seal the inside of the seal box 16.
As shown in FIG. 5, the cable 19 extends from the seal box 16 to the power source through the station body 11. Further, 24 is a supply passage for supplying an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.) to the station main body 11, and 25 is an exhaust gas for exhausting the air in the station main body 11 together with the inert gas without being outside the clean room X. Each of the passages 24 and 25 communicates with the opening 14.
[0006]
Then, in order to gas purge (replace) the inside atmosphere of the sealed container 8 with an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.), the lid 17 is moved up and down with the sealed container 8 covering the opening 14 of the station body 11. After being placed on the lifting table 12 of the apparatus 13 and engaged with the lock pin 18 by spline engagement, the lock pin 18 is rotated by driving the various devices 15 in the seal box 16 and the lid 17 of the sealed container 8 is rotated. unlock. Thereafter, the elevating table 12 of the elevating device 13 is lowered together with the lid 17 and the wafer cassette 9 to bring the sealed container 8 and the station main body 11 into communication, and then an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean gas) is supplied from the supply passage 24. Supply dry air).
As a result, an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.) supplied from the supply passage 24 is supplied into the station main body 11 and the sealed container 8, and causes air to cause natural oxide film growth of the semiconductor wafer W. Oxygen and organic gas contained therein are discharged to the outside of the station main body 11 (not limited to the outside of the clean room X) through the exhaust passage 25 together with an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean air, etc.).
After that, when a predetermined time has passed and the purity of the inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.) in the station main body 11 and the sealed container 8 is increased and the gas purge is performed, the inert gas through the passages 24 and 25 is used. After the supply and exhaust of (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.) is stopped and the inside of the station main body 11 is made airtight, the elevating table 12 of the elevating device 13 is lifted together with the lid 17 and the wafer cassette 9 to enter the sealed container 8. By storing the wafer cassette 9 and driving various devices 15 in the seal box 16, the lock pin 18 is rotated to lock the lid 17 with respect to the sealed container 8, and the inside of the sealed container 8 is made airtight. .
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the gas purge station 1 of the prior art, in order to purge (replace) the inside of the sealed container 8 with an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.), when this lid 17 is placed on the lifting table 12, A space A (shown in FIG. 5) is formed between them. Accordingly, when an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.) is supplied into the station body 2 from the supply passage 24 for purging the gas in the sealed container 8, as shown in FIG. An inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean air, etc.) flows into the seal box 16 through the B-space A and the gap C between the lock pin 18 and the lifting table 12. Further, when various devices 15 in the seal box 16 are driven, dust is generated due to these contacts.
As a result, when an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean air, etc.) flows into the seal box 16 during the gas purge of the sealed container 8, dust generated by driving the various devices 15 becomes inactive gas (nitrogen gas, In addition to clean air and the like, the air leaks into the station main body 11 through a slight gap between the insertion hole 22 of the seal box 16 and the rubber bush 23 and adheres to the semiconductor wafer W mounted on the wafer cassette 9. Adversely affected.
[0008]
The exhaust mechanism of the seal box of the present invention is made to solve this problem, and prevents dust generated by driving various devices housed in the seal box from leaking to the outside. The goal is to keep the surrounding environment of the box clean.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, in the exhaust mechanism of the seal box of the present invention, a seal box that is disposed in a space that requires cleanliness and houses various devices therein, an intake case having an internal space, and the various types A plurality of wirings connected to the device, which are connected to the internal space of the intake case and a cable that covers each of the wirings by partitioning gaps therein; And an intake means for exhausting,
The cable is disposed so as to penetrate the internal space of the intake case from the inside of the seal box, and the internal partition gap communicates with the internal space in a portion located in the internal space of the intake case. The cable covering is broken.
When the intake means is operated, the gas existing in the internal space of the intake case is sucked, and the gas in the seal box communicated with the internal space of the intake case through the exhaust path is also exposed in the gap-wiring. Since the air is sucked through the part and the internal space of the air intake case, the inside of the seal box can be in a negative pressure state.
As a result, the gas flows into the seal box that is in a negative pressure state from the gap between the seal box and the cable, and the gas flowing into the seal box is prevented from leaking outside the seal box. Together with the gas and dust present inside, the air can be discharged to the outside of the space through the internal space of the intake case by the intake force of the intake means.
In addition, since the cable with a gap inside is used, the dust generated by driving various devices is discharged outside the clean room with a simple structure using the existing cable without any processing. it can.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an exhaust mechanism of a seal box according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a gas purge station in which the exhaust mechanism of the seal box in the present invention is used, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a specific configuration of the exhaust mechanism of the seal box in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cable used for the exhaust mechanism of the seal box in. In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 of the prior art have the same configuration, and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0011]
1 and 2, the exhaust mechanism Y of the seal box 16 includes a cable 19 that electrically connects the inside of the seal box 16 and a power source (not shown), an intake case 30 disposed outside the station body 11, and an intake case. 30 and an intake pump 31 serving as an intake means connected to 30.
[0012]
The cable 19 is inserted into the internal space D of the intake case 30 from the through hole 32 formed in the intake case 30 on the way to the power supply outside the station main body 11 and passes through the internal space D. It protrudes outside through a through hole 33 formed in the intake case 30 so as to face 32 and is connected to the power source. In order to ensure the airtightness of the intake case 30, a rubber bush 23 fitted on the cable 19 is press-fitted into the through holes 32 and 33. The rubber bush 23 is detachably press-fitted from the through holes 32 and 33 of the intake case 30 in order to enable maintenance of the cable 19, and makes the intake case 30 completely airtight. Not. As shown in FIG. 3, the cable 19 has a gap 21 </ b> A defined therein and each wiring 20 is covered with a sheath 21. The cable 19 is opened inside the seal box 16 to open the intake case 30. A communication hole 34 extending to the internal space D is formed, and a portion that penetrates the internal space D of the suction case 30 is removed without being covered with the sheath 21 (a state in which the wiring 20 is exposed) to form a gap 21A. An opening 35 that opens is formed. Thereby, the inside of the seal box 16 and the internal space of the intake case 30 are in communication with each other through the gap 21 </ b> A and the opening 35. The cable 19 is preferably a robot cable having excellent bending resistance.
[0013]
The intake case 30 is formed with an intake hole 37 that communicates the internal space D with the outside in a direction perpendicular to the penetration direction of the cable 19, and an intake pipe 38 that extends to the clean room X is hermetically sealed in the intake hole 37. It is connected to the. The intake pipe 38 is provided with an intake pump 31 that is operated by a drive motor (not shown). When operated by the drive motor, the intake pipe 38 draws air (gas) or the like in the intake case 30. It is discharged without being limited to the outside of the clean room X.
In this way, the intake case 30 is interposed without directly connecting the cable 19 to the discharge pump 31, so that the cable 19 does not come off the seal case 16 due to the intake force generated by the operation of the intake pump 31. Therefore, the intake pump 31 may be connected directly to the cable 19 if possible. Further, when the seal box 16 and the intake case 30 are communicated with each other by the cable 19, the distance between the seal box 16 and the intake case 30 can be changed by adjusting this length. Layout design, change, etc. can be done easily.
[0014]
In the exhaust mechanism Y of the seal box 16 configured as described above, when the intake pump 31 is operated to purge (replace) the inside of the sealed container 8 with an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.), The air present in the internal space D of the case 30 is sucked and discharged not only outside the clean room X. As a result, the air inside the seal box 16 communicating with the internal space D of the intake case 30 through the exhaust path 36 is also sucked by the intake pump 31 through the gap 21A-the internal space D of the intake case 30. The internal pressure decreases and the negative pressure state (pressure inside the seal box 16 <relationship of the pressure inside the station body 11) is reached.
[0015]
In such a state, with the sealed container 8 covering the opening 14 of the station main body 11, the lid 17 is placed on the lifting table 12 of the lifting device 13 and spline-engaged with the lock pin 18. By driving various devices 15 in the box 16, the lock pin 18 is rotated to unlock the lid 17 of the sealed container 8. Thereafter, the elevating table 12 of the elevating device 13 is lowered together with the lid 17 and the wafer cassette 9 to bring the sealed container 8 and the station main body 11 into communication with each other, and then an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean gas) is supplied from the supply passage 24. Supply dry air).
[0016]
Then, an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.) supplied from the supply passage 24 is supplied into the station main body 11 and the sealed container 8, and in the air which causes the natural oxide film growth of the semiconductor wafer W and the like. Oxygen and organic gas are discharged together with inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean dry air, etc.) through the exhaust passage 25 to the outside of the station body 11 (not necessarily outside of the clean room X), and inert gas (nitrogen) The inside of the seal box 16 in which a part of gas, clean dry air, etc.) is brought into a negative pressure state through the gap B-space A and gap C and through the gap between the rubber bush 23 and the insertion hole 22 from the station body 11. Flow into.
As a result, dust generated by driving various devices 15 housed in the seal box 16 is prevented from leaking from the seal box 16 into the station main body 11, and the inert gas flowing into the seal box 16 is prevented. (Nitrogen gas, clean air, etc.) are sucked together with the air and dust existing in the interior by the intake force of the intake pump 31 through the internal space D of the intake case 30 and the intake pipe 37, and the clean room X or the clean room It is discharged not only outside X.
As a result, when the gas purge station 10 purges (replaces) the inside of the sealed container 8 with an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean air, etc.), dust leaks from the inside of the seal box 16 into the station body 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the dust from adhering to the semiconductor wafer W placed on the wafer cassette 9, and it is possible to achieve the manufacture of a high-quality semiconductor.
[0017]
The exhaust mechanism Y of the sealed box 16 of the present invention has been described for use in the gas purge station 10 that purges (replaces) the internal atmosphere of the sealed container 8 with an inert gas (nitrogen gas, clean air, etc.). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 4 of the prior art, the surface treatment device 1 itself, the wafer inspection device 2, the self-propelled transfer robot 3, the stacker arranged in the clean room X In addition to the wafer storage 4, the wafer cleaning device 5, and the linear motor type transfer device 7 that house the crane 6, it may be applied to seal boxes used in various devices arranged in a clean atmosphere. It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
Thus, according to the exhaust mechanism of the seal box of the present invention, when the intake means is operated, the gas existing in the internal space of the intake case is sucked and the seal communicated with the internal space of the intake case through the exhaust path Since the gas in the box is also sucked through the exhaust passage and the internal space of the intake case, the inside of the seal box can be in a negative pressure state. As a result, gas flows into the seal box that is in a negative pressure state from the gap between the seal box and the cable, preventing the leakage of dust to the outside of the seal box, and the gas flowing into the seal box. In addition to the gas and dust present in the interior, the suction force of the intake means can be discharged to the outside of the space through the internal space of the exhaust path-intake case, so that the clean room in the environment surrounding the seal box is clean. It becomes possible to keep. In particular, when a seal box that accommodates various devices is applied to various devices of a semiconductor manufacturing system, dust does not adhere to a semiconductor wafer or the like, and it is possible to achieve high-quality semiconductor manufacturing. Become.
In addition, since the cable with a gap inside is used, the dust generated by driving various devices is discharged outside the space with a simple structure using the existing cable without any processing. it can.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a gas purge station in which an exhaust mechanism of a seal box according to the present invention is used.
2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a specific configuration of an exhaust mechanism of the seal box in FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cable in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional semiconductor manufacturing system;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a gas purge station in which a seal box in the prior art is used.
6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a specific configuration of the seal box in FIG. 4. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a cable connected to various devices housed in a conventional seal box.
[Explanation of symbols]
X Clean room D Internal space 15 Various devices 16 Seal box 19 Cable 20 Wiring 30 Intake case 31 Intake pump (intake means)

Claims (1)

A seal box that is placed in a space that requires cleanliness and stores various devices inside,
An intake case having an internal space;
A plurality of wires connected to the various devices, a cable that divides a gap inside and covers the wires,
An intake means connected to the internal space of the intake case, for sucking gas existing in the space and exhausting the gas out of the space;
The cable is
It is arranged so as to penetrate the internal space of the intake case from the inside of the seal box,
An exhaust mechanism for a seal box, wherein a cable covering is broken away at a portion located in the internal space of the intake case so that the internal partition gap communicates with the internal space.

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